Looking ahead to 2008

Knyption · October 10, 2007

2008... We are always looking ahead to next year.

That said, I hope they can trade Jones salary for a prospect + cub pay 1.5 million or something.

I would really like Soto to be our C.

Prior, I'll give him a chance, 5th starter could be replaced by Marshall or be a diamond.

We need to have a productive SS.

Theriot is great, his hitting abilities and defense / range (considering Lee) are more suited for a 2b. Theriot needs to lead off, he would be good at that spot with his gritty batting style.

Soriano should bat 2nd imho with protection from A-Rod (see A-Rod later)

Let Ohman go.

Trade De-Rosa for some prospects and or a reliever.

Play murton Full Time his OBP is essential.

Sign the best FA starter (no money i know, but try!! heh backload even more)

Sign A-Rod have Piniella negotiate a return to daddy deal lol (yeah right, but a hope eh?) Despite a lessor range than before put him at SS!!!!!

Deal with Pie Full time at CF he can do like the CF from the DB's im sure, low BA but some good HR's and some good experience. Bat Him 6-8 depending on the opposing starter.

Make Marmol Wood 8th/9th inning dudes.

trade marquis for whatever you can get even if its half his salary and a AAAA dude.

trade dempster for scraps.

you have.

theriot

soriano

arod

aram

lee

soto

murton

pie

pitcher

Zambrano

FA

Lilly

Hill

Prior/Marshall

Hart

Howry

FA

Eyre lh setup

Marmol

Wood

insert here

YearofDaCubs · October 10, 2007

With the cubs needing to make some moves I was wanting to bring up some smaller moves that could be made. I'm not sure what it would take to get these players, but I think the value they could bring to the team could be very good.

The first is Ryan Church. His ops has been over .800 and he can play all three outfiled spots which makes Jones dispensable which is something most here would like. So Pie could come up and take over in CF and if he falters to a point where he is really hurting the team Church could take over in CF from his spot in RF.

At SS we need to upgrade and Rentaria would be very nice but might come at a steep price. Other options would include Nioka from the Giants in Japan. That would involve some risk, but it's the type of move that the Cubs have generally stayed away from so it could be time for them to try something outside the box.

Soto will start behind the plate which should give the Cubs a nive boost at that position. They can let Kendall walk.

A lineup next season of:

Soriano
Retaria
Lee
Ramirez
Church
DeRosa
Soto
Pie

I think that would be an improvement, and then if the power struggles of this season were showing up again with this lineup, the Cubs could try to make a midseason trade for another player. Another thing they could do if Pie blossoms is hit him leadoff. He's not an obp guy and probably never will be but Soriano likes him and might like moving towards the middle of the lineup if it meant something good for Pie.

These are just some thoughs and I'm not sure exactly how feasable they are, but I know landing Arod is a long shot and these are ideas I just wanted to float out there.

If we could get Church I'd be happy, if we can also get Renteria, I would be very happy.

BigbadB · October 10, 2007

With the cubs needing to make some moves I was wanting to bring up some smaller moves that could be made. I'm not sure what it would take to get these players, but I think the value they could bring to the team could be very good.

The first is Ryan Church. His ops has been over .800 and he can play all three outfiled spots which makes Jones dispensable which is something most here would like. So Pie could come up and take over in CF and if he falters to a point where he is really hurting the team Church could take over in CF from his spot in RF.

At SS we need to upgrade and Rentaria would be very nice but might come at a steep price. Other options would include Nioka from the Giants in Japan. That would involve some risk, but it's the type of move that the Cubs have generally stayed away from so it could be time for them to try something outside the box.

Soto will start behind the plate which should give the Cubs a nive boost at that position. They can let Kendall walk.

A lineup next season of:

Soriano
Retaria
Lee
Ramirez
Church
DeRosa
Soto
Pie

I think that would be an improvement, and then if the power struggles of this season were showing up again with this lineup, the Cubs could try to make a midseason trade for another player. Another thing they could do if Pie blossoms is hit him leadoff. He's not an obp guy and probably never will be but Soriano likes him and might like moving towards the middle of the lineup if it meant something good for Pie.

