[Eyre] has a lot of the same attributes makeup-wise that [Dempster] has. He's a gutsy guy, wants the ball every day. He's not intimidated if it's a right-handed hitter or a left-handed hitter. His efforts the last few years have been tremendous. We felt he was the perfect fit for us from the left side. |
[Jones'] batting average numbers were down but I think his overall production will rise. He hits a lot of balls into the gap. |
[The Cubs have scouts all over the Cactus and Grapefruit Leagues, and an end-of-the-spring trade to improve the bullpen remains a distinct possibility. GM Jim Hendry said he hasn't spoken to any team lately about acquiring relief help.] People are just getting going, ... We just want to see our own guys play for a while and see how they stack up. For the most part, our guys have been throwing pretty well. |
[The Cubs' faithful would like nothing more than to erase the memory of that heartbreak, but the team's run deep into October should serve notice that these Cubs are bona fide championship contenders. Not since Teddy Roosevelt's presidency have the Cubs played in two straight postseasons. They'll reach it again this year, but they're thinking bigger.] On paper we're better than we were last year, ... We feel we're ready to make the next step. |
[Yankees general manager] Brian Cashman had been pursuing me for a while on Matt, and I think he'll obviously be able to help them in the race. |
A lot of guys older than him have turned their careers around. The talent is still there, the work ethic is good and it was a situation where coming back here and taking a chance, for his sake or ours, to get out of the gate better wasn't worth the risk. |
Almost every club has a job up for grabs. We're coming off the kind of year where we certainly don't want to act like we have every piece of the puzzle in place when you get here. You have to have some battles, and they're healthy. That's the way it is. |
And no matter what happens, we're going to need some outfield help, |
Baseball has changed in that more business than ever is done in January and February. It didn't used to be that way. |
Both sides are interested in getting something done. |
But it lingered. It'll always linger. |
Congratulations, I'm proud of you and really happy for you . . . just don't win any games against us, |
Corey is still young; he has a lot of talent. We saw it kind of on a regular basis in '03, then inconsistent in '04, then very disappointing in '05. |
Corey's still with us, and our obligation is to do what's best for the Cubs. If I felt putting him in a deal makes us better, I'd consider that. I would always keep in mind what's best for him, too, after our long relationship. |
Dr. Kremchek felt that from his studying the MRI, it would be nothing to stop him from being available once Spring Training opens. Why we're doing it now is to avoid a sprained ankle that would set back his rehab. We're just trying to give ourselves the maximum amount of time, no matter what it is. |