Report: Cubs Talking Contract With Paul Maholm
by Al Yellon on Dec 16, 2011 6:59 PM CST
in Chicago Cubs News
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According to this Bruce Levine story, the Cubs are negotiating a deal with former Pirates lefthander Paul Maholm:
Having decided the bidding was too rich for top left-handed free agents Mark Buehrle and C.J. Wilson, the Cubs and agent Bo McKinnis have been negotiating the parameters of a deal that would bring left-handed starter Paul Maholm to Chicago next season, a major league source indicated.
Maholm's W/L record -- and we know those aren't really indicative of real value these days -- was pretty poor in 2011 at 6-14. But his other numbers were pretty good -- a 3.66 ERA and 1.29 WHIP. He's a sinkerballer who doesn't give up a lot of home runs, just 11 in 162 innings in 2011. His career ERA of 4.24 is nothing to write home about, but at age 29 -- 30 next June -- and being lefthanded, I would much rather see him at the back end of the Cubs' rotation than Rodrigo Lopez.
Good signing if it happens, depending on the price (Maholm made $6.25 million in 2011 -- hopefully, it'll be less). If the Cubs sign Prince Fielder, he'll have to take a different uniform number, too. Discuss.
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Yes.
I’d much prefer Maholm/Fielder to winning the Darvish bidding.
by mic on Dec 16, 2011 7:02 PM CST reply actions 1 recs
I'm not so sold on Maholm.
His win-loss record on the road is 18-42 with a 5.03 ERA
His win-loss record at home in Pittsburgh was 35-31 with a 3.80 ERA
Maholm’s lifetime record at Wrigley Field is 6-2 with a 5.48 ERA
Record in day games is 18-22 with a 4.81 ERA
Record in night games is 35-51 with a 4.14 ERA
If he gets signed to a very cheap deal, probably not a bad idea. I agree with the others who said they’d rather pursue Darvish and Fielder.
by jeffmills1972 on Dec 16, 2011 7:54 PM CST up reply actions
I don't see any way the Cubs go after both Darvish AND Fielder.
It has to be one or the other.
Seems like the Blue Jays are the winner for Darvish
Which leaves the Cubs, Rangers, and Mariners as the main players for Prince. It’s hard for any team to sign both.
"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)
6-2, 5.48 ERA
Sad, that a pitcher puts up a career 5.48 ERA against the Cubs, and our record against himis 2-6. yikes!
Eamus Ursuli!
That's not a total ERA vs. the Cubs
… it’s just at Wrigley. He has pitched 11 times at Wrigley. The record is badly skewed by these three games.
In those three starts, he gave up 21 earned runs in 10.1 innings — an ERA of 18.29.
In the other eight starts, he allowed 18 earned runs in 55.2 innings — an ERA of 2.92.
Which is the real Maholm? Guess we might find out soon. In any case, signing a guy like this inexpensively really has nothing to do with Fielder and/or Darvish.
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I disagree with your last statement.
For one, he won’t be THAT inexpensive. I expect this to be at least a two year deal worth a moderate amount of money, and it will eat up a little bit of what the Cubs have to spend this offseason.
If the Cubs win the Darvish bidding—and it doesn’t sound like they did—that posting fee is going to prohibit them from doing much else this offseason. We can get into a discussion about how the Cubs are planning to distribute the payments to Japan over the years, but I don’t think that’s really the point. It’s going to cost a lot, period.
Still one or the other for me: Fielder OR Darvish. Theo will want to make some sort of splash, but he doesn’t want to handcuff himself by taking TWO big risks this offseason.
At this point I'll take Prince Fielder.
Paul Maholm? Maybe. I think it’s true that you can’t ever have enough pitching and it wouldn’t hurt to add some depth to the Cubs pitching staff. But I don’t think that Maholm is the right fit for our team. I’d take Ted Lilly back over him.
by jeffmills1972 on Dec 17, 2011 9:48 AM CST up reply actions
We don't know the Cubs feelings towards the posting fee for Darvish.
They may look at it as the new way to spend money on “amateur” talent due to the new CBA. Ricketts will also want them to make a splash so he may have opened up the purse strings to get Darvish. They may view the posting fee as money spent on the amateur side. I wonder how much it costs to develop a major league ready pitcher? We just simply don’t know their mindset, nor should we.
Regarding his stats
True, and my tongue was firmly in my cheek with my comment. Such is the problem with stats and small sample sizes.
Still, the numbers are ugly.
Eamus Ursuli!
