Where do we go from here?

[Rob]

So we know what we've got now... and we know what Jim Hendry looks for in ballplayers. So how do you envision this turning out? Personally, I see this happening.

 

Sign Schmidt

Sign Lugo

Sign Floyd

 

Trade Izturis and Marshall (and/or other marginal pitchers) to Boston for Coco Crisp.

 

Trades Jones and Eyre/Ohman for Westbrook

 

If we do that, our team shakes out like this when Lou fills out the lineup card...

 

RF - Soriano

SS - Lugo

1B - Lee

3B - Ramirez

C - Barrett

CF - Crisp

LF - Murton

2B - DeRosa

 

C - Blanco

MI - Cedeno

Util - Theriot

OF - Floyd

OF - Pagan

 

SP1 - Zambrano

SP2 - Schmidt

SP3 - Hill

SP4 - Westbrook

SP5 - Prior/Miller

 

LRP - Guzman

MRP - Cotts

MRP - Ohman

SU - Wuertz

SU - Howry

CP - Wood

 

 

 

That'd give us an above average defense... a lineup with no real holes... a solid bench with a very good 4th outfielder in Floyd (who would bat in front of Barrett when he starts). The bench itself wouldn't be amazing, but it'd be useful enough.

 

The rotation easily has the potential to be the best in the league, and the pen would be extremely solid.

 

And the best part is... I could easily see Hendry doing all of this. These aren't pipe dreams like JD Drew was. With the current market, Crisp might take more to get than Izturis and Marshall, but everything I've heard indicates Izturis would be of genuine interest to the Red Sox, so it might be something more along the lines of Izturis, Marshall, and Wuertz/Ohman... but it could definately get done. And with the relief market the way it is right now, Jones and Eyre for Westbrook makes just about perfect sense.

 

Am I completely off base here? Do you see Hendry doing something different?

[Drew Doughty]

I don't really want to go after Crisp if we sign Lugo, especially if the thought is that we need a lefty in the middle of the order somewhere. May as well just keep Jones at that point.

[Mephistopheles]

There's a pretty damn good chance that Cliff Floyd hits better than Alfonso Soriano next season.

 

I'm just sayin'....

[Laura]

Sign Schmidt

 

--I'll get onboard the bandwagon if that happens.

[NorthsideAvenger]

There's a pretty damn good chance that Cliff Floyd hits better than Alfonso Soriano next season.

 

I'm just sayin'....

 

Or misses significant time due to an injury.

[BigbadB]

I'm curious what Hendry might do if he loses out on Schmidt. Will he look at Drew some more since there won't be a top notch SP to add?

 

In other words, what will be Plan B if Schmidt isn't doable?

[goonys evil twin]

I'm curious what Hendry might do if he loses out on Schmidt. Will he look at Drew some more since there won't be a top notch SP to add?

 

In other words, what will be Plan B if Schmidt isn't doable?

 

I'm guessing 2 Marquis.

[Ding Dong Johnson]

I'm curious what Hendry might do if he loses out on Schmidt. Will he look at Drew some more since there won't be a top notch SP to add?

 

In other words, what will be Plan B if Schmidt isn't doable?

 

Another run at Maddux.

[vance_the_cubs_fan]

I think if he misses Schmidt, Padilla will become a target with Hendry looking to trade for another.

 

If Hendry signs Schmidt, he can look for either another hitter or pitcher. Missing on Schmidt, he'll need two pitchers for certain.

[cybercub]

Sign Julio Lugo for SS. Bat him 2nd.

 

Sign Jason Schmidt. Great #2 behind Zambrano.

 

Trade for Jake Westbrook. Izturis, Ohman and Novoa maybe?

 

Trade for Austin Kearns. I don't know what it would take, but Kearns would be a GREAT platoon partner for Jones in RIGHT FIELD.

 

Try to land a LH bat for the bench. Dave Delluci, via FA or perhaps Ryan Church could be coaxed in the same deal as Kearns.

 

All this talk about Soriano in the outfield seems dumb to me. The guy is a 2B and a leadoff hitter. Use him accordingly.

 

IMO, Pie should be in center. He will provide more than adaquate defense and may suprise us with the bat. Definately enough for the 7th or 8th spot in the order.

 

Matt Murton is our left fielder.

 

Soriano 2B

Lugo SS

Lee 1B

Ramirez 3B

Jones RF

Murton LF

Barrett C

Pie CF

 

Kearns

DeRosa

Blanco

Moore

Delucci/Church

 

Zambrano

Schmidt

Hill

Westbrook

Prior/Miller

 

Demptster

Howry

Eyre

Wood

Cotts

Wuertz

 

 

For about $124.5M we might just break the curse.

[NoDak]

Sign Julio Lugo for SS. Bat him 2nd.

 

Sign Jason Schmidt. Great #2 behind Zambrano.

 

Trade for Jake Westbrook. Izturis, Ohman and Novoa maybe?

 

Trade for Austin Kearns. I don't know what it would take, but Kearns would be a GREAT platoon partner for Jones in RIGHT FIELD.

 

Try to land a LH bat for the bench. Dave Delluci, via FA or perhaps Ryan Church could be coaxed in the same deal as Kearns.

 

All this talk about Soriano in the outfield seems dumb to me. The guy is a 2B and a leadoff hitter. Use him accordingly.

 

IMO, Pie should be in center. He will provide more than adaquate defense and may suprise us with the bat. Definately enough for the 7th or 8th spot in the order.

 

Matt Murton is our left fielder.

