Picking up Salt would be lovely, no idea if those trade suggestions are viable.

I wonder if anything dramatic will happen before the team is sold. (Note, I'm not sure trading Hill really counts as "dramatic" since he's not exactly a big name ... the change to the team would be substantial but trading Z would be dramatic.) Firing Hendry would of course be a nice dramatic first step to fixing this organization.

What's interesting is that this team stinks although most of the major offseason questions (at least in my mind) have been answered pretty positively so far -- Lee's doing nicely, ARAM is doing nicely, Soriano's struggling but not doing awful (and according to UZR, playing great defense so far), DeRosa has hit well, Marquis/Lilly/Hill have pitched great overall, Wuertz/Guzman/Dempster have done pretty well and even Ohman's peripherals are fine. Not everything of course -- 5th starter's left something to be desired, SS is still something of a mess. But I really wasn't expecting problems from Z, Barrett, Howry, Eyre and figured at least 2 of Murton, Floyd, Jones would be fine.

Why would you trade your best starter?

I agree with Vaux - Why trade Hill, when you have him under a cheap contract for a while, and he's been very effective? I understand you need to trade quality to get quality, but there has to be a different package that can get Saltalamacchia.

Really, the thing to do would be to trade Z, even if he is my favorite player... I doubt he will resign with the Cubs, regardless of what he says, and certainly he can get you some blue chippers that you can keep, and use other priospcts to get rid of JJ and the like. Barret must go as well.

Once again, for the third time in four years, I find myself watching a team that is very difficult to like.

Why is it so difficult for the Cubs to play fundamental baseball? I thought Lou would have changed that, so maybe the players are just too dumb to understand what it takes to win (you know, hitting the cutoff man, advancing a runner, throwing to the right base, running at a runner caught between two bases, all stuff I learned in Little League).

If Barret can catch a knuckleball, I'd like to see him here over the corpse of Doug Mirabelli

Why would you trade your best starter.

It's a much better idea to move him into the setup man role, and then overuse him until he throws out his shoulder.

If Barret can catch a knuckleball, I'd like to see him here over the corpse of Doug Mirabelli

Barrett has enough trouble catching balls that don't knuckle.

Son of a biotch.

Trade Giambi!!

I don't see trading Hill as being dramatic. That is simply sarificing a pawn. Something dramatic would be sacrificing your bishop or queen. Hill ain't either one of those. About the only dramatic player move they could make would be to trade Zambrano. Getting rid of Barrett would be somewhat dramatic right now but you probably won't get much for an "old" catcher who currently isn't hitting and isn't very good on defense.

FOr me the dramatic move would be to punt the season and sit the vets or get rid of them.
An outfield of Soriano, Pie, PAgan/Murton. Derrek Lee, Theriot, Aramis, and DeRosa. Who is the best defensive catcher the Cubs have? Then on the mound you play Hill, Lilly, Marquis, Marshall, Guzman/young buck.

Play the youngsters and train and teach them. Make sure you make it clear that you want them to play ball in a certain manner and that not doing so won't be accepted. I would think Lou could handle that.

That would be dramatic and that would send a message to the players in that organization.
Second step or I guess first step and probably the most important step would be to can Hendry bring in a new guy and clean house within the organization. Go right through it and find the guys who are not doing their jobs or won't do their jobs.

I haven't seen much about Z's contract status. Has the delay scuttled the potential for signing him in-season? If he's not going to sign then he's one of the best chips on the market this season. Normally I'd say the Yankees would be lining up but they'll probably show some restraint.

That said, there will be someone who needs pitching for the stretch drive and Z would look good in a lot of rotations. If the AL West stays tight Z would look good in an Angels uniform and lord knows most primates have been wondering if the LAA's will EVER trade a prospect.

I agree with Vaux - Why trade Hill, when you have him under a cheap contract for a while, and he's been very effective? I understand you need to trade quality to get quality, but there has to be a different package that can get Saltalamacchia.

