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Cubs Deal Ryu

For those of you who witnessed the hilarity, here's what happened. jonpyardi and I both posted diaries about this deal just as it was posted on the Trib's website. Then I got an email from Al, who said "hey, this is the kind of stuff I want you to put on the front page when I'm not around."

So Julie, in her infinite wisdom, said "Hey, no problem. I'll put it on the front page right now!"

Fast foward about 8 minutes, as Julie tries to figure out why she can no longer find the diary anywhere. Oops.

So sorry to Al and to everyone whose comments got deleted. I am fully aware of my suckitude. It is, however, my first week on the job.

Now then, the Trib reported today that the Cubs sent righty Jae Kuk Ryu to Tampa Bay for a couple of propects:

The Cubs got their roster down to 40 on the eve of training camp by trading Korean right-hander Jae Kuk Ryu to Tampa Bay for a pair of prospects.

Outfielder Andrew Lopez, who hit .256 with four home runs and 27 RBIs at Class-A Princeton, and right-handed pitcher Gregory Reinhard, who went 6-10 for Class-A Southwest Michigan, were acquired for Ryu, who briefly pitched for the Cubs last season.

Lopez was an eighth round selection in the 2005 draft, while Reinhard was selected in the sixth round of the same draft. The Cubs had to pare the roster down to 40 by the start of camp, after being one man over due to the addition of Notre Dame pitcher Jeff Samardzija last month.

Ryu is 36-28 with a 3.42 ERA in 118 minor league games, and was 0-1 with an 8.40 ERA in his brief stint with the Cubs last summer.

Sorry to all of you who were big fans of ERAs over 25.00. For my part, I have yet to forgive Ryu for his debut performance, for which I am still in therapy.

The two guys we got don't sound like anything all that special, either:

Lopez, 20, was the Devil Rays' eighth-round selection in the 2005 draft. He played with Single-A Princeton in 2006 and batted .338 (22-for-65) against left-handed pitching while posting a .316 average (31-for-98) with 16 runs in 28 July games. Overall, the right-handed batter hit .256 with 4 home runs and 27 RBI while producing a .356 on-base percentage.

A graduate of Elk Grove (Calif.) High School, Lopez batted .325 (39-for-120) in 34 games with Princeton in 2005.

Reinhard, 23, was Tampa Bay's sixth-round selection in the 2005 draft. His 142.0 innings pitched and 134 strikeouts each ranked third on the Single-A Southwest Michigan's pitching staff in 2006. A native of Marinette, Wis., he posted a 5-3 record with a 3.52 ERA (31 ER/79.1 IP) in 14 home starts while going 1-7 with a 5.74 ERA (40 ER/62.2 IP) in 13 road games (12 starts).

Reinhard, who attended the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, set the school record with 19 strikeouts against the University of Wisconsin-Stout on April 17, 2005.

So, I guess to sum up my feelings on this deal, I can only say, "meh."

0 recs  |  Comment 49 comments

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Hey
Wasn't there a bunch of comments in this diary??
WARD!

by cubbieboy on Feb 13, 2007 4:18 PM CST reply actions   0 recs

Something..
must have happened. Hmmmmmm  ;)
WARD!

by cubbieboy on Feb 13, 2007 4:18 PM CST reply actions   0 recs

She's a rookie.
Let's give her some time. I like rookies, and Julie's cool.
"I don't talk. I just let what I do talk for myself." -Johan Santana

by sparkles721 on Feb 13, 2007 4:22 PM CST up reply actions   0 recs

Weary is the head that wears the crown
She expects us to live up to certain set of standars. It's fair that she do the same. Plus it's fun calling her a doo-doo head.
WARD!

by cubbieboy on Feb 13, 2007 4:24 PM CST up reply actions   0 recs

Yes Julie is cool
She just needs a nickname.
PTBNL!

by gravedigger on Feb 13, 2007 4:25 PM CST up reply actions   0 recs

I wrote this in
the other diary. She is a doo-doo head.
WARD!

by cubbieboy on Feb 13, 2007 4:22 PM CST reply actions   0 recs

Da Leter!!
Like Da Bears. No?
WARD!