Clubhouse Confidential talked about him briefly
According to the video if he has a good defense then he can be decent.
by mikeschieve on Dec 17, 2011 10:23 AM CST up reply actions
I hadn't thought of this way, but it makes sense
If the new management is going to emphasize defense, then they could potentially acquire pitchers who are undervalued because they have pitching in front of a poor defense, and are the type of pitcher who needs good defense. You wouldn’t sacrifice hitting for defense just to help one pitcher, you’d want to spread that better defense across a bunch of pitchers. Another way to say it is if you already need a good defense for the pitchers you have, it doesn’t cost you anything to provide that same defense to new pitchers.
Pirates defense
Wasn’t it pretty good last year? Even Cedeno put up pretty impressive defensive numbers I believe.
Eamus Ursuli!
Theo has been trying to upgrade the defense
Dejesus and Stewart is a huge improvement in right and at 3rd. Maybe, Soriano Finally gets traded then Jackson or a free agent improves left or Center.
I think moving Castro to 2nd and Barney to SS would improve the infield, but Castro will get another chance to prove he can play shortstop.
Flipping Barney and Castro wouldn't solve anything.
You’d be moving the guy with the weaker arm and less range over to SS. Castro made lots of strides in the field last year and should continue to over the next few years. His error totals aren’t bad at all compared to other shortstops his age, you just don’t hear about their high error totals because their all still in the minors.
Some people can't wait to move Castro.
I agree with you. He was better last year. The Cubs are not going to win anything next season so why not continue to let Castro play 2nd. There are many years left to move him.
John Grabow - Who will pay you $4.8 million in 2012?
I know, hard to figure
some seem to expect a 21 year old kid to be a polished veteran
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 18, 2011 9:08 AM CST up reply actions
There's a happy medium between a ridiculous number of errors
and “polished veteran” to be fair.
by Nunyabidness on Dec 18, 2011 2:26 PM CST up reply actions
you want ridiculous
expecting a 21 year old to be at the top of his game.
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 18, 2011 3:26 PM CST up reply actions
Wut?
I WANT ridiculous? Why would I WANT that many errors?
by Nunyabidness on Dec 18, 2011 4:56 PM CST up reply actions
He forgot the question mark on the title.
As in “You want ridiculous? I’ll show you what’s ridiculous!”
exactly
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, 2011 8:02 AM CST up reply actions
Oh, well then your comment makes sense, while being inaccurate.
Again, there is a happy medium between “top of his game” and “holy god the errors! so many errors!”
by Nunyabidness on Dec 19, 2011 3:48 PM CST up reply actions
But his errors were very common for a SS his age.
Not a whole lot of SS at his age are gonna have much better fielding percentages. Now if he stops improving defensively and has similar error totals in a couple years, then you start to consider a move.
It does not matter how often this is mentioned,
the doubters like nunya have painted themselves into their corner. Why they expect a 21 year old to not show improvement is hard to figure.
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 20, 2011 3:47 PM CST up reply actions
No reason to move Castro away from SS yet
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 18, 2011 9:08 AM CST up reply actions
He wouldn't have fared well with the 2011 Cubs
Let’s hope that gets better in 2012, whether the Cubs sign Maholm or not.
Funny story:
The “Dave M.” who asked that question is me.
"[The Cubs] have a very famous tradition in baseball, and it will be nice to be part of turning it around." ~ Jamie Quirk, Bench Coach
I brought this up in August, and I'm still a big fan of it.
But this makes Me think they plan to use Cashner out of the pen, which upsets me.
THEO!
by wrigleyrocker12 on Dec 16, 2011 7:03 PM CST via mobile reply actions 1 recs
If i was Theo's position
I would have Cashner start out of the pen but build his arm strength for the 2nd half. Eventually Z will be traded or get released. Maholm can take over Z’s spot and Cashner slides into the 5 spot.
by Mitchener on Dec 16, 2011 8:01 PM CST up reply actions 1 recs
I like the way you think.
Cashner also needs to rebuild his confidence. The pen is a good place for that.
"Sir,--It has been wittily remarked that there are three kinds of falsehood: the first is a 'fib,' the second is a downright lie, and the third and most aggravated is statistics." *The National Observer* (June 13, 1891): p. 93-94.
I'd let Cashner start in Iowa for a bit in 2012
Just to stretch him out at a lower risk pace. Also, it will cause him to avoid Super Two after next year.
by Mulhollandmania on Dec 16, 2011 9:05 PM CST up reply actions
Mitchener's idea is the best approach I've seen in months.
