'Not a major rebuilding job'
Yet another busy morning around the ballpark today. Losing teams keep you busier than winning teams sometimes. You hate to miss a day. That said, we’ll have lineups, a few notes and minor-league stuff. GM Jim Hendry returned from a trip to Daytona. He said the main thing he wanted to see down the stretch was good effort so the Cubs don’t “limp home.” The most interesting assertion I got was this:
“I’m here to tell you it’s not some kind of a major rebuilding job,” Jim said. “When you start seeing the improvement in the young people that we have and the type of young arms that we have and the arms that we have coming, you make three or four solid moves in the off-season and your young guys keep developing, then you’re right back to being a contending team, and that’s the way we’re going to go about it.”
The part I’m sure people will jump on will be the “three or four solid moves.” Will the Cubs have the wherewithal to make them, and, judging by the past few off-seasons, can Hendry and Co. pull them off? It could be his last shot.
Lineup vs. RHP Bronson Arroyo:
Colvin, LF
Castro, SS
Lee, 1B
Ramirez, 3B
Byrd, CF
Fukudome, Rf
DeWitt, 2B
Soto, C
Gorzelanny, P
Lou says it’s just a day off for Soriano, so I wouldn’t read any “showcasing” into it for Fukudome. As I’ve been saying, the scenario with him looks to be an off-season deal. I’ve been asked a lot of Fukudome going back to Japan. Yes, it’s something the Cubs will explore.
I’d also expect them to look at a left-handed hitting first baseman to replace Derrek Lee.
The Cubs say pitcher Carlos Silva will undergo a diagnostic procedure Monday to determine if Silva needs a cardiac ablation. An ablation was what Mark DeRosa had a couple of springs ago, when he experienced an irregular heartbeat. Doctors would go in and render some heart tissue inoperative to get the rhythm right. The Cubs say they expect Silva to pitch again this year.
Lefty reliever John Grabow could be headed to Arizona tomorrow as his left knee is better. If all goes to plan, he’ll do a minor-league rehab and possibly rejoin the Cubs on the next homestand.
MINOR-LEAGUE ROUNDUP
Jeff Samardzija improved to 9-1 with a 3.09 ERA Thursday for Iowa, as the I-Cubs beat Tacoma 8-3. Samardzija gave up 3 hits and 1 run while walking three and striking out three. The team says Samardzija is getting more consistent and keeping the ball down. Micah Hoffpauir and Bryan LaHair each hit his 18th homer, and Marquez Smith hit his fifth. Hoffpauir has a 14-game hitting streak (22-for-58, 379).
At Tennessee (AA), Chris Archer improved to 6-1 with an 0.46 ERA in an 11-3 win over Montgomery. Archer worked 6 innings, giving up 5 hits and 2 runs, 1 earned. He walked five and struck out five. Matt Spencer hit 2 homers, giving him 14. Brett Jackson was 1-for-5 with 4 strikeouts. Tony Campana had 4 hits.
Daytona (A) lost its fourth straight, 7-2 to Jupiter. Alberto Cabrera worked 6 innings, giving up 10hits and 4 runs. He dropped to 5-4 with a 3.67 ERA. Ryan Flaherty hit his eighth homer. DJ LeMahieu extended his hitting streak to eight games. He’s 14-for-35 (.400) in the streak.
Peoria (A) got a nice start from Su-Min Jung, a 2008 signee out of South Korea. Jung worked 5 innings of 2-hit shutout ball as the Chiefs beat Wisconsin 13-1. The right-hander improved to 7-3 with a 3.61 ERA. Justin Bour hit a grand slam and drove in 6. Hak-Ju Lee and Logan Watkins each had 2 hits. D.J. Fitzgerald extended his hitting streak to seven.
Boise (A) fell 6-2 to Everett. Local boy Elliot Soto was 1-for-3 with a walk and an RBI. He’s out of Dundee-Crown High School.
