Juan Pierre to Cubs

[Valadius]

Report: Cubs acquire OF Pierre from Marlins
December 7, 2005

CHICAGO (Ticker) - The Florida Marlins' salary purge apparently is continuing.

According to an ESPN1000 radio report, the Chicago Cubs have acquired center fielder Juan Pierre from the Marlins for pitchers Sergio Mitre, Ricky Nolasco and Renyel Pinto.

The Marlins already have parted ways with pitchers A.J. Burnett, Josh Beckett and Guillermo Mota, catcher Paul Lo Duca, first baseman Carlos Delgado, second baseman Luis Castillo and third baseman Mike Lowell.

The 28-year-old Pierre batted .276 with two homers, 47 RBI and 57 steals for the Marlins last season.

Mitre went 2-5 with a 5.37 ERA in 21 games with the Cubs in 2005, spending the majority of his time with Class AAA Iowa, where he went 5-6 with a 4.33 ERA.

Nolasco and Pinto are highly regarded prospects.

[Guest Edgy DC]

I think we need a contest to see who can come up with who the Yankee centerfielder will be.

[Guest sharpie]

Johnny Damon seems to be the only one left standing in the way of Bubba Crosby.

[Guest Yancy Street Gang]

What's Roger Cede�o up to these days?

[Valadius]

Probably busy eating Mo Vaughn deli sandwiches.

[metirish]

So the Cubs get there lead-off hitter, I pity the fool that gives Damon 5+ years...

[Elster88]

I pity the fool unless it's the Yankees.
____________________
This post had the designation 105) Joe Christopher

[metirish]

True, I kinda hope they get him, I mean he's not even that good...Cooby will love me now because I'm her fave player..

[smg58]

Mitre hasn't inspired any confidence at this level, Nolasco was the Cubs' #7 prospect, and Pinto didn't crack the top 10. The Cubs got off pretty easy, and pesumably the Yankees really didn't try to beat that offer.

The danger with somebody like Pierre is that his whole game revolves around speed, and it's only a matter of time before he loses a step. Still, it does not look like the Cubs risked a whole lot.

Loria doesn't really think anybody will pay to go see his team next year, does he?

[DocTee]

My money's on the Yanks going for Milton Bradley.

[Elster88]

I like it. Sheffield and Fisher Price on the same team. I predict one of them murders the other by late May.

[metirish]

Well don't you just know that the influence of winners like Torre and Jeter will make Milton a model Yankee...I mean just wearing the uniform is enough to change some players......

[Theoldmole]

The awful thing about this Marlins salary dump is that it's worked for them once before.

[Elster88]

Their next World Series Championship comes due in 2009.

[Willets Point]

DocTee wrote: My money's on the Yanks going for Milton Bradley.

Do you really think the Yanks would take that RISK? They no longers have a MONOPOLY on acquiring all-star caliber sluggers, and Bradley's attitude problems could make them SORRY. Anyone in Yankees management with any CLUE of personnel management would find such a deal to be TABOO, especially if they have MEMORY of the the bad chemistry of the Bronx Zoo era teams. It would really BOGGLE the mind if they made the TRIVIAL PURSUIT to acquire Bradley, but if they do so I guess that's LIFE.

[seawolf17]

/groans

[Elster88]

Excellent job of working in Trivial Pursuit. You should have done it without the caps to see who got it.

[Centerfield]

Willets,

A Rheingold is your's if you can find a way to get HUNGRY HUNGRY HIPPOS into context.

[Willets Point]

If only Wells still pitched for the Yankees.

[Guest Johnny Dickshot]

I thought at first Willets was parodying Ms. Met.

[Valadius]

You could have easily fit Operation in there.

[Elster88]

Hippos would be easier with Mo on the team. Giambi's a big guy, but that's from steroids.

[Zvon]

Im REALLY surprised the Skanks did not go for this guy.
Whats their problem this off season?

Both Philly and NY papers have said they are interested in the Phils outfielder Jason Michaels.

But Pierre is one a those guys that makes things happen.
Guess I should be glad the MFYs are looking like a deer caught in the headlights these days.

[Guest sharpie]

According to USA Today they didn't like his defense and want to get Torii Hunter or Joey Gathraight.

[Zvon]

sharpie wrote: According to USA Today they didn't like his defense and want to get Torii Hunter or Joey Gathraight.

Torii Hunter!
Best fielding centerfielder in the game right now.
Love watchin that guy roam center.

Decent hitter.
Just coming off a broken ankle tho...

[Guest Rotblatt]

I don't think there's any way the Yankees have the goods to get Hunter. Cano's not an option since the Twins have Castillo and pretty much all six of their pitchers are better than Wang, IMO. And the Yanks have no prospects to speak of, so I don't see how this deal gets done.

It's refreshing seeing the Yankees over a barrell with no money to bail themselves out.

[Elster88]

I thought I read somewhere that the Twins want Cano if they are trading Hunter to the Yanks.

[Frayed Knot]

I don't think that deal - Cano for Hunter - was ever anything other than fan speculation to begin with.
Usually it would go something like this:

Yanqui Fan: "So how do we land Torii Hunter"
Host: "Well, it'll cost you Robinson Cano just for starters"
YF: "Oh well forget it then ... unless they'll take Jaret Wright instead"

And now that the Twinkies have traded for Castillo they've got even less use for Cano.