Top 10 worst FA signings by the Cubs all-time

[Illini Iceman]

Blauser

Neifi

Hundley

Miles

Mark Clark (was he a FA? I just remember him being terrible.)

 

No - Mark Clark came over to the Cubs with Lance Johnson and Manny Alexander from the Mets for Brian McRae, Mel Rojas and Turk Wendell. That was an epic trade.

[Soonernation]

I don't think we could even narrow this down to a top 10 list

[otis89]

Enrique Wilson

 

Am I seriously the only person who thinks he deserves some consideration?

[David]

It's either Mel Rojas or Todd Hundley.

[Gingerballs Lives]

Ryan Dempster

[erik316wttn]

Derrek Lee

 

not a free agent signing.

 

jeff blauser and steve beuchele are definitely on my list.

 

Jeff Blauser is the epitome of why you don't take the "but he hits well here!" argument as your number one reason for signing a guy.

[UK1679666180]

Danny Jackson

Dave Smith

Kal Daniels

Candy Maldonado

Howard Johnson

 

 

 

I'd put Moises Alou on my list. He was lights out with the Astros, signed with the Cubs, and had two crap years (compared to expectations). He got in his contract year ('04) and was awesome again. I hated that guy's attitude, too. . . . .it was never his fault. . . .always griping about something.

 

Don't hate on Daniels, he was just broken down when the Cubs got him, but they traded Gary Scott for him instead of FA.

 

For me, it'll always be Jose Guzman given that he was brought in to replace Maddux, had one sub-par year and then was hurt.

[cubweiser03]

Enrique Wilson

 

Am I seriously the only person who thinks he deserves some consideration?

He was a midseason acquisition, wasnt expected to help much and only played 15 games. Guys like Blowser, Rojas, Hundley were the 'big' offseason FA signings. Wilson definetly sucked as a baseball player but he wasnt a guy the team really planned on contributing to the season like the others.

[David]

Derrek Lee

 

not a free agent signing.

 

jeff blauser and steve beuchele are definitely on my list.

 

Jeff Blauser is the epitome of why you don't take the "but he hits well here!" argument as your number one reason for signing a guy.

 

People love to say this, but I'm pretty sure we didn't sign him because of his success against us. Blauser was coming off a career year when we signed him. .308/.405/.482 (.886 OPS for those that don't want to add)

 

 

If you want to say it's the epitome of why you shouldn't sign a guy coming off a year far better than the rest of his years, that would be much more fair.

 

He was also pretty solid in terms of IsoD throughout his career. The years he managed to hit well for average, he had some really nice OBP's.

[dew1679666265]

.308/.405/.482 (.886 OPS for those that don't want to add)

 

That's actually an .887 OPS . . .

 

:wink:

[David]

.308/.405/.482 (.886 OPS for those that don't want to add)

 

That's actually an .887 OPS . . .

 

:wink:

 

http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/blausje01.shtml?redir

 

BBR probably rounded either the SLG or the OBP up a little :wink:

 

It's funny that it worked out that way considering the way I phrased it, though.

[dew1679666265]

.308/.405/.482 (.886 OPS for those that don't want to add)

 

That's actually an .887 OPS . . .

 

:wink:

 

http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/blausje01.shtml?redir

 

BBR probably rounded either the SLG or the OBP up a little :wink:

 

It's funny that it worked out that way considering the way I phrased it, though.

 

Math error at baseballreference perhaps? :)

 

Not that it matters. You're probably right that it was a rounding issue.

[Clem Fandango]

Derrek Lee

 

not a free agent signing.

 

But a bad free agent re-signing. The NTC is killing us

 

It was a midseason extension... but you're still right about the NTC. If anything that should serve as a reminder to rethink the option of tossing out a NTC like it's the extra change you dump in the "Save [insert childs name] Foundation" at the gas station

[dew1679666265]

Derrek Lee

 

not a free agent signing.

 

But a bad free agent re-signing. The NTC is killing us

 

It was a midseason extension... but you're still right about the NTC. If anything that should serve as a reminder to rethink the option of tossing out a NTC like it's the extra change you dump in the "Save [insert childs name] Foundation" at the gas station

 

When did you want to trade DLee? Because he's got 10/5 rights now as well - which make the NTC basically meaningless.

