What the Cubs Should Do Now to Win
by TheGrinch13 on Jun 14, 2010 4:47 PM CDT
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PrintIt's June 14th, and the time for saying "it's still early" has come and gone. The Cubs need to decide now, not in a few weeks, whether or not they are going to try to win the NL Central or the Wild Card. For now, I'll try to be optimistic and say that the Cubs still have a chance to win the division as they had the same record in 2007 at this point (although the 2007 team was more talented, in my opinion).
That being said, I believe that they need to make the following moves, and run with the following line-up for the most part if they are serious about being contenders:
1. Promote Ryne Sandberg to take over as manager of the Cubs. Alan Trammell could stay on as the bench coach. If Sandberg does a good job, he could stay on next year and choose his own bench coach if need be.
2. Remove Randy Wells from the starting rotation and replace him with Tom Gorzellany. Gorzellany has not earned the horrible treatment that he has received this year. If Wells has any options left, demote him to AAA to work on things and bring up either Jay Jackson or Thomas Diamond to take his place in the rotation. If he doesn't have any options left, make him the mop-up man.
3. DFA John Grabow. He already has a 6.75ERA in AAA while on his "rehab" outings. It's not going to work.
4. Attempt to work out a three way trade involving Kosuke Fukudome, Mike Lowell, and a third team (such as the Rangers). If we need to include cash go ahead and do it, but insist on better prospects.
5. Allow Tyler Colvin to play every single day, with an off day here and there. Plug him in the three hole with Byrd hitting behind him and leave him alone.
6. Trade Xavier Nady and one of Jeff Baker or Chad Tracy in an attempt to get someone serviceable in the bullpen that we can control for a few years.
7. When Ramirez says he's ready to come back, send him to AAA to rehab for a while and get his swing back. If he continues to hit .160, he shouldn't play no matter how much he makes. If he comes back from his injury and is his old self, then great.
8. Let Fontenot play 3B every day until Ramirez comes back (and longer if necessary, see #7). Why one of our team's best hitters is sitting on the bench every day (and rarely pinch hitting besides that) is beyond me and most real Cubs fans I'm sure. Let him lead off as well.
9. Work out a trade to get Jake Fox back (now that he's been DFA by the A's). If Ramirez doesn't hit, let Fox play 3B. In the least, we can actually have some power off the bench instead of what we have now along with a guy who can play multiple positions (including catcher, if we need offense there).
10. Offer Ted Lilly a two year extension (2011-2012) with a mutual option (2013).
I would play this line-up: Fontenot 3B, Theriot 2B, Colvin RF, Byrd CF, Soriano LF, Lee 1B, Soto/Hill C, Castro SS.
I believe that just sitting on our hands will not make things any better. Like I said above, it's time to do something to try and rescue what is left of this season before it's too late.
If we're going to give up, we need to get as much as we can in trades for Lilly, Fukudome, Lee, Tracy, Nady, Baker, and others and bring up some of the kids to see what they can do for the remainder of the season. I'm sure that Cubs fans would rather watch our future play than what is on TV every day right now.
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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Trade Lilly while he still has value.
"The riches of the game are in the thrills, not the money." --Ernie Banks
I'm not opposed to this.
Though I’d prefer to see him decline arbitration. Not a fan of offering a 2-year extension.
by Castro Por Presidente on Jun 14, 2010 5:04 PM CDT up reply actions
To say nothing of Soriano's contract
"Manny Trillo is coming in to pinch run. You know, for a lot of teams, you would pinch run for Manny Trillo." - Harry Caray
Confused by this:
Remove Randy Wells from the starting rotation and replace him with Tom Gorzellany. Gorzellany has not earned the horrible treatment that he has received this year. If Wells has any options left, demote him to AAA to work on things and bring up either Jay Jackson or Thomas Diamond to take his place in the rotation. If he doesn’t have any options left, make him the mop-up man.
So you want Gorzellany in the rotation to replace Wells or do you want Diamond/Jackson to take the spot?
Maybe next year is finally our year.
Sorry about that.
I meant to say, plug in Gorzellany and that I’d even rather see Diamond or Jackson get a shot than watch the performances that Wells gives each time.
And anyway..
alot of your reactions are knee-jerk… You want Jake Fox as insurance this year? Have you seen his numbers? John Grabow (who has been horrible) only had 2 relief appereances, way too soon to give up on him, at least he’s in AAA. You have no factual evidence that Greg Maddux knows more about being a GM than anyone of us.
Maybe next year is finally our year.
Fox's numbers were good until he was chained to the bench last year.
He’d be great to fill in at 3B and as the catcher if we needed offense. The A’s have had him catch 7 times this year. He’d also be great off the bench as a power threat, as I stated.
I think we’ve been patient enough about Grabow.
I think that Maddux would make an outstanding GM.
His numbers aren't very good.
Yes, he dominated AAA in 2009. And I do agree that his timing might of been off with him sitting on the bench more than he should of last year, but he still only had a OPS of .779 in 241 PA last year. He had a nice SLG percentage.
This year, his OPS is .591. While he would fit right in the middle of our lineup, it wouldn’t make a “great” fill-in. Not in my opinion anyway.
Grabow isn’t harming anyone in AAA. Hopefully he can regain his form. If not, cut him. 2 appereances isn’t enough to meter that.
While we all would agree that Maddux’s baseball IQ is high, I wouldn’t just hand him the job to become GM until he gets a few years at least down his belt.
Maybe next year is finally our year.
We certainly have been patient enough with Grabow.
If the Cubs can keep him there for months in AAA with his “injury”, I’d be pleased. Perhaps late in the season after a lot of good performances you take a shot with him again. But not after 2 appearances. We were far too patient with him because of his salary this year…and I am a lot happier when Grablow isn’t on the bench so he doesn’t even have the chance of blowing another appearance.
"Champions take responsibility. When the ball is coming over the net, you can be sure I want the ball." - Billie Jean King
by Sandberg's evil twin on Jun 14, 2010 6:21 PM CDT up reply actions
I can see them hiding Grabow for a bit more
But that whole DFA thing . . .
Not going to happen with another year left on his contract.
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 Jun 14, 2010 6:28 PM CDT up reply actions
Oh I know...I see a repeat of his season this year continuing for the length of his contract. Sigh.
Let’s just hope the league cares little enough about the guy to let him be “injured” whenever needed. I’d trade him to any team that was stupid enough to take him on if there was a sucker out there…but there isn’t.
"Champions take responsibility. When the ball is coming over the net, you can be sure I want the ball." - Billie Jean King
by Sandberg's evil twin on Jun 14, 2010 6:36 PM CDT up reply actions
Bobby Scales and Reed Johnson both had better numbers off the bench than Fox last season
you have been provided that information many times, sadly you do not understand still.