"Hey Hey, Holy mackerel, no doubt about it,!"
by scottsdalecubs on Dec 16, 2011 11:56 PM CST up reply actions
I think there's still room for Cashner, even if we keep Z and add Maholm.
Garza, Dempster, Zambrano, Maholm, Cashner. I’m not a huge Randy Wells fan but I could see him being dealt and having Shark and Cash battle for the five spot, hopefully Cash winning it. But if they feel like Cashner really needs to be in the pen, then I’m fine with Wells as the five. But I really want to see Cashner be a SP.
Agreed
Signing Maholm makes Wells expendable because I doubt Theo would keep him around to pitch long relief and couldn’t be one of those other starting options that stays down at Iowa.
Theo wants nine starter ready pitchers.
Garza, Dempster, Zambrano, Wells, Cashner, Shark, Malholm, kinda makes seven. Put Lopez in the mop up roll we have eight.
There we go.
We should be in Theo and Jed’s roles. I knew they hired the wrong guys! Boy that shows that we need some more arms.
Really?
Wells has a really bad game here and there, but he is solid. Kinda underrated and I think will have a good year, relatively.
by NittanyLion89 on Dec 16, 2011 11:53 PM CST up reply actions
I think you were the one...
…who tipped me off to this idea, which I’ve been supporting all along. So thanks for that!
"[The Cubs] have a very famous tradition in baseball, and it will be nice to be part of turning it around." ~ Jamie Quirk, Bench Coach
I'd rather have Cashner in the pen than on the DL
He’s never put up more than 100 innings at ANY level of baseball. At some point you just accept people for what they are and what they are not.
" Tell me something Steve, How does a guy from Puerto Rico lose a ball in the Sun? "
He wasn't in the minors that long...
…he’s only 25 years old and he’s been injured only once (granted, it was a serious injury). You’ve got to give a pitcher with Cashner’s ceiling a shot at maximizing his value in the rotation.
"[The Cubs] have a very famous tradition in baseball, and it will be nice to be part of turning it around." ~ Jamie Quirk, Bench Coach
His stuff just always played better in the pen
I would understand if this kid was a innings horse in HS or college. Fact was that he was a closer or bullpen arm his whole college career.
What organization OTHER than the Cubs picks a guy AFTER his college SR season 28 rounds previous to where they drafted him as a Junior with the intent of.
1. Teaching him 2 more pitches
2. Stretching him out from 54 innings to 200
3. Pretending to be shocked that he broke down from the workload
25 Years old, coming off a major shoulder injury and has NEVER pitched over 100 innings AT ANY LEVEL.
Expecting that guy to be a 200+ inning horse is just setting yourself up for failure/ building in another excuse why we failed in 2012.
" Tell me something Steve, How does a guy from Puerto Rico lose a ball in the Sun? "
Maybe they don't intend to stretch him out to 200+ right away.
And I don’t believe it was ever suggested that he broke down because of workload. He made only one start.
If they sign Maholm, they could start Cashner in Iowa, ramp him up slowly and fit him into the rotation at an opportune time. I mean, hey, maybe his destiny is as a reliever. It wouldn’t surprise me. But I still feel like it’s worth a shot at making him a starter.
"[The Cubs] have a very famous tradition in baseball, and it will be nice to be part of turning it around." ~ Jamie Quirk, Bench Coach
That would be a valid argument if he had been injured after pitching anywhere close to 100 innings.
The guy was in his sixth inning of the season. The injury had nothing to do with wear and tear.
by Nunyabidness on Dec 19, 2011 3:49 PM CST up reply actions
You don't think the Spring throwing routine was different for him last year?
They surly didn’t just throw him out there and tell him to start going 7.
" Tell me something Steve, How does a guy from Puerto Rico lose a ball in the Sun? "
He was a SP in spring 2010!
It wasn’t like he wasn’t used to preparing as a SP in spring training from the past two seasons.
I'd take him in a second.
by stuartscottslefteye on Dec 16, 2011 7:03 PM CST via mobile reply actions
Sure.
I said I’d like to see him on the North Side. Welcome aboard, Paul (If this works out).
the new minimum is above R Lopez!
It used to be above T Mulholland
A friend once told me: "I don't buy the idea that a team learns anything from a loss, the only thing they learn is how to lose games."---Knight
or Glendon Rusch
A friend once told me: "I don't buy the idea that a team learns anything from a loss, the only thing they learn is how to lose games."---Knight
Rusch was actually good for a while.
Then, not so much.
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MULHOLLAND MANIA!!!!
