Getting more athletic? Some offseason needs and predictions

[Anomalied]

I'll run this by position.

 

C: Despite the disappointing seasons by Soriano, Fontenot, Bradley, Zambrano, Harden, Dempster, etc... I think Soto's sophomore slump was the biggest letdown on 2009. Him returning to his rookie year form next season will be bigger than signing any free agent, in my opinion. Fingers crossed.

 

1B: Lee has carried this paltry team for much of the summer and I'd like to see him ride out the last year of his contract in Cubbie blue. Unless Hendry is blown off his feet by a team willing to buy high, I'd hang onto Derrek and his reliable bat and gold glove for 2010.

 

2B: After watching Fontenot, Miles, Baker, Scales, Blanco and the seemingly never-ending conga line of crappy Cubs second basemen this year, I'm on the Figgins bandwagon. He would finally give the Cubs the legitimate leadoff hitter they've lacked for the past number of seasons as well as their only real base-stealing threat. As long as the contract isn't outrageously long or expensive, I'd make Chone the top priority this winter.

 

3B: Already anticipating Ramirez's annual 15-day DL stint, it's relieving to know that Lou can slot in Fox's bat and not damage the lineup too much.

 

SS: I love Reyes, but the Cubs already have a serviceable shortstop in Theriot plus Starlin Castro, Hak-Ju Lee, Ryan Flaherty, Darwin Barney, and a slew of other middle infield prospects down the pipeline. Plus dealing for Reyes would mean likely losing Vitters, Cashner, Jackson and other important pieces for the future. I'd stick with Theriot, hit him eighth, and wait until one of the farm kids impresses enough to steal his job.

 

LF: I'd say there's about a 5% chance Hendry is able to find a taker for Soriano's contract, so I'm accepting the notion we're saddled with him for at least the next couple of years. Hopefully he gets his leg/vision/whatever problem he has ironed out by Spring Training and have a bounceback season in 2010.

 

CF: Fukudome has been solid, albeit unspectacular in 2009. He's still overpaid but could post a high OBP in the two slot and score a lot of runs. If Hendry can trade him and fetch a decent return, I'd do it to clear payroll but otherwise Fuk stays.

 

RF: The Bradley situation is so frustrating, as Cubs fans would be satisfied with him as long as he kept his mouth shut and stopped acting like a doofus. He's still managed to put up an .800 OPS and play average defense this year, so maybe Hendry can move him, but I figure we're stuck with him too. He's another candidate for a big time comeback.

 

Bench: Hoff and Fox are probably the best and cheapest left/right-handed pinch-hitting tandem we've seen on the bench in years. Their power and versatility will save the Cubs a lot of money usually spent on crappy veteran back-ups. With just these two, the Cubs are covered at the corner infield and outfield spots as well as emergency catcher. With Hill, we're also set with a cheap, defensive-minded backup catcher. Any combination of Baker, Fontenot, Scales, Blanco can cover the middle infield and round out the bench.

 

Rotation: Barring a miracle trade or one of our starters playing way over his head, we'll still lack a true ace in 2010. Zambrano will seemingly never reach his potential. Lilly will probably still be dependable and above average, but never awe-inspiring. Obviously Dempster regressed, as we all expected him to. He's still a decent, if expensive 3. The biggest surprise this season was the emergence of Randy Wells and I look forward to what he can accomplish with a full year on the staff. Gorzelanny is still an enigma. If he can have a renaissance year and put up 2007-esque numbers, that'd be huge. Harden didn't live up to his expectations, but he's had a strong second half and I'd try to resign him to a 1 or 2 year pact. But even without him, the Cubs have enough depth to still have one of the better NL rotations next year.

 

Bullpen: Let Gregg and Heilman walk and collect the draft picks. Do your best to retain Grabow. Marshall can play the longman/spot starter role he has for the past few years. Guzman and Marmol handle the late game. Samardzija, Cashner, Patton, Stevens, Gaub, Caridad, Berg and others can audition for the remaining spots. I'd maybe look at Brandon Lyon for additional help if he's not too pricey. The pitching was never the problem this year, so this area and the rotation doesn't really worry me.

