By Dave van Dyck
With Matt Capps signed to be the closer in Washington, the reliever market is dwindling for the Cubs, who could end up filling the role from within and spending more money on a center fielder.
Hard throwers still available include Kevin Gregg, whom the Cubs didn't ask back, and former White Sox Mike MacDougal. MacDougal was the closer in Washington before he became too expensive this winter.
Texas free agent Marlon Byrd reportedly has been at the top of the Cubs' outfield list, which does not preclude them bringing back Reed Johnson at something less than $3 million. Also available is former White Sox Scott Podsednik.
After their trade of Milton Bradley, the Cubs were left with an extra $6 million besides what could be a slight increase from last season's payroll of about $140 million.
With Matt Capps signed to be the closer in Washington, the reliever market is dwindling for the Cubs, who could end up filling the role from within and spending more money on a center fielder.
Hard throwers still available include Kevin Gregg, whom the Cubs didn't ask back, and former White Sox Mike MacDougal. MacDougal was the closer in Washington before he became too expensive this winter.
Texas free agent Marlon Byrd reportedly has been at the top of the Cubs' outfield list, which does not preclude them bringing back Reed Johnson at something less than $3 million. Also available is former White Sox Scott Podsednik.
After their trade of Milton Bradley, the Cubs were left with an extra $6 million besides what could be a slight increase from last season's payroll of about $140 million.
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Gregg a hard thrower...uh my mom throws harder than him...when will GM's learn that soft tossers are not good closers!
I think a bunch of you guys are ridiculous. I gurantee every GM in the game has made moves that haven't worked out. So Hendry is not alone in that regard. Also last year when the Cubbies signed Milton Bradley I gurantee most of you thought "well if he keeps his head then he should be a pretty good fit". You can sit here and blame Hendry all you want but I don't think he has done a bad job in getting the Cubs to where they have been the last three years. He can't control how the players play all he can do is bring in players that he thinks will be good fits. Just three short years ago the Cubs were coming off a very difficult 66-96 season and the next season with Hendry's moves the Cubs unexpectedly won 85 games and the division title. This past season I do believe that if Ramirez had been healthy the entire season as well as Soriano then the Cubs probably would have won their third straight division title. There was no doubt that the Cubs had to dump Bradley and they made a deal that nobody really likes but they actually opened up some money by making that deal so again Silva isn't very good but at least you got some money back in the deal which really would not have happened in any of the other deals that they were talking about. Now I would love to see the Cubs pick up De Rosa and Johnson but we'll see what happens. Other than that I'm going to give Hendry a chance to one again get the Cubs back on track. I just wish that some of you would cut the man some slack.
The Cubs don't need to sign any of the dogs on the free agent market. What they need to do is go with a modified youth movement. There is enough talent in the organization right now to win. First, play Sam Fuld in center and bat him lead off. This guy has heart, intelligence and ability. Starlin Castro batting second as the second coming of Derek Jeter. I don't care how old he is or what his experience has been. This kid has all the tools so play him. Much better than watching talent less Theriot. Rest of line up is Lee 1b, Ramirez 3b, Brett Jackson Rf, Soriano lf, Soto, c and Blanco 2b. Bench of Hoffpauir, W. Castillo, K. Hill, Baker, Theriot. Trade Fukodome and his contract.
Starters are Dempster, Lilly, Wells, Zambrano and Gorzelany. Closer Marmol. Set up man Cashner. Guzman 7th inning. Lefty specialists Grabow and Marshall. Caridad and Gray. Some serious heat in that bull pen. Put Silva on injured reserve for the entire season.
As far as costs go you would have 10 out of thirteen position players making at or near the major league minimum (depending on what Theriot gets) and more than half of the 13 pitchers at or just above the minimum. Out of a 25 man roster you would be paying around 17 players at or near the minimum. The contracts of Zambrano, Soriano, Lilly, Dempster and Ramirez are the bulk of the payroll but dumping Fukodome would help lots.
Isn't Mel Rojas available?
The backloaded years are now in full affect. They will only be around for 5 more years. Enjoy them to their fullest.
Some of the comments on here are laughable. Everyone wants to trade our problems away. WHO would take on Soriano's contract? And if they did, you would get back one of another teams problems. Look what we got for Bradley!! Carlos Silva???? Holy crap, he has got to be one of the worst pitchers in the majors. And a big fat contract to hold over the Cubs heads. I cut him now!!! He sucks!Just eat the contract and let a minor leaguer get some experience.
