Aramis coming around?

[Tim]

Since returning from the DL, Aramis has looked a lot better at the plate to me. Well, giving him a one game mulligan for Friday, anyway.

 

He's driving the ball much better, making better contact and doesn't look as overmatched on good fastballs as he did to start the year. I'm not certain what was wrong before, but I'm hoping he'll be able to turn things around for the second half.

 

The only downside with that is that if he performs anywhere close to normal in the second half, he'll opt out and we'll have to replace him at third for 2011.

[Little Slide Rooter]

With a very weak FA class, a turnaround may very well lead to Aramis excerising his out clause and getting a 3-4 year deal. There are several teams out there that could use a 3B, starting with the Angels, Twins, and Cardinals.

[Backtobanks]

Since returning from the DL, Aramis has looked a lot better at the plate to me. Well, giving him a one game mulligan for Friday, anyway.

 

He's driving the ball much better, making better contact and doesn't look as overmatched on good fastballs as he did to start the year. I'm not certain what was wrong before, but I'm hoping he'll be able to turn things around for the second half.

 

The only downside with that is that if he performs anywhere close to normal in the second half, he'll opt out and we'll have to replace him at third for 2011.

 

I agree with you Tim, but I still don't think he'll opt out. In this economy, I can't believe he'll get offers of around $40 million over 3 years with his history of injury and his "down" years. If he comes back next year ($14.6 million) and shows that he's healthy, he would be in line to get $16 million in 2012 from the Cubs or a 2-3 year deal from another team.

[XZero771679666304]

Since returning from the DL, Aramis has looked a lot better at the plate to me. Well, giving him a one game mulligan for Friday, anyway.

 

He's driving the ball much better, making better contact and doesn't look as overmatched on good fastballs as he did to start the year. I'm not certain what was wrong before, but I'm hoping he'll be able to turn things around for the second half.

 

The only downside with that is that if he performs anywhere close to normal in the second half, he'll opt out and we'll have to replace him at third for 2011.

 

I agree with you Tim, but I still don't think he'll opt out. In this economy, I can't believe he'll get offers of around $40 million over 3 years with his history of injury and his "down" years. If he comes back next year ($14.6 million) and shows that he's healthy, he would be in line to get $16 million in 2012 from the Cubs or a 2-3 year deal from another team.

 

Down years? What, 2002? The injury history is one thing, but this is his first "down" year as a Cub. The man has a .900 OPS every freaking year, which is why this season has been so bizarre.

 

But I agree there's little chance he opts out, unless he posts a 1.200 OPS from here on out.

[jersey cubs fan]

Since returning from the DL, Aramis has looked a lot better at the plate to me. Well, giving him a one game mulligan for Friday, anyway.

 

He's driving the ball much better, making better contact and doesn't look as overmatched on good fastballs as he did to start the year. I'm not certain what was wrong before, but I'm hoping he'll be able to turn things around for the second half.

 

The only downside with that is that if he performs anywhere close to normal in the second half, he'll opt out and we'll have to replace him at third for 2011.

 

There's next to no downside to that happening. Once an older injury plagued player has a season like this in his 30's, there is absolutely no telling how quickly he can fall again.

[The Logan]

Well he's not gonna come around any time soon after this I would imagine...

 

http://sports.espn.go.com/chicago/mlb/news/story?id=5353885

 

CHICAGO -- Cubs third baseman Aramis Ramirez told ESPNChicago.com that he aggravated a left thumb injury on a swing during Friday's game against the Cincinnati Reds.

 

Ramirez, who did not start Saturday's 3-1 victory and will sit again Sunday, said he was unsure when he will be able to return as he works with team trainers to rehabilitate the thumb.

 

The struggling third baseman, batting .177 with six home runs and 23 RBIs, missed 15 games last month with the injury.

 

Ramirez was batting .273 in 22 at-bats since coming off the disabled list June 25.

