Word came out a day or two ago that the Dodgers were shopping Andre Ethier. It was then corrected that they were only listening to offers, but now there's a report that the Dodgers are interested in Michael Bourn or Nick Swisher, but first must trade Ethier. Ethier is owed $85 million over the next 5 years and will be 31 this year.
Ethier never became the superstar that many expected when he reached the big leagues, but he has been a valuable player. He might be worth the $85 million though he probably isn't and that's why I'm bringing him up. Would the Dodgers being willing to eat some of the contract? They've been willing to eat just about every dollar they can possibly find so who knows? Would they instead be willing to package a prospect in a deal along with Ethier? That's why I'm interested.
Not only is Ethier still a valuable player, but if the Cubs could also pick up a valuable prospect in the trade, it could help them out now and in the future. Not only would they have the future impact of the prospect, but they'd also have the ability to trade Ethier later on. Perhaps a move to Wrigley Field sees his offense improve drastically. I wouldn't count on it, but I wouldn't rule it out either.
The Cubs have money so they can take on the contract. They would get their starting RF for several years and have the option of trading him if he breaks out in the near future for prospects. They'd also get a prospect in return.
Would the Dodgers do this? I'm skeptical that they would, but I think it's something that Theo and Jed ought to try and discuss with the Dodgers.
Speaking of Theo and Jed, that same article says the Cubs are looking for a top prospect in return for Alfonso Soriano. We already knew they were willing to eat a large chunk of the remaining contract, but now we learn they want a top prospect.
Given the dearth of talent on the free-agent market, the Yankees might be forced to look for an outfielder in a trade. The Cubs have been shopping Alfonso Soriano around the league, and while his contract — he's owed $36 million over the next two years to finish his eight-year, $136 million deal — is massive, a source said the Cubs would likely be willing to absorb as much as $26 million in the right situation.
General manager Theo Epstein is said to be asking for top prospects in return for Soriano, who hit .262/.322/.499 with 32 home runs and 108 RBI last season.
Good luck getting multiple top prospects. Getting one will be difficult enough. Soriano is a league average bat at this point and depending on what you think of him defensively, he's probably not much more than an average player overall. That makes him worth roughly $11 million per year in value this year and maybe about $7.5 next year. So even if the Cubs kick in $26 million in any trade, they can't expect to get a whole lot in return, which is why Soriano will more than likely be the opening day starter for the Cubs this year and probably next year.
It just doesn't appear the Cubs are serious about trading him.
Comments
@Rice Cube
As do I, but with the Mayan Apocalypse only a couple days away…
mikeakaleroyQuote Reply
Interesting that this post shows as the third post on the home page.
mikeakaleroyQuote Reply
Whomever was looking for cheap classical music the other day: Amazon has 176 Beethoven songs for $1 today:
http://www.amazon.com/Big-Beethoven-Box/dp/B00AOMZHSO/?t=slicinc-20&tag=slicinc-20
WenningtonsGorillaCockQuote Reply
@ mikeakaleroy:
I wrote it last night, published it on this blog and then when I moved this over I updated the posts with AC’s and Myles and then unpublished mine. It’s at the top now.
By the way, what did you mean by the signs at the top or whatever it was that you said last thread?
dmick89Quote Reply
WenningtonsGorillaCockQuote Reply
@ mikeakaleroy:
It was very timely 😉
Rice CubeQuote Reply
@ dmick89:
Ah, that makes sense.
What I meant was I enjoy seeing the comment count at the top of the page like the attached pic. The second part of my comment was pure stupidity (big surprise) The last skin, after our names on each post was a # that you could click on so that when I refreshed the page for new comments, it would link to the last one I clicked on/read. This skin doesn’t have the #, you just click on the date/time stamp instead, and I missed that.
mikeakaleroyQuote Reply
@ mikeakaleroy:
I should have made this change a long time ago, but was lazy. I’m going to edit the comments at the top so it’s more similar to the way we had it last time, but it will show on the post pages. I’m just going to get rid of the silly icon and write comments instead. (dying laughing)
dmick89Quote Reply
Just one Dodger? BUT WHICH ONE?
joshQuote Reply
josh wrote:
Dodger, The Artful
MylesQuote Reply
Season ticket waitlist update:
I declined to show up at 4,012. My buddy just got the email to show up and he’s at 20,375…
Cubs—–>Not a hot ticket
srbutch5Quote Reply
@ srbutch5:
I’ve never looked into season tickets because it’s not anything I have interest in getting (now or in the future), but do teams cut the price of season tickets like they do individual tickets?
In other words, are season tickets a hell of a lot cheaper now because the Cubs suck and will continue to for at least a few years?
/no clue about this stuff
dmick89Quote Reply
@ dmick89:
I would guess they will go through the waitlist first before they cut prices. Or divvy up the tickets and sell them each for more than what they would have cost packaged, but still at an apparent discount and make even more.
joshQuote Reply
@ dmick89:
From the way some season ticket holders bitch all the time, I’m guessing they don’t normally lower season ticket prices too often.
I’ve never really thought that ticket prices should be or are tied to team performance, at least not very strongly. They’ll price their tickets at whatever people are willing pay. Obviously more people are willing to pay for tickets for a good team, but if fans are still willing to spend good money to see a bad team, the team has no reason to drop prices.
EdwinQuote Reply
Wonder what the Dodgers would want in return if the goal is to have them suck up most of Ethier’s salary as suggested in your post.
Rice CubeQuote Reply
@ dmick89:
They better start cutting season ticket prices. Season ticket holders are losing money on the deal, and that’s not good business!
/Yellon’d
mikeakaleroyQuote Reply
Image test… I saw some of the ice cube molds in one of the recent threads and decided to buy this:
WaLiQuote Reply
dmick89 wrote:
I’ve been a season ticket holder since 1998 and this is the first year they’ve lowered prices. It works out to less than $1 per game, but it’s something (dying laughing)
WenningtonsGorillaCockQuote Reply
@ dmick89:
In short, no they aren’t. The prices stayed relatively the same as last year. Or at least that’s what the Cubs want you to believe. I think Aisle424 wrote an article about how it actually is costing the season ticket holders more due to the increase in premium games (or reduction, I can’t remember).
As I’ve mentioned before, I started at 17,000 in 2006 and they are looking to surpass that in just one year. It’s most likely a combination of non-renewals, renewals for less seats (2 instead of 4), disinterest in paying for an inferior product (my reason) and people who had no interest to begin with but put their name on the list b/c it’s free. Either way, that’s a shit-ton of turnover in one season.
srbutch5Quote Reply
mb, your “contact me” on the “about” page isn’t working. do you have my email? if so, send me a message.
EnricoPallazzoQuote Reply
Judge: “So, Mickey, as we’re going through these divorce proceedings, when was it that you determined that Minnie was crazy?”
Mickey: “I didn’t say she was crazy, I said she was fucking Goofy!”
Rice CubeQuote Reply
@ EnricoPallazzo:
Forgot to update that: http://obstructedview.net/contact-dmick89 (I can find your email, but it would be easier for you to email since I’m super lazy) (dying laughing)
dmick89Quote Reply
josh wrote:
Make a note of it in the Complaints About the Complaints Forum Forum.
GBTSQuote Reply
@ EnricoPallazzo:
This is where, if Ryno were around, he would reply with enrciopallazzosucks@netzero.com
GBTSQuote Reply
@ GBTS:
This site needs a metaforum like STAT!
joshQuote Reply
We’ll get together, make fun the fonts, bitch about the color schemes, laugh at the way the whites display. It’ll be a good time.
joshQuote Reply
New Shit
MylesQuote Reply