These are just some thoughs and I'm not sure exactly how feasable they are, but I know landing Arod is a long shot and these are ideas I just wanted to float out there.
If we could get Church I'd be happy, if we can also get Renteria, I would be very happy.

This would definitely be a fairly cheap upgrade of the offense. I would probably keep Jones for the first half of the 2008 season, unless a team really, really wanted him, which I don't see as being realistic.

Maybe this offseason, Perry and Jones can help him find the power swing he somehow lost. It will be a contract year for him. Another season like this one, and he'll find himself unemployed. A good first half might improve his trade value a bit. Pie could probably use some time in AAA again, after sitting on his butt most of the 2007 season.

nilodnayr · October 10, 2007

Hmm, so you want Theriot to lead off, yet you want to keep Murton for his OBP. If you value OBP, why would you have the lowest OBP guy get the most plate appearances?

CubinNY · October 10, 2007

With the cubs needing to make some moves I was wanting to bring up some smaller moves that could be made. I'm not sure what it would take to get these players, but I think the value they could bring to the team could be very good.

The first is Ryan Church. His ops has been over .800 and he can play all three outfiled spots which makes Jones dispensable which is something most here would like. So Pie could come up and take over in CF and if he falters to a point where he is really hurting the team Church could take over in CF from his spot in RF.

At SS we need to upgrade and Rentaria would be very nice but might come at a steep price. Other options would include Nioka from the Giants in Japan. That would involve some risk, but it's the type of move that the Cubs have generally stayed away from so it could be time for them to try something outside the box.

Soto will start behind the plate which should give the Cubs a nive boost at that position. They can let Kendall walk.

A lineup next season of:

Soriano
Retaria
Lee
Ramirez
Church
DeRosa
Soto
Pie

I think that would be an improvement, and then if the power struggles of this season were showing up again with this lineup, the Cubs could try to make a midseason trade for another player. Another thing they could do if Pie blossoms is hit him leadoff. He's not an obp guy and probably never will be but Soriano likes him and might like moving towards the middle of the lineup if it meant something good for Pie.

These are just some thoughs and I'm not sure exactly how feasable they are, but I know landing Arod is a long shot and these are ideas I just wanted to float out there.
If we could get Church I'd be happy, if we can also get Renteria, I would be very happy.

This would definitely be a fairly cheap upgrade of the offense. I would probably keep Jones for the first half of the 2008 season, unless a team really, really wanted him, which I don't see as being realistic.

Maybe this offseason, Perry and Jones can help him find the power swing he somehow lost. It will be a contract year for him. Another season like this one, and he'll find himself unemployed. A good first half might improve his trade value a bit. Pie could probably use some time in AAA again, after sitting on his butt most of the 2007 season.

The only problem is that Church is no better than Jones.

LuvChicagoSports · October 10, 2007

With the cubs needing to make some moves I was wanting to bring up some smaller moves that could be made. I'm not sure what it would take to get these players, but I think the value they could bring to the team could be very good.

The first is Ryan Church. His ops has been over .800 and he can play all three outfiled spots which makes Jones dispensable which is something most here would like. So Pie could come up and take over in CF and if he falters to a point where he is really hurting the team Church could take over in CF from his spot in RF.

At SS we need to upgrade and Rentaria would be very nice but might come at a steep price. Other options would include Nioka from the Giants in Japan. That would involve some risk, but it's the type of move that the Cubs have generally stayed away from so it could be time for them to try something outside the box.

Soto will start behind the plate which should give the Cubs a nive boost at that position. They can let Kendall walk.

A lineup next season of:

Soriano
Retaria
Lee
Ramirez
Church
DeRosa
Soto
Pie

I think that would be an improvement, and then if the power struggles of this season were showing up again with this lineup, the Cubs could try to make a midseason trade for another player. Another thing they could do if Pie blossoms is hit him leadoff. He's not an obp guy and probably never will be but Soriano likes him and might like moving towards the middle of the lineup if it meant something good for Pie.