Many of the ideas you bring up are interesting, but i highly doubt happen. That is a lot of moves to make before the deadline, but I agree with some and others i do sit here shaking my head
Unofficial Self Appointed President of the Player Formerly Known as Castro Blocker Fan Club
Bleed Castro Blue
IIRC
TheGrinch was one of the people who was ready to kill themselves after we traded Fox
"Baseball is almost the only orderly thing in a very unorderly world. If you get three strikes, even the best lawyer in the world can't get you off." ~ Bill Veeck
of he was, he went to the end of the world fighting about how bad the trade was
and how Fox would light up the AL now that he would be playing daily. Even after being shown factual information that made every point of his invalid
Unofficial Self Appointed President of the Player Formerly Known as Castro Blocker Fan Club
Bleed Castro Blue
DFA apparently doesn't sway anything either.
"The ones who want to achieve and win championships motivate themselves." - Da Coach
by Sandberg's evil twin on Jun 14, 2010 9:42 PM CDT up reply actions
yes there sure was
Unofficial Self Appointed President of the Player Formerly Known as Castro Blocker Fan Club
Bleed Castro Blue
I got the impression they knew each other
Or at least had some sort of connection beyond the Cubs that was fueling his love of Jake.
that would make sense of the nonsense
Unofficial Self Appointed President of the Player Formerly Known as Castro Blocker Fan Club
Bleed Castro Blue
and appears to be one of those people who cannot admit he was in error, too
Fox is at best a AAAA player
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 Jun 15, 2010 7:39 AM CDT up reply actions
Not A Starting 3B
Fox might be adequate as the 24th or 25th player on a team, but Fox is not the answer at 3B.
"The big possums walk late." - Harry Caray
I agree with some of this.
But giving Sandberg this mess would be a true disservice to him. Think Bruce Kimm and JIm Essian.
Also, Theriot should not be the starting second baseman. Bench him, trade him, platoon him with Theriot. Something.
How would having Lowell, Fox and Ramirez (eventually) on the roster help anything?
Finally, Wells deserves a LITTLE more rope.
How would having Lowell, Fox and Ramirez (eventually) on the roster help anything?
there would finally be a position more saturated than 2b
Self-Proclaimed President of the Castro Boobird Face Kicking Club
I love Patrick Kane, that ugly son of a biscuit.
"It's the Chicago Blackhawks, man"~JR
by jesus christos on Jun 14, 2010 5:15 PM CDT up reply actions
we're platooning Theriot with himself?
Are we hoping confusing him is the answer?
I guess I'm just a worrier, that's why my friends call me whiskers
by Nunyabidness on Jun 14, 2010 5:19 PM CDT up reply actions
interesting idea
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 Jun 15, 2010 7:40 AM CDT up reply actions
Actually, the Cubs are already doing this.
A few games a week, the Cubs play TheRiot, who scraps his way to three hits, 1 SB and scores a couple runs.
The rest of the week, the Cubs play Theriot, who ground out to the pitcher on the first or second pitch after a four-pitch walk was dealt to the pitcher.
This is called: “Strategery.”
"It's Spring Training. You know how many home runs Barry Bonds hit off me? One - in Spring Training." - Big Z
true that
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 Jun 16, 2010 7:37 AM CDT up reply actions
Why not let Sandberg come in and try and change the atmosphere?
So long as he’s given the job, and not as an interim.
Agree with your thoughts on Theriot.
And I think (maybe I’m reading this wrong) he wants the Lowell trade to bring in prospects, and the nameless third team would take Lowell.
I think Sandberg should be given a clean slate ...
and not Lou’s sloppy seconds.
This.
Counting on his Legacy to keep the fans and management by proxy level headed about gauging his record with the team is risky at best. Worse was the author of this post saying “If Sandberg does well then keep him the next year”. This is exactly what I mean…the chances of Sandberg doing well in a horrible situation he didn’t create are next to nil. Why ruin his chances of being a manager with the Cubs for this mess. Trammell is fine and no one will care if he’s good or bad at it.
"Champions take responsibility. When the ball is coming over the net, you can be sure I want the ball." - Billie Jean King
by Sandberg's evil twin on Jun 14, 2010 6:44 PM CDT up reply actions
Lowell wouldn't be on the Cubs.
I said three way trade between the Red Sox, Rangers, and Cubs. We’d get prospects, the Rangers would get Lowell, and the Red Sox would get Fukudome.
Why do the Rangers want Lowell?
He’s expensive and they have very good options at two of Lowell’s three positions. At 3B, Michael Young is .323/.371/.488. Their DH is Vlad Guerrero, who is enjoying a resurrection season at .338/.372/.568. The other option is to put Lowell at 1B, but the Rangers are trying to develop Smoak there currently. I could see this becoming a possibility closer to the trade deadline (only if Smoak struggles further), but I would have real doubt about Texas’ interest in Lowell before then.
"It's Spring Training. You know how many home runs Barry Bonds hit off me? One - in Spring Training." - Big Z
What?
Why do the Rangers want Lowell?
Because we need the prospects, of course. And we don’t want him. And it’s the job of other teams in the league to give us what we want and need; their needs be damned.
"Manny Trillo is coming in to pinch run. You know, for a lot of teams, you would pinch run for Manny Trillo." - Harry Caray
It wouldn't be a disservice to him, eg,
it would be a disservice to Cubs fans everywhere.
by Not Bruce Froemming on Jun 16, 2010 11:10 PM CDT up reply actions
9. Work out a trade to get Jake Fox back
Knew that was coming….
Nobody cares about your fantasy baseball team
I could be wrong,
but if a player is DFA there is no need for a trade. A team is just open to signing him to a deal.
"If a woman has to choose between catching a fly ball and saving an infant's life, she will choose to save the infant's life without even considering if there are men on base." --Dave Barry
He needs to clear waivers and be released before he becomes a FA and can sign with any team.
In the mean time, he can be traded to a team that he wants him and is willing to give up something to get him.
You can't win in the postseason unless you can manufacture runs. - Hall of Fame 2B Joe Morgan
DFA
means the team has 10 days to decide whether to do 3 things:
1. trade him
2. put him on waivers
3. release him
by Castro Por Presidente on Jun 14, 2010 5:27 PM CDT up reply actions
You know he wanted to....
Nobody cares about your fantasy baseball team
by carmen_fanzone on Jun 14, 2010 5:22 PM CDT up reply actions
Thoughts
1. I am totally against this. As a long time Cubs fan, there’s a part of me that hopes for Ryno to become manager. If Ryno fails now, there’s a good chance that, if there is new leadership, that he may be on the outs. If you want to bring up Ryno for a coaching role, fine. Don’t want to stick him in there now. Later in the year, maybe. I’d go Quade over Trammell.