[NCCubFan]

Back to the DL. He could be backdated to yesterday, so after today that would mean he'd only need to miss 13 days. And three of those would be during the All-Star break, so he'd only need to miss about a week and a half of actual games.

[NCCubFan]

Back to the DL. He could be backdated to yesterday, so after today that would mean he'd only need to miss 13 days. And three of those would be during the All-Star break, so he'd only need to miss about a week and a half of actual games.

On second thought.....

[hawkeyecub]

Yes

[Cubswin11]

:oldbluekoolaid:

[loukycub]

if a dl stint was all it took to get aramis right, then i should be mad at somebody. the problem is i'm not sure who i should be mad at, because all of the relevant parties are equally culpable imo for him struggling for as long as he was.

 

right now, i'm leaning 41% lou, 39% hendry, and 20% aramis.

[Ding Dong Johnson]

SLG-heavy 907 OPS since the DL with 4 of his 9 HR.

[SouthSideRyan]

In typical fashion, with the season over, Aramis Ramirez starts hitting. This sure would've been nice when it mattered Error-Ram

[jersey cubs fan]

if a dl stint was all it took to get aramis right, then i should be mad at somebody. the problem is i'm not sure who i should be mad at, because all of the relevant parties are equally culpable imo for him struggling for as long as he was.

 

right now, i'm leaning 41% lou, 39% hendry, and 20% aramis.

 

If a DL stint was all the difference, I'm not so sure I can blame Lou too much on that one. Team doctors/trainers need to make themselves heard, and people in charge of personel moves have to make them. And it's also hard to get mad at a player for not going on the DL when everybody talks about wanting a player to play through pain, give it his all, and the rest.

[soapy]

In typical fashion, with the season over, Aramis Ramirez starts hitting. This sure would've been nice when it mattered Error-Ram

 

What a dick. Fine, I'll do it again.

 

2009: Cubs back and forth at the top of the standings until the end: .877 OPS after returning from MAJOR injury.

2008: Cubs closing in on division championship: .965 OPS from Aug 1 to Sep 28.

2007: Cubs making big push to come from back in the standings to win division championship: .930 OPS from Aug 1 to Sep 30.

 

Eat [expletive], Rozner.

[SouthSideRyan]

Telling that Rozner parody is indistinguishable from actual Rozner.

[jersey cubs fan]

Telling that Rozner parody is indistinguishable from actual Rozner.

 

you got me

[hawkeyecub]

Telling that Rozner parody is indistinguishable from actual Rozner.

 

you got me

 

me too

[soapy]

Telling that Rozner parody is indistinguishable from actual Rozner.

 

you got me

 

hahaha...obviously he got me.

[Wheelimus]

if a dl stint was all it took to get aramis right, then i should be mad at somebody. the problem is i'm not sure who i should be mad at, because all of the relevant parties are equally culpable imo for him struggling for as long as he was.

 

right now, i'm leaning 41% lou, 39% hendry, and 20% aramis.

 

I think you're putting too much of the blame on Aramis there. He's an athlete, of course he's going to want to play through pain and try to make the best of it. It's the teams job to tell him no and make him take a DL stint.

 

I'd say 41% lou, 54% hendry, 5% aramis

[Sammy Sofa]

Lou and Hendry aren't the trainers and medical staff, you idiots.

[treebird]

aramis asking to go on the disabled list when the training staff didn't insist and the season was going badly (but it was still early enough that things might turn around) would not have gone over well.

[javy knows my name]

hahaha it's way too easy to channel Rozner convincingly

[NCCubFan]

Aram is finally over the Mendoza line.

[Little Slide Rooter]

Ive said this before, but if Aramis really does heat up even somewhat, looking at the very weak 2011 Free Agent class, I can almost guarantee that he opts out of the final year of his contract and probably ends up with a 3-4 yearcontractfor his troubles. Intriguing possibility. With him, Lee, and Lilly off the books, thats a lot of money to play with.