When are the Cubs going to get a third baseman?

[dew1679666265]

Id like Uggla, but the Giants reportedly failed to get the Marlins interest with Jonathon Sanchez(at one point the said Matt Cain, but I think that was debunked), so I dont think we have what it takes to get him without gutting the farm. Durham would be good, but again, he probably needs about 2 weeks to get ready. Id just try to find out whose cheapest and ealriest available between Branyan, Beltre, Blalock, Huff, and Mora, and if we cant get any of them, inquire on Holliday.

 

Yeah, if the Marlins shot down an offer that included Sanchez, we probably couldn't hope to come close unless we included Vitters - and that would be awful.

 

As for Durham, I wouldn't have a problem with Scales at second and Fontenot at third until Durham was ready. If he just needs a couple weeks, we can survive until then. But Branyan would probably be the best and most realistic option - if he's available, that is.

[Little Slide Rooter]

Is Dallas McPherson playing anywhere? Last I heard, hed sighned a minor league deal with the Giants, but isnt on there AAA roster. Hed be a decent option to at least try out assuming hes floating around some indie league.

[Proven Veteran]

Id like Uggla, but the Giants reportedly failed to get the Marlins interest with Jonathon Sanchez(at one point the said Matt Cain, but I think that was debunked), so I dont think we have what it takes to get him without gutting the farm. Durham would be good, but again, he probably needs about 2 weeks to get ready. Id just try to find out whose cheapest and ealriest available between Branyan, Beltre, Blalock, Huff, and Mora, and if we cant get any of them, inquire on Holliday.

 

Yeah, if the Marlins shot down an offer that included Sanchez, we probably couldn't hope to come close unless we included Vitters - and that would be awful.

 

As for Durham, I wouldn't have a problem with Scales at second and Fontenot at third until Durham was ready. If he just needs a couple weeks, we can survive until then. But Branyan would probably be the best and most realistic option - if he's available, that is.

 

Sean Marshall is better than Sanchez.

[Outshined_One]

Sean Marshall is better than Sanchez.

 

Ehhhhhhhhhhhh...it's a close call, but I'd give the edge to Sanchez. I think Sanchez has better stuff and is more likely to pitch 180+ innings this season than Marshall. Still, I think they're fairly comparable pitchers.

[Little Slide Rooter]

Cubs manager Lou Piniella is high on Mike Fontenot at third base. "Fontenot is honestly our best option there," Piniella told the Chicago Sun-Times. "When we get Aaron Miles back [from the disabled list] it will help the situation too. But we feel very comfortable with Fontenot at third, and we can use [bobby] Scales and [Andres] Blanco at second."

 

Going by this, it doesnt seem like Lou has much interest in a trade. Apparently, hes waiting for Miles to come back and save the day. How quickly he forgets how horrible Miles was in his week or so on the DL.

[dew1679666265]

Id like Uggla, but the Giants reportedly failed to get the Marlins interest with Jonathon Sanchez(at one point the said Matt Cain, but I think that was debunked), so I dont think we have what it takes to get him without gutting the farm. Durham would be good, but again, he probably needs about 2 weeks to get ready. Id just try to find out whose cheapest and ealriest available between Branyan, Beltre, Blalock, Huff, and Mora, and if we cant get any of them, inquire on Holliday.

 

Yeah, if the Marlins shot down an offer that included Sanchez, we probably couldn't hope to come close unless we included Vitters - and that would be awful.

 

As for Durham, I wouldn't have a problem with Scales at second and Fontenot at third until Durham was ready. If he just needs a couple weeks, we can survive until then. But Branyan would probably be the best and most realistic option - if he's available, that is.

 

Sean Marshall is better than Sanchez.

 

I didn't think of Marshall at the time of the post, but that was mainly because I wouldn't give him up for Uggla.

[dew1679666265]

Cubs manager Lou Piniella is high on Mike Fontenot at third base. "Fontenot is honestly our best option there," Piniella told the Chicago Sun-Times. "When we get Aaron Miles back [from the disabled list] it will help the situation too. But we feel very comfortable with Fontenot at third, and we can use [bobby] Scales and [Andres] Blanco at second."

 

Going by this, it doesnt seem like Lou has much interest in a trade. Apparently, hes waiting for Miles to come back and save the day. How quickly he forgets how horrible Miles was in his week or so on the DL.

 

I don't know that what Lou said negates the possibility of a trade. He's just talking about the players currently on the team. He's not going to want to talk about how we don't have any good options at third and Hendry desperately needs to make a trade.

 

This seems like a pretty standard, generic response.

