Build the 2010 Cubs

[cubstitlelives]

This is going to be challenging for several reasons. For one, only Milton Bradley has a contract that you MIGHT be able to move. Secondly, the ownership issue is still not resolved.

 

So, given these obstacles, what would you do to revamp this team for 2010? I still think the Cubs will win the division this year, but if the injuries continue at this pace, I might have to look to 2010 soon.

 

Do you let Harden walk? Do you give Jake the RF job and try and trade Bradley? Do you trade Jake for some good prospects, or a major league ready second basemen?

 

Also, who's the manager going to be? Is Lou coming back (I say doubtful)? What will the new managers style of play dictate?

 

Have at it.

[erik316wttn]

This is going to be challenging for several reasons. For one, only Milton Bradley has a contract that you MIGHT be able to move. Secondly, the ownership issue is still not resolved.

 

So, given these obstacles, what would you do to revamp this team for 2010? I still think the Cubs will win the division this year, but if the injuries continue at this pace, I might have to look to 2010 soon.

 

Do you let Harden walk? Do you give Jake the RF job and try and trade Bradley? Do you trade Jake for some good prospects, or a major league ready second basemen?

 

Also, who's the manager going to be? Is Lou coming back (I say doubtful)? What will the new managers style of play dictate?

 

Have at it.

 

My biggest priority is revamping the bullpen. Secondly, replacing Fontenot with a competent 2B. Or, move Riot over to 2nd and find a decent SS on the FA market.

 

Harden hasn't had a great year this year, plus with his injury history, I think he could be signed for something pretty reasonable, with incentives for games started, innings pitched, etc. However, if there is some other team out there just gung-ho to get him and they offer him a huge contract, let him walk. With Z, Lilly, Wells, Demp, we're ok as far as the rotation goes.

 

If Lou doesn't come back, I'd see what Alan Trammell can do. And I'd send Jim Hendry back on the first plane to wherever the hell it is he's from.

 

It doesn't seem like Fox will be at 2B, so I'd have him work on his defense on the corner IF and OF positions, and especially his catching defense, and he'd be a supersub type like Mark Bellhorn was, and he'd get plenty of AB's that way. Failing that, I'd use him as part of a package for a major-league ready 2B or SS.

[UMFan83]

Like you said it's gonna be hard to do much but if this season doesn't end in making the playoffs the Cubs are going to raid the farm system to convince Lou to stay. I would thin Vitters and co won't be here to start next year. The tough part is wher to upgrade. I'll let someone else decide.

[17 Seconds]

I'd rather Lou not stay anyways.

[CP_414]

They should offer arb to Harden, Gregg, and Grabow. If Harden walks sign someone as a replacement. Maybe Duschcherer or Brett Myers to a deal similiar to Brad Penny's with Boston. Target Soriano from Atlanta for the pen. As for the offense, they need to add an impact bat, but the middle infield is the only place they can add a starter, so I don't see how that happens. I just hope they don't do something stupid and give Chone Figgens a 4 year deal.

 

The farm system is going in the right direction, I don't see them blowing it up.

[NotSoSober]

Get someone who can play SS and move Theriot to 2nd. Find some idiot to take Miles.

[DiamondMind]

I'd rather Lou not stay anyways.

 

Dude, you hate everything. How old are you? How can you say this with a straight face?

[erik316wttn]

Lou certainly has his faults, but he's one of the better managers out there. He's a friggin baseball Einstein compared to Dusty.

[DiamondMind]

Lou certainly has his faults, but he's one of the better managers out there. He's a friggin baseball Einstein compared to Dusty.

 

Exactly, erik's right. Every manager has his faults. You don't have to go all emo kid about it and say you never want him back. I mean you HAVE seen and experienced some of our past managers, right dexter?

[Outshined_One]

Lou's kind of average as a manager. He's been very good with things like managing pitch counts (which is a breath of fresh air post-Dusty), playing certain matchups, and staying by his players during slumps, plus he's not afraid to try something new. However, his obsession with handedness and specific roles (i.e. the CF must bat leadoff, Marmol is the fireman regardless of his performance, etc.) is very off-putting, as is his stubbornness when it comes to those matters. Plus, he takes some annoyingly dumb risks a lot of the time (see: the hit and run).

