Report: Fox & Miles To A's For Prospects

[rok]

Good.

[CFOrfan]

I'm happy with our trades thus far.

[rok]

Hopefully Hoff is next.

[biggz]

So, who's going to platoon with Hoff at 1st next year?

[Ace]

<!--quoteo(post=70608:date=Dec 3 2009, 09:52 PM:name=biggz)-->QUOTE (biggz @ Dec 3 2009, 09:52 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->So, who's going to platoon with Hoff at 1st next year?<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
[img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tongue.gif[/img]

[Scarey]

Ok, I'm not thrilled with the return here, but I think it's decent considering Miles is gone. For now, I think Gray could be a decent arm for us in the bullpen. Spencer could be a decent player if he develops a bit more plate discipline. Morla has good K numbers.

What I'm pissed off about is the fact that we got another cheap young(ish) bullpen arm... and we signed John freaking Grabow to a 2 year deal. Right now, this is the list of players competing for spots in the bullpen.

<i><!--coloro:#0000FF--><!--/coloro-->Carlos Marmol
Angel Guzman
Sean Marshall
John Grabow<!--colorc-->
<!--/colorc-->
Justin Berg
Esmailin Caridad
John Gaub
Jeff Gray
Blake Parker
Jeff Stevens</i>
Scott Maine (acquired in Heilman deal)
James Russell

<!--sizeo:2--><!--/sizeo-->Locks for the bullpen in <!--coloro:#0000FF--><!--/coloro-->blue<!--colorc-->
<!--/colorc-->, pitchers on the 40 man roster in <i>italics</i>.<!--sizec--><!--/sizec-->

This doesn't even include Samardzija and Gorzelanny if one or both of them don't make the rotation. There's plenty of cheap arms to go with here and you have to think without Grabow (who isn't even very good at his job), they should be able to find 6 guys that are capable out of that list.

[rok]

<!--quoteo(post=70628:date=Dec 4 2009, 08:46 AM:name=Scarey)-->QUOTE (Scarey @ Dec 4 2009, 08:46 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->Ok, I'm not thrilled with the return here, but I think it's decent considering Miles is gone. For now, I think Gray could be a decent arm for us in the bullpen. Spencer could be a decent player if he develops a bit more plate discipline. Morla has good K numbers.

What I'm pissed off about is the fact that we got another cheap young(ish) bullpen arm... and we signed John freaking Grabow to a 2 year deal. Right now, this is the list of players competing for spots in the bullpen.

<i><!--coloro:#0000FF--><!--/coloro-->Carlos Marmol
Angel Guzman
Sean Marshall
John Grabow<!--colorc-->
<!--/colorc-->
Justin Berg
Esmailin Caridad
John Gaub
Jeff Gray
Blake Parker
Jeff Stevens</i>
Scott Maine (acquired in Heilman deal)
James Russell

<!--sizeo:2--><!--/sizeo-->Locks for the bullpen in <!--coloro:#0000FF--><!--/coloro-->blue<!--colorc-->
<!--/colorc-->, pitchers on the 40 man roster in <i>italics</i>.<!--sizec--><!--/sizec-->

This doesn't even include Samardzija and Gorzelanny if one or both of them don't make the rotation. There's plenty of cheap arms to go with here and you have to think without Grabow (who isn't even very good at his job), they should be able to find 6 guys that are capable out of that list.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
And from a blurb on MLB.com quoting Hendry last night, he isn't done looking for bullpen help. I just hope he doesn't overpay for it.

[Scarey]

<!--quoteo(post=70632:date=Dec 4 2009, 10:32 AM:name=rok)-->QUOTE (rok @ Dec 4 2009, 10:32 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->And from a blurb on MLB.com quoting Hendry last night, he isn't done looking for bullpen help. I just hope he doesn't overpay for it.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20...sp&c_id=mlb

<!--quoteo-->QUOTE <!--quotec-->"We'll continue to look," Hendry said. "We'd still like to pursue some bullpen possibilities. I think the market is going to dictate how long that goes and who's left. There's also other trade possibilities that we feel might be possible for us to do."<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

Insane.

[Butcher]

<!--quoteo(post=70628:date=Dec 4 2009, 08:46 AM:name=Scarey)-->QUOTE (Scarey @ Dec 4 2009, 08:46 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->Ok, I'm not thrilled with the return here, but I think it's decent considering Miles is gone. For now, I think Gray could be a decent arm for us in the bullpen. Spencer could be a decent player if he develops a bit more plate discipline. Morla has good K numbers.

What I'm pissed off about is the fact that we got another cheap young(ish) bullpen arm... and we signed John freaking Grabow to a 2 year deal. Right now, this is the list of players competing for spots in the bullpen.

