Bruce Levine

  (1:01 PM)

Good morning to the last week of the baseball season. Always a sad time, especially when both teams are out of it. Now we can concentrate on what your teams are going to look like in 2011. Welcome ...

Matt (Chicago)

Do you see Hendry trying to fix the pen with internal options or FA signings- ala Howry & Eyre?

Bruce Levine

  (1:03 PM)

The pen is in bad need of a veteran setup man. Depending on what the team does with Cashner, a rebound by Grabow would be nice but who is to say that is going to happen? If I were the Cubs I would keep Cashner as a reliever but they may have other plans.

Brett Davis (Hot Springs, AR)

The White Sox have really disappointed me this year. I'm glad Ozzie is coming back, but we must make changes. What's the first thing you'd do, besides retain Paulie?

Bruce Levine

  (1:06 PM)

I'd start to re-think my starting rotation. In my mind Danks is the ace of the staff. I would consider trading Gavin Floyd if I'm able to get a couple of really good young pitchers from another team. Floyd has great stuff and is dominant at times but he is very inconsistent. Also, you're going to have to find a replacement for Buehrle at some point. If you haven't noticed he had another bad second half. He has one year left and he says he's probably going to retire after that. The bullpen is a whole other story for another time.

Dan (South Bend, IN)

Do you think Bob Brenley took himself out of the managers pool because of his son. I have heard him state several times he would not manage his son. What is your take?

Bruce Levine

  (1:07 PM)

I think Bob took himself out for two reasons: he didn't think he was really being seriously considered, and there may be better managerial jobs open in other cities. He can always go back to his $900k-plus job being one of the best baseball analysts in the game.

Jonny U (Mundelein)

I know it may seem very unlikely but do you see the Sox making a push for Pujols? They need a bat and the best hitter on the planet isn't available every offseason. They kicked the tires when A-Rod was available.

Bruce Levine

  (1:09 PM)

Never count the White Sox out for their ability to think outside the box. Albert is going to be probably a five-year, $125 million commitment. But that said, he could hit 65 home runs at U.S. Cellular Field. i don't think the Cardinals trade him though. The Sox will have to wait until he becomes a free agent.

Brett Davis (Hot Springs, AR)

Grading the Manny experiement, I give it a D+. Your thoughts?

Bruce Levine

  (1:10 PM)

I still think a trade for a left-handed power bat was what the Sox needed. That's the first thing they will look for in the offseason. Kenny Williams was never comfortable with his offense the way it was set up this season. Manny is a singles hitter and his career is pretty much over.

Matt (Chicago)

It sounds like AGON is beginning to flirt with the Cubs. Do you see them acquiring a stopgap for 1b in the meantime?

Bruce Levine

  (1:13 PM)

If the Padres are going to trade Gonzalez it will be sometime between now and the winter meetings. But he is really there only semblance of a bona fide offensive player. At some point whether you are a small market team or not you have to make a commitment to a signature player. I will say the Padre fans are lame. Can you imagine 22,000 people showing up with seven games left in the season and your team in line possibly to get into the playoffs in two different ways.

Brett Davis (Hot Springs, AR)

I completely agree with you about trading Floyd. Now, I had been thinking a package to get a top flight starter to go with what we already have, but would Kenny be best served by going young in a Gavin trade?

Bruce Levine

  (1:14 PM)

I would say yes. When Kenny was on Talking Baseball last Saturday he pretty much said that the evaluation of how many tickets the team sells and what the corporate response is to the White Sox will dictate their payroll. To me, that sounds like a possible going young philosophy.

Doug (Chicago)

Will the Sox non-tender Jenks and let Sale, Thornton and Santos battle for the closer's job next year?

Bruce Levine

  (1:16 PM)

I would say it's a real good possibility unless someone wants to trade for him. However his arbitration number will be around $9 million which will probably be too high for many teams to gamble on. They will probably wait until he's non-tendered to sign him as a free agent.

Doug (Chicago)

Do you think Morel will be the Opening Day 3B next year for the Sox?

