The Kosuke Fukudome & Hiroki Kuroda Thread

[UK1679666180]

They've (Sox) gone thru a rough stretch as far as drafting safer low ceiling picks and it has cost them as far as minor league talent, I question whether they have what it takes to acquire Bay.

[nilodnayr]

They've (Sox) gone thru a rough stretch as far as drafting safer low ceiling picks and it has cost them as far as minor league talent, I question whether they have what it takes to acquire Bay.

 

De Los Santos, Gio, and Sweeny might get it done. Gio can step in if they decide to trade a starter.

[UK1679666180]

I can't see them trading their top 3 prospects though.

[vance_the_cubs_fan]

Piniella and the Cubs' front office head to Nashville for the Winter Meetings in search of a left-handed hitter who can play right field, and who has the potential to hit fourth or fifth in the lineup. One player who fits that mold is Kosuke Fukudome, who could play both center and right. However, as of Friday, the outfielder's agent has yet to inform the Cubs as to whether Fukudome will play in the U.S. next year. The team had hoped to get some kind of indication this week.

 

If they can't sign Fukudome, then the Cubs will take a different approach and try to make a deal.

 

"I would think to get the left-hand bat we want, it's going to have to be a trade," Piniella said. "I don't see anybody in the free-agent market."

 

Link.

[RammyFanny]

Piniella and the Cubs' front office head to Nashville for the Winter Meetings in search of a left-handed hitter who can play right field, and who has the potential to hit fourth or fifth in the lineup. One player who fits that mold is Kosuke Fukudome, who could play both center and right. However, as of Friday, the outfielder's agent has yet to inform the Cubs as to whether Fukudome will play in the U.S. next year. The team had hoped to get some kind of indication this week.

 

If they can't sign Fukudome, then the Cubs will take a different approach and try to make a deal.

 

"I would think to get the left-hand bat we want, it's going to have to be a trade," Piniella said. "I don't see anybody in the free-agent market."

 

Link.

 

I wonder, if we end up losing out on Fuku, if we would try to reallocate his money into signing Kuroda.

 

This is just me talking, but i've also been an advocate of putting Marmol back in the rotation, though we might have to try and acquire another bullpen arm. A rotation of Zambrano, Lilly, Marmol, Hill, Kuroda looks awful attractive to me. Dempster could go back into the pen where he should be, and if Marquis isnt traded he could be a potential long man. Losing Marmol from the pen would hurt, but it's not like Wuertz/Wood/Dempster/Hart/Howry couldn't be alright. This obviously depends on what kind of RF we could get (in terms of price), which porbably wouldn't be easy since it's narrowed down to Lefties only.

 

/sidetracking this thread

[vance_the_cubs_fan]

I think if we miss on Fukudome, we'll put the full court press on trying to trade for Crawford. We may then use the money to try to replace Rich Hill in the rotation since he'd have to be used to get Crawford.

[CuseCubFan69]

I think if we miss on Fukudome, we'll put the full court press on trying to trade for Crawford. We may then use the money to try to replace Rich Hill in the rotation since he'd have to be used to get Crawford.

 

But does Crawford boot Soriano off the leadoff spot?

[abuck1220]

I think if we miss on Fukudome, we'll put the full court press on trying to trade for Crawford. We may then use the money to try to replace Rich Hill in the rotation since he'd have to be used to get Crawford.

 

which would be terrible. what is with hendry's obsession with a left-handed bat anyway? geez, he's hopeless.

[E.J.]

I think if we miss on Fukudome, we'll put the full court press on trying to trade for Crawford. We may then use the money to try to replace Rich Hill in the rotation since he'd have to be used to get Crawford.

 

which would be terrible. what is with hendry's obsession with a left-handed bat anyway? geez, he's hopeless.

 

Because we had so much more trouble hitting RH pitchers than we did LH pitchers. Oh, wait.

 

Hendry is an idiot. He has no idea how to run a baseball team. It's pretty obvious.