 

Overall, we'll most likely be watching a very similar team take the field next spring. Hopefully they can put this whole mess of a year behind them and return to contention.

[shnsajax]

I don't know if I would even offer Heilman or Gregg arbitration in fear of them accepting it.

 

I would call Tampa to ask about Crawford, Upton, or Desmond Jennings. The price might be too high to get any of them, but Jennings is going to make someone expendable and Tampa will still at somepoint have to continue to trade players to manage payroll. Still that would require another move on our part to make room for someone.

[davell]

Heilman isn't a FA, so I guess we're planning on offering him arbitration and keeping him. Or else we would have gave him to the Giants last week. No way do I see us offering Gregg arbitration. He'd accept. No team would give up picks for him, nor give him the money to make sense for him to decline arbitration. He'll be gone, but we won't get anything for him.

 

By the way, my reasoning for 4-56 on Figgins is this: He's not worth that. But, I think that other than Holliday and Bay, he'll get more than any other position player in this very weak FA class. And he'll have lots of suitors too. The Yanks will be involved and so will the White Sox, who have 57 mill committed next year including Dye. I'd like to have him on the Cubs for the right price, I just don't see him worth anything near what he'll get.

[dew1679666265]

1B: Lee has carried this paltry team for much of the summer and I'd like to see him ride out the last year of his contract in Cubbie blue. Unless Hendry is blown off his feet by a team willing to buy high, I'd hang onto Derrek and his reliable bat and gold glove for 2010.

 

We can't trade Lee anyway without his consent. He has both a no trade clause and 10/5 rights, so he's staying unless he says otherwise - and he rejected the idea of a trade last offseason.

 

2B: After watching Fontenot, Miles, Baker, Scales, Blanco and the seemingly never-ending conga line of crappy Cubs second basemen this year, I'm on the Figgins bandwagon. He would finally give the Cubs the legitimate leadoff hitter they've lacked for the past number of seasons as well as their only real base-stealing threat. As long as the contract isn't outrageously long or expensive, I'd make Chone the top priority this winter.

 

I'd be fine with Figgins as a possibility, but price will play a big part in it. I wouldn't pay a lot for him, but if we could get him at a decent price, I'd be fine with him.

 

CF: Fukudome has been solid, albeit unspectacular in 2009. He's still overpaid but could post a high OBP in the two slot and score a lot of runs. If Hendry can trade him and fetch a decent return, I'd do it to clear payroll but otherwise Fuk stays.

 

Unspectacular? He's one of the two or three best centerfielders in the game this season. His .819 OPS is 4th best of all major league centerfielders with at least 300 ABs.

 

He's definitely not overpaid at this point.

[muntjack]

Selling high on Lilly isn't a bad idea, even though he's a pitcher who should age well and likely won't fetch what he's truly worth.

 

I would see if K.C. would listen to Marshall + T. Thomas for Callaspo, who has some really nice peripherals at 2B (sub 1 K/BB) and wouldn't cost what the Kinslers (terrible home/road splits, I know) and Zobrists would, in cash or prospects.

 

I really think we can live with another year of Theriot at SS and hope that Castro tears up the minors next year if we improve other areas.

 

Soto HAS to have better luck next year in regard to LD%/BABIP, Lee seems to be fully recovered from his wrist problem and Soriano can't be worse (if he is, he won't have the leash he did this year, imo). Callaspo would add some offense while not costing the farm. If we get a full year from Aramis, there is no reason we couldn't be top 5 in runs again.

[davell]

This just hit me and it could be extremely important actually: I seem to remember reading somewhere that Minaya and Hendry don't have good history together. They don't see eye to eye on how to make deals with each other. I remember this from the Heilman situation last ofseason for some reason. But, it seems like I read Hendry wanted Heilman for a while but gave up because Minaya was so hard for him to deal with, then got him as soon as he was dealt to Seattle. Reyes could be THAT much harder for us to get if we are even interested. Anyone else remember reading about that though?

[Keener98]

To the guy who said something about Hoffpauir, Hoff sucks.

