Which free agent do you least want the Cubs to sign?

[badnews]

Besides Bonds. Let's not use this topic to bash Bonds, I was hoping we could rip some other players.

 

For me, it's Torii Hunter. This team shouldn't be plunking down $16-17 million a year over 5-6 years to sign a guy with a career .793 OPS and a poor basestealing percentage. They shouldn't fork over huge money for yet another righthanded hitter with the combination of: over 100 strikeouts a year; few walks; a lot of fuzzy intangibles about what a swell guy and winner he is.

 

Also, there is no fielding metric on the planet that says this guy is as good an outfielder as people say he is. I hope he meant what he said about Wrigley's brick wall.

 

Okay, what about you? Which free agent do you least want to see in a Cubs uniform? Maybe go more for the guys considered upgrades instead of the Tony Armas-type gambles.

[Brian]

jason kendall

[CyHawk_Cub]

I'm guessing I'll have a problem w/ pretty much anyone Hendry signs... I mean, he had a good off-season this past year (the length of Sori's contract notwithstanding); I can't imagine he'd make it two good off-seasons in a row.

[shnsajax]

Tom Glavine amongst others I can't think of this early in the morning.

[Little Slide Rooter]

Steve Traschle.

[nilodnayr]

Andruw Edited October 7, 2007 by nilodnayr

[Schwarber Fan]

Neifi Perez

[inari]

Torii Hunter and Andruw Jones both come to mind immediately.

[Irrelevant Dude]

I'm guessing I'll have a problem w/ pretty much anyone Hendry signs.

I feel the same way because every big signing Hendry makes puts the team's new ownership and next General Manager deeper into a hole. Backloaded contracts mean that we're sacrificing future payroll and flexibility, making it entirely possible that we'll have to go through some real down years and rebuilding.

[jersey cubs fan]

anybody gritty whose game goes beyond the stats.

[d_money]

David Eckstein

[LetsPlayTwo]

David Eckstein

 

Amen to that.

[badnews]

anybody gritty whose game goes beyond the stats.

 

Are Darin Erstad and Nick Punto free agents then?

[rawaction]

Torii Hunter and Andruw Jones both come to mind immediately.

 

Andruw shouldn't. He's a good player. He's put up a 121 or better OPS+ in 4 of the last 6 years, including his horrible 2007. The other year (2004) his OPS+ was 113. He's still only 30, so it's not even close to being out of the realm that he could produce like his 2005-06 seasons, which would make him the best offensive player on the current Cubs team.

 

If you don't want to sign him because he'll probably get a Soriano-like contract that will bite a team in the rear near the end of it, then I understand, but to lump him in with Hunter, who is severely inferior, is wrong.

[CubinNY]

Torii Hunter and Andruw Jones both come to mind immediately.

 

Andruw shouldn't. He's a good player. He's put up a 121 or better OPS+ in 4 of the last 6 years, including his horrible 2007. The other year (2004) his OPS+ was 113. He's still only 30, so it's not even close to being out of the realm that he could produce like his 2005-06 seasons, which would make him the best offensive player on the current Cubs team.

 

If you don't want to sign him because he'll probably get a Soriano-like contract that will bite a team in the rear near the end of it, then I understand, but to lump him in with Hunter, who is severely inferior, is wrong.

Jones is so money he doesn't even know it, except he knows it.

 

I'd trade Soriano's contract for what Jones will get this year, any day.

 

Jones is the right player at the wrong time for the Cubs.

[badnews]

Torii Hunter and Andruw Jones both come to mind immediately.

 

Andruw shouldn't. He's a good player. He's put up a 121 or better OPS+ in 4 of the last 6 years, including his horrible 2007. The other year (2004) his OPS+ was 113. He's still only 30, so it's not even close to being out of the realm that he could produce like his 2005-06 seasons, which would make him the best offensive player on the current Cubs team.

 

If you don't want to sign him because he'll probably get a Soriano-like contract that will bite a team in the rear near the end of it, then I understand, but to lump him in with Hunter, who is severely inferior, is wrong.

 

The obvious problem I have with this is expecting anyone the Cubs pay a lot of money for to come and produce like their best season after their paycheck is secure.

 

It takes no imagination at all to imagine paying $20 million a year for the 2004 offensive numbers of Andruw Jones. I'll agree that Jones would be far better for the Cubs than Hunter. At least Jones is not yet another righthanded stooge who can't take a walk. Imagine batting Soriano, Hunter, and Ramirez in a row - three righties who conceivably could have more home runs than walks.

 

Jones's fielding metrics are better than Hunter's too, but again, not as great as reputation suggests.

[jersey cubs fan]

The obvious problem I have with this is expecting anyone the Cubs pay a lot of money for to come and produce like their best season after their paycheck is secure.

 

It takes no imagination at all to imagine paying $20 million a year for the 2004 offensive numbers of Andruw Jones. I'll agree that Jones would be far better for the Cubs than Hunter. At least Jones is not yet another righthanded stooge who can't take a walk. Imagine batting Soriano, Hunter, and Ramirez in a row - three righties who conceivably could have more home runs than walks.

 

Jones's fielding metrics are better than Hunter's too, but again, not as great as reputation suggests.

 

Jones scares the crap out of me on a longterm deal. But I take issue with the talk of expecting anybody who signs with the Cubs to fail. If the Cubs sign the right guys, they won't fail. Hell, even Soriano was at least close to his best.

 

But back to Jones, he's had a very nice career, but the way he bookended his prime years with some abysmal performances just sticks out. It's similar to Renteria, although Edgar seems to be more of a 2 years on 2 years off kind of guy. So hard to be comfortable with.

 

Anyway, I think both guys offer enough hope that they should be better than the other options to be really serious discussions.

[NewUserName]

Ivan Rodriquez

[CubColtPacer]

Ivan Rodriquez

 

No worries about that, the Tigers picked up his 13 million dollar option today.

[bukie]