Potential 3B Options
by MDavis on Nov 9, 2011 11:01 AM CST
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PrintAs we know, 3B appears to be a hole for the first time in nearly a decade. So, i thought it might be a good idea to take a look at some possible options heading into the 2012 season.
Free Agents-this list.....depressing.(in no particular order)
1. Wilson Betemit, 30 years old, switcher hitter-.285/.343/.452 8HR 46 RBI. Betemit had a very solid season last year split between KC and DET. He can play a couple positions, and figures to be a pretty cheap option. I'm not so sure he could be an everyday guy though.
2. Kevin Kouzmanoff, 30 years old, right handed hitter- .235/.284/.372 7HR 33 RBI A less than inspiring option, what you see is what you get with Kouzmanoff. Best years came in the NL with San Diego '07-09, but has been pretty bad since.
3. Brandon Wood, 27 years old, right handed hitter- .216/.270/.340 7 HR 31 RBI, former 1st round pick who has never realized that potential, and who it seems not most likely never will. I'd stay away, most likely destined for a minor league deal with a team.
Trades
1. David Wright, 28 years old, Right handed hitter- .254/.345/.427 14 HR 61 RBI, everyones favorite target as of now, Wright comes with a couple concerns. Injury wise, he has a bad back, and missed over 60 games last season. He's also going to cost a fair amount in prospects, and will need a new contract
2. Martin Prado, 28 years old, Right handed hitter- .260/.302/.385 13 HR 57 RBI, Prado is an interesting option for sure, and i prefer him over Wright to be honest. Solid defensively, and put together pretty much identical seasons in '09 and '10. the drop in avg last season could be a result of playing injured the second half of the year.
3. Chase Headley, 27 years old, switch hitter- .289/.374/.399 4 HR 44 RBI, A potential target because of the obvious SD connection our front office now holds. Not much power, but soli defensively and could be an interesting option if the price was right
In-House
1. DJ LeMahieu, 23 years old, right handed hitter- (AAA/AA) .319/.354/.423 5 HR 50 RBI, DJL is solid defensively, and looked like he could handle big league pitching in his stints with the club this season. If he was going to compete for the spot, I want to see him check in with about 15-20 pounds of good muscle on him. He's got the frame to handle it, at 6'4" and he needs to improve on the power.
2. Josh Vitters, 22 years old, right handed hitter- (AA) .283/.322/.448 14 HR 81 RBI, we all know him, the defense is rough, the BB rate isn't there, but options appear limited. I'd like to see him get another year, at least, but i haven't given up hope for the long run.
3. Ryan Flaherty, 25 years old, Left handed hitter- (AAA/AA) .280/.347/.478 19 HR 88 RBI I like Flaherty a lot, maybe more than some. he struggled initially at Iowa but seemed to improve towards the end of the year. Seems liek a DeRosa type, and i wouldn't be too upset if he was a platoon guy with Baker.
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If we don't make a trade...
I hope we just stay in-house to see if we got anything with any long term potential. The FA options are horrible at best. Of course my dream is David Wright.
Here's a crazy question:
Could anyone see the Cubs getting aggressive with the 21-year-old Junior Lake and putting him at third base in 2012? Maybe after a monster spring training? Maybe midseason? I’ve read a couple of articles on how he’s tearing up the AFL.
I know it’s doubtful, and I’m not sure where that would leave Josh Vitters if Lake did, in fact, stick. But it’s been a thought clattering around my head for the last few days.
Baseball is pitching, offensive production, baserunning and defense.
No chance.
The AFL is a hitters league because most of the pitchers there are not real prospects. A lot of hitters are tearing up the AFL. Lake has an OPS of .958 which is still only good enough for 16th. His slugging of .598 is only good for 11th.
Lake needs a lot of work before he is ready for the majors.
John Grabow - Who will pay you $4.8 million in 2012?
