Raul Ibanez

[shnsajax]

Doesn't exactly play CF like we could use, but if Fukudome is willing to do it for the rest of this season. He is in the last year of his contract. He's a lefty, could come for not real expensive given he is 35, never really strikes out. Plug him in RF.

 

Soriano

Fuku

Lee

Ramirez

Soto

Ibanez

Derosa

Theriot

 

Kind of a long shot, he should become available.

[Post Count Padder]

For the past few seasons, I've been in favor of acquiring Ibanez for the right price. If it wouldn't take much and the M's eat some salary, let's cut ties with Edmonds. However, I'm not sure how easily the M's would wanna part with him and I don't know how Fukudome would react to being regulated to full-time CF.

[Little Slide Rooter]

Until Fuku came to town, I was hearing Ibanez rumors all the time. Id definitely take him. hed be a perfect number 5 hitter and we could keep Fuku in the 2 spot.

 

I dont know what his contract looks like or what Seattle would want for him, and our wonderful GM puts every prospect on his "untouchable" list as long as they dont completely suck.

 

I could see Hendry offering up Jason DuBois, Sam Fuld, and Mark Hollimon and getting laughed at.

[shnsajax]

Until Fuku came to town, I was hearing Ibanez rumors all the time. Id definitely take him. hed be a perfect number 5 hitter and we could keep Fuku in the 2 spot.

 

I dont know what his contract looks like or what Seattle would want for him, and our wonderful GM puts every prospect on his "untouchable" list as long as they dont completely suck.

 

I could see Hendry offering up Jason DuBois, Sam Fuld, and Mark Hollimon and getting laughed at.

 

6.5 million this season, and then his contract is done. Given his age and contract status I don't think he should cost a whole lot.

[SweetZombieJesus]

Until Fuku came to town, I was hearing Ibanez rumors all the time. Id definitely take him. hed be a perfect number 5 hitter and we could keep Fuku in the 2 spot.

 

I dont know what his contract looks like or what Seattle would want for him, and our wonderful GM puts every prospect on his "untouchable" list as long as they dont completely suck.

 

I could see Hendry offering up Jason DuBois, Sam Fuld, and Mark Hollimon and getting laughed at.

 

Silly Rabbit, Sam Fuld is untouchable more like Rich Hill, Felix Pie and Ronny Cedeno for Yuniesky Betancourt.

[vance_the_cubs_fan]

Count me on board for Fukudome to CF and Ibanez to RF. Ibanez has had a 350+ OBP for the past four years including this season. He usually hits 280 or better. He slugs around 480. He's not a superstar by any stretch of the imagination, but he's a solid bat. If Ibanez was in RF, Fukudome could bat second with Ibanez hitting behind Ramirez.

[erik316wttn]

Count me on board for Fukudome to CF and Ibanez to RF. Ibanez has had a 350+ OBP for the past four years including this season. He usually hits 280 or better. He slugs around 480. He's not a superstar by any stretch of the imagination, but he's a solid bat. If Ibanez was in RF, Fukudome could bat second with Ibanez hitting behind Ramirez.

 

I'll jump on that train.

[jersey cubs fan]

If he's a giveaway, sure, but the Cubs don't have enough good prospects to justify giving the few they have for a player like Ibanez.

[shnsajax]

If he's a giveaway, sure, but the Cubs don't have enough good prospects to justify giving the few they have for a player like Ibanez.

 

If you could swing a Marshall and Murton for Ibanez I would have no problem with that. The Mariners won't be getting gold for a 35 year old OF in the last year of his contract. Like mentioned earlier, he is a very good player that would complement the Cubs lineup well but he is not a superstar by any stretch.

[sneakypower]

ah, another "who gives a [expletive] about defense" trade thought

 

good thing too, our offense is in dire need of improvement

[PrimeTime]

I'd be up for that, but Fukudome signed here for a reason,they promised him he'd play RF...Offense is fine for now..We need pitching..Our back of the rotation blows..

[rawaction]

I like Ibanez. I also see him being able to hit for more power in Wrigley (and the NL Central) than he has in Seattle. He does play RF like a 1B, though.

[shnsajax]

I'd be up for that, but Fukudome signed here for a reason,they promised him he'd play RF...Offense is fine for now..We need pitching..Our back of the rotation blows..

 

I do agree with this, pitching needs to be at the forefront, and not a back of the rotation type of guy. Someone like Burnett.

 

Ibanez is simply someone who could be inexpensive and improve the depth of our everyday lineup. Our offense has been good, but the lineup could be tweaked.

[vance_the_cubs_fan]

Seattle is 9 1/2 games back with a whopping .375 winning percentage. My guess is they will start selling parts soon, and Ibanez is the type of player moved cheaply around the first weeks of July. He's not under contract so the Mariners will either trade him or take a draft pick. Most teams prefer a player to the draft pick, so we'll see.

 

It's quite likely Murton would get the deal done. Murton gives the Mariners a player they control for a few more seasons that has had some success. Other players that could interest Seattle in a deal for Ibanez could be Wuertz, Petrick, Fox, or Patterson. Outside of Wuertz, I wouldn't cringe over giving up any one of those. Then again, they could want a low minors project. Outside a few of our top prospects, there's no one there that I wouldn't give up in a deal for Ibanez.

 

If Raul is traded it's going to be a long the lines of what the Cubs received for Maddux (Izturis) or Walker (Ceda) when we traded those two. Ibanez is not the impact player which will cause a bidding war among other teams. He's nearing the end of his career, and he's an impending free agent. He also isn't known for great defense.

 

The biggest issue with a deal like this is whether Fukudome would feel comfortable moving to CF and whether the Cubs feel they could live with Ibanez in RF.

[cheapseats]

He also isn't known for great defense.

 

 

That's putting it kindly. The Fielding Bible had him as one of the five worst LF in MLB last year.

[RedFlash]

The biggest issue with a deal like this is whether Fukudome would feel comfortable moving to CF and whether the Cubs feel they could live with Ibanez in RF.

 

I think the selling point would be, he would return to RF in 2009, and his move to CF this yr, would be TEMPORARY. I see Fuku as a player who is willing to help the team win, by doing what he is asked. If the Cubs asked him to play CF for at most 4 months,(with some compensation, of course), I would believe he would agree to playing CF.

[Dallas Green]

I think that idea will have traction. I think Lou would love an Ibanez in his line-up. Prefer a CF though becasue Fuku is so good in RF.