Results tagged ‘ Cubs ’
The Trade Deadline for the Chicago Cubs Has Flat Lined
The trade deadline in Major League Baseball has come and gone, and the Chicago Cubs were not as active as many fans would have liked. The only trade the organization made, was to pass Kosuke Fukudome on to the Cleveland Indians while eating all but $775,000 of his remaining deal and receiving two below average prospects in return. The reasoning why there were no other moves is rather maddening. General Manager Jim Hendry fully believes that the Cubs are close to being able to contend next year, and wanted to hang on to the pieces he felt would be the key elements to guiding the Cubs to the Promise Land in 2012.
That is why, according to published reports, the Cubs do not want to trade Carlos Pena, Marlon Byrd or Aramis Ramirez. We also can not forget that Hendry does not want to trade Jeff Baker either. Apparently Hendry and company believe that those four players will be key elements in guiding this team back to the playoffs and making a World Series Run. Don’t ask me how Hendry feels this team can compete next year with pretty much the same pieces, when they are currently chasing the Houston Astros for the worst record in baseball. The only changes would be swapping out Tyler Colvin or Fukudome and maybe replacing Fielder or Pujols for Pena. Is that enough to compete next year? Perhaps, but there is a lot that needs to go right for the Cubs in order for them to compete with such little change in the roster.
With so few changes, the Cubs can compete for a playoff spot. You heard me right, they can compete for a playoff spot, if everything goes right for them. That means that Aramis Ramirez needs to contribute earlier than June like he did this year. They will need Alfonso Soriano to contribute in more than just April, and Pena (assuming he is here) to also start producing earlier in the season instead of waiting until May. That is only the start of what needs to go right for the Cubs, and we haven’t even started in on the problems on the pitching staff.
For all those reasons, the Cubs should have been in full fledged fire sale mode waving the white flag up and down the streets, and yelling come and get it as if they were serving dinner. Everyone and anyone should have been on the table for any and all interested parties, except for maybe Starlin Castro. Perhaps everyone was on the table, and they were not getting any offers for any of the players they waned to move.
From various reports, we have heard that the Anaheim Angels really wanted Ramirez, but he does not want to leave the ball club. Another player who was requested in a trade was Kerry Wood, whom the Phillies made an enticing offer for, so much so that Hendry went to Wood to seek his approval. However, much like with the Ramirez trade talks, Wood chose to void the trade because he wanted to stay with the Cubs. There are two players who other teams wanted that decided they would rather bask in the glow of being a Cub than going to a contender.
Nothing against either player deciding to do so, as they are both well within their rights. Ramirez, as has been discussed, used his 5-10 rights to block any trade, and Wood used his no trade clause, which he was given after giving a very generous discount, to make his decision. Would have been nice to get some good young prospects, but the decisions have been made.
Then we have the two players who the Cubs were practically begging people to take away practically for free. The Cubs offered to pay a huge chunk of the contracts owed to both Soriano and Carlos Zambrano, and still got no takers. One such team to turn down the Cubs, was the New York Yankees who print money. If they do not want him for free, that should speak volumes.
If there were other offers made for some of the remaining players, who Hendry did not want to keep, the reports of the interest in them never surfaced. If you are hopeful to compete for a division crown, much less a World Series title, having a team filled with players no one wants is not a good way to start that success run.
Sure, the Cubs could make a few moves in the off season, but unless there are some other trades made in the August Waiver period, or in the off season, this team will not compete next year. The Cubs have some serious needs that must be addressed if they have any realistic dreams of competing next year. Just replacing Fukudome with Colvin and possibly even replacing Pena with either Pujols or Fielder will not be nearly enough.
Trade Candidate: Alfonso Soriano (Also known as wishful thinking)
With tomorrow being the official Non-Waiver Trade Deadline, today will be the last blog on those players who should be traded. I know that everyone not named Starlin Castro on the Chicago Cubs should be up for grabs to anyone and everyone who has even the slightest bit of interest, but I am limited things to the top five on my wish list. So far, only one of the five players have been traded, that being Kosuke Fukudome, but that is a start. Whether or not the other four can be moved before the deadline remains to be seen, though that would be highly doubtful and we would be lucky to see even one more get moved before hand. But, let’s move on anyway.
The final player that I will talk about, is likely the most hated player in Cub history. If he is not the most hated, he is easily in the top 10. Most of the hatred comes from the size of the contract that former Cubs President John McDonough signed him to, which made him vastly over paid. The rest comes from the thought that he is lazy and has lost his love of the game and is now just out there collecting a paycheck. People also love calling him out for his lack of hustle, and his lollygagging when running the bases. What they seem to forget is that his legs are shot. Anyone remember why his legs are shot? Because he was busting his ass from first to third back in 2007. But why bring up the past, fans believe what they want to believe.
Whether or not he has lost his love of the game, I can not say because who can really tell us what he is feeling or thinking? Regardless of why you dislike him, or perhaps you don’t, calls for him to be traded or even cut have been voiced for years.
Unfortunately, because of his massive contract, the likelihood of his being traded or cut is nonexistent. Not counting what he is owed for the rest of this season, Soriano has a grand total of $54 Million remaining on his deal through 2014. If the Cubs want to trade him, expect them to pick up the tab and eat at least $40 Million, if not the whole package. Granted doing so would clear a roster space which would allow them to insert yet another young kid to see what they are able to do for the ball club. What would not happen, which seems to be a misconception among the general fan base, is freeing up money. Trading him and eating a good percentage of that deal, or cutting him, takes money off the top of the payroll. That is money already spent, which can not be spent on another player. Some fans seem to think that by cutting him, the Cubs would have been able to take the money they would have been paying Soriano to sign a pitcher or another position player to help the team in the future. Unfortunately baseball contracts do not work that way, this is not football where contracts are not guaranteed. I wish they were, but that will never be the case.