First Mul shout out I’ve seen on this site, other than my name.
by Mulhollandmania on Dec 16, 2011 9:06 PM CST up reply actions
oh he appears once in a memory
A friend once told me: "I don't buy the idea that a team learns anything from a loss, the only thing they learn is how to lose games."---Knight
or Shawn Estes
Come visit me inside Wrigley along the Addison side mezzanine fence straight up from 1st base.
by section229beer on Dec 17, 2011 9:48 AM CST up reply actions
Good deal.
Now let’s get Prince.
'Never look down on anybody unless you're helping him up.'
by Unique on Dec 16, 2011 7:15 PM CST reply actions 2 recs
I think this is a good deal.
We can’t really depend on Rodrigo Lopez pitching the way he did last year again in 2012.
Author at Acme Packing Company, SB Nation's Green Bay Packers blog.
State high point count: 4/50
If you are grouchy, irritable, or just plain mean, there will be a $10 charge for putting up with you.
by Vermont Cubs Fan on Dec 16, 2011 7:18 PM CST reply actions
Rodrigo Lopez is a mortal amoung men
"For small creatures such as we the vastness is bearable only through love." Carl Sagan
Does this mean no Joe Saunders?
"For small creatures such as we the vastness is bearable only through love." Carl Sagan
Probably.
Maholm has the chance at being as good as Saunders.
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Not a bad #5 starter
It beats the three-headed monster that was Dougrigomon Ortlovis last season. A one year deal (2 years maximum) for Maholm would be OK. I seem to remember Maholm throwing his only complete game of the season against us last year.
by toppsmike on Dec 16, 2011 7:23 PM CST reply actions 1 recs
No wonder I remember it so clearly
It was the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend and I was at the game with my kids. Maholm threw a 3 hit complete game shutout against the Cubs. The Cubs looked feeble.
They already have plenty #5s on roster
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 17, 2011 12:57 PM CST up reply actions
Not necessarily.
This is a fairly inexpensive fifth starter signing. Shouldn’t have anything to do with Darvish.
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So best case ....
Garza, Darvish, Dempster, Zambrano, and Maholm? Worst case Garza, Dempster, Zambrano, Maholm and Wells?
I think we really need to give Cashner a shot. He has the potential to be as good as anyone in the current rotation.
'Never look down on anybody unless you're helping him up.'
This
Cashner deserves a chance to start.
Author at Acme Packing Company, SB Nation's Green Bay Packers blog.
Sign Prince Fielder!
State high point count: 4/50
If you are grouchy, irritable, or just plain mean, there will be a $10 charge for putting up with you.
by Vermont Cubs Fan on Dec 16, 2011 7:45 PM CST up reply actions
I still think Cashner would be better served in the bullpen.
He’d be a lights-out closer. Then Marmol could be traded.
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Heck
Marmol could – and should – be shopped anyway.
Bleacher Nation - Cubs Rumors and News
by Brett Taylor on Dec 16, 2011 7:57 PM CST up reply actions
Agreed here, too.
Marmol … his command, or lack of, made me very queasy last year when he came into a game.
Author at Acme Packing Company, SB Nation's Green Bay Packers blog.
Sign Prince Fielder!
State high point count: 4/50
If you are grouchy, irritable, or just plain mean, there will be a $10 charge for putting up with you.
by Vermont Cubs Fan on Dec 16, 2011 8:01 PM CST up reply actions
no deserves anything....performance and talent are the ticket
Cashner is a talent, but one that must build his way back and that is performance….not some hyperbole.
As for Marmol, we know his weakness, but teams also know his strengths and possible weaknesses. Trade him for value now.
A friend once told me: "I don't buy the idea that a team learns anything from a loss, the only thing they learn is how to lose games."---Knight
do you consider a bag of balls valuable?
because that’s what you’ll get for marmol
THEOOOOOOOOO (and Hoyer)
by jesus christos on Dec 16, 2011 9:47 PM CST up reply actions
NOT from Jim Hendry!
He’d prolly give him 3-4 yrs & 15-20milli…oh…wait…
There are no facts, only interpretations.
Friedrich Nietzsche
Lets Go Theo!!! 10/13/2011
When has his command not made you queasy?
It’s always made me cover my eyes.
"I'm sore and I'm pissed off. I'm a baller. I want to feel the leather. I love thumb wars. 6-8 weeks? 6. follow me for healing, Jay Cutler does" - Jaysthumb twitter acct
I like Marshall for closer
Trade Marmol if you can get a good package for him. Give Cash at least a shot as a starter, if he proves too indurable, he can then go to the pen.
