Hendry Doesn't Have a Plan

[kroth1342]

This is what really bothers me about the Jones signing:

 

Felix Pie, a highly regarded CF prospect by the Cubs resides in our farm system, and by most accounts he will be ready for the majors within one season.

 

You trade pitching prospects for Juan Pierre, a CF with one year remaining before he is eligible for FA - fine. But then you announce you want to sign Pierre to a contract extension. Wait, doesn't that block the path for Pie?

 

You then, after finding no other options for RF, sign Jacque Jones to a 3-yr deal. You lock yourselves in for three years to a player who is already 30 and will definitely in his physical decline at the end of the contract. A player who, by most accounts, is living off of one quality season 4 years ago.

 

In addition, by signing Jones, you give up your first round draft pick (as well as lose other early round picks in other FA signings), which, as evidenced by your farm system's alarming inability to produce position players, you might kind of need. And I am assuming there won't be a trade market hungry for Jacque Jones in the near future.

 

The bottom line is that Jim Hendry, for his strength as someone to be able to make a deal for players that other teams don't want, has a glaring weakness: an inability to provide a medium to long-range plan for a club and execute that plan. All of a sudden, we learned Hendry "likes guys who can catch the ball." Since when, watching the Astros/White Sox WS? GMs and organizations that try to ride the coattails of what worked last year will always find themselves doing that, trying to copy what worked for other clubs - as it will never work for them.

[sweetpeteman]

In addition, by signing Jones, you give up your first round draft pick

 

 

We don't loose a 1st rounder since we are in the top 15...

 

 

of course, we're just going to use it on another pitcher which we will wait years on and then either misuse him or trade him for some mediocre player.

Edited December 21, 2005 by sweetpeteman

[oldcubsfan]

the pitching prospects given up were mediocre at best. You have to give up something to get a player, I like Pierre. Everyone gripes about a leadoff hitter, now we have one. Everyone hated Mitre and neither of the others are great prospects. I'd rather have a leadoff hitter than a bunch of middle relievers.

[KingCubsFan]

What bothers me is that we went through the whole offseason apparently rejecting offers including Pie and Hill and, rather than try and open up spots for them either now or in the future, we signed Pierre, Jones and Rusch to multiyear deals. That means either Murton or Pie will have to go in a year.

[goonys evil twin]

the pitching prospects given up were mediocre at best. You have to give up something to get a player, I like Pierre. Everyone gripes about a leadoff hitter, now we have one. Everyone hated Mitre and neither of the others are great prospects. I'd rather have a leadoff hitter than a bunch of middle relievers.

 

I'd rather have a good hitter than a stereotypical leadoff hitter.

[kroth1342]

In addition, by signing Jones, you give up your first round draft pick

 

 

We don't loose a 1st rounder since we are in the top 15...

 

 

of course, we're just going to use it on another pitcher which we will wait years on and then either misuse him or trade him for some mediocre player.

 

Thanks for the correction, my mistake.

[UK1679666180]

He has a plan, I just question and often disagree with the logic behind it.

[kroth1342]

What bothers me is that we went through the whole offseason apparently rejecting offers including Pie and Hill and, rather than try and open up spots for them either now or in the future, we signed Pierre, Jones and Rusch to multiyear deals. That means either Murton or Pie will have to go in a year.

 

Co-sign ^^^^^^ That's real talk.

[E.J.]

Let's see, Hendry signed Neifi, Rusch, and J. Jones to multi-year contracts. I'm pretty sure he does have a plan. It's called sticking it to the Cubs after he's fired. :x

[Transmogrified Tiger]

the pitching prospects given up were mediocre at best. You have to give up something to get a player, I like Pierre. Everyone gripes about a leadoff hitter, now we have one. Everyone hated Mitre and neither of the others are great prospects. I'd rather have a leadoff hitter than a bunch of middle relievers.

 

They were #2 and #3 in ERA in an absolutely loaded league(Both made BA's top 20 for the Southern League as well, IIRC). Pinto and Nolasco are good prospects. You may think that they are worth Pierre, but let's not devalue them by calling them 'mediocre at best' or 'middle relievers'.

[GlassCow]

He has the same plan every other Cubs GM from antiquity has had: ruining GlassCow's life.

[oldcubsfan]

the pitching prospects given up were mediocre at best. You have to give up something to get a player, I like Pierre. Everyone gripes about a leadoff hitter, now we have one. Everyone hated Mitre and neither of the others are great prospects. I'd rather have a leadoff hitter than a bunch of middle relievers.

 

They were #2 and #3 in ERA in an absolutely loaded league(Both made BA's top 20 for the Southern League as well, IIRC). Pinto and Nolasco are good prospects. You may think that they are worth Pierre, but let's not devalue them by calling them 'mediocre at best' or 'middle relievers'.

Feel free to call them whatever you want. I wish to call them middle relief prospects.

[Ding Dong Johnson]

Next phase of the plan: acquire Preston Wilson or Juan Encarnacion for LF and have Murton spend the year hitting .375 at Iowa.

[Warren Brusstar]

Plan?

 

At this point, I'd settle for a "Clue."

[Transmogrified Tiger]

the pitching prospects given up were mediocre at best. You have to give up something to get a player, I like Pierre. Everyone gripes about a leadoff hitter, now we have one. Everyone hated Mitre and neither of the others are great prospects. I'd rather have a leadoff hitter than a bunch of middle relievers.

