The future of Jake Fox

[Abe Frohman]

Money and contracts ruin baseball.

[17 Seconds]

Money and contracts ruin baseball.

 

unless you play baseball. then they make it AWESOME

[CubbieBum]

If we could find a taker I wouldn't be opposed to trading Soriano with use paying 1/3-1/2 of his remaining contract. Then have Fox concentrate on defense in LF all offseason. The money we save from getting rid of 1/2-2/3's of Sori's contract would be enough to sign a 2B (DeRosa?) and a good bullpen pitcher. With an offseason to concentrate on one position I think Fox could become at least the fielder that Soriano has been.

 

This won't happen but I would be OK with it if it did.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

Trade him to an AL team for a bullpen arm.

[A-Cal]

Trade him to an AL team for a bullpen arm.

 

yes, it is good for us and only fair for Mr. Jake Fox

[Rob]

Fox is a good bench bat and useful fill-in at the four corners and maybe even catcher. But I'm not sold on him being a better bet to provide value as a starter than any of our guys currently in those spots. Maybe spot him for an injured Sori through the rest of this year... but I think we'd be best served to keep the current arrangement next year, if for no other reason than to gather more info on Fox.

 

Remember, at this time last year a lot of people were suggesting we dump DLee and start Hoff.

[CubbieBum]

Fox is a good bench bat and useful fill-in at the four corners and maybe even catcher. But I'm not sold on him being a better bet to provide value as a starter than any of our guys currently in those spots. Maybe spot him for an injured Sori through the rest of this year... but I think we'd be best served to keep the current arrangement next year, if for no other reason than to gather more info on Fox.

 

Remember, at this time last year a lot of people were suggesting we dump DLee and start Hoff.

 

More info? The dude is 27 and has performed well in AAA and in the majors. He has almost 200 AB's in the majors and is OPSing over .850. It's time to either start him or trade him to a team that will. He is in his prime years.

[Vanilla Ice]

Trading Soriano to play Fox wouldn't be about playing Fox to me. It would be about getting rid of some of that contract

[CubbieBum]

Trading Soriano to play Fox wouldn't be about playing Fox to me. It would be about getting rid of some of that contract

 

I agree it's more about getting rid of Sori's contract but it also has something to do with getting Fox more at-bats.

[Vanilla Ice]

Trading Soriano to play Fox wouldn't be about playing Fox to me. It would be about getting rid of some of that contract

 

I agree it's more about getting rid of Sori's contract but it also has something to do with getting Fox more at-bats.

I'm not all that convinced that Fox will hit like this given full playing time. Ideally, he backs up LF, RF, 3B, 1B, and maybe C. I just want out from the 100 million or whatever we still owe Soriano

[Grit amp Heart]

We tried that this year:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/media/photo/2009-06/47761108.jpg

[Roast]

We tried that this year:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/media/photo/2009-06/47761108.jpg

Oh no we didn't. Those are two totally different situations.

[dew1679666265]

Fox is a good bench bat and useful fill-in at the four corners and maybe even catcher. But I'm not sold on him being a better bet to provide value as a starter than any of our guys currently in those spots. Maybe spot him for an injured Sori through the rest of this year... but I think we'd be best served to keep the current arrangement next year, if for no other reason than to gather more info on Fox.

 

Remember, at this time last year a lot of people were suggesting we dump DLee and start Hoff.

 

More info? The dude is 27 and has performed well in AAA and in the majors. He has almost 200 AB's in the majors and is OPSing over .850. It's time to either start him or trade him to a team that will. He is in his prime years.

 

Fontenot was 28 last year and OPSd .909 in 284 PAs. He's been better than his numbers this season, but nowhere near those numbers. He also performed well in the minors.

 

Not saying that has much of anything to do with Fox necessarily, but a couple hundred good ABs in the majors with good AAA numbers isn't always a sure thing guarantee to produce as a full-time player. I wouldn't be opposed to trading Soriano either, but it'd be to shed the contract (or some portion of it) moreso than starting Fox. However, because Fox has hit so well, I'd certainly give him the opportunity to win the starting job.

[Guest]

Soriano and Ramirez are both good bets to spend time on the DL next year. I'd like to have Fox on the roster to be there to pick up the slack when they do.

[CUBZ99]

Soriano and Ramirez are both good bets to spend time on the DL next year. I'd like to have Fox on the roster to be there to pick up the slack when they do.

 

Yes, why not try to go into the year with a strong bench. Fox has proven he can be a valuable asset to the team, if Lee, Ramirez, Soriano or Bradley get hurt, it would be nice to have him ready to fill in.

[Grit amp Heart]

Oh no we didn't. Those are two totally different situations.

 

The Cubs traded away a player with two seasons of above average production at 2B in order to let a guy who had 500 PAs of above average production take over. Obviously Fontenot tanked. Now you're asking to trade away with a half a decade worth of above average production to let a guy with 200 PAs of above average production take over. They're similar situations, though I'm not sure both moves aren't and weren't favorable propositions for the Cubs.

