Cubs Not Looking To Retain Rich Harden?

Cubs Not Looking To Retain Rich Harden?

about 1 month ago brian custer 17 comments 0 recs |

Comments

brian, it appears you just copy and pasted the MLBTR post on this topic.

A better way to go would be to just post a link to the Paul Sullivan story that the MLBTR post refers to.

My big problem with Sullivan’s story is he states explicitly “the Cubs have no plans of bringing Harden back.” Yet the only evidence he offers of this is the fact that Lou neglected to mention Harden’s name when rattling off next season’s potential rotation. Well, maybe Lou didn’t include Harden because he (Lou) is well-aware that Rich will be in contract costs and he (Lou) doesn’t want to be presumptuous.

Another instance of Paul Sullivan creating news instead of reporting it.

Catch my act on Twitter as @dat_cubfan_dave.

by dat cubfan daver on Sep 28, 2009 1:26 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

yes dcd

you are right. but what i was trying to emphasize was that lou seems to already have his mind up about next year’s rotation. not even to have a pitch-off in ST? that is crazy…

by brian custer on Sep 28, 2009 2:08 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I edited this post to take out the copy/pasted stuff.

Please don’t do that again. It’s a copyright violation. You could have just posted the link — and when you post stuff from a MLBTR link, please post the ORIGINAL source, not the MLBTR link. Thanks.

"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra

by Al on Sep 28, 2009 2:53 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

ok

by brian custer on Sep 28, 2009 4:47 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Sullivan didn't create news. You're looking for reasons to hate on him that don't exist

It was an unfortunate headline, that could have been changed to “Is the feeling mutual?” as opposed to “the feeling isn’t mutual”. Other than that, Sullivan actually suggests that Lou might just have glossed over Harden

“The exclusion of Harden may have been unintentional, but the Cubs are likely concerned that the stability of his right shoulder is problematic, especially on a multiyear deal. Harden has faced questions about his shoulder before, and knows to expect it again.”

that’s hardly a theory from out in left field. The rest of the article shows that the team has been pretty specific about who on the pitching staff is coming back, so Harden’s exclusion should raise some eyebrows.

I guess I'm just a worrier, that's why my friends call me whiskers

by Nunyabidness on Sep 29, 2009 11:43 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Please read the article again.

I wasn’t referring to the headline. I was referring to this sentence (emphasis added):

But the Cubs have no plans of bringing Harden back, as manager Lou Piniella hinted Sunday before a 5-1 loss to San Francisco in the final road game of the season.

That’s statement, not speculation. The fact that he goes on to soften his own point only exacerbates its ridiculousness. I don’t need to look for reasons to be highly dissatisfied with the service Paul Sullivan provides to Cubs fans. He hands them out like Red Eyes on a train platform.

Catch my act on Twitter as @dat_cubfan_dave.

by dat cubfan daver on Sep 29, 2009 2:58 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

We can't afford him

The point is moot. Some GM will give him a multi-year deal. His history of needing extra days off, and all the trips to the DL tell me it is time to part ways. Offer arbitration, he won’t take it. Hope you get something useful a few years down the road out of the draft. We can’t afford to invest in a multi-year deal on a guy with his history of fragility.
And, starting pitching wasn’t the problem this year. We have guys that can take the spot over on the roster already. The 11-12 million coming off the books for Harden and Gregg are probably already spoken for as Soriano, Ramirez, and Z’s contracts expand at the back end.

by Nibbles on Sep 28, 2009 10:08 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Agreed - offer arbitration and get the draft picks.

Right now, my gut says Harden won’t be back. But we’ll see.

Catch my act on Twitter as @dat_cubfan_dave.

by dat cubfan daver on Sep 29, 2009 2:59 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Since Harden came over...

I was most concerned with his pitch economy than anything else. That’s why the A’s finally gave up on him. In most of his starts, he is barely able to get through five innings by the time his pitch count is up over 100. That puts alot of pressure on the bullpen. He should learn to pitch to contact more, and not try to strike out every hitter.

by montecarlo on Sep 29, 2009 2:27 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

no need to sign harden

use that money to help fix other parts of the team in desperate need. Maybe some bullpen help and another right fielder to take bradley’s spot if he is gone.

by cubsmania on Sep 29, 2009 7:55 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

with 7 starters fighting for a 5 man rotation

we dont need him next season.

Shark and Marshall both should get a look come ST and we have 5 already who can start in Demp, Z, Lilly, Gordzy and Wells. I am sure others will get a ST invite from AA and AAA. There will also be other FA pitchers who deserve a look, and would be less expensive than Harder. Harden further clogs a rotation, which truly does not need him IMHO next season.

If it were up to me, I would use the money for Harden and go after Carl Crawford, move Fukudome back to RF. Crawford is a top of the line up guy, similar to what Lou has said he wants.

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

by Cubbie-Tim on Sep 29, 2009 8:19 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Except that Crawford isn't really a centerfielder.

"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra

by Al on Sep 29, 2009 8:55 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

neither is Fukudome

and I believe Crawford could play if better than Fukudome did. Not saying Fukudome didnt do well.

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

by Cubbie-Tim on Sep 29, 2009 10:07 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Leave yourself more room at mid year

That is one issue I had with this team. We tinkered. Grabow and Gorz were a good pick up. But, the money wasn’t there for anything else. With so many guys vying for the 5th spot, maybe we shouldn’t worry too much about spending any money we recover from losing Harden and Gregg on pitching. Save it until mid year when we hopefully need it to pick up someone for the playoffs.

by Nibbles on Sep 29, 2009 11:12 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Here's the problem that I have with this philosophy

And I didn’t expound enough on it when it was posted in another thread.

That sounds an awful lot like the MacPhail philosophy of putting an adequate team on the field, and “if by the grace of God” they are in the race, making additions.

By putting the best roster you can from day one, you enhance your chances of winning a division. The games in April count just as much in the standings as the ones in September.

I'm singing, "GO CUBS GO! GO CUBS GO!" -- DrCrawdad on Jun 12, 2009 7:23 AM CDT

Facts are meaningless. You could use facts to prove anything that's even remotely true! -- Homer J. Simpson

by Shanghai Badger on Sep 29, 2009 3:54 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Hm, y'know, that's a good point.

Catch my act on Twitter as @dat_cubfan_dave.

by dat cubfan daver on Sep 29, 2009 5:12 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

you know of course that

He’s a start or two waiting to become another Prior.

Someone who has to be on pitch counts and shepherded through a season is a high maintenance guy that becomes too much of a question to have in the rotation.

Of course, you know that once they cut him loose, he’ll sign with the Cardinals, win 20 games and shut us down in some crucial series next year .. That’s the old ball game

Blue mountains high .. Blue valleys low
I don't know which way we will go ..
One summer dream .. one summer dream ..

coda

ELO, 1975

by cubnational on Sep 30, 2009 1:52 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs