Tribune: Wood Signs Deal with Cleveland (p. 29)

[Wheelimus]

Not a chance. If Woody were hoping for the kind of contract we could apparently afford, it would have been signed a long time ago. An "incentive laden contract" this time around would have probably meant $7 mil with another 3 or 4 in incentives.

 

If anything, Wood recently put the little "I would have came back for a one year deal" talk out there to spook the club into not offering arbitration. Now the team that he signs a 2 or 3 year deal with won't lose a thing.

 

Just stop dreaming guys, unless the market is insanely low Kerry Wood isn't going to come crawling back. Just be happy we live in the days of MLB Extra Innings. Think how much this separation would have sucked back in the day...

[YearofDaCubs]

Anyone think that since Wood (allegedly) came out and said he would take a 1 yr deal to stay w/the Cubs that the Cubs may still offer another 1 yr incentive laden deal like the one he just finished and that is why they didn't offer arbi and possibly be stuck with a much higher arbi award contract in the $9-$11mil range?

Nope. I think Wood is a goner. I'm starting to believe Wood's store more now when he said he would stay here on a 1 yr deal and that's why the Cubs didn't offer arby, because they knew he would accept the 1yr offer to stay with the club. It's obvious Henry has other plans. Getting Wood to stay on a 1 yr deal was a no brainer.

[Derwood]

Did someone already mention that Dusty Baker wants Wood to come to the Reds? If someone posted it I missed it...

[CubinNY]

The Yankees and Cubs aren't the only ones doing this:

 

Phillies

Angels and Dodgers

Tigers

Astros

 

Something is definitely going on here. I mean, cripes, looks at ESPN's Free Agent Tracker. Usually by this time of the year, there are a number of guys who've already signed. This has become a really unusual offseason.

Colusion? Flood the market with high priced FAs to lower the cost?

[Burtonbell]

Did someone already mention that Dusty Baker wants Wood to come to the Reds? If someone posted it I missed it...

 

Think he will want Estes again? Gotta ride those horses!

[BigbadB]

Like I said earlier you people wouldn't be happy with any GM. Hendry has put a competive team on the field of 5 of 6 years, and has made the postseason 3 of those 6 years.

 

I will go ahead and agree with Goony that a monkey could have put a competitive team on the field 5 out of 6 years, along with making the postseason 3 of those 6 years, given the resources Hendry has had to work with.

 

Payroll has nearly doubled since Hendry took over and he already had a fairly stocked team of regulars and a highly rated farm system.

 

What I have found to be the most troublesome with Hendry's tenure as the Cubs GM, is his constantly changing philosophies of building a winner. To me, he's been extremely narrow minded with what type of player can help him now and in the future. He gives the perception of tunnel vision when it comes to "getting his man", even if a better man is available and at his disposal.

 

The lame quotes like "guys who can catch the ball" and "left handed power hitter" are only the tip of the iceberg with the problems I've had with Hendry over the years. I won't call it all bad. I like a lot of the players Hendry has brought to this team. At times, he's looked like a magician. However, over his full body of work, he just isn't getting the job done. Winning divisions when 4/5 of the teams in your division are crappy small market teams going nowhere ever isn't really the best indicator of your body of work. Switch us with Boston and Boston is winning more than 100 games a year while we are struggling to break .500. Epstein is a good GM. Hendry, not so much.

[erik316wttn]

Like I said earlier you people wouldn't be happy with any GM. Hendry has put a competive team on the field of 5 of 6 years, and has made the postseason 3 of those 6 years.

 

I will go ahead and agree with Goony that a monkey could have put a competitive team on the field 5 out of 6 years, along with making the postseason 3 of those 6 years, given the resources Hendry has had to work with.

 

Payroll has nearly doubled since Hendry took over and he already had a fairly stocked team of regulars and a highly rated farm system.

 

What I have found to be the most troublesome with Hendry's tenure as the Cubs GM, is his constantly changing philosophies of building a winner. To me, he's been extremely narrow minded with what type of player can help him now and in the future. He gives the perception of tunnel vision when it comes to "getting his man", even if a better man is available and at his disposal.

 

The lame quotes like "guys who can catch the ball" and "left handed power hitter" are only the tip of the iceberg with the problems I've had with Hendry over the years. I won't call it all bad. I like a lot of the players Hendry has brought to this team. At times, he's looked like a magician. However, over his full body of work, he just isn't getting the job done. Winning divisions when 4/5 of the teams in your division are crappy small market teams going nowhere ever isn't really the best indicator of your body of work. Switch us with Boston and Boston is winning more than 100 games a year while we are struggling to break .500. Epstein is a good GM. Hendry, not so much.