These are just some thoughs and I'm not sure exactly how feasable they are, but I know landing Arod is a long shot and these are ideas I just wanted to float out there.
If we could get Church I'd be happy, if we can also get Renteria, I would be very happy.

This would definitely be a fairly cheap upgrade of the offense. I would probably keep Jones for the first half of the 2008 season, unless a team really, really wanted him, which I don't see as being realistic.

Maybe this offseason, Perry and Jones can help him find the power swing he somehow lost. It will be a contract year for him. Another season like this one, and he'll find himself unemployed. A good first half might improve his trade value a bit. Pie could probably use some time in AAA again, after sitting on his butt most of the 2007 season.
The only problem is that Church is no better than Jones.

If you look at the stats, Church is actually much better than Jones. His ops was 70 points higher this season and two seasons ago Church posted a ops+ of 128 which is higher than any season Jones has ever had. He had both a higher obp and a higher slugging percentage. Add into that Church is 3 years younger than Jones and it makes complete sense to make the swap. Pie doesn't need more time in AAA it's time to find out if he can hit or not. The guy absolutely killed AAA pitching and has nothing left to prove there. We need to find out what he can do at the big league level. So Pie needs to start in CF next season and the Cubs need to solve the RF equation. Church would be a nice addition to the club that wouldn't cost you what landing someone like Dunn would.

MSG T · October 10, 2007

With the cubs needing to make some moves I was wanting to bring up some smaller moves that could be made. I'm not sure what it would take to get these players, but I think the value they could bring to the team could be very good.

The first is Ryan Church. His ops has been over .800 and he can play all three outfiled spots which makes Jones dispensable which is something most here would like. So Pie could come up and take over in CF and if he falters to a point where he is really hurting the team Church could take over in CF from his spot in RF.

At SS we need to upgrade and Rentaria would be very nice but might come at a steep price. Other options would include Nioka from the Giants in Japan. That would involve some risk, but it's the type of move that the Cubs have generally stayed away from so it could be time for them to try something outside the box.

Soto will start behind the plate which should give the Cubs a nive boost at that position. They can let Kendall walk.

A lineup next season of:

Soriano
Retaria
Lee
Ramirez
Church
DeRosa
Soto
Pie

I think that would be an improvement, and then if the power struggles of this season were showing up again with this lineup, the Cubs could try to make a midseason trade for another player. Another thing they could do if Pie blossoms is hit him leadoff. He's not an obp guy and probably never will be but Soriano likes him and might like moving towards the middle of the lineup if it meant something good for Pie.

These are just some thoughs and I'm not sure exactly how feasable they are, but I know landing Arod is a long shot and these are ideas I just wanted to float out there.
If we could get Church I'd be happy, if we can also get Renteria, I would be very happy.

This would definitely be a fairly cheap upgrade of the offense. I would probably keep Jones for the first half of the 2008 season, unless a team really, really wanted him, which I don't see as being realistic.

Maybe this offseason, Perry and Jones can help him find the power swing he somehow lost. It will be a contract year for him. Another season like this one, and he'll find himself unemployed. A good first half might improve his trade value a bit. Pie could probably use some time in AAA again, after sitting on his butt most of the 2007 season.
The only problem is that Church is no better than Jones.

If you look at the stats, Church is actually much better than Jones. His ops was 70 points higher this season and two seasons ago Church posted a ops+ of 128 which is higher than any season Jones has ever had. He had both a higher obp and a higher slugging percentage. Add into that Church is 3 years younger than Jones and it makes complete sense to make the swap. Pie doesn't need more time in AAA it's time to find out if he can hit or not. The guy absolutely killed AAA pitching and has nothing left to prove there. We need to find out what he can do at the big league level. So Pie needs to start in CF next season and the Cubs need to solve the RF equation. Church would be a nice addition to the club that wouldn't cost you what landing someone like Dunn would.

What he said, plus, Church costs around $5.2 million less.