Any better ideas? The Braves won't take Cesar Izturis and I don't think they'd want Scott Eyre either. Even Donald Veal is floundering.

As for Zambrano, I'm not sure they'd want to take on a guy who, if he stays, is going to want serious money -- for what has been serious underperformance so far. I'm definitely not sure that they'd want to unload a guy like Saltalamaccia for him.

At the same time, if I'm Jim Hendry, it's understandable that I'd want *more* than Saltalamacchia if I'm going to deal Zambrano. I just don't see such a deal happening, though stranger things have happened in the past.

As for "dramatic," perhaps it isn't on the order of trading Zambano, Lee, Ramirez, or Soriano, but it is certainly not a minor roster move to get rid of what is now one of your best starters, and still relatively young at that. Heck, Post #s 2-3 attest to the fact that there is at least some drama to it.

My real point, though, is that the Cubs need to do something more than get another reliever or another bench guy; they need to do something to change the core of the team. Swapping out Barrett for Saltalamacchia is a start.

As a Braves fan for many years, I can say it doesn't APPEAR that JS is looking to trade Salty just yet... although you never know with him.

Rich Hill is very good, but who do you guys think he projects as? His top comps aren't inspiring. After watching Salty play both this year in Atlanta, and a few times in Myrtle Beach, I'm convinced he's the real deal and will be a top 5 catcher in the league for years to come along with McCann and Mauer. I really, really think it would take a king's ransom to pry him away from Atlanta. Seriously, something along the lines of Hill, and well, I don't know what else. Right now, Diaz and Harris are crushing the ball in left, Frenchy and Andruw are set in RF and CF, and the whole infield is set. Thorman is cold right now, but that's where Salty could get stuck if he continues stinking up the joint.

A Big Z would definitely not be appealing to the Braves unless we got him for very little, and only then it would probably be a month or so from now, and again, only if Z turns it around and Cormier, and/or Davies COMPLETELY implode (or big injuries). With Andruw's contract expiring this year, the Braves definitely won't be signing any HUGE contracts I don't believe, so Z would obviously be a 1/2 year lease.

According to the Tampa Tribune, the Braves are saying that Saltalamacchia is available (see toward the bottom of the column). Who knows how true this is or what the Braves' price would be.


I'm convinced he's the real deal and will be a top 5 catcher in the league for years to come along with McCann and Mauer.

Maybe, maybe not. Even so, though, where's he going to play with the Braves?

One problem with Hill is that his delivery doesn't appear to be very sustainable, but his shortcomings are beside the point. The Cubs should be thinking about making moves that make them better in the long-term, even if they come with some short-term risk. I wouldn't prioritize trading Hill, but the roster needs to be improved and the Cubs should consider moving some of their quality players for players with more of a future.

Of course, the Cubs never do that, and I'd rather see them wait until Hendry is fired before trying.

The biggest effect of Lou Piniella on the Cubs is that, no where in this discussion, has anyone made a Mark Prior or Kerry Wood reference. That alone should make him wildly popular on the North Side.

At the same time, if I'm Jim Hendry, it's understandable that I'd want *more* than Saltalamacchia if I'm going to deal Zambrano. I just don't see such a deal happening, though stranger things have happened in the past.

Rent-A-Players just haven't been bringing back a ton lately; look at last year's deadline.

Joel Guzman (whose star had seriously faded at the time of the deal) was probably the top prospect dealt.
Bowden, for better or worse, couldn't get his asking price for Soriano (which was rather high) and just took the picks.

It's too early to clean house or panic. They need better execution and swapping out talent isn't going to get it done. In their sorry division, there is plenty of time left for Soriano to get hot and for them to solve the middle relief woes.

Zambrano has got to be hurt and that's going to accrue to the Cub's advantage negotiation-wise. Hard to see them dealing him when other teams can see there's something wrong.

I'd be real surprised if Lou would be up for punting the season and returning to a Devil Ray situation.