[JonJayCutler]

Hopefully with Fontenot heating up at the plate we can make do with him at 3B. Its not pretty but I've seen worse D. If Aramis is really going to be back by the all-star break I don't think we need to make any moves. When he comes back I'd like to see Theriot, Fontenot, and Scales remain our middle infielders. Obviously Miles, Blanco, and Freel all need to be off this team. Unfortunately I don't see that happening with Miles barring another injury.

[Old Style]

Heilman & Fox for Blalock?

[Little Slide Rooter]

Heilman & Fox for Blalock?

 

That little package MIGHT get us Melvin Mora, and Id take it at this point.

[Sammy Sofa]

Hopefully with Fontenot heating up at the plate we can make do with him at 3B. Its not pretty but I've seen worse D. If Aramis is really going to be back by the all-star break I don't think we need to make any moves. When he comes back I'd like to see Theriot, Fontenot, and Scales remain our middle infielders. Obviously Miles, Blanco, and Freel all need to be off this team. Unfortunately I don't see that happening with Miles barring another injury.

 

One of Miles or Blanco needs to stay. Having only 3 middle infielders isn't the best move when you're counting on some of those guys to be able to back up 3rd, too.

[Little Slide Rooter]

Hopefully with Fontenot heating up at the plate we can make do with him at 3B. Its not pretty but I've seen worse D. If Aramis is really going to be back by the all-star break I don't think we need to make any moves. When he comes back I'd like to see Theriot, Fontenot, and Scales remain our middle infielders. Obviously Miles, Blanco, and Freel all need to be off this team. Unfortunately I don't see that happening with Miles barring another injury.

 

One of Miles or Blanco needs to stay. Having only 3 middle infielders isn't the best move when you're counting on some of those guys to be able to back up 3rd, too.

 

The smart thing to do would be signing Durham to play 2nd while Aramis is out, so we could at least get some use ut of him once Rams back, but if that were going to happen, it would have by now.

[biittner77]

Hopefully with Fontenot heating up at the plate we can make do with him at 3B. Its not pretty but I've seen worse D. If Aramis is really going to be back by the all-star break I don't think we need to make any moves. When he comes back I'd like to see Theriot, Fontenot, and Scales remain our middle infielders. Obviously Miles, Blanco, and Freel all need to be off this team. Unfortunately I don't see that happening with Miles barring another injury.

 

One of Miles or Blanco needs to stay. Having only 3 middle infielders isn't the best move when you're counting on some of those guys to be able to back up 3rd, too.

 

If it's a choice of Miles or Blanco than it should definitely be Blanco. Neither can hit but at least Blanco can play SS so that Theriot doesn't turn to dust the 2nd half of the season.

[Sammy Sofa]

Hopefully with Fontenot heating up at the plate we can make do with him at 3B. Its not pretty but I've seen worse D. If Aramis is really going to be back by the all-star break I don't think we need to make any moves. When he comes back I'd like to see Theriot, Fontenot, and Scales remain our middle infielders. Obviously Miles, Blanco, and Freel all need to be off this team. Unfortunately I don't see that happening with Miles barring another injury.

 

One of Miles or Blanco needs to stay. Having only 3 middle infielders isn't the best move when you're counting on some of those guys to be able to back up 3rd, too.

 

If it's a choice of Miles or Blanco than it should definitely be Blanco. Neither can hit but at least Blanco can play SS so that Theriot doesn't turn to dust the 2nd half of the season.

 

Agreed. If they could somehow shed Miles and his contract, I would be very happy.

[Little Slide Rooter]

Hopefully with Fontenot heating up at the plate we can make do with him at 3B. Its not pretty but I've seen worse D. If Aramis is really going to be back by the all-star break I don't think we need to make any moves. When he comes back I'd like to see Theriot, Fontenot, and Scales remain our middle infielders. Obviously Miles, Blanco, and Freel all need to be off this team. Unfortunately I don't see that happening with Miles barring another injury.

 

One of Miles or Blanco needs to stay. Having only 3 middle infielders isn't the best move when you're counting on some of those guys to be able to back up 3rd, too.

 

If it's a choice of Miles or Blanco than it should definitely be Blanco. Neither can hit but at least Blanco can play SS so that Theriot doesn't turn to dust the 2nd half of the season.

 

Agreed. If they could somehow shed Miles and his contract, I would be very happy.

 

Im sure GMs are lining up for that one as we speak. bad player, bad contract where do we sign up?

 

Still, Im starting to think I can stop obsessively checking MLBTR every half hour-hour hoping to hear something Cubs related, because I dont see anything on the horizon.

[JonJayCutler]

Hopefully with Fontenot heating up at the plate we can make do with him at 3B. Its not pretty but I've seen worse D. If Aramis is really going to be back by the all-star break I don't think we need to make any moves. When he comes back I'd like to see Theriot, Fontenot, and Scales remain our middle infielders. Obviously Miles, Blanco, and Freel all need to be off this team. Unfortunately I don't see that happening with Miles barring another injury.

