1.21.10 BP interview here.

.BP Q:  Did you come close to getting Chapman?  How good is he?

Cap-O-Vision:  He could be huge.  He's risky, but you'd love to have him.  We didn't want him as much as Cincy did, though.

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BP:  Is Barry Bonds a philosophical problem for you?

Cap-O-Vision:  No.  If he could still hit and didn't cost much, we'd consider it.

SSI Kibitz:  I assume that statement is made for the benefit of the potential Bonds vs. MLB lawsuit down the road.

If nothing else, Howard Lincoln would put the kibosh on that, instanter.

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BP Q:  Would you pay the price in 2010 wins if it positioned your 2011-15 team better?

(SSI:  great question, phrased very well.)

Cap-O-Vision Translation:  Well, the way I would put it, is that I'm not going to cash in 2011-15 just to take one shot at it. 

I'm not going to deal three of our best-and-brightest for an ace in his walk year, for example.  Oh, wait...

...

We want our long-term success to be based on a steady stream of young ML stars out of our own minors, such as Fielder and Braun and etc.

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SSI Kibitz:  Zduriencik feels it would be irresponsible to pull an Operation Pat Gillick.  You do not perceive this in terms of whether one GM or the the other will trade minor leaguers, as is commonly though.  Zduriencik has traded loads of minor leaguers.  Sure, he has taken some back, too -- but how many #1's has he brought in?  Morrow, Clement, and Aumont are gone in Zduriencik's first winter.  Baker asked the poignant question, how long does Josh Fields have to live?

You perceive Zdurienik's responsibility-to-2013 most clearly in terms of the ages of the major-league players that either GM will bring in -- Zduriencik will make the effort to get a pitcher 30 years of age, whereas Gillick won't mind if the pitcher is 34 (or, apparently, 44).

And you perceive it in terms of the Stars & Scrubs paradigm; Zduriencik leaves some roster slots for developmental players.  When Gillick leaves a team, its 25 slots are well-and-truly ossified with 30-somethings who have begun to vaporlock.

...............

Zduriencik really does feel like he needs to do both:  (1) beef up the minors for long-term success, but having done that, (2) go ahead and build today's team the best you can.

Sufficient unto the morrow are the evils thereof.  You don't know if Felix will have a rotator cuff in 2012; you have enough problems just trying to build a good team for 2010.

I think Zduriencik is right, RIGHT on here.  Plow resources into your minors, get brilliant guys drafting and developing, but given that, you always have to play for this year.  It's just not possible to build 2012's team yet.

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That said, there is a difference between acquiring Chone Figgins and Mike Lowell, a difference between acquiring Cliff Lee or David Wells.  When Zduriencik has moved on stars, he's gotten guys who will last more than a year or two.