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only 2 people would believe these Cubs are close - Michael McCaskey and Tom Ricketts
>> only 2 people would believe these Cubs are close - Michael McCaskey and Tom Ricketts <<
Unfortunately both of them have lost all credibility, not many feel that they are up to the task and the more either one of them opens up their traps.... the worse it becomes for both of them.
The entire Cub "culture" needs to be changed and modernized.
Jack Brickhouse "defined" the Cub culture with his "Hey-Hey", "We'll Get'em Tomorrow", "You Can't Beat Fun At The Old Ballpark", etc schticks. It all worked at a time when sports fans weren't as sophisticated or informed as they have been for the past decade or so.
That whole mentality was embraced by the Cub organization, where it still exists today and is perpetuated by people within the organization at the upper levels who were hired and mentored by those previously that lived and died under the Brickhouse philosophy..... and seemingly hired people who also embrace that philosophy when they were promoted upwards.
Harry Carey took the Brickhouse philosophy to the next logical level.... Winning isn't everything, partying at the park is!
And thus was born "The Wrigley Experience".... A good time at a beautiful old throwback ballpark to watch a game where the game itself doesn't matter.
"The Wrigley Experience" is great, and I wouldn't want it any less than what they created.... but I really think that the Cub organization needs to tap into the new realities of their fan base, take it to the next level by consistently providing a team focused on winning a championship.... or they may end up killing the goose that lays the golden eggs.
By Hendry trying his best to sound like Brickhouse and Ricketts seemingly buying into that whole charade.... both of them do nothing but de-legitimize themselves in the minds of the customers they're trying to attract.
I agree with all of your points - but I think there is a bigger issue that overshadows the Cub organization.
Other than Dallas Green the Cubs have never been run by a 'baseball guy' in a 'baseball way'. Andy McFail was a 'baseball guy' who deferred to Tribune on every decision and ran the ball club like a Tribune subsidiary. As we saw with the Don Grenesko fiasco on the Greg Maddux negotiations - the Tribune suits never knew anything about baseball: They knew about bottom-line and making money. At the end of the Dusty Baker experiment - the Tribune suits smelled depreciation at a time when they knew they would be selling the Cubs. The infamous John McDonough 'our goal is to win the world series' press conference on the last day of the season signaled the go-ahead to 'spend to extend' the Cubs illusion of commitment to winning.
If you believe the hints Jim Hendry has been dropping lately - it was this 'spend to extend' period, run by McDonough and then Crain Kenney, that has locked us into the Soriano, Zambrano and Fukudome contracts. Sam Zell - never committed to a long-term Cub ownership - adopted the same philosophy to drive-up the short-term value of the Cubs. Winning equals attendance, concessions, bigger TV and Radio ratings and more 'national buzz'. Zell knew he would never own the Cubs long enough to be financially responsible for the long-term contracts he was approving: This same smoke and mirrors philosophy has him in court over his false valuation of the Tribune during his ESOP structured acquisition.
So the question for Tom Ricketts is this: How much of this roster is Jim Hendry's fault? Is Hendry a good baseball man, emerging from Tribune/Zell interference, who surrounds himself with pros like Tim Wilken, Randy Bush and Oneri Fleita? - or - Is he the primary guy that gave Milton Bradley $30 million, Carlos Zambrano $91.5 million and Fukudome $48 million as well as the no-trade contracts that further handcuff roster re-tooling efforts? it's promise and continuity versus a fresh start and a new plan.
Ricketts choice will be difficult and important. The Cubs need a 'baseball guy' with the freedom and financial backing to run the Cubs in a 'baseball way'. MLB is loaded with recent success stories, like Walt Jocketty with the Reds, that prove the success of this model. Is Jim Hendry the 'baseball guy' ready to take the Cubs through rebuilding and on to the World Series ? If not - you can not let him pick the next manager and make roster moves throughout the remainder of this season. You need to move NOW.
I just can't watch this team anymore. I certainly am not a fair weather fan and never would become a Sox fan either. This team offers no hope. Hendry has given out so many bad contracts that he can't even give some of these guys away thus blocking any serious rebuilding or youth movement. I would rather see a full blown youth movement then this mess. At least with young players there is always hope they will develop into quality players.
Let's also put the blame where it really belongs. The Tribune company allowed this to happen only so they could get a higher price for selling the Cubs. They didn't even have any sound baseball judgement in mind other than getting the best price for the team.
I am a die hard Hawks fan so thankfully they have played well into June the last two seasons so I could watch them. When the Hawks entered the "dark ages" in the nineties I got to a point where I watched maybe a game or two and thats it and I was a season ticket holder who went to every game. I didn't come back until Rocky Wirtz took over and changed the whole culture over there. I don't know about the rest of you but I have reached that point with the Cubs. I'm still a fan but a fan in hibernation. I think I've watched parts of two games this year and one of those was because the Blackhawks were there with the Stanley Cup.
girardi on the steps of the dugout, then cliff lee and adam dunn! period! who give a shlit if he's not as fluent as d lee at 1st! he'll hit 50 dingers in wrigley a year! and then grab cliff lee before the yankees of cardinals do! start with those 3 moves beforee the cubs convention!!
the only problem I see with that is, they both want LT NTC's. I'm not sure Hendry wants to go there again. C. Lee would be nice, so would Dunn's power.
Are you kidding me? Let's see here.
** No bonifide leadoff guy, no 2nd baseman and your best pitcher the last 4 years was traded to la-la-land. Who cares about Theriot, honestly now, who cares?
** You have minimal middle relief.
** You're 1st baseman is gone and there's no decent replacement.
** You're 3rd baseman is re-upping because he knows there's no market for a constantly injured guy with limited leadership ability and having a crappy attitude.
** Your RF'er sucks bigtime and the only way you're getting rid of him is to pay 90%+ of his salary. Gees I wished the White Sox bid just a little bit more on that one.
** You have a supposed ace who's a complete nut-job. I'd like to have Farnsy back just for a week so I can see him beat the living daylights out of Z.
** Your $18M LF'er isn't worth half his salary plus he can't run and is marginal at best defencively. Yup, he's a great guy but Hendry looks line a moron on that one too.
So after that, you have few good kids in Colvin, Castro and Cashner. Byrd is the consumate teammate and gentleman, plus he plays a solid defence and is a good batter. Where is Vitters?!
You have a couple good starters in Demp and Wells but you don't know what's going to happen to Silva. Honestly are you going to bank on him in 2011? Yeah, right. When is Samardzija going back to football and would the Bears be smart enough to get him? Don't answer that. Of course they're not smart enough. At least I have some hope for Martz in there instead of Mr-3rd-and-12-so-I'll-run-a-5-yard-route-Illini-reject-Ron-Turner.
There's a damned good closer in Marmol but who else in the 'pen strikes the fear of God into anyone, including the campfire girls allstar team? No one. Unless that means getting beaned.
Yup, there's no major rebuilding to do. Let me just sit over hear and listen for my brain aneurysm...
Oh, by the way Bruce, there's only 61 days until the Blackhawks begin defence of their Stanley Cup Championship! Stop on by United Centre to see how a real team, a real coaching staff and a real front office operates...! Can you change teams and follow the Blackhawks? I'd bet you'd enjoy it even if you had to change publications.
I'm utterly ashamed of the Chicago Cubs. I truly hopes Ricketts CLEANS HOUSE !! And I don't are about next year because it will suck like this year.
To answer your question, Josh Vitters suffered a hand injury a week or two (or maybe three) ago and is out for the minor league season. He may play in the Arizona Fall League. Cubs fans should also bear in mind that Vitters is currently 20 years old. (He turns 21 later this month.) So, Starlin Castro aside, Josh is probably still another couple years from the big leagues.
well, well said. I couldn't have said it better myself. Hendry created this mess by signing all these guys to these overloaded contracts, but yet Rickets expects him to bail them out? I must be missing something here. This years' team is terrible, and just about to the point of embarassing themselves. Only a select few are still trying. Alot of money coming off the books this year. I wonder how much leeway Rickerts is really giving Hendry in spending it, given his track record on free agents. Will be a very important off season for the REBUILDING of the Cubs', and how long it actually takes.
