screamincheetah

... to be a Kansas City Royal?????? I'm sure a lot of you have heard the rumor, and the Royal's GM did shoot it down today (they always do though), but it makes a lot of sense. For those of you that don't know, the deal would be Sweeney for Sosa. The numbers are a perfect swap. Sosa has about $32 million left on his contract counting the club option ove two years. Sweeney has, if traded, $34 million on his contract for three more years. The Cubs are tired of Sosa and vice a versa, and most in KC are tired of the oft injured Sweeney. Plus we're stocked at 1st/DH, but need a RF. Sosa would get to play with fellow Dominican Pena, and be reunited with the hitting coach he credits with turning his career around, Jeff Pentland. Sweeney would get to play for a strong, contending team. Although with Sosa, and the $15 to $20 million the Royals have to spend this offseason, which should be spent on a front line pitcher like a Matt Clement, the Royals could be very strong next year.

Anyone have any thoughts on this deal???????????

Glory's Sun

Sosa is WAYYY overrated sure he had a good couple seasons..but his fielding sucks big time. Also he just isn't the same after the great cork incident. To me I think the cubs would be better off without him.. but what do I know? I'm a Red Sox fan

screamincheetah

You're right about not quite being the same Sosa. You know you take away the cork and the roids, it's bound to have an effect. At the same time the Royals would love to have had his 35 ? homeruns this year. That, sadly, would have been a team record, and Sosa was out quite abit of the season.

Cross-Over

Both players have missed a substanial amount of games the last couple years. Sosa gives you power numbers, but his batting average has declined in recent years. His fielding is subpar too. The thing about Sosa is despite his decent average (when healthy) and power numbers, he strikes out a lot. With runners in scoring position, he is swining even harder, and ends up not putting the ball in play most of the time.

What about Juan Gonzalez, I know he was hurt for most of the year, but is his contract expiring or something? If not, he plays Right Field, and can give you whatever Sammy does when healthy.

Cozmo

As a die-hard Cubs fan, I would love it if anyone would take Sosa and that $32M as he is definitely not worth that kind of money, even if he does hit 35 Home runs/year. I have watched quite a few Cubs games this year and if there is some sort of batting statistic on clutch hittiing (like men in scoring position with 2 outs), I bet Sammy has to be ranked one of the worst. It would make sense to me for some AL team to pick up Sammy as he might make a good DH in a couple of years as his fielding sucks. I think at this point Sammy is tired of the Cubs and the team does not have the right chemistry with him so it makes a lot of sense to trade him and his big salary. A trade would be beneficial for both parties and I don't know much about Sweeney, but the Cubs will need an outfielder as Alou is probably not going to be back next year and trading Sammy would free up RF. Do the Royals have any extra outfielders?

djtestudo

I heard a Sosa-for-Higgenson rumor involving Detriot, but that may have been pulled from somebody's ass.

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"Final thought: I just rented Michael Moore's Bowling for Columbine. Frankly, it was the worst sports movie I've ever seen."
--Peter Schmuck, The (Baltimore) Sun

Craven Morehead

Sosa hasn't been the same since he was beaned on Mother's Day 2003. That's when his decline started.

screamincheetah

The Royals have already bought out his contract for next year. He was a total flop, and has proved he won't be healthy again.

Sweeney is a 1B/DH, so that wouldn't fill any outfield holes for you. No, the Royals don't have any extra outfielders that you'd want.

pan6467

I don't see ANYONE wanting to take on Sammy's salary. He's a has been and is done. There are better, younger, players available for less money, I'm sure.

Sad, I like Sammy, but I just don't see the Cubs being able to move him, especially with the attitude he showed at the end of the season.

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I just love people who use the excuse "I use/do this because I LOVE the feeling/joy/happiness it brings me" and expect you to be ok with that as you watch them destroy their life blindly following. My response is, "I like to put forks in an eletrical socket, just LOVE that feeling, can't ever get enough of it, so will you let me put this copper fork in that electric socket?"

Dingo2879

Die hard Cubs fan here, I wish that rumor were true, but I don't think Sosa would be happy in a small market like Kansas City. No offense to KC, but Sosa's ego requires him to be in NY, or California. He would be even a bigger bitch in KC than he already is in Chicago, and I'm sure the KC brass know this. So here is my plea, New York Mets, PLEASE make an offer for Sosa, we will take anything!!!

smarm

Does Sammy have a no-trade clause? I know right now he wants a trade, but the Cubs might be willing to dump his salary for a couple of prospects and fix things with free agency. I've heard Beltran for Sosa, although I don't know what the likelyhood of that is. Considering how hard he hit the Cubs this year in Wrigley, I'd just as soon have him on our side.

Kurant

Sammy doesn't want a trade. His agent has said it, and he's said it, over and over, he is happy in Chicago, and he doesn't want to be traded.

The Cubs cannot "dump" his salary. If Sosa is moved, he is gaurenteed 18 million next year. Sammy won't be going anywhere. Simply because if he stays, it costs them less, and because no one wants to take on his ludicrious salary. The Cubs must sign Nomar, must move Clement (Yes, "Cubs" fans, anyone who is a true fan knows Angel Guzman is just waiting in the wings, and he's a bad mutha fucka!) and get Dusty Baker out of Chicago. I think part of Sammys attitude goes along with a dislike for Dusty, and it's obvious, the Cubs just do not give 110% every at bat, every time on the base path, they just do not give it all every day, day in, day out with Dusty at the helm.