by cubbieboy on Feb 13, 2007 4:23 PM CST up reply actions   0 recs

and we're still laughing
do it again, we may laugh even harder.
TRAMMELL!

by Faith plus 1 on Feb 13, 2007 4:23 PM CST up reply actions   0 recs

doo-doo head
WARD!

by cubbieboy on Feb 13, 2007 4:24 PM CST up reply actions   0 recs

more clutter in the farm system
ho-hum
TRAMMELL!

by Faith plus 1 on Feb 13, 2007 4:22 PM CST reply actions   0 recs

I miss Ryu already.
I'm a Cub optimist when it comes to prospect pitchers... but I thought he coulda been somebody.
worthless...

by tyger1147 on Feb 13, 2007 4:23 PM CST reply actions   0 recs

I actually thought he could have.
Despite the 27.00 ERA last year, I thought he had good stuff, and was misused, spending days on end on the bullpen bench when he could have been used, and then sitting in September for Les Walrond. Idiotic.

As far as Julie's problem in shifting the diary to the main page, I have no idea why that happened. What's even weirder is that "by" that's still sitting in the recommended diaries list.

"[BCB] is much better than... well, everything." -- gravedigger, January 21, 2007

by Al on Feb 13, 2007 7:09 PM CST up reply actions   0 recs

Al
He tried to kill a bird in front of a ton off people for no good reason. The guy was a headcase.
HENDRY!

by cubbiejulie on Feb 13, 2007 7:20 PM CST up reply actions   0 recs

No, he wasn't.
He made a mistake, admitted his mistake, and paid the penalty for the mistake. It was a stupidass thing to do, but I hardly think it makes him a headcase.
"[BCB] is much better than... well, everything." -- gravedigger, January 21, 2007

by Al on Feb 13, 2007 7:26 PM CST up reply actions   0 recs

Exactly
He did a juvenile thing, but hopefully he has grown up.
PTBNL!

by gravedigger on Feb 13, 2007 7:27 PM CST up reply actions   0 recs

Intentional cruelty to animals
is a huge psychological flag for a lot of problems. Believe me, I've read enough psych profiles of criminals. Especially in front of a large group of people.

I didn't like him.

HENDRY!

by cubbiejulie on Feb 13, 2007 7:28 PM CST up reply actions   0 recs

You raise a valid point.
However, without knowing more about him, I'm not so sure I would tar him with that brush.

I wish him well, and I DO hope he has learned a valuable lesson.

"[BCB] is much better than... well, everything." -- gravedigger, January 21, 2007

by Al on Feb 13, 2007 7:31 PM CST up reply actions   0 recs

not sure why
we want to get two below-average prospects in exchange for one average one. for all the things hendry does well, he really sucks at getting anything back for guys he needs to get rid of.
DEJESUS!!!

by tomas21 on Feb 13, 2007 4:47 PM CST reply actions   0 recs

Nobody
has said anything about Pinella in this whole thing. Does he have any inside knowledge on these two prospects? He was privy to farm reports on these two maybe we got a ringer in here like the Murton throw in when we got Nomar?
Spendry!!!

by mrcubsfan on Feb 13, 2007 8:44 PM CST up reply actions   0 recs

Because...
his "rotting" in Iowa might have been 3.25 ERA season in Iowa, and even if the Cubs don't want that, could have got more back than the crap they did.
worthless...

by tyger1147 on Feb 13, 2007 5:03 PM CST up reply actions   0 recs

Sun Times
Julie, you metioned the Trib, but the Sun Times has an article today about Zambrano which made me wonder about Hendry. Zambrano has  arbitration next week and Hendry sounds like he is not putting a lot of effort in tying up Zambrano long term. I say pay him what he wants. He is THE guy in the rotation. What gives?
wccubfan

by wccubfan on Feb 13, 2007 5:01 PM CST reply actions   0 recs

You're right...
sort of. He's trying to get the 1-year deal done first. Arbitration is just for this year. If he can get that done, then he won't have to go to the meeting and say all the things Progs has been saying about him (he's hot-headed, he walks too much and the number is rising, he has back issues). If they have to go to arbitration first, it could really hurt the chances of a long-term deal. That's why Hendry is trying to get a one-year deal done first.
worthless...

by tyger1147 on Feb 13, 2007 5:05 PM CST up reply actions   0 recs

Here's another birdkiller...Randy Johnson!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vyWs5jO7BZ4

Man, what bad luck. For the bird I mean.

