Is there any FA left worth going after?
by ChicagoBlues1983 on Feb 3, 2012 8:22 AM CST
Email
PrintAnyone left worth going after?
From my worst calculations, there appear to be 52 free agents left on the market. There's only another month or so til Spring Training gets in full swing. Other than pitching, which Theo/Jed said they would like more of, is there anybody out there that the Cubs should go after on the market? It seems from their organizational chart that the answer is probably a resounding ‘no,' but I just wanted to field the question.
Here is the list of possible free agents left:
|
INF |
|
|
INF |
|
|
1B/OF |
|
|
1B |
|
|
SS |
|
|
1B/3B |
|
|
DH/OF |
|
|
C |
|
|
RF |
|
|
C |
|
|
C |
|
|
DH/OF |
|
|
RF |
|
|
RF |
|
|
Ramon Castro |
C |
|
LF |
|
|
1B/OF |
|
|
DH/1B/3B |
|
|
Vladimir Guerrero |
DH/RF |
|
RF/1B |
|
|
RP |
|
|
SP |
|
|
SP |
|
|
Chris Young |
SP |
|
P |
|
|
RP |
|
|
RP |
|
|
RP |
|
|
P |
|
|
P |
|
|
RP |
|
|
Javier Vazquez |
SP |
|
SP |
|
|
RP |
|
|
RP |
|
|
RP |
|
|
P |
|
|
SP |
|
|
SP |
|
|
RP |
|
|
P |
|
|
P |
|
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.
104 comments
|
0 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
Answer to your question
No.
Join us for complete MLB coverage at SB Nation's Baseball Nation
by Al Yellon on Feb 3, 2012 8:39 AM CST reply actions 1 recs
Answer. Yes.
Jorge Soler
Yoennis Cespedes.
Team Cuba
10-25-2011. Theo Epstein joins the Cubs. Now, the fun begins.
by timh815 on Feb 3, 2012 9:48 AM CST reply actions 1 recs
I think the fact that...
…the list starts with Aaron Miles answers your question succinctly enough.
(And, yes, I know it’s alphabetical.)
"[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
Regardless of the alphabet;
anyone posting a list of players for the Cubs to consider, that includes Aaron F Miles, should be penalized heavily.
He owes each of us $5.
Ezekiel 25:17
by Tat14 on Feb 3, 2012 12:49 PM CST up reply actions 3 recs
how about
you buy me a season ticket and a season’s worth of Old Style and we’ll call it even?
by ChicagoBlues1983 on Feb 10, 2012 10:23 AM CST up reply actions
Who are you, Scott Boras?
That doesn’t seem like a fair deal at all.
"[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'll sweeten the deal.
I won’t post on BCB for the entire season if you send them to me.
by ChicagoBlues1983 on Feb 11, 2012 7:26 AM CST up reply actions
why not bring back more members of the old gang
Aaron Miles INF
Derrek Lee 1B
Jason Kendall C
Kosuke Fukudome RF
David Aardsma RP
Michael Wuertz RP
Rich Harden SP
Sergio Mitre P
Condoms prevent minivans
I think...
only Harden would be worthy to come back as a minor league, non-roster invite. The others should probably consider retirement or a contract with the Florida Marlins. Oh, excuse me, the Miami Marlins.
by ChicagoBlues1983 on Feb 3, 2012 10:18 AM CST up reply actions
Seriously.
There are a TON of ex-Cubs on that list!
Where have you gone, Kiko Calero. A nation turns its lonely eyes to you.
you can almost field a starting line up
that is 8, and with how we have done things in the past, we could just play people out of position and manage with it
Condoms prevent minivans
What about Harden in a relief role? That's about the only one that looks like he may be worth a shot.
His numbers with the A’s last year were not pretty, but his K/9 was somewhere around 9 or 10. It seems like he still has some stuff, but maybe just not as a starter.
The rest on that list are memories with varying degrees of pleasantness or queasiness.
"I don't like to sound egotistical, but every time I stepped up to the plate with a bat in my hands, I couldn't help but feel sorry for the pitcher." -Rogers Hornsby
The auto-response to this...
…has always been that it takes Harden too long to warm up to pitch in relief. And that he can’t go on back-to-back days. But I would think he’d have to at least consider moving to the bullpen to prolong his career at this point.
"[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
Dennis Eckersley
kicked and screamed his way out of town before going to the pen. Weep.
10-25-2011. Theo Epstein joins the Cubs. Now, the fun begins.