"We gotta circle the bandwagons." - Devin Hester
by Jose's Eyelid on Dec 16, 2011 8:04 PM CST up reply actions
Cashner is more valuable as a starter
It seems like we have at least 3 closer replacements. They may not end up as good as Cashner. The one thing we don’t have replacements for is Starting pitching.
As I said above:
Cashner needs to rebuild his confidence too. The pen is a great place for that. We can start him later in the season, or next year, depending on how roles are set up and continued.
"Sir,--It has been wittily remarked that there are three kinds of falsehood: the first is a 'fib,' the second is a downright lie, and the third and most aggravated is statistics." *The National Observer* (June 13, 1891): p. 93-94.
Yes
Nothing wrong with his confidence that a healthy, strong arm won’t fix.
by Josh Timmers on Dec 17, 2011 12:01 PM CST up reply actions
If he can become a Garza-type SP than he'd have more value than a closer.
It might not happen, but you gotta give it a shot, and it’s not like were short on capable relief pitching right now. The way the rotation and pen look right now, it looks like the perfect time to give Cashner a spot. Give him another shot at the rotation, and if doesn’t work then let him work his way to the closer role.
I agree on
Cashner in the pen…………I think he’d make a dynamite closer someday. Whoever close must be around 90% in save pct. for this team to have a chance to compete. I’d guess they are shopping Marmol but hard to imagine getting a lot in return based on his bad year last year and the contract. Maybe they get a break and he gets hot early and becomes more tradeable
Would you really say that at this point, Zambrano's better then Wells??
We saw last year what Wells can do for you when he’s healthy. He did fade a bit toward s the end, but I rather see Wells in the rotation than Zambrano
by braziliancubsfan on Dec 16, 2011 8:04 PM CST up reply actions
Z vs. Wells
I don’t know which one is better (I’m guessing still Z), but Z won’t be a Cub after 2012 (if not much sooner) and Wells will be. That alone would make it preferable for Wells to be in the rotation, and hopefully getting better.
Injuries has set him back the last couple of years
I do still think that there’s still underrated potential in Wells. He can really bring it, when he’s not serving homerun balls up, which he did much too often last year. I thought Wells was listed as number 4 starter, if they don’t Maholm or Darvish.
by braziliancubsfan on Dec 16, 2011 8:18 PM CST up reply actions
Not "couple of years" -- just this past one.
"[The Cubs] have a very famous tradition in baseball, and it will be nice to be part of turning it around." ~ Jamie Quirk, Bench Coach
Z has shown that when his head is straight he can pitch
He pitches much better the Wells when he is in a groove like at the end of 2010.
I don't think it is about money.
I just don’t think they would be pursuing another starter if Darvish was in the mix.
I know a lot of people here are down on Wells because of last year but I think he will do a lot better this year. He was pretty vocal last year about being irresponsible in his personal life (i.e. the temptations that come with fame and a phat wallet) and how that affected his pitching.
The persona of the new front office is going to influence intangibles such as accountability, responsibility, and maturity. This will increase on/off the field work ethic which, by its very nature, will increase the players production. This very work ethic is probably why we haven’t seen Byrd traded yet. I think he will be well respected under this regime.
就是今年！
by CubFanInChina on Dec 16, 2011 10:44 PM CST up reply actions
We still might deal Garza
signing Maholm gives us that flexibility.
by Josh Timmers on Dec 17, 2011 11:24 AM CST up reply actions
I can accept this.
It looks more and more that Z is going to be in Cubs camp. Yes it is only Dec. but I see him breaking camp with the Cubs.
Get Prince.
Al, if I recall last season
you mentioned a few times the Cubs record when anyone besides Garza, Demp or Z started, and it seems we had a 500+ record with those 3 toeing the slab. If we get better pitching at the 4 and 5 spots, we could radically improve our record. I’m not saying Malholm makes us a playoff team, but signing him as to improve the team more than DDJ or Ian.
"We gotta circle the bandwagons." - Devin Hester
Can we just have a moratorium on RoLo references until March or so?
He isn’t signed by the Cubs. If he is, it will likely be for about a million dollars or a minor league contract with a ST invite. Even now, he would be about eighth on the depth chart for starting pitchers. He may be a perfectly reasonable 6th man in the pen.
Maholm would cost several million a year, and probably wants a 2-3 year contract. He is in the conversation with Wells, Cashner, or FA like Saunders for the back end of the rotation. He would start the season as the 4th or 5th starter.