October 10, 2007

I wouldnt mind seeing Cedeno get a real shot at SS this SP if we cant land Renteria(I'll get toasted for this I know) but I see the upside in him alot more than I do over Theriot. He has more pop and a better glove, Im not saying an All Star or gold glove but a solid SS that is cheap.

I doubt you get toasted for that. Theriot's really not good, despite whatever "grit" he may possess. If the Cubs can't land a big-time SS, I'll hope for Cedeno to figure things out and supplant Theriot.

I hope Cedeno can figure out things too, but so far he has looked like the epitome of a AAAA hitter.
In which 1/16 of the season are you talking about?

I really am sick of this crap.

Most every player has an adjustment period when moving up but somehow the Cubs and their fans expect the player to put up exactly the same numbers they have in the minors right away. It doesn't happen very often.

Yeah, it would be different if the Cubs had given Cedeno over 500 AB's in a season and he still had wound up with a BA of .245, OBP of .271 and SLG of .339. Oh, wait a second...

Sorry, but the idea of not upgrading SS so they can potentially waste another year like they did in 2006 hoping that Cedeno figures it out at the big league level doesn't seem all that great to me.
Because we all know that at age 23 he will likely never get better.

But anyway, who said that they weren't for upgrading?

It never ends with some Cub fans does it? Really, really, myopic.

And that's the reason why, assuming we don't get another upgrade at SS (ARod/Renteria/Tejada/etc.), I would like to see Cedeno get a serious shot at the starting SS position next year. Theriot is going to turn 28 in the offseason. He is what he is and he isn't going to get much better. Cedeno will turn 25 in February and his only full year was at the age of 23. I still have my doubts about him and am by no means saying that he's the SS of the future. All I'm saying is that he should get a shot if a trade isn't made to solidify the position.

October 10, 2007

Derrek Lee--can we admit 2005 was a fluke? If so, Lee is a fine nice bat, but I don't want him as my #3 hitter anymore. His BA and OBP are fine, and he can still run a little. I want him as my #2 hitter.

Just because he's not going to repeat 2005 doesn't mean he should be moved out of the 3 spot. His power is fine as he showed in the second half this year and there is no reason to move him in the order.

nilodnayr · October 10, 2007

Derrek Lee--can we admit 2005 was a fluke? If so, Lee is a fine nice bat, but I don't want him as my #3 hitter anymore. His BA and OBP are fine, and he can still run a little. I want him as my #2 hitter.

Just because he's not going to repeat 2005 doesn't mean he should be moved out of the 3 spot. His power is fine as he showed in the second half this year and there is no reason to move him in the order.

I'd like him as my #2 hitter just so he gets more ABs and we don't have a waste like Theriot getting so many ABs. He did regain power in the second half with a 252 Iso, but thats nowhere near his 2005 Iso of 327. Its right inline with his 2nd half Isos from 03 and 04. Don't get me wrong, a 252 Iso is pretty awesome, but thats not going to want me to keep him behind Theriot in the lineup.

Sammy Sofa · October 10, 2007

Derrek Lee--can we admit 2005 was a fluke? If so, Lee is a fine nice bat, but I don't want him as my #3 hitter anymore. His BA and OBP are fine, and he can still run a little. I want him as my #2 hitter.

Just because he's not going to repeat 2005 doesn't mean he should be moved out of the 3 spot. His power is fine as he showed in the second half this year and there is no reason to move him in the order.

I don't have a problem with Lee in the #3 slot if the Cubs get at least a little power boost elsewhere. I've been in love with the idea of batting Lee #2 in the off chance that the Cubs do get someone huge like ARod for a while now. Having someone like Lee batting #2 gives you the OBP you want up there and likely gets Soriano getting on base more and seeing more fastballs to smack.

October 11, 2007

Derrek Lee--can we admit 2005 was a fluke? If so, Lee is a fine nice bat, but I don't want him as my #3 hitter anymore. His BA and OBP are fine, and he can still run a little. I want him as my #2 hitter.

Just because he's not going to repeat 2005 doesn't mean he should be moved out of the 3 spot. His power is fine as he showed in the second half this year and there is no reason to move him in the order.