2. I’m not against giving Randy Wells a break, but I’m also open to giving him a few more starts to work out the problems. Prior to this bad stretch (3 bad starts in his last 4), he had been having a solid enough season, relative to expectations. I’ve long been a huge fan of Jay Jackson, and Thomas Diamond has been a pleasant surprise, but neither guy deserves to push aside Randy. Gorzelanny, I’d be okay if they gave Randy a break for him, but I’d also be okay with status quo.
4. Explain this one clearer. You want us to land Lowell, or you want us to land prospects for Fukudome? The former makes little sense. The contract for the latter, plus his slump, likely minimizes the type of return we could get.
6. The BP isn’t a big issue right now if you aren’t going to put Cashner in the rotation, which you aren’t doing. With Stevens/Cashner from the right side, and Marshall in the pen, there’s enough options that you can afford to mix and match for awhile.
8. Fontenot isn’t that good at 3rd base, and he isn’t really a leadoff hitter. His P/PA has dipped badly this year to 3.68. I’d rather see Jeff Baker get extra time and keep Theriot at the top and hit Colvin in the 2 hole if need be. At least Baker provides some pop off the bench.
9. Combining some points from another post, I don’t get the love you have for Jake Fox. He had a nice little run with us last year, but no one anticipated him to maintain a .200+ ISOP. Baker has an ISOP of .165 this year, and has a career, I think, around .185. Baker is a more valuable player, able to play 5 spots. The emergency catcher isn’t all that important, and Fox isn’t that good behind the plate anyways. He’s a guy who can play 3rd/LF, but really shouldn’t. He’s really a 1st/DH. There’s absolutely zero need to push for him when you have Nady and Baker, both of whom provide enough pop off the bench. Now, I do think the Cubs may pursue Jake Fox and put him back in AAA. Could definitely see that happening. But he is what he is, and right now, we have two better bench players than Jake Fox that bat righthanded off the bench, so I don’t see a need for him.
10. I’m against this. I have enjoyed Lilly the past few years, but for a variety of reasons, I’d rather see the Cubs let him go. At some point, you have to give your young arms a shot. 2nd, barring a huge payroll increase by Ricketts, the Cubs, even if they clear Lee and Lilly, will be a tad limited and might only be able to afford one relatively big ticket item, or a couple smaller pieces. With the pitching in the system, pursuing another bat may be a bigger priority. Finally, in the loaded 2011 draft, having extra picks would be nice. With Lilly’s track record, it’s hard to imagine that, if we gave him arbitration, that he would accept it. There’s enough teams out there needing pitching that I just don’t see that happening. If you do get him back with arbitration, then okay. You get him for a year and he becomes a possible mid-season trade candidate.
by toonsterwu on Jun 14, 2010 5:15 PM CDT reply actions 1 recs
i don't
If my writing wasn’t clear, I simply meant that I’d take Theriot/Baker as a 2nd/3rd combination of Fontenot/Baker. Theriot sucks at the leadoff spot, but basically, I’d rather see Baker in there over Fontenot at 3rd base.
I’d be open to giving Fontenot a shot at 2nd base over Theriot, and live with letting him lead off, and have Baker at 3rd.
I think toonsterwu is right that Font isn't really an ideal leadoff hitter
And I think you’re right about Riot as well, and I also think Fukudome is falling apart again, and Castro is slumping and not ready to be a lead off.
So all that being said, it really doesn’t look like this team has a decent leadoff hitter, and no matter who’s up there we’re all gonna be arguing about it.
He does steal bases, but there's no one else we could put up there besides Castro.
Stats have shown that Castro hits better at the bottom of the order, otherwise I’d put him at #2 instead.
Of course, I’d rather see Fontenot play 2B than Theriot, but since Ramirez is gone he could sub there for a while.
I do think that Fontenot would make a good lead-off man, however.
Hmmm
1. Quade isn’t even a good third base coach in my opinion, let alone a manager. I’d be ok with Trammell for the rest of the season, with Quade or Sandberg as the bench coach and the other as the 3rd base coach. Pretty much anything is better than what we have right now.
2. Randy Wells is winless in his last 8 starts. It’s time to pull the plug if you want to win games.
4. Don’t want Lowell. I said three way trade. Lowell would go to the Rangers.
6. You can never have enough bullpen guys.
8. Why do you say he’s not good at 3B? Also, how do you know he wouldn’t make a good leadoff man unless they try him out there? Theriot shouldn’t leadoff because he 1) has a subpar OBP for a leadoff man and 2) he hardly ever walks.
9. Sorry, with a runner on, down by 1, 2 outs in the bottom of the 9th…I’d rather have Fox up there than Jeff Baker.
10. We need Lilly next year because we need some veteran leadership beyond Dempster. I don’t count Zambrano because he’s not a good role model for the younger pitchers and because he isn’t a true ace. Lilly has put up ace numbers this year, minus the record (which isn’t his fault). If they could find someone to take Zambrano this offseason, we could shoot for another successful veteran starter and fill out the rest of the rotation with Cashner and one of Jackson, Diamond, or someone else.
If they do trade Lilly, watch this team give him away for practically nothing. We often are in the business to “help” other teams instead of helping ourselves. If we’re going to trade our best pieces, either get something good in return or don’t trade them at all (get the draft picks).
Oh, and #8
Have you SEEN Fontenot play third base?
by Shanghai Badger on Jun 14, 2010 7:05 PM CDT up reply actions
That was insanity. If you must play Fonty everyday, and it didn't work well when tried before,
At least make it 2nd. He’s proven well how horrible his fielding is at 3rd thank you. Better to just platoon him with Riot at second.
"Champions take responsibility. When the ball is coming over the net, you can be sure I want the ball." - Billie Jean King
by Sandberg's evil twin on Jun 14, 2010 7:38 PM CDT up reply actions
Re:
1. Quade, by most accounts, is well respected in the majors. A few weeks back, he was tabbed in an article by Buster Olney as guy who might be a big league manager. I don’t mind if Trammell is the manager, but giving a guy who worked in the system a shot is fine by me.
2. Certainly, you have to produce. But Wells 7.03 K rate and 2.39 BB rate are solid, as is his 0.75 HR/9. The BABIP of .359 suggests that he’s had a measure of bad luck. Again, I’m not discounting production, because, as I’ve noted, I’m okay with giving him a break and giving Gorzelanny a start or two (although I find it unlikely). But noting his won-loss record, well, that just doesn’t completely reflect on his season.
4. Okay, Lowell goes to the Rangers and … Fukudome to the Red Sox, and we go solid prospects? Leave aside the we get solid prospects part. Why would the Red Sox want Fukudome and his contract, when they have a RF (Drew) and two OF prospects (Josh Reddick and Ryan Kalish) that project to be better than Fukudome? They certainly aren’t going to use him in CF, as they value CF defense.