Yes, I do follow the Blackhawks, and closely. We've got the best in the biz in Tim Sassone covering them. I must admit I'm also counting the days 'til hockey season.
Hendry already should be gone. He created this horrendous roster and payroll mess. He'll finish '10 with an 8-year record under .500 despite high payrolls. He and his cohorts are way too old-school. It's an insult to every intelligent Cubs fan that he's staying into next year, whether it's hiring the next mgr or which players to move and acquire. In these articles, Cubs fans are being asked to hang on every Hendry quote and trust that he'll do the right things. While we're paying highest average ticket price in majors for a 47-62 team saddled with several big, hard-to-shed contracts carrying beyond '10 to veterans on the steep downside. I believe every good Cubs fan should find this unacceptable, be hoppin' mad and demand that Ricketts re-think his position re Hendry and replace the baseball operation from top down with a smarter one.
Bruce, do you think the Cubs will/would make a serious run at Prince Fielder in 2012? He'd be the youngest of the big three first basemen on the free agent market and has certainly hit well in his career at Wrigley Field (1.063 OPS in 193 PAs). Also, his family is presumably in Milwaukee, so he wouldn't be far from them. I just wonder whether all the bad blood between the Cubs and Brewers would prevent Prince from wanting to come here.
Oh, and that's a really interesting note about the Cubs possibly pursuing a deal with a Japanese team to buy out (at least part of) Fukudome's contract. It would be a sad way to see Kosuke go out, but perhaps a little less painful than watching him play out his (large) contract as a fourth outfielder. And, of course, the Cubs could free up a roster spot, too.
Look, I love the Ryne Sandberg I saw grace Wrigley Field in the 80's and 90's. But as the next manager to preside over fixing this mess? Please. So what if Sandberg has "paid his dues" in the minors. There is very little about his skill set that suggests he will make a great big league manager. He's allergic to statistics and readily admits it. His communication skills are not good. His biggest claim to fame in the minors is that he ocassionally goes out on the field and hollers at the umpires. Sandberg is a great guy, but he has forever come across as dumber than a hockey puck. The LAST thing I want to see happen is for Sandberg to be a colossal disaster as Cub manager and for his image to be tarnished. He was a great Hall of Fame player and a class act. Lets leave it at that. Hiring Sandberg would be classic Cubbie behavior....do something that will make the Cubbie kool-aid drinkers happy regardless whether it is in the best interests of building a winner.
Next manager? The pool of candidates should include Davey Martinez (regardless whether he diddled Sandberg's wife), Joey Cora, Orel Hershiser, Bob Brenly, Jose Oquendo. Maybe even Larry Rothschild.
I have no faith in Tom Ricketts, Crane Kenney and Jim Hendry to do the right thing or to begin legitimately fixing this mess the right way. After all, Ricketts is in denial already too. In his mind putting the family stamp on the ballclub means upgrading bathrooms and selling advertising space. Kenney has zero baseball experience and is a corporate suit holdover from the Tribune days. Hendry? Well he doesn't think a rebuilding job is necessary.
i thought about it, lol.
First, Sandberg has turned in gold in each of his minor league stops, pretty much getting a playoff appearance each stop. And he's developing the young guys each stop, as well. Given the fact that the team next year will primarily consist of guys Sandberg has managed in the minors, and I would say he's a great choice.
And Rothschild? Really? How is Sandberg, who has developed a bunch of guys into decent ballplayers, not a legitimate candidate and yet the pitching coach who has ruined or severely underdeveloped EVERY pitching prospect brought up during his tenure (don't say Marmol, because he's beatable if you don't swing, and don't say Marshall, because turning a left handed starter into a very average reliever is NOT developing a guy) is a good choice? And, again, this is especially true given that the majority of the pitchers up next year will be in need of development.