Knowing that about the contract, I still say do whatever you need to do in order to trade (not cut) Soriano. Cutting him would be completely counter productive to helping the team, because he is still a valuable asset to the team and is still productive, even if his production has rapidly fallen off since 2008. Whether or not you are willing to admit to the truth, Soriano is still the best option the Cubs have in left field. Yes he is better than Tony Campana and Reed Johnson whether you want to believe me or not, there can be no argument. Unlike the previous two, he still has the power to knock out 20+ home runs. With the other two, you might get 10 combined, and that is with getting no power out of Campana who I don’t think has even gotten a ball out of the infield yet, and most of his hits don’t even get past the pitcher.
What replacing him with one of those two does do though, is give you better defense, at least with Johnson who has both the range and arm to play a decent defense. But with his back issues, you never know how long you can depend on him to play on consecutive days. Campana, on the other hand, might have good range and can get to most fly balls, but his arm might very well be the worst in the majors, and you can not have a weak arm roaming the outfield.
If the Cubs are able to trade him, and get are able to even save five cents on the dollar, then they need to do so immediately. If they are able to, then by all means play the scrappy Campana and see what he can actually do when given full playing time at the major leagues. Personally, until he is able to bulk up enough to get the ball into the outfield on occasion, I do not think he will ever be more than a fifth outfielder who is used primarily as a pinch runner.
But bottom line, do what needs to be done in order to trade Soriano. Not so much to save money, because you will not save more than a fistful of dollars, but to clear the roster spot.
Trade Candidate: Aramis Ramirez
Yesterday was a very busy day in the world of the Chicago Cubs. Before they lost the final game to the Milwaukee Brewers, they traded right fielder Kosuke Fukudome to the Indians, along with roughly $4 Million and in return they got a pair of under achieving minor league prospects. Not a great return on our investment, but in the long run, what did you really expect? The Cubs save close to a million on what is owed, something they can stash away for a rainy day and look towards the future as they play Tyler Colvin everyday to see just how good or bad, he really is. This is something fans have been clamoring for all season, and now they get their wish. However, the trade of Fukudome does not mean that the Cubs are done dealing players, and that means my trade series continues today with another potential trade candidate, third baseman Aramis Ramirez!
For the past few weeks, Ramirez has practically gone from one end of the spectrum to the other as far as being traded is concerned. A few weeks ago, the though of trading him began and ended with him simply saying that he would not approve a trade at all. He wanted to stay here in Chicago and play for the Cubs for the remainder of his career. The main reason, according to what he said, was that he wanted to stay in Chicago for his family. Completely understandable, he earned his right to veto any trade by earning his no trade rights with the 5/10 clause (five years with your current team, and 10 years in the majors). Last week, his agent came out, speaking for Ramirez, and said that the slugging third baseman might consider approving a trade in August once his family returned to the Dominican Republic for the children’s school year. Then we have the reports from yesterday where A-Ram admitted following the loss to the Brewers, that he would consider waiving his no trade rights, even before August. Then late last night the agent for Ramirez said that he was misquoted and still was intent on not waiving his no trade rights. So he has gone full circle in the past week or two. That means anything and everything can happen.
Never before have I seen more of a split in the fan base, than I have these past few weeks with Ramirez. Half the fan base wants to trade him and get some good prospects back for him, while the other half not only wants him to stick around, but want him to be re-signed. Whichever side you are on, I can honestly say that I do not think that you could be wrong. Both sides have a legitimate argument, and both situations make sense.
For those wanting to keep him, you will not find a better third baseman available in the off season than Ramirez. You will not be able to upgrade whatsoever if you chose to trade away the best third baseman we have had since the mid 1970s when the legendary Ron Santo manned the hot corner. Then there is also the argument that the cupboard is practically bare in terms of third base prospects. The talk about Josh Vitters has seem to run dry, and there really is not another potential replacement for Ramirez in the farm system outside of the possibility of Marquez Smith, but his future may very well be as a second baseman. So why not keep Rammy for another year or two, maybe three.
That is where those who wish him to be traded come in. Everything depends on how close the Cubs are to competing for the World Series. If they are within a year or two of competing seriously, then by all means keep Ramirez. However, if not, you will not have a better opportunity to trade him than you have right now. He is hitting the cover off the ball and could bring you a big load of prospects who could be the very cornerstone to any rebuilding project you have in mind. He could easily bring you a young pitcher who is bursting at the seems with talent, or a couple of position players who along with Starlin Castro could finally make all Cub fan’s dreams come true.
If Ramirez is traded, one likely destination could very well be the Anaheim Angels, who have pretty much been the main team perusing him. However, knowing that Ramirez has not been too keen to accept a trade, they may not have made an actual offer, which is why the Cubs have not approached him as of yet. However, with his comments yesterday that could all very well change. With the trade deadline only two days away, the Cubs better act fast if they want to trade him to the highest bidder, assuming he actually approves the trade. After the deadline passes though, he may not be moved. The chances of the team who wants him actually claiming him become slim, and the chance of a deal all hinge on the waiver process.