6. Fine, you can never have enough bullpen guys. How many arms are you going to carry? Cashner/Stevens/Marmol from the right side, and Marshall/? from the left side gets you 5. The system has enough potential pen arms (Schlitter, Gaub, Sommer, Parker, and so forth). Are you really going to deal away a 2 valuable bench bats, in a time where our offense is inconsistent, to add to the pen right now? What are you trading for? A late inning arm? If Cashner/Marshall have 8th inning duties, then you are dealing a middle reliever. That’s just a waste. If you want to deal them, deal them for some prospects. I’m sure there’s a team that would want Jeff Baker’s versatility or Xavier Nady’s offensive record.
8. Fontenot at 3rd? Are we watching the same player? At best, he’s borderline passable at 3rd. There are times when he butchers things there. He’s just not a natural third baseman. If you gave him an entire offseason to practice there, maybe something changes. I agree Theriot is bad at the leadoff spot. As noted above, I’m simply saying I’d rather have Theriot/Baker at 2nd/3rd than Theriot/Fontenot.
9. Had a couple responses typed up, but I’ll just go with this – I’d take Nady first in your hypothetical situation. Baker/Fox would be fairly equal for me (both guys with HR power, both guys are hackers).
10. The problem I have with that approach is that it handicaps our capability to rebuild the squad while removing opportunities for our young arms to get into the rotation. I have enjoyed Lilly, but if he’s eating up money for 2, if not 3, years, I’ll be unhappy about that. One, fine, I can live with that. But at some point, this team needs to rebuild. Leadership is nice. I don’t think the loss of Lilly will somehow dramatically impact things. Freeing up the money to potentially change the complexion of the team is far more important. Lilly will likely get somewhere around 8-10 mil/yr on the open market. That would remove the Cubs payroll flexibility for 2011, and hamper it’s long run capability, as it’s unlikely that he’d get only one year on the open market.
And … what trades in recent memory have been that bad that you think that way on us “giving” away players? If you want to critique Hendry on giving away guys by not offering arbitration, that’s a different story. As I’ve specifically noted before, I’m not for or against Hendry, but criticizing him specifically on trades, well, let’s look at the recent trades:
Andres Blanco for cash – no complaints there.
Bradley for Silva – clear win right now
Fox/Miles for Spencer/Morla/Gray – for me, that’s a clear win
Heilman for Scott Maine/Ryne White – Heilman’s bounced back. White was cut.
Grabow/Gorzelanny for Hart/Ascanio/Harrison – no complaints here.
Baker for Alburquerque – no complaints here.
Wuertz for Robnett/Sellers – didn’t like it then, hated it when both guys were eventually cut.
Rich Hill for cash – okay, here’s one that maybe one could gripe about, moreso with the handling of Hill, but Hill had fallen apart, and based on what’s happened since then (he’s in AAA pen for St. Louis, well … )
Heilman for Olson and Cedeno – can’t complain too much there, though I wasn’t in love with the trade at the time (thought a lefty would be nice, but Olson hasn’t done squat since).
Felix Pie for Olson and Williamson – okay, this is another one that one can complain about, moreso with the handling of Pie.
Marquis for Vizcanio – can’t complain here. The Cubs had to move some salary to make offseason moves.
My point in all this? It isn’t to praise Hendry. Rather, it’s to say that Hendry’s like all GM’s – he’s had his good trades and he’s had his bad trades. To definitely state that “We often are in the business to "help" other teams instead of helping ourselves” is a bit overboard. Only a couple of trades since the start of 2009 could be classified as iffy in some respects, whether it was then, or now with the benefit of hindsight. We could extend this back some more. Point is, there are a lot of critiques that can be made about Hendry. To specifically note his trades in such a definitive manner, well, I’m not sure there is the evidence to support that.
by toonsterwu on Jun 14, 2010 8:43 PM CDT up reply actions 1 recs
Hendry's trades on the whole haven't been all that bad I'll agree.
But his record of signings…now there you have a completely different story. And to separate those two and expect there’s always a difference is iffy at best for me. Need to get rid of the architect of this mess before we can fix it.
"The ones who want to achieve and win championships motivate themselves." - Da Coach
by Sandberg's evil twin on Jun 14, 2010 9:47 PM CDT up reply actions
that's fair
I’m not defending Hendry by any means, just that his trades haven’t been that bad to assume that we’ll give away guys.
Absolutely not give away guys.
I sure don’t think we should do that…I’d merely replace the GM after a search and finding the replacement you want and have him make the choices. And if Ricketts chooses not to do that…surely trading is better than giving them away or DFA a huge contract. But I doubt that it could happen even if I thought it was a good idea. Ricketts is a businessman and I hope wouldn’t do that. It will be interesting to see what the new ownership brings.
"The ones who want to achieve and win championships motivate themselves." - Da Coach
by Sandberg's evil twin on Jun 15, 2010 5:12 AM CDT up reply actions
"BP isn’t a big issue right now"????
ok …. maybe I’m taking that slightly out of context, but it was an odd thing to see nonetheless!
huh
here’s the thing – what are you going to add if Cashner stays in the pen, as Grinch has it? We’ve got two solid righties, enough lefty options, and Marmol. There’s enough guys to fit into the other two spots.
I simply don’t think trading a key bench player for a middle reliever is worth it right now.
poster interpreted BP
as in British Petroleum ….not bullpen
follow me on twitter for fantasy sports analysis @http://twitter.com/DrewDinkmeyer or get the full analysis at www.fantistics.com
by DartmouthCubsFan on Jun 15, 2010 12:51 PM CDT up reply actions
oh ...
BP as in bullpen … nothing to do with coastlines … (I get the same reaction when I try to use humor at home)
A few notes
I don’t think you need to DFA Grabow. Let him keep rehabbing. IF and when he appears healthy you might as well let him have a shot , just keep him out of crucial situations for a bit.
I don’t see any need to trade Tracy or Baker. I think they should mostly platoon at 3B while Fonty & Theriot platoon at 2B. I love Lowell but I just don’t see taking on the contract.
Despite what you might think from my posts I like Nady and am just mystified by his fielding issues of late. I suppose getting someone to take on the contract and bringing up Fuld would be OK but that leaves only Baker as a questionable 1B back up.
No thanks on Fox unless he wants to take a minor league contract.
"Lou Piniella's been a great manager for a long time and I stand by him completely"
See above
I never said take Lowell’s contract. Three way trade.
I think that we can’t just keep the same thing going. Changes need to be made if we’re going to salvage the season.
No idea why the Red Sox would take Dome's contract
Lowell’s is done this year.
"Lou Piniella's been a great manager for a long time and I stand by him completely"
by Doggie Stalker on Jun 14, 2010 6:26 PM CDT up reply actions
and
they have Drew in RF, they aren’t going to put Fukudome in CF unless it’s an emergency, they have a ready OF prospect that profiles somewhat similarly to Fukduome (Reddick) and they have another OF prospect that’s close in Kalish. If the Cubs ate most of the contract, I could see it. Otherwise, not sure I buy it.
