Best Move for CF is no move...
by Geo4MVP on Dec 19, 2009 2:29 PM CST
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I don't like the idea of Crisp, Pods, Byrd, or Church being the primary CF for the Cubs. Majority of Cubs fans can look at their stats and easily say that none of those players are worthy of a multi-year contract with the Cubs. Maybe a 1 year contract but it would be better if the Cubs just sign a bench player and a RP and then call it an offseason. I like the idea of waiting till mid-season to explore other options.
As for the SP, I don't really see a SP that is worth considering. Majority of the free agent SP might demand a multi-year contract similar to Marquis.
The only player that I would want on the team is Orlando Hudson, but that's impossible considering the Cubs now have Baker and Fontenot platooning at 2nd base.
This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of SB Nation or Al Yellon, managing editor (unless it's a FanPost posted by Al). FanPost opinions are valued expressions of opinion by passionate and knowledgeable baseball fans.
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You don't think Byrd is worth a 2 yr deal?
I really do like Fuld’s defense and energy, but I don’t think he can provide the offense that Byrd can.
I don’t care for Pods or Crisp either and think that Church would be a good reserve, not as an everyday player. But if the Cubs land Byrd, than I’m all about focusing on the Bullpen and pitching staff. I would like to get Capps or Garland, but both are probably unattainable at this point.
The Colts are going 16-0. It is going to happen.
Byrd...meh, not even worth 2 years
I would rather sign Reed Johnson and platoon him with Sam Fuld. Byrd best year was due to the bandbox ball park he played in. Honestly, I wouldn’t be surprised if his OPS dips down to .700 in the 2010 season.
by Geo4MVP on Dec 19, 2009 2:38 PM CST up reply actions 1 recs
I agree with you.
Byrd shouldn’t even be considered right now. I’d rather them get Podsednik, however, Fuld/Johnson is better than Byrd (and much cheaper).
I’d rather them get Podsednik,
…why?
Say no to Marlon Byrd, Scotty Pods, and Rick Ankiel.
by jesus christos on Dec 19, 2009 7:20 PM CST up reply actions
Remember, that's from the guy who's horrified that we don't have Jake Fox any more.
"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra
i bet fox can play a mean CF
Say no to Marlon Byrd, Scotty Pods, and Rick Ankiel.
by jesus christos on Dec 19, 2009 7:29 PM CST up reply actions
Go ahead and laugh about it...
Maybe by mid-July you’ll realize that this team is MUCH worse now on paper than last year’s team, and it doesn’t only have to do with Jake Fox departing. His trade was just one in a series of awful moves over the past year which has transformed a championship-caliber club into a 3rd place team at best in 2010.
Well, after gutting last year's team, they were worse on paper.
And look how that worked out for them. Sometimes the paper doesn’t lie.
Each year is different.
Except for this latest deal, which had to be made, the offseason moves so far are fine with me.
"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra
Could you expand your "gutting last year's team" thought?
We lost last year because we got rid of Marquis and DeRosa? Were they truly the guts of this team?
Did you not think injuries and down year’s maybe had something to do with last year’s performance?
Nobody cares about your fantasy baseball team
by carmen_fanzone on Dec 20, 2009 7:49 AM CST up reply actions
add Wood
but still, not the over haul people seem to make it out to be. TheGrinch and TJ seem to be a little extreme about their opinions, even compared to BLou
baseball is a game of outs......pop out, ground out, line out, pitch out, strike out, fly out, and Fox and Bud's favorite black out
if you think so, more power to you
but I am not the one changing my argument about Fox being
1. a good bat bench (as you said)
to
2. a power bat if given 500 Abs
baseball is a game of outs......pop out, ground out, line out, pitch out, strike out, fly out, and Fox and Bud's favorite black out
Uhhh
Teams that get swept in the first round of the playoffs in back to back years should never be mistaken for anything resembling a “championship caliber” club. That is simply reality speaking.
