that miles was signed to replace derosa who they didn’t want to pay, at least next year when he became a FA. miles’ story rings like nunez, who subsequently flopped outside of tlr’s magic rotations. i’m not a tlr fan, but i have to admit that he seems to get the most out of milesian players, which is not the same as saying he gets the most out of the team as a whole.

Now use those money wisely.

GO CARDS!!!

I agree that, working within the constraints of modern baseball, and more specifically an organization like the Cardinals, that Miles is the perfect example of what (mid to upper mid-sized payroll) teams can’t afford, when they have contracts like Pujols, Carp, Lohse, Glaus, and arb cases such as Ankiel, Ludwick and Wellemeyer on the horizon. It’s an absolute necessity to pay Kennedy his 4 million owed, have Ryan, Greene, Thurston, Barden battle for Utility MI at a ML-minimum salary, and spend the few extra million on another Lefty or sweeten whatever offer we will put out to an SP. That equation simply doesn’t have room for Miles in it.

I’m not sure if he makes the Cubs better or worse, but I certainly feel that the loss of DeRosa hurts the cubs. He was a Cardinal-killer, but also, hit within the top five of OBP, AVG, and Slugging if I’m not mistaken. I think Cleveland will be very happy with the addition they’ve made.

When first hearing about the Miles-Chicago signing, my first instinct was to think, “great, 2 million more to give to some type of arm”, but I think that money will just be slotted over to one of our Arb cases instead. It does however, keep the money slotted for arm-enhancement (pun intended for Albert/Carp) to the 25-man available. My hope is still Sheets and Biemel, though the pessimist inside me isn’t very confident at all. With Mo’s comments indicating he’s likely to add “depth” to the rotation, and not wanting to go to a 3yr+ deal, Sheets seems to be the top-tier, with Garland, Looper, and others more likely.

I’m also hopeful that next year, when Kennedy is off the books, Greene has shown us what his true colors are, and we are open up the middle, Brian Roberts and/or other FAs available will be within Mo’s strike zone and can be aggressive in getting them signed. Again, hopeful, but realistically aware that it is not likely.

I’m still happy to see Miles get his cash, and it looks like some good PT as well. I’m always appreciative for what players give this organization, and won’t necessarily look forward to seeing him with the blue pinstripes on. But then again, I do hope I get to see Ankiel bat against him at Wrigley when the wind is blowing out…………

I agree wholeheartedly that Miles has the ring of Abe Nunez to him and it will be interesting to see how ol’ Grit, in all of his underappreciatedness, fares outside of the TLR roster rotations. What is interesting to me is that the Cubs traded away a sharp utility knife for a dull one. Miles brings nothing to the table that Fontenot or Cedeno don’t bring, except one of baseball’s highest levels of grit. I don’t understand this move from the Cubbies’ perspective if it doesn’t prove a precursor to an acquisition of Jake Peavy. I look forward to the emergence of the next St. Louis super-sub.

“Now I’m ready to be a Cubbie and play the game the right way and show St. Louis that they let somebody go that maybe they shouldn’t have.”

now that’s precious!

The Jubilation we felt when the Cardinals non-tendered Miles and we thought he was gone for good?

miles to go

sleeping beauty

now don’t let the door hit you where the good Lord split you

that the new edition of the baseball dictionary can safely expunge the word “intangibles.”

Or, as a transition measure, have the entry read:

in-tan-gi-bles, n., an obsolete, meaningless concept. See now the new relevant term, ‘sabermetrics’

I guess I am showing my frustrations way too much on here. And by the comments I have seen about my posts I can see where you guys are coming from.

Maybe it’s just the off season blues or something but I have been way too grumpy and I think it would be best if I step away from all the off season stuff and come back when my head is in a better place and we actually can see some games being played.

I do have a lot of these opinions that I have posted on here…but I think my tone as been a little too harsh and probably too over the top for you guys and even for myself. And yeah I have been harping on too many points for my own good…and I have become a broken record.
I will be back when I can add a little more than just the negative posts that have come from me as of late. Sorry for my tone as of late and my lack of well thought out posts.

Take care guys….spring training isn’t too far away….I hope to come back in a better frame of mind then.

Nothing against Miles personally, but I don’t want to match those dollars and i sure as hell don’t want him getting multiple years.

I know some people are getting worried nothing is going to happen. I’m waiting it out, but I can understand. However, I do think that some of these people that are upset would be just as upset, if not more, if the Cards matched that offer. If that happened, the same people would gripe about this being our answer to others acquisitions.

Remember when Yadi and Gary Bennett were both injured and we had to go out and get Kelly Stinnett? We had some guy named Espisito as back up and he was only hitting .200 at AAA. Isn’t Anderson a good low cost #3??? Can’t we let the kid get some AB’s at AAA and see what happens?