[Backtobanks]

I really can't see what Hendry can do to really change this team. DLee, Theriot, ARam, Soriano, Fukudome, and Soto will be back as starters. Bradley probably (and should) be back because he's more valuable than anything you could get in return. Signing Figgins (or trading for someone like Reyes) will cost a ton in $$$ and/or players and I'm not sure how much will be added to the payroll to a team that's already bogged down by expensive, long-term contracts. I'm sure Hendry will try to do something, but the bottom line is a healthy Soriano and Aram, a circa-2008 Soto, and re-signing Harden and Grabow will do more than Figgins or Reyes. Starting the year with Wells in the rotation, Fox as super-sub, Baker at 2B, Grabow in the bullpen, Marshall and Gorzelanny available as spot starters puts the team miles ahead of this year.

[wvcbxl]

... puts the team miles ahead of this year.

 

If they find a way to get rid of Miles, I agree.

[TommyJohn]

Do you think the leg injury will hamper him on the basepaths? What kind of package do you think it would take?

 

That's obviously something they want to check out before hand with doctors and specialist and such, but since he had the surgery done I think he'll get back to 100%, especially considering his age.

 

As far as package goes, that depends on the Mets. I doubt that Minaya tries to sell him off for strictly non-major leaguers, so you could see guys like Lilly, Dempster, Bradley, or obviously Theriot involved, and prospects above A ball like Cashner, Jackson, and Castro could be included as well. Personally, I'd try to sell high with Lilly and see if he and Theriot could get us most of the way to Reyes.

 

Great so we upgrade at SS, lose our most consistent pitcher, send some very good prospects, and still don't have a 2B. If we don't re-sign Harden and trade Lilly, there goes our rotation strength.

 

 

Moves aren't made in a vacuum. Something like a Reyes deal wouldn't go down until well after the arbitration deadline, when there's a much better idea of what Harden's future is with the Cubs. And I didn't say Lilly/Theriot/multiple top prospects for Reyes. I said to see if Lilly and Theriot gets us most of the way to Reyes, where you only need to add someone like Casey Coleman. And yes, to upgrade from Theriot to Reyes, I would gladly weaken the rotation by giving up Lilly and his potential free agency.

 

 

I really like this trade. I think Lilly for Reyes would be a good place to start for both teams. Theriot's best value to the team is through a trade as there are some people who overvalue him as a good MLB SS. I'm not sure if the Mets are in that group. And so it might be better to flip Theriot to a 3rd team, but I really like the idea for Lilly for Reyes. :good:

[Sammy Sofa]

I'm on the Figgins bandwagon. He would finally give the Cubs the legitimate leadoff hitter they've lacked for the past number of seasons

 

There is zero need to look for a "leadoff hitter."

 

In an ideal world Fukudome and Bradley are already slotted as the #1-2 hitters for the rest of their time in Chicago.

[Keener98]

I'm on the Figgins bandwagon. He would finally give the Cubs the legitimate leadoff hitter they've lacked for the past number of seasons

 

There is zero need to look for a "leadoff hitter."

 

In an ideal world Fukudome and Bradley are already slotted as the #1-2 hitters for the rest of their time in Chicago.

 

I wouldnt hold your breath on that one happening. Bradley is a middle of the order lefty DUDE, he isnt a number 2 hitter.

[jersey cubs fan]

I'm on the Figgins bandwagon. He would finally give the Cubs the legitimate leadoff hitter they've lacked for the past number of seasons

 

There is zero need to look for a "leadoff hitter."

 

In an ideal world Fukudome and Bradley are already slotted as the #1-2 hitters for the rest of their time in Chicago.

 

I wouldnt hold your breath on that one happening. Bradley is a middle of the order lefty DUDE, he isnt a number 2 hitter.

 

Lou has been willing to have Bradley bat 2nd a lot, what he hasn't been willing to do is have those back to back lefties at the top of the order.

[gflore34]

I'm on the Figgins bandwagon. He would finally give the Cubs the legitimate leadoff hitter they've lacked for the past number of seasons

 

There is zero need to look for a "leadoff hitter."

 

In an ideal world Fukudome and Bradley are already slotted as the #1-2 hitters for the rest of their time in Chicago.

 

I wouldnt hold your breath on that one happening. Bradley is a middle of the order lefty DUDE, he isnt a number 2 hitter.

