Hendry: Sam Fuld is an untouchable

[badnews]

The farm system has worked its way back up to average?

[Little Slide Rooter]

again, this is exactly why the CUbs cant pull off a decent trade. Any prospect who shows the slightest amount of promise is considered "untouchable", and by the time their ready to trade them, they lose most of their value. I.E. Corey Patterson, Angel Guzman, and then they give up on them if they get to the majors and dont make an immediate impact, I.E. Felix Pie. Isnt Fuld pushing 30 anyway?

[JeffH]

The most disturbing part of this is not that Punch Drunk has labeled Sam Fuld as untouchable.

 

It's that he has labeled ANYONE untouchable.

 

NO ONE IS UNTOUCHABLE!!!

 

MacPhail or Beinfest calls up and expresses some interest in some of your so-called untouchables.

 

Do you listen or do you hang up the phone?

 

Maybe they really love Nick Markakis/Jeremy Hermida, but wouldn't mind using him to fill multiple spots.

 

MLB's worst GM.

[E.J.]

Jim Hendry is losing it. The stress of the job is getting to him. He had heart troubles last offseason. This offseason he needs to be checked into a mental institution.

[abuck1220]

That's a lot of untouchables for an avg farm sysyem.

 

exactly. they're going to have a tough time pulling off a trade for a decent outfielder if non-top 10 prospects are untouchables.

[UMFan83]

Andrew Miller and Cameron Maybin = Touchable.

 

Sam Flud = Untouchable.

 

 

This is why we don't win. I don't care if I'm taking the quote out of context. It's just stupid really.

 

I come on here in the morning hoping to read rumors of some new names being floated around for the Cubs, and instead I read that our 91st best prospect is untouchable.

[Backtobanks]

I'm just thinking of a cheap backup 4th OF along with talking up his prospects. The Yanks do it and it's ok, the Cubs and their idiots.

 

Another example of Hendry bashing. When Hendry dismisses a player, he gets criticized and if he talks up a player, he gets criticized. Nobody is burning up the phone lines asking for Fuld, so what's the matter with building up the kid's ego. As for whether Hendry believes this, I don't think any of us know what he believes. Bruce Miles has pointed out that the Cubs are very tight lipped about what their plans are, but all of us "experts" know what Hendry's inner most thoughts are.

[abuck1220]

I'm just thinking of a cheap backup 4th OF along with talking up his prospects. The Yanks do it and it's ok, the Cubs and their idiots.

 

Another example of Hendry bashing. When Hendry dismisses a player, he gets criticized and if he talks up a player, he gets criticized. Nobody is burning up the phone lines asking for Fuld, so what's the matter with building up the kid's ego. As for whether Hendry believes this, I don't think any of us know what he believes. Bruce Miles has pointed out that the Cubs are very tight lipped about what their plans are, but all of us "experts" know what Hendry's inner most thoughts are.

 

how much longer does hendry continue to get the benefit of the doubt? people act like this is his first offseason or something.

[mul21]

I'm just thinking of a cheap backup 4th OF along with talking up his prospects. The Yanks do it and it's ok, the Cubs and their idiots.

 

Another example of Hendry bashing. When Hendry dismisses a player, he gets criticized and if he talks up a player, he gets criticized. Nobody is burning up the phone lines asking for Fuld, so what's the matter with building up the kid's ego. As for whether Hendry believes this, I don't think any of us know what he believes. Bruce Miles has pointed out that the Cubs are very tight lipped about what their plans are, but all of us "experts" know what Hendry's inner most thoughts are.

 

how much longer does hendry continue to get the benefit of the doubt? people act like this is his first offseason or something.

 

Well, here in St. Louis you have an opposite situation where everybody thought "Jocketty has always pulled these guys off the scrap heap and had success, no reason to doubt he'll do it again this year" when he signed Kip Wells last year. He ended up with an awful lineup full of guys who couldnt hit and couldn't pitch. Until Hendry does something monumentally stupid this off season, I say cut him some slack. He made some moves last year nobody liked (Marquis, Lilly, and DeRosa) and those turned out pretty darn well for the amount of money spent. I'm no Hendry apologist and think he certainly needs to do a better job and have a little philosophy change, but let's wait and see, because like Bruce said, the Cubs have been tight lipped about their plans, and who knows, maybe the Matsui thing was just a ploy to drive up the price for Houston.

[CyHawk_Cub]

But, but...remember that great catch in that one game?? That obviously showed Hendry all he needed to see...