 

I think the Cubs could stand to upgrade from him, but he's nowhere close to being the biggest problem this team has. If you can find someone better than him, great. But, I wouldn't expend much in the way of resources in finding that person.

[imb]

i love it when they turn on each other

[Vanilla Ice]

I don't really care at all whether Lou stays or not

[Transmogrified Tiger]

It's late so this probably won't make any sense and couldn't happen, but if you want to shake things up after 3 years of not being able to break through:

 

Let Gregg, Harden, and Grabow walk. Offer arbitration to Harden, and to Gregg provided he doesn't humiliate himself the rest of the year so he won't take arbitration. If Harden choses to come back, cool. If not, yay draft picks.

 

Eat Miles' money so I never have to see him again.

 

Lilly, Theriot, and a pitching prospect(hope for someone like Coleman, willing to give up someone like Jackson) for Jose Reyes and a low level prospect.

 

Buy low on Howie Kendrick. He and Fontenot can be in a platoon with Kendrick taking at bats if he has a nice year.

 

See if you can get Rafael Soriano for less than 3 years. I wouldn't be picky about the money if that could happen.

 

Reyes

Fukudome

Lee

Ramirez

Bradley

Soriano

Soto

Fontenot/Kendrick

 

Best 5 of Zambrano/Dempster/Wells/Gorzelanny/Samardzija/Marshall/Jackson/Atkins/Coleman (NOT Cashner)

 

Marmol/Guzman/Soriano finish games, Marshall is in the pen if he doesn't make the rotation, Heilman is mopup duty, and Stevens, Gaub, Parker, and whoever else you find(trade, FA bargain, Rule 5, etc.) compete for middle relief.

 

 

Overall, stronger offense(especially without the flukish 2 months of awfulness from everyone), stronger pen, and weaker rotation, plus 3 or 5 of the first 50 picks in the draft. The hope is that there's enough depth in the rotation to handle whoever is ineffective, and hope that someone of Cashner/Jackson/Carpenter continues making big strides in 2010 to show they're ready for a rotation spot.

[NCCubFan]

Find some idiot to take Miles.

:pig:

[GlassCow]

Lou certainly has his faults, but he's one of the better managers out there. He's a friggin baseball Einstein compared to Dusty.

 

I would like to see Lou stay on for a fourth year, but I certainly wouldn't use a comparison to Dusty as my selling point. Darren Baker looks like baseball Einstein compared to Dusty.

[Rob]

Let Grabow walk.. hoping he's a type B so we can get away with offering arbitration. Offer arby to Harden and Gregg regardless.

 

Focus in on Stephen Drew and Orlando Hudson... I'd be willing to give up Theriot+ in a trade for Drew if Hudson was willing to sign a decent contract.

 

More thoughts as I get them.

[RedFlash]

Let Grabow walk.. hoping he's a type B so we can get away with offering arbitration. Offer arby to Harden and Gregg regardless.

 

Focus in on Stephen Drew and Orlando Hudson... I'd be willing to give up Theriot+ in a trade for Drew if Hudson was willing to sign a decent contract.

 

More thoughts as I get them.

 

I like this scenerio, cause not only does Hudson/Drew bring more offensive ability to the table then Theriot/Fontenot, but there are both better defensively. Add those two up the middle and you improve the team defense by a large margain.

[Little Slide Rooter]

1B-Derrek Lee

2B-free agent/Ryan Theriot

SS-Ryan Theriot/free agent

3B-Aramis Ramirez

LF-Soriano

CF-Kosuke

RF-Milton Bradley

C-Soto

SP-Z

SP-Lilly

SP-Demp

SP-Harden/free agent

SP-Wells

swing-Gorz

BP-Marshall

BP-Marmol

BP-Guzman

BP-2 of Stevens/Gaub/Grabow/Blake Parker/Justin Berg/free agent

CL-free agent(Jose Valverde)/Gregg

backup C-Koyie Hill/Chris Robinson/Steve Clevenger

bench-Jake Fox

bench-Mike Fontenot

bench-Brad Snyder/Sam Fuld/Micah Hoffpauir

bench-Andres Blanco

 

-Let Aaron Miles go. Offer arby to Harden. if he takes it, great, if not, take the picks and get another front end starter.

-Our main aquisition should be a middle infielder by trade or free agency.

-I would like to go for Valverde as a closer, but if hes too expensive, I guess we could live with Gregg.