Who needs a stinkin' tag line? What are they for anyway?
Um, good teams sometimes lose three in a row.
Overreacting to first round sweeps is what changed the Cubs from an NL juggernaught to an 83-win afterthought overnight.
by cubsforever on Dec 20, 2009 1:14 PM CST up reply actions 6 recs
....bravo, cubsforever....
…..if I knew how I would like to turn that green!
A woman's guess is more accurate than a man's certainty.--Rudyard Kipling
by cooliogirl47 on Dec 20, 2009 2:21 PM CST up reply actions
click where it says ACTION
then click REC to rec this
baseball is a game of outs......pop out, ground out, line out, pitch out, strike out, fly out, and Fox and Bud's favorite black out
thanks :)
A woman's guess is more accurate than a man's certainty.--Rudyard Kipling
by cooliogirl47 on Dec 20, 2009 3:21 PM CST up reply actions
welcome
and i too rec’d it
baseball is a game of outs......pop out, ground out, line out, pitch out, strike out, fly out, and Fox and Bud's favorite black out
Well...
He hit .320 against lefties last year, has speed, he’s left-handed, has been a good leadoff man in his career, plays hard, and he will catch at least the majority of the things hit his way. Oh, and he’ll also be CHEAP.
So go ahead and waste the money we saved on Bradley by giving a 3 year contract at around $5 million a year to Byrd. Let me know how that works out for everyone. He’ll be a scary addition to the middle of our automatic out-filled line-up next year.
you forgot
his career -12.7 UZR in CF, noodle for an arm, and subpar SB%
Say no to Marlon Byrd, Scotty Pods, and Rick Ankiel.
by jesus christos on Dec 19, 2009 7:40 PM CST up reply actions
oh and i dont want byrd, just sayin
Say no to Marlon Byrd, Scotty Pods, and Rick Ankiel.
by jesus christos on Dec 19, 2009 7:40 PM CST up reply actions
I'm not crazy about Hudson, either.
He’d be another overpriced free agent with a backloaded contract and a NTC.
"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra
Hudson got benched
down the stretch last season for Ron Belliard, which tells you about all you need to know about the O-Dog.
by Josh Timmers on Dec 19, 2009 5:23 PM CST up reply actions
agreed
I always turn to the sports section first. The sports page records people's accomplishments; the front page has nothing but man's failures.
~Earl Warren
by lookingdeadred on Dec 19, 2009 6:41 PM CST up reply actions
Agree with Al
No Hudson .. overated and overpriced
Agree completely
If it were up to me I’d try and swing a deal for Brent Gardner in New York. Not sure that the Cubs have what the Yankees might want, but I’d give it a whirl.
But if the option is Marlon Byrd? Then I’d strongly encourage the Cubs going with Sam Fuld and Reed Johnson and whoever else might be available dirt cheap to add to the competition mix.
I want Marlon Byrd under zero circumstance. Problem is Genius Jim Hendry probably already has a dinner reservation booked with Byrd. All Byrd needs to do is stuff 5,000 calories down Hendry’s throat and the man will agree to a blank contract.
The Blackhawks and the Stanley Cup in 2010.
If they do make a deal, you can count on one thing.
The Cubs will get fleeced, and will end up giving up one of their top prospects for no reason. Sorry, but that’s just their track record for the past several years.
Which top prospects have they given up for no reason in the last several years?
Let’s hear your list.
"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra
Fox was never a "top prospect".
I’ll give you Nolasco and Pinto — that was a ridiculous deal.
Got anything else?
"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra
I hate defending Hendry because I really don't think he is any good but
Pinto with his 1.598 WHIP is no better than a bunch of other left-handed bullpen filler.
As for Fox, yes we know he was nice to you and your family.
I’ll give you Nolasco as a useful middle rotation guy.
