Trading Prior?
Topic: Cubs
There are rumors out there that the Cubs might trade mark Prior for Miguel Tejada. Or in a three team swap they would send Prior, Patterson, and Cedeno to Boston, Manny to Baltimore, and Tejada to Chicago.

Ludicrous, I say.

Give up a pitcher like that, who HAS proven himself (unlike Kerry Wood) to be capable of dominating the league for more offense? Why?

This goes back to the current era of baseball we're living in where, if you don't hit .280 and hit 20 homeruns, regardless of what position or how well you play that position that you play, you're considered unsuitable.

I was looking up some numbers for Ozzie Smith and even Mark Lemke - horrible offensive stats, but those guys were everyday, important players on their teams.

Is Hendry saying we don't have enough with Aramis, Lee, Jones, Murton?

We have a real leadoff hitter, that will give us more runs right there. Walker can hit 15-20 HRs if he's not traded. Lee is good for 35+, as is Aramis. Murton might hit 20 himself. Jones is good for 20 more. Barrett could hit 15.

That's ENOUGH.

We need all the quality pitching we can get our hands on.

I rather take a shot on young, unproven regulars (Murton, Cedeno) than on young, unproven pitchers (Hill - whom I really like, Jerome Williams, Angel Guzman).

God I hope he doesn't do this, it would really make me, for the first time, question Jim Hendry's ability as a GM.

Mark Prior is not only one of the best pitchers in the game, he's a part of the Chicago Cubs.

If this trade is made, it will be a clear sign that there are no more teams, just higher paychecks.