AFL Junior Lake is playing 3rd Base
Was at the AFL game last Thursday. Junior was playing 3rd base. He had roughly 5 balls hit to him and looked good on 4 – 5. He went 3 – 5 at the plate and had a walk off double. His speed is amazing, he hit a gapper to right center that did not make the warning track and still made it into 3rd base easily.
He might not be in the mix next year but reminded me of Starling very much. He is a big kid who will only get stronger
"If The Phone Doesn't Ring, It's Me"
"Miami Redhawk Hockey"
Now that's what I want to read!
Baseball is pitching, offensive production, baserunning and defense.
I don't think it's crazy to think he could be up around the all-star break if everything went perfect for him.
A lot would have to go right, but if 3B is a black hole, and Lake is flashing power and enough contact ability, they could throw him out there. Expecting him in April is extremely unlikely though.
If Lake emerges quickly...
He will probably be just as needed at 2B unless Barney improves offensively.
"I'd rather hit home runs you don't have to run as hard." -- Dave Kingman
by BucknerKongCardenal on Nov 9, 2011 10:16 PM CST up reply actions
Lake's best tool is his cannon arm
I wouldn’t want to waste it at 2B, but who knows
by Mulhollandmania on Nov 10, 2011 10:14 AM CST up reply actions
Barney provides enough at 2B not to cripple a team
If that team can get offense from corner IF and corner OF. If Lake can add a bat and play 3B, Barney can still be adequate for 2B.
This is bleak.
And yes I am happy to see Ramirez go. Throw stones if you wish.
I like the idea of a Flaherty/Baker platoon. But I don’t know enough about Flaherty. I’m not a huge fan of platoon (the movie was great though) approaches as a going-in gameplan, but I can’t see a better option in your list.
I’ll say again that we may need to be ready for a different kind o’ 3B guy; more defense and hopefully OBP rather than expected power numbers. This still leaves the question of the 3-4-5 hitters in our line-up; who will they be?
I've wondered this...
When was there ever a real push for more defense over power for some positions. I’d have to wonder if a stellar defensive infield that seems like a black hole and gobbles up ground balls via range would offset the need for power at 3B. If the wind blows in, the power won’t really matter that much. I’d love to see how a team would fair with a lot of ‘doubles power’ rather than HR power.
I'd like better defense
We’ve seen that as a significant shortcoming lately. Ramirez was never the same after his shoulder injury. We seem to have a developing mid-infield now, a net positive. We’ve had the good fortune of two superb defenders at first lately – Lee when he was healthy and Pena, who maybe or may not be back next year.
Fielder, for all his power, would be a defensive downgrade. Maybe not an outright liability, still, a downgrade. Pujols, we’re not getting.
Give me a human shop-vac with range at third who can get on even if he can’t hit them out, I think I might like that.
I'm not really familiar with the guys in the minors.
Are there any players like that in the Cubs system? Lessor power, stellar defense and range? This whole, build a power team has netted the Cubs what in its history? Maybe a new approach on the field is needed. Won’t be flashy, but maybe it gets the job done in the end.
Definitely describes Headley
Doubles power, high on base, and good glove.
MLBTR had a chat today and they think Mcnutt and Carpenter would be the price.
Almost seems like a no-brainer.
I’m pretty high on Headley. though.
"I'd rather hit home runs you don't have to run as hard." -- Dave Kingman
by BucknerKongCardenal on Nov 9, 2011 10:14 PM CST up reply actions
I hope that deal
does not happen. I saw a lot of Headly in San Diego. He has upside, but not enough to warrant two good pitching prospects.
Check his home/road splits
Then see if you’ve changed your mind.
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It doesn't seem likely they will trade him
It’s been reported that San Diego isn’t interested in moving Headley.
http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2011/11/padres-reluctant-to-move-chase-headley.html
It is looking like the Cubs will have big downgrade at 3rd base.
I get it. And I like Headley.
