Jones/Pie/DeRosa tidbit from Fox Sports' Ben Maller

[bannor10]

Pie, might be ready if they bat him 7th in the lineup and let him develop with out a huge amount of pressure to produce from the get go.

 

of course the cubs will make him bat leadoff and ruin him like they did Patterson.

 

I read somewhere that EPatt was moving to center field...Is there some thought that EPatt is better or closer to the Cubs then Pie?

[BCVM22]

I read somewhere that EPatt was moving to center field...Is there some thought that EPatt is better or closer to the Cubs then Pie?

 

Reports are that they aren't shifting Patterson from 2B, just "having him work out in the outfield a little bit." Take it as you will, of course. Conventional wisdom would say they're trying to increase EPatt's trade value, or use him as a backup plan for center field if Pie leaves in a trade.

[Amazing_Grace]

I hope Pie doesn't end up the opening day CF. Did the Cubs learn nothing from what happened with Patterson. You can't just rush prospects to the majors when it's convenient for the team. Good player development means developing the players then, when they are ready, finding a place for them, or if they are hopelessly blocked by high paid stars that can't be traded, trading them while their value remains high.

 

The likeliest outcome, IMHO, is that Pie would struggle greatly and be sent down to the minors with less trade value than when he started and a complete interruption in his development as he faced competition he wasn't prepared for.

 

If Hendry absolutely HAS to have a defensive minded speedy player in CF, we'd be better served to play Pagan (who has no potential or trade value to ruin). I agree with goony, that if Hendry wants the team to win 85+ games in 2007, he'd better do neither of the above and find a better offensive option in CF, whether that means sucking it up and overpaying in a trade or looking the other way defensively and handing the job to Jones/Soriano.

[soapy]

I have no problem with Pie in CF next season in the sense that I wouldn't necessarily consider him "rushed". He's shown the ability to adjust at all levels, and I expect the same at the MLB level.

 

The bigger problem is that they can't really afford to have him work through his struggles in the lineup up everyday because they don't have a solid enough lineup around him. If they upgraded at SS or something (doesn't appear likely), I would be all for it. As it stands, it might not be the best way to go.

[soapy]

If Hendry absolutely HAS to have a defensive minded speedy player in CF, we'd be better served to play Pagan (who has no potential or trade value to ruin).

 

Why is Pagan getting a such a rep for good defense? I haven't really looked at his numbers closely, but I haven't been impressed by him defensively at all.

[Soul]

i'm kinda afraid hendry's going to trade barrett for a defensive-minded cf...meaning that they'll still have an offensive black hole in cf, and they'll add one at catcher.

 

I'm not even thinking about such a terrible scenario.

 

Hendry coveted Barrett too long to trade him for Brad Ausmus.

 

That's a nightmare scenario indeed.

[Amazing_Grace]

If Hendry absolutely HAS to have a defensive minded speedy player in CF, we'd be better served to play Pagan (who has no potential or trade value to ruin).

 

Why is Pagan getting a such a rep for good defense? I haven't really looked at his numbers closely, but I haven't been impressed by him defensively at all.

 

Listening to Hendry, the most important factors in CF defense are speed and range which Pagan has. Personally I don't think those are necessarily the best way to judge, but the comments from Jim sure make it seem like he does.