Free-agent pitcher Wade Miller agreed to terms Monday on a one-year, $1 million contract with the Chicago Cubs.Miller, 29, was 4-4 with a 4.95 ERA last year with Boston. He underwent surgery on his right labrum in September, but expects to return in May. The Mariners, Pirates, Astros, Phillies and Red Sox had also expressed an interest in Miller, who is 62-43 in seven seasons with Houston and Boston."We had a handful of teams interested in Wade, but the Cubs were very aggressive the last couple of days, and that's where he decided he wanted to pitch," said Bob Garber, Miller's agent. Miller, who made $1.5 million last year with Boston, can earn an additional $1 million in incentives.http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2303134World Series here they come.
If he can be as good as he was in Houston, this will be a great signing. I think 1 million is worth it to give him a chance.
DaBears88: He was signed as insurance, not to plug a hole. If the Sux had done this type of deal, you'd praise KW for his "low risk-high reward" gamble.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (KyleOrton18 @ Jan 24 2006, 10:29 PM)</div><div class='quotemain'>DaBears88: He was signed as insurance, not to plug a hole. If the Sux had done this type of deal, you'd praise KW for his "low risk-high reward" gamble.</div>At least the White Sox know how to sign quality guys unlike your Scrubs.Who sign bums like Jacque Jones,Bob Howry,Scott Eyre.......and many more.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Da Bears 88 @ Jan 25 2006, 08:26 AM)</div><div class='quotemain'><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (KyleOrton18 @ Jan 24 2006, 10:29 PM)</div><div class='quotemain'> DaBears88: He was signed as insurance, not to plug a hole. If the Sux had done this type of deal, you'd praise KW for his "low risk-high reward" gamble.</div>At least the White Sox know how to sign quality guys unlike your Scrubs.Who sign bums like Jacque Jones,Bob Howry,Scott Eyre.......and many more. </div> Who trades for scrubs like Javier Vazquez and Jim Thome? Oh yeah, the White Sox.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (AdropOFvenom @ Jan 25 2006, 10:31 AM)</div><div class='quotemain'><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Da Bears 88 @ Jan 25 2006, 08:26 AM)</div><div class='quotemain'> <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (KyleOrton18 @ Jan 24 2006, 10:29 PM)</div><div class='quotemain'> DaBears88: He was signed as insurance, not to plug a hole. If the Sux had done this type of deal, you'd praise KW for his "low risk-high reward" gamble.</div>At least the White Sox know how to sign quality guys unlike your Scrubs.Who sign bums like Jacque Jones,Bob Howry,Scott Eyre.......and many more. </div>Who trades for scrubs like Javier Vazquez and Jim Thome? Oh yeah, the White Sox. </div>Javier Vazquez can stay healthy unlike the whole Scrubs staff.Jim Thome can stay healthy as long as he doesn't play the field.Your Mets overpay for everyone and they can't win anyway.
The problem with Vazquez is that he had one or two good years in Montreal, has done MEDIOCRE since, and is getting paid like he is a top starting pitcher in this league. But if you want to pay a mediocre at best pitcher almost 10 million a year, be my guest. The problem with Jim Thome wasnt that he was injured, it was that he was WASHED UP. Even when the guy was healthy he was ineffective, because he doesnt have it anymore at his age. But whatever....The Mets payroll is just about the same as it was last year....We only spent the money freed up due to the losses of Mike Piazza, Braden Looper, Doug Mienkiewicz, Kaz Ishii, Miguel Cairo, Roberto Hernandez, and the salary dumps of Mike Cameron and Kris Benson. Which in all totals over 30 million dollers. We spent that money on a slugging first baseman(-7 million dollers from his contract), a shutout closer, a catcher(who was cheaper then Molina or Hernandez would have been) and traded/signed a bunch of decent relievers and bench players. The only guy you can even say we overspent for was Wagner, which if you consider the fact that the BJ Ryan deal raised Wagner's price, you would realize was a pretty good deal for the Mets at that point. PS: Next offseason we will have just as much money to spend, if not more....because our FA group next year includes Steve Trachsel, Tom Glavine, Cliff Floyd, and Kazuo Matsui (Which is about 25 million in freed salary). Not to mention that we already have the in house replacement for Floyd almost ready in Milledge, and theres a good chance Philip Humber or Mike Pelfrey will be ready for the starting rotation in 2007, so we should be able to spend money on whatever we decide our needs are.But keep hating on the Mets because they run their salary the right way with the constantly expiring contracts so we always have money to spend.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Da Bears 88 @ Jan 25 2006, 09:25 AM)</div><div class='quotemain'>Vazquez is better than anyone behind Pedro Martinez in the Mets rotation.</div> Vazquez still couldnt hold Tom Glavine's jockstrap, and after this season, I dont think he will be considered better then Heilman either.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (AdropOFvenom @ Jan 25 2006, 11:40 AM)</div><div class='quotemain'><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Da Bears 88 @ Jan 25 2006, 09:25 AM)</div><div class='quotemain'> Vazquez is better than anyone behind Pedro Martinez in the Mets rotation.</div>Vazquez still couldnt hold Tom Glavine's jockstrap, and after this season, I dont think he will be considered better then Heilman either. </div>Heilman hasn't done squat.What the hell are you smoking?Tom Glavine is better than Vazquez.It's not hard to figure out.But right now i'll take Vazquez over Glavine anyday.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Da Bears 88 @ Jan 25 2006, 09:47 AM)</div><div class='quotemain'><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (AdropOFvenom @ Jan 25 2006, 11:40 AM)</div><div class='quotemain'> <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Da Bears 88 @ Jan 25 2006, 09:25 AM)</div><div class='quotemain'> Vazquez is better than anyone behind Pedro Martinez in the Mets rotation.</div>Vazquez still couldnt hold Tom Glavine's jockstrap, and after this season, I dont think he will be considered better then Heilman either. </div>Heilman hasn't done squat.What the hell are you smoking?Tom Glavine is better than Vazquez.It's not hard to figure out.But right now i'll take Vazquez over Glavine anyday. </div> Heilman is finally adjusted to the majors now and is coming off a 3.17 ERA when he had to start 7 games, be a middle reliever/setup man in 40 games, and a closer in 6 more games. Now that he is expected to be given the job in the rotation, I expect him to have a impressive season. He is an up and coming pitcher, even though he is 27 the best is yet to come. Javier Vazquez - 11-15, 4.42 ERATom Glavine - 13-13, 3.53 ERA (With an ERA under 2.5 in the second half of 2005)Hmmm....Who would I rather have....
I think they will easily win it, the only team that could give them some problems would be the Braves.
I still think it will take a minimum of 95 wins to take the NL East. The Braves have some good players like Hudson, Smoltz, Chipper Jones, Andruw Jones, Mike Hampton and im not going to count them out just yet....
No matter how the good the team is on paper, until the Braves don't win the division, I will not write them off. Every year for the last 4-5 years, everyone has said this will be the year. Come June, it looks like it will be. By Mid-July, here come the Braves, charging into the lead and running away with the division.