This is not true
Eckersley didn’t want to be traded. Green traded him because he was battling alcoholism and felt that Eckersley couldn’t handle pitching for a team that played all of their home games during the day.
Step Three: Patience. The plan is in place.
by Shanghai Badger on Feb 3, 2012 4:11 PM CST up reply actions
I was under the impression
that he insisted on being a starter until he went to Oakland. Thanks for the clarification.
10-25-2011. Theo Epstein joins the Cubs. Now, the fun begins.
i had heard that as well
and it took LaRussa convincing him to make the change.
Condoms prevent minivans
I knew a Cub scout from the Green years and as he told it, Eck went to
Charlie Fox and told him he was now in the program and had a handle on his drinking. I thought I remember Eck also saying he would go to the pen or do anything else he had to do to regain their trust. It didn’t really matter since the sentence I do remember clearly was Fox telling Green, “Once a drunk, always a drunk,” and they sent him to Oakland.
i heard that for years when i was saying Wood to Closer (in 1999)
and that worked out quite well, so i say give Harden a chance with it IF he is up to it.
Condoms prevent minivans
I think Royko (RIP)...
Just vanished in a logical paradox. Cubs with the highest Ex-cub factor?
I think we're done with FA's but
a flyer on Marte or Mike Gonzalez could be OK.
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 Feb 3, 2012 10:17 AM CST reply actions
as for flyers...
I’m curious about Ben Sheets. For as good as he once was, I’d like to see what he has left in the tank. Brad Penny, too. I’d sign them to minor league contracts or give em a non-roster invite. If they don’t work, cut ’em loose.
by ChicagoBlues1983 on Feb 3, 2012 10:20 AM CST up reply actions
I don't believe Ben Sheets is even in baseball anymore.
He tried to make a comeback with A’s in 2010, and it didn’t work out because of his injuries. It is a shame, because he was a great pitcher.
"[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
2010 ended with another surgery for him
i have no clue where he is post surgery
Not surprisingly, Ben Sheets isn’t negotiating with any teams, according to ESPN.com’s Buster Olney (on Twitter). Sheets’ 2010 season ended early when he needed flexor tendon surgery.
Condoms prevent minivans
Seems like he's done...
…unless he pulls a Dennis Quaid.
"[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
by daver on Feb 3, 2012 11:52 AM CST up reply actions 1 recs
sadly I agree
and to think at one time we (Mil and Chi) were looking forward to a decade plus of Sheet/Prior match ups, and both flamed out so fast. It makes how Wood has been able to adjust and still contribute (even as a middle reliever) that much more impressive IMHO
Condoms prevent minivans
No
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 Feb 4, 2012 7:13 PM CST up reply actions
Apparently...
Brad Penny signed with a Japanese team.
I'll take a Rich Harden circa 2008
give the man an NRI
~Ronald Reagan has held the two most demeaning jobs in the country; President of the United States and radio broadcaster for the Chicago Cubs~ George F. Will
He's more likely to get an MRI
Step Three: Patience. The plan is in place.
by Shanghai Badger on Feb 3, 2012 10:58 AM CST up reply actions 2 recs
BOOM-SHAKALAKA!
"[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
FUNNY WACKY TERRIFIC!!!!
"[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
No we-treet, no surrender.
"[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
A few of those guys aren't free agents anymore
Brooks Conrad is an NRI for Milwaukee, Jonny Gomes signed with Oakland, and Dan Wheeler and Clay Hensley have both signed on somewhere, though I forget where.
That being said, I don’t have much interest in any of these guys. If anything, maybe a veteran reliever or 2 for NRIs. Which ones? I would say Shawn Camp, Luis Ayala, Jamey Wright, and/ or Hong-Chi Kuo.
by Mulhollandmania on Feb 3, 2012 10:33 AM CST reply actions
What about David Aardsma?
Is he done? Seems like he’s still pretty young and was very good with Seattle at one point.
Where have you gone, Kiko Calero. A nation turns its lonely eyes to you.
Oh, TJ surgery last summer.
Wonder if he’d be someone to sign in the Dempster 2004 mold …
Where have you gone, Kiko Calero. A nation turns its lonely eyes to you.
I could ask him on Twitter.
He’s pretty active.
"[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 take a chance
comsidering the reliability of Marmol…having Aardsma on the roster would provide pretty cheap depth…it also gives us thwe ability to trade Marmol at the deadline for more prospect depth.
If Bryan LaHair seriously struggles for a few months,
and Theo doesn’t think Rizzo is quite ready, I would love to pick up DLee. He’s not that bad these days and he could even be a nice, cheap bench bat (if they would carry 11 pitchers). He could even be like a Jason Giambi.