However, if the Cubs do decide to keep him past the trade deadline, and are unable to move him in August, everything depends on what the Cubs decide to do with his option year. One would think that if they do not try to trade him, that they would want him to comeback for at least another year, or they might turn down the option and see if the are able to renegotiate a new deal or let him walk away.
One way or the other, Ramirez will play a part in the Cubs future.
Trade Candidate: Marlon Byrd
One member of the Chicago Cubs who should be traded, but likely will not be, is Marlon Byrd. Despite being the most tradable player on the team, we have not heard anything about other teams being interested in him. There are several reasons why Byrd should be drawing interest from the other teams, one being that his contract is very affordable, and will not be a hindrance on any team who wants him. He is still owed around $2 Million for this year, and a very reasonable $6.5 Million in 2012. Considering that he is actually a pretty good hitter and defensive outfielder, I am mystified as to why there are no reports of other teams at least even inquiring about him. Although, perhaps there are teams interested and the Cubs are just absolutely refusing to move him; at least right now.
In my opinion, the Cubs should be at least looking into trading Byrd before Sunday’s trade deadline, or at very least in the off season. There is little reason why the Cubs should be keeping him around past this year. Sure, he is the best outfielder on the Cubs roster right now, and if he is traded the Cubs will have to depend on a lesser talent, but that should not prevent the Cubs from trying to move forward. With Kosuke Fukudome now officially traded, another one of the players I mentioned as replacements for Fukudome would likely be replacing Byrd if he is moved, so I can understand why trading him midseason might not be an appetizing thought for the Cubs brass or the fans. There is a huge drop off in both offensive and defensive capability between Byrd and the “scrappy” Tony Campana who last time he played center showed why he should never play center field until he can actually throw the ball a little better; that would leave Reed Johnson whose back may not hold up long enough to allow him to play every day.
I am sure that fans would complain if Byrd is traded, but they need to look at the whole picture, and not just what is right there in front of them. The question fans must ask themselves, is how close are the Cubs to competing for the World Series, and can they make a legitimate run next year. If the answer is no, then Byrd absolutely must be traded. If you honestly think that the Cubs are just a move or two away, then yes Byrd should stay; at least until you see if those moves will be made.
Along with being one of the most beloved players on the team, fans see him as a part of the future, maybe not realizing how old he is. When his contract expires next year, Byrd will be 35 years old and nearing the end of his career. He may have a good year or two left in him, but how much are you willing to give to an aging center fielder? He may be willing to re-sign after 2012 for another two or three year deal at roughly the same thing he made on this contract, or perhaps he will want more of a pay day knowing it will be his last contract that will actually pay him a decent salary. No guarantee that he will give us a discount because he likes playing here, and if he continues hitting .300 with home runs in the teens, I am sure another team will offer him something that might be too rich for our blood.
For those fans will contend that the Cubs can still contend next year, and that Byrd should be a key part of that contending team there are some things to consider. While I do not disagree that there is a possibility that they can contend, a lot has to fall in place for the Cubs to be considered a legitimate contender in 2012. The first thing that needs to happen, is the Cubs must sign one of the two top first baseman that will be on the market. They need to bring in either Prince Fielder (who is my own personal choice) or Albert Pujols. Without either one of them, the Cubs will need to bring back Carlos Pena, and hope that he actually does something to help the team in April rather than waiting until May to turn things on. If the Cubs fail to sign either one of the three first baseman in the off season, then all chances of them competing next year could be realistically considered gone.
I love Byrd, and have enjoyed the entertainment that he has provided the past year and a half, but I still say that he should be traded if the opportunity is brought up to the Cubs. Unless everything falls right for the Cubs, competing next year will be very hard to do. There are far too many “what ifs” for the Cubs next year in order for them to compete. As mentioned already, if they do not sign either Fielder or Pujols and they do not bring Pena back, that delivers a devastating blow to any chance they have and should open the flood gates for the rebuilding and retooling that needs to happen sooner or later. On top of that, the Cubs need Ramirez to produce from the start of the season, and not wait until June to start earning his paycheck, even though his hot streak has made him look like the best third baseman in the majors according to all major statistics. They also need Geovany Soto to put up his rookie year numbers, and for Alfonso Soriano to contribute anything positive, which he is barely earning a half a WAR share at the moment.
If you are not sure if all of those things are possible, then the time of acceptance that keeping Byrd is rather pointless. Trade him to a team with a better chance of contending, save some money and start playing one of the young outfielders currently sitting on the bench or playing in the minors.
Trade Candidate: Kosuke Fukudome
One of the more talked about players on the Chicago Cubs around the trade deadline is Kosuke Fukudome. He may not be the best player on the ball club but, according to published reports, he may be the most coveted by other teams. Whether or not the reports are more agent and Cubs induced remains to be seen, there are four teams that have been linked to a possible trade with Fukudome. Of that group of teams rumored to have interest, only the Cleveland Indians have been named as a possible suitor.
While I can only speculate on who the other teams may or may not be, the Indians may actually be the perfect fit for him, as they are suffering through injuries to two of their outfielders, with Shin Soo Choo and Grady Sizemore both hitting the disabled list. One would think that he would fit like a glove on that team, who desperately needs a live body to fill out the void. He provides little spark in the offensive side of the ball, outside or his ability to work the count and compile a very respectable on base percentage, but his defense is still well above average. With the range he is able to provide, the Indians would love to get their hands on him.