Jeez, I see the same people here all the time; one day they're criticizing Hendry for overpaying players, then the next day they're complaining that he won't sign Jason Bay or Matt Holiday, who are demanding 6-8 year big money contracts. Spending more money doesn't equal success, if it did, the Cubs would have won the World Series three years in a row by now. And for Capps, the Nationals can have him. Any guy who leaves a perennially terrible team like the Pirates and voluntarily goes to an even worse 100 loss team like the Nationals, I don't want. He'd rather be the big fish in a tiny tiny pond than contribute to a team that at least has a chance of being good, so let him. Now let's to get a decent center fielder! GO CUBS!
ALL YOU GUYS ARE MISSING THE BIG POINT!!!!!!
While I agree Hendry has made a lot of bad trades or shown poor judgement when it comes to players, but it's the new owners that are proving to be the worst luck of the draw.
All Ricketts wants to do is brag that he's the new owner. He also is showing he's a real tightwad and doesn't possess the guts to make the final purchases and/or trades to bring the Cubs into contention.
Even with a disastrous 2009 season, the Cubs finished only 7 1/2 games out of first. St. Louis has already made a couple trades to improve their club while the Cubs just sit there. And, it's all because Ricketts doesn't want to spend the money.
It also seems the Cubs lack the drive and energy to play hard to win titles. Too many players that just want to sit and collect a big check. So...trade Soriano, Lee, Ramirez, Fukodomo, all the big-contract guys, bring up a bunch of guys named Joe. Either way, the Cubs WILL NOT make the moves or spend the money like the Yankees and Red Sox to become contenders.
The new owners will keep raising prices while lowering expenses and will spend just enough money to keep bringing hungry Cubs fans to Wrigley to show a profit.
Why do players always go to the Yankees, Red Sox or Dodgers? Because most players would prefer to play for those teams because the team spends whatever takes and they're winners almost year after year. The Cubs came close several times but couldn't make the final choices to finish the climb.
St. Louis finished first in the division with a bunch of guys names Joe and Moe who wanted to win. Too many of the Cubs don't show any life like DeRosa and others did.
2010 will not only be the same but worse and they'll continue to sink until nearly all of the current players are gone. And, then what? More of the same...no life, no titles, no nothing.
I still say, stay home, don't go to the games and hurt the Ricketts where it hurts most...in the pocket.
I don't get it...they don't want Reed Johnson? At less than 3 million? and they don't want to bring back DeRosa for similar money? Those are the kind of guys they need: Scrappy team-palyers with lots of heart, willing to play where needed. Hendry would rather go get high-priced busts. Either put up or go away this year Jim....I gotta feeling you will be gone because this theam is shaping up to be a train wreck under your guidence.
The lack of even the most basic knowledge of baseball as a business on this message board is staggering. I'm convinced that the same people excoriating Hendry here are the same ones who would have done so had the Cubs NOT signed some of the so-called free agent "busts". These same people were praising Hendry for "stealing" Derek Lee, for doing it with Aramis Ramirez, for getting Mark DeRosa (not a home-grown talent, folks), and Kevin Gregg, just to name a few. At the time the deals were made, anyone would have made them, even for Soriano. You can argue the Soriano deal was expensive all day long, but you cannot blame Hendry for the fact that some at-the-time smart deals didn't pan out because the players involved didn't turn out as planned. That's more to blame on the individual players than on Hendry as- gasp!- a players signed to a big contract suddenly didn't have the motivation to perform up to his capabilities. Some work out (see D-Lee, A-Ram, DeRo, and others), some don't, but it's not an evaluation issue as much as it is a player not performing to his capabilities issue. Have a clue, people.
You have to look at the fact that the cubs were going after this loser. What happen to when it was more important to win than anything. Even though they underachieved, the cubs have had three winning seasons in a row under Lou. The Pirates lose every year. This guy has a chance to pitch for a winning ball club and he chooses a team worst than the Pirates just to be a closer. Take the c out of closer and what do you have, Loser. And that is exactly what he is a loser. Me myself, I couldn't stand losing every year, and if i had a chance to go to a team that would win over another team that is known to lose, I would jump at it. Who needs a loser any way.
Well, they could always re-sign Cott! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA!
Good grief...reading about these Cubs can certainly depress a fan. If Marlon Bryd is the best the team can do, then yes, bring Reed Johnson back. At least Johnson displayed heart at times.
On one hand, i get aggravated that the Cubs can no longer look to improve their team, because the new owners appear to be all about the money only, but then again i can almost understand their thinking. Hendry has done such a pitiful job on evaluating free agents, i'd be hesistant to allow him to sign anyone myself.
My problem is, why is Hendry still around? Then again, i guess if i go back to realizing the Ricketts are all about the money, and since Hendry is still owed millions, i suppose i answer my own question.