Sandberg has had very little to do with developing the minor leaguers under his watch. Fact is he has been manager of MINOR LEAGUE teams, where by definition the prospects live and work. What's he done for the overrated Josh Vitters? Can you provide SPECIFICS on where Sandberg has provided direct benefit to a prospect? No.
Sandberg sits in the dugout clapping his hands ala Jim Essian. On ocassion he'll run out to the field and get into it with an ump. Where are his credentials in teaching hitting approach? WHere are his credentials in teaching pitching? He lacks the capacity to understand statistics too. Strategic sense?!?! Please. The poor guy has a problem stringing two coherent sentences in row. He's just not that bright. All hiring Sandberg does is make the kool-aid drinkers pee their pants in delight. And perpetuate the Luvable Loser syndrome that makes the franchise the laughingstock of major league baseball.
Hire REAL qualified people. Larry Rothschild is credited for being one of the best pitching coaches in baseball. He also has major league managerial experience. I'm not saying I want him hired, but he certainly deserves consideration. Way more than Ryne Friggin Sandberg.
Your argument with that statement is invalid. Sandberg has never had Vitters on any of his teams. Your other statements about Sandberg sound like he slept with your mother or your girlfriend, or hell, maybe both at the same time. I don't know what your personal vendetta with Sandberg is but let's face it, he's done very well managing throughout the minor leagues.
His credentials in teaching hitting, pitching, etc.. lie in the fact that he is a MINOR LEAGUE MANAGER. He does all those things every day. How can you say he lacks the capacity to understand stats? Please. Do you know him personally? You have deep conversations with him discussing the merit of statistics vs. 'gut feeling'? You sound so full of yourself.
Sandberg has done what was asked of him and I don't see the Parent Club hiring him just because of his name. Although it does help that he's Ryne Friggin Sandberg. Each credible manager that you would like had to start somewhere also. He's not like the other "big name" guys. He's actually managed in the minor leagues working his way up each level, therefore it seems to me that he is qualified. Who cares if he sounds dumb (I've never heard any of his press conferences since he's been managing), he's been getting the job done and the Cubs front office will give him as fair of a shot as any one else interested in managing the team next year.
Besides having worked with a number of the young Cub players/prospects already, Sandberg has already done the things he asks of his players. He's already won at the minor leagues levels and has instant credibility even though he hasn't managed or coached yet at the big league level. He was a very pro-fundamentals player. That being said, I'd like to see him coach with the Cubs before he's named manager. Listening to BB call the games, I believe he and Ryno would have the same mindset about hustling and sloppy play and let's face it, the Cubs have made more than their share of fundamental errors. I wouldn't mind a 2-3 year deal for BB as the skipper and Ryno in a bench coach/infield instructor role. I have to believe there's room for both Trammel and Ryno and if Trammel would decide to follow Lou out of town, so be it.
Henry said 2011 will not be a rebuilding year, what else can he say, the following have
contracts with the Cubs in 2011, Dempster, Ramirez, Byrd, Soriano, Fukodome, Silva, Zambrano, Soto, Marmol, Wells, Gorzelanny and Marshall will also be back.
Cubs need more speed, guys that have a higher on base average and can steal some bases, but second base is the only place that could be open next year. DeWitt probably is not an answer, or anyone coming up from the minors yet. Need a left handed slugger at
1st base, but is Dunn too expensive and really worth it. Need better relief pitching, and perhaps a starter. Two years of bad baseball, are these veterans really any good. Should the Cubs try and resign Lilly. Does Tom Ricketts want to, or can he spend money for good players, or just fix up the ball park. My choice for manger would be Brenly, Giradi or Sandberg, and keep all the coaches.
Hendry is delusional if he thinks rebuiliding is a bad idea. I think it's what they need.
If they are going to go the rebuilding route, then I think Sandberg might be the right choice for manager. He's managed a good many of the players, which is something nice. The biggest thing is that the club can tell him, "Here's the roster --- lots of youngsters. Do your best here, but we understand that they probably won't be world beaters."
