Aramis to the Padres?

[CP_414]

If we know Aramis is gone after this season, I think Hendry's hands are tied and he must trade him. If LAA offered Santana and Aybar for Tejada, I would offer them Aramis, Maddux, and Rusch (they MUST take Rusch) for Santana, Aybar, and that single A prospect Hendry likes. I know Maddux has been reluctant to go to the AL before but based on his comments ysterday, the fact that it is a SoCal AL team, the fact LAA can win the World Series, and the fact that it is only for 3 months I think he would agree to it.

 

Let's assume a $7M payroll increase next season to $101M. About 4M of that will go to raises for current players (mostly Z). We also have $9M coming off from Maddux, $9M coming off after Wood's buyout, and $5.5 for Pierre. I think like it or not the Cubs will sign Carlos Lee. It was reported in Milwaukee yesterday that he would have accepted a 5/60 deal. So book $12M in 07 for Lee. Then sign Jason Schmidt to a 3/35M deal that pays him 11M in 07. Factor in 500k for Santana and that accounts for all the Wood/Maddux/Pierre money.

 

Use Walker's 2.5M and Williamson 2M to sign Mark Loretta to a 3 year 12M deal. Use the extra .5M for Wuertz to replace Williamson in the pen.

 

Now we still need a LF, CF, 3B and have Aramis $11M, Rusch's, 3.5M, and $3M left from the payroll increase. SO we have $17.5M for the 3 spots. Give Trot Nixon a 3/21 deal, Sign Nomar to a 3/26 deal that pays him $8M in 07. Now we have 2.5M left for CF. Obviously if we can move Neifi's salary that would help, but I don't think we can. With the money left sign a vet to a 1 year contract to play good D and have the ability to be an ok leadoff guy. Maybe dave Roberts from the Padres. He makes 2.25 this yeat, so that might work.

 

2007 Cubs

C - Barrett

1B - Lee

2B - Loretta

SS - Aybar

3B - Nomar

LF - Lee

CF - Roberts

RF - Nixon

 

SP Zambrano

SP Schmidt

SP Santana

SP Prior

SP Marmol

 

CL Dempster

BP Eyre

BP Howry

BP Ohman

BP Wuertz

BP Guzman/Hill/Marshall

 

Batting Order:

Roberts

Loretta

D-Lee

C-Lee

Nixon

Nomar

Barrett

Aybar

 

Then you have guys like Marshall/Hill/Guzman/Cedeno available to trade at the deadline if you can improve the team.

 

I think my math is right, and this team could contend. The pitching staff is as good as any in the NL and the offense has some holes, but is better than the one we have this year.

 

 

***EDIT - I forgot about Jones. Trade him for prospects even and you have another $5.5M to spend.***

[jjgman21]

while the out clause is stupid, I think people need to take into account the context in which that contract was signed.

 

without that clause, Aram doesn't sign a contract before 2005 and more than likely isn't on the Cubs in 2006. the option was to get some contract done, or watch him leave at the end of last season where he would have probably been the cream of the FA crop.

 

agents are getting very good at the "we will not negotiate during the season" game.

 

another draft question. if the Cubs keep Aram and he opts out, can they offer him arbitration and get high picks if he goes elsewhere?

 

Well, then you don't sign him. I doubt the out-clause was the difference between Aramis being a Cub or not. The Cubs were not against a wall yet, they still had Aramis for another season when they made the deal. They could have traded him last season at the deadline had he not had shown any willingness to sign by then. With the out option, Ramirez holds all the cards. Whenever you give a player (really his agent) all the cards, you are risking that the player really likes his situation and wants to stay. And usually you lose.

 

I seem to recall that out option was a huge part of the deal and would not have happened otherwise. I could be wrong, but I certainly wouldn't think any GM would think out of the box and just throw that out there. I'm sure it was player/agent driven.

 

so without the out clause contract, the Cubs would have had to either trade him last summer if he showed no willingness to sign or hope they could wrap him up at the end of the year or take the draft picks. this year, the Cubs either need to trade him if he gives no indication of opting in or hope they can wrap him up at the end of the year or take the draft picks.

 

they are in the exact same position, just got another year out of Aram. it was stupid, but nothing has been lost.

[CaliforniaRaisin]

By the way, it sounds like Soriano is a higher priority for the Angels than Aramis (and Tejada obviously the highest priority if the Angels can still acquire him).

[Transmogrified Tiger]

Right after the contract was signed, didn't Aramis make some comment about how the out clause was there, but he wasn't going to use it, or something flippant to that extent? Obviously things have changed, but I think it's a little telling of the importance he placed on it at the time. Of course players have agents for a reason, and Aramis's may have stressed that even though Aramis wasn't interested in leaving at the time.

[USSoccer]

Right after the contract was signed, didn't Aramis make some comment about how the out clause was there, but he wasn't going to use it, or something flippant to that extent? Obviously things have changed, but I think it's a little telling of the importance he placed on it at the time. Of course players have agents for a reason, and Aramis's may have stressed that even though Aramis wasn't interested in leaving at the time.

 

Consider the source, but this morning on Talking Baseball Bruce Levine said Ramirez has told him repeatedly over the last 2 weeks that he wants to stay and won't use the opt out clause.

[bhogg]

If the Angels want Aramis, why would they need Brandon Wood? :D

 

Not possible, but dreaming never hurt anyone, right?

[NCCubFan]

BTW, if Aramis walks after this season for nothing or is forced to be traded because of the threat of doing so, Jim Hendry should be immediately fired.

He should be immediately fired anyway.