Real suggestions to solve the expected OF hole

[SouthSideRyan]

Oh man, I have a feeling this thread is going to keep making me sad. Eric Byrnes is terrible.

[TruffleShuffle]

It looks like the rockies would be the ideal team to acquire someone from. Hawpe would make a third cajun too. That would mean out right releasing milton.

 

hawpe is very good but looking at their salary situation - they dealt away holliday and have marquis coming off the books next season - i suspect that they will keep hawpe around and shop some of their other guys.

 

Tampa would be one of the few teams that might take milton if we footed a lot of the bill. Could we get Upton? if so that is absolutely the move. The other guy they would probably part with is Burrell but, Soriano, Fuk, and Burrell would be a nightmare defensively.

 

upton has been so up and down... he has a wealth of natural talent but has really taken a step backward this year, and if there really are people questioning his effort, i don't see hendry having any interest after the fiasco of bradley. burrell is a terrible fielder and hasn't hit at all this year, and he's only played LF in his career. tampa would probably give him away for nothing but i think i'd rather have nothing than burrell in return for bradley.

 

Outside possibility is trade Bradley for Eric Byrnes ($11 mil next season) which i'm not so sure of and he's EXTREMELY right handed.

 

also extremely lousy at baseball. his ops the last two years is a sterling .635. i'd rather roll the dice with sam fuld.

[Rob]

Given the full-blown mental retardation of our organization, you gotta figure he's being replaced with a speed player. And given the financial constraints we're in, you gotta figure we go cheap. Even if we do go after Figgins (which again, stupid idea), I still think they plan on him at 2B.

 

Some options: (in no particular order)

Sam Fuld

David Dejesus

Coco Crisp

BJ Upton

Scott Podsednik

Endy Chavez

Chris Young

Eric Byrnes

[OleMissCub]

throw Xavier Nady into that mix. I believe he's a free agent this offseason.

[TruffleShuffle]

here are the free agents this offseason, according to cot's. asterisk means the player has a 2010 option - either team, player or mutual.

 

Bobby Abreu LAA

Garret Anderson ATL

Rick Ankiel STL

Rocco Baldelli BOS

Jason Bay BOS

Marlon Byrd TEX

Mike Cameron MIL

Frank Catalanotto TEX

Endy Chavez SEA

Coco Crisp * KC

Carl Crawford * TB

Johnny Damon NYY

David Dellucci CLE

Jermaine Dye * CWS

Darin Erstad HOU

Cliff Floyd SD

Ryan Freel TEX

Brian Giles SD

Ken Griffey Jr. SEA

Vladimir Guerrero LAA

Matt Holliday STL

Geoff Jenkins * PHI

Reed Johnson CHC

Andruw Jones TEX

Austin Kearns * WAS

Hideki Matusi NYY

Jason Michaels CLE

Xavier Nady NYY

Magglio Ordonez * DET

Manny Ramirez * LAD

Dave Roberts SF

Gary Sheffield DET

Randy Winn SF

 

mike cameron isn't a bad player and still can play a solid CF. marlon byrd has randomly become a passable MLB player, but he's probably getting a lot of help from the ballpark at arlington. nady had tommy john a couple of months ago - one would think that means he'd be very cheap, given that he hardly played this year and is recovering from injury.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

UZR, PMR, and BP's FRAA all agree that Hawpe is a horrendous defensive RF. At least 10 runs below average, maybe as many as 20.

[Fro]

Derek Lee to the OF and some immobile slugger at 1B

[bukie]

I could just see the Cubs going after Chris Young. Fast, toolsy, good fielder, hits well against the Cubs.

[SouthSideRyan]

Randy Winn or Marlon Byrd seem Hendry-esque depending on whatever dumb [expletive] plan he comes up with for 2010.

[Little Slide Rooter]

Would Bradley+prospects&cash be enough to net us Adam Dunn? I think its at least worth exploring.

[manbearcub]

haha

[Gingerballs Lives]

Johnny Damon.

 

Dude can still hit.

[OleMissCub]

Johnny Damon.

 

Dude can still hit.

 

Yanks aren't getting rid of him

[TruffleShuffle]

UZR, PMR, and BP's FRAA all agree that Hawpe is a horrendous defensive RF. At least 10 runs below average, maybe as many as 20.

 

was not aware of that, but wrigley is fairly snug and you don't have to apply the coors discount to hawpe's numbers, i would think that being a virtual lock for something like .290/.380/.500/.880 would make him well worth the $17.5M in 2010-11, even with lousy defense.