I'd like him as my #2 hitter just so he gets more ABs and we don't have a waste like Theriot getting so many ABs. He did regain power in the second half with a 252 Iso, but thats nowhere near his 2005 Iso of 327. Its right inline with his 2nd half Isos from 03 and 04. Don't get me wrong, a 252 Iso is pretty awesome, but thats not going to want me to keep him behind Theriot in the lineup.

That .252 IsoP would put him 11th in the majors among qualified players this year if he did that for a full year. Even if you dropped the requirement to 300 PA's (I did this because I noticed Barry Bonds and Ryan Braun weren't up there), DLee would still be 16th in the majors. Don't get me wrong, I understand what you're saying in that the optimal lineup has the higher OBP guys higher in the order. It just seemed like DKWG was implying that Lee should be moved up in the order because his power isn't there anymore which isn't true.

I think the bigger problem with the Cubs lineup is having a guy like Theriot batting second in the first place when he should be hitting no higher than seventh.

CubinNY · October 11, 2007

If you look at the stats, Church is actually much better than Jones. .

I did look at his stats, and no he's not much better than Jones.

http://www.fangraphs.com/comparison.aspx?playerid=735&playerid2=2106&playerid3=&position=OF&page=1&type=full

I'm all for getting rid of Jones but Church offers not much more except for scrappy whiteness and anti-semitism. I don't care that he is cheaper (marginally), he isn't aprreciably better.

The Cubs need to get appreciably better.

UK1679666180 · October 11, 2007

He's a better player than Jones and would upgrade RF, Church is only a stop-gap in CF.

His OPS+ over the last 3 years has been 119, while Jones is at 98.

That's a pretty substantial diff., while it's not a signifcant improvement which the Cubs need, combine with a SS, and it becomes suffice.

jersey cubs fan · October 11, 2007

If you look at the stats, Church is actually much better than Jones. .
I did look at his stats, and no he's not much better than Jones.

http://www.fangraphs.com/comparison.aspx?playerid=735&playerid2=2106&playerid3=&position=OF&page=1&type=full

I'm all for getting rid of Jones but Church offers not much more except for scrappy whiteness and anti-semitism. I don't care that he is cheaper (marginally), he isn't aprreciably better.

The Cubs need to get appreciably better.

And they could do that with either one big splash like ARod at SS, or by multiple incremental improvements, including a guy like Church over Jones.

JeffH · October 11, 2007

Trade for Furcal.

Sign Fukudome.

Install Pie in CF and Soto behind the plate.

Soriano-Furcal-Lee-Ramirez-Fukudome-DeRosa-Soto-Pie

Huge defensive improvement at three key up-the-middle positions and likely a better offense, too.

CubinNY · October 11, 2007

He's a better player than Jones and would upgrade RF, Church is only a stop-gap in CF.

His OPS+ over the last 3 years has been 119, while Jones is at 98.

That's a pretty substantial diff., while it's not a signifcant improvement which the Cubs need, combine with a SS, and it becomes suffice.

How is he an upgrade over Murton in RF? Come on, you guys no better than this.

In the last three years Church has had 268, 196, 470 ABs respectively. In the year he had 470 ABs he posted his worse numbers and he doesn't walk.

Besides the salary savings I really don't see the benefit of Church.

I just don't get the fascination.

jersey cubs fan · October 11, 2007

He's a better player than Jones and would upgrade RF, Church is only a stop-gap in CF.

His OPS+ over the last 3 years has been 119, while Jones is at 98.

That's a pretty substantial diff., while it's not a signifcant improvement which the Cubs need, combine with a SS, and it becomes suffice.
How is he an upgrade over Murton in RF? Come on, you guys no better than this.

In the last three years Church has had 268, 196, 470 ABs respectively. In the year he had 470 ABs he posted his worse numbers and he doesn't walk.

Besides the salary savings I really don't see the benefit of Church.

I just don't get the fascination.

Doesn't walk? He's got a career IsoD of 77.