This gives Ryno a chance to get his feet wet at the major league level while the club does some developing of it's own. If the youngsters work you, you take the best of the bunch and work in some key FA signings and do your best to make a run in 2012-2014.
Getting younger and putting a solid 3 to 5 year plan in place might be fun to watch.
but if there's another 5 year plan, that would mean 12 in my lifetime.
but if I can count that would mean you have 2 more 5-year plans than me! Which simply means you've suffered about 1,600 games more than me.
My first post here ... so I won't go on the lengthy rant Hendry's comment deserves.
In Summary; Jim Hendry MUST say the Cubs do not require a major rebuilding job because of the situation he has created with the major league roster. We do not have the contract flexibility to clean house and rebuild because Hendry hands out no-trade contracts like after dinner mints. The ineffectiveness of Jim Hendry is compounding exponentially: The sociopathic Milton Bradley has turned into the cardiopathic Carlos Silva. Zambrano, Fukudome and Soriano are too crazy, too bad and too expensive to move. Hendry has built like the Yankees but without the limitless payroll to make his mistakes go away.
Jim Hendry built this team. He chose the players and determined their contractual value. The major league team is in shambles with tens of millions of dollars guaranteed to non-performing players we are stuck with for multiple years.
Tom Ricketts needs to make Jim Hendry go away and let a new GM choose his new manager.
"The sociopathic Milton Bradley has turned into the cardiopathic Carlos Silva."
Kudos to you, sir.
but i'd like to know when was your last year playing SS with the dodgers? oops, kidding you.
really i agree, problem as you say is they can't do anything.
Bump was his kid that played with Texas and had a brief cup of coffee with the cubs. He actually won a season opener for the cubs with a long ball back in the early 80's
i was thinking of the father. lol,
i was just kidding
One thing that is abundantly clear is that the Cubs are stuck with at least a small number of "returnees" so rebuilding is impossible...it's needed, just not possible.
I am torn about retaining Hendry though. The Trib suits seem to share some blame as does the scouting department (e.g. Kosuke). I have also heard the staff who have been credited with developing some of the young talent might leave if Hendry left. I DID think he lost his mind with Bradley
The Cubs are horrible, if any staff member wants to leave because Hendry is fired my guess is nobody's going to stop them. It'll save the Ricketts the time and trouble of having to do it themselves.
Lovie's a "players" coach and look at the Bears. If Hendry is a "staff" manager then all the more reason to get rid of them all.
" if any staff member wants to leave because Hendry is fired my guess is nobody's going to stop them."...that's kinda the point. Oneiri Fleita and Tim Wilkens are credited with finally getting the farm system to produce. If they leave with Hendry, it could be a very tough loss. So! No matter what I think of Hendry, do I hold my nose and tolerate him as a result.
To keep Wilkens and Fleita, perhaps Hendry could be "promoted" to vice-president of something-or-another, working with those two gentlemen. Then we could hire a real GM to run the club day-to-day.
>> perhaps Hendry could be "promoted" to vice-president of something-or-another <<
Great idea!...
Make him Vice President of Looking Out The Window.
That way we don't have to worry about him screwing things up even more.
...I could support
Has managed to destroy the team...and now he is working on destroying the fanbase. It's working......
thanks, i'll have to get my eyes checked.
i think if B. J. were given the chance he might surprise next spring. yes another Colvin but better, more polished hitter.
...they are hog-tied with big money contracts. That's the only reason they wouldn't back up the truck. This team is at least 2 years away from even considering contention, and that's only because when they have some money off the books they can spend it on players who are worth it.
Hmmm...kind of sounds like rearranging the deck chairs on the ol' Titanic.
Best part was the guy who clipped the boat's propellor on his fall and did like 10 summersaults before hitting the water. But I digress.....
I can see a line-up like this next year:
SS Castro
2B DeWitt
RF Byrd
1B Colvin
3B Ramirez
C Soto
LF Soriano
CF Jackson
Maybe Colvin is not the ideal clean-up hitter, but the focus here was a R-L-R-L-R in the first five spots in the order. Half of this line--up will make $500K or less next year.
