What will the Cubs roster look like next April? Biggest Cubs off-season in recent memory.

Sorry, I’ll wait a while.

we sign Pujols at $40 mil for next year (front loaded contract) – that gives us what may look like $30 million to get SP, RP, 3b, upgraded 2b….Cano has a club option for 12 and 13 so he isnt a choice (plus hes is represented by the Devil, Bobby).

In all honesty, even with adding Pujols, we wont be the odds on favorite for next year but 2013 should be exciting. I think it will be interesting to see what they do considering next year will be the first real chance to completely rebuild (and not blow up like after 08 which was stupid) since the mid 2000’s. Obviously they had to take a stab at contention this year considering the money that was already spent but next year you could, conceivably, have a payroll of under $100 million if they decide to go with a severe youth movement and miss out on Pujols AND Fielder. Even without one of those two superstars I think a youth movement would put butts in the seats next year.

At this point I am kind of hoping that we are sellers at the deadline and can move Byrd, Pena, a catcher and possibly Fukudome. Chances are Wells will be traded at the deadline as well (not that I want that in any way shape or form).

I’m hoping for the Marlins to win the WS this year so we can pick up Josh Johnson in the firesale.

there will be a lot of things that happen this year that will effect the potential class to the point that it’s too early to really discuss what the Cubs or any team could/should do with any degree of accuracy.

However, Robbie Cano … forget about him. Completely forget that there’s any sort of possibility that he won’t be a Yankee for next year and years to come. No one can and no one will pay him like the Yankees. Perhaps if there was some bad blood between them there might be something to take about, but there isn’t to my knowledge. Perhaps if he gets injured or suffers an enormous decline in play, he might be available, but then why would the Cubs want him. Short story, though, forget about Cano leaving the Yankees. It’s a waste of mental processes.

Grady Sizemore is a wild card. If he can have a bounce back year, he might be in line for a decent long term contract. He has probably suffered some decline in speed, but his bat may be back. We’ll see.

Finally, and this may well be the biggest wild card in all of this … but we don’t know who the Cubs GM will be going into the off-season. Sure, we can assume Hendry, but if the 2011 Cubs fall flat, I don’t think he survives much past Sept 1. A new GM means a new philosophy, for one, but also a new set of relationships with players. That could effect the re-signing of guys like Wood and Dempster. Maybe it would mean a trade of Z. Who knows?

At this point, I’m more interested in watching what happens in the front office and watching some of these players first before I can really make any sort of determinations on how it applies to the Cubs.

and looking ahead. I haven’t given up on this season, but this team will need many, many things to go right to stay in contention.

I think a post like this will be even more interesting towards the trade deadline, when the Cubs need to form (or reveal) a plan moving forward.

…but then ultimately when they fail (by not offering competitive offers) they’ll extend Dempster for slightly too much money, give Ramirez a 3-year extension, and then use the lack of big free agents as an excuse to slash the payroll. If we sign anyone it will be to overpay for a toolsy outfielder like David Dejesus.

Just my guess, based on the way Rickets has been operating. I wouldn’t be surprised to see a $100M payroll next year.

I’d like to see some veteran stop-gap signings paired with one giant FA splash. Our OF and IF looks pretty good right now in 2012 and 2013; but we could use a heavy hitter corner infielder or veteran bat off the bench. I don’t know the list of veteran FAs in 2012 off the top of my head, but look at what the Yankees have done with Andruw Jones, Eric Chavez, etc. That’s what I’m thinking.

As for pitching, I’m pretty “meh” because it really will take the entire 2011 season for that to shape up and sort itself out for 2012.

Dan

I reserve right to change my opinion, but here’s my thinking.

Pujols will going to control the 1B market next year and will want to get paid big time. He will end up overpaid for a contract that is too long and I think it is a bad idea.

Yes Pujols is great, and probably will continue to be great for a few years. But NO PLAYER is worth big guaranteed money into their 40s. I would rather go with lesser talent and a more modest price that can be replaced in 3-4 years. I don’t care about the star power of putting butts in seats. Signing Pujols to big money will hamper the teams ability to compete for a long time – a crappy team with one star won’t fill Wrigley.

