tyler colvin is not that great

[jersey cubs fan]

If Fukudome is traded, Colvin does make sense to start in 2011. He's likely to be as good as any corner OF that could be brought in on a 1 year deal. And with 2 other OF's that would still have multiple years left on their contract you don't want to bring in a 3rd with Jackson likely being so close at that point.

 

Byrd would have one year left on his contract, and I don't see how that is a problem for Jackson at all.

[lumafia]

Colvin is better than most here are giving him credit for.

 

Is gonna be a superstar? Unlikely.

 

Is there anything wrong with him as a starter while he's cheap? Probably not.

 

I don't know how you can say probably not. If he's a sub .300 OBP corner OF there most definitely is something wrong with him as a starter. The more he's played, the worse he's been. The ability for the Cubs to have Tyler Colvin starting everyday, and not suffering as a result, is very much in doubt.

 

A NL average RF is hitting .263/.333/.447 so far this season. He may end up a bit light on the OBP side of that, but is showing he can do the slugging. And he has some extra value with baserunning and fielding.

 

An average to slightly below average RF making league minimum? There's real value in that. Not every team can have superstars at every single position on the field... Hell, not even the Yankees can do that.

 

Besides, we're not going anywhere. Where's the harm in seeing what we've got with him? (I had a problem with this before, as it would sink Fukudome's trade value... but that damage is already done)

 

Well, if you want to field a below average team, having a guy like him in RF is probably a good way to start. But I think the goal is to try and field one of the 3-4 best teams in the NL, or at least upper half.

 

There's nothing wrong with Pittsburgh giving a guy like him the RF job, but there is likely to be something very wrong with a team like the Cubs having him start in RF, on purpose.

 

Having Colvin as the starting RF on this team isn't the problem, putting the team in the position to have Colvin as your only option is the problem. In terms of position players, the 2011 free agent class is shaping up to be one of the weakest in recent years, and the Cubs aren't going to have much payroll flexibility.

 

Almost every productive free agent available for the next 2 years is on the wrong side of 30 already, or will be by 2012. All of MLB has the lowest BA, OBP, SLG, OPS numbers in almost 20 years, and the overrall offensive numbers have been trending down since 2006. The pitching is either getting better, or the hitters are getting worse. Either way, it would be unrealistic to think that the Cubs can find players vastly superior to the type of numbers Colvin is putting up right now. If you can find guys who can consistently give you an .800 OPS, as long as you have a healthy and productive pitching staff, you CAN be a top 3 or 4 team. The Cubs aren't going to be able to go out and get the .900-1.000 OPS type guys. Nobody is. There just aren't that many of them. Prince Fielder, David Wright and Hanley Ramirez are the only active players with a career OPS above .900 that are younger than 30.

 

There just isn't enough production available through free agency to turn the ship around in a year or two. The Cubs are going to have be more creative and make some trades that can net an increase in production or they are going to have to find help from within. That would include vast improvements from players like Lee and Ramirez, who will both be on the Cub roster next year.

[CubColtPacer]

If Fukudome is traded, Colvin does make sense to start in 2011. He's likely to be as good as any corner OF that could be brought in on a 1 year deal. And with 2 other OF's that would still have multiple years left on their contract you don't want to bring in a 3rd with Jackson likely being so close at that point.

 

Byrd would have one year left on his contract, and I don't see how that is a problem for Jackson at all.

 

Byrd doesn't leave until after 2012. That's a long time with Jackson looking like he would be ready in mid 2011 or so. The Cubs could try to trade him at that point but that's of course not an easy guaranteed option. If there was a can't miss OF in this class, it might be worth it to take that risk. But there really isn't and the Cubs probably shouldn't clog the OF situation up again like that.

[jersey cubs fan]

If Fukudome is traded, Colvin does make sense to start in 2011. He's likely to be as good as any corner OF that could be brought in on a 1 year deal. And with 2 other OF's that would still have multiple years left on their contract you don't want to bring in a 3rd with Jackson likely being so close at that point.

 

Byrd would have one year left on his contract, and I don't see how that is a problem for Jackson at all.

 

Byrd doesn't leave until after 2012. That's a long time with Jackson looking like he would be ready in mid 2011 or so. The Cubs could try to trade him at that point but that's of course not an easy guaranteed option. If there was a can't miss OF in this class, it might be worth it to take that risk. But there really isn't and the Cubs probably shouldn't clog the OF situation up again like that.

 

If he's halfway decent, it would not be hard at all to trade him with a year left.

[TruffleShuffle]

colvin has 6 walks in his last 10 games... his k/bb ratio is still lousy but at least it seems like he's making some strides.

[dew1679666265]

1.011 OPS the past two weeks and .847 the past month is a good sign as well.

[Sammy Sofa]

He better stay good or I'm gonna punch him in the throat.

[Magnetic Curses]

why not just let lee go, teach soriano to play first and put colvin left? seems like a cheaper way to go.

[PackLandVA]

Unless you weren't serious.....Soriano doesn't seem to have the coordination to play an infield position, let alone first base. I know he's a former second baseman, but he seems awkward on just about anything hit to him.

[Fred Hornkohl]

Can you imagine Soriano doing that hop thing every time he catches a ball at first base ????

[Magnetic Curses]

Unless you weren't serious.....Soriano doesn't seem to have the coordination to play an infield position, let alone first base. I know he's a former second baseman, but he seems awkward on just about anything hit to him.

 

lol coordination

[Rob]

why not just let lee go, teach soriano to play first and put colvin left? seems like a cheaper way to go.

 

Because we're gonna make an ill-advised attempt to go for it next year.

 

I imagine we'll trade Hak-ju Lee, one of Archer or McNutt, and a couple other prospects for Adrian Gonzalez in the offseason. Trade Z for whatever salary relief we can get, spend the savings on a bullpen guy, and run this team right back out there.

[seanimal]

i'm a fan of the soriano-to-first idea.

[dew1679666265]

why not just let lee go, teach soriano to play first and put colvin left? seems like a cheaper way to go.

 

I like this idea. It also opens up consistent playing time for Kosuke to rebuild his trade value for the trade deadline next year.

[SouthSideRyan]

Frostwyrm is laughing maniacally at you all from his secluded cabin in Montana