[Tracer Bullet]

Derrek Lee

 

not a free agent signing.

 

But a bad free agent re-signing. The NTC is killing us

 

It was a midseason extension... but you're still right about the NTC. If anything that should serve as a reminder to rethink the option of tossing out a NTC like it's the extra change you dump in the "Save [insert childs name] Foundation" at the gas station

 

When did you want to trade DLee? Because he's got 10/5 rights now as well - which make the NTC basically meaningless.

 

After 2007 would have been perfect

[CubColtPacer]

 

When did you want to trade DLee? Because he's got 10/5 rights now as well - which make the NTC basically meaningless.

 

After 2007 would have been perfect

 

For straight value, sure. But it would have also left the Cubs with a huge hole at 1B in 2008 (at least what would reasonably be expected to be a huge hole). You don't trade away one of your key hitters (which Lee was still at the time) when you have absolutely no idea how you're going to replace him, even if you do think he will decline and not be worth his contract.

 

By the time the Cubs knew they had a potential fill in there, his 10/5 rights would have already kicked in.

[Soul]

I pick Hundley because not only was he horrible, but he took it to another level with the fans.

[erik316wttn]

Derrek Lee

 

not a free agent signing.

 

jeff blauser and steve beuchele are definitely on my list.

 

Jeff Blauser is the epitome of why you don't take the "but he hits well here!" argument as your number one reason for signing a guy.

 

People love to say this, but I'm pretty sure we didn't sign him because of his success against us. Blauser was coming off a career year when we signed him. .308/.405/.482 (.886 OPS for those that don't want to add)

 

 

If you want to say it's the epitome of why you shouldn't sign a guy coming off a year far better than the rest of his years, that would be much more fair.

 

He was also pretty solid in terms of IsoD throughout his career. The years he managed to hit well for average, he had some really nice OBP's.

 

That, too.

 

There are 2 traps that GM's all around baseball keep falling into:

 

1) They keep signing guys who hit well in their home ballpark, forgetting that it's probably your pitching staff that they're having success against.

 

2) They keep signing guys to megadeals who underachieve their whole contract and then have a monster contract year. More often than not, this kills them.

[dew1679666265]

 

When did you want to trade DLee? Because he's got 10/5 rights now as well - which make the NTC basically meaningless.

 

After 2007 would have been perfect

 

For straight value, sure. But it would have also left the Cubs with a huge hole at 1B in 2008 (at least what would reasonably be expected to be a huge hole). You don't trade away one of your key hitters (which Lee was still at the time) when you have absolutely no idea how you're going to replace him, even if you do think he will decline and not be worth his contract.

 

By the time the Cubs knew they had a potential fill in there, his 10/5 rights would have already kicked in.

 

Yeah, it's really hard for a playoff team to trade a 31 year old guy who just posted a .913 OPS when there's no successor waiting in the wings.

 

Hoff had just OPSd .917 the year before, but that was after an .852 in 2006 and .663 in 2005. 2007 was also Hoff's only year above a .900 OPS in the minors up to that point.

[erik316wttn]

I pick Hundley because not only was he horrible, but he took it to another level with the fans.

 

The rumor was he had a pretty bad drinking problem at the time, correct?

[CubColtPacer]

 

When did you want to trade DLee? Because he's got 10/5 rights now as well - which make the NTC basically meaningless.

 

After 2007 would have been perfect

 

For straight value, sure. But it would have also left the Cubs with a huge hole at 1B in 2008 (at least what would reasonably be expected to be a huge hole). You don't trade away one of your key hitters (which Lee was still at the time) when you have absolutely no idea how you're going to replace him, even if you do think he will decline and not be worth his contract.

 

By the time the Cubs knew they had a potential fill in there, his 10/5 rights would have already kicked in.

 

Yeah, it's really hard for a playoff team to trade a 31 year old guy who just posted a .913 OPS when there's no successor waiting in the wings.

 

Hoff had just OPSd .917 the year before, but that was after an .852 in 2006 and .663 in 2005. 2007 was also Hoff's only year above a .900 OPS in the minors up to that point.

 

Hoffpauir also had a severe knee injury that ended his season in 2007, and of course that .917 was in the severely hitter friendly PCL. He had been just starting to get a chance at a bench job when he got hurt..he certainly wasn't close yet to being an option for the starting job.