[BigbadB]

I seriously doubt that Crawford is still on the market. The Rays traded Delmon Young. Elijah Dukes is still causing problems, Baldelli spends more time on the DL and they seem to like Gomes at DH. With Young already gone, trading Crawford weakens what used to be a strength for them, IMO.

[Keener98]

That would be typical Cubs if they get Fukodome and hit him 4th or 5th. The guy has great on base skills and instead of hitting him 2nd in front of Lee and Aram, wed bat him after.

[Post Count Padder]

That would be typical Cubs if they get Fukodome and hit him 4th or 5th. The guy has great on base skills and instead of hitting him 2nd in front of Lee and Aram, wed bat him after.

Well, we have Soriano leading off with his sub-par OBP. If we get Fukudome and Tejada, my lineup would be:

 

Soriano

Fukudome

Lee

Ramirez

Tejada

DeRosa

Soto

Pie

[Sammy Sofa]

That would be typical Cubs if they get Fukodome and hit him 4th or 5th. The guy has great on base skills and instead of hitting him 2nd in front of Lee and Aram, wed bat him after.

Well, we have Soriano leading off with his sub-par OBP. If we get Fukudome and Tejada, my lineup would be:

 

Soriano

Fukudome

Lee

Ramirez

Tejada

DeRosa

Soto

Pie

 

*Sighs*

 

That lineup makes me feel all funny and tingly. I hope it's just me excited over its awesomeness and not a stroke. Unless it's a stroke that comes after the shock of Hendry actually putting that team together...I'll take that one for the team.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

No, I really won't. Please don't stroke me, God.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wait....what?

[Blizzau]

I think if we miss on Fukudome, we'll put the full court press on trying to trade for Crawford. We may then use the money to try to replace Rich Hill in the rotation since he'd have to be used to get Crawford.

 

which would be terrible. what is with hendry's obsession with a left-handed bat anyway? geez, he's hopeless.

 

What would be terrible about adding Crawford to our lineup? He's young, relatively cheap, plays solid defense, and is a solid offensive player. Oh, and he's left handed, of course. ;)

[Keener98]

I think if we miss on Fukudome, we'll put the full court press on trying to trade for Crawford. We may then use the money to try to replace Rich Hill in the rotation since he'd have to be used to get Crawford.

 

which would be terrible. what is with hendry's obsession with a left-handed bat anyway? geez, he's hopeless.

 

What would be terrible about adding Crawford to our lineup? He's young, relatively cheap, plays solid defense, and is a solid offensive player. Oh, and he's left handed, of course. ;)

 

 

Its the fact the Hendry is so set on a left handed RF, instead of just looking for a good OF, hes dead set he has to be lefthanded for some reason.

[Keener98]

That would be typical Cubs if they get Fukodome and hit him 4th or 5th. The guy has great on base skills and instead of hitting him 2nd in front of Lee and Aram, wed bat him after.

Well, we have Soriano leading off with his sub-par OBP. If we get Fukudome and Tejada, my lineup would be:

 

Soriano

Fukudome

Lee

Ramirez

Tejada

DeRosa

Soto

Pie

 

Yea that lineup would be ideal. Also apparently the Cubs are looking at moving Soriano out of the leadoff spot, but they say he needs to have speed. With that lineup right there Id go with

 

Fukudome

DeRosa

Aram

Soriano

Lee

Tejada

Soto

Pie

[Sammy Sofa]

That would be typical Cubs if they get Fukodome and hit him 4th or 5th. The guy has great on base skills and instead of hitting him 2nd in front of Lee and Aram, wed bat him after.

Well, we have Soriano leading off with his sub-par OBP. If we get Fukudome and Tejada, my lineup would be:

 

Soriano

Fukudome

Lee

Ramirez

Tejada

DeRosa

Soto

Pie

 

Yea that lineup would be ideal. Also apparently the Cubs are looking at moving Soriano out of the leadoff spot, but they say he needs to have speed. With that lineup right there Id go with

 

Fukudome

DeRosa

Aram

Soriano

Lee

Tejada

Soto

Pie

 

Wait, why push Lee and Tejada down that far? Bat Lee 2nd, then Aram, then Sori, then Tejada.

