2008/2009 Offseason Free Agents

[Little Slide Rooter]

I found this list on mlbtraderumors. I know Questions often come up about whose free next year, so this is a pretty complete list.

 

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2007/12/2009-mlb-free-a.html

 

I thought Reed Johnson was free after this year. I guess not.

[SouthSideRyan]

Reed is arb-eligible next season. Edited August 15, 2008 by SouthSideRyan

[cubbyvirus00]

is there anybody that we'd want to target?

[TruffleShuffle]

if the cubs keep blanco, they'd have the following players under their control for 2009:

 

position players:

soriano (lf)

fukudome (rf)

lee (1b)

derosa (2b)

ramirez (3b)

fontenot (if)

cedeno (if)

theriot (ss)

soto ©

blanco ©

johnson (cf)

 

pitchers:

zambrano (sp)

lilly (sp)

harden (sp)

marquis (sp)

gaudin (rp?)

marmol (rp)

samardzija (rp?)

wuertz (rp)

cotts (rp)

 

roles unknown:

pie (cf)

hoffpauir (1b/of)

hill (p)

marshall (p)

guzman (p)

ascanio (p)

 

i guess i have the cubs at 20 guys who are very likely to be on next year's team, barring trades. johnson, if i'm understanding correctly, is still under the cubs' control next season. the roles i don't have filled above are:

 

another CF to start or platoon w/reed

1 starting pitcher

1/2 relief pitchers

 

 

ss is a possibility for an upgrade, although theriot is giving nice production at a low price and i'm not sure that it would be worth it to upgrade to furcal, given the price he'll likely command.

 

the cf options are lousy; kotsay isn't that good and he gets hurt all the time. personally i'd like to see pie/johnson in a platoon, but the cubs really don't seem willing to give pie a real chance.

 

starting pitcher, the cubs have already dumped a lot of money into zambrano and lilly, plus marquis is making almost $10M next year (barf). there are obviously some very good options in the FA market, but the cubs really don't need to be spending $15-20M on another starter. probably can't afford that, either. if dempster really wants to come back and the price is right, i'd resign him. otherwise, i'd be fine with hill, marshall, samardzija and gaudin competing for the last spot.

 

at relief pitcher, i hope they can bring wood back - he seems to be settled in the chicago area and wants to play for the cubs. just don't pay him elite closer money, because it's not worth it. i suspect that the cubs will want a more "proven" middle reliever and will go after someone who's on the market. two names on the list that i'd have some interest in: juan cruz (hahaha) and jeremy affeldt.

[imb]

he's not an FA, but Jimmy Rollins is pissing people in Philly off. Maybe some kind of Pie+pitching centric deal?

[sneakypower]

he's not an FA, but Jimmy Rollins is pissing people in Philly off. Maybe some kind of Pie+pitching centric deal?

similarly, BJ Upton has been pulled from a game twice in the last week or two for lack of hustle.

 

i know of a young CF who hustles that we could exchange for him

[shnsajax]

Holliday and Halladay could maybe be had.

[imb]

he's not an FA, but Jimmy Rollins is pissing people in Philly off. Maybe some kind of Pie+pitching centric deal?

similarly, BJ Upton has been pulled from a game twice in the last week or two for lack of hustle.

 

i know of a young CF who hustles that we could exchange for him

 

yes please. i think i just got half a chub

[sneakypower]

then you restrained yourself better than i could

[rocket]

i'll speak for meph and mention that rocco baldelli is a free agent.

[sneakypower]

he'll probably be a good value on the FA market, but what does he provide that Felix couldn't, other than malfunctioning mitochondria?