Nolasco
I think too much was made of his ERA last year. He had a FIP/xFIP of 3.35/3.28. War of 4.2. I think he’s a very solid two that, on some teams, could be said team’s number 1 starter.
nolasco
is WAY better than a mid rotation guy….
follow me on twitter for fantasy sports analysis @http://twitter.com/DrewDinkmeyer
by DartmouthCubsFan on Dec 19, 2009 10:08 PM CST up reply actions
What about Jose Ceda
for one year of garbage in Kevin Gregg? Another winner by Jimbo. I am agreeing more and more with Blou by the minute.
Hendry probably has already had dinner with Byrd. Watch, he gives Byrd the Jacque Jones special!!! 3 YR/$24 M!!
And people are saying there aren’t better GMs out there?
Come on Lisa, I'm trying to impress people here. You don't win friends with salad. ~ Homer J. Simpson
by TheBeerBaron on Dec 20, 2009 8:13 AM CST via mobile up reply actions
Here's the deal with those prospects.
We’re not talking about them as they are NOW — we are talking about them as they were perceived at the time they were traded.
Nolasco and Pinto were high on the Cubs prospect list when they were dealt. Though they have turned into middling-to-good major leaguers, not stars, their perceived trade value in December 2005 was more than “Juan Pierre”. That was a bad deal.
Same for Ceda. It appears that he may turn into nothing. But he was certainly worth more than “Kevin Gregg” a year ago. That was also a bad trade.
Jake Fox was not a prospect when traded — he established himself as at least a part-time major league player, but it remains to be seen what his actual value is.
"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra
Good point.
Come on Lisa, I'm trying to impress people here. You don't win friends with salad. ~ Homer J. Simpson
by TheBeerBaron on Dec 20, 2009 10:51 AM CST up reply actions
Plus, other bad trades and moves
Like replacing Wood with Gregg, the DeRosa trade, Marquis for Vizcaino to get money for Bradley, etc. Sorry, but I don’t have any confidence in our management right now to make good moves.
Wrong on Hendry having his mind made up - and a bit you'll like -
From Rosenthal/Morosi
As of early Saturday afternoon, though, the Cubs were "not leaning toward" any one candidate in their search, one major league source said.
and
Chicago GM Jim Hendry may also consider trades. One of the Yankees’ young outfielders — Melky Cabrera or Brett Gardner — could become available this offseason, depending upon how their roster evolves.
"We’re going to come back here next year healthy and do what we’re supposed to do, and we’re going to be all right. That’s not Hendry’s fault. He thought it was the right move. It didn’t work out. But at the same time, he’s the same guy that put back-to-back championship teams together." - Aramis Ramirez
Well, that's good news.
I’d prefer Gardner, but if Cabrera could be had at a low cost (i.e. in terms of a prospect dealt) I’d do it.
Melky is arb-eligible and made $1.4 million in 2009. He had a decent year — he’s probably in line to get about $2.5 million in 2010.
"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra
I would guess Cabrera is more likely to come available
He’s been pushed to left and NY may yet go after a bat for LF, or even resign Damon. Gardner probably gives more off the bench with his speed, and as noted on another thread even has minor league options left (although Cabrera is actually younger).
it would be better if the Cubs just sign a bench player and a RP and then call it an offseason. I like the idea of waiting till mid-season to explore other options.
The problem with this strategy is that if you follow it, by midseason the team may be too far out of the race to even bother with exploring other options.
Harry Caray: Marshall is going back to LA to get cocaine for his injured foot.
Steve Stone: Harry, that’s Novocaine.
by Julio Zuleta's Voodoo on Dec 19, 2009 5:06 PM CST reply actions
Well...
I hold out little hope for the 2010 Cubs being competitive. This is a transition year in the truest sense…
- Ricketts has yet to adopt his baseball strategy and has kept Hendry and the way things have worked in operation for the time being.
- Piniella is a lameduck manager who wants nothing more than to get out of Chicago and go back home to Florida where he will work on the Steinbrenner’s payroll.
