Cubs Avoid Arbitration with Kevin Gregg

[Wrigley Rat]

http://www.sportsnetwork.com/merge/tsnform.aspx?c=sportsnetwork&page=mlb/news/newstest.aspx?id=4204834

 

Financial terms not yet released.

[JeffH]

$4.2

[DiamondMind]

$1.7M upgrade over last year for Gregg

 

I'm going to reserve judgment on this for now...but...

[cubsfan26]

Good signing, some thought Gregg would get 5-6m at one point. I figured it would be closer to 4m, after he lost his closer job due to injury last season. With Cedeno/Gregg signings the payroll is now at around 137m. The Cubs still need to sign Wuertz to probably a 1.2m type contract, but when its all said and done the payroll should be around 138-139m. Trading Cedeno, and a reliever(Wuertz or Vizcaino) could bring the payroll back around 136-137m, which would keep Peavy salary in our budget range. If the new owner doesn't give us a payroll boost(to get Peavy) we probably have 6-7m to use on a free agent pitcher if we want.

[haubrich91]

It seems a little high, but he was supposed to get 5 or 6 mil as stated before. Hopefully he's an upgrade over Howry.

[Jehrico]

It seems a little high, but he was supposed to get 5 or 6 mil as stated before. Hopefully he's an upgrade over Howry.

I'll be surprised if Gregg performs well enough to justify paying more than 2 mil for. Hope he proves me wrong. As far as being an upgrade over Howry...If you're talking the 2008 Howry, you're not setting the bar very high...

[Transmogrified Tiger]

It seems a little high, but he was supposed to get 5 or 6 mil as stated before. Hopefully he's an upgrade over Howry.

 

I think those saying he was going to get 5 or 6 mil weren't well founded. He didn't have a fantastic year, so it was pretty unlikely he was going to double or more than double last year's salary.

[abuck1220]

so gathright and gregg vs. derosa. i think i'd take derosa.

[dew1679666265]

so gathright and gregg vs. derosa. i think i'd take derosa.

 

There's no think to it. I'd take DeRosa.

[cubsfan26]

:banghead:

 

DeRosa > Neal Cotts, Micah Hoffpauir, Ronny Cedeno, Chad Gaudin and Koyie Hill. Sadly thats not how you build a baseball team. Without Gregg we would have major question marks about the 8th or 9th inning. While the replacement at 2b is a guy who's hit well at every level and a career 300/379/853 hitter against RH pitching. Put it this way, the dropoff from DeRosa to Fontenot is alot smaller then Gregg to Vizcaino, Gaudin or counting on Angel Guzman health for the 8th or 9th.

[dew1679666265]

:banghead:

 

DeRosa > Neal Cotts, Micah Hoffpauir, Ronny Cedeno, Chad Gaudin and Koyie Hill. Sadly thats not how you build a baseball team. Without Gregg we would have major question marks about the 8th or 9th inning. While the replacement at 2b is a guy who's hit well at every level and a career 300/379/853 hitter against RH pitching. Put it this way, the dropoff from DeRosa to Fontenot is alot smaller then Gregg to Vizcaino, Gaudin or counting on Angel Guzman health for the 8th or 9th.

 

Fontenot was going to get his ABs no matter what. It's Miles/Gathright/Hoff/Reed who will now get a whole lot of ABs when Bradley is hurt. Those ABs previously would have gone to DeRosa.

[Wrigley Rat]

At this point, I start to wonder about the Jose Ceda for Kevin Gregg trade. I'm not one to complain about moves until we have a few years to evaluate, but here's what I think.

 

1) Jose Ceda must have really upset Cubs' brass either with his control, work ethic, attitude, whatever OR he has an injury that made the Cubs think twice about (they had said something earlier in the off-season about a player that Kevin Towers wanted from us who had some injuries, but didn't name him).

2) The Cubs must think that Kevin Gregg will do better with the Cubs than he did last season with extreme certainty (they had mentioned at the time of the trade that they saw something that could be tweaked that will help him improve).

3) The Cubs must really be avoiding signing people to expensive contracts in 2010 since the budget is so high already.

 

To trade a young pitcher who throws in the upper 90's, whose rights you own for six more years, and has been young for all his levels for a player making $4.2 million for one season and isn't expected to be anything more than the 8th inning guy makes me wonder about the move. It seems like we could have gotten a free agent for that price (but might have cost more years).

 

I do feel strongly that we needed an 8th inning guy/backup closer (some people devalue closers, but I don't). I also feel we need a good 7th inning guy which we don't currently have (look into Samardzija's splits - not good enough yet). After that, I think our bullpen is fine - lots of depth, long guys/short guys, etc. I'm wondering if Heilman could be the 7th inning guy - I think that's the plan going forward and I think I'm on board (depending on cost for Heilman and not using the guys earmarked for Peavy).

[abuck1220]

:banghead:

 

DeRosa > Neal Cotts, Micah Hoffpauir, Ronny Cedeno, Chad Gaudin and Koyie Hill. Sadly thats not how you build a baseball team. Without Gregg we would have major question marks about the 8th or 9th inning. While the replacement at 2b is a guy who's hit well at every level and a career 300/379/853 hitter against RH pitching. Put it this way, the dropoff from DeRosa to Fontenot is alot smaller then Gregg to Vizcaino, Gaudin or counting on Angel Guzman health for the 8th or 9th.

 

no it's not.