[CubFanPhilly]

My guess:

 

position players:

soriano (lf)

fukudome (rf)

johnson (cf)

pie (cf)

lee (1b)

derosa (2b)

ramirez (3b)

fontenot (if)

cedeno (if)

theriot (ss)

soto ©

F/A or K Hill ©

hoffpauir (1b/of)

 

pitchers:

zambrano (sp)

lilly (sp)

harden (sp)

dempster (sp) ~$33 mil./3 yrs

marshall/hill/samardzija/gaudin (sp)

gaudin (rp?)

marmol (rp)

samardzija (rp?)

guzman (p)

wuertz/ascanio (rp)

cotts (rp)

wood (rp) ~$14 mil./2 yrs

[ChiCubsFan]

There are plenty of options available. All depends on how much money we have. We could go cheap and have a Pie/Johnson CF platoon or we could sign a corner outfielder and move Fukudome to CF. Then use Pie as a trading chip to fill another hole. As someone already mentioned, Rollins is also a possibility. Philly is getting very tired of him and I don't think it would take much more than Theriot to get him. Theriot is having a great year and is cheaper and slightly younger so I don't see this really happening. However, Rollins is a better defender, better hitter, and better base stealer so I wouldn't mind seeing it happen.

[TruffleShuffle]

Philly is getting very tired of him and I don't think it would take much more than Theriot to get him.

 

no that fat hick charlie manuel (seriously have you ever heard him talk? cue the banjo music from deliverance) is getting tired of him. rollins may want out of philly and some of the phillies brass may want him gone too, but they know he's one of the top ss in baseball. manny was making it clear that he was going to tank the rest of the year, and at this point in their careers j-roll is a better player than manny, yet the red sox still got a borderline all-star lf in jason bay. you can bet that the phillies are going to want a lot more than ryan theriot before they move rollins.

[Tarver]

Amongst CF, Jones, Pierre, Damon, and Crisp all figure to be available by just assuming their salaries. Not the most attractive options, but they're there.

[RedFlash]

That's it........I want BJ Upton (I have a personalized autogragh of BJ's from his days in Montgomery and Jimmy Rollins.

[Derwood]

if Philadelphia teams traded every player the fans hated there would be no players left

[Post Count Padder]

if Philadelphia teams traded every player the fans hated there would be no players left

Seriously. If this were the case, Burrell would have been traded 5 years ago.

[RedFlash]

if Philadelphia teams traded every player the fans hated there would be no players left

Seriously. If this were the case, Burrell would have been traded 5 years ago.

 

Or Ryan Howard would have been traded before he BECAME Ryan Howard the superstar. Or Jimmy Rollins before he found his rhythm, etc, etc. Philadelphia is not city, I would want to play for had I been a professional athlete.

[Hosak8]

he'll probably be a good value on the FA market, but what does he provide that Felix couldn't, other than malfunctioning mitochondria?

 

The ability to play RF.

[sneakypower]

any CF with a halfway decent arm can play RF

[Illini Iceman]

My guess:

 

position players:

soriano (lf)

fukudome (rf)

johnson (cf)

pie (cf)

lee (1b)

derosa (2b)

ramirez (3b)

fontenot (if)

cedeno (if)

theriot (ss)

soto ©

F/A or K Hill ©

hoffpauir (1b/of)

 

pitchers:

zambrano (sp)

lilly (sp)

harden (sp)

dempster (sp) ~$33 mil./3 yrs

marshall/hill/samardzija/gaudin (sp)

gaudin (rp?)

marmol (rp)

samardzija (rp?)

guzman (p)

wuertz/ascanio (rp)

cotts (rp)

wood (rp) ~$14 mil./2 yrs

 

Unless the Cubs actually win it all it seems pretty unlikely that they come back next year with essentially the same team except Pie replacing Edmonds as the LH platoon with Johnson in CF. Pie is going to be hard pressed to match the production that Edmonds has given so far so it would mean they go into 2009 with a less potent offense than they have right now. I would think that Hendry will get more creative than this and mix it up to try to upgrade the team if they do wind up falling short.