Yes, 2007 was his "worst numbers", but they were better than any Cubs OF other than Soriano. I wouldn't call him an improvement over Murton, but I do think he'd be an improvement over Murton alone. In other words, he could at least spell Murton from time to time in right, without coming with the cost of a guy like Jones or Floyd. He's also excellent insurance for Pie, if Felix can't come through in 2008.

I think your hangup is a lot more about religion than baseball.

frostwyrm · October 11, 2007

Derrek Lee--can we admit 2005 was a fluke? If so, Lee is a fine nice bat, but I don't want him as my #3 hitter anymore. His BA and OBP are fine, and he can still run a little. I want him as my #2 hitter.

Just because he's not going to repeat 2005 doesn't mean he should be moved out of the 3 spot. His power is fine as he showed in the second half this year and there is no reason to move him in the order.

I don't have a problem with Lee in the #3 slot if the Cubs get at least a little power boost elsewhere. I've been in love with the idea of batting Lee #2 in the off chance that the Cubs do get someone huge like ARod for a while now. Having someone like Lee batting #2 gives you the OBP you want up there and likely gets Soriano getting on base more and seeing more fastballs to smack.

I'd have Lee at #2 and Soriano at #3. Soriano has high power and low OBP, Lee has average power and high OBP. It's silly to have Lee driving in Soriano instead of the other way around. It was especially silly when Soriano had the bad quad slowing him down.

Sammy Sofa · October 11, 2007

Derrek Lee--can we admit 2005 was a fluke? If so, Lee is a fine nice bat, but I don't want him as my #3 hitter anymore. His BA and OBP are fine, and he can still run a little. I want him as my #2 hitter.

Just because he's not going to repeat 2005 doesn't mean he should be moved out of the 3 spot. His power is fine as he showed in the second half this year and there is no reason to move him in the order.

I don't have a problem with Lee in the #3 slot if the Cubs get at least a little power boost elsewhere. I've been in love with the idea of batting Lee #2 in the off chance that the Cubs do get someone huge like ARod for a while now. Having someone like Lee batting #2 gives you the OBP you want up there and likely gets Soriano getting on base more and seeing more fastballs to smack.

I'd have Lee at #2 and Soriano at #3. Soriano has high power and low OBP, Lee has average power and high OBP. It's silly to have Lee driving in Soriano instead of the other way around. It was especially silly when Soriano had the bad quad slowing him down.

That's only suggestion about moving Soriano that has made sense besides hitting him #4.

LuvChicagoSports · October 11, 2007

He's a better player than Jones and would upgrade RF, Church is only a stop-gap in CF.

His OPS+ over the last 3 years has been 119, while Jones is at 98.

That's a pretty substantial diff., while it's not a signifcant improvement which the Cubs need, combine with a SS, and it becomes suffice.
How is he an upgrade over Murton in RF? Come on, you guys no better than this.

In the last three years Church has had 268, 196, 470 ABs respectively. In the year he had 470 ABs he posted his worse numbers and he doesn't walk.

Besides the salary savings I really don't see the benefit of Church.

I just don't get the fascination.

Doesn't walk? He's got a career IsoD of 77.
Yes, 2007 was his "worst numbers", but they were better than any Cubs OF other than Soriano. I wouldn't call him an improvement over Murton, but I do think he'd be an improvement over Murton alone. In other words, he could at least spell Murton from time to time in right, without coming with the cost of a guy like Jones or Floyd. He's also excellent insurance for Pie, if Felix can't come through in 2008.

I think your hangup is a lot more about religion than baseball.

