A Few Cubs Related Questions From Crasnick's Latest Chat

[vance_the_cubs_fan]

Link.

 

Bryan: (Normal, IL): How many wins does $310 million dollars buy the Cubs?

 

Jerry Crasnick: Bryan,

 

If I had to guess today, I'd say 85 as a top-line estimate for the Cubs. They have questions with the starting rotation, the outfield alignment, and those nagging on base percentage concerns. On the positive side, there's no dominant team in that division. (Sorry, Cardinals).

 

Chris (San Jose, CA): Jerry, what's the future of Carlos Zambrano with the Cubs. As a fan, I'm thinking about how the Cubs have locked up Derrek Lee and Kerry Wood in Spring Training before their walk year. Also, it seems that none of this offseason spending makes sense if they _don't_ sign the Big Man long term. BUT - many ESPN contributors (including your colleague Keith Law) seem to think Zambrano tests the market. What's your take?

 

Jerry Crasnick: Chris,

 

Carlos Zambrano obviously gets less money if he signs a deal now than if he wins 18 games and goes on the market in November. But it's tough to ask a guy to turn down $90-100 minimum (and potentially more if the Cubbies are generous). I still think it's better than 50-50 that the Cubs sign him.

 

Steve (chicago): If The Cubs bring up Felix Pie in 07, what do you see the cubs getting in return for Jacque Jones?

 

Jerry Crasnick: Steve,

 

I'm not sure what the Cubs are thinking -- and it doesn't appear as if they know, either. If Soriano starts the season in right, that means Jones is dealt and they sign a guy like Steve Finley to babysit center field until Pie is ready. If Soriano plays right, the Cubs can try Jones in center or trade him. I think a lot depends on Jones' feelings. He's only making $5 million a year, so the Cubs aren't exactly desperate to move him.

[CuseCubFan69]

Thanks Vance.

 

I wonder why he never mentions Soriano playing CF?

[BigbadB]

His response is weird. I think he meant to say somewhere in his response that "if" Soriano played CF, but it didn't end up that way. He says "If Soriano plays RF" twice.

[CuseCubFan69]

His response is weird. I think he meant to say somewhere in his response that "if" Soriano played CF, but it didn't end up that way. He says "If Soriano plays RF" twice.

 

But he has Finley/Pie in CF for one scenerio and Jones in CF for the other so it doesn't seem that he is thinking of soriano in CF at all. I suppose not that it matters what some writer thinks.

[vance_the_cubs_fan]

His response is weird. I think he meant to say somewhere in his response that "if" Soriano played CF, but it didn't end up that way. He says "If Soriano plays RF" twice.

 

But he has Finley/Pie in CF for one scenerio and Jones in CF for the other so it doesn't seem that he is thinking of soriano in CF at all. I suppose not that it matters what some writer thinks.

 

He's likely still operating on old information.

[CuseCubFan69]

His response is weird. I think he meant to say somewhere in his response that "if" Soriano played CF, but it didn't end up that way. He says "If Soriano plays RF" twice.

 

But he has Finley/Pie in CF for one scenerio and Jones in CF for the other so it doesn't seem that he is thinking of soriano in CF at all. I suppose not that it matters what some writer thinks.

 

He's likely still operating on old information.

 

I probably should have figured that out when he mentioned the Cubs were thinking of shifting Banks from SS to 1st.

[UMFan83]

Sweet Steve Finley. Now theres an option I hadn't thought of yet. Is Rickey Henderson not available?

[CuseCubFan69]

Sweet Steve Finley. Now theres an option I hadn't thought of yet. Is Rickey Henderson not available?

 

He'd be a better option.

[vance_the_cubs_fan]

Sweet Steve Finley. Now theres an option I hadn't thought of yet. Is Rickey Henderson not available?

 

He'd be a better option.

 

Throwing Pie out there would be a better option than Finley.