Sum bitch exploded.

PINIELLA!

by theprognosticator on Feb 13, 2007 5:34 PM CST reply actions   0 recs

Did the umpire
give Johnson a do-over after that pitch?

by baturkey on Feb 13, 2007 7:05 PM CST up reply actions   0 recs

what a horrible horrible deal...
i'd rather have Ryu for the rotation than Marquis. This deal represents an awful lack of foresight.
The Cubs better shine 'fore twenty-oh-nine!

by shawndgoldman on Feb 13, 2007 6:12 PM CST reply actions   0 recs

thank you
i'm not the only one thinking this here....
TRAMMELL!

by Faith plus 1 on Feb 13, 2007 6:13 PM CST up reply actions   0 recs

No you're not
I'm perplexed.
PTBNL!

by gravedigger on Feb 13, 2007 6:16 PM CST up reply actions   0 recs

I'm all meh on this one...
...couldn't care less.

Ryu isn't going to amount to anything and neither are the guys we got for him.

PINIELLA!

by theprognosticator on Feb 13, 2007 6:36 PM CST up reply actions   0 recs

ryu had a higher ceiling
than these two we've got.....that's for damn sure.
TRAMMELL!

by Faith plus 1 on Feb 13, 2007 6:42 PM CST up reply actions   0 recs

ceiling schmeiling...
...I want the Cubs to get a pitcher with a decent living room set.
PINIELLA!

by theprognosticator on Feb 13, 2007 6:44 PM CST up reply actions   0 recs

Bad deal
Ryu had potential and we barely got to see him thanks to egregious misuse last year.  The two guys we got back appear to be about worthless.  If Ryu had been used properly we might have seen something, but now we'll never know.  He'll go pitch in a tougher offensive league for a team that will be worse than the Cubs that isn't as familiar with him as this organization was.  He probably won't do all that well in Tampa but he might have been okay for us.  We got nothing for him and it looks like a bad career move for him.  In general it's just a waste.  Too bad.  Had he been allowed to pitch he probably would have had a better year than Marquis did last year and just may have been better this year than Marquis, but since we gave Marquis a ridiculous contract I suppose it makes sense to jettison a guy with potential.  Wait, no it doesn't.  It's just a waste.

by pageian on Feb 13, 2007 7:26 PM CST up reply actions   0 recs

the youngsterites never lose...
..it seems. If Ryu fails it was because he wasn't used properly. If he stinks up the joint somehow it's always somebody else's fault.

I'm sorry. I've seen his career arc, I've read scouting reports and I'm not buying it.

Ryu will amount to little if anything. It's a meh deal. Nothing to get even remotely upset over. Nothing to get even remotely excited about.

 

PINIELLA!

by theprognosticator on Feb 13, 2007 7:57 PM CST up reply actions   0 recs

I'm with you
Ryu is not going to amount to anything.  At best, he's a #4 or #5 if he's lucky.  He's old enough now that he would be showing something.  I haven't seen any scouting reports that have anything good to say on him.  

by rlpete on Feb 14, 2007 10:06 AM CST up reply actions   0 recs

Not true...
Total over-generalization. I think most people blame Corey Patterson for his struggles. And if he's not the best "case-in-point", find me a better one.
worthless...

by tyger1147 on Feb 14, 2007 12:02 PM CST up reply actions   0 recs

you're probably right...
in that Ryu likely won't amount to anything. However, he was much more likely to amount to something than either of the guys we received in return, even taken together.

All prospects are a crap-shoot, but we basically traded in a 1-in-10 chance at hitting the jackpot for two 1-in-100 chances. That's just dumb.

The Cubs better shine 'fore twenty-oh-nine!

by shawndgoldman on Feb 13, 2007 9:06 PM CST up reply actions   0 recs

I think it's far closer to...
1 in 50 to 1 in 75 chance for Ryu and 1 in 100 for the other guys.