[Wheelimus]

The Cubs would be absolute idiots to trade Fox unless a team is willing to, at worst, pay full market value. With as little as he'll make, and the odds that we'll need a backup at LF and 3B next year, you'd have to be an idiot to let him go for nothing.

 

So expect him to be traded for a couple of A-ball prospects or an overpaid relief pitcher. And then do a shot. And then keep doing shots until the stupidity of this ballclub doesn't offend you anymore. Or you die, whichever comes first.

[Guest]

 

So expect him to be traded for a couple of A-ball prospects or an overpaid relief pitcher. And then do a shot. And then keep doing shots until the stupidity of this ballclub doesn't offend you anymore. Or you die, whichever comes first.

That's fantastic.

[jersey cubs fan]

Oh no we didn't. Those are two totally different situations.

 

The Cubs traded away a player with two seasons of above average production at 2B in order to let a guy who had 500 PAs of above average production take over. Obviously Fontenot tanked. Now you're asking to trade away with a half a decade worth of above average production to let a guy with 200 PAs of above average production take over. They're similar situations, though I'm not sure both moves aren't and weren't favorable propositions for the Cubs.

 

Wait, so you are comparing DeRosa and Soriano as well as Fontenot and Fox in this discussion? And you are implying it would be a mistake to trade away Soriano? Or am I reading something wrong?

[loukycub]

i would think that hoffpaiur is more likely to be on the trade block than fox will be. i know that neither has a natural position in the outfield, but simply from the games i have seen (admittedly right around, to less than half played so far) i have seen more out of fox than i had from hoffpaiur in two seasons. plus in a pinch, fox can play more positions than hoffpaiur can. he would be a decent dh (being lefthanded also helps) and may fetch some mid-level prospects should an al team be interested.

[Grit amp Heart]

Oh no we didn't. Those are two totally different situations.

 

The Cubs traded away a player with two seasons of above average production at 2B in order to let a guy who had 500 PAs of above average production take over. Obviously Fontenot tanked. Now you're asking to trade away with a half a decade worth of above average production to let a guy with 200 PAs of above average production take over. They're similar situations, though I'm not sure both moves aren't and weren't favorable propositions for the Cubs.

 

Wait, so you are comparing DeRosa and Soriano as well as Fontenot and Fox in this discussion? And you are implying it would be a mistake to trade away Soriano? Or am I reading something wrong?

 

No, I'm not saying it would be a mistake. We also had the opportunity to make a comparable move last offseason, did not and it paid off largely. The Cubs could have traded Derrek Lee and allowed Micah Hoffpauir to take over first base. Lee was coming off of a rough seasons and there were questions about him being done or not. The Cubs kept him and look how well he produced. Also look how well Hoffpauir's limited success has disappeared. Soriano's gong to be coming off of a rough season and he's probably going to improve next season.

[inari]

i would think that hoffpaiur is more likely to be on the trade block than fox will be. i know that neither has a natural position in the outfield, but simply from the games i have seen (admittedly right around, to less than half played so far) i have seen more out of fox than i had from hoffpaiur in two seasons. plus in a pinch, fox can play more positions than hoffpaiur can. he would be a decent dh (being lefthanded also helps) and may fetch some mid-level prospects should an al team be interested.

 

Hoffpauir would absolutely not be a decent DH and he wouldn't fetch anything at all.

[Sammy Sofa]

The Cubs could have traded Derrek Lee and allowed Micah Hoffpauir to take over first base. Lee was coming off of a rough seasons and there were questions about him being done or not. The Cubs kept him and look how well he produced. Also look how well Hoffpauir's limited success has disappeared. Soriano's gong to be coming off of a rough season and he's probably going to improve next season.

 

They could not have traded Lee after last season. They explored the option and basically dropped it when Lee made it clear he would exercise his NTC.

[biittner77]

The Cubs could have traded Derrek Lee and allowed Micah Hoffpauir to take over first base. Lee was coming off of a rough seasons and there were questions about him being done or not. The Cubs kept him and look how well he produced. Also look how well Hoffpauir's limited success has disappeared. Soriano's gong to be coming off of a rough season and he's probably going to improve next season.

 

They could not have traded Lee after last season. They explored the option and basically dropped it when Lee made it clear he would exercise his NTC.

 

Also, they probably weren't going to go with Hoffpauir at 1st but would have pursued some other LH hitting 1st baseman. If they were that sold on Hoffpauir as a starter they would not have signed Bradley to play RF.

 

Even if they had traded Lee and gone with Hoffpauir, they would have brought Fox up sooner and the 2 would have split time at 1st until Ramirez got hurt.

[Gingerballs Lives]

Soriano and Ramirez are both good bets to spend time on the DL next year. I'd like to have Fox on the roster to be there to pick up the slack when they do.

 

Yes, why not try to go into the year with a strong bench. Fox has proven he can be a valuable asset to the team, if Lee, Ramirez, Soriano or Bradley get hurt, it would be nice to have him ready to fill in.

 

Exactly, the Cubs need insurance for their star players and Jake Fox works decently in this capacity.

 

Having a horrible bench contributed to this bad season. I don't think the Cubs should trade Fox unless he's a part of a trade for a true difference-maker.