Nick Johnson?

[Little Slide Rooter]

So basically we'll have Micah Hoffpauir at 1st again after Nick is DLd in May. Or maybe he could be 2011s DeRosa or Byrd, but more likely Aaron Miles. Hopefully these are just rumors much like those of Rick Ankiel and Scott Podsednik last year.

[SweetZombieJesus]

Keep in mind it doesn't have to be Johnson. I'd be okay with Adam Laroche if it meant having a shot @ Crawford.

[17 Seconds]

we're gonna spend all our money overpaying for an overrated carl crawford.

 

not that it matters.

[davell]

I'll be beyond shocked if we give anyone more than a 3 year deal this offseason and that's only if we somehow DID land Adam Dunn. I don't see us even considering Crawford or Lee.

 

I am absolutely completely fine if we sign Nick Johnson and he's our BIGGEST free agent acquisition, but only if it's truly apparent that it's a shift of philosophy to where we're spending big on the draft and international free agents.

[SweetZombieJesus]

we're gonna spend all our money overpaying for an overrated carl crawford.

 

not that it matters.

 

I'd rather spend on Crawford than having to eat another 25 to 30 mill when we realize Dunn is a horrible fit as a 1b for a team with a 3b and SS with scattershot arms.

[SweetZombieJesus]

So basically we'll have Micah Hoffpauir at 1st again after Nick is DLd in May. Or maybe he could be 2011s DeRosa or Byrd, but more likely Aaron Miles. Hopefully these are just rumors much like those of Rick Ankiel and Scott Podsednik last year.

 

oh boy we got Marlon Byrd instead. *twirls finger*

[17 Seconds]

i'd rather have byrd at his contract than crawford at what he's probably going to get

[SweetZombieJesus]

i'd rather have byrd at his contract than crawford at what he's probably going to get

 

I'd rather sell high on Byrd. While he has some value despite being a centerfielder on the wrongside of 30 who can't OPS over 800 away from Texas.

[Splendid Splinter]

Say Cubs do end up getting Nick Johnson... Where would he bat in the lineup? It's not like when he was HEALTHY that he was a 100 RBI man... 77 is his career high. Granted it's team-dependent, but I wouldn't put him at 3 or 4 though. If he could hit like he did in 2006, then I can see it. He's basically a 1B Fukudome with average D AT BEST.

 

If Cubs do get Johnson, then they better sign one of the high risk/high reward SPs (Bedard/Webb/Dush/etc...) where if they stay healthy, they got an Ace/#2 man... if they get hurt, welllllllllll the youngin can have a shot. They better not get a middling SP or throw 2 yrs/7 mil to RPs...

 

I rather have them just crap out this season, get another top 10 pick next year in the draft, let the bigs contracts go (A Ram/Fuku for example unless they want to come back on a cheaper deal then maybe), have the young players/prospects have a shot and see what we really have in the farm system and then see if the Cubs should spend big in the 2011/2012 offseason...

 

It looks like after this year... A Ram/Fukudome/Silva/Grabow can all be FA... That's a lot of money to come off the books. Or they can crap out for 2 years and then go big in the 2012/2013 offseason where Soriano is the only major contract left on the Cubs. Soto/Wells/DeWitt will all be in their 2nd/3rd Arb year by then.

[gerby23]

I'd rather have Branyan for 1 year if the plan is to go after Gonzalez.

[dew1679666265]

 

Also not sure what other position we're going to be spending big in if not 1B. Unless its like Lee or Crawford. Or maybe I'm thinking too big.

 

i'd rather do this than spending 40 mill of cash on a first basemen who can't field.

 

Dunn can field a little at first. He can't field at all in the outfield.

[jersey cubs fan]

Plus you can pay him by check.

[Cubswin11]

On a one year deal I think I would rather have Overbay than Johnson. Overbay isn't anything special, but he stays healthier and should be good fro 17-22 HR and an OPS in .780-.820 range.

[jersey cubs fan]

I have no desire to lock-in a 795 OPS at first base.

[CUBZ99]

I have a feeling this is going to be a pretty depressing off season. I liked the Quade hiring, but every other signal that the Ricketts family has given out since owning the Cubs, has been based on saving money. I'm all for spending wisely, but the fact is that the product on the field this year was terrible and if the Cubs want to compete next year, they will likely have to spend some dough on another bat (Dunn, Crawford....) and acquire a front line starter.

 

If they go into next year with acquisitions of players like Nick Johnson, it will be extremely hard to get excited about the team.

 

And to those who say they hope he spends more on development, there have been no signs whatsoever that they are going to follow through on that. I don't recall the amount they spent on the draft this year, but I thought it was nowhere near the top. If that's the case, something has to give.