I wonder whether Derrek would sign with a team midseason.
There’s talk that he may be Jermaine Dyed into retirement. Why don’t the Pirates just re-sign him? Do they have a better option?
"[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
They don't.
I think he wants more $ than they want to give. Dye is a good comp.
Join us for complete MLB coverage at SB Nation's Baseball Nation
do you think if Derrek decides to retire, he would sign a 1 day contract to retire a Cub?
I know he won a ring with a team that shall not be named, but he was with us for quite a few years.
MCM's Favorite Hawkeye
I would doubt he'd do anything quite that dramatic.
It doesn’t really seem like his style. And, like you said, he won a ring with the Marlins. Maybe if he’d come up through the Cubs farm system like Kerry Wood and played here for a decade or so. But that wasn’t the case. I could see him showing up at Cubs Convention, though.
"[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
If LaHair struggles? More like when
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 Feb 4, 2012 7:14 PM CST up reply actions
Aaron Miles! Duh!
That’s just a joke. Don’t do it, TheoJed. For the love of God, don’t do it!
Tom Brady. Nuff said.
Sign him as a minor league
option. Offer him to Sawks as compensation. Then release him when they refuse.
10-25-2011. Theo Epstein joins the Cubs. Now, the fun begins.
Can Wakefield be worse than Rodrigo Lopez?
[...]when Giants coach Steve Owen, a certified defensive genius, was asked how he planned to stop Nagurski, he said: "With a shotgun, as he’s leaving the dressing room."
I'm not so sure about that.
It’s an interesting question, actually. Wakefield has been worth 4.2 fWAR over the last three seasons (in the AL East, no less), RoLo 0.7. Of course, I still seriously doubt Wakefield would be willing to hang around Des Moines waiting for a rotation spot to open up.
"[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
wakefield imo was one of my fav pitchers for osme odd reason
loved the knuckleball pitch of his.
Yeah, knuckeballers are fun to watch in general.
"[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 can see you have never been a catcher
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 Feb 8, 2012 7:46 AM CST up reply actions
I said watch, not catch!
"[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
Don't the Cubs need a back infielder who can play SS?
Renteria could be serviceable back up. He could be a good mentor for Castro.
I wouldn't say they NEED one.
But if there’s a guy who can play SS and hit as well as DeWitt, it could be a consideration. Not sure of Renteria would interest Theo and Jed or not.
Looks like i'm not the only who thinks he could be a good fit
https://twitter.com/#!/JonHeymanCBS/status/168069449981755393
since there doesn't seem to be much of a market
i’d gauge roy oswalt’s interest in a one year plus team option deal with the cubs, though it seems unlikely he’d want to come here. i’m sure at least one of the relievers on this list will get signed late and end up having a very good year. i’d have no problem bring mike gonzalez, michael wuertz or stashing david aardsma away until midseason.
Gonzalez is the most interesting name here.
I’d be fine with letting him battle Beliveau for a spot in the pen.
Definetly
Derrek Lee, IF they can get him cheap enough. A 1 year contract with a club option and incentives would be nice. This would give Rizzo some time to mature in the minors and D Lee is a fan favorite. Theo/Jed has moved some fan favorites (Ramirez/Zambrano/Marshall) and a little goodwill in a rebuilding period could not hurt.
No point in bringing him back at all
You stick Lahair out there. Give him a shot and presumably hand the job to Rizzo when it’s his time.
"Hey.....Cubs win!!!" ---Harry
"Cubs win....what a lucky break!!" ---Harry
Why?
We know what D Lee is. Give LaHair a shot, and if he hits well he’s good trade bait when Rizzo is ready. Lee wouldn’t make any sense at all, and in no way would it go with the direction Theo and Jed have been moving this offseason.
Lee makes some sense.
As long as he knows he would be the new Eric Karros.
Where have you gone, Kiko Calero. A nation turns its lonely eyes to you.
Not worth the aggravation
It’d be like Jerry and Elaine hooking up again. Starts off with “this” but pretty soon somebody wants “that”… and “the other”.
But if you still want to go ahead, well – there’d have to be rules…
Lou Brown: "My kinda team, Charlie, my kinda team..."
Ha.
Well, I see your point. I still don’t think it would be a terrible idea, if there are ground rules.
Where have you gone, Kiko Calero. A nation turns its lonely eyes to you.
I just don't see the point.