Hmm...bring Fuld up as a solution...how..........surprising.
I would say here that bringing up Grablow and expecting Lou to keep his highly paid veteran on the bench is asking far too much of him. I hope he stays down in AAA with his “injury” until he posts under a 1 run ERA, if not longer.
"Champions take responsibility. When the ball is coming over the net, you can be sure I want the ball." - Billie Jean King
by Sandberg's evil twin on Jun 14, 2010 6:31 PM CDT up reply actions
It said in the paper that Lou said that Grabow will be back very soon.
So someone on the major league roster who doesn’t deserve to be in AAA will soon be demoted to make room for him.
Then I expect him to be put in the game as a set-up man to hold leads immediately, as if the coaching staff has amnesia or something.
There's not a lot of difference between Grablow pitching and herpes.
"Champions take responsibility. When the ball is coming over the net, you can be sure I want the ball." - Billie Jean King
by Sandberg's evil twin on Jun 14, 2010 6:38 PM CDT up reply actions
Well, the guy is really falling apart.
[Rimshot.]
"It's Spring Training. You know how many home runs Barry Bonds hit off me? One - in Spring Training." - Big Z
There is medication for dealing with Herpes
Meanwhile, Everclear barely allows me to watch Grabow pitch
It would be nice if you read what I wrote
I can go either way re Nady but I am a bit concerned about letting him go in terms of 1B backup.
Nowhere did I say Fuld was a solution. I also want Grabow to stay down as long as possible, you are likely right about Lou using him in important situations ASAP which is one reason I don’t like Lou as a manager and would prefer someone else.
"Lou Piniella's been a great manager for a long time and I stand by him completely"
by Doggie Stalker on Jun 14, 2010 7:22 PM CDT up reply actions
I did read what you wrote. this is exactly why I said expecting Lou to keep him out of critical situations is pointless.
Here’s what you said “I don’t think you need to DFA Grabow. Let him keep rehabbing. IF and when he appears healthy you might as well let him have a shot , just keep him out of crucial situations for a bit.” I suppose I needed to clarify that Lou using him would be in critical situations, but he sure has this year a lot after blowing many appearances…so I guess I left that part out. That clear things up?
"Champions take responsibility. When the ball is coming over the net, you can be sure I want the ball." - Billie Jean King
by Sandberg's evil twin on Jun 14, 2010 7:28 PM CDT up reply actions
I was referring to your claim that I thought
Fuld was the “solution”.
As for Grabow I just don’t think you can or should DFA him. As I said keep in Iowa till he seems actually good and then bring him back. If he sucks again then DFA him but I think it would be a waste to DFA him.
"Lou Piniella's been a great manager for a long time and I stand by him completely"
by Doggie Stalker on Jun 14, 2010 7:36 PM CDT up reply actions
Again, I did read what you wrote and you did say Fuld would be ok....though it
leaves Baker as a questionable backup. I was referring to your need to have Fuld brought back so many times on the site. Grabow just makes me pull out my hair. Yes DFAing him would be a mistake I suppose with the length and amount of his salary …dammit lol.
"Champions take responsibility. When the ball is coming over the net, you can be sure I want the ball." - Billie Jean King
by Sandberg's evil twin on Jun 14, 2010 7:43 PM CDT up reply actions
Again you claimed I thought Fuld was the "solution"
What had me furious from April 1 on was that I thought Fuld should be on the team over Nady because Nady was recovering from major surgery and could not field and as it turned out not hit either. I saw it as short term solution until Nady was healthy. Alas the Cubs kept Nady and his bad glove and bad bat. I would like to think despite his fielding problems , Nady is basically healthy and if he is OK as guy off the bench OK just no more rotating OF.
As for Grabow, I guess I just can’t believe he is THAT bad even though he has clearly played THAT bad. An ERA of 10 is like A-Ram’s .170 BA, it is not a slump it is off the charts which is why I think he really is injured and would like to see if he can get healthy and play.
"Lou Piniella's been a great manager for a long time and I stand by him completely"
by Doggie Stalker on Jun 14, 2010 8:13 PM CDT up reply actions
You keep missing the point of what I was saying there.
I did read what you wrote and my point was that you need to bring Fuld into most every post as a solution…I believe you very much that in this case you didn’t exactly mean him as a solution. But he is your pet project always. I was not meaning to go on about this until you pursued it.
I don’t have any love for Nady as a whole…and your statements about him and Grabow sound valid. I still wouldn’t keep Grablow on the team if it weren’t for his wealthy and lengthy contract…but it’s a reality and we are stuck with him. Gotta hope you are right.
"The ones who want to achieve and win championships motivate themselves." - Da Coach
by Sandberg's evil twin on Jun 14, 2010 9:54 PM CDT up reply actions
I believe Ramirez would veto any attempt to send him to AAA to "rehab."
You can't win in the postseason unless you can manufacture runs. - Hall of Fame 2B Joe Morgan
While I can't imagine the Cubs ever doing this
a team can try to force an injured player to do a rehab assignment. This is not like being demoted to play in the minors. Players are require by contract to accept any reasonable requests on physical issues. Again I see no chance the Cubs would force the issue but players can’t actually ignore team directives on physical issues unless they provide their own proof that such request is not reasonable.
"Lou Piniella's been a great manager for a long time and I stand by him completely"
by Doggie Stalker on Jun 14, 2010 5:44 PM CDT up reply actions
Well if they aren't going to do it then this is a waste to worry about isn't it?
"Champions take responsibility. When the ball is coming over the net, you can be sure I want the ball." - Billie Jean King
by Sandberg's evil twin on Jun 14, 2010 6:33 PM CDT up reply actions
they can turn down a rehab and the Union will support it
the so will MLB. Hence why a player has to “accept a rehab assigment” you cannot force it
Unofficial Self Appointed President of the Player Formerly Known as Castro Blocker Fan Club
Bleed Castro Blue
11. Fire the hitting coach and get a new one.
Ooops… we’ve already done that twice in that last 12 months.
"You win because of the quarterback. We have to get that position stabilized. We're fixated on that." -- Jerry Angelo (12.30.2008)
Jerry Angelo trades for Jay Cutler! (4.2.2009)
.
Three times, if you count Rod Marinelli
"You win because of the quarterback. We have to get that position stabilized. We're fixated on that." -- Jerry Angelo (12.30.2008)
Jerry Angelo trades for Jay Cutler! (4.2.2009)
.
12. Call up Casey McGehee to play third base
Ooops… that must’ve been Gerald Perry’s fault too!
"You win because of the quarterback. We have to get that position stabilized. We're fixated on that." -- Jerry Angelo (12.30.2008)
Jerry Angelo trades for Jay Cutler! (4.2.2009)
.
I don't mean this to be a glib putdown of the post
but what they really need to do now to win is play better baseball.
And if that’s beyond their capabilities, then the season is already over.
