Just for fun; Abreu, Ibanez, Dunn, Burrell

[inari]

Abreu: .294/.396/.406 in 212 PAs

Burrell: .250/.349/.315 in 126 PAs

Ibanez: .330/.388/.679 in 242 PAs

Dunn: .258/.391/.557 in 238 PAs

 

Dunn was the most popular target around here along with Bradley. Ibanez was probably the least.

 

At least we didn't get Burrell!

[Little Slide Rooter]

More depressing than fun, actually.

[dew1679666265]

My offseason preferences were Dunn, Burrell, Bradley, Ibanez and Abreu out of those guys. The only ones I really had any interest in signing, though, were Dunn, Burrell and Bradley.

 

I suspect Dunn and Abreu are the only two on that list who are performing at their capability. Ibanez will almost certainly fall off quite a bit, while Bradley and Burrell should improve considerably.

[Little Slide Rooter]

I really wanted Dunn, because A. hes amazinf at Wirgley field, and B with a lot of contact guys in the lineup, we could afford to have a guy who Ks alot, but also takes a lot of walks. Really somewhat of a baffling decision not to sign him.

[TruffleShuffle]

I really wanted Dunn, because A. hes amazinf at Wirgley field, and B with a lot of contact guys in the lineup, we could afford to have a guy who Ks alot, but also takes a lot of walks. Really somewhat of a baffling decision not to sign him.

 

he's atrocious defensively having played mostly LF, so he'd be playing RF. i don't think the cubs wanted to go into the season with a LF who takes some pretty bad routes to balls, a converted RF in CF, and a horrible defender playing RF. that's the obvious reason he wasn't signed.

[Cubswin11]

Well at least at the current rate Bradley will only be on the team through next year as the 3rd year could be voided.

[A-Cal]

i wanted ibanez/abreu, dunn, and neither bradley nor burrell

 

i think my number one target would have been abreu...his power has been dropping but other than that he is an on base machine and healthy

 

it is amazing that hendry picked bradley...if he was 27 and healthy...great...but don't take someone on the wrong side of 30 who just had a career year as a DH in one of the best hitter's parks in the league

[17 Seconds]

i wanted ibanez/abreu, dunn, and neither bradley nor burrell

 

i think my number one target would have been abreu...his power has been dropping but other than that he is an on base machine and healthy

 

it is amazing that hendry picked bradley...if he was 27 and healthy...great...but don't take someone on the wrong side of 30 who just had a career year as a DH in one of the best hitter's parks in the league

 

abreu was like the least attractive option IMO. he's an atrocious defender, his numbers weren't really good, and the opnly reason they were evn decent the last couple years were because of the short porch at yankee stadium. his obp has also declined. he was right at like .370 the past 2 seasons, when he used to be well over .400 like every year. .370 isn't bad of course, but when you're a corner outfielder who plays terrible defense and hits for no power at all, it's not enough

[UMFan83]

I really wanted Dunn, because A. hes amazinf at Wirgley field, and B with a lot of contact guys in the lineup, we could afford to have a guy who Ks alot, but also takes a lot of walks. Really somewhat of a baffling decision not to sign him.

 

Baffling suggests that there was absolutely no downside to signing Dunn, which of course there was. Hindsight is of course 20/20, but Jim puts value on defense, and like the above poster said, Dunn is an awful defender that would be moving from LF to RF. So in that respect, its somewhat excusable that he didn't go for Dunn.

[17 Seconds]

I really wanted Dunn, because A. hes amazinf at Wirgley field, and B with a lot of contact guys in the lineup, we could afford to have a guy who Ks alot, but also takes a lot of walks. Really somewhat of a baffling decision not to sign him.

 

Baffling suggests that there was absolutely no downside to signing Dunn, which of course there was. Hindsight is of course 20/20, but Jim puts value on defense, and like the above poster said, Dunn is an awful defender that would be moving from LF to RF. So in that respect, its somewhat excusable that he didn't go for Dunn.

 

there is far greater downside to milton bradley than adan dunn

 

and let's not act like jim has assembled some great defending team either

[UMFan83]

I really wanted Dunn, because A. hes amazinf at Wirgley field, and B with a lot of contact guys in the lineup, we could afford to have a guy who Ks alot, but also takes a lot of walks. Really somewhat of a baffling decision not to sign him.

 

Baffling suggests that there was absolutely no downside to signing Dunn, which of course there was. Hindsight is of course 20/20, but Jim puts value on defense, and like the above poster said, Dunn is an awful defender that would be moving from LF to RF. So in that respect, its somewhat excusable that he didn't go for Dunn.

