Midwinter Wrapup

[Theoldmole]

For those of us...OK, those of me...who've lost track.

Who's gone?

Who's come?

Who do we feel good about?

Who bad about?

[Frayed Knot]

Who's gone? -- Cliff, Woodward, Zambrano (could return), Darren Oliver, Heath Bell, Royce Ring, Brian Bannister, Henry Owens
Also Mota for the first 50 games (suspension) and Pedro for maybe the first 80 or 90 (rotator cuff surgery)

Who's come? -- Moises Alou will replace Cliff.
Amborix Burgos (obtained for Bannister) will compete for a bullpen job
Then the booty from several of those smaller trades (above) will compete for pen & bench jobs


Who do we feel good about? -- A bit soon to tell.
Alou isn't neccesarily better than Cliff, but his RH bat might fit better w/what we need
Burgos is the kind of "power arm" Omar seems to like to take chances on (see O. Perez; D. Sanchez), has better upside than Bannister, and is younger despite 2+ ML seasons under his belt already.


Who bad about? -- I'll miss Cliff

[Guest Yancy Street Gang]

Nothing's happened yet to give me any goosebumps.

[Guest iramets]

Frayed Knot wrote: Zambrano (could return)

Don't even think this.

[Frayed Knot]

Just pointing out, for the record, that VZ doesn't yet belong to any other organization and so technically could still come back. I realize that Cliff isn't wearing anyone else's class ring yet either but he's already been replaced and is supposedly coming down the home stretch w/the Cubs.

If Zambrano does return it'll most likely be on some kind of 'make-good' offer where he can be stored in the minors until he proves he's healthy - which, if so, wouldn't neccesarily be a bad thing.

[Theoldmole]

No, I'd be for it. If he can pitch well enough to hold on at AAA, and then back onto the roster, what could be bad?

[Guest sharpie]

Trachsel is also gone (and could presumably return).

[nymr83]

you left out Bradford who is gone, Burgos will almost assuredly take his place.

[Theoldmole]

Bradford gone? That's one I had definitely missed.

[nymr83]

to Baltimore with a shiny 3-year deal unfortunately