Agree with at least one post..Capps is a very average reliever at best. Cubs would be better off picking up Dotel . MacDougal would put a new meaning to gas can if signed.Silva I predict will be another deal that goes south courtesy of Hendry. Silva ERA approaches plus 5 on a good year for him.
I think the Cubs are better off not getting any more free agents as well. I think they should let most of their players walk around the same time. Fukodome, Silva and Soriano's contracts will be gone in a few years. I would focus on signing stop gaps or better yet, promoting from within the farm system. That way you can analyze what you have from the cheaper guys better. Why wait to call them up in September, when you can bring them up in May/June? Once all of those bad contracts come off the board, the new GM can look at what is available in free agency, trades and minor leagues. He would obviously know what is available on the team and can pretty much start from scratch. I would keep Hendry for another year...but I would have very strict blinders on for him. He would not be able to sign players for over 1-2 years. We all know he will be gone by then anyway. If I were the owner of the Cubs I would give him up until Soriano's contract is up to have the Cubs in the World Series. If that doesn't happen then he would know that he has to go. There would be no need for speculation.
Lumpy shouldn't be allowed to sign anyone for more than 1 year. Because he will be gone in one year and the cubs don't need anymore Hendry players taking up space on the roster and soaking up the payroll.
Hendry can't even sign a pirates castoff who chose the Nationals over the cubs. That is about as pathetic as it gets. Lumpy has sunk to a new low. What if getting Silva is the only player Hendry adds?
Now hendry wants to sign an outfielder? After soriano, fukudome, bradley, jaque jones etc why would you trust hendry to find a good outfielder? This was the guy who hyped Patterson and Pie for about 5 years, and then nothing.
When Hendry is gone his time as gm will be remembered as one long waste of time and money.
You are all missing the point here. The Cubs DO NOT need to go out and sign some over-priced, overrated center fielder. They have Sam Fuld, who has consistently posted up .370+ on-base percentages. And that's the important thing, a guy who can play CF, lead off, and get on base (unlike Soriano, who swings at EVERYTHING he sees). As for a reliever, we've got plenty of guys who can be average major league relievers. We've got the guys. Soto has been working out to get back in shape, Fukudome may be overpriced, but he does not hurt us due to his incredible talent for getting on base. Soriano will either hit in the 5th spot, or he will not. Just have to accept that. Here's where many of you will think I'm crazy: The Cubs should MOVE ARAMIS RAMIREZ TO....1st Base. And shop Derrek Lee. Why? Aramis has become a very good defensive 3rd baseman, but seeing as how defense pales to offense, we need his bat in the lineup. We no longer can afford injuries to our best hitter. Start the season with Andres Blanco and Mike Fontenot platooning at 2B, and then move Jeff Baker to 3rd. You'd be surprised what this would do for the Cubs.
Re sign Mark DeRosa and Reed Johnson quickly.........
I hope they serve beer in hell!
Stop making fun of the Cubbies my favorite team. What have the stupid White Sox done lately, cant even make playoffs over Tigger and Twinkie.
Here to whine, Nada
Re sign Mark DeRosa and Reed Johnson quickly.........
I hope they serve beer in hell!
Re sign Mark DeRosa and Reed Johnson quickly.........
I hope they serve beer in hell!
Re sign Mark DeRosa and Reed Johnson quickly.........
I hope they serve beer in hell!
Last night Sorryano and I flubbed so hard we flubbed our flubs. Then I woke up this morning to find flub in my flubbs. What a flubbing night!
Here to flub,
Nada
Attention flubbers. You are the flubbiest flubs who ever flubbed. I think if you flub some more, you could be super flubbers. But if you don't want to flub anymore, then you should flub the flub after flubbing all the flubs you can flub. Can you flub what I'm flubbing?
Happy flubbidays to all the flubbers in flubland!
Howry was on playoff teams with the Cubs and White Sox, not pennant winners. Winning the pennant means you went to the World Series.
You don't win pennants with pitchers like Capps, Merker, Remlinger, Howry...
Really? Three of them won pennants. Merker and Remlinger went to the World Series with the Braves. Howry was on pennant winners with the White Sox and Cubs. You want Howry's post-season stats? 5 and 1/3 innings pitched, 3 hits, 1 earned run, 2 walks, 10 strikeouts.
Stop bashing Jim and let him work on a deal that would work out for the Cubs and not for ourselves
I'm glad they lost out on Capps. There's got to be someone in their system more worthy of a commitment. You don't win pennants with pitchers like Capps, Merker, Remlinger, Howry et al.
Darn, one less set-up man to overpay. Whatever will Jim Hendry do? Oh wait, that means more years and more money are available for Marlon Byrd. Only thing better than a mediocre reliever is a mediocre outfielder. Sound the trumpets!