I think the problem starts at the source (Matrix Parody?), Dusty needs an attitude check, and Sammy needs to show that all-star attitude, and give the Cubs that energy. Hopefully they get Beltran in there next year too.

Oh, and Sweeny for Sosa? That is by far one of the stupidest things I've ever heard in my life. Pure speculation by some baseball "expert" I'm sure, but it makes zero sense, and doesn't solve anything.

screamincheetah

Wow! That's a real thread killer. I don't think anyone would want to jump in behind that and be considered stupid.

jobu

Sosa for Sweeney doesn't make sense becasue the Cubs already have Lee at that postion. I do think that there could be someone out there that would take his contract. Sammy can still put people in the stands and if he gets close to any of these HR milestones you can certainly market that. Sammy's act got old years ago but at that time the Cubs sucked and Sammy was hitting HR's.

Kurant

It's common sense, Sweeny for Sosa makes no sense, and no Sweeny doesn't really benefit the Cubs in anyway. No one is considered stupid, I'm simply saying, thats an idiotic trade if Hendry is considering somthing so silly.

Cozmo

I agree that the Cubs must sign Nomar and move Clement as Clement is probably going to command a decent salary and one of the few Cub's strength is their starting pitching (if they are healthy). I just wish the Cubs management would wake up and realize that their greatest weakness is a good closer. Look at every team in the playoffs and it seams obvious to me that the closer is either what has gotten them to the playoffs (like the Dodgers) or has kept them in it (like the Braves). As far as Sammy is concerned, I still feel like he is the source of the bad chemistry on the team. I heard that he is a captain on the team-that is a joke since he is such a selfish player (look at what happened on the last game this year) and definitely not a "team" player. It sort of reminds me of the Nomar situation and the Red Sox as it was clear that the relationship was beyond repair (between the Red Sox and Nomar) and the best thing to do was to trade him. I highly doubt that the Tribune company will "pay-off" Sosa or pay some other team to take part of his salary so it appears that Cub fans are stuck with Sammy for at least one more year. I don't know why Dusty and Sammy don't get along as it seems like Dusty is a "players" coach who is very loyal to his players who may not be up to par compared to others sitting on the bench. In any case, one of them has to go and both of them have expensive contracts so unfortunately I think next year is just going to be more of the same BS. Please, please-some team take Sammy and his cancer away from the Cubs. Surely a guy who can hit 35 home runs is worth something to some team and a change in venue might spark Sammy into actually playing hard again.

kutulu

I don't know if he has a no trade clause but he at least is a 10/5 player. Ten years in MLB, 5 on the same team. That gives him the ability to veto ANY potential trade. Neither team can do anything to change it. It is just as good as a full no trade clause.

The problem with trading Sosa for Sweeney is that the Cubs already have a GREAT first baseman, Derrick Lee. Sweeney has NEVER hit even 30 HR. Lee did it the last two years.

Sweeney's career numbers are .305/.377/.498. Lee is .277/.353/.474. Sweeney also makes a lot more than Lee. Is Sweeny better? Of course, is he nearly twice as good? No way.

The Cubs would trade away an outfielder whose numbers would not be easy to replace (Sosa still hit 35HR, not many can do that) for a 1B that is not much better than their current 1B. BAD TRADE - and this comes from a Cubs hater.

dmt767s

I think Sosa for Chan Ho Park makes more sense than Sosa for Sweeny. As several of you have mentioned the Cubs have Lee and if they traded Sosa they would have to take on salary and fill a hole. Park would fill in as a (very expensive) #5 starter and they could bring up a rook to play right, or a low prices free agent.

BTW, that Sosa for Park rumor, I have only read once and it was suggested by a Chicago Tribune write (Phil Rogers?)

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w00t

kutulu

I wouldn't trade a bag of balls for Park. There are plenty of people you could pick up for $1M that could do just as well as Park.

Park is due $26M in '05 and '06. The Cubs can be free of Sosa after next year (although it will cost a few million to buy out his option for '06. Trading Sosa for Park would actually increase salary over the next two years.

Cozmo

why would the Cubs want to trade and get an expensive starting pitcher like Park? If there is one position the Cubs do have some young/cheap talent, it is in starting pitching. Clement is almost certainly gone, but they have Guzman and Dempster and even Rusch is a possibility as a 5th starter. So the Cubs don't want to trade some team Sosa for an expensive starting pitcher. Maybe they would trade for a pricey 2nd baseman since I think Walker and Grudz. are both Free agents, but I think it makes more sense to get an experienced outfielder or a closer for Sosa. Seriously though, I don't think any team is going to want to take Sosa at this point due to his high salary and under-achieving performance the last couple of years.

smarm

There was a comment on cubs.com that Sammy has over achieved in seasons after he has been challenged (read: perceived an insult) by management. Maybe it is all a motivational tool and Dusty is really a genious.

A closer is critical. I don't know if Borowski is going to be back strong or not, but I think Latroy would be much better in middle-relief than at the closer spot.

It seems to me that the Cubs relied on the HR ball for scoring way too much. I love seeing a nice 2 or 3 run homer as much as the next guy, but I think being unable to manufacture runs has killed them in low scoring games.

kutulu

You don't want to rely on the long ball too much but, it wasn't their inability to "manufacture" run that killed them last year. The thing that doomed them was their pitifull .328 OBP (23rd) in the league. The ONLY reason why they were able to score enough runs to stay in contention was becuse of their .458 SLG (3rd). The bottom line is that they need more players that are able to take walks.