- A lot of Cub fans will be sitting on their hands waiting for the arrival of Ryne Sandberg as next manager, regardless whether Sandberg is the right person for the job or not
What’s it all add up to? I see the 2010 Cubs being sub .500 as things sit right now. 2010 will be an exercise in waiting until 2011 when you HOPE that Ricketts is ready to enact a major overhaul and you HOPE that includes sweeping Hendry out the door.
Therefore pissing away even more financial resources on garbage like Marlon Byrd is very, very silly.
The Blackhawks and the Stanley Cup in 2010.
Yep
I cancelled my reservations to the Cubs Convention, as I’m sure many others did too. Last year Derrek Lee and Aramis Ramirez didn’t even show up, and Soto “missed his plane” or something. I don’t feel like paying $1,000 to get Marlon Byrd’s autograph and to watch highlights on the big screen of last year’s debacle.
Well said BLou
Keep the money . IMO none of the remaining CF free agents are worth the money .No Byrd. His numbers are inflated at a hitters park , his stats would be reduced considerably leaving Arligton park .. Keep the money
Not sub .500
but likely around 83 wins again. That rotation of Z, Demp, Lilly and Wells will keep them from being below .500. Now, if they have any significant injuries to the rotationl, then I’m with you.
Scott Bora$ is satan.
by Canadian Cubs Fan on Dec 19, 2009 7:35 PM CST up reply actions
2011 is the true transition year....
Look at the contracts…
Nobody cares about your fantasy baseball team
by carmen_fanzone on Dec 20, 2009 7:53 AM CST up reply actions
See, I don't understand how you think
the Cubs will be so bad. They won 83 games in 2009 with an incredibly horrible offense due to injuries and off years. The pitching was great however, I don’t anticipate it will be as good. Still, it won’t be bad.
If players like Soriano, Soto and Aramis have years similar to what their averages should be, th Cubs should be an 85-87 win team. That could be enough to win the division or wild card.
Come on Lisa, I'm trying to impress people here. You don't win friends with salad. ~ Homer J. Simpson
by TheBeerBaron on Dec 20, 2009 8:20 AM CST via mobile up reply actions
The window of opportunity for this core closed after 2008
If you’re banking on Alfonso Soriano and Geovany Soto to be the elixir to a magic turnaround then nuff said. Soriano is what he is, a deteriorating guess hitting hack who will be as useless as bird cage liner the nanosecond he loses a fraction of bat speed. Which he might have already.
The rotation is mediocre at best. The bullpen is threadbare. The offense lacks a quality lefty bat. The middle infield is subpar.
As the Cubs sit right now this is a team that will struggle to get to .500 in 2010. My gut says this is an 85 to 90 loss team.
The Blackhawks and the Stanley Cup in 2010.
I know you're frustrated but
I think you are letting that blind you a bit. The Cubs underachieved so much last season, they can’t be worse overall.
I agree that soriano is worse than garbage and if people recall, i complained to no end on this board when he was signed. I wanted jd drew. Made MUCH more sense!!
Come on Lisa, I'm trying to impress people here. You don't win friends with salad. ~ Homer J. Simpson
by TheBeerBaron on Dec 20, 2009 10:11 PM CST via mobile up reply actions
they certainly an be worse
the pitching over-achieved, the hitting under-achieved, and the roster is aging
now i’d agree BLou is being a bit over-dramatic suggesting an 85-90 loss team, that’s probably a worst case scenario (but certainly not off the table), but we certainly could be worse than last season.
My best guess is we’re an 84-87 win team on paper right now (median projection). Our 75th-90th percentile projection is probably something like 88-91 wins and our 10th-25th percentile projection is something like 78-81 wins. To get to 90 losses it would be something like a bottom 5th percentile. That’s my personal estimate
follow me on twitter for fantasy sports analysis @http://twitter.com/DrewDinkmeyer
by DartmouthCubsFan on Dec 21, 2009 8:39 AM CST up reply actions
I will put up.........