 

Soriano 2B

Lugo SS

Lee 1B

Ramirez 3B

Jones RF

Murton LF

Barrett C

Pie CF

 

Kearns

DeRosa

Blanco

Moore

Delucci/Church

 

Zambrano

Schmidt

Hill

Westbrook

Prior/Miller

 

Demptster

Howry

Eyre

Wood

Cotts

Wuertz

 

 

For about $124.5M we might just break the curse.

 

DeRosa is awfully expensive to sit on the bench. While that may not make sense for the best line-up baseball teams tend to play guys based on salary rather than on true ability.

 

I don't remember, is there a rule that we cannot trade DeRosa until a certain point next season since he was just signed? It seems like there is a rule that he cannot be traded until June 1 or something like that.

[ThePenguin11]

I'm gonna say that the Cubs either sign Igawa or Schmidt then sign Floyd after his health issues are cleared up and end up with Maddux after Hendry realizes that the other tier 2/3 free agents are no better statistically. I'd like to see Lugo brought in since his price tag is relatively low, but I anticipate that we'll see Floyd brought in at under $6M for a one-year deal.

[cybercub]

I believe your right, DeRosa cannot be traded until June 1. Even so, it seems he has been a utility player his whole career. He's a fantastic insurance policy given our recent injury history.

[YearofDaCubs]

I'm gonna say that the Cubs either sign Igawa or Schmidt then sign Floyd after his health issues are cleared up and end up with Maddux after Hendry realizes that the other tier 2/3 free agents are no better statistically. I'd like to see Lugo brought in since his price tag is relatively low, but I anticipate that we'll see Floyd brought in at under $6M for a one-year deal.

Signing Maddux would be a terrible idea IMO.

[ThePenguin11]

I'm gonna say that the Cubs either sign Igawa or Schmidt then sign Floyd after his health issues are cleared up and end up with Maddux after Hendry realizes that the other tier 2/3 free agents are no better statistically. I'd like to see Lugo brought in since his price tag is relatively low, but I anticipate that we'll see Floyd brought in at under $6M for a one-year deal.

Signing Maddux would be a terrible idea IMO.

 

If he came at the same price of a Gil Meche, I'd take Maddux since you know you're getting 200+ innings. Some of these FA pitchers are really glorified #5 starters - but because of the market expecting to get #2/3 starter money. Maddux for <$7M is a bargain nowadays. None of the pitchers after Schmidt, Zito, Igawa and maybe Padilla can be expected to notch 15 wins next year.

[ThePenguin11]

That being said, I think the Cubs should spend their money on 2 of the afforementioned 4 starters and call it a day. Maddux would only serve as a last resort if those guys were seriously overpaid for.

[Demon Mike]

Sign Schmidt

Sign Lugo

Sign Floyd

Can't see the Cubs signing all three. One... maybe two. But not three. Other teams want these guys, too.

 

Trade Izturis and Marshall (and/or other marginal pitchers) to Boston for Coco Crisp.

I can't even begin to imagine why the Red Sox would do this. So they could go back on the free agent market and overpay for Kenny Lofton or Dave Roberts? And if they were looking for a SS that couldn't hit, they'd have kept Alex Gonzalez.

 

And the best part is... I could easily see Hendry doing all of this. These aren't pipe dreams like JD Drew was. With the current market, Crisp might take more to get than Izturis and Marshall, but everything I've heard indicates Izturis would be of genuine interest to the Red Sox, so it might be something more along the lines of Izturis, Marshall, and Wuertz/Ohman... but it could definately get done.

A young CF signed to a reasonable deal who's shown the ability to hit? Those guys are getting $10 million/year on the open market these days. You're not going to get Crisp with a backup SS that can't hit, a guy who would probably be Boston's sixth or seventh best starting pitcher, and an OK middle reliever.

[nilodnayr]

I think the Tribe is pretty high on Choo, Jones really isn't a fit for them. They would be very intested in Izturis, though. Shapiro spouted some major hater quotes on Peralta's defense a few weeks ago. It would be really ironic if they traded Westbrook for Izturis because although that would help with their ground ball defense, they wouldn't need nearly as much help because they would be trading a guy who probably induces 1/3rd of their ground balls.

[vance_the_cubs_fan]

I think it would be great if we sent Izturis and a bullpen arm to Cleveland for Westbrook and were able to get Peralta thrown in as well.

[RonnieWooWooSanto]

I think it would be great if we sent Izturis and a bullpen arm to Cleveland for Westbrook and were able to get Peralta thrown in as well.

 

I haven't had a chance to follow much all that closely, since I've been busy at work.

 

Is Cleveland rumored to have interest in Izturis or is this just hope on the part of Cubs' fans?

[vance_the_cubs_fan]

I think it would be great if we sent Izturis and a bullpen arm to Cleveland for Westbrook and were able to get Peralta thrown in as well.

 

I haven't had a chance to follow much all that closely, since I've been busy at work.

 

Is Cleveland rumored to have interest in Izturis or is this just hope on the part of Cubs' fans?

 

Just hope at this point.

[nilodnayr]

I think it would be great if we sent Izturis and a bullpen arm to Cleveland for Westbrook and were able to get Peralta thrown in as well.

HA! Yeah, that would be a little bit better than great. But unfortunately, the only way Shapiro starts even thinking about trading Peralta is if he repeats his 2006 numbers next year. If I were Hendry though, I sure would ask...but that would buck the "if he hit well in 2006, I'm gonna give him a bajillion bucks" line up thinking that Hendry has shown this offseason.