Choice: Ace pitcher or dominant hitter

[UMFan83]

If you had to choose between the Cubs adding a top ace pitcher (let's say Jake Peavy) or a top hitter (think Manny Ramirez), and everything else is equal (salary, years, age, consistency, etc), which do you think the Cubs would benefit more from. Assume the hitter would play at a position that would maximize his effectiveness (meaning its not a 3B that would replace Ramirez), and assuming adding an ace pitcher wouldn't have a bearing on resigning someone like Dempster.

 

I'm putting tons of conditions on this poll, but to make it simple, which would we benefit more from?

[Little Slide Rooter]

Hitters come around every off season and are available every trade dealine, but a true ace pitcher, and by ace I mean like a Peavy or Sabathia, not a Dempster or Lowe dont come around very often.

[rawaction]

Hitter every time. 162 potential games vs. 35 potential starts. A stud hitter on his game doesn't assure you win any games, but stud pitcher on his game typically gives you a strong chance to win. However, even the best of pitchers only bring their A game about 80% of the time, and all have the potential of a disaster game which gives your team little chance to win. If a hitter has a disaster game, 0-5, 5 Ks or 5 GIDPs, you still have a chance to win that game. Even if a hitter is not hitting, a true stud will still get on base and help his team in that aspect.

 

And the risk for injury is much greater for the pitcher than the hitter.

[17 Seconds]

162 potential games vs. 35 potential starts.

 

That's one way to look at it. The other way is that the starting pitcher will actually control more PAs than a hitter over the course of a full season.

[OleMissCub]

Hitters come around every off season and are available every trade dealine, but a true ace pitcher, and by ace I mean like a Peavy or Sabathia, not a Dempster or Lowe dont come around very often.

 

so you are the 1 vote?

[salukifudd]

Hitters come around every off season and are available every trade dealine, but a true ace pitcher, and by ace I mean like a Peavy or Sabathia, not a Dempster or Lowe dont come around very often.

 

so you are the 1 vote?

 

I'm number two (easy joke, go ahead if you want). I just look at the playoffs in this conversation, I would rather have a pitcher I know is going to give my team the best chance to win a game than a hitter who (based on the other pitcher) could or could not win the game with his bat. After the last 2 post seasons, I think I like winning that first game, give me Peavy.

[Mephistopheles]

Hitter. If you guarantee the pitchers health, ill take the pitcher.

[jersey cubs fan]

draft Tex