I’m just not keen on McNutt & Carpenter as our price. I don’t agree that we’re “full of arms” in our system. Plus, aren’t these two at the top of our list of prospects?
I’ll admit that I may be unaware of any McNutt decline. Maybe Josh77 can clue me in.
McNutt had a rough season,
but he was hurt a lot, battled blisters. I think he’s strugglign in fall leagues though unless i am mistaken. I still think giving up our top pitching prospect and a potential clsoer would be too rich for a guy who provides no pop. I’d turn the focus to Prado at this point though. versatile guy.
Right... a 3.6 WAR is just not the same
He’s worth 2 years and $20 mil over any of these slouches mentioned in this post.
Proud recipient of a hot dog shot from the Iowa Cubs hot dog gun.
I wonder what Prado would command in a trade?
He was banged up last year and I think he could bounce back and be solid.
Wright is out. He price tag would be out of the roof.
Prado is intriguing.
Worth inquiring about.
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Always beware trades with ATL
Robinson Lopez and Micah Bowie come to mind. Same with Ascanio for Infante.
by Mulhollandmania on Nov 9, 2011 4:21 PM CST up reply actions
Lopez and two others
were acceptable for an aging 1B our previous administration wasn’t going to offer Arby anyway.
10-25-2011. Theo Epstein joins the Cubs. Now, the fun begins.
Robinson Lopez is 20 years old.
Still could turn into something.
Micah Bowie was acquired by Ed Lynch. That ought to tell you something.
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Just had memories of Jeff Blauser.... thanks a lot!
"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)
Fair enough
I agree Lopez could still turn into something, but he was really awful last year. I rarely give up on prospects completely because I love following the minor leagues, so I definitely have not given up on him, I’m just down on him right now. All I’m really saying is, even with free agents, Atlanta is usually quite smart when they decide to let people go. There are always exceptions, of course.
by Mulhollandmania on Nov 10, 2011 10:17 AM CST up reply actions
Texas is very happy with their dealings with Atlanta.
Just need a good GM to deal with them.
John Grabow - Who will pay you $4.8 million in 2012?
Prado seems to be the most reasonable 'out of house' option...
It is really hard to trade with the Braves and come out with equal value though.
就是今年！
by CubFanInChina on Nov 9, 2011 4:25 PM CST up reply actions
i'd take a flier on brandon wood
he’s an above average defensive 3B and he can still play SS in a pinch. He went from putrid (w/ LAA) to just plain bad (w/ PIT) this year but he did show some improvement at the plate and entering his age 27 season he might still break through, though the chances are slim. if wood falters the cubs could easily turn to one of the in-house options but the defense, power potential and cost could make him a nice buy-low play for the cubs.
I'm just not that interested in him
Wood had a monster year as a 20 year old in A+ ball in 2005, when he hit 40+ HR as a shortstop. That got him the “can’t miss” prospect label. But since then, he’s been just solid in the minors (after you consider that he played in the hitter-friendly PCL).
I mean, as a spring training invite (to see if he suddenly emerges), sure. But I wouldn’t commit anything to him, and I wouldn’t expect him to hit even a .700 OPS.
I might be just as inclined to go with a Flaherty/Baker platoon. Of course, I suspect that people are going to miss the production Ramirez gave us regardless of who we have there next year.
As a side note on Wood – Stoneman really screwed the pooch on this one. He could have gotten just about anything he wanted in a trade for Wood after 2005, 2006, or even 2007 before his tenure ended. But Stoneman declined to deal Wood, and Wood’s value diminished with each subsequent year.
I'd really like to see what Headley could do outside of San Diego
He hits so much better on the road, and would definitely help improve the defense. Depending on the price I would love to bring him in, as long as it didn’t cost Szczur and there’s no way we’d give up BJax. If he could hit 15 HR in a new stadium mixed with his walk rate and defense, he could be a good addition at a reasonable price.
Ugh...
what an ugly list. 3B is an offensive position… we’re easily going to be in the bottom 10 of MLB in 3B offensive production unless Theo gets very creative.