There is no question that Fukudome should be traded, as he has no place on the Cubs next year or in the future. With that being the case, why should the Cubs keep him for the stretch run in a lost season? I can not answer that, can you? At least with Carlos Pena, there is a good chance that the Cubs would want to bring him back, as they have no obvious in house replacement at first base. However, with Fukudome’s departure, there are any number of players who fans would love to see taking the field everyday in his place.
The Cubs may have to eat some of his remaining contract, which is about $4 million, in order to move him, but why not? Even if the Cubs have to eat everything that he is owed, there is no downside to making the move. They would have been spending the money regardless, and with the trade they will get a prospect back in the deal. The quality of that prospect will likely depend on how much money the Cubs take on of the deal, as I believe that the more money they pay on his contract the better the prospect will be. On top of that, the Cubs can begin to develop his replacement as early as today, depending on when he is traded. The players who the Cubs can slide in to replace him should satisfy the masses no matter who they chose.
Personally, I would call up Brett Jackson and let him start his major league career in a pressure free environment. By all accounts, he is the future center fielder for the Cubs, and should be breaking camp with the big club as early as next year. If Fukudome is traded, move Marlon Byrd over to Right Field and let your young prospect continue his progress at the big league level.
That is what I would do, but perhaps the Cubs will disagree. They may chose to play the veteran fan favorite Reed Johnson on a daily basis, or at least until his back gives out as we have come to expect. This would fly in the face of everything the organization has ever said though about playing for the future. Johnson may be in the team’s plans for next year, but as a fourth or fifth outfielder. There is very little chance he would be the every day right fielder, so I doubt this is the move that they decide to go with long term for the remainder of this year.
Then we have fan favorite Tyler Colvin who has struggled more often than not in his time at the big league level. True, he hit 20 home runs last year when getting close to regular playing time, but his batting average was well below average and his defense is subject. He will not dazzle you with his range or his arm. Perhaps those qualities that he lacks will improve if he is given the chance to play more. That is a reasonable outlook on the kid, and what the Cubs may decide to do if the feel that Jackson still needs a little bit of seasoning before getting the call up. I would not be completely against this move, as we would get to see if he can improve when he is given regular playing time but, seeing his batting average dip below .100, doesn’t really give me much optimism for his ability to succeed in the future.
The final choice to fill the void if Fukudome is traded, is none other than the scrappy Tony Campana, who already has a portion of the fan base clamoring to see more of him. Whether they think he will be a future star in the majors, or they just want to see less of the “over paid bums” who currently reside in the outfield I do not know. But I for one hope they do not turn the reigns over to Campana. Other than his speed, I have yet to see him give us anything that I would see as talent. Granted, this is all in limited time, but he has yet to even give a sparkle of excitement. We have seen that his fielding is not that great, and his arm strength is lacking. He makes former Cub Juan Pierre look like he has a cannon; okay maybe not, but Campana has a very weak arm and I shutter every time I see him playing the field. As a pinch runner, there is no one I would rather see, but as a fielder he would likely be last on the list; yes, even behind the man who fans call a butcher in Alfonso Soriano.
As you can see, the Cubs have four in house options to replace the very tradable, and apparently sought after, Fukudome. In fact, two of them are currently on the roster, but the two I would rather see getting the playing time are down in the minors.
Fukudome should be traded, and why they are making the Indians wait another day is beyond me. The Cubs must know that they likely will not get that great of a prospect back, no matter how much money they eat of his remaining deal. The only holdup would have to be a hopeful “bidding war” between the interested teams, seeing who would be willing to eat the most money and who could deliver the best prospect. But again, with all the intelligence and news sources out there, the only visible team that has let their interest known, are the Indians. The longer they wait, the better the chances are that Fukudome stays and, the longer we have to wait for the rebuilding to finally begin!
Trade Candidate: Carlos Pena
As promised, I am back with my trade deadline blogs about the individual players I mentioned should be moved in a deal if at all possible. While all five should be dealt for prospects, or at very least a salary dump, we must be honest with ourselves. The likelihood of all of them being traded is nonexistent, so we should focus on the ones who will be the most likely to be moved, and that is the what I will lend my focus to in this series, and go in order of most likely to be moved to least likely of these five.
That being said, the most likely player to be moved is Chicago Cubs first baseman Carlos Pena. According to reports by Jon Heyman of Sports Illustrated, he is almost certain to be traded, with the two teams mentioned the most as possible landing spots for the left handed slugger being the Arizona DiamondBacks and the Pittsburgh Pirates. Both teams will likely ask that the Cubs pay at least a small portion of the $5 Million that was deferred in his initial $10 Million one year contract. That would not be too much of a noose around the neck of the franchise going forward, and would not keep the Cubs from signing a key free agent they feel could help them in the years to come.
The Cubs, however, have disputed the report by Heyman with the usual throw away line of ‘why would we trade him?”. The answer to that is very easy, and will remain the same for all of the players who are on the last year of their deal. Get something for him so you do not lose him without getting anything as he walks out the door, and save some money. Those are the two keys going forward if you have any hope of rebuilding a team. Rebuild the farm system and save some money that can be spent elsewhere.
There are those who are against the trade, as there will always be in most cases, because he is producing or because they think that the Cubs should bring him back next year. Neither of those reasons should ever stop the Cubs from trading away a player. Neither of those reasons should even give the Cubs cause for hesitation. The simple fact of the matter is that the contending teams want him because he is producing and could help them in the stretch run. The very reason that he is producing is what could likely bring us back a good prospect who could be a key to our rebound and key to our future.