Citing Lopez in a post about Maholm makes about as much sense as implying that the Cubs signing Prince Fielder would let them avoid starting Reed Johnson at 1B every day.
/rant
Except Reed Johnson doesn't play first base. At all.
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But the original poster's comment stands.
Comparing Maholm’s (or Saunders or Buehrle) position to Lopez makes as much sense as comparing Fielder to Johnson.
Unless Maholm signs a one year deal for less than a million with a Spring Training invite comparing him to Lopez makes no sense.
We understand, you can’t stand Lopez.
John Grabow - Who will pay you $4.8 million in 2012?
by rlpete on Dec 17, 2011 8:15 AM CST up reply actions 4 recs
Your Lopez obsession betrays a man crush, I think
Help bring Boys of Spring The Movie to life!
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Question
If we get Prince Fielder,would we still keep B Lahair and have him play anywhere or no chance? He really seems to have found his swing and him with Prince maybe pretty damn exciting!
by bleedinblue76 on Dec 16, 2011 8:50 PM CST via mobile reply actions
A left-handed
sinkerball pitcher coming off a sub-1.3 whip? And he’s cheap? Sign me up.
Only 3 Cubs pitchers had a higher WAR in 2011
Not the best standard but he could be a very useful pitcher. Especially if he can post 200 innings.
"Just shut up and play" - Matt Garza
"Pain is inevitable, suffering is an option." - Dale Sveum
by RiskyBusiness on Dec 16, 2011 10:36 PM CST up reply actions
Cubs making enough moves....
to at least be competitive?
Did you guys hear about the new Lebron James Iphone?
You have to keep it on vibrate because it has no rings.
I don't see that as much of a loss.
A Stewart/Baker platoon will lose some offense. But defense and intangibles will be much better.
ummm
I don’t know about that. It’s a rather obvious downgrade. Anyone who’s trying to argue that its not is not facing facts.
by Nunyabidness on Dec 17, 2011 10:20 AM CST up reply actions
Yep...I know it's early and it can change in one signing, but...
…unless LaHair is a total beast, this team is way worse than last year
Happy Holidays to all BCBers...be safe.
And if a plan starts to materialize then I'm fine with that.
I firmly believe that last year’s team was not fixable in one season. But to argue that replacing Aramis Ramirez with a platoon of Jeff Baker and Ian Stewart isn’t that big a loss is working way too hard to paint this picture with a rose colored brush
by Nunyabidness on Dec 17, 2011 11:33 AM CST up reply actions
Ramirez had a 3.6 WAR last year.
Baker (.7) and Stewart (1.6) combined for 2.3 in 2010 when Baker was used the right way and Stewart was healthy. Factor the money saved and add another player or two and it is a wash. Plus we get one of the most disinterested players in the league out of our club house, out of our infield. He is also prime for a decline.
“Factor the money saved and add another player or two”
And have we added a player that offsets the loss of offense yet?
ARAM’s bat is going to be hard to replace. Again, anyone who claims otherwise is trying too hard.
by Nunyabidness on Dec 18, 2011 2:28 PM CST up reply actions
No, but we are still a long way from opening day.
The difference in him and Stewart is roughly $13.5 million which they can use to buy pitching and/or defense. At this point nobody can say whether losing him will end up making us better or worse, that is why they play the games. I agree that his bat is hard to replace, but how much worse are we right now then on 4/1/11?
how much worse are we right now then on 4/1/11?
Quite a bit worse
by Nunyabidness on Dec 18, 2011 4:55 PM CST up reply actions
Short term yes, long term no
Would have taken a multi-year deal for ARam and that was not wise for the Cubs.
"Just shut up and play" - Matt Garza
"Pain is inevitable, suffering is an option." - Dale Sveum
by RiskyBusiness on Dec 17, 2011 4:14 PM CST up reply actions
Prince can't have 28
He’d have to buy all that Jeff Baker merchadise!
by Mulhollandmania on Dec 16, 2011 9:07 PM CST reply actions
Very happy to see this! I've been advocating this move since July or August.
Solid lefty… knows the division… and should come at a good price.
"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)
So are the Cubs the front-runners for Paul Maholm?
Or do we need 3 contradicting tweets first?
"Just shut up and play" - Matt Garza
"Pain is inevitable, suffering is an option." - Dale Sveum
Along with contradicting tweets every half-hour about Prince Fielder.
Author at Acme Packing Company, SB Nation's Green Bay Packers blog.
Sign Prince Fielder!