 

there is far greater downside to milton bradley than adan dunn

 

and let's not act like jim has assembled some great defending team either

 

Those are both true. I can't pretend like I agree with Jim's thinking, I just try to see his logic behind moves, and this was likely his with regards to Dunn. He thought Bradley had more upside and figured that the Cubs were good enough to win during the sporatic periods that Bradley was injured, so long as he was healthy come playoff time. His whole concept of left handed hitters was with the playoffs in mind. Otherwise, there is just no logic in saying that the team that scored the second most runs in baseball last year has a glaring need to lefthanders in the lineup. Of course you'd have to ignore the fact that it's idiotic to make moves in January that you hope will help you win a few games in October, not April-September.

[RedFlash]

Why do a thread like this? Cause if Bradley is hitting like last yr (or even his career norms) people would say it was a shrewd signing by Hendry (and I do believe Bradley will end up with good numbers by the end of the yr). With him and the Cubs basically hit and miss offensively, of course people are going to rip Bradley and Hendry. To be honest, I have more problems with Soto and Fontenot struggling to this point because they don't have a major league performance track to fall back on.

 

This thread is useless. For that matter any hindsight thread.

[17 Seconds]

Why do a thread like this? Cause if Bradley is hitting like last yr (or even his career norms)

 

His career norms? Bradley has topped an .835 OPS just 3 times in his entire career, and none of those were even full seasons. Actually those 3 "seasons" don't even amount to 2 full seasons worth of at- bats.

 

Bradley was a risk in 3 different areas. He commited 30 mil fully knowing those 3 risks. So far, he's gotten burned.

 

With Dunn there are definite downsides, but you know exactly what you're getting. A poor defender who makes up for it every year with his big bat.

 

The main thing I find funny is that the whole reason he wanted a lefty was to hit RHP, right? Bradley doesn't even hit RHP well. He's just like our righties. He mashes lefties and doesn't do very well against righties. Dunn absolutely destroys RHP.

[Little Slide Rooter]

Really, the bottom line is knowing that the teams ownership was up in the air, they should have gone after a cheaper option, be it Dunn or Abreu. With all the money tied up in current players, why give another 3 year deal out to a guy who they knew cant play a full season? Even if they got the older Abreu, it would have been a 2 year deal, and maybe we could have kept DeRosa, as long as we didnt sign Miles,whose done nothing and Gathright and Bako, money that was an immediate waste. May as well have just trusted Sam Fuld and Koyie Hill. To top it off, we flushed a few more million down the toilet with Gaudin and Vizcaino. The off season was a series of bad decisons.

[dew1679666265]

Really, the bottom line is knowing that the teams ownership was up in the air, they should have gone after a cheaper option, be it Dunn or Abreu. With all the money tied up in current players, why give another 3 year deal out to a guy who they knew cant play a full season? Even if they got the older Abreu, it would have been a 2 year deal, and maybe we could have kept DeRosa, as long as we didnt sign Miles,whose done nothing and Gathright and Bako, money that was an immediate waste. May as well have just trusted Sam Fuld and Koyie Hill. To top it off, we flushed a few more million down the toilet with Gaudin and Vizcaino. The off season was a series of bad decisons.

 

There's not a chance I'd want Abreu in right field for two seasons. Keeping DeRo and playing him in right would have been a far better option than signing Abreu - especially for 2 years.

 

Ibanez is actually being paid a bit more than Bradley, but is 37 years old this season. I'll be amazed if he can keep his good production up for very long. That's what worried me about him. And Dunn is a cheaper option only in that he doesn't have the third year option that Bradley has. Dunn is on a two-year deal that pays him $8 million this year and $12 million next year.

[dew1679666265]

Well at least at the current rate Bradley will only be on the team through next year as the 3rd year could be voided.

 

He's played 41 of 54 team games, meaning he's very well on his way to reaching the 75-game mark that guarantees his third year.

[Careless]

Well at least at the current rate Bradley will only be on the team through next year as the 3rd year could be voided.

 

He's played 41 of 54 team games, meaning he's very well on his way to reaching the 75-game mark that guarantees his third year.

34 of 108 to vest. He'd have to blow something out soon not to make it

 

It doesn't seem possible, but he's on pace for 500 PAs

[dew1679666265]

Well at least at the current rate Bradley will only be on the team through next year as the 3rd year could be voided.

 

He's played 41 of 54 team games, meaning he's very well on his way to reaching the 75-game mark that guarantees his third year.

34 of 108 to vest. He'd have to blow something out soon not to make it

 

It doesn't seem possible, but he's on pace for 500 PAs

 

And half of them will have been as a pinch hitter. :)