You're right of course Agustin - I didn't include the Japan angle. One reason though was because I doubted anyone was going to blame Hendry if he stayed in Japan... but then again some of the guys around here..... :-)

I view this a bit like a college football coach in a great situation making loads of money at a major program and completely loved by the fans and alumni... but somewhere inside is that itch to know if they can have the same success in the NFL.

Seems like a pretty good analogy anyway :-)

And those coaches are always pried away by just enough money to get them away from their schools and generally if they're in demand enough they hold out for the combination of money and a good situation where they can win.... and in the case of Fukudome - that sounds a whole lot like a match with the Cubs.

I seem to be talking in analogies lately :-)

Gary, good points.

agustin, very good point about the ultimate comfort zone being in Japan already, especially since he had the opportunity to play for the Tokyo Giants..

It all depends on what type of guy Fuk is. I don't think top dollar is necessarily the only thing he is considering but I do think it is a major incentive.

Gary J...good angle and well placed. There is one more thing though:

You forgot the 4th offer which was actually the first one, with a respectable amount of money in that place he calls home, with people he respects and with very little pressure to prove himself...He could be one of the highest paid players in the history of Japan and at the very least he would be set [financially] for life and yet he decides to come to the mlb… Still think it is not just for the money? Sorry, I totally disagree with you, it is about the money and while it can make the transition easier if he goes to KC/SD, it does not matter where you go once you decide to leave home.

The one thing that could matter for a competitive person is to succeed at every aspect.

1-where can I prove my self [anywhere]

2-where can I help win a championship, the best team [we all know that, Chicago]

3-where can I get the more return for my abilities outside of Japan [Jim Hendry]

Gary J., well said.

Gary J,

You are the man. I didn't want to talk about all these 'cuz I found it common sense, and people like Ichiro in 2001 had proven to me that there are talents out there weighing what's MOST COMFORTABLE to him for relocating to a new job.

But I contend that Cubs NEED to overpay Fuk to that 20-50% more in order to take him to Wrigley. 15M/5 years is not worth it for a 850 OPS guy generating 20 homers per season. It might not be worth it as a baseball decision.

Now, if we would be talking about marketing and/or public-relations opportunities, then turning Fuk and his fans to our side is a good plus. Maybe that some income novo will help balance out the club's budget and my 2009 ticket won't inflate that much after all, maybe?

Just a couple of things worth restating from reading the comments of the last couple of days...

Those that are saying if JH can't outbid San Diego and KC it just confirms how crappy a GM he is... the consensus is that he already has an offer on the table in excess of both of those teams and is willing to go higher if needed. As far as the other teams go...

San Diego: a team on the west coast has him 6+ hours closer to Japan if he wants to go home or if some of his family want him to come over here. Plus there's a larger Asian community along the pacific coast in general

Kansas City: The new manager there is fresh off a five year managerial stint in JAPAN. He knows and respects the guy. Stop saying "if we can't outbid KC" or "if Fuku is dumb enough to choose to play in KC over Chicago it's not someone we want anyway"... it's a personal relationship. Simple as that.

So it's not about money - or at least ALL about money. Let's put it in perspective because I simply can't think in numbers that large.

Let's say you have three job offers on the table

- one for $100K a year but you're would be working with a person you know and respect in a low pressure environment (that's KC)

- one for that same $100K a year, but it's much closer to your home and the commute would be so much simpler - plus you like the neighborhood you'll be working in a little better (San Diego)

- One is the highest paying - say anywhere from $120K to $150K - but it's a little more high pressure and doesn't have the intangibles that the other two do... and that's the Cubs.

If it were you... would you automatically just jump at the highest paid position without even taking the time to weight your options?

I'm sure for some people it's a no brainer, but I for one would have to think it over. I'd probably go for the highest offer - 20% to 50% higher is a significant amount after all (and that's what it's reported the differences in the offers are) but it's still something worth thinking out completely.

Especially if you have to make a three year commitment before you can even think about taking another job.

((and for the love of Ryno - let's stop saying he's no better than Jacque Jones - that's just wrong))

Trevor,

Eric Gagne had his stuffs at Fenway. His teammates infield, namely Lugo-Pedroia-Lowell, failed him: check his K/9, BB/9, HR/9, FIP, and BABIP. The former 4 stats are not only consistent with his outstanding performance at Texas, but some even improved after he was traded.

But BABIP? It seems that all those groundballs swinged turned hits too easily against Gagne. I feel sorry for him, and I still believe that he's a good 8th inning lead-holder, if not a closer in the 9.

Barry,

Kousuke Fukudome is taking considerations, my logical guess is:

1. Like most older Japanese players, Fuk is conservatively taking advices from people close to him before he decide whether or not to jump the boat for a Newland this coming season. He did announce in Nov. to wait until the end of this year and then make a decision.

2. Octagon, Fuk's agency, is just trying to fool the clubs. It wants to make Fuk looks more valuable, cause some anxiety among GM-s, and make them feel the need of overpaying. This bidding war might turn outrageous. And our 2009 ticket will be more expensive.

:-(

Both 1. and 2. might be valid at the same time.

I still believe that offering Fuk anything more than 12 M/yr or 4-years will be an overpay. He's too much of a risk, and I want to see Spendry doing some risk management--he did, the Infantes trade in-and-out for a reliever was clever--Jim could outread me, at the least.

I'm not sure I like the idea of Gagne signing with the Brewers...I still think he has a lot in the tank and will be back to his old self next year. Opinions?

Barry...The vibes don't seem good, and if talk of $60 million plus contracts are real, that would eliminate the Cubs I think. We could get some decent OBP's from Roberts (.377)and Teahen (.353)and solid lefty bats that can field their positons too if we have to swithch focus. Fukudome doesn't preclude Roberts too, but I keep thinking that there are total payroll limitations. JimK

Well, I hate to admit it but I am not feeling FUKs anymore. Except for the money, I cannot see where FUKs would want to come play in the Windy City when San Diego is in the mix. The fact that he is taking so long again leads me to believe that he is very torn and that is never a good thing. I guess the Tokyo Giants are as storied as our CUBS........

I'm gett'n nervous CUBS Fans because we NEED this OBP machine in our batting order!!