 

what about OMC's suggestion of seth smith. he'd need a platoon partner (and that would make two OF needing platoons), but in his minor league career he hit .318/.381/.532/.913 against RHP and is at .309/.391/.524/.914 against major league righties. seems to me the rockies wouldn't demand a whole lot in return, and he'd provide cheap production against RHP.

[OleMissCub]

what about OMC's suggestion of seth smith. he'd need a platoon partner (and that would make two OF needing platoons), but in his minor league career he hit .318/.381/.532/.913 against RHP and is at .309/.391/.524/.914 against major league righties. seems to me the rockies wouldn't demand a whole lot in return, and he'd provide cheap production against RHP.

 

Why would he need a platoon partner? He's hitting .283/.377/.547 against lefties this year. Only 62 PA's, so small sample size, but I think he'd be fine against lefties.

[davell]

I actually see our replacement RFer being the middle of the order bat Lou seems to be looking for, along with the speed guy at the top of the order. Hawpe sounds like a good answer, although I could definitely see us trying to get Chris Young.

 

About Milton though, seriously, what team out there at this point is going to pay any money whatsoever towards Bradley's contract? I don't see anyone, especially now. When he's basically guaranteed to be gone from here under any circumstance. Not to mention the fact of the matter is Milton is a "solid" baseball player. Certainly not a "special" player. Does another team WANT to take a chance on him at this point? He may be too much of a cautionary tale at this point. Teams certainly want to have good "chemistry" whether it matters or not. Knowing that he sought out the Cubs this past offseason because he wanted to be here and no where else, and seeing it end the way it has......He may not even be tradeable WITH us paying all his salary for all we know. Someone still has to want him and with what all has gone on, what if no one does? I think that there is a fairly decent chance we wind up DFA'ing him.

[davell]

Oh, and at some point this offseason, I'm sure we'll hear something about Maggs for Milton. Or possibly even Rowand for Bradley. Don't see either happeing, but I can see both being rumored deals anyway.

[Little Slide Rooter]

Oh, and at some point this offseason, I'm sure we'll hear something about Maggs for Milton. Or possibly even Rowand for Bradley. Don't see either happeing, but I can see both being rumored deals anyway.

 

I mentioned it in a Bradley thread. The best bet to walk away with anything for him would be either Mags or Jose Guillen from KC. Mags earns 18 mil next year, so obviously, wed have to work that out with Detroit and find a way to split the difference. I think Guillen earns 11 or 12 mil next year. All 3 a are overpaid and injury prone and I figure its better than walking away with nothing.

[SouthSideRyan]

I'd laugh my ass off if they traded Bradley for Guillen after Guillen got suspended at the end of a season by Anaheim.

 

I'd also cry my ass off cause Guillen [expletive] blows.

[Little Slide Rooter]

I'd laugh my ass off if they traded Bradley for Guillen after Guillen got suspended at the end of a season by Anaheim.

 

Oh yeah, I forgot about that. He got into it with Scoscia about I foget what.

 

[

 

When hes healthy, hes a big RBI guy. Of course hes not healthy all that often.

[Gingerballs Lives]

Johnny Damon.

 

Dude can still hit.

 

Yanks aren't getting rid of him

 

Well they're going to have to make room for Holliday, so I think he's gone. :-$

[Old Style]

Barry Bonds [/thread]

[17 Seconds]

Sometimes the best move is not making a move. This is one of those times.

 

wait, what? you mean keep bradley, or go with an in house option for rf? because that sounds terrible.

 

I'd keep Bradley.

 

A week ago I completely agreed with that plan, but that ship has sailed. He absolutely has to be moved now.

[17 Seconds]

Oh man, I have a feeling this thread is going to keep making me sad. Eric Byrnes is terrible.

 

Remember when Meph said locking up Byrnes and dumping Quentin was a good move?

[Grit amp Heart]

Sometimes the best move is not making a move. This is one of those times.

 

wait, what? you mean keep bradley, or go with an in house option for rf? because that sounds terrible.

 

I'd keep Bradley.

 

A week ago I completely agreed with that plan, but that ship has sailed. He absolutely has to be moved now.

 

No he does not. Having him being a Cub next year isn't going to hurt anything. If things go well for the Cubs and Bradley, his attitude will be fine. If things don't go well for the Cubs his attitude won't be fine, but that won't matter because the Cubs are already not doing well.