"3B is an offensive position..."
I’ll say.
Baseball is pitching, offensive production, baserunning and defense.
Well to be fair, offensive production at third is down right now.
So as a glass half full guy, I’ll say that this is a good of a time there is to have a shitty 3B.
But quality teams with bad 3B production usually get above average production from other places.
Right now, the Cubs are looking at average to below average production at every position except SS.
John Grabow - Who will pay you $4.8 million in 2012?
If there is a platoon with what we already have...
I’ll take DJLM and Flaherty over Baker and Flaherty.
"I'd rather hit home runs you don't have to run as hard." -- Dave Kingman
by BucknerKongCardenal on Nov 9, 2011 10:19 PM CST reply actions
If they go with DJL at 3B i just want him to run with it. no platoon.
but i want to see the dedication in the weight room, develop some muscle, if the plan is for him to move to third.
I don't think LeMahieu will ever hit for enough power at 3B
He just seems like a slap hitter. A tall slap hitter. But a slap hitter nonetheless.
It’s not just a matter of gaining muscle. It’s rebuilding his swing to drive the ball. And if you do that, the question is whether the high average remains.
We’re talking about a career .753 OPS hitter in the minors despite a .317 minor league average. He has shown only slightly more power than Theriot as a minor leaguer.
I think Baker is a better platoon option than LeMahieu
Baker has generally done very well against LHP. LeMahieu, well, hasn’t exactly shown a ton at the plate.
by SouthernCub on Nov 10, 2011 2:48 PM CST up reply actions 1 recs
Is Aramis done forever?
I mean, is there any way we can resign him? Is he looking for a multi-year contract or something?
Proud recipient of a hot dog shot from the Iowa Cubs hot dog gun.
Never say never
But the only way he comes back is if no one else offers him a multi-year deal. Not very likely.
by Josh Timmers on Nov 10, 2011 11:41 AM CST up reply actions
Or if we offer him a multi-year deal
Which may also be very unlikely.
I think Kouzmanoff is worth a flyer
He’s always played in the two biggest pitchers parks in baseball. His career road OPS is .770. I think for league minimum or close to it he’d hit 15-20 homers.
Also, Ian Stewart may be a guy to look for in a trade. My understanding is that his issue is focus, not talent. The right situation may work for him. Not much of a glove, however.
The sun is up. They sky is blue. It's beautiful, and so are you. Dear Prudence, won't you come out to play? ~Lennon & McCartney
by SouthWabashSoul on Nov 10, 2011 10:11 AM CST reply actions
I tend to agree
I wouldn’t mind Kouzmanoff. Ian Stewart is an intriguing thought for sure.
by Mulhollandmania on Nov 10, 2011 10:18 AM CST up reply actions
I'd pass on Kouzmanoff
He’s a good defensive 3B and has some pop, but look at his walk totals from his four full seasons:
2007: 32 walks in 534 plate appearances
2008: 23 walks in 668 plate appearances
2009: 27 walks in 573 plate appearances
2010: 24 walks in 584 plate appearances
We have enough guys like this in the lineup already, and I don’t want to see us get another one.
by Jody Jody Davis on Nov 10, 2011 11:59 AM CST up reply actions
I wouldn't mind anybody on that list
Except maybe Wood and Vitters. And I’m sure we don’t have enough in our system to pry away right, and maybe not enough for even Prado or Headley.
by Mulhollandmania on Nov 10, 2011 10:20 AM CST reply actions
Absolutely no on the first three
You might as well send DJLM out there if you’re thinking about signing Betemit, Kouzmanoff, or Wood.
Headley’s not exactly the type of player you can dream on, but he is an upgrade over any internal options.
Not that I can read their minds but...
…my guess is that third base will be a spot where the new front office approach is applied & we go with in-house players.
I enjoy this website because it's so interesting to see folks pole vaulting over mouse turds.
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