And as far as I know, LaHair doesn’t have terrible splits. And even if he does, Baker is a fine platoon partner at any position.
One point is defense.
LaHair isn’t that great defensively, and Baker would be playing out of position (albeit at an easier position).
I’m kind of interested to see what LaHair can do, but if he turns out to be a AAAA player, the Cubs lineup will be pretty weak. I know it’s a rebuilding year, and we can probably put up with a bad lineup in 2012.
Lee had pretty good numbers in Pittsburgh last year. I wouldn’t be opposed to signing him for $2 million with incentives in a reserve (for now) role.
Where have you gone, Kiko Calero. A nation turns its lonely eyes to you.
I don't think he'd sign for that little and in that role.
DLee is one of my all-time favorite Cubs, but I feel like bringing him back would be awkward.
"[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
If he wouldn't take that role ...
then he’s not worth bringing back.
Where have you gone, Kiko Calero. A nation turns its lonely eyes to you.
Well if LaHair turns out to be a AAAA player, why wouldn't you just call Rizzo up?
His defense is probably pretty comparable to Lee’s at this point, and he actually has a future on the team. And having both LaHair and and Lee on the team would really kill our bench versatility, unless we only go with one primary backup OF, and that doesn’t seem likely with our abundance of outfielders.
Well if LaHair turns out to be a AAAA player, why wouldn’t you just call Rizzo up?
I agree, that’s the likely scenario. Derrek Lee? That would be pretty ridiculous in 2012.
Join us for complete MLB coverage at SB Nation's Baseball Nation
Lee would be a stop gap.
until Rizzo is ready. I’m not saying give hime some big contract, rather maybe a 5 mill with incentives. Here are my reasons:
1.This team needs some veteran leadership. Wood is nice but wouldn’t be helpful to have someone with a ring
2. If any older player could bounce back, it would be Lee. This guy is an athlete beyond baseball.
3. Couldn’t we have a few fan favorites? The Rays signed Pena for 7.25 million, what would be wrong with a big discount contract for Lee. He does not seems to have a lot of options left, so he may be cheap, if he does not retire.
I am one of the few that is not really all that enamored with the new regime. For what the Brewers got Ramirez for, we could have paid him and kept one of the best hitting 3rd basemen in the league. As for the Zambrano trade,the team is eating so much of his salary, they should have kept the best hitting pitcher in baseball. Currently, as it is made up, Soriano will probably lead the team homers. We are talking about a guy who hit 35 home runs for us as recent as 2009.
they should have kept the best hitting pitcher in baseball
heheheh
Just wee-un.
by jesus christos on Feb 5, 2012 3:26 PM CST up reply actions
We already have a stopgap with more upside.
His name is Brian LaHair. Lee has been pretty mediocre since 2009, obviously because he’s old and on the decline, he’s probably not gonna magically turn it around and be a force again. Theo isnt bringing back a mediocre player because he’s a fan favorite, nor should he.
And you’re really bitching that we traded Z, a total head case, for a guy who’s younger, under control for a few years, and pitched as well as Z last year and has more untapped upside? Because Z is a good hitting pitcher? Dear lord. Ramirez is still a force, but why pay him a boatload to play for a shitty team the next couple teams, and knowing how bad his defense is now, can you imagine how terrible it will be in 2014? Stewart has power upside, and is miles ahead of Aram defensively. Aram is a luxury that didn’t fit for our future. Theo and Jed will spend big money when we’re ready to compete, but now is not the time. It may be next year, or maybe two years from now. Spending millions on declining veterans and relying solely on free agents is what got us in this hole. Theo knows what he’s doing, and it starts with building a core of young players.
by Dcr18 on Feb 5, 2012 3:35 PM CST up reply actions 1 recs
"Theo isnt bringing back a mediocre player because he’s a fan favorite"
Ummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
For some fans, Kerry Wood is that dollap of pumpkin paste.
You may have a point if Wood were mediocre.
Sure, Wood being a fan favorite was a big part of him coming back. But he’s still a strong set up man that was brought in at slightly less than market value. Wood has been better at his job the last two years than Lee.
mediocre or not
the cubs clearly have no intention of trying to compete in 2012 so spending $3 million on a set up man doesn’t make much baseball sense.
They still want to be somewhat competitive.
Giving three mil to Wood isn’t a big investment, and it could be the difference between a few wins. Do you want the pen to consist of Marmol, Samardzija, Russell, and four rookies? I’m all for letting the kids play, but having a veteran presence in the pen to mentor the young guys is very valuable, if that guy can actually pitch, like Wood can. We can’t just go have a daycare pen like we had in 2010, we all saw how that worked out.