[davell]

I have a feeling this is going to be a pretty depressing off season. I liked the Quade hiring, but every other signal that the Ricketts family has given out since owning the Cubs, has been based on saving money. I'm all for spending wisely, but the fact is that the product on the field this year was terrible and if the Cubs want to compete next year, they will likely have to spend some dough on another bat (Dunn, Crawford....) and acquire a front line starter.

 

If they go into next year with acquisitions of players like Nick Johnson, it will be extremely hard to get excited about the team.

 

And to those who say they hope he spends more on development, there have been no signs whatsoever that they are going to follow through on that. I don't recall the amount they spent on the draft this year, but I thought it was nowhere near the top. If that's the case, something has to give.

 

Yeah, I'm not exactly thinking they WILL spend more on player development, but I am hoping anyway.(they did at least say the overall payroll would stay about the same, making me hopeful that money would be spent in that area, along with them saying there would be a shift towards that) And yes, what they did this past year is why I'm extremely skeptical at this point of them doing it.

[Little Slide Rooter]

What Carl Crawford will essentially give you is an above average center fielders offensive production at left field, which is all fine and dandy if you can make up that left fielders production elsewhere, but you can, so if you sighn Nick Johnson, you're essentially getting a second basemans production at first.

[NewUserName]

If we were really close to being a WS contender I would be all for bringing in Nick Johnson if we needed a part-time 1bman. If however this is just a treading water move until youth develops or payroll is more flexible, I would just as soon let Hoffpauir play 1st. While we were at it trade any veteran that has some sort of value and start investing the savings into player development. It would flat out depress me to watch a 78 win team with Nick Johnson batting 3rd and Marlon Bird hitting 5th. Way to similar to how the Cubs have been run most of my life.

[jersey cubs fan]

If we were really close to being a WS contender I would be all for bringing in Nick Johnson if we needed a part-time 1bman. If however this is just a treading water move until youth develops or payroll is more flexible, I would just as soon let Hoffpauir play 1st. While we were at it trade any veteran that has some sort of value and start investing the savings into player development. It would flat out depress me to watch a 78 win team with Nick Johnson batting 3rd and Marlon Bird hitting 5th. Way to similar to how the Cubs have been run most of my life.

 

With Micah you are guaranteed to get nothing at 1B. With Johnson at least there is a realistic hope for quality production. I would not make it the focus of my offseason and would be bummed if they did it, but I see no reason to purposefully lock-in crap production.

[SouthSideRyan]

Nick Johnson is only a year and a half older than Hoffpauir and he doesn't suck.

[Outshined_One]

While we're talking about injury-riddled rolls of the dice, would anyone be interested in Troy Glaus?

[NewUserName]

Nick Johnson is only a year and a half older than Hoffpauir and he doesn't suck.

 

It has nothing to do with who I think is better, Johnson is better. I also understand that Hoffpauir has no upside. I just think that adding guys like Johnson would just be treading water, if that is the case I would just as soon just hide all the pretenses of being a WS contender and get serious about player development. Its kind of a get worse to get better thing.

[jersey cubs fan]

Nick Johnson is only a year and a half older than Hoffpauir and he doesn't suck.

 

It has nothing to do with who I think is better, Johnson is better. I also understand that Hoffpauir has no upside. I just think that adding guys like Johnson would just be treading water, if that is the case I would just as soon just hide all the pretenses of being a WS contender and get serious about player development. Its kind of a get worse to get better thing.

 

This isn't the NBA. Getting worse won't get you better. Unless the Cubs end up with a top 10 pick in the draft for three straight years and hit on each one with a blue chipper (something they have not come close to doing) that will not help. This team will not be a 95 win team for a while. But they can be an 85+ potential NL Central Champ in 2011 and there is no reason to sabotage the season in advance with moves that leave you no chance of contending.

[SouthSideRyan]

Nick Johnson is only a year and a half older than Hoffpauir and he doesn't suck.

 

It has nothing to do with who I think is better, Johnson is better. I also understand that Hoffpauir has no upside. I just think that adding guys like Johnson would just be treading water, if that is the case I would just as soon just hide all the pretenses of being a WS contender and get serious about player development. Its kind of a get worse to get better thing.

 

What does playing a 31 year old Micah Hoffpauir have to do with player development?

[NewUserName]

 

This isn't the NBA. Getting worse won't get you better. Unless the Cubs end up with a top 10 pick in the draft for three straight years and hit on each one with a blue chipper (something they have not come close to doing) that will not help. This team will not be a 95 win team for a while. But they can be an 85+ potential NL Central Champ in 2011 and there is no reason to sabotage the season in advance with moves that leave you no chance of contending.

 

I guess I have seen this exact strategy too much in my life as a Cub fan...."Hey lets compete in our crappy division, lets bring in past prime players to help us achieve this goal." Got to admit it gets me excited