As another 1B option – if , and only if, Wellington can hold down the catcher spot next year with number that are 80% what Soto can do, is it worth seeing if Soto can play first primarily and still occasionally catch. I’m thinking of the Victor Martinez model here.

on Cano for ‘12 and ’13. No way they don’t pick up both of them. They’ll likely sign him long-term before then too.

the FA market for 3B is extremely limited in that Ramirez IS the market. That suggests to me that Hendry would do well to trade Rami mid season. We have numerous prospects at 3B and it would allow us to bring a number of them in to see their response to the call ups.It would also free up more money to make the push for Pujols or Fielder.

And since the overall FA market is poor, it’s a good opportunity to begin the build from within policy. Our AA team is loaded with potential position players. Rather than see them turn into AAAA grade players, I’d love to see 4-5 of them on our 2)12 roster. The following year we’ll be looking at possibly the greatest list of FA pitchers in man years. With the low base payroll and an idea which of our prospects are keepers, we’ll be capable of buying the missing #1 and #2 rotation hurlers.

By then, perhaps Hill will finally have attained the goal of Hendry to manage us into the WS.

Looking forward to see who we pick up.

Boy has the car keys. Until that is decided then the direction is next.
 One thing for sure I do not want Carlos Pena back at first, Done. I rather see a Colvin/Baker platoon, and Jackson in the outfield.

Regardless of whether they sign Pujols or not (and I don’t think the $/year will be the issue, it’ll be the number of years for a guy of questionable age), I think the team may look surprisingly younger next year. Either they sign Pujols or Fielder and thus go cheap on others, or they don’t and realize they have no hope and save their money for 2013 and “let the kids play.”

Guys with an 80% chance of being gone: Ramirez, Pena, Fukodome, Byrd, Hill, Johnson, DeWitt, Grabow. (6 of these 8)

Guys with a 60-80% chance of being gone: Dempster, Z, Stevens, Shark, Castillo (3 of these 5)

Free agent signings:
- 1B – They’ll probably not get Pujols (to the AL) and feel that they have to overpay for Fielder.
- 3B – They’ll go Pena-esque unless Vitters completely lays an egg this year.
- #3 starter on a 3-year deal with a vested 4th year
- overpriced veteran set-up man – teams never learn (see Ohman, Will to White Sox)

10 gone, 4 signed, that leaves two to six spots to fill from the minors. BJax, Vitters, a backup C (Max R./Castillo), Carpenter, a backup all-field/no-hit SS/2B, and another RH OF to caddy for Soriano.

in that I like thinking backward toward this year- if that makes any sense. The division is looking like 90 wins may run away from the pack. To see the Cubs hang, so far, w/out Wells and Cashner is interesting. I see them (back end of rotation) as a team strength vs. the rest of the Central.
What does Hendrey do if the Cubs are in it at the break? To better set up for ‘12 and beyond, they sell, but how do JH and ownership sell such moves to the base? They have to buy if w/in striking distance, but at what cost? The ’11 Cubs of April aren’t terribly inspiring; they’re plucky, but way mortal. JH is screwed if they prove to suck, but also kind of screwed if they hang- his Pena signing looks like a loser, and trading Gorz, to start Russell as bad.
 If I’m Ricketts looking forward, I axe JH by June if Pena continues to bite, even if the Cubs are posing. Play Colvin every day. Split time between Geo and Beef. Trade Byrd/ play Jackson. Trade Rami if there is a market/ platoon Baker and DeWitt. 2011 is looking like fool’s gold; let’s finally start making some intelligent moves that help set us up for the future. Please.

Ok, that’s my pointless comment of the day.

and went young and cheap from the system. Lets play for a good 6 year run not a 2 year MAYBE

Thanks for putting this up, puts things in perspective to the changes this team is going to go through. Puts more emphasis on how guys like Ramirez, Soto, Wood, Dempster, Pena etc… perform this year and how much stock the Cubs want to put in the veterans, FA’s, or the farm.

Let’s worry about this year, because we will get more options and have more issues based off of performances by the players and the team in the current season.

I’m accepting the prevailing notion that it’s one of the deepest in recent memory; the contracts could be set up to take advantage of next year’s extra dollars.

Other than that, sign Pujols at an unreasonable rate and keep Rami at a reasonable rate.

We know Fukudome won’t be here, that Pena won’t stick around, that Ramirez is old… If MLB Trade Rumors and a lot of other websites are starting the conversation, why shouldn’t we participate?

I think this is exactly the sort of thing people should consider, all the time, if they want to become more educated fans of the game.

I know wild speculation isn’t something any forums moderator wants to deal with but, as long as the conversation is grounded in reality, what’s wrong with thinking about next year? It’s what Cubs fans do best.