Long term future of the Cubs

[NewUserName]

I have a Question. If the Cubs completely bomb this year. I am not saying it will happen just what if it happens. Lets say Hendry gets the axe in mid-season or after the season and the new GM decides that what is going on here is useless so he completely dismantles the team. Lets Lee and Pierre go in FA. Doesnt pick up Woods option. Trades Prior, Howry, Dempster and Barrett. Just basically goes with what Cleveland did several years ago or with what Florida is doing now. Maybe keeps Z and ARAM. Starts going with youth and acquiring top level prospects from other organizations. Then hires a young up and coming manager from a team that seems to know how to develop young players.

 

Would you be mad if this happened? Remember the team would probably have to flop again this year, so consider that before you answer.

[Drew Doughty]

I would be pissed off. There's too much talent and money on and with this team for it to go through a firesale and a rebuilding process.

[RynoRules]

If the title of this thread were a question, my answer would be:

 

"Bleak".

 

:wall:

 

And if we do as badly as it looks like we might, I think we'll be doing the following towards JH and Dusty:

 

:wave:

[Soul]

I'm pretty concerned about our immediate future. Honestly I don't know what the long term brings----I hope a World Series championship.

 

If we get there by dismantling our present team or by adding to what we already have, I'm not sure it matters so much. If this ballclub doesn't perform this year, some kind of philosophical or managerial adjustment will need to be made. I'm not sure what that is, at least not yet.

 

And I'm really torn between the two prevailing philosophies in baseball. The first: acquire solid veterans through free agency, spending alot of money but winding up with a team of superstars. That's great, but how frustrating is it when those vets decide their paychecks mean more than winning? Pretty frustrating. Paying $10 million / year for a guy who obviously doesn't give 100% is hard to take.

 

The second: build your minor leagues and win with fresh, young talent. Again, this has worked for some teams. But many others find themselves suffering through growing pains and the nightmare of mistake-ridden baseball day in & day out. It's not easy to raise children into productive adults.

 

Maybe a combination of both is best, but acquiring vets usually takes prospects, and keeping prospects usually means you can't acquire vets.

 

So how do we do it? I don't know. Maybe if I would have seen a Cub team win a championship in my lifetime, I would be able to answer. 8)

[Andy]

We have a 100 million dollar payroll. Even if the hypothetical new GM decided to retool somewhat personnel-wise, we'd have enough money so that we could still be competitive in 07. I do think 06 is probably not going to be very successful unless our pitchers go White Sox and start ripping off 8-inning 2-run games three at a time. We just don't have the offense.

[NewUserName]

Actually this is kind of what I am saying. Its not like the Cubs have ever been a small market club. Even in the years we thought they were going cheap they were still about 10th in payroll. I am all for being a high payroll team but it seems that some of the money isnt always being well spent. I personnally wouldnt mind if they went with an all out youth movement. Or I wouldnt mind if they just started to spend money to insure they get the best players through trade or free-agency. I jsut wish they would go one way or another. It wouldnt bother me if the went 70-92 with a low payroll and a YOUNG team(not 31 yr old never weres) I am just get sick of trying to be competitive with a top ten payroll and never seeming to be even very competitive. For a team that will have a 10 million dollar payroll we are going to have some glarring weaknessess on our roster.

 

I also wouldnt want to go with a youth movement every other year like the Royals, Pirates, and the Expos used to do. What Cleveland has done does seem to be successful so far but will it last?

 

I guess what I am saying is I would rather lose with young guys busting their tails and improving than with a $100 million payroll of pure frustration.

[YearofDaCubs]

We will definitely hit the century mark which won't be good at all. I also think doing something like this would be a slap in the face to all the Cubs fans who were so close to finally tasting winning in 2003. I don't think they do it though.

[Mizzou]

In response to the original poster... it will never happen.

[10man]

Trades Prior, Howry, Dempster and Barrett. Just basically goes with what Cleveland did several years ago or with what Florida is doing now. Maybe keeps Z and ARAM. Starts going with youth and acquiring top level prospects from other organizations. Then hires a young up and coming manager from a team that seems to know how to develop young players.

If the Cubs are gonna go with YOUTH, then why would they trade Prior?