[CuseCubFan69]

Sweet Steve Finley. Now theres an option I hadn't thought of yet. Is Rickey Henderson not available?

 

He'd be a better option.

 

Throwing Pie out there would be a better option than Finley.

 

Then Rickey? No way!

 

I would be ok with Pie if he can show that he can make adjustments during the season once pitchers figure him out. It looks from his past he can so if he does this I have no problem with him in CF except for the Cubs would have too many OF's unless they trade Jones.

[Illini Iceman]

Sweet Steve Finley. Now theres an option I hadn't thought of yet. Is Rickey Henderson not available?

 

As usual, a national "expert" is about 2 weeks behind. Finley is out of play now that Soriano agreed to play CF and the Cubs signed Floyd. Hendry said after the Finley signing that he was now done with FA signings for this year.

[CubColtPacer]

Sweet Steve Finley. Now theres an option I hadn't thought of yet. Is Rickey Henderson not available?

 

As usual, a national "expert" is about 2 weeks behind. Finley is out of play now that Soriano agreed to play CF and the Cubs signed Floyd. Hendry said after the Finley signing that he was now done with FA signings for this year.

 

An easy mistake to make when talking about the two of them, but talk about a Freudian slip :D.

[nilodnayr]

Sweet Steve Finley. Now theres an option I hadn't thought of yet. Is Rickey Henderson not available?

 

 

God, I actually think he'd be the best non-Jacque/non-Soriano solution. Maybe Sori would move down in the order for him. Or at the very least he would be a better #2 hitter than DeRosa.

 

Per wiki

 

After leaving the Dodgers, Henderson started his second consecutive season with the Newark Bears in the spring of 2004. In 91 games he had a .462 obp, more than twice as many walks (96) as strikeouts (41), and stole 37 bases while being caught only twice.

 

On May 9, 2005, Rickey signed with the San Diego Surf Dawgs of the Golden Baseball League, a Class-A independent league. This was the SurfDawgs' and the Golden Baseball League's inaugural season and Henderson helped the SurfDawgs to the league championship. In 73 games he had a .456 obp, 73 walks while striking out 43 times, and 16 steals while being caught only twice.

 

Henderson was quoted in May of 2005, still insisting that he is capable of playing in the major leagues. It was reported by NBC and ESPN that Henderson had announced his much-delayed official retirement on December 6, 2005, but this was denied by his agent the following day. On February 10, 2006, Henderson accepted a position as a hitting instructor for the New York Mets. He has left the door open to returning as a player.

 

On July 2, 2006, Henderson revealed that he had been offered the chance to rejoin the San Diego Surf Dawgs as a player for the 2006 season, which would have been his 31st in professional baseball, but decided he'd had enough. But six weeks later, on August 11, Henderson claimed "It's sort of weird not to be playing, but I decided to take a year off," adding, "I can't say I will retire. My heart is still in it... I still love the game right now, so I'm going to wait it out and see what happens."

[NCCubFan]

Sweet Steve Finley. Now theres an option I hadn't thought of yet. Is Rickey Henderson not available?

 

As usual, a national "expert" is about 2 weeks behind. Finley is out of play now that Soriano agreed to play CF and the Cubs signed Floyd. Hendry said after the Finley signing that he was now done with FA signings for this year.

 

An easy mistake to make when talking about the two of them, but talk about a Freudian slip :D.

Close enough; they both begin with "F." :lol:

[nilodnayr]

Sweet Steve Finley. Now theres an option I hadn't thought of yet. Is Rickey Henderson not available?

 

As usual, a national "expert" is about 2 weeks behind. Finley is out of play now that Soriano agreed to play CF and the Cubs signed Floyd. Hendry said after the Finley signing that he was now done with FA signings for this year.

 

An easy mistake to make when talking about the two of them, but talk about a Freudian slip :D.

Close enough; they both begin with "F." :lol:

 

FFFFFFUUUUUDGE