[SouthSideRyan]

They've (Sox) gone thru a rough stretch as far as drafting safer low ceiling picks and it has cost them as far as minor league talent, I question whether they have what it takes to acquire Bay.

 

De Los Santos, Gio, and Sweeny might get it done. Gio can step in if they decide to trade a starter.

 

They already need Gio to step in. Their current rotation has Gavin Floyd as their #5. And Jose Contreras as a starter period.

[Outshined_One]

They've (Sox) gone thru a rough stretch as far as drafting safer low ceiling picks and it has cost them as far as minor league talent, I question whether they have what it takes to acquire Bay.

 

I'm curious as to whether Neal Huntington is still going to follow the organization's mantra of loving them back of the rotation LHPs. Gio would be the best one of those they could get!

[Keener98]

That would be typical Cubs if they get Fukodome and hit him 4th or 5th. The guy has great on base skills and instead of hitting him 2nd in front of Lee and Aram, wed bat him after.

Well, we have Soriano leading off with his sub-par OBP. If we get Fukudome and Tejada, my lineup would be:

 

Soriano

Fukudome

Lee

Ramirez

Tejada

DeRosa

Soto

Pie

 

Yea that lineup would be ideal. Also apparently the Cubs are looking at moving Soriano out of the leadoff spot, but they say he needs to have speed. With that lineup right there Id go with

 

Fukudome

DeRosa

Aram

Soriano

Lee

Tejada

Soto

Pie

 

Wait, why push Lee and Tejada down that far? Bat Lee 2nd, then Aram, then Sori, then Tejada.

 

Aram is our best hitter, Soriano is our best power hitter, Lee gives Soriano protection, and Tejadas numbers have dropped recently. Not really a slight against Tejada it just speaks how good that lineup looks.

 

Also with that lineup, Lou could still bunt with his 2 hitter like he likes too, even though I dont.

[JeffH]

Lou likes to bunt? Since when?

[JeffH]

I think if we miss on Fukudome, we'll put the full court press on trying to trade for Crawford. We may then use the money to try to replace Rich Hill in the rotation since he'd have to be used to get Crawford.

 

which would be terrible. what is with hendry's obsession with a left-handed bat anyway? geez, he's hopeless.

 

What would be terrible about adding Crawford to our lineup? He's young, relatively cheap, plays solid defense, and is a solid offensive player. Oh, and he's left handed, of course. ;)

 

If we traded for him, he wouldn't be cheap for long.

[Keener98]

Lou likes to bunt? Since when?

 

Lou says

Our hitting coach (Gerald Perry) has been to the Dominican," Piniella said. "We've tried to impress on him, 'Let's get a little more compact with your swing. Let's be a little more patient, a little more selective at home plate. Let's bunt a little bit more. Hit the ball to left field a little more and stay on the ball longer. Let's get on base and get your on-base percentage up,' because he can really help us defensively."

 

Hes basically been hinting since last season that he wanted more speed and guys to bunt so they could manufacture runs like that. And now he is trying to get Pie to bunt more.

[JeffH]

Pardon me. When you said "bunt", I read that as "sacrifice". Piniella is a big anti-sac bunt manager.

[CubColtPacer]

Lou likes to bunt? Since when?

 

Lou says

Our hitting coach (Gerald Perry) has been to the Dominican," Piniella said. "We've tried to impress on him, 'Let's get a little more compact with your swing. Let's be a little more patient, a little more selective at home plate. Let's bunt a little bit more. Hit the ball to left field a little more and stay on the ball longer. Let's get on base and get your on-base percentage up,' because he can really help us defensively."

 

Hes basically been hinting since last season that he wanted more speed and guys to bunt so they could manufacture runs like that. And now he is trying to get Pie to bunt more.

 

What JeffH said. Lou hates to sac bunt, especially in the early innings. He has said so repeatedly, and the Cubs as a team were reflective of that last year. In fact, they had the fewest sacrifices in the National League.

 

What he does want is Pie to bunt for a base hit a little more.