Kap says Cubs are talking to Aurilia's agent

[RammyFanny]

Rich Aurilia

 

Dave Kaplan mentioned on Friday night that the Cubs are talking to the agent for Rich Aurilia. Apparently the Cubs are interested in signing the veteran to back-up first base and third base.

http://chicagocubsonline.com/archives/2009/01/cubsrumors1309.php#more

[CUBZ99]

Maybe they will sign him to a minor league deal, but with Miles on the roster Aurilia doesn't make any sense.

[OleMissCub]

I say we talk to Howard Johnson's agent too.

[UMFan83]

let's sign him to a $5.5m deal so we can say we replaced dero with two lesser players who combine to make as much as him

[rawaction]

Maybe they will sign him to a minor league deal, but with Miles on the roster Aurilia doesn't make any sense.

 

That's not true. I think it's pretty safe to assume Cedeno is gone one way or another. That leaves Miles as the only backup IF. Need at least 1 more. Aurilia fills that role. Looks like the Cubs will once again assemble a bench full of 25th men.

[dew1679666265]

He slugged .413, .518 and .444 three of the past four seasons. The one year when he wasn't over a .400 slugging (2007) looks like a complete crap year all around. He also OPS'd .903 with a .526 SLG last year against lefties, 1.086 OPS and .680 SLG in 06 and .766 OPS and .416 SLG in 05. His 07 OPS (.676) and SLG (.411) were not good, though.

 

Though the 2007 season worries me, if he were to come in pretty cheap I think he might slug decently for us as a righty off the bench.

[Backtobanks]

Maybe they will sign him to a minor league deal, but with Miles on the roster Aurilia doesn't make any sense.

 

That's not true. I think it's pretty safe to assume Cedeno is gone one way or another. That leaves Miles as the only backup IF. Need at least 1 more. Aurilia fills that role. Looks like the Cubs will once again assemble a bench full of 25th men.

 

It certainly looks like Hoff is a goner too. I suggested Aurilia last year as a righty bat off the bench with some power.

[mdwilla]

I don't mind Aurillia as a cheap back up for the infield with power. I would prefer Eric Hinske but he might get better offers from small market teams looking to make him a starter . Hinske was drafted by the Hendry regime getting back with the Cubs is not out of the question.

[Wrigley Rat]

Maybe they will sign him to a minor league deal, but with Miles on the roster Aurilia doesn't make any sense.

 

That's not true. I think it's pretty safe to assume Cedeno is gone one way or another. That leaves Miles as the only backup IF. Need at least 1 more. Aurilia fills that role. Looks like the Cubs will once again assemble a bench full of 25th men.

 

It certainly looks like Hoff is a goner too. I suggested Aurilia last year as a righty bat off the bench with some power.

Where did you hear that? I'm under the assumption that he has been groomed to be the Darryl Ward of the 2009 Cubs and beyond. He hasn't done anything in my mind to lose that job.

[USSoccer]

Hendry has apparently forgotten how we won 97 games and wants us to go back to fighting to win 88.

 

Aurielia is total crap. Old bad crap. If he took $500k or $1m, fine, but sooner or later paying garbage like Miles, Vizcaino, Aurilia, et al a million here, $2.5 m there is going to keep us from getting someone worthwhile.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

Maybe they will sign him to a minor league deal, but with Miles on the roster Aurilia doesn't make any sense.

 

That's not true. I think it's pretty safe to assume Cedeno is gone one way or another. That leaves Miles as the only backup IF. Need at least 1 more. Aurilia fills that role. Looks like the Cubs will once again assemble a bench full of 25th men.

 

It certainly looks like Hoff is a goner too. I suggested Aurilia last year as a righty bat off the bench with some power.

Where did you hear that? I'm under the assumption that he has been groomed to be the Darryl Ward of the 2009 Cubs and beyond. He hasn't done anything in my mind to lose that job.

 

5 man bench

 

Bako

Miles

Aurilia

Johnson

Gathright

 

 

I think when Aurilia was brought up earlier in the offseason it was noted he'd be a nice platoon partner with Fontenot.

[Butterscup1679666578]

Holy cow, will there be a bench in the majors with less power than us?

[imb]

we have done it, the perfect offseason

[Irrelevant Dude]

I sure hope Kaplan is wrong. This would leave the Cubs with absolutely no power off the bench. Hoffpauir has to be there in the Daryle Ward role.

[JimSorgi]

Jim Hendry has lost his mind.

[cubsfan26]

We have been linked to Rich Aurilia earlier in the offseason, but Bruce Miles said those rumors weren't true. Maybe this is just Aurilia agent trying to create interest for him.

[Mephistopheles]

MORE BACKUP INFIELDERS

 

 

YES!

[Backtobanks]

I sure hope Kaplan is wrong. This would leave the Cubs with absolutely no power off the bench. Hoffpauir has to be there in the Daryle Ward role.

 

I would love to keep Hoffpauir too, but there just isn't room on the roster for him. I'm sure they might want Aurilia for more versatility than Hoff. Also, there's the usual reason - He's a veteran.

[CubinNY]

I sure hope Kaplan is wrong. This would leave the Cubs with absolutely no power off the bench. Hoffpauir has to be there in the Daryle Ward role.

 

I would love to keep Hoffpauir too, but there just isn't room on the roster for him. I'm sure they might want Aurilia for more versatility than Hoff. Also, there's the usual reason - He's a veteran.

 

I hear Hendry already, "Rich is a versatile veteran who brings a strong presence to the clubhouse."

[Twiggy]

Umm why?

[Wrigley Rat]

I sure hope Kaplan is wrong. This would leave the Cubs with absolutely no power off the bench. Hoffpauir has to be there in the Daryle Ward role.

 

I would love to keep Hoffpauir too, but there just isn't room on the roster for him. I'm sure they might want Aurilia for more versatility than Hoff. Also, there's the usual reason - He's a veteran.

We really don't need any more versatility on this team:

- Miles (2B, SS, 3B, OF)

- Hoffpauir (1B, LF, RF)

- Johnson/Fukudome (OF)

- Gathright (OF)

- Bako ©

 

Of the starters:

- Theriot (SS, 2B)

- Fontenot (2B, 3B - he played a lot of third in the minors)

 

I think there is plenty of redundancy on the team, just not as much maybe as when it had DeRosa.

[DiamondMind]

I say we talk to Howard Johnson's agent too.

 

lol.

[cubswin2009]

My sources tell me Hendry is speaking with Orville Redenbacher's agent.

[vance_the_cubs_fan]

http://www.world-of-smilies.com/wos_menschen/44.gif

[Moises a loo]

When Aurilia was on the Reds, he was their Mark DeRosa.