[CubFanPhilly]

My guess:

 

position players:

soriano (lf)

fukudome (rf)

johnson (cf)

pie (cf)

lee (1b)

derosa (2b)

ramirez (3b)

fontenot (if)

cedeno (if)

theriot (ss)

soto ©

F/A or K Hill ©

hoffpauir (1b/of)

 

pitchers:

zambrano (sp)

lilly (sp)

harden (sp)

dempster (sp) ~$33 mil./3 yrs

marshall/hill/samardzija/gaudin (sp)

gaudin (rp?)

marmol (rp)

samardzija (rp?)

guzman (p)

wuertz/ascanio (rp)

cotts (rp)

wood (rp) ~$14 mil./2 yrs

 

Unless the Cubs actually win it all it seems pretty unlikely that they come back next year with essentially the same team except Pie replacing Edmonds as the LH platoon with Johnson in CF. Pie is going to be hard pressed to match the production that Edmonds has given so far so it would mean they go into 2009 with a less potent offense than they have right now. I would think that Hendry will get more creative than this and mix it up to try to upgrade the team if they do wind up falling short.

 

I think the ownership situation and the backloading that Hendry's done will force the status quo. There just isn't room for another big contract unless: a) they let Dempster and/or Wood walk (but those moves leave holes to fill); b) they move a contract or two (Marquis, Lee, Fukudome, or Lilly); or c) new ownership approves a big payroll increase. A trade with Pie, Theriot, and/or Hill as the centerpiece seems the most likely route to an upgrade. Ownership should be settled in plenty of time for a mid season acquisition or two.

[Illini Iceman]

My guess:

 

position players:

soriano (lf)

fukudome (rf)

johnson (cf)

pie (cf)

lee (1b)

derosa (2b)

ramirez (3b)

fontenot (if)

cedeno (if)

theriot (ss)

soto ©

F/A or K Hill ©

hoffpauir (1b/of)

 

pitchers:

zambrano (sp)

lilly (sp)

harden (sp)

dempster (sp) ~$33 mil./3 yrs

marshall/hill/samardzija/gaudin (sp)

gaudin (rp?)

marmol (rp)

samardzija (rp?)

guzman (p)

wuertz/ascanio (rp)

cotts (rp)

wood (rp) ~$14 mil./2 yrs

 

Unless the Cubs actually win it all it seems pretty unlikely that they come back next year with essentially the same team except Pie replacing Edmonds as the LH platoon with Johnson in CF. Pie is going to be hard pressed to match the production that Edmonds has given so far so it would mean they go into 2009 with a less potent offense than they have right now. I would think that Hendry will get more creative than this and mix it up to try to upgrade the team if they do wind up falling short.

 

I think the ownership situation and the backloading that Hendry's done will force the status quo. There just isn't room for another big contract unless: a) they let Dempster and/or Wood walk (but those moves leave holes to fill); b) they move a contract or two (Marquis, Lee, Fukudome, or Lilly); or c) new ownership approves a big payroll increase. A trade with Pie, Theriot, and/or Hill as the centerpiece seems the most likely route to an upgrade. Ownership should be settled in plenty of time for a mid season acquisition or two.

 

Take this with a great big Paul Sullivan sized grain of salt:

 

For years, Felix Pie has been touted as the Cubs' center fielder of the future, but there's little doubt Reed Johnson and Jim Edmonds will be invited back next season.

 

http://chicagosports.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/cs-080817-cubs-center-field-edmonds-johnson-pie,1,5287607.story

 

I am getting Gary Gaetti flashbacks.

[rchap24]

Burnett to test free agency?

A.J. Burnett | Blue Jays

Blue Jays manager Cito Gaston is among the people who expect A.J. Burnett to test the free-agent market at the end of this season, according to a report on MLB.com.

 

Burnett can opt out of his contract with Toronto at the end of this season, and Gaston believes that's probably going to happen.

 

"It certainly looks like A.J. probably won't be here -- I don't know," Gaston said. "He seems to want to get closer to home. Just put the numbers together and you can figure that one out real easy. He's probably got to do what's best for his family.

 

"I'd love to have him here, but if he wants to go somewhere else, you can't do anything about that."

http://insider.espn.go.com/mlb/features/rumors The link

On Rumor Central (know a lot of you guys love him) wouldn't mind him