As far as re-signing him for 2012 and beyond, the Cubs can still trade Pena and then sign him once again in the off season. If the Cubs think he is a key part of their 2012 team and beyond, there is nothing stopping them from pursuing him again once the free agency period begins, If this is the case, the Cubs come out on top, especially if he does re-sign here, if that is indeed in their plans. They get at least one prospect and get Pena back. Where is the downside to making this move? I surely do not see one. If the Cubs truly want him back, and if Pena likes being in Chicago and playing for the Cubs, then make a handshake agreement with him, letting him know the situation. Tell him you want to bring him back, and would be highly interested in signing him in the off season, but that they want to give him a chance at a winner and that they have received a deal they can not turn down.
Personally, I would not mind Pena coming back. I would rather bring in Prince Fielder, but the bidding war for that puffy power swinging first baseman might reach too high for the Cubs budget. If that is the case, the Cubs need to weigh their options and decide how close they truly are to contending for the World Series. If they honestly think that they can contend next year, and not just saying they can in order to give the Cub fans hope, then by all means bring him back. If not, let him walk away and bring up a kid to play first base, or move Alfonso Soriano over to first base to save his legs. Sure, every time you hear about a Starlin Castro throw to first you are likely to have a heart attack with Soriano over there, but in an honest moment do you not already cover your eyes every time the kid gets ready to make a throw anyway? The move of Soriano to first is smart, because then the Cubs are free to bring up and play another outfielder from the minors and give them an opportunity to play everyday. The downside to this argument is that if he has issues catching those routine fly balls in left field, how will he handle several throws a game to first, especially those wickedly wild ones from Castro?
With only five days remaining, the Cubs need to figure out what they want to do; not only for the rest of this year, but for the future of the franchise. If continuing to play Pena is what General Manager Jim Hendry thinks is the best for both the present and the future, then there is very little chance that he will be moved at all. As for me, if I were the General Manager, I would trade Pena for whatever I could get. How about you? Would you trade Pena?
The Chicago Cubs Have Finally Won Three in a Row! Now What?
After nearly two months I am back with yet another blog. What can I say, I have been a complete lazy bum as of late, and I have not given the attention to my blog for the Chicago Cubs that I should be. I will not make excuses for my lack of blogs, but come on, watching this complete suckfest game after game, would you want to spend even more time on them? Okay, so that was an excuse, and that will be the last one that I give, at least for myself. No more looking back, the time has come to look forward. Not only for myself, but for the Cubs organization as a whole. If you are ready, we can once again continue our path into the World Series Dreaming view of the Cubs.
If you can remember back far enough, about a month and a half ago, I wrote a blog about waiting until the year after next. In that blog I wrote how I felt was the best case scenario for the Cubs chances to be a competitive team again, and when fans can start to see a shimmer of light at the end of the tunnel. In case you do not want to look back or remember that far back, allow me to summarize for you. In my mindset, whether I am right or wrong, I see very little chance of the Cubs being competitive again until the year 2013 when all of these current long termed contracts, save for Alfonso Soriano, will be completely off the books and our beloved Cubs can start anew, hopefully not signing mega-length contracts again like we did for our vilified aging left fielder.
In current news, the Cubs have finally put together a winning streak. We have been teased with such a thing several times this year with winning two in a row, but never have we been able to celebrate such an accomplishment. Sure, we have swept series, two in fact, of the one game and two game caliber, but never have we been able to put together the elusive winning streak. No longer can we saw that, as yesterday some fans celebrated like the Cubs had just won the World Series! To be honest, I smiled a bit as well, and who can blame any of the Cub fans for feeling at least a little overjoyed with finally accomplishing the seemingly impossible feat.
But in an honest moment, I must confess that I felt a little disappointed when all was said and done as well. While I love my Cubs, and I enjoy each and every single win that we are able to rack up, all that win did for us yesterday was to keep us from acquiring the number one pick in next years Amateur Draft. Do not misunderstand what I am saying, I am not hoping for losses. But in a lost year, and who can call this season anything but that, the Cubs need to look towards the future and to start the rebuilding process which will be able to being in the year 2013. That includes building the farm system, which is built primarily on the draft. At the moment, yesterday’s win moved the Cubs into the third spot in the draft. Still a good pick, assuming there is enough amazing talent to last, but usually in every draft there is only one sure fire stud that you can say without a doubt will be a future star. With the Cubs currently holding the third pick, unless the Houston Astros and Baltimore Oriels suffer major brain cramps, they will have very little chance of drafting that player.
Add that into the report from Bruce Miles, who was on the weekly “Hit and Run” show yesterday morning on 670 The Score, which said that Cub fans should not expect any major moves before the deadline, and yesterday was a gloomy day despite the win which brought such happiness to Cubs Nation. In my opinion, not trading as many of these players is a massive mistake. Move as many of these older veterans as you can, and save as much money as possible. I fully understand that some players will be more difficult to move based on the size of their contracts, Soriano for example, but even if the Cubs must eat $40 Million of his remaining $60 Million owed between now and the end of 2014 (roughly $6 Million left for this year and $18 Million each of the next three years) you are still saving $20 Million which can be used on players to fill out the roster.
