Let's take a look at how much we can spend next year

[RammyFanny]

I know this is a little early for some but I thought i'd take a look at how much we can potentially have to spend next offseason. Obviously the ownership is in question, but we'll assume the payroll will stay around the 120-125 mill mark (and hope it can maybe even increase a little, depending on the buyer).

Guys who we can let go:

Dempster: 5.5 million

Wood:4.2 million

Howry: 4 million

Eyre: 3.8 million

Blanco: 2.5 million (2.8 mill- 300k buyout)

Ward: 1.2 million

Cotts: 800k

 

= 22 million potentially off the books. Obviously, i'm sure we will resign a player or two and purchase a few small contracts of minor leaguers if needed, but it has potential for another big signing. Majority of the players are from the bullpen, so i'm hoping a few guys (Samardizja..though he'll cost a litte more, Veal if he continues out of the pen, maybe a guy like Maestri(sp) can surprise and get here a little faster) can step forward from the farm and fill in nicely and cheaply. I'd probably try to reup Wood assuming he's coming off a nice year, but i'd plan on hopefully taking advantage of a good year possibly closing for Howry and getting some picks.

 

Here's a list of some FA available next offseason(I honestly haven't even looked through them all yet).

http://mlbcontracts.blogspot.com/2002/02/2008-09-free-agents.html

[RammyFanny]

Maybe i'm taking it a little far assuming the payroll won't decrease, but hopefully we get a owner who cares about winning alot. And it's not like they won't know what there buying, there's already going to be alot of big bucks being payed by us no matter what.

[Rob]

I know this is a little early for some but I thought i'd take a look at how much we can potentially have to spend next offseason. Obviously the ownership is in question, but we'll assume the payroll will stay around the 120-125 mill mark (and hope it can maybe even increase a little, depending on the buyer).

Guys who we can let go:

Dempster: 5.5 million

Wood:4.2 million

Howry: 4 million

Eyre: 3.8 million

Blanco: 2.5 million (2.8 mill- 300k buyout)

Ward: 1.2 million

Cotts: 800k

 

= 22 million potentially off the books. Obviously, i'm sure we will resign a player or two and purchase a few small contracts of minor leaguers if needed, but it has potential for another big signing. Majority of the players are from the bullpen, so i'm hoping a few guys (Samardizja..though he'll cost a litte more, Veal if he continues out of the pen, maybe a guy like Maestri(sp) can surprise and get here a little faster) can step forward from the farm and fill in nicely and cheaply. I'd probably try to reup Wood assuming he's coming off a nice year, but i'd plan on hopefully taking advantage of a good year possibly closing for Howry and getting some picks.

 

Here's a list of some FA available next offseason(I honestly haven't even looked through them all yet).

http://mlbcontracts.blogspot.com/2002/02/2008-09-free-agents.html

 

The follow people will have their salaries escalate between the 2008 and 2009 season.

 

Zambrano (2.75 mil)

Aramis (1.65 mil)

Soriano (3 mil)

Lilly (5 mil)

Marquis (3.5 mil)

DeRosa (.75 mil)

 

And Wuertz should hit arbi in that time, so he'll cost an extra half mil or so too.

[Vanilla Ice]

Some of the best players on the list, not necessarily fitting a need for the Cubs (* means contract includes 2009 option, don't know if team or player option)

 

Mark Teixeira ATL

Orlando Hudson ARZ

Orlando Cabrera CWS

Edgar Renteria * DET

Hank Blalock * TEX

Ivan Rodriguez DET

Jason Varitek BOS

Bobby Abreu NYY

Rocco Baldelli * TB

Pat Burrell PHI

Carl Crawford * TB

Adam Dunn CIN

Ken Griffey Jr. * CIN

Vladimir Guerrero * LAA

Wily Mo Pena WAS

Manny Ramirez * BOS

 

A.J. Burnett TOR (may opt out)

Jon Garland LAA

Rich Harden * OAK

John Lackey * LAA

Derek Lowe LAD

Pedro Martinez NYM

Mark Mulder * STL

Brad Penny * LAD

C.C. Sabathia CLE

Johan Santana MIN

Ben Sheets MIL

John Smoltz * ATL

Oliver Perez NYM

Steve Trachsel BAL

 

I chose to ignore bullpen arms, because there are a lot of them that might be helpful and I could see us signing no more than one of them (excluding Wood)

[RammyFanny]

Fukudome will obviously play right field for about all of this year as agreed upon, but if he's open to moving to center after he's become more acqainted with the team (09) some outfielders look tempting.

 

Teixeira if he's willing to play right, our very popular Adam Dunn, possibly Manny Ramirez who i'm sure Boston might not pay the 20 mill or whatever his option of his.

 

Pitching wise (talking big names), you can make a run at Johan (unlikely), Sabathia (boy would that be nice), and Sheets among others.

 

Edit: Wow, I don't think i've ever realized how good Teixeira is. I mean, I knew he was a premium bat but I still didn't realize he put up an .963 OPS last year. I was expecting something in the upper .800's. Hopefully Cuban's comes in with a bang and snags him :wink:

[nilodnayr]

Not gonna get much with that net net of about $5M.