Just reported on WGN. Looks like the Astros get to face these two guys many more times in the near future (starting this weekend). Lets see... Ramirez is one of the top three Astros' killers of the past 4 years, and Lofton had the highest batting avg. of all leadoff hitters against us this year. I hope the cubs paid dearly for this (I don't know the details of the trade).
they only gave up Jose Hernandez and a couple of minor leaguers. Astros lineup is still a hell of a lot better
But, the key is, who are those minor leaguers? The Cubs prospects are pretty damn good, and if they're mortaging the future, like we did in 98, I hope they paid dearly... because they're probably not even going to make the playoffs this year, and they're jeopardizing the future in the process.
i hear what your saying. My guess is they are middle of the road prospects, no superstar in the making.
Lofton has been rumored to be going to the Cubs for a couple of months. I am at a loss as to why the Bucs would trade Ramirez. The Pittsburgh papers were not too kind to the Pirates this past week, new stadium and a horrible team, they should really have a field day after this trade.
Its hillarious listening to the WGN pundents right now. They're beaming with optimism... while they're in the middle of a 8-2 thrashing by the Braves. They just even said he should be pretty good defenisvely with Wrigley's "thick grass." Aramis is probably the worst fielding 3B in baseball right now. And I'm sure he's had a couple of errors in Wrigley before (and I'm sure Chip and Steve pointed out his flaws then). Plus, they've got one helluva schedule comin out... Houston included.
it's really funny... i remember when Kerry Wood beat the Yankees that one saturday. He denied Clemens his 300th win and all the guys on Baseball Tonight were screaming this was the cubs year, raving about how great of a team they had. Bobby Valentine was leading the charge. And now with these moves i'm sure we'll here it again. The bottom line is though Biggio Bagwell Berkman Ensberg Kent Hidalgo or Sosa Alou Ramirez Karros Lofton The cubs have an edge of starting pitching but their SP's are like are bullpen. They are going to be worn out by september.. all young guys so i'm not worried
Lofton will lead off for the Cubs and is pretty decent at getting on base. Sammy has started to hit lately,but Alou is due for an injury. I agree Baker has no clue how to use a pitching staff. I would hate for him to ruin the careers of 2 great young pitchers in Wood and Pryor by allowing them to pitch so many innings this year. Anybody remember the 1980 Oakland A's and what Billy Martin did to that staff?
thank god the marlins took Lowell of the market a while back otherwise he probably would be wearing a cubs jersey.
The Cubs made a good move...they get a guy who can hit at the top of the order and is an improvement over the other Patterson replacements, and a 25 year old run producer from what looks like a low price. I really hope we can pull off a move for a frontline starter. Robertson has been rock steady, and Roy and Wade are Roy and Wade, but Timmy is frightening every time he gets the ball and I'm still afraid the real Ron Villone will come back. I'll go to war with Roy, Wade, and Jeriome, but we can't have 2 guys going hit or miss like Redding is, and Villone might. It's such a shame Los Hernandez is out...I just hope he doesn't keep going through this. At least we can look forward to a pair of young lefties and a pair of young righties plus Redding or Rosario rounding out the rotation. Gallo has been great as a lefty stopper, something like 0-11 against him. Speaking of Pittsburgh, one role type guy I wouldn't mind picking up from them is Craig Wilson- we need a righty pinch hitter, and he's been one of the better ones the last few years.
The prospect the cubs traded was Matt Brubeck... a relatively good RHP with strikeout potential, but he's already 24 and hasn't even sniffed the majors. And the Pirates have to take on Jose Hernandez as well... if all you guys are disgusted by Drayton, then this must make you vomit.
the Pirates are just desperate to drop salary. They lost about 30 million last year and they've got a new ballpark. That's why i laugh when pittsburgh writers bring up trading benson for ensberg. in their dreams.
As expected fans on the Pirates Forums are going nuts: Unless the player to be named is a stud, this might possibly be the worst trade in the history of the Pirates. Lofton alone should have been enough for the pitcher we got. But you trade away a future all-star third baseman too? This organization is devoid of any power prospects, so we trade away our second best major league homerun hitter??? Ramirez is a guy you build around, not trade away for nothing. It's a joke and an insult to Pirate fans. I have been a Bucco fan all my life, rarely miss a game on TV. But I may not watch another game this season, and I certainly won't be going to PNC Park anytime soon. Dave Littlefield took this move right out of the Bonifay handbook. What a moron. and aramis is traded for jose hernandez. okay, we give up rami's errors for a player who had to be benched so he would not set the all-time single season strikeout record. jose is a bum, all the cubs fans out here are mad because they traded bellhorn for hernandez, and now we get hernandez. if the ptbn later is bobby hill, then this deal worse than sucks. i would rather it be juan cruz, and he totally sucks. this IS the worst trade in bucco history. to top it all, the pirates threw in CASH. they must be re-building for 2016. i just want to swallow my gun. i am sorry for ranting, but what a friggin' disaster.
bucs fans r right... loftons a reliable leadoff man and an all star, and his hitting isnt bad either. ramirez, granted his defense sucks, but is still a reliable hitter, and most likely going to go back to the form he was in 2 years ago. hernandez-whiff machine. will hit around 20 home runs, but the BA will be low, like adam dunn whos at .200 but has 25 dingers the rest two are no namers...plus ramirez and lofton dont have large salaries either
Didn't Hernandez break the record for most strikeouts in a single season last year? The Pirates got robbed. Too bad we don't have Julio Lugo, the Pirates would probably take him for Benson. I just don't see who we have to offer them. Everyone either wants Lidge or Ensberg and that's a big no no in my book. Maybe Lane if he's eligible, just because it seems like we'll never get to see him play with Biggio hanging around for eternity.
Lowell has historically fallen on his face in the 2nd half of his career, IIRC. In that case, I wish the Cubs had given up a top prospect for a 2nd half zombie.
Yesterday I almost suggested the Astros trading for Lofton. I never would have guessed they would take so little, or I would have offered Brian Hunter and a ball boy to be named later.