While every fan has their own personal favorites, only one player should even be considered untouchable, and that is Starlin Castro; although some fans have made a solid argument why even he should be considered a trade candidate if the right deal came about.
That being said, there are at least five players whom the Cubs should move if the opportunity should arise, and clear some salary off of the books. This shouldn’t be too hard for you to figure out which five, but I will let you know anyway.
The Cubs should look into moving all three starting outfielders, yes that includes fan favorite Marlon Byrd, and both corner infielders. I know that in the past Aramis Ramirez has stated that he will not accept a trade because he loves the city of Chicago and the fans of the Cubs, but recently his agent has come out and acknowledged that he may in fact consider a trade in August once his family leaves for the Dominican Republic for the children to return to school.
Fans may object to trading the players who are producing when they should be looking into getting rid of those players who are not. What they need to realize that teams chasing a pennant will want those very players who are producing and not a player who is not putting up the desired numbers.
There are several other players whom I know Cub fans would not mind seeing traded, but those are the top five in my opinion whom should be moved for one reason or another. I will get into why I feel each one of those five should be traded over the next five days. Yep that is a promise that you will get a fresh blog every day this week as I try to get back in the habit of updating my blog on a regular basis.
For now, there are only six days left until the non-waiver trade deadline. Stay tuned, there may be a trade made by our Cubs at any moment, or we may just see out beloved boys in blue stand pat and hold out hope that the team catches fire!
Wait Till the Year After Next
The Brooklyn Dodgers had a saying, which was later adopted by the Chicago Cubs which said “wait till next year”. For years Cub fans have been using this phrase as a way to ease the pain that they have suffered through the years. However, I am here to start a new saying which I feel suit’s the current situation our beloved boys in blue are in much better. Wait till the year after next. Allow me to explain.
Let’s start at the very top, with Cubs General Manager, Jim Hendry. Currently, the Cubs embattled GM is signed through the 2012 season. As far as I can tell, there is little chance that he will be fired before his contract is up, nor do I think that firing him before the end of 2012 is absolutely the right thing to do, though there are those who obviously disagree. Before you call me a Hendry apologist, allow me to explain my reasoning on this.
If Hendry is fired today, or at the end of the season, whichever General Manager takes over the ball club will be stuck in the very same situation, with slightly less of a mess, that Hendry is in. Why on earth would you replace on general manager with another when there is likely very little the new guy can do at the time? I believe that you must allow Hendry to sift through the remaining years of garbage that the Cubs are currently sifting though. The new GM will be grouped in with Hendry as a fool or a jackass who has no idea what he is doing, when there is a great chance that his hands will be tied until this ball club is able to once again clearly see the light of day and begin to make at least some progress.
That is all well and good, but how about Mike Quade? Why shouldn’t he be fired for the bungling job he has been doing this year? Well, the reasons I will give you are basically the very same ones that I just gave you for why Henry probably should not be fired until his contract his up at the end of the 2012 season. For one, if he is fired, Hendry must also be fired on the very same day. As I pointed out a few moments ago, not really the smartest thing in the world to do, because who ever the new man is, will not make much of a difference at all with this pile of garbage smell like a rose garden. Furthermore, if Quade is fired, Hendry would be the man in charge to hire a replacement for him for the remainder of the 2011 season and for 2012. No manager will sign on for a team knowing his GM only has one year remaining, and that means that Hendry will need to get an extension in order to get any manager worth a damn to sign here. And you can not fire Hendry and hire a new GM only for him to be stuck with Quade. So we may be forced to wait through another year and a half of Quade, sorry to disappoint you.
I do not find it a coincidence at all that both Hendry’s and Quade’s contracts run through 2012 either, with the lone exception of Quade who has a team option for 2013 which likely will not be picked up unless a miracle occurs. They are both on the same time frame, which lines up perfectly for when the Cubs will be in their best financial situation, which sets up perfectly for a new regime to take over and do a complete overhaul.
Financially speaking, the Cubs will have over $50 Million coming off the books at the end of the year, but they are still financially burdened with the contracts of Alfonso Soriano, Marlon Byrd, Carlos Zambrano, Ryan Dempster and now Carlos Marmol, unless one or all of them are traded before the start of next year. However, once the 2012 season has come to an end, only Soriano and Marmol will be left on the roster with contracts which are likely going be worth more than the play they give us. That is $38.5 more Million coming off the books. Whichever General Manager takes control of this team will be in a great position to start building a championship contender, with a new manager who is perfectly suited to lead this team into the future! A manager who they may have liked to have hired before this season, but did not want to stick him with the crapfest that the Cubs have become, someone like Ryne Sandberg who most fans are wishing was managing the team this year.
Before anyone takes that last comment too far, allow me to be perfectly clear. No manager, no matter who they are, could have been able to take this garbage dump of a team and make them smell like a bed or roses. That is just simply not possible. I am also not saying that Sandberg will be a great manager, we just simply do not know what he will be at this point in his managerial career. Which brings me to a topic I brought up on my Facebook page (www.Facebook.com/worldseriesdreaming).
For everyone who wanted Sandberg, or another manager with potential, to take over this years team, tell me why? Why would you want to set up a manager, you feel has potential to be great, to fail? Two bad years in a row, and your great managerial prospect is being called out, and fans are demanding for his head. Why not wait until the mess is cleaned up before bringing in someone who has a chance to actually make something happen? Not hiring Sandberg was likely the best thing that has ever happened to the guy, and he should be kissing Hendry’s feet for passing him over for Quade. Otherwise he would be the one standing in front of the fan’s figurative firing squad.