 

One of Miles or Blanco needs to stay. Having only 3 middle infielders isn't the best move when you're counting on some of those guys to be able to back up 3rd, too.

 

While this is true, I'm assuming Jake Fox will be able to adequately backup 3B. :D

[biittner77]

Trading Miles would not be that difficult provided that Hendry would be willing to pay his salary for this year and not want much back in return. Teams are always looking for versatile, backup MIs. Miles has shown that he can go stretches where he doesn't suck.

[dew1679666265]

Trading Miles would not be that difficult provided that Hendry would be willing to pay his salary for this year and not want much back in return. Teams are always looking for versatile, backup MIs. Miles has shown that he can go stretches where he doesn't suck.

 

The problem is going to be Hendry and Lou feeling they need to trade Miles. I think they like him.

[jersey cubs fan]

Trading Miles would not be that difficult provided that Hendry would be willing to pay his salary for this year and not want much back in return. Teams are always looking for versatile, backup MIs. Miles has shown that he can go stretches where he doesn't suck.

 

He'd probably have to pay for his salary this year and some of next. Teams do look for those types of players, they typically don't give out 2 year multi million dollar contracts to get them though.

[dew1679666265]

Trading Miles would not be that difficult provided that Hendry would be willing to pay his salary for this year and not want much back in return. Teams are always looking for versatile, backup MIs. Miles has shown that he can go stretches where he doesn't suck.

 

He'd probably have to pay for his salary this year and some of next. Teams do look for those types of players, they typically don't give out 2 year multi million dollar contracts to get them though.

 

If he paid the remainder of this year's contract, that may be enough. Basically then a team is getting two years of Aaron Miles for $2.5 million total. That's a much more reasonable deal.

[Little Slide Rooter]

Trading Miles would not be that difficult provided that Hendry would be willing to pay his salary for this year and not want much back in return. Teams are always looking for versatile, backup MIs. Miles has shown that he can go stretches where he doesn't suck.

 

The problem is going to be Hendry and Lou feeling they need to trade Miles. I think they like him.

 

Trading Miles for nothing would be pointless. The problem with Miles isnt Miles, hes a perfectly average backup infielder. The problem is the 2 year 5 million dollar deal that average backup middle infielders should never get.

[dew1679666265]

Trading Miles would not be that difficult provided that Hendry would be willing to pay his salary for this year and not want much back in return. Teams are always looking for versatile, backup MIs. Miles has shown that he can go stretches where he doesn't suck.

 

The problem is going to be Hendry and Lou feeling they need to trade Miles. I think they like him.

 

Trading Miles for nothing would be pointless. The problem with Miles isnt Miles, hes a perfectly average backup infielder. The problem is the 2 year 5 million dollar deal that average backup middle infielders should never get.

 

That's true, but if we could get out from under the second year of his deal, that would be the point.

[biittner77]

If there's a silver lining to the Ramirez injury it might be that Fontenot- out of necessity- shows that he doesn't need a straight platoon at 2nd. This eliminates the need for Miles who was brought in as a platoon partner for Fontenot and as insurance in case Fontenot stunk as a full time starter.

 

This is not to say that Fontenot looks good against LHP but he's looked better recently.

[Little Slide Rooter]

Trading Miles would not be that difficult provided that Hendry would be willing to pay his salary for this year and not want much back in return. Teams are always looking for versatile, backup MIs. Miles has shown that he can go stretches where he doesn't suck.

 

The problem is going to be Hendry and Lou feeling they need to trade Miles. I think they like him.

 

Trading Miles for nothing would be pointless. The problem with Miles isnt Miles, hes a perfectly average backup infielder. The problem is the 2 year 5 million dollar deal that average backup middle infielders should never get.

 

That's true, but if we could get out from under the second year of his deal, that would be the point.

 

The best wed be able to get would be a fringe prospect plus a team picking up 1mil of his 2010 salary. If the 2010 off season market looks anything like that of 2009, nobodys going to pay 2.5 mil for Aaron Miles.

[jersey cubs fan]

If there's a silver lining to the Ramirez injury it might be that Fontenot- out of necessity- shows that he doesn't need a straight platoon at 2nd. This eliminates the need for Miles who was brought in as a platoon partner for Fontenot and as insurance in case Fontenot stunk as a full time starter.

 

This is not to say that Fontenot looks good against LHP but he's looked better recently.

 

There never was a need for Aaron Miles. And even if Fontenot does prove himself capable of full-time duty, something he hasn't come close to doing yet, the Cubs are still stuck with Aaron Miles and his contract.