[TB_11]

I have a Question. If the Cubs completely bomb this year. I am not saying it will happen just what if it happens. Lets say Hendry gets the axe in mid-season or after the season and the new GM decides that what is going on here is useless so he completely dismantles the team. Lets Lee and Pierre go in FA. Doesnt pick up Woods option. Trades Prior, Howry, Dempster and Barrett. Just basically goes with what Cleveland did several years ago or with what Florida is doing now. Maybe keeps Z and ARAM. Starts going with youth and acquiring top level prospects from other organizations. Then hires a young up and coming manager from a team that seems to know how to develop young players.

 

Would you be mad if this happened? Remember the team would probably have to flop again this year, so consider that before you answer.

 

Teams with a $100M payroll don't have firesales.

 

I'm not saying that a change wouldn't be helpful, but what you're talking about is a complete overhaul.

[rawaction]

I have a Question. If the Cubs completely bomb this year. I am not saying it will happen just what if it happens. Lets say Hendry gets the axe in mid-season or after the season and the new GM decides that what is going on here is useless so he completely dismantles the team. Lets Lee and Pierre go in FA. Doesnt pick up Woods option. Trades Prior, Howry, Dempster and Barrett. Just basically goes with what Cleveland did several years ago or with what Florida is doing now. Maybe keeps Z and ARAM. Starts going with youth and acquiring top level prospects from other organizations. Then hires a young up and coming manager from a team that seems to know how to develop young players.

 

Would you be mad if this happened? Remember the team would probably have to flop again this year, so consider that before you answer.

 

I wouldn't be mad depending on how it all went down. There's no way the Cubs should let Derrek Lee walk. If they bomb this season, and are out of it by July, and contract talks have stalled, then you get something for Lee. I wouldn't look into trading Prior either, unless the Cubs are getting a great, young player in return. If the Cubs could get 2-3 ML ready and talented players from Lee and Prior to add to Pie, Cedeno, Murton, Zambrano, and Aramis it would at least be an interesting team.

[BigbadB]

If this team tanks, it will be Hendry and Baker that need to go.

 

No fire sales, please. Get rid of guys who don't produce and keep the one's who can. Elementary, really! Oh, and hire a GM that recognizes the value of a walk offensively, and the detriment of a walk defensively.

 

The Cubs walked 44 times in the lead off spot last year. The addition of Pierre takes away 3 walks from that total. Pierre walked 41 times last year. Better batting average, yes! But a .326 OBP from your lead off man is not something to write home to mom about.

 

Who will bat 2nd on this team? The guy who led the team in GIDP last year? Neifi Perez. I'll be the first to make the bold prediction that if Dusty manages this team all year, Neifi will get at minimum 150 at bats in the 2 hole.

 

Dusty has given me no reason to believe this won't happen. None.

 

Back to Juan Pierre, who will be in his free agent year.

 

We gave up Mitre, Pinto and Nolasco for him. What would Tampa have required for not only Gathright, but Huff and Lugo as well. Tampa would be handing a hair more than 10m worth of salary to the Cubs and could have potentially got a CFer who won't be a free agent next year and might be just as good as Pierre, a power hitting RFer who they might trade for anyway, and a SS with a respectable OBP that could lead off. Would Hill, Pinto, Mitre and Nolasco have gotten this deal done?

 

Maybe not at the time when Atlanta was hot on Lugo. But, I'd bet Tampa would have been interested in that deal now.

[JC]

 

Teams with a $100M payroll don't have firesales.

 

I'm not saying that a change wouldn't be helpful, but what you're talking about is a complete overhaul.

 

Agreed.

[Bgbird68]

We have a 100 million dollar payroll.

 

The Cubs don't have a 100 million dollar payroll.

[Roast]

I dont think we need a fire sale. In all reality, we are only a few steps away from being a real force in baseball for a long time to come. These are the peices we have, and should hold on to (IMO):

 

1B- Lee

2B- Walker

SS- Cedeno

3B- Ramirez

C- Barrett

LF- Murton

CF-

RF-

 

SP- Prior

SP- Wood

SP- Z

SP-

SP-

 

 

That is a very very nice core of guys. Not to mention that Felix Pie is right around the corner to fill that CF gap, Decent-good producing RFers are not a rarity, And we still have a decent Pitching class in the Minors.

 

Really, there are only a few spots where we need to upgrade. The problem is, those few spots (combined with incohearent managment) are what are keeping us back.