State high point count: 4/50
If you are grouchy, irritable, or just plain mean, there will be a $10 charge for putting up with you.
by Vermont Cubs Fan on Dec 16, 2011 10:08 PM CST up reply actions
The poor man's Buehrle.
Ground balls. low HR’s, 200 IP. Only made 26 starts last year, though. Can’t recall why he missed a few starts, but he’s been around 30 starts during the previous years, so he’s been pretty dependable, And a southpaw to boot, perhaps neutralizing the LH powers bats that have advantage in Wrigley.
The home/away split stats might be concerning, but he sure seems like an ideal pitcher for Wrigley. Maybe he’ll always pitch better at home no matter where his home is.
I like it. I’m also guessing this means they lost the bid on Darvish, though I will wait for the official word from the Hams.
"I'd rather hit home runs you don't have to run as hard." -- Dave Kingman
by BucknerKongCardenal on Dec 16, 2011 10:36 PM CST reply actions
The home-away splits could be related to the Pirates overall play on the road.
I’m gonna take a wild stab here and say they sucked on the road. Well… they just sucked everywhere, but sucked more on the road.
"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)
Why does everyone assume
… that talking to Maholm means the Cubs lost out on Darvish?
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Because there isn't much reason to talk to Maholm if they won the Darvish bidding. There really wouldn't be a spot in the rotation
by Nunyabidness on Dec 17, 2011 10:02 AM CST up reply actions
There wouldn't?
Sure there would. All the talk here about having backup plans and then you wouldn’t want a Maholm in that mix?
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Okay Al, let's do this.
We won’t sign Darvish and Maholm. I know we won’t.
Let’s make a wager on it.
by Nunyabidness on Dec 17, 2011 11:43 AM CST up reply actions
Sure.
I believe the Cubs WILL get Maholm. Darvish? Still not sure. But Maholm, I believe, will be a Cub.
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I think we sign Maholm too, my point was we won't sign both.
by Nunyabidness on Dec 17, 2011 2:23 PM CST up reply actions
Probably not.
Still, anything is possible under new management, right?
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He's parlaying Not Maholm with Not Darvish
A bet of “loser pays for lunch” pays out about 1.8 lunches for NYB.
Actually you got it wrong
I’m parlaying Yes Maholm with Not Darvish
by Nunyabidness on Dec 17, 2011 6:49 PM CST up reply actions
Or maybe allow us to trade Big Z...?
"[The Cubs] have a very famous tradition in baseball, and it will be nice to be part of turning it around." ~ Jamie Quirk, Bench Coach
I think only a small group of people know who won the bidding for Darvish
And they work from MLB. The Nippon Ham guys only know the highest bid amount. They don’t even know the team that had the highest bid.
So unless someone has been able to piece together all the bids (having multiple accurate sources), then nobody knows won won the bid for Darvish.
"Just shut up and play" - Matt Garza
"Pain is inevitable, suffering is an option." - Dale Sveum
by RiskyBusiness on Dec 17, 2011 4:20 PM CST up reply actions 1 recs
I doubt if the Cubs knew they won the bid for Darvish...
They would immediately try and sign Maholm. Sounds more like something they would do if they knew they had lost.
That may not be the case, but I’d bet it is.
"I'd rather hit home runs you don't have to run as hard." -- Dave Kingman
by BucknerKongCardenal on Dec 17, 2011 9:38 PM CST up reply actions
we need
pitching so it’s worth a shot.let’s hope it’s not a prelude to garza getting traded.
I'm for anything that doesn't have me screaming "Oh hell no"!
when I see our 2012 SP rotation. :]
There are no facts, only interpretations.
Friedrich Nietzsche
Lets Go Theo!!! 10/13/2011
Russell...RoLo...etc
(Thankfully, in order to spare my mental heath, my mind has erased the other “major contributors” of 2011!) :]
There are no facts, only interpretations.
Friedrich Nietzsche
Lets Go Theo!!! 10/13/2011
I'm not against the Maholm signing, I'm actually for it, but it seems like there are two Cubs teams right now
There is the Cubs team that is perception:
“One of the highest bidders for Darvish”
“Joining the Pujols derby.”
“Major player for Fielder.”
And the real world Cubs:
Signing David DeJesus
Trading for Ian Stewart
Looking to sign Paul Maholm.
One team is looking to make a splash, while the other is basically dumpster diving. Maybe the two teams will eventually converge, but this has been sort of an odd offseason and I don’t know what to think about what the team is doing
I think the first team is the fantasy team.
In part driving up potential costs to other teams, in part to satisfy the fan base. And the second one is more reality, build a “team” that can compete. Surround a star with crap and you get crap. Put a team of good players on the field and you can compete against most teams.
