Three steps in the right direction sign Carlos Lee, Sign Barry Zito and Fire Dusty

by Augie on Jul 6, 2006 8:48 PM CDT

Let's all face it the Cubs season is over and a big shakeup is needed. With Wood and Maddux's contracts ending at the end of this year it will be freeing up nearly 21 million between just the two of them which means the Cubs need to use that money wisly. Here are three steps the Cubs could take to go in the right direction.

Step 1: Sign Carlos Lee. The Matt Murton exerpiment has lasted long enough and they need a new man out their. The Cubs will have the money to sign him and the fans would love him here. After watching this first half of the year anyone can see that this team needs more power and Carlos Lee is perfict for the job. Not only will he bring his power to Chicago but he will also make D-Lee and the struggling Aramis Ramirez better also.

Step 2: Sign Barry Zito. Now there will be a lot of good free agent starting pitching at the end of this year but Barry Zito might be most affordable of the bunch. A change of league and team for Zito might even turn him back into Cy Young form. He would be the Cubs best lefty since Kenny Holtzman and he would be a great number two starter under Zambrano.

Step 3: Finally Fire Dusty Baker. The first two years of Dusty Baker was great back to back seasons of over .500 the first time in mainy of years. Well things have changed a lot and after back to back under .500 season's the team needs a shakeup in the coaching and managing department. Gary Matthews,Gene Clines and Dusty Baker all need to be fired. Gary Matthews and Gene Clines need to be fired niether one did a good job at being the hitting coach and someone needs to teach these guys to take walks. Now everyone's favorite topic fire Dusty. We need a tougher manager one that will push the players not a "Players manager" and we need a guy that will slap Aramis Ramirez around to get him to try like in 2004 and not just watch the ball in the batters box and not run run hard to first.

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.

Tweet Comment 32 comments | 0 recs |

Do you like this story?

Comments

Step 2

I like Barry Zito, but it's going to be hard to get him away from NY.

"I respect the mind's power over the body, it's why I do what I do" - Dr. Jonathan Crane

by Faith plus 1 on Jul 6, 2006 8:50 PM CDT reply actions

lesson

there: refers to a place
their: plural possessive
they're: contraction of "they are"

your: belonging to you
you're: contraction of "you are"

and couldn't you have added this to one of the 9,000 threads on this topic, rather than startnig a new one?

by tomas21 on Jul 6, 2006 9:19 PM CDT reply actions

What is your definition of...

...startnig????

vote santo for h.o.f.

by santo for prez on Jul 6, 2006 9:29 PM CDT up reply actions

If you want to give advice....

Then learn how to spell tomas21

by Augie on Jul 6, 2006 9:44 PM CDT up reply actions

i can spell

it was a typo. what's "your" excuse for not knowing basic grammar?

by tomas21 on Jul 6, 2006 9:45 PM CDT up reply actions

what collage did you go tomass

by the way that is not a misspell you name

by Augie on Jul 6, 2006 9:56 PM CDT up reply actions

i honestly have no

idea what that sentence means.

by tomas21 on Jul 6, 2006 10:35 PM CDT up reply actions

I think that it is Ozzie...

...and I think he is talking about the ass in the Tomass. Anyway, I would have been against you picking on him, but he is just making it too damn easy.

vote santo for h.o.f.

by santo for prez on Jul 6, 2006 10:48 PM CDT up reply actions

Well smart one...

don't give a lesson if your a high school drop out

by Augie on Jul 7, 2006 7:13 AM CDT up reply actions

i think

you mean "you're". see the lesson above.

by tomas21 on Jul 7, 2006 10:33 AM CDT up reply actions

so the smart one is back...

What collage did you go to tomass

by Augie on Jul 7, 2006 10:37 AM CDT up reply actions

correct spelling...

college it was a typo before

by Augie on Jul 7, 2006 10:57 AM CDT up reply actions

This exchange

is one of the most unintentionally funny I have ever seen on this site. Thanks for the early morning giggles.