"One of the things I like about baseball is that between innings you can go to the restroom.'' ~Manny Acta.
They've been trying that, with this group of actors, for going on three months now.
It’s not working.
It’s time to try something else or start planning for next season.
I agree, sadly.
"One of the things I like about baseball is that between innings you can go to the restroom.'' ~Manny Acta.
I do agree with your point #6, though.
Colvin needs as much MLB experience as possible so we can really see what we have in him. It could come in handy in the future when Lou Piniella is no longer his manager.
"One of the things I like about baseball is that between innings you can go to the restroom.'' ~Manny Acta.
Make that point #5.
"One of the things I like about baseball is that between innings you can go to the restroom.'' ~Manny Acta.
Odd time for it with him getting DFA'd by another team.
Hoffpauir/Murton/Tracy/Fuld to the rescue…and we just don’t listen. The backup QB is always the most popular guy on any losing team. Doesn’t make him any better than the backup.
"Champions take responsibility. When the ball is coming over the net, you can be sure I want the ball." - Billie Jean King
by Sandberg's evil twin on Jun 14, 2010 7:34 PM CDT up reply actions
Fox is like the training machine
He can hit it real far for outfielders to catch. Sometimes it malfunctions and sends it over the wall. That’s about it
"Baseball is almost the only orderly thing in a very unorderly world. If you get three strikes, even the best lawyer in the world can't get you off." ~ Bill Veeck
I'm sure he loves his mother
Was Ghandi a good baseball player?
"Baseball is almost the only orderly thing in a very unorderly world. If you get three strikes, even the best lawyer in the world can't get you off." ~ Bill Veeck
He must have been cause otherwise we would have signed him.
"The ones who want to achieve and win championships motivate themselves." - Da Coach
by Sandberg's evil twin on Jun 14, 2010 9:58 PM CDT up reply actions
I'm not on the Fox bandwagon
but just because a player is put on waivers or released after a DFA, doesn’t mean that player isn’t still useful. I bet a lot of people would like to have a second baseman with the kind of season Kelly Johnson has had.
by Castro Por Presidente on Jun 15, 2010 6:09 AM CDT up reply actions
kelly johnson
was a guy you were all over right?
good call
follow me on twitter for fantasy sports analysis @http://twitter.com/DrewDinkmeyer or get the full analysis at www.fantistics.com
by DartmouthCubsFan on Jun 15, 2010 7:49 AM CDT up reply actions
as a side note
Kelly Johnson’s Away Line: .243/.318/.409
well played
good stat
follow me on twitter for fantasy sports analysis @http://twitter.com/DrewDinkmeyer or get the full analysis at www.fantistics.com
by DartmouthCubsFan on Jun 15, 2010 12:51 PM CDT up reply actions
A few problems
1. Why DFA Grabow when he’s accepted a minor league assignment? It costs the same to get rid of him or keep him, he’s not losing the big league club games while on the AAA roster, and at one point he was a solid pitcher, so he may become one again during the course of his contract. Don’t get me wrong, I HATED the contract (Doggie Stalker was the only one I remember thinking it was a good idea), but it’s a sunk cost and he’s not hurting us at AAA.
2. Fontenot is not a good third baseman.
3. Wells has earned a little more patience to see if he can figure things out. He’s a young pitcher who could be a big part of the future of the club. Not yet time to cast him aside.
4. Texas is not likely to take on any contracts of significance, especially bad ones. They are bankrupt. Maybe they could figure out a way to take on Oswalt’s contract, but I don’t see a complex 3 team deal being approved.
5. I don’t like Fontenot at lead off or Theriot in the 2 hole.
6. Offering Lily a 2-3 year contract NOW is the second dumbest thing they could do with him (the first-dumbest thing would be to let him walk without offering him arb). Why offer him a contract NOW, when he could get injured during the second half? A good pitcher on an expiring contract is one of the most valuable commodities in baseball. You can trade him mid-season for a bounty, or after the season you offer him arbitration, and if he accepts, hooray you get a good pitcher on a one year contract, and if he declines and signs elsewhere, hooray you get some sweet draft picks.
I take that back, offering him a 2-3 year contract now is the stupidest thing you could do with him. If you let him walk for nothing after the season, at least you’re not taking the considerable risk that your 35+ year old pitcher will get hurt and be a 30 million dollar cheerleader.
DEJESUS!!!
The leadoff spot
We’ve been using Theriot and Fukudome almost exclusively. Their BA leading off the game has been .186 and .200. Their sOPS+ has been 29 and 67. There is absolutely no excuse to continue using either of them in that role.
So who is a viable alternative? Soriano or Byrd? Do we really want to take our limited power out of the middle of the lineup? I wouldn’t. Probably not Colvin for the same reason. Soto or Hill? Way too slow. Definitely not Lee.
That leaves Fontenot or Castro. Starlin hits .232 with runners on base and .294 with no one on. We’ve all seen his over eagerness with men on base. Lots of 1st pitch swinging. He has excellent speed but rarely has the opportunity hitting in front of the pitcher. In my mind, we try and see what he can do in the one spot. What’s to lose. As a 2nd option, I’d use Fontenot. However, he doesn’t play every day and has limited speed.
If it works out we have our leadoff man for 2011. If it doesn’t, we’ve lost nothing and we know getting a #1 hitter has to be a priority for 2011.
If a quality pitching start is 3 runs and 6 innings, then a quality hitting day is 1 for 4.
Ask a Greek Orthodox priest to bless the dugout before a playoff game
Oh wait.
RIP Ronnie James Dio (July 10, 1942 - May 16, 2010).
79 comments at the time I posted.
As soon as I read “get Jake Fox back”, I stopped. That instantly makes the entire post non-credible.
"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra
Well, that's only because DeRosa is hurt.
I think I speak for everyone here when I say, "Wait, what the hell are you talking about?"
lmao at Ross and Jesus Cristos
Unofficial Self Appointed President of the Player Formerly Known as Castro Blocker Fan Club
Bleed Castro Blue
What the Cubs should do now to win
none of these?
"A dream you dream alone is only a dream. A dream you dream together is reality." John Lennon
Message From Captain Obvious
The Cubs are 28-0 when they outscore the opposition in games, so the Cubs need to score more runs than the other team to win. That’s not a groundbreaking statement, but it contributes more to the discussion than suggesting Fontenot play third every day in A-Ram’s absence or bringing back Jake Fox. I’m not that wild about those other suggestions either.
"The big possums walk late." - Harry Caray
zing
Unofficial Self Appointed President of the Player Formerly Known as Castro Blocker Fan Club
Bleed Castro Blue
This post is straight silly mane.
"A dream you dream alone is only a dream. A dream you dream together is reality." John Lennon
I don't know why any of this is necessary!
The Cubs are having a great year!
Lou is so full of energy!
Jim Hendry has built an amazing team!