Negligible imo, though you are right, it would be nice for one of these young deals that we stop getting pennies or nickles or even dimes on the dollar for once.

PINIELLA!

by theprognosticator on Feb 13, 2007 10:19 PM CST up reply actions   0 recs

That's my problem.
Why now? What has happened? It's not unreasonable that he put up decent numbers in AAA. If he does that, I have to think they can get more than what they did. Maybe not. I just don't get the timing.

Did they not want to pay for his flight over from Korea or something?

worthless...

by tyger1147 on Feb 13, 2007 10:44 PM CST up reply actions   0 recs

I believe the Cubs had to cut...
...the roster down to 40 players in order to fit Clifford onto the roster.

Any player removed from the 40 man roster has to be put through waivers, and chances are Ryu never would have made it back to Iowa.

But then, why couldn't Buck Coats, Rocky Cherry, etc been passed through? I guess Hendry likes his porn star names.

It is curious that this was done I agree tyger, and you'd like to know if we could have gotten more in return, but it still falls in the meh category with me, and much ado about nothing.

I guess I'm just pleased Hendry didn't trade Marmol or Marshall in the same deal.

PINIELLA!

by theprognosticator on Feb 13, 2007 11:22 PM CST up reply actions   0 recs

Ryu's departure
marks the last of the much heralded Korea signings by former Cubs Asian scout Leon Lee.  Choi, Ryu, and a catcher whose name escapes me but hit barely over the Mendoza line in the low minors are all gone now.  So is Lee.

Was he Derrek's dad or uncle?  I always got Leon and Leron confused.

by Clark Addison on Feb 13, 2007 6:47 PM CST reply actions   0 recs

Leon Lee is Derrek's dad.
Leron is his uncle.  Leron played in the majors (SD, St. Louis), Leon didn't.

Both of them played in Japan.

"[BCB] is much better than... well, everything." -- gravedigger, January 21, 2007

by Al on Feb 13, 2007 7:06 PM CST up reply actions   0 recs

Well
at least Ryu did not go to the Marlins. If he had it all but guaranteed his success.
"And in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make"

by wild bill on Feb 13, 2007 7:20 PM CST reply actions   0 recs

Thanks for nothing.
I'm glad he's gone.  The one game I had a dugout box ticket last year, he started and got lit up for 6 earned runs in 1 1/3 innings.  Thanks for nothing.  (Even though it actually turned out to be a great game).

So long, Ryu!

¡BLANCO!

by 08Cubs on Feb 13, 2007 8:48 PM CST reply actions   0 recs

It's meaningful because it's meaningless
As someone else pointed out, Ryu was the last vestige of the Cubs' Pacific Rim scouting program.
The only value produced was Choi, as trade bait for Derrek Lee.
Baseball America rated Ryu as the Cubs' #10 prospect in December of 2003.
So, it's meaningful in the sense of:
  1. The failure of another top ten Cub prospect.
  2. The failure of another supposedly smart management guy (Leon Lee) to ptoduce as a Cub--joining McPhail, Baker, Larry Himes, etc.

by BillV on Feb 13, 2007 9:10 PM CST reply actions   0 recs

Cliff Floyd is the reason behind this trade
This is obviously the long-anticipated roster space-clearing move that was precipitated by the Cliff Floyd signing.

Hendry's options here were either, a) deal a guy like Ryu for a couple of mildly intriguing longshot A-ball prospects, or b) just drop a guy like Buck Coats for nada.

I like option a), personally.  Neither Ryu nor Coats figure to amount to much.  May as well see if we can get lucky with Reinhard or Lopez.

by davearm on Feb 13, 2007 11:32 PM CST reply actions   0 recs

Update from the Trib
Today's article with the headline about Derrek Lee mentions at the end that both the players acquired from Tampa Bay were drafted by Tim Wilken.  I had thought he was with the Blue Jays up until he came to the Cubs, but maybe he went to TB when Ricciardi came on board in Toronto.  
The call of the Cub fan, c. 1893: "one long, ravaged, derisive yell...a cyclonic whoop!"

by zambranofan on Feb 14, 2007 7:04 AM CST reply actions   0 recs

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