<i><!--coloro:#0000FF--><!--/coloro-->Carlos Marmol
Angel Guzman
Sean Marshall
John Grabow<!--colorc-->
<!--/colorc-->
Justin Berg
Esmailin Caridad
John Gaub
Jeff Gray
Blake Parker
Jeff Stevens</i>
Scott Maine (acquired in Heilman deal)
James Russell

<!--sizeo:2--><!--/sizeo-->Locks for the bullpen in <!--coloro:#0000FF--><!--/coloro-->blue<!--colorc-->
<!--/colorc-->, pitchers on the 40 man roster in <i>italics</i>.<!--sizec--><!--/sizec-->

This doesn't even include Samardzija and Gorzelanny if one or both of them don't make the rotation. There's plenty of cheap arms to go with here and you have to think without Grabow (who isn't even very good at his job), they should be able to find 6 guys that are capable out of that list.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Couldn't agree more, Scarey.

[Butcher]

<!--quoteo(post=70633:date=Dec 4 2009, 09:42 AM:name=Scarey)-->QUOTE (Scarey @ Dec 4 2009, 09:42 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec--><!--quoteo(post=70632:date=Dec 4 2009, 10:32 AM:name=rok)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (rok @ Dec 4 2009, 10:32 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->And from a blurb on MLB.com quoting Hendry last night, he isn't done looking for bullpen help. I just hope he doesn't overpay for it.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20...sp&c_id=mlb

<!--quoteo-->QUOTE <!--quotec-->"We'll continue to look," Hendry said. "We'd still like to pursue some bullpen possibilities. I think the market is going to dictate how long that goes and who's left. There's also other trade possibilities that we feel might be possible for us to do."<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

Insane.
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Wow. I really don't get it. Is the bullpen Hendry's new second base?

[Bricklayer]

<!--quoteo(post=70633:date=Dec 4 2009, 09:42 AM:name=Scarey)-->QUOTE (Scarey @ Dec 4 2009, 09:42 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec--><!--quoteo(post=70632:date=Dec 4 2009, 10:32 AM:name=rok)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (rok @ Dec 4 2009, 10:32 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->And from a blurb on MLB.com quoting Hendry last night, he isn't done looking for bullpen help. I just hope he doesn't overpay for it.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20...sp&c_id=mlb

<!--quoteo-->QUOTE <!--quotec-->"We'll continue to look," Hendry said. "We'd still like to pursue some bullpen possibilities. I think the market is going to dictate how long that goes and who's left. There's also other trade possibilities that we feel might be possible for us to do."<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

Insane.
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

Unless he's just stockpiling for possible trades?

I've given up trying to see the method to the madness. Either it pans out and there's some success or he fails and he's gone. Either way I'll be happy.

[Mikey]

<!--quoteo-->QUOTE <!--quotec-->12/4 Scouting reports
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Today at 8:38am

Here's more info from MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo on the two Minor Leaguers the Cubs got from Oakland in Thursday's deal.

Ronny Morla

Morla is a solid mid-range kind of prospect. His numbers in the Northwest League don't look all that exciting, but what probably interested the Cubs is that he was throwing 93-94 mph with his fastball and maintaining it in his starts. He complements the fastball with a good slider. It's the breaking ball that largely was the swing-and-miss pitch that allowed him to rack up over a strikeout per inning with Vancouver. At 21, he's got a good pitcher's body and is projectable. If a team put him in the bullpen exclusively, he could increase the fastball into the mid-90s.

Matt Spencer

Spencer is big and athletic, capable of playing the outfield as well as first base. He's got an above-average arm. In fact, there was some talk about drafting him as a pitcher because he was 90+ in brief mound stints at Arizona State. He's got plus raw power and became a much better overall hitter in 2009 by shortening his swing after getting promoted to Double-A. He can hit the ball out of any park and the OF-1B mix gives him a little versatility defensively. He drew a comparison to current Cub Micah Hoffpauir at similar stages of their careers.

-- Carrie Muskat<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

[Clapp]

<!--quoteo-->QUOTE <!--quotec-->Fox praised Hendry for his honesty, but said the general manager undervalued his abilities.

"Naturally, I always thought I should have been a little higher than I was, and he always told me, 'No, you're right where you need to be,' " Fox said. "<b>So we never really saw eye to eye. Every player is always a little biased toward himself, and I felt like he underestimated my abilities</b> . . . but it just gave me more motivation to push through, keep fighting and get me to where I was last year."<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

[jstraw]

<!--quoteo(post=70730:date=Dec 4 2009, 03:43 PM:name=Clapp)-->QUOTE (Clapp @ Dec 4 2009, 03:43 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec--><!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE <!--quotec-->Fox praised Hendry for his honesty, but said the general manager undervalued his abilities.

"Naturally, I always thought I should have been a little higher than I was, and he always told me, 'No, you're right where you need to be,' " Fox said. "<b>So we never really saw eye to eye. Every player is always a little biased toward himself, and I felt like he underestimated my abilities</b> . . . but it just gave me more motivation to push through, keep fighting and get me to where I was last year."<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

I would expect most players to feel that way. Better that than to have them feeling like frauds getting away with something.

[Scarey]

With Fox's progression through the minors, we always heard about him being held back to learn different positions even though his bat was progressing as it should. That statement sheds some light on things a little bit more. I agree with Fox, even though he needed to learn some positions, he should have been up sooner than he was.