I still say put Fukudome, Zambrano, Nady, Fontenot on waivers and PRAY someone claims them. With his heart problem (and I do hope he recovers), Silva will be on the roster for 2011. With all the rookies in the bullpen, let them continue to get experience and hopefully that will help them for 2011. Cashner has a huge upside; Russell and Berg have the talent to improve, and if they keep Grabow, well, I really don't want to think about him.
I am a Sandberg-backer, as I really don't see the Yankees letting Girardi go. So, maybe Brenly as manager with Sandberg as his bench coach. This gets Ryno some major league bench time, and someone who can easily take over for Brenly if he is not the answer. Ideally, Maddux could be pitching coach; Bush can take over for Hendry as GM; and our minor league directors stay.
Year 2012 is more realistically a more competitive year. But, if the fan base sees a commitment to the minor league talent, and not throwing money away, the support will be there.
Jolly, I'd go with
CF---Jackson, leadoff man, lot's of speed, hits to all fields, W/time will shine
SS---Castro, can only get better, he's for real. was born with bat in his hands.
3rd---Aram, RBI man right off the bat, plan B, DeWitt by default
RF---Byrd, fast, hits to all fields, good follow up to Aram
1B---Colvin, still learning, power, speed, lefty. I'd take my chances W/him
C-----Soto, 6th is his spot, needs good back up.
LF---Soriano, hope and pray, declining, you still have Colvin
2nd--DeWitt by default for now.
no need for platoon system here. pitching is still the name of game. good pitching, good D, speed, energy, this line-up would be good enough and can only get better as season goes on.
Jackson would be the only new guy, Colvin the only ? mark, can he improve average wise? if he can than he's your 3rd hitter. Aram would drop to 4th, Byrd 5th.
? pitching.
Well, you have one guy who hasn't played above AA and is hitting only .275 there with little power and has struck out in one third of his AB's. You have two that may very well suffer sophomore slumps. You would be taking a strong defensive OF'er and putting him at 1B. You have Byrd (10 HR's and mid 800's OPS miscast as a cleanup hitter. Basically, you have the same cast of characters except you've subbed a kid who has yet to make the majors for Lee, and this team is ranked 21st in MLB in runs scored. I don't see that as a recipe for success. To have a chance, I believe they need to replace Lee with an impact lefty slugger, add an ace and find two quality setup men.
easier said than done. i'm going on the fact Hendry won't make any big deals. so go with what you got. can't see C. Lee coming here so we're stuck with what we have. pitching makes up for most things and we don't have any real ace's. plus the only real ace out there is C. Lee, lefty slugger would be Dunn and both want LT NTC's. i agree with you but do you think Hendry can pull those things off? and i don't think Ricketts will open up his wallet.
Besides Lee, rumor has it that KC will shop Greinke and Webb will be a FA. Webb would be a risk with his shoulder but Arizona may elect not to bring him back for that reason. I know it would bring back memories of Wood and Prior for some, but the Cubs do have some pitching depth in their farm system now that they didn't have a few years ago, so they are in better position to take such a risk.
The Royals would need to replace Greinke with a less expensive starter so maybe they would take Silva or Zambrano plus cash, along with some nice young prospects. KC would be a nice calm place for Z now wouldn't it? It would take lots of cash obviously. More likely, I could see them taking Silva plus Wells/Gorzellany, cash and another young arm.
I haven't read anything about Dunn wanting a NTC and he did sign for two years with the Nats. I did read he wanted to play for the Cubs who selected Bradley instead. They could also go after Huff or Fielder.
recently when all this trade talk started, Bruce (ESPN or Rosenthal said whoever was interested in him in 2011 would have to give him a LT (3 yrs) NTC. they said Dunn didn't want to be moving/looking for a new team like 2 years ago. this would assure him a home for 3 years and not worry about trade talks as the recent ones. I'm sure the Cubs could get him for 2 years but, I'm not sure Hendry would want him for 1B.
you'd have bad D at 1B, 2B, 3B, LF. you win with pitching, D, and hopefully you have some hitting. Aram has turned into a DH, DeWitt isn't much better than Theriot.
they do need a power bat, ace SP, some mid inning relievers, a GM, and manager. hey outside of that we're looking good.