 

 

Hopefully this is simply pure marketing on Hendry's part... You know, people (incl. GMs) tend to want what they can't have.

[badnews]

I kind of agree the opposing viewpoint. Nobody knows for sure Hendry feels like way about Fuld. Fuld doesn't fit the bill of the prototypical guy Hendry falls in love with. He could just be trying to build up his mystique. "Who is this guy? He's getting all of these AFL Awards and AFL write-ups (some of the quotes fairly glowing), he crashed into the wall at Wrigley, now Jim Hendry is saying he's untouchable? What does Jim Hendry know about him that I don't?"

 

There's nothing wrong with this. It's probably not going to work, but still, why not try it? It's not like it'll hurt his image. We saw a guy squarely in Fuld's class, Rajai Davis, go over to San Francisco and put up nice numbers considering what people look for in leadoff men. Maybe some other GM will have it in his mind to buy low on a guy he liked what he heard about from the AFL. I mean really, we're basically at the point where replacement level players get $10 million a year, why not?

 

Nothing will come of all of this, I imagine, but still. I don't see it as a source of outrage.

[JeffH]

who knows, maybe the Matsui thing was just a ploy to drive up the price for Houston.

 

May I suggest that you apply Occam's Razor here?

[Soul]

Hendry's always been bad, but now he's bordering on being a bumbling fool.

[Ding Dong Johnson]

I have arguments for both sides:

 

1. It was Paul Sullivan, it was probably taken out of context

2. Hendry's comments over time have shown he typically means exactly what he says

[Jon]

I hate to say this, but I can actually see a sane thought process behind this.

 

Hendry, for whatever reason (i.e. scouts), has decided that Fuld actually has a chance to develop into something worthwhile... whether that be a good 4th outfielder, or a bad starting center fielder, or whatever... it'd be something with a lot more value once he does manage to develop.

 

Now, some other GM might've asked about Fuld, thinking he'd be nice roster filler for AAA, and been willing to offer Hendry peanuts for him. Hendry notices that it's entirely possible more people would come calling, not willing to give up anything of value for him.

 

Yeah, I'd call him untouchable too.

 

Think about it, on the off chance that Fuld has some huge fluke year filling in for an injured Pie, Hendry has already planted a seed that could get other GMs around the league thinking he's actually worth something (he meaning both Hendry himself and Fuld). Come this time next season, or even a few seasons from now, Hendry could stand to make a bit extra off the kid selling him off to some other unsuspecting GM.

 

The problem is, that wasn't actually Hendry's thought process... but maybe the new GM could benefit from it if Hendry isn't around long enough after Fuld's fluke year to hand him a 3 year contract worth a few mil a season.

Not only was it not Hendry's thought process, but it mostly just takes into account two or three player trades. Another GM might probably wouldn't be offering Hendry peanuts if it's a five or six player trade, which is where some over-infatuation with Fuld might come in handy.

[abuck1220]

signing marquis turned out well?

[BigbadB]

I'm guessing there are teams that have been asking about Fuld. He's a prototypical lead off hitter in the eyes of many GM's out there, and they probably took notice of his offseason.

 

Labeling him an untouchable is probably stretching things, but I don't want to see them part with him right now unless it's for a significant upgrade. If someone is calling and asking about Fuld, he has more trade value than he did a month ago.

 

Fuld puts up a very respectable OBP, he's dirt cheap, and he's somewhat young.

[CUBZ99]

signing marquis turned out well?

 

It worked out well last year. This year probably not so much.

[Keener98]

signing marquis turned out well?

 

It worked out well last year. This year probably not so much.

 

It did? An ERA near 5 and a WHIP of almost 1.4 is working out well? It worked out well for about 1 month(April) and then it was all downhill from there

[Derwood]

maybe he has chicken pox

[GoCubsGo1679625768]

Hendry is just speaking the truth...Sam Fuld is an untouchable..because nobody wants him. He just left out the last part.

[YearofDaCubs]

Interesting. I agree with all of you nobody should be untouchable but maybe the scouts know something we don't? I doubt it but who knows.

[GoCubsGo1679625768]

Interesting. I agree with all of you nobody should be untouchable but maybe the scouts know something we don't? I doubt it but who knows.

I'll be willing to bet elventy billion dollars + Texas$, that Fuld will never amount to anything more than a backup OF.

[craig]

1. It was Paul Sullivan, it was probably taken out of context

 

Not to be a hendry apologist, but just to play devil's advocate...