 

win

[cubsfan26]

I will go ahead and agree with Goony that a monkey could have put a competitive team on the field 5 out of 6 years, along with making the postseason 3 of those 6 years, given the resources Hendry has had to work with

 

Then you're wrong, because other teams had simliar payrolls as us year after year without the same level of success. Saying Hendry has only done a good job, because he's had money to spend is a very lame excuse. From 03-08 I can find almost at least 3-4 teams besides 06, that spent more or simliar as the Cubs have, without the same success.

 

Switch us with Boston and Boston is winning more than 100 games a year while we are struggling to break .500. Epstein is a good GM. Hendry, not so much.

 

Theo Epstein is a very good GM, probably one of the best in baseball. But he's also has his fair share of bad signings, that Cubs fans would kill Hendry for. Epstein also had more money to spend then the Cubs to cover up his mistakes. But what makes him such a good GM, is the way he developed the farm system. Thats Hendry biggest fault IMO, and if we had good players coming through the system year after year. Things would be so much easier right now.

[Jehrico]

Theo Epstein is a very good GM, probably one of the best in baseball. But he's also has his fair share of bad signings, that Cubs fans would kill Hendry for. Epstein also had more money to spend then the Cubs to cover up his mistakes. But what makes him such a good GM, is the way he developed the farm system. Thats Hendry biggest fault IMO, and if we had good players coming through the system year after year. Things would be so much easier right now.

This is what is so amazing about the whole situation. Hendry was the primary guy responsible for the awesome farm system we had 5 years ago, he came up as a scout, that's where he cut his teeth. Why the farm that he basically built fell into such disrepair is something I can't rationalize.

[cubsfan26]

Theo Epstein is a very good GM, probably one of the best in baseball. But he's also has his fair share of bad signings, that Cubs fans would kill Hendry for. Epstein also had more money to spend then the Cubs to cover up his mistakes. But what makes him such a good GM, is the way he developed the farm system. Thats Hendry biggest fault IMO, and if we had good players coming through the system year after year. Things would be so much easier right now.

This is what is so amazing about the whole situation. Hendry was the primary guy responsible for the awesome farm system we had 5 years ago, he came up as a scout, that's where he cut his teeth. Why the farm that he basically built fell into such disrepair is something I can't rationalize.

 

 

Thats because Hendry was finding the players in the past and probably drafted many of them. Hendry job now is the major league team and putting that together, the guys working under him are the ones who have failed with the farm system. But it's still up to Hendry to hire the right people to get the farm strong again. He did hire Tim Wilkins a few years ago, but he has not improve things really, and it looks like he's had 3 pretty average to below average drafts. So it's probably time for Hendry to make a change again, and try to find somebody else.

[SweetZombieJesus]

He did hire Tim Wilkins a few years ago, but he has not improve things really, and it looks like he's had 3 pretty average to below average drafts. So it's probably time for Hendry to make a change again, and try to find somebody else.

 

I don't know how you can say that. Wilken's grade is still a incomplete. His first draft was okay but it was hampered by the lack of picks in the 1st five rounds. 2007 draft was above average IMO. And it's way to soon to say what the 2008 draft will have done.

[cubsfan26]

Ok well maybe it's too soon to say we should try somebody new. But I haven't been impressed with what Wilkins has done so far. I understand not having 2-4 round picks was hard on Wilkins in 2006. But the fact that he took a risky guy with our 1st round pick in Colvin made things worse. Nobody else in that draft has really done anything besides Samardzija and we only got him because everybody thought he was gonna play football. The 2007 and 2008 drafts have seemed better though.

[davearm2]

Ok well maybe it's too soon to say we should try somebody new. But I haven't been impressed with what Wilkins has done so far. I understand not having 2-4 round picks was hard on Wilkins in 2006. But the fact that he took a risky guy with our 1st round pick in Colvin made things worse. Nobody else in that draft has really done anything besides Samardzija and we only got him because everybody thought he was gonna play football. The 2007 and 2008 drafts have seemed better though.

I think if the Cubs had just taken Samardzija in the first, and Colvin in the 5th, the world would be a much happier place.