 

They were #2 and #3 in ERA in an absolutely loaded league(Both made BA's top 20 for the Southern League as well, IIRC). Pinto and Nolasco are good prospects. You may think that they are worth Pierre, but let's not devalue them by calling them 'mediocre at best' or 'middle relievers'.

Feel free to call them whatever you want. I wish to call them middle relief prospects.

 

Why?

[oldcubsfan]

Next phase of the plan: acquire Preston Wilson or Juan Encarnacion for LF and have Murton spend the year hitting .375 at Iowa.

Put him into a package for Tejada. My 84 year old mother throws better than Murton, probably judges a fly ball better too.

[kroth1342]

Put him into a package for Tejada. My 84 year old mother throws better than Murton, probably judges a fly ball better too.

 

Can your mom get on base like Murton does?

[Ding Dong Johnson]

Great, we're probably going to see his mom in LF next year.

[oldcubsfan]

the pitching prospects given up were mediocre at best. You have to give up something to get a player, I like Pierre. Everyone gripes about a leadoff hitter, now we have one. Everyone hated Mitre and neither of the others are great prospects. I'd rather have a leadoff hitter than a bunch of middle relievers.

 

They were #2 and #3 in ERA in an absolutely loaded league(Both made BA's top 20 for the Southern League as well, IIRC). Pinto and Nolasco are good prospects. You may think that they are worth Pierre, but let's not devalue them by calling them 'mediocre at best' or 'middle relievers'.

Feel free to call them whatever you want. I wish to call them middle relief prospects.

 

Why?

Because neither has a "plus" pitch and nothing exceptional, good minor league pitchers but nothing special.

[oldcubsfan]

Put him into a package for Tejada. My 84 year old mother throws better than Murton, probably judges a fly ball better too.

 

Can your mom get on base like Murton does?[/quotethat's why he should be in the AL.]

[kroth1342]

Matt Murton is one of the few potential high-OBP guys we have, why does he deserve to be in the AL? To DH?

[rawaction]

the pitching prospects given up were mediocre at best. You have to give up something to get a player, I like Pierre. Everyone gripes about a leadoff hitter, now we have one. Everyone hated Mitre and neither of the others are great prospects. I'd rather have a leadoff hitter than a bunch of middle relievers.

 

They were #2 and #3 in ERA in an absolutely loaded league(Both made BA's top 20 for the Southern League as well, IIRC). Pinto and Nolasco are good prospects. You may think that they are worth Pierre, but let's not devalue them by calling them 'mediocre at best' or 'middle relievers'.

Feel free to call them whatever you want. I wish to call them middle relief prospects.

 

Why?

Because neither has a "plus" pitch and nothing exceptional, good minor league pitchers but nothing special.

 

From Baseball America.

 

I'm not convinced Pinto will ever reach his potential, but he has three plus pitches (fastball, slider, changeup) and a chance to be a No. 2 or 3 starter.

 

Ricky features a lively low 90s fastball that has late sinking action. He throws a plus curveball which he can throw at a couple different speeds to keep hitters off balance

[CaliforniaRaisin]

the pitching prospects given up were mediocre at best. You have to give up something to get a player, I like Pierre. Everyone gripes about a leadoff hitter, now we have one. Everyone hated Mitre and neither of the others are great prospects. I'd rather have a leadoff hitter than a bunch of middle relievers.

 

They were #2 and #3 in ERA in an absolutely loaded league(Both made BA's top 20 for the Southern League as well, IIRC). Pinto and Nolasco are good prospects. You may think that they are worth Pierre, but let's not devalue them by calling them 'mediocre at best' or 'middle relievers'.

Feel free to call them whatever you want. I wish to call them middle relief prospects.

 

Why?

Because neither has a "plus" pitch and nothing exceptional, good minor league pitchers but nothing special.

 

Pinto's change is a plus pitch, his FB and slider are above-average or plus, depending on which scout you talk to. Nolasco's FB, curve and change are all above-average.

 

EDIT: Raw wins.

[CUBZ99]

the pitching prospects given up were mediocre at best. You have to give up something to get a player, I like Pierre. Everyone gripes about a leadoff hitter, now we have one. Everyone hated Mitre and neither of the others are great prospects. I'd rather have a leadoff hitter than a bunch of middle relievers.

 

They were #2 and #3 in ERA in an absolutely loaded league(Both made BA's top 20 for the Southern League as well, IIRC). Pinto and Nolasco are good prospects. You may think that they are worth Pierre, but let's not devalue them by calling them 'mediocre at best' or 'middle relievers'.

Feel free to call them whatever you want. I wish to call them middle relief prospects.

 

Why?

Because neither has a "plus" pitch and nothing exceptional, good minor league pitchers but nothing special.

 

Pinto's change is a plus pitch, his FB and slider are above-average or plus, depending on which scout you talk to. Nolasco's FB, curve and change are all above-average.

 

EDIT: Raw wins.

 

Pinto has absolutely no control and got hammered against good competition and Nolasco is nothing special i.e. middle relievers

[da bears]

I know its already been said, but Hendry is just a moron for making this move. I don't see how this moves helps us at all. I cannot stand this organization anymore. Hendry is more idiotic than I imagined.