Of course ARam will go down to AAA to get his swing back! He is very much a team player!
Lou said Colvin will play more, then it will happen people! He NEVER goes back on his word!
It is so cool that the Latin players like to hang out together all the time!
Our leadoff hitters are outstanding!
Our highest paid pitcher has been a total rock!
Like I said there is nothing wrong with this team! Why is Grinch bitching so much?
Of course he wants Jake Fox! Its his favorite player! We do not need him though…he was hitting .214 with 2 HRs as a bench player….Its not like we would ever play a guy with a .168 avg with 5 HRs with twice the AB’s as Fox and bat him cleanup all the time! That would be just bad baseball! And Lou would NEVER do that!
Have faith brother Grinch! This is the Cubs year!
by TJ11 on Jun 14, 2010 9:08 PM CDT reply actions 2 recs
(Sarcasm) Don't Forget
The Cubs are going to win 79 of their last 99 games to run away with the NL Central.
"The big possums walk late." - Harry Caray
Well, YEAH! Of course they are!
NO moves need to be made! This team needs to be kept together for years!
Lou’s extension——-NOW!
Jake Fox
really, Jake “freaking” Fox, just please make it stop.
Ramy to AAA, uh not likely in a million years.
This team hasn’t had a real lead off hitter since 03 with Lofton.
I agree Lou needs to be removed, let Trammel run this bunch for a while.
I just wish this team would wake up.
RE Leadoff
I think Castro will be that guy next year
"Baseball is almost the only orderly thing in a very unorderly world. If you get three strikes, even the best lawyer in the world can't get you off." ~ Bill Veeck
I hope so. It's sad to say the reference for a good lead off hitter on the team
Is a guy who played around 50 games for the Cubs in his career.
"The ones who want to achieve and win championships motivate themselves." - Da Coach
by Sandberg's evil twin on Jun 14, 2010 10:01 PM CDT up reply actions
if so, then we're still on shaky ground
He shouldn’t be a leadoff hitter. I’m a huge fan, but 3.49 P/PA is not ideal for a leadoff hitter.
Perhaps. We'll have a lot more info by the end of the season.
He’s too green now to know if he fits anywhere longterm in the batting order to me. He doesn’t have a lot of power, and is fast…I would say that unless the Cubs come up with a better hitter with speed there’s a good chance he will be put there regardless. I don’t think Theriot was ever thought of as a leadoff hitter even as a rookie but got placed there over time by proxy. This team is slow and unless you change that, there are few options.
"The ones who want to achieve and win championships motivate themselves." - Da Coach
by Sandberg's evil twin on Jun 15, 2010 5:17 AM CDT up reply actions
I agree with this
he still needs to improve his pitch recognition. The kid is 20, so I would expect him to make those improvements. Once he does, his crazy contact skills are really going to shine.
by Castro Por Presidente on Jun 15, 2010 6:16 AM CDT up reply actions
Castro leading off???
not until he learns patience
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 Jun 15, 2010 7:46 AM CDT up reply actions
To win now...
…you have to hope above hope, the players have enough internal pride to be pissed off how they are performing and they do something about it.
"I don't like them fellas that drive in two runs but let in three" Casey Stengel
I thought the conventional wisdom is to make a cardboard cutout of Hendry
And tell em they’re all going to be traded or put in the minors by the end of the season and pull off a section of the cutout until they reach 83 wins. Doesn’t that always work?
"The ones who want to achieve and win championships motivate themselves." - Da Coach
by Sandberg's evil twin on Jun 15, 2010 5:22 AM CDT reply actions
Welll I almost posted that, problem was Ricketts is new and doesn't seem to be mean to the players.
"The ones who want to achieve and win championships motivate themselves." - Da Coach
by Sandberg's evil twin on Jun 16, 2010 11:12 PM CDT up reply actions
Fixing this mess must start higher up
Sure there’s wholesale player changes that can help get a win here or there. Honestly, bringing Jake Fox back (24th, 25th man at best) doesn’t do anything for me when looking at the big picture. It’s great to have a good character player. But those are the guys you get last, not anywhere near first.
There’s a front-office culture that I’m guessing may have to change. Does that mean Kenney goes? Don’t know but I’ve never been impressed by him. Hendry? Quite possibly. Then there’s the field bosses. Lot’s of directions. Do the Cubs really want to hand the reigns of this mess over to Ryno? My personal opinion is to clean house at the higher levels and do believe that Mr. Ricketts may still do that.
I’d like to see the team cut bait with as much longer-term monies as possible this season & coming off-season. This does not mean automatically buyers for Soriano, Zambrano and Fukudome are going to come crawling out of the woodwork. If Hendry can move any veteran to get any touted prospect in there, he should do it and not wait until the NWT deadline.
I see some parallels to the Blackhawks. I do not believe the back-stabbing high-up is there at all, let alone as bad as it was at 1901 W. Madison St. There does appear to be a losing culture in the front office. This is just theory and conjecture, based more on a gut feeling more than anything. It just doesn’t look like a franchise hell-bent on winning. The Blackhawks were like that, they are now nowhere near hell like that.
The Cubs however have some serious salary issues facing them going into 2011 through 2014. The Cubs payroll issue, like the Blackhawks impending salary cap issues, have to be solved by the front office and I believe they will have to make changes in the front office to better solve this payroll issue. The ’Hawks ousted Dale Tallon, who in my opinion did far more to build the ’Hawks than Hendry did for the Cubs. If the ’Hawks can oust Dale, the Cubs can oust Jim. But it needs a different approach higher up.
It appears the minor league system is getting back on track and probably one of the brighter sides of the organization now compared to just 3-5 years ago. That’s one thing the Cubs do not have to worry about. Now they need the leadership up high to properly apply the resources coming out of the stronger minor league system.
Just win the next game...!
Putting together a solid organization...
…is part art and part science, and Hendry simply doesn’t have the skill set to do it. The culture of the baseball organization is going to permeate from the head of baseball operations down, and this is another reason you need a new cultural direction, while you also add a better baseball mind to that position.
"I don't like them fellas that drive in two runs but let in three" Casey Stengel
Switch teams with the Rays or Yankees...
…otherwise, it’s going to be a while before the winning returns to the north side of Chicago.
It's 106 miles to Chicago...
3rd base
Chad Tracy hit very well while in Iowa and deserves that chance along with Baker. We’re OK there until Arma lets us know he’s not. Wells to AAA not a bad idea. STay away from Grabow until he pitches well at Iowa, which he has not. No to Fox. Yes to Colvin playing more. No to Fontenot at 3rd but yes at 2nd or late inning replacemnt if Theriot hits. Look, what are we going to do here? (That was typed in jest.)
This is only the beginning....Lou Pinella end of '07 season and Chicago Transit Authority (the band when they were really good).