Bruce Levine

  (1:16 PM)

I like what I've seen from him so far but I'm not sure he is ready to hit at the major-league level. My guess is he gets a pretty good shot in spring training.

skip (aurora)

why doesn't kenny get as much criticism as jim hendry - he's been gm for 10 years - 2 division championships in a mediocre division - the farm system is below average - he's signed bad contracts i.e -teahan, linebrink, macdougal, etc - yet because he did get a WS, he gets a free pass. And I'm a Sox fan - can't we do better?

Bruce Levine

  (1:18 PM)

I think some of your analysis is fair. Also the Cubs media is certainly tougher on that team than the Sox media is on them. That's not to say that the Sox media doesn't do a good job of covering the team. It's just that the expectations of the Cubs winning a World Series has developed a different type of mentality when it comes to measuring success or failure.

Mac (Philly)

Should the Cubs get rid of that dog Aramis and the helicopter Kosuke and go after a couple guys like Melky Cabrera and Pedro Feliz? Those guys are world series winners!!

Bruce Levine

  (1:20 PM)

Mac, you're always amusing but you should lay off the sauce this early in the day. The Red Sox have a lot of interest in Ramirez. He has a full no-trade in his contract. However me might consider an East Coast team and having spring training in Florida is only an hour or so from the Dominican. Go Phillies, Mac.

Brett Davis (Hot Springs, AR)

Is Teahen going to be on the club next season, as a super utility? Or will he be dealt? He certainly can't play 3rd every day.

Bruce Levine

  (1:21 PM)

Remember Kenny signed him to a three-year extension so I don't think he's going anywhere. An all-around utitlity guy who gets 400 at-bats is probably the best role for Teahen.

Doug (Chicago)

Will Carlos Quentin be back next year or will Kenny look to find a more consistent bat for his spot?

Bruce Levine

  (1:22 PM)

I believe the Sox will entertain offers for Quentin. Although his home runs and RBIs are acceptable, his batting average and defensive play were below par in 2010.

Nelson Wilbury (Chicago)

Do you think that we can count on Big Z to keep this up next year, or will it be a return of Crazy Z?

Bruce Levine

  (1:23 PM)

You never know what you are going to get with Zambrano. Right now he is one of the most dominant pitchers in baseball. The good news is either for the Cubs or another team, he's proved he can win without a 95 mph fastball. That's called pitching an Zambrano has learned how to do it. Remember Z controls is own fate.

John (Troy, MO)

Besides pitching, what do you see as the Cubs' biggest need moving into the offseason? When I was younger, my dad emphasized bunting and slapping at the ball so that I could leg-out base hits. I think it would be great if the Cubs found a prototypical slapper to put pressure on defenses at the top of the line-up. Your thoughts?

Bruce Levine

  (1:25 PM)

The Cubs desperately need a lead-off man and a left-handed hitting RBI guy. Their run production is still a huge question mark. It's a team that has poor on-base percentage and doesn't walk. According to Ricketts, there is going to be a slight decrease in the payroll which means Hendry will have to be creative in the trade market. Adam Dunn is a top priority for the Cubs if they can afford him.

Alex (Naperville)

Do you see Hendry using the Cubs surplus of starting pitching prospects in the minor leagues to trade for an ace like Greinke?

Bruce Levine

  (1:27 PM)

I don't see all those prospects that you might see. Other than Chris Archer and Jay Jackson, the other pitchers in the organization still are developing. And I'm not so sure that I agree with Zambrano that the team has five aces. If they do he must be playing with a marked deck.

Dave (Chicago)

With all the pitchers called up from the minors this season who were clearly not ready and may never be ready, why was Jay Jackson not given a chance?Has he fallen that far in the eyes of the Cubs?

Bruce Levine

  (1:28 PM)

I believe the Cubs didn't want to start the major league time clock on all their players and I think Jackson fell into that situation. They still like Jackson a lot. However they have to decide whether he is going to be a reliever or starter. He's kind of in the same boat as Cashner.

Chris (Channahon)

Will the Cubs pursue Carl Crawford? I think having him in the lineup over Dunn, Pena and Martinez will be better. The Cubs can then try Colvin at 1B and hope he plays good. They will have the money, but that will be it then. And, maybe enough for Wood. If that were to happen. I would love the lineup a lot. What you think?