I am sorry my friends, but wanting or demanding immediate change, is just wasting your time. Forecasting what is likely to come the way contracts are laid out, I can not see the sun rising for our beloved Cubbies until at least 2013.
Embrace the wait, and wait till the year after next!
Cub Fans Want Immediate Change, But That Wont Be Easy
With the season looking like the lost cause everyone expected the Chicago Cubs to have, all the attention is being focused on what can be done to fix this team so next season can be better. Fans are clamoring for change in just about every aspect imaginable, from trading everyone, to signing big names in free agency and firing everyone from General Manager Jim Hendry on down to the bullpen catcher. Sadly, that is likely not going to happen. At least not all of them.
The easiest thing for the Cubs to do, would be to fire both Hendry and Mike Quade when the season ends. You can not fire Quade without firing Hendry, or vice versa, so both firings must be made at the same time. This works because both have a year left on their contracts so there would not be a lot of money to eat in their departures. While this would be the easiest move to make, this is a move that would have to be made before the season is over in order to have any sense of an off season at all. In fact, for those who are completely untrusting of Hendry doing anything to help this team, this move needs to be made by the end of June at the very latest. This gives the team at least some time to bring in a replacement to make the necessary moves before the trade deadline passes. Firing Hendry before the season ends also ensures that you have enough time to bring in a permanent General Manager to take care of business in the off season to try and put together.
Speaking of making roster changes, not so fast, these can not be done quite so easily. Fans are always saying “This guy sucks, trade him” or “trade that guy, he is killing our team”. There are several things wrong with that thought process. As I am sure everyone knows, in order to trade a player, there has to be a team that wants him, If he sucks as much as some fans believe, why on earth would another team want him? There has to be a market for a player in order to move them. For a majority of the players currently on team, no one is in high demand.
Aramis Ramirez, is in the final guaranteed year of his contract, so you could try to trade him to a contending team. There are just two problems with this idea. The first is he has lost his power swing, making him less appealing to any team that would want to acquire him. The other is a clause in his contract which states his 2012 team option is automatically picked up if he is traded. If you were on an opposing team would you make that deal knowing you have another year after this one of him? If he does not start showing some power potential, I sure as hell wouldn’t, so I don’t know why a smarter baseball man would do so either.
Alfonso Soriano is another player fan would love to get rid of, truth be told, so would I.. The problem with him, is he is owed $54 Million dollars in the three years after this one. The Cubs would have to eat at very least two thirds of that in order to move him, or $36 Million or $12 Million annually. I am not sure Tom Ricketts would be willing to throw away quite that much money to get rid of a player. He may be a billionaire, but he did not become one by giving away millions and millions of dollars. Face facts Cub fans, he will be here when his contract runs out.
Kosuke Fukudome, always a threat to get on base despite his usual low batting average, is also in the last year of his contract and might be appealing to other teams as he looks like he may finally be putting together the season that people have thought he would since coming over from Japan. Counting all of the everyday regulars, Fukudome is currently leading the team in both batting average (.327) and on base percentage (.438), and we are half way through May, which makes you think that he may have FINALLY figured out how to play in the majors. If he is able to keep this up for another month or two, he should be in high demand for some other team, especially considering his stellar defense. The problem is, every other team has seen what we have the past three years, and may be leery of bringing in a player who historically folds in the batting average department as the year gets older.
One player that might actually bring interest from other ball club is Marlon Byrd, I know fans don’t want to trade him because he is producing and he is a fan favorite. But guess what? Players that are actually producing are the players that other teams would actually want over the hot steaming garbage that fans want traded. Ask yourself one question before automatically saying “no chance we trade Byrd”. Will the Cubs be in any real position to contend for a title in 2012? If your answer is yes, then okay, we can keep him, but I would recommend seeing someone for your cases of delusion. If you say that we will not contend, then why keep him for a lost season? His contract is up after 2012 and I highly doubt that the Cubs would re-sign him to a contract. Move him when you can, and replace him with one of the several young outfielders that fans have been clamoring for the past few months and years. Doesn’t that make sense? Sure does to me.
Carlos Zambrano and Ryan Dempster also might bring in some interest. Dempster is currently in his last year of his contract, though he does have a players option worth $14 Million which he is unlikely to turn down, so realistically speaking both Zambrano and Dempster have one year left on their deals after this current one ends. Zambrano does have a vesting option for 2013, but he is unlikely to earn the extra year as he would have to be in the running for a Cy Young in either this year or next. I am sure we can assume neither will happen, so we are safe, and both are reasonable to be traded. Only problem is Zambrano has a no trade clause, which he has said in the past he will evoke because he does not want to leave Chicago. That could be a problem, but he is still a candidate that other teams could have interest in.
Well, those are the top six players the Cubs have that fans would love to trade, or at very least players that teams could possibly want. That will give us some prospects to fill in the minor leagues, but does nothing for us in any real terms to improve next year’s ball club, except for allowing us to call up some minor leaguers to play. So how about free agency and signing Albert Pujols or Prince Fielder?
Not so fast. Where are the Cubs going to get all this money that they would need to sign someone of that nature? Simply put, they wont. Sorry to break the news to you, but the despite the dreams of Cub fans, the likelihood of the Cubs getting either is not too high. They will both cost far too much to get, and the Ricketts may not actually have as much money as they would need to get either one of them. Sure, the are billionaires, but that is still a lot of money to spend on a single player, especially when you have other holes on the roster to fill.