Exactly not only is Church an upgrade over Jones, but he costs significantly less and shedding payroll this offseason in the form of a Jones might give us the flexibility to add the money it would cost to bring in a player like Rentaria. It's not that I see Church as this great player or anything like that. But he has shown similar flashes to that of Murton and unlike Murton, Church can play CF if things with Pie went south. That gives us some insurance there which is always a good idea because even if Pie figures things out, if he gets hurt I don't want to see Theriot as our everyday CF. I think it's wise to get players who don't cost that much but have nice upside as opposed to just not making the move because Jones is just about as good. That line of thinking makes no sense. Does adding Church make the Cubs the World Series favorite? Absolutely not, but it does make them a better team if you simply subbed Church in for Jones and that is something worth doing if the cost isn't too high.

rawaction · October 14, 2007

What about Andre Ethier? There have been a lot of Kemp trade rumors. But I'm guessing the Dodgers would rather trade Ethier. Kemp has more power and can play CF. There have also been rumors of LA going after one of the FA CFs on the market (A. Jones, Hunter, Rowand). If that happens Pierre moves to LF, and one of Kemp/Ethier probably has to go.

Would LA do Ethier and Furcal for Marshall, Theriot and a prospect or 2? They get out of the contract of a bust signing, they get a LH starter to break up the 4 power RHs (Penny, Lowe, Schmidt, Billingsley), and get insurance for 2B/SS, who produced the same as Furcal for 12M cheaper, in case their young MIFs don't work out to start the season.

UK1679666180 · October 14, 2007

He's a better player than Jones and would upgrade RF, Church is only a stop-gap in CF.

His OPS+ over the last 3 years has been 119, while Jones is at 98.

That's a pretty substantial diff., while it's not a signifcant improvement which the Cubs need, combine with a SS, and it becomes suffice.
How is he an upgrade over Murton in RF? Come on, you guys no better than this.

In the last three years Church has had 268, 196, 470 ABs respectively. In the year he had 470 ABs he posted his worse numbers and he doesn't walk.

Besides the salary savings I really don't see the benefit of Church.

I just don't get the fascination.

You're assuming Lou would start Murton in RF beyond LH'ers, I'd rather load with productive options and let them battle it out rather than bringing in subpar options as backups and assuming Lou would go w/Murton.

Tracer Bullet · October 15, 2007

For CF, Pie clearly isn't ready yet, unless something unexpected happens over the winter. He just can't hit ML pitching to this point.
How in the wide, wide, world of sports can you say that? He's been given a handful of sporatic ABs while being a defensive replacement for almost the entire year.

[this comment does not pertain directly to DKWG's post] It is the same crap again and again with our young players. A young player gets a handful of sporatic ABs during the year and "they can't hit major league pitching". Thank Soto has mashes the ball so far.

I just don't understand the logic.

He did have 177 AB's. He played in 26 games in June and hit .218. I understand this isn't much, but he hasn't shown much when he had the opportunity to show-case his stuff. He really hasn't done anything with the bat that excite's you. I hope he gets another shot at it next year. He can't be as bad as he's shown so far.

A little late, but nonetheless:

Felix Pie? Forget it. He has speed and a strong arm, but he's not a major-league hitter, and it's questionable whether he ever will be. In fact, the Cubs would be better off trading Pie now, while his perceived value is high enough to get serious return for him. It was obvious by the end of the season -- and after a .216 batting average during his three shots at the starting center-field job -- that manager Lou Piniella isn't convinced the reality matches the hype with Pie.

Pie is 22 and has a total of 177 AB in his life. Now is probably not the time to give up on him. In 1952, at the age of 21, Willie Mays had 127 AB and hit .236. Am I saying Felix Pie will turn out to be as good as Willie Mays? Yes. In fact, I am guaranteeing it. If Felix Pie does not turn out to be as good as Willie Mays, I will give everyone who reads this blog one hundred dollars.

Keep Pie if you want. Give him a shot in center next spring, even. But Jones had better be around to take over when it doesn't work.

You are extremely certain that Felix Pie is going to fail, considering that the man has had 177 AB and is 22. In 1967, Reggie Jackson was 21 and had 118 AB. He hit .178/.269/.305. Now, am I saying that Felix Pie will end up being as good as Reggie Jackson? Absolutely. In fact, if Felix Pie retires with fewer home runs than Reggie's 563, I will get a tattoo of Joe Morgan's face over my entire face and I will name my first son Timothy McCarver Is Tremendous and I will give everyone who reads this blog one hundred thousand dollars. Book it.

Looking ahead to 2008

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