$50 bucks to go to D Lee’s charity vs. $50 from you, BLou, that the Cubs finish above at or above .500. I will even allow you to “back out” prior to opening day if the Cubs make moves that you feel will help them be at or above .500.
Gardner or Cabrera
I like either of these from the Yanks the best…not sure what they would cost.
Problem is, I believe Cabrera is penciled in in LF(?), right?
100 years would have been nice, but 101 years still has a nice ring to it.
Yep... MC is supposed to be in LF
Gardner is probably the 4th OF for the Yankees. They really have no reason to trade either (unless a splash is made in LF for NYC).
Would like either guy, but have recently contemplated N. Morgan from Washington. Me likes that one (ahhh fantasy baseball)…
by socalicubsfan on Dec 19, 2009 10:09 PM CST up reply actions
nats said no to morgan
Say no to Marlon Byrd, Scotty Pods, and Rick Ankiel.
by jesus christos on Dec 19, 2009 10:21 PM CST up reply actions
Right on
I couldn’t agree more with the majority of these posts. The difference between Fuld-Johnson and other options seem minimal. Worst case scenerio you have a solid defensive player in a crucial defensive position. Now to lose all you guys….get Blanco in at short everyday and break all the girls and most of you guys’ hearts and package The Riot and Lil Babe Ruth out of here for some good creole.
by Comfortably Numb on Dec 19, 2009 7:07 PM CST reply actions
Not so sure Johnson is a solid CF
His career ratings in RF and CF are both pretty solidly negative. He is a + fielder in LF, which is what he mostly played in Toronto (read: younger and healthier). I think that putting him out in a starting type of OF role is a risk. And if you put in a Johnson/Fuld platoon, you still need another OF who will end up with significant playing time.
And as for Blanco, I’ll take Theriot, thanks. For all his perceived weaknesses, he is better than a career OPS of .619.
Fuld is a 5th outfielder at best
I fear that platooning him would expose him the same way giving Fontenot as much playing time as they did last year exposed him.
Go get Byrd for a 1 or 2 year deal and he’ll be fine. Just don’t overpay!!!
Scott Bora$ is satan.
by Canadian Cubs Fan on Dec 19, 2009 7:33 PM CST reply actions
Fuld is MUCH better than a 5th outfielder.
He is a 4th outfielder. He is much more versatile than your average 5th OF, he has speed, defense, the ability to draw walks and make contact. Platooning or starting Fuld has generated a lot of discussion on BCB but I doubt Hendry or Lou has considered it for a minute.
"I am not ashamed to say I love Greg Maddux" - Jim Hendry
Me either Jim
by Doggie Stalker on Dec 20, 2009 12:27 AM CST up reply actions
4th/5th probably may not make much difference for the 2010 Cubs
Both are likely to get significant playing time, with Fukudome needing a platoon and Soriano likely to need days off if not a full platoon.
a 4th outfielder is "MUCH better"
than a 5th outfielder? Thanks for the chuckle.
I always turn to the sports section first. The sports page records people's accomplishments; the front page has nothing but man's failures.
~Earl Warren
by lookingdeadred on Dec 21, 2009 8:52 AM CST up reply actions
Are we just assuming that Reed Johnson is ours for the taking....
…if the Cubs finally decide that they want to save the money and go with the in-house option?
Is there a chance Reed signs elsewhere before we come to that conclusion?
I’m sincerely asking. Are there any other teams that have shown an interest in him since we cut him loose?
Nobody cares about your fantasy baseball team
Supposedly, the Padres did...
… but I have no links to that, and that was about a week ago.
"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra
Latest reports have Padres signing Crisp
Might be a double win for the Cubs.
"I am not ashamed to say I love Greg Maddux" - Jim Hendry
Me either Jim
by Doggie Stalker on Dec 20, 2009 11:02 AM CST up reply actions
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