I know what you are thinking though, the Cubs make more than enough money every year to be able to spend top dollar on the best players free agency has to offer. In years past, this would have been true; however, have you taken a look around Wrigley lately? Have you seen all the empty seats? The Cubs are not printing money they way they used to do. Fans demand a winning team and they are not showing up until they get one. This is both a smart move, and a very dumb move.
Not showing up shows that you are not happy with the current pile of crap that is being run out there day after day. You are voicing your opinion that you want and demand change.
However, on the flipside, not showing up will keep the Ricketts from having the money to go out and get the players you want. If those seats are empty (despite tickets being sold) they are losing a lot of revenue coming from the concessions that get sold every day. That is why there have been reports of Cubs tickets being practically handed out for free over the past few home stands. They want your butts in the seats so they can still make money on the concessions. That is where the Cubs have always made their money. Without that money coming in, the Cubs will not be able to afford either Pujols or Fielder. Without that concession money they will likely be fielding a team of minor leaguers next year. Not the worst thing in the world, as they would have a cheap team and fans would finally get to see all the players they have been asking for, but no sure fire studs.
I am not advocating going out spending money to watch this crap, not in the least. I am just pointing out the reasons why you likely will not see major player movement in the years to come if fans are not showing up. Keep in mind that Ricketts also owes money to the various banks which he borrowed money off of to purchase the team. Chances are he is eager to pay off those debts before making any significant player purchases as well. Can you blame him for that?
Ricketts is in year two of ownership, and you can not expect immediate success in two years after inheriting the mess that Sam Zell and John McDonough pushed Hendry into putting the Cubs in, and not that is not a defense of Hendry, but this mess is not all his fault.
No matter what happens this season though, whatever players the Cubs decide to trade, whoever gets fired, keep in mind that we are guaranteed that three every day position players will be gone at years end. Ramirez, Fukudome and Carlos Pena will be saying goodbye after game 162. New blood will be here in 2012 and the future can only be brighter.
The Cubs Feeling the Effects of Losing Two Pitchers
When Andrew Cashner and Randy Wells went down, each after their first starts of the season, there were some fans who shrugged off the injuries because they were only the four and five pitchers for the Chicago Cubs. After a combined five starts from their replacements, Casey Coleman and James Russell, I wonder if they are singing a different tune.
Since taking over for Cashner, Russell has made two starts himself, and to be honest there has not been anything good that has come out of either one of them. He has gone a total of 5.2 innings while giving up nine runs, eight of which were earned for an ERA of 13.85. Not good numbers for a starting pitcher, not even your number five pitcher. At least Cubs Manager Mike Quade realizes how bad Russell was, and is unlikely to give him another start. When your manager says that you should likely only be a situational pitcher, that means your starting days are over. The decision came two starts, and two losses might I add too late. The next time the Cubs need a number five pitcher, another roster move might be made.
Today, the Cubs demoted Jeff Stevens back to Triple A, and recalled Justin Berg. Next time Cashner’s spot in the rotation comes up, Berg or Russell could very well be sent back to Iowa for a replacement pitcher. Who that is at the moment I am not sure, but if I were to predict I would say Thomas Diamond might get recalled to fill the void. Is he a better option than Russell? Obviously he can not be any worst, so what more do you have to lose?
Coleman on the other hand, has at least had some success in his three starts, albeit only one of the three starts showed anything promising. In his three starts, Coleman has gone 13.1 innings allowing 11 runs for a 7.43 ERA. Not great, but considering there is a massive lack of options the Cubs may be stuck. Yesterday was obviously the worst outing of his short 2011 season. Six runs allowed with four walks in 2.2 innings is not a stat you want to see, ever. The good thing, is that in his last start (the one before yesterday) he shined, at least as much as you can going 5.2 innings. He allowed only one run, while being effectively wild walking and striking out four. If push comes to shove (and we are in this desperate unfortunate situation) we can live with him for another start or two. Mainly because there likely isn’t another option in the minors.
I never thought that losing Carlos Silva, who left after refusing a minor league assignment, would come back to bite us. Granted, he is not a good pitcher, but he would have been a massive upgrade over Russell, and maybe a little better than Coleman. While that is not saying much, nor would that be all too hard to do, the Cubs need all the help they can get in the starting pitching department until Wells and Cashner get back. The minor league system is lacking Major League ready pitching, even though there are a few young minor league pitchers who have been touted as the next sure thing. Sadly, the group of young promising pitchers, which include Jay Jackson, are not ready for the majors or one of them would have been called up when either of the other two guys went down.
While they each only had one start, one time through the rotation, they had the best outing of anyone in the rotation. Losing both of them was a bigger blow than most people realized. As I mentioned when they went down, losing both of them is equal or worse to the St. Louis Cardinals losing their Ace, at least for the amount of time they would be missing. Losing your best pitcher and replacing him with your sixth best pitcher is a lot better than losing your fourth and fifth best pitchers and replacing them with your sixth and seventh best pitchers, one of whom should not even be in the majors, is a bigger blow. Argue that anyway you want to, but losing two is worse than losing one. Especially in the long run.
Tuesday would be the next time that the fifth start is to take the mound, the smart money is on Russell not making that start. Not sure who will, but you can bet that he will give the Cubs a better chance to win a game.
Anno Catuli
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