Theo and Jed may not expect us to make the playoffs, but they are going to make as many moves to help the 2012 team as long as they don’t hurt the future. Signing Wood still leaves three open spots in the pen, so it’s not like he’s blocking someone, and he does help make the 2012 team better. Maybe if they signed him to a three year deal it wouldn’t make sense, but signing guys to short deals like this one, as well as the Maholm and Dejesus signings, makes perfect baseball sense. Expecting the team to throw out ten rookies on opening day and not spending ANY money this offseason just because we’re not expected to compete isn’t realistic.
I wouldn't use the word "mediocre" to describe Kerry Wood as a reliever.
He’s still "decent’ to even “good” in that role.
"[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
OK, here goes.
1. LaHair is the stopgap, if he hits he can be flipped or moved to left field if/when Soriano gets traded or hurt.
2. We have veteran leadership, Wood, Dempster, Byrd, DeJesus, Soriano, Garza.
3. DLee, and I love him sees his best days in his rear view mirror.
4. Fan Faves? Castro, Reed, Barney, Garza, Dempster, Wood, Campana, are all popular.
5. As for Ramirez, I was neutral on what they should do with him, let the Crew pay him to watch ground balls go by him, I don’t think he will greatly outperform a Stewart/Baker combo.
6. Z, with Z 51-68 with Z going 9-7 (11-10 in his starts) without his baggage 20-23.
by jpeters407 on Feb 5, 2012 3:56 PM CST up reply actions 2 recs
I like your #1
If LaHair can at least hit RHP, he could become a viable platoon with Soriano, whose OBP against right handers has really gotten awful. That kind of playing shift could also encourage Soriano to either change his approach at the plate and/or approve a trade, if Epstein is fortunate enough to find a partner.
DLee is too fragile now
If he could stay healthy then maybe he can have a .850 ops. I think a team like a Brewers should give him a incentive deal.
The Rizzo stop gap may not be needed for long
If you believe the Bill James projections, Rizzo should get 439 plate appearances in 2012. LaHair is projected for 316 plate appearances. That’s 755 plate appearances at first base, so something has to give. And that’s before considering Derrek Lee.
"Just shut up and play" - Matt Garza
"Pain is inevitable, suffering is an option." - Dale Sveum
by RiskyBusiness on Feb 5, 2012 10:33 PM CST up reply actions
I wouldn't be opposed to D-Lee ...
on a 1-year deal in a platoon with LaHair. Lee would have to know that he’s essentially Eric Karros Redux, but if Lee’s cool with that, I would be, too. Not because he’s a fan favorite, though.
But the rest of your comments are ridiculous.
Paying Aramis $39 million to play back numbers and rack up good numbers in the summer on a team that’s hopelessly out of it? Pointless.
Keeping Zambrano would have been difficult, and I think the trade the Cubs made makes sense. And, really, Z’s hitting doesn’t matter much in the equation.
As for Soriano leading the team in home runs, it’s possible, I guess. But Stewart and LaHair could bring some power, so if they both hit 20, and Soriano hits 25, who cares?
Where have you gone, Kiko Calero. A nation turns its lonely eyes to you.
*play bad defense
Where have you gone, Kiko Calero. A nation turns its lonely eyes to you.
frightening number
of crappy ex-Cubs on that list
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
Related FanPosts on Bleed Cubbie Blue
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
Recommended FanPosts
Recent FanPosts
FanShots
Quick hits of video, photos, quotes, chats, links and lists that you find around the web.
Recommended FanShots
Recent FanShots
Cubs By The Numbers
Cubs By The Numbers is a history of the ballclub by uniform number, but the biographies help trace the history of our beloved team in a new way. For everyone who's a Cubs fan, anyone who ever wore the uniform is like family. Cubs By The Numbers reintroduces readers to some of their long-lost ancestors, even ones they think they already know.
Click here to order your copy, available now!
Recent Stories in Chicago Cubs Game Threads
Recent Stories in Ticket Exchanges
Baseball Nation Recent Stories
In Association With
Big League Stew - MLB - Yahoo! Sports
- Eric Hosmer redefines the Baltimore chop with infield double (Video)
- College player makes impossible over the fence catch to save tournament game (Video)
- Security!: Camden Yards guard collides with Royals’ Mike Moustakas
- The Juice: Nelson Cruz matches career high eight RBIs, Pujols stays hot in Seattle
- Benches clear at Fenway as Red Sox-Rays rivalry heats up