 

Lou has been willing to have Bradley bat 2nd a lot, what he hasn't been willing to do is have those back to back lefties at the top of the order.

 

I'd like to see what a 1,2 of Fukudome and Bradley could do over a season, they could be the answer to the prolonged scoring droughts the Cubs have undergone this season. If they proven anything it's they get on base, them on base in front of Lee, Ramirez and a bouncing back Soto will generate a lot of runs. Of course, it's not the ideal L-R pattern Lou would prefer but, I believe it'll be effective.

[Little Slide Rooter]

I really do like the Fukudome/Bradley 1-2 followed by Lee/Ramirez 3/4. Ideally, Soriano comes back to life and would be a perfect 5 with Baker, Soto, and Theriot rounding out the lineup.

 

Fukudome

Bradley

Lee

Ramirez

Soriano

Baker

Soto

Theriot

 

is a very solid lineup, although very right handed and if they can all stay healthy, we have a contender on our hands once again.

[daske17]

... puts the team miles ahead of this year.

 

If they find a way to get rid of Miles, I agree.

 

According to speculation by our old pal Sully, they may have found a way:

 

Aaron Miles' two-year deal is another contract the Cubs may eat this off-season. On Wednesday, Miles had only his second hit since returning from a rehab stint at Triple-A Iowa on Aug. 5. He's 2-for-27 since then (.074) and has only five RBIs on the season. Miles is owed $2.7 million in 2010, the last year of a $4.9 million deal.

[C.C.]

 

 

 

 

 

LF: I'd say there's about a 5% chance Hendry is able to find a taker for Soriano's contract,

 

There's a better chance of us making the playoffs this year.

[Little Slide Rooter]

I dont know if Chone Figgins can play 2nd, but if we could get him for a reasonable 3 year deal, hed be great. Problem is, he'll be 32 on opening day, and with a player like Figgins, once his legs start to go, hes pretty much Aaron Miles, and knowing the Cubs, hed tear a quad by May at the latest. At least Soriano has power to fall back on(which hopefully returns next year) now that his legs are basically toast.

 

Or else, does Milton Bradley, Sean Marshall, Jeff Samardjzia plus a few prospects for Curtis Granderson sound fair?

[apete6]

Or else, does Milton Bradley, Sean Marshall, Jeff Samardjzia plus a few prospects for Curtis Granderson sound fair?

 

If those prospects are future all-stars.

[Halman]

I dont know if Chone Figgins can play 2nd, but if we could get him for a reasonable 3 year deal, hed be great. Problem is, he'll be 32 on opening day, and with a player like Figgins, once his legs start to go, hes pretty much Aaron Miles, and knowing the Cubs, hed tear a quad by May at the latest. At least Soriano has power to fall back on(which hopefully returns next year) now that his legs are basically toast.

 

Or else, does Milton Bradley, Sean Marshall, Jeff Samardjzia plus a few prospects for Curtis Granderson sound fair?

 

Yes, lets give up a boatload of prospects for a toolsy version of a guy we already have.

 

Granderson hits lefties worse than Kosuke.

[dew1679666265]

I dont know if Chone Figgins can play 2nd, but if we could get him for a reasonable 3 year deal, hed be great. Problem is, he'll be 32 on opening day, and with a player like Figgins, once his legs start to go, hes pretty much Aaron Miles, and knowing the Cubs, hed tear a quad by May at the latest. At least Soriano has power to fall back on(which hopefully returns next year) now that his legs are basically toast.

 

Or else, does Milton Bradley, Sean Marshall, Jeff Samardjzia plus a few prospects for Curtis Granderson sound fair?

 

The big difference between Figgins and Miles is patience. Figgins is much more valuable than Miles because he's a much more patient hitter and displays a much better OBP.

 

Figgins has a career .363 OBP and hasn't been below .367 in the past three years. He also has a career .071 IsoD. Miles, on the other hand, has a career .322 OBP and has had a better OBP than .367 only twice in his career. His career IsoD is .041.

 

I'm not advocating giving Figgins a big deal here, but there's little chance he becomes Aaron Miles.