[SweetZombieJesus]

I think if the Cubs had just taken Samardzija in the first, and Colvin in the 5th, the world would be a much happier place.

 

Not likely.

[ChiCubsFan]

shoulda took Snyder

[17 Seconds]

shoulda took Snyder

 

or Snider

[ChiCubsFan]

shoulda took Snyder

 

or Snider

 

never heard of him

[Hairyducked Idiot]

Then you're wrong, because other teams had simliar payrolls as us year after year without the same level of success. Saying Hendry has only done a good job, because he's had money to spend is a very lame excuse. From 03-08 I can find almost at least 3-4 teams besides 06, that spent more or simliar as the Cubs have, without the same success.

 

Are you comparing teams in, say, similar divisions?

[Rob]

shoulda took Snyder

 

We claimed Brad Snyder off waivers... doesn't that count for something?

[cubsfan26]

Then you're wrong, because other teams had simliar payrolls as us year after year without the same level of success. Saying Hendry has only done a good job, because he's had money to spend is a very lame excuse. From 03-08 I can find almost at least 3-4 teams besides 06, that spent more or simliar as the Cubs have, without the same success.

 

Are you comparing teams in, say, similar divisions?

 

Nope in baseball because I was talking about W/L records, when I said teams have spent at the level we have and not been nearly as successful as us. I don't think people realize how many high payroll teams have bad or average seasons each year. Thats why I don't believe any GM with money can put a playoff team on the field, because you need to spend that money on the right players. Hendry has done a good job putting this team together, with back to back division titles(even though we were only 85-77 in 07), and us in a postion to be very good again next year.

[17 Seconds]

Then you're wrong, because other teams had simliar payrolls as us year after year without the same level of success. Saying Hendry has only done a good job, because he's had money to spend is a very lame excuse. From 03-08 I can find almost at least 3-4 teams besides 06, that spent more or simliar as the Cubs have, without the same success.

 

Are you comparing teams in, say, similar divisions?

 

Nope in baseball because I was talking about W/L records, when I said teams have spent at the level we have and not been nearly as successful as us. I don't think people realize how many high payroll teams have bad or average seasons each year. Thats why I don't believe any GM with money can put a playoff team on the field, because you need to spend that money on the right players. Hendry has done a good job putting this team together, with back to back division titles(even though we were only 85-77 in 07), and us in a postion to be very good again next year.

 

i think we should wait a few years until we determine how good of a job hendry did/has done. this team could be a mess in few years due to backloaded contracts and a depleted farm system. i think that has to be taken into account.

[cubsfan26]

Then you're wrong, because other teams had simliar payrolls as us year after year without the same level of success. Saying Hendry has only done a good job, because he's had money to spend is a very lame excuse. From 03-08 I can find almost at least 3-4 teams besides 06, that spent more or simliar as the Cubs have, without the same success.

 

Are you comparing teams in, say, similar divisions?

 

Nope in baseball because I was talking about W/L records, when I said teams have spent at the level we have and not been nearly as successful as us. I don't think people realize how many high payroll teams have bad or average seasons each year. Thats why I don't believe any GM with money can put a playoff team on the field, because you need to spend that money on the right players. Hendry has done a good job putting this team together, with back to back division titles(even though we were only 85-77 in 07), and us in a postion to be very good again next year.

 

i think we should wait a few years until we determine how good of a job hendry did/has done. this team could be a mess in few years due to backloaded contracts and a depleted farm system. i think that has to be taken into account.

 

I think thats a very good point, Hendry is gonna have alot to work to do after 2010. He will have to replace Lee, Lilly, and Ramirez could opt out. Marmol and Soto will start making good money. Hendry is either gonna have to start getting really good productive from the farm system, or make some very good trades(like he did with Lee/Ramirez when Sosa/Alou were getting old and on the way out) or signings, to keep this team good. Not to mention he will have to cross his fingers that Soriano doesn't age badly, and Zambrano doesn't lose it, even though he's still pretty young. He will also probably have to bring in a new manager as well. But all we can do is judge Hendry on what he has done so far, and if you look at the everything he's done, it's been overall a pretty solid job.

[CubColtPacer]

I will go ahead and agree with Goony that a monkey could have put a competitive team on the field 5 out of 6 years, along with making the postseason 3 of those 6 years, given the resources Hendry has had to work with.