[abuck1220]

you act like fontenot is a lock to put up those numbers...he's never played a full season in his career. and when you factor in the number of ab's he (or derosa) would get vs. the relatively small number of innings gregg (or guzman/gaudin/whoever) would get...well, the difference between derosa and fontenot is much bigger if fontenot doesn't put up those numbers.

[dew1679666265]

At this point, I start to wonder about the Jose Ceda for Kevin Gregg trade. I'm not one to complain about moves until we have a few years to evaluate, but here's what I think.

 

1) Jose Ceda must have really upset Cubs' brass either with his control, work ethic, attitude, whatever OR he has an injury that made the Cubs think twice about (they had said something earlier in the off-season about a player that Kevin Towers wanted from us who had some injuries, but didn't name him).

2) The Cubs must think that Kevin Gregg will do better with the Cubs than he did last season with extreme certainty (they had mentioned at the time of the trade that they saw something that could be tweaked that will help him improve).

3) The Cubs must really be avoiding signing people to expensive contracts in 2010 since the budget is so high already.

 

To trade a young pitcher who throws in the upper 90's, whose rights you own for six more years, and has been young for all his levels for a player making $4.2 million for one season and isn't expected to be anything more than the 8th inning guy makes me wonder about the move. It seems like we could have gotten a free agent for that price (but might have cost more years).

 

I do feel strongly that we needed an 8th inning guy/backup closer (some people devalue closers, but I don't). I also feel we need a good 7th inning guy which we don't currently have (look into Samardzija's splits - not good enough yet). After that, I think our bullpen is fine - lots of depth, long guys/short guys, etc. I'm wondering if Heilman could be the 7th inning guy - I think that's the plan going forward and I think I'm on board (depending on cost for Heilman and not using the guys earmarked for Peavy).

 

Juan Cruz and his 176 and 152 ERA+'s the last two years would have looked a lot better than Kevin Gregg. Plus we'd have kept Ceda.

 

He hasn't signed yet, so I wonder if he will get much more than Gregg. He may get more years, though, I'm not sure.

[UK1679666180]

FA compensation appears to be a factor with Cruz right now.

[dew1679666265]

FA compensation appears to be a factor with Cruz right now.

 

Is he a Type A or B?

 

It does bring up an interesting question. Is Cruz/Ceda better than Gregg/draft pick?

[UK1679666180]

FA compensation appears to be a factor with Cruz right now.

 

Is he a Type A or B?

 

It does bring up an interesting question. Is Cruz/Ceda better than Gregg/draft pick?

 

A. I would rather Cruz over Gregg, but the 1st rounder is likely worth more than Ceda. I'd rather have Gregg and the 1st rounder.

[dew1679666265]

FA compensation appears to be a factor with Cruz right now.

 

Is he a Type A or B?

 

It does bring up an interesting question. Is Cruz/Ceda better than Gregg/draft pick?

 

A. I would rather Cruz over Gregg, but the 1st rounder is likely worth more than Ceda. I'd rather have Gregg and the 1st rounder.

 

You're probably right. It didn't occur to me that Cruz was a type A. I'm curious to see what type of money Juan gets - that could sway me if he gets a similar deal or less than Gregg.

[cubbinalltheway]

so gathright and gregg vs. derosa. i think i'd take derosa.

pujols vs. marquis and hampton. i think i'd take pujols.

[cubbinalltheway]

you act like fontenot is a lock to put up those numbers...he's never played a full season in his career. and when you factor in the number of ab's he (or derosa) would get vs. the relatively small number of innings gregg (or guzman/gaudin/whoever) would get...well, the difference between derosa and fontenot is much bigger if fontenot doesn't put up those numbers.

who's more likely to improve, the 34 year old derosa or the 28 year old fontenot? i like derosa a whole lot too, but your post is pretty silly.

[dew1679666265]

so gathright and gregg vs. derosa. i think i'd take derosa.

pujols vs. marquis and hampton. i think i'd take pujols.

 

I disagree. The combined offense between Marquis and Hampton would add onto the fact that they can pitch (sometimes for Hampton) and Pujols cannot.

 

Marquis and Hampton are the definition of versatility.

 

 

 

:wink: Just in case anybody was confused.

[UK1679666180]

Neither Fontenot or DeRosa will duplicate last year's numbers.

[cubsfan26]

Fontenot was going to get his ABs no matter what. It's Miles/Gathright/Hoff/Reed who will now get a whole lot of ABs when Bradley is hurt. Those ABs previously would have gone to DeRosa.

 

Fontenot would get 240 or so AB's again, even if DeRosa had to play RF alot. Remember the only reason why Fontenot got so many AB's last year was because Soriano was out with a freak HBP injury. DeRosa had to have 184 AB's as an outfielder last year, because Soriano only played in 109 games. So even with Bradley around he was unlikely to get that many more AB's in the outfield. When you factor in what Hoffpauir hit in 73 AB's last year and how Reed Johnson crushes LH pitching. I really don't think losing DeRosa for the outfield is gonna hurt all that much. I think the bigger concern should be what if Fukudome is actually the second half 08 hitter all of the season next year? Then we gotta play Gathright or Reed everyday. But a combo of Johnson/Hoffpauir/Gathright can cover 50-60 games that Bradley misses just fine IMO. Thats if he misses that many games.

[cubbinalltheway]

Neither Fontenot or DeRosa will duplicate last year's numbers.

cool tell me more. who's going to win the world series?