 

Im not quite sure how much money we have left over, but if we were to sign a middle infielder+Valverde to close, I think wed be in good shape, and if it turns out we need another bench guy that bad, then pick someone off the scrap heap.

[Little Slide Rooter]

Another thing that could help us is the stats of the division. I really dont see DeRosa or Holliday back in St. Lou. I know they want Holliday, but if he keeps doing what he has been, the Red Sox, Yankees, Mets, and especially the Giants will be hot on his trail. Also, will the Brewers try to keep their window open another year and keep Fielder, Weeks, and Hardy around, or would this be a good time for them to do what they do best and rebuild?

[Tracer Bullet]

It's late so this probably won't make any sense and couldn't happen, but if you want to shake things up after 3 years of not being able to break through:

 

Let Gregg, Harden, and Grabow walk. Offer arbitration to Harden, and to Gregg provided he doesn't humiliate himself the rest of the year so he won't take arbitration. If Harden choses to come back, cool. If not, yay draft picks.

 

Eat Miles' money so I never have to see him again.

 

Lilly, Theriot, and a pitching prospect(hope for someone like Coleman, willing to give up someone like Jackson) for Jose Reyes and a low level prospect.

 

Buy low on Howie Kendrick. He and Fontenot can be in a platoon with Kendrick taking at bats if he has a nice year.

 

See if you can get Rafael Soriano for less than 3 years. I wouldn't be picky about the money if that could happen.

 

Reyes

Fukudome

Lee

Ramirez

Bradley

Soriano

Soto

Fontenot/Kendrick

 

Best 5 of Zambrano/Dempster/Wells/Gorzelanny/Samardzija/Marshall/Jackson/Atkins/Coleman (NOT Cashner)

 

Marmol/Guzman/Soriano finish games, Marshall is in the pen if he doesn't make the rotation, Heilman is mopup duty, and Stevens, Gaub, Parker, and whoever else you find(trade, FA bargain, Rule 5, etc.) compete for middle relief.

 

 

Overall, stronger offense(especially without the flukish 2 months of awfulness from everyone), stronger pen, and weaker rotation, plus 3 or 5 of the first 50 picks in the draft. The hope is that there's enough depth in the rotation to handle whoever is ineffective, and hope that someone of Cashner/Jackson/Carpenter continues making big strides in 2010 to show they're ready for a rotation spot.

 

I like the offense, though Reyes missing almost the entire season scares me a little. But that rotation makes me pretty nervous. There are a number of gambles in that list of SPs.

[Old Style]

Get someone who can play SS and move Theriot to 2nd. Find some idiot to take Miles.

Good call

[Transmogrified Tiger]

I like the offense, though Reyes missing almost the entire season scares me a little. But that rotation makes me pretty nervous. There are a number of gambles in that list of SPs.

 

No doubt, I didn't feel super comfortable with it either. But maybe you don't need to trade Lilly to get Reyes, or maybe Harden takes arbitration, or maybe there's a good trade opportunity that comes along if that's too much risk for some to take with the rotation.

[Tracer Bullet]

I like the offense, though Reyes missing almost the entire season scares me a little. But that rotation makes me pretty nervous. There are a number of gambles in that list of SPs.

 

No doubt, I didn't feel super comfortable with it either. But maybe you don't need to trade Lilly to get Reyes, or maybe Harden takes arbitration, or maybe there's a good trade opportunity that comes along if that's too much risk for some to take with the rotation.

 

I'm hoping Harden loves Chicago so much that he takes arbitration and we work out a reasonable 1-2 year deal with him (ideally 1-year with a team option or something). I'd be more comfortable trading Lilly if we had Z and Harden (even though Harden's going to miss some starts).

[biittner77]

Whether they make the playoffs or not I expect the 2010 Cubs to look a lot like the 2009 Cubs with a few changes.

 

offer Harden Arb. and try to sign him.

upgrade 2nd base (Hendry and Piniella love Theriot plus SS are always hard to find)

get a new closer somewhere, perhaps in house.

 

Were it not for the avalanche of injuries this year, the Cubs probably win the division fairly easily. The Cubs are locked in with too many players to have much flexibility.

[haubrich91]

I think we should try to add a few starters to get some more depth.

 

Re-vamp our bullpen. Get a few more reliable guys that we can count on.

 

Get rid of Miles. 'Nough said.

 

Maybe go after Hudson?