"It's hard to put your finger on it. You have to have a dullness of mind and spirit to play here." --Jim Brosnan

by cubbiejulie on Jul 7, 2006 9:06 AM CDT up reply actions

I agree Tomas but.....

man do you seem bitter.....i guess this season has gotten to all of us ;)

by TheBeerBaron on Jul 7, 2006 10:12 AM CDT up reply actions

lesson 2

I think it is spelled STARTING not startnig

by Augie on Jul 7, 2006 10:46 AM CDT up reply actions

What collage did you go to tomass

by Augie on Jul 6, 2006 9:48 PM CDT reply actions

English 101

Isn't a collage a poster of different pictures or themes on posterboard? Let's use university instead. Look everyone, everybody makes mistakes!!! I made one the other day, it doesn't change the fact we're all here for the same reason, to talk everything that's all Cubs! Besides, even with the mispelling, we all still get the point.

by fuzzycubfan on Jul 7, 2006 6:05 AM CDT up reply actions

We need..

We need more than just Barry Zito. Jason Schmidt is somebody I would pay 40+ million over 3 years. Then everybody else you would have to trade for.

"Losing is my only fear"

by Unique on Jul 6, 2006 9:49 PM CDT reply actions

I am quite certain

that if you pay Jason Schmidt $40+ million dollars to pitch for the Cubs for three years, the Trib will be very appreciative.

Plus, this would free up payroll for extending Neifi! and Rusch. (i'm just kidding)

by jcub on Jul 7, 2006 11:02 AM CDT up reply actions

Zito will probably be the most expensive

starter on the market. Off the top of my head I'm not sure who will be available but... Zito is left handed, has a Cy Young, has won a lot of games, is young and he's getting a lot of face time with the way Billy Beane is handling his situation. You can bet both NY teams will go after him. Look at it like the Carlos Beltran deal a few years ago but throw the Yankees in the negotiations this time. He'll get paid more than he's really worth, just like AJ Burnett got last offseason. Being the highest profile starter is a good thing, if you are the high profile starter.

It'd be nice to sign him but I wouldn't hold my breath.

by pageian on Jul 6, 2006 9:51 PM CDT reply actions

Pitcher's payout

anyone think that meurose payout Burnett got will influence some of the pitcher's contracts this year? If a DL ridden pitcher can get a huge payout like that than surely....or am I overthinking it?

"I respect the mind's power over the body, it's why I do what I do" - Dr. Jonathan Crane

by Faith plus 1 on Jul 6, 2006 9:56 PM CDT reply actions

No I think you're right

After the market correction awhile back things got a little out of hand last year, thanks in part to the way Hendry spent on relievers. But yeah, Zito is going to want more than "Burnett" money now.

by pageian on Jul 6, 2006 9:57 PM CDT up reply actions

reality check

As nice as it sounds to have Lee in the lineup next year, you can probably forget about it. I had to watch the Brewers telecast of the game tonight, and they interviewed the owner of the team and he said that they were actively negotiating with Lee right now and that the team would be stupid to trade off players now. He also mentioned that the Brewers are buyers and not sellers in the trade market. So you can forget getting Lee for Maddux, or any other way of getting Lee in a Cubs uni next year. Sorry to throw cold water on everyone

by pmenadue on Jul 7, 2006 1:18 AM CDT reply actions

Hendry better have more than one iron in the fire

Look at what happend when he spent all his time and effort at Furcal! The same the year before with the Sammy deal, we settled for Burnitz. I hope he opens the checkbook and makes it known that we're willing to use it.

by fuzzycubfan on Jul 7, 2006 6:10 AM CDT reply actions

anyone else...

...rather have jason schmidt than zito? he's playing better this year, and has been a lot more consistent over his carreer. when he's on, he's a lot better than zito when zito's on as well it seems, also, i feel like zito had only one truly dominant season while schmidt is capable of dominating at any time. if he's cheaper too then great, i think hendry will open the checkbook too because after '07 he'll need to prove he's worthy of another extension

by kylejo on Jul 7, 2006 8:57 AM CDT reply actions