[dew1679666265]

 

When did you want to trade DLee? Because he's got 10/5 rights now as well - which make the NTC basically meaningless.

 

After 2007 would have been perfect

 

For straight value, sure. But it would have also left the Cubs with a huge hole at 1B in 2008 (at least what would reasonably be expected to be a huge hole). You don't trade away one of your key hitters (which Lee was still at the time) when you have absolutely no idea how you're going to replace him, even if you do think he will decline and not be worth his contract.

 

By the time the Cubs knew they had a potential fill in there, his 10/5 rights would have already kicked in.

 

Yeah, it's really hard for a playoff team to trade a 31 year old guy who just posted a .913 OPS when there's no successor waiting in the wings.

 

Hoff had just OPSd .917 the year before, but that was after an .852 in 2006 and .663 in 2005. 2007 was also Hoff's only year above a .900 OPS in the minors up to that point.

 

Hoffpauir also had a severe knee injury that ended his season in 2007, and of course that .917 was in the severely hitter friendly PCL. He had been just starting to get a chance at a bench job when he got hurt..he certainly wasn't close yet to being an option for the starting job.

 

The only real good option at that point would have been to make sure we got a young, MLB ready first baseman in the trade. And that kind of limits our options to get the best deal possible.

[carolinacubbie]

 

When did you want to trade DLee? Because he's got 10/5 rights now as well - which make the NTC basically meaningless.

 

After 2007 would have been perfect

 

For straight value, sure. But it would have also left the Cubs with a huge hole at 1B in 2008 (at least what would reasonably be expected to be a huge hole). You don't trade away one of your key hitters (which Lee was still at the time) when you have absolutely no idea how you're going to replace him, even if you do think he will decline and not be worth his contract.

 

By the time the Cubs knew they had a potential fill in there, his 10/5 rights would have already kicked in.

 

Yeah, it's really hard for a playoff team to trade a 31 year old guy who just posted a .913 OPS when there's no successor waiting in the wings.

 

Hoff had just OPSd .917 the year before, but that was after an .852 in 2006 and .663 in 2005. 2007 was also Hoff's only year above a .900 OPS in the minors up to that point.

 

Hoffpauir also had a severe knee injury that ended his season in 2007, and of course that .917 was in the severely hitter friendly PCL. He had been just starting to get a chance at a bench job when he got hurt..he certainly wasn't close yet to being an option for the starting job.

 

The only real good option at that point would have been to make sure we got a young, MLB ready first baseman in the trade. And that kind of limits our options to get the best deal possible.

 

Lee is hitting .392 over the last 14 games. He really hasn't been as bad this year as people wanna make it out to be. Lou is just an idiot for not playing Hoff in right everyday Bradley doesn't play especially against righties. At least he is the lineup tonight. I still can't figure out why we called up Fox and haven't given him a single start yet.

[Guest]

.308/.405/.482 (.886 OPS for those that don't want to add)

 

That's actually an .887 OPS . . .

 

:wink:

 

http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/blausje01.shtml?redir

 

BBR probably rounded either the SLG or the OBP up a little :wink:

 

It's funny that it worked out that way considering the way I phrased it, though.

 

Math error at baseballreference perhaps? :)

 

Not that it matters. You're probably right that it was a rounding issue.

 

His OBP was .40453 and his SLG was .48170 = .88623. When you round to three decimals it's a .405 OBP and a .482 SLG.

[dew1679666265]

Lee is hitting .392 over the last 14 games. He really hasn't been as bad this year as people wanna make it out to be. Lou is just an idiot for not playing Hoff in right everyday Bradley doesn't play especially against righties. At least he is the lineup tonight. I still can't figure out why we called up Fox and haven't given him a single start yet.

 

Yeah, Lee got off to a bad start perhaps because of his neck issues. If he can stay healthy the rest of the year, I think he can have a good year. If he stays healthy, that is.

 

As for Hoff, I would platoon him in right with Reed while Bradley's out, but Lou doesn't like his defense so he'll play out there less. Fox is performing the role now that he will long term if he remains a Cub - right handed power bat off the bench. His defense just isn't good enough to play a position regularly.