 

Hendry did not call Fuld an "untouchable". It was Sullivan who used that phrase. What hendry said was that "We're not going to trade Pie, and we're not going to trade him. It's pretty simple."

 

Was Florida calling up to offer Cabrera for Fuld, and Hendry said no? OK, then Hendry is dumb for saying he's not going to trade Fuld.

 

But that's not how it goes. You guys all recognize what Fuld's limits are. So does Hendry and baseball GM's. That's why discussing Fuld trades is pointless. Shopping Fuld gets you nowhere in pursuing a quality major league player. If you want to trade Fuld or if somebody wants to trade for Fuld, you're talking about their Cotts or Fox or Pignatiello guys. Nobody's offering anything worth discussing; if you shop Fuld you won't get anything worth discussing. Every real GM knows that, including Hendry. So he makes a simple comment that it makes no sense to talk about trading Fuld so the media guy should quit asking about it. He's not going to trade him. Because he's untouchable and you wouldn't give him up for Santana? No. Because his trade value is insignificant and there are no more discussions about trades involving Fuld than there are about trades involving other insignificant guys like Matt Avery or Welington Castillo. You don't discuss trades for guys like that.

 

He answered the question primarily in reference to Pie, that he's not going to trade Pie. Is Pie untouchable, and he wouldn't trade Pie for Roberts or Matt Cain? Think as you wish. I think his point is that given the real world, that pie isn't going to get traded this month and it's a waste of time for reporters to spin speculations to that effect. Why not? Because his trade value isn't high enough to get you a player that you can afford to pay and that upgrades you at a position of need. Pie isn't getting you Santana or Linecum or Roberts or Cabrera or Markakis or Pujols or H Ramirez. Is Hendry saying he wouldn't give Pie for guys like that, if in some fantasy asset players were available for Pie and Fuld? I don't think so. I think he's just saying that in the real world, Pie's value isn't high enough to get guys who we want to trade him for.

 

The upgrade possibilities are RF, CF, 2B, SS, and rotation. Presumably they have budget to add one serious contract, and they'd like that for RF. Fukudome could fit. do that, you've filled your lineup, and Pie in center enables the budget to work with good potential besides. Should he be shopping Pie to try to trade for Randy Winn, or for Mark Teahen, or Nate McLouth?

 

Pie's a good prospect, but he's not good enough to get us a quality upgrade at 2B, SS, CF, RF, or rotation. that being the case, Hendry realizes that a Pie trade isn't going to happen. So he can accurately say that Pie isn't going to get traded, and the reporters shouldn't waste time asking questions about it or making up unrealistic trade rumors that are dumb and bogus.

 

What's the big problem?

[jersey cubs fan]

I'm just thinking of a cheap backup 4th OF along with talking up his prospects. The Yanks do it and it's ok, the Cubs and their idiots.

 

Another example of Hendry bashing. When Hendry dismisses a player, he gets criticized and if he talks up a player, he gets criticized. Nobody is burning up the phone lines asking for Fuld, so what's the matter with building up the kid's ego. As for whether Hendry believes this, I don't think any of us know what he believes. Bruce Miles has pointed out that the Cubs are very tight lipped about what their plans are, but all of us "experts" know what Hendry's inner most thoughts are.

 

how much longer does hendry continue to get the benefit of the doubt? people act like this is his first offseason or something.

 

Well, here in St. Louis you have an opposite situation where everybody thought "Jocketty has always pulled these guys off the scrap heap and had success, no reason to doubt he'll do it again this year" when he signed Kip Wells last year. He ended up with an awful lineup full of guys who couldnt hit and couldn't pitch. Until Hendry does something monumentally stupid this off season, I say cut him some slack. He made some moves last year nobody liked (Marquis, Lilly, and DeRosa) and those turned out pretty darn well for the amount of money spent. I'm no Hendry apologist and think he certainly needs to do a better job and have a little philosophy change, but let's wait and see, because like Bruce said, the Cubs have been tight lipped about their plans, and who knows, maybe the Matsui thing was just a ploy to drive up the price for Houston.

 

I say that's pointless. His slack was cut years ago. It's absurd to give him the benefit of the doubt now, when he's still got a mediocre team and very little hope for anything better.

 

 

By the way, this is nothing like the Yankees. They don't take non prospects and call them untouchable. The put together a great lineup, then let the likes of Melky Cabrera come in and play some rather average ball, and get hyped into something more than what he is. Melky is nothing special, but Fuld is no Melky.