Well, first of all
in part to satisfy the fan base.
Being mentioned as being in on a bunch of big name free agents and then not actually signing any of them is only going to FRUSTRATE the fan base.
Secondly, while I’m not ready to write off the team just yet, I’m not sure David Dejesus, Ian Stewart and Paul Maholm qualify as “good” players. They are pretty much the definition of mediocre. If the Kansas City Royals had been making these moves I’d be WHOLLY unimpressed.
by Nunyabidness on Dec 17, 2011 10:26 AM CST up reply actions
So far
Malholm is still in the first category. Unfortunately. But it’s early.
I would like a Maholm signing. But without Fielder we are no better than the Astros, we’ll just have a higher payroll.
Maholm doesn't qualify for the first category, he's not a big name free agent. Now, if we drop out of the bidding for him
I’ll wonder if we have any money to spend at all.
by Nunyabidness on Dec 17, 2011 10:26 AM CST up reply actions
He is in the first category
which is guys we are rumored to be interested in but haven’t landed.
That is a much bigger category than number 2, which is relatively uninspiring guys we have landed.
I’m not trying to nitpik.
Maholm and Darvish
We’ll probably find out about Maholm after they announce which team can sign Darvish. Maholm was out the last 6 weeks of 2011 with a shoulder strain, but he’s a lower long term risk than Darvish. Big cost difference between these pitchers.
Tendency to think another team, like the Blue Jays, gets Darvish and the Cubs pick-up Malcolm or one of the remaining free agent pitchers. I wouldn’t mind if they signed both giving them more options to trade a starting pitcher, like Zambrano or Dempster, before the season is over. They could also keep Cashner in the pen, if that’s where Cashner can produce better. It might be good to have Darvish pitch in AAA for a while. I don’t think it makes sense to sign Malholm and then trade Wells; maybe down the road it would.
Regardless, they still need Fielder.
either way
none of this makes up for how much ian stewart is gonna be a black hole in the line up
and the fact we are plugging stop gaps into the positions in which we should have studs ugh
What studs should we have landed for 3B and RF?
stopgaps are exactly what we should have the next couple years, especially young, high upside stopgaps like Ian Stewart.
Yes, please identify these "studs" of which you speak.
"[The Cubs] have a very famous tradition in baseball, and it will be nice to be part of turning it around." ~ Jamie Quirk, Bench Coach
Not
a big move, but the Maholm is a serviceable #3-4 who’s not over-priced. Hate to see y’all get him, but it’d be a good move for the Cubs.
by McCutchenIsTheTruth on Dec 18, 2011 1:02 AM CST reply actions
I see the cubs signing maholm
I see the cubs being aggressive going after darvish. Aggressive enough? We’ll see. I think Epstein would love to sign both, and would offer fielder a shorter term, higher annual contract, but realizes that if they miss out on fielder, chances are high that there will be a smoak, loney, or moreland to acquire. None on par with fielder, but none bad consolation if they land darvish.
by mr_einstein on Dec 18, 2011 9:47 AM CST via mobile reply actions
if they miss out on fielder, chances are high that there will be a smoak, loney, or moreland to acquire
Given these three choices, I’d almost rather stick with LaHair.
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Well, I've been one of those advocating the Cubs look into Maholm...
…for a while now. On a reasonable deal, he could be a solid middle- to lower-end-of-the-rotation type guys. He certainly doesn’t fill our need for a TOR starter, but whatcha gonna do. A couple of risks:
1) Because he’s a groundball pitcher (and a damn good one in that regard), his effectiveness will be heavily defense-dependent. Seeing as how the Cubs weren’t exactly a stellar defensive team last year, a Maholm signing could fizzle if they can’t pull things together. Then again, assuming Barney sticks at second base for another year, Castro takes a step forward and Baker/Stewart at third are better defensively than Aramis, maybe things could work out. Losing Pena at first base will increase the challenge, however.
2) Assuming Big Z sticks around, signing Maholm will call into question whether Wells or Cashner gets the No. 5 spot. I definitely want to give Cash Money another run at the rotation, but I don’t really want to relegate Wells to the bullpen. I’d suggest starting Cashner in Iowa, let him build up arm strength and work on all of his pitches and then move him into the rotation when something opens up (Z is traded/benched, an injury occurs, maybe Wells or Demp is dealt at the deadline?).
"[The Cubs] have a very famous tradition in baseball, and it will be nice to be part of turning it around." ~ Jamie Quirk, Bench Coach
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