To suggest otherwise is to perpetuate a 102 year losing streak and to live by the adage, "if you keep on doing the things you've always done, then you will keep getting the same results you've always gotten."
The only thing to do is pray that the youngsters continue their forward progressiona while waiting for the wretched contracts granted Ramirez, Zambrano, Soriano, Fukudome, Grabow to unwind. I'd also actively trade any veterans who are tradeable commodities, to include Dempster.
That's me. But alas, I dont' subscribe to membership in the Luvable Loser Society that defends to its death Jim Hendry. Genius Jim will probably default to hiring Ryne "I'm not that bright" Sandberg as next manager because it's the popular thing to do among the Kool-aid drnikers. He'll pass on intriguing managerial candidates like Davey Martinez, Joey Cora, Orel Hershiser, Jose Oquendo. Genius Jim is not a bright man himself. Nor is he objective, but rather a baseball executive who is stubborn and lives in perpetual denial. He is polar opposite of a Kenny Williams or Walt Jocketty. And he's all ours for at least another year because Tom "the hologram" Ricketts is fixated instead on making sure the urinals are state of the art.
>> Genius Jim will probably default to hiring Ryne "I'm not that bright" Sandberg as next manager because it's the popular thing to do among the Kool-aid drnikers. <<
More likely than ever now after Hendry basically alluded to a window-dressing approach to rebuilding. Hiring Sandberg will excite the rah-rah fans and take some of the heat/focus off of Jimbo's job.
It's all manipulation and clever Cub marketing to deflect the true issues.
yep......I was very setback by Ricketts coming out and giving Hendry a backing. What a joke. Seems to me that Ricketts is still operating more like a "fan" then an "owner". I know there are all sorts of variables like Hendry and Kenney having their contracts extended during the negioations and buying out either may be expensive. However, for those few millions, he's losing more when contracts have to be bought out, and ticket, concession revenue is down because his team is horrid. Throw in the lack of ratings on TV and radio, and sponsors will start cutting back as well.
But the fact remains, that this team is in the shape it is because of Jabba and his blank check book and no trade clauses. It'll be at least 2 years til this team SNIFFS a postseason spot, unless Ricketts starts spending money like a mad man, and makes sure it's "wisely" spent instead of the days of overpaying for Soriano, Miles, Grabow, etc.....
The best thing that can happen to this team, is that people STOP going. Then watch how quickly the red siren goes off at clark and addison, and ricketts scrambles. The Sox are putting out a winning product, and for the average fan who has no alliegance, where is his discretionary dollars going to go to? Yeah, you can market the ivy, the history, etc....but it all comes down to the satisfaction in your money spent. That's why MY butt hasn't stepped foot in Wrigley since September of 2008. This team has done nothing since that year, to convince me that they are about winning, and not going through the motions.
Now you have to hope that the young core of players, and "arms" that Hendry is beating the drum to, materalize, because how many deals can Hendry to take to him where he has to "eat" money to get rid of a player?
"Mr. Ricketts....we have a deal to trade Zambrano/Silva/Fukudome, BUT we have to pay 75% of the money, or take on a player of that value."
"Again? Didn't I just do that last year with Bradley? How many BAD deals do I have to buy out due to your bad spending?"
On what are you basing this statement on?
right on Steve rain.
what, no news on Bret Jackson?
is Samardzija working on his pitches or just competing at AAA?
Aram, does Hendry have a plan B?
one of the big 3 has to be moved, Aram, Z, or Soriano.
we know Fukudome is gone, Lee will be, Lilly is, Silva is staying.
all the names listed here except for B. J. and Steve Rain, are past their prime. oh, Samardzija is a football player. LOL, smile it's only 109 games.