Bruce Levine

  (1:30 PM)

I'm not so sure the Cubs can afford Crawford. He's probably going to have about 8-10 teams bidding on him. A pitcher like Kerry Wood would be a welcome part of the bullpen. I just don't know if you can go back in time again.

mg (aurora)

why wouldn't the cubs continue to use marshall to set up marmol in 2011? they have maine & russell who can be the 2 lefties out of the pen.

Bruce Levine

  (1:31 PM)

I like Russell. Not sure about Maine yet. They need two right-handed guys in the pen. Cashner may be one if they don't move him to a starter. The Cubs are a little squeemish about their starting pitching. They are not really comfortable going to 2011 with the same rotation they have.

Doug (Chicago)

Why aren't guys like Flowers, Viciedo and Morel playing everyday to close out the season?

Bruce Levine

  (1:34 PM)

That's a good question. I think they should be. The White Sox always want to win but player development should be the No. 1 thing on their mind right now. Flowers should catch everyday the rest of the season.

Mac (Philly)

You are always an enigma, Bruce. Last week, you told me that Orlando Cabrera would be a good target because his teams are always in the playoffs. If that's the criteria for a good free agent target, why aren't Melky and Feliz at the top of the list?

Bruce Levine

  (1:36 PM)

Don't understand your love of Melky and Feliz. They are nice backup players on a good team. That's it. Concentrate on Halladay, Oswalt and Hamels. You live in that area, Mac. Root for your home team.

Randy (Chicago)

What direction do you see the Cubs going this offseason in terms of free agency? Do you think they will be big spenders or continue to try to build from within?

Bruce Levine

  (1:38 PM)

They can't be big spenders unless they move some big contracts. If Hendry was able to move Zambrano and Ramirez's contracts, he would have a lot of payroll flexibility. But the Cubs' commitment to their payroll for next year I was told is around $125 million already. That means that with Ricketts' statement that there will be a slight decrease in payroll there is not going to be much wiggle room for Hendry to buy any free agents. Hendry really hasn't had any money to spend since December 2008 when the Tribune Co. went bankrupt.

Brett Davis (Hot Springs, AR)

Is A.J. coming back, or is there even a chance that he comes back? I'm torn on whether I think he is worth another year.

Bruce Levine

  (1:39 PM)

Unless you believe Flowers is ready to catch everyday, an offer of a year and an option should come to Pierzynski. However, how does Flowers get a chance to catch with AJ on the team? It should be an interesting situation to watch.

Paul (St. Louis)

Bruce, do any of the Cub player rave about Rudy? I know Byrd is a firm believer, but I haven't read about any other major improvements from players. I think whether he helped Soriano is debatable, but maybe he didn't listen.

Bruce Levine

  (1:41 PM)

I believe Castro and Soto's seasons were both impacted by Jaramillo. Rudy is a solid hitting coach, one of the best in the game. However he is not going to foce anybody to work with him. Derrek Lee wasn't interested. And ramirez only started to in the second half of the season. You've seen good results from Ramirez.

Brett Davis (Hot Springs, AR)

And lastly for today Bruce, what will it take to bring back Paulie, and does your gut say he will stay or go? And thanks for helping me out on the Sox knowledge.

Bruce Levine

  (1:44 PM)

You're welcome. When I talked to Konerko two weeks ago he philosophically said to either stay or go. I think he wants to play at least two more years. There's no reason he shouldn't come back to the White Sox. However it always gets down to money. What do you offer a 35-year-old guy who is making $13 million a year coming off one of his best seasons? If you're going young then maybe this is the time to say good-bye to Paulie.

Doug (Chicago)

Do you think everyone from Ozzie's coaching staff will be back or will someone like Cora get a mgr's job and Walker potentially resigning?

Bruce Levine

  (1:46 PM)

Walker I believe will be back. He and Ozzie occasionaly go back and forth with each other but they have a good understanding these days. Walker is also a close personal friend of Reinsdorf and they have an understanding with each other as well. Joey Cora has a real good shot at the job in Seattle. He interviewed there two years ago before Wakamatsu got the job. I'm hearing it's between Joey and San Diego bench coach Ted Simmons.

Bruce Levine

  (1:48 PM)

It's been a great baseball season even with the Cubs' bad season and the Sox failure at the end. I will be with you every Tuesday throughout the offseason. Same time, same place. Also, listen to "Talking Baseball" every Saturday. It's the only 52-week a year baseball show in the Midwest.