Hmm.
bq.3. DFA John Grabow. He already has a 6.75ERA in AAA while on his “rehab” outings. It’s not going to work.
and no offense to your line-up but..
bq.I would play this line-up: Fontenot 3B, Theriot 2B, Colvin RF, Byrd CF, Soriano LF, Lee 1B, Soto/Hill C, Castro SS.
You have a 3B that really can’t play that position too well and he isn’t the best at hitting lefties. And I can’t see Fontenot hitting 1st. I wouldn’t mind batting Colvin 3rd.
Tracy should get a fair shake since Rami sucks and I wouldn’t be impartial to plug Castro in the lead off spot, he can’t be much worse than Theriot is in the 1 spot. Maybe it is time to bring back that 08 magic and hit Alf 1. haha
"I don't know what the big deal about Crackerjack is"
by theGraceyslumpbuster on Jun 15, 2010 12:07 PM CDT reply actions
All this talk
about trading away Lee or Lilly or others, and not one comment (that I’ve seen … not going to pretend to have read every word here) about trading Silva? Will/Could his stock ever rise higher than it currently is (short of the Cubs winning 11 out of 12 games he starts for the next 2 years)?
I have seen two pretty consistant things on this site in recent months:
1) Bashing of Jim Hendry for being horrible at what he does
2) Blind assumtion that the Silva trade was – at best – a wash
Either Hendry needs to be given a great deal more credit, (and) or there should be more comments about letting Silva loose while the going is good.
Trading Silva...
…Perhaps other teams are not yet sold on him. As good as he’s been thus far, he could revert and be equally bad in the second half. Also, his contract is quite hefty, the Mariners actually had to give US money to take him in exchange for Uncle Milty.
Why trade him anyways? I agree his stock will likely never be higher, but what would he net us in return? An equally bad contract. It makes more sense to trade Lilly, the way he is pitching his stock can’t really get much higher either. Plus, Silva has been our best starter this season. If they trade him at all, I’d guess it would happen in the off-season.
"You've got to get your damn shirts rolled up and go out and kick somebody's ass. That's what you've got to do. Period." -- Lou Piniella
Why keep him?
So we can finish 10 games under .500 instead of 20? Yes, he’s got a hefty contract, but what team with a chance at the post-season wouldn’t be willing to shell out $18M over the next season-and-a-half for a pitcher who’s team is 11-1 in his starts? Fortifying his success is the LACK of success of the rest of the team. The other pitchers aren’t lights out. They aren’t hitting. It’s certainly not the management that’s won so many of his games. If he’s not completely responsible for his own success, then someone else on the team is holding 24 other players ransom.
If I thought there was ANY shot of the Cubs ‘Hawking it either this season or next, I’d be all over keeping him (and Lee, and Lilly …), but I’m pretty sure it’s not going to happen. Get what you can while you can, and make this the grand beginning of a highly needed fire sale.
I just don't see any team willing to take Silva and his contract
without the Cubs taking back an equally bad contract, in which case I’d rather keep Silva than what would most likely be an expensive under-performing player.
The Cubs also need to consider their rotation for next season.
"You've got to get your damn shirts rolled up and go out and kick somebody's ass. That's what you've got to do. Period." -- Lou Piniella
to be fair
the contract isn’t that bad when you factor in the money seattle is sending. There’s a 2 mil buyout for 2012. This year, they sent 3.5 mil to cover the 11.5 mil, so if he gets dealt, there’s around 4 mil left. Next year, they are sending 5.5 mil to cover 11.5. So, any team that’s looking to deal for him would be on the hook for around 12 mil if they dealt for him around midseason and the Cubs didn’t send any money. More than likely, the Cubs would send some money to move Silva if they could get better talent in return, so really, it’s not that bad.
Short of it is, I think there will be some interest in Silva, but onyl if he continues to be solid. I’m not sure a bad deal swap is the only way such a trade gets done, although it could play a role. That said, I think a lot of teams are waiting to see if Silva can keep this up, as I think a lot of folks do wonder if he’ll start to fall apart soon.
This is quite logical.
A month from now, it might actually happen.
"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra
I wish
The Cubs won 26 in a row before the ASB and none of this would even be considered. I also wish that Silva wins (almost) every game he pitches for the rest of his contract (unless, of course, he’s traded within the division).
That said, I was waiting for The Dropoff after game 1 for him this season. Then I was waiting for the dropoff after game 2. Then game 3. Even though he lost, I’m still waiting for the drop off. Anyone here see his first two games and have real confidence that he’d be 8-0 at some point of the season? I didn’t think so. He was a solid pitcher before Seattle. $12M/yr solid? I don’t think so, but he was solid by today’s MLB standards.
The thing about Silva
is he has completely revamped how he pitches. He used to be a 4-seam fastball guy, and a guy that heavily relied on his fastball. Now he’s scrapped the 4-seamer for a 2-seamer and mixes in a lot more change-ups and sliders.
I can understand why a team would be hesitant to pull the trigger on him. But there are reasons why his awesome performance could be real, and if it is real then he’ll pitch well for the next year and the Cubs will be in a position to deal him next year when there’s less money owed to him and he’s had another year of proving himself.
I think that would be the best case scenario for the Cubs, because if we trade him now we’d just get salary relief. Getting a decent prospect or two would be nice next year (if we’re out of contention). Either way you’re taking your risks.
by Castro Por Presidente on Jun 15, 2010 4:23 PM CDT up reply actions
Thanks for the details on his contract,
good stuff. It does appear that this is possible without having to take a stinker of a contract in return, which I think the Cubs need to avoid.
"You've got to get your damn shirts rolled up and go out and kick somebody's ass. That's what you've got to do. Period." -- Lou Piniella
I think there are very few teams that would shell out that money for Sliva
I think anyone in the AL will be leery. AL pitchers frequently do better moving to the NL not the other way.
Your proposed lineup is terrible. Not a recipe to "win now"
You’ve obviously put a lot of thought into the changes you’d make. But I think it’s something of a forest/trees problem if you talk yourself into saying the way for the Cubs to win now is to find a way to get Fontenot at the top of the order with an unproven rookie hitting third.
The single biggest reason(s) this team isn’t performing is because D-Lee and Ramirez are not hitting. You can’t turn that around by having players with lower ceilings take over for them. That might improve things compared to the poor play you’ve been getting, but it won’t make you a winner. At the end of the day, this change still has the Cubs being a team that lets Mike Fontenot lead off for them; that has no true power threat in the heart of the order; and that is neither winning now nor preparing for the future.
If you want to win now, you either need Lee and Ramirez to return to form or make a trade for power hitting corner infielders to take their places. Doesn’t look like either option is realistic, unfortunately.
Grabow's Back
Already? Man well that’s not a not a recipe to “win now” either bet he pitches tonite even
.....
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by BrewCrew'sPrinceofDarkness on Jun 16, 2010 1:24 PM CDT reply actions
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