 

The 5 most comparable teams with the Cubs over the last 6 years? Probably the Mets, Angels, White Sox, Dodgers, and Mariners. They've all had similar payrolls (most have actually been higher than the Cubs, but they are pretty similar), most are in big markets, and none of them are in the tough AL East. Their results?

 

Mets: 494-478, postseason appearances: 1

Angels: 547-425, postseason appearances: 4

White Sox: 519-454, postseason appearances: 2, titles: 1

Dodgers: 503-469, postseason appearances: 3

Mariners: 452-520, postseason appearances: 0

Cubs: 504-468, postseason appearances: 3

 

Not too much shocking here. The Angels have great leadership and got a little lucky to have their superstar come to them in a down year on the market. The Mariners have terrible management and have consistently spent 10-12 million dollars on mediocre players. Everybody else is up and down.

 

Payroll has nearly doubled since Hendry took over and he already had a fairly stocked team of regulars and a highly rated farm system.

 

Payroll has nearly doubled, although the biggest jump came from 2008 to 2009 and we don't know the results of that season yet. Payroll expanding has been a huge help to Hendry, and there is no denying that.

 

As for what Hendry had when he started? He had young pitching and a highly rated farm system. His offense was incredibly old. He had 5 starters 31 and older (including 3 35 and over), and the 3 starters under 30? Mark Bellhorn, Alex Gonzalez, and Corey Patterson. Plus there wasn't much help coming for the offense in the farm system. The offense had to be completely rebuilt.

 

The pitching that was already stocked was a big help to Hendry in 03 and 04, and then he's mostly had to rebuild that since then. There's exactly 1 pitcher left that was even to AA when Hendry took over.

 

 

What I have found to be the most troublesome with Hendry's tenure as the Cubs GM, is his constantly changing philosophies of building a winner. To me, he's been extremely narrow minded with what type of player can help him now and in the future. He gives the perception of tunnel vision when it comes to "getting his man", even if a better man is available and at his disposal.

 

The lame quotes like "guys who can catch the ball" and "left handed power hitter" are only the tip of the iceberg with the problems I've had with Hendry over the years. I won't call it all bad. I like a lot of the players Hendry has brought to this team. At times, he's looked like a magician. However, over his full body of work, he just isn't getting the job done. Winning divisions when 4/5 of the teams in your division are crappy small market teams going nowhere ever isn't really the best indicator of your body of work. Switch us with Boston and Boston is winning more than 100 games a year while we are struggling to break .500. Epstein is a good GM. Hendry, not so much.

 

I will agree with you on most of this. The biggest issue is that Hendry is not very creative in how he goes about his GM duties. He has a plan, it involves certain types of players, and he doesn't seem to have a lot of backup plans available. What saves Hendry is that he still knows how to pick players better than most GM's out there. The production he got out of the free agent market in 06 compared to what the rest of the league managed to do is remarkable to look at. He also typically knows what prospects to trade away. This skill has helped him overcome his problems in figuring out true free agent value/trade value of players.

 

As for Epstein, it's hard to judge. He inherited a team with a big payroll and caught some breaks early. Can you imagine how we might view his GM tenure differently if somebody had picked up Manny Ramirez when the Red Sox were ready to let him go for nothing in 03? Even with that said, his credentials speak for themselves, and he has rebuilt his team pretty nicely while making some mistakes. I would still definitely rather have Epstein than Hendry, but that doesn't mean Hendry isn't a good GM. Epstein has just been one of the best in the league.

 

BTW, when did most teams in the NL Central become small market teams? The Astros and Cardinals cannot keep up with the Cubs recent spending, but they are certainly not small market teams. The Brewers and Reds are no Marlins or Rays, but they definitely could be classified small market, and the Pirates are absolutely in that category. But 1 big market and 2 more decent markets is still pretty much the same as most divisions outside the AL East.

[davearm2]

I also wonder how Epstein would be viewed if the Yanks had finished off the sweep in the '04 ALCS.

 

At one point Epstein quit his GM job before agreeing to return a short while later (Wikipedia says: Epstein resigned in October 2005, but was rehired as GM and Executive Vice President on January 24, 2006.). Perhaps the Sox brass isn't quite so inclined to convince him to return if '04 didn't play out the way it did.

 

If things go down that way, he's just another whiz kid that couldn't do any better than the old-school guys he succeeded. Maybe '07 happens without him, and maybe it doesn't.

 

Curious to think about, at any rate.

[NCCubFan]

shoulda took Snyder

 

or Snider

 

never heard of him

Duke Snider.