Cubs targeting innings-eater instead of Lee

[Post Count Padder]

The Cubs are expected to look for a veteran, innings-eating starter this offseason instead of bidding on Cliff Lee.

The Chicago Sun-Times' Gordon Wittenmyer lists Javier Vazquez, Jake Westbrook and Kevin Millwood as possibilities. The Cubs lack stability in the rotation beyond Ryan Dempster, so any of the three would make sense. Wittenmyer suggests the Cubs would prefer to only commit one or two years to whomever they sign.

[mike2482]

I'd like to think that Lee would eat up plenty of innings.

[Cubs Fan Dan]

I think the Cubs are smart for staying away from a 6-yr contracl at roughly 22mil per year. Regardless of if they can afford it or not. The pitching staff is solid now there are some good looking pitchers 1-2 years away. 1 year deal on that list of pitchers is not a terrible idea, especially if it frees up Wells or Gorz in a trade that makes the team better long term.

[Sammy Sofa]

Hey, don't sign any of those guys. Thanks.

[UMFan83]

I wouldn't mind signing Vazquez if only because he only seems to pitch well in the nl.

[mookie]

I would down with Westbrook.

[Post Count Padder]

I wouldn't mind signing Vazquez if only because he only seems to pitch well in the nl.

Yeah, he gets innings and strikeouts, and a return to the NL might be good for him. I wouldn't mind him on a one year deal.

[Little Slide Rooter]

Theres really no point targeting Lee as we wouldnt win a bidding war with the Yankees. Sure, the Rangers will probably be in on the bidding, but it will be more of a thank you type of thing to him or an attempt to appease the fans as the Brewers did with Sabbathia even though they knew they wouldnt win out.

 

As for the list of "inning eaters", Id prefer take a low risk gamble on someone like Ducherer, Bedard, or dare I say Harden if theyd take a reasonable incentive laden deal.

 

As of now, our potential starter pool beyond Z and Dempster consists of Wells, Gorz, Silva, Coleman, Cashner, Jay Jackson, Samardjizia, and maybe Carpenter and Archer as dark horses. Not great, but not awful.

[Guest]

Apparently the rotation is in flux so let's sign mediocre guys who throw a lot of innings.

[SouthSideRyan]

I hate this team.

[Outshined_One]

Bring back Jason Marquis. Now there was a guy who knew how to win.

[rawaction]

Westbrook is a pretty decent pitcher. I would think he could get a 3 year deal somewhere though. If not, I'd take him for say 2 years/$16Mil or so.

[Guest]

If we sign an innings-eater, Cashner will almost certainly stay in relief. That sucks.

[rawaction]

If we sign an innings-eater, Cashner will almost certainly stay in relief. That sucks.

 

True. If he's going to be in relief, rather it be for a stud.

[javy knows my name]

In related news, Beertown to spent night banging head against wall

[mhuber92211]

Sometimes the prevailing thoughts on this board makes no sense. On one hand, people are fine with paying an overrated pitcher too much money that will have a bloated and bad contract 2 years in but on the other hand a contract for a mediocre player making $1 million gets the blacklist and boos.

 

Lee's contract will be considered the same as Zito's, Soriano's and Zambrano's within 2 years. No pitcher is worth $20 million a year in a contract longer than 4 years. Not one has worked out well for the team. Heck, CC Sabathia's contract is already considered bad.

 

Stay far away from the big names and the team will likely be in better shape for the long and short run. Look at the payroll this year. If the Cubs were to sign Lee only the Yankees and Red Sox would have 2 pitchers making more than $18 million on the same staff.

[Guest]

"It's really dumb to sign a middling starting pitcher to compete with our other 17 candidates that are that good" is not the same as "Please sign Cliff Lee even if it means we have to clone money".

[javy knows my name]

Sometimes the prevailing thoughts on this board makes no sense. On one hand, people are fine with paying an overrated pitcher too much money that will have a bloated and bad contract 2 years in but on the other hand a contract for a mediocre player making $1 million gets the blacklist and boos.

 

Lee's contract will be considered the same as Zito's, Soriano's and Zambrano's within 2 years. No pitcher is worth $20 million a year in a contract longer than 4 years. Not one has worked out well for the team. Heck, CC Sabathia's contract is already considered bad.

 

Stay far away from the big names and the team will likely be in better shape for the long and short run. Look at the payroll this year. If the Cubs were to sign Lee only the Yankees and Red Sox would have 2 pitchers making more than $18 million on the same staff.

I've read this post twice and my first suspicions were correct; literally everything you said here is wrong

[Sammy Sofa]

Sometimes the prevailing thoughts on this board makes no sense. On one hand, people are fine with paying an overrated pitcher too much money that will have a bloated and bad contract 2 years in but on the other hand a contract for a mediocre player making $1 million gets the blacklist and boos.

 

Lee's contract will be considered the same as Zito's, Soriano's and Zambrano's within 2 years. No pitcher is worth $20 million a year in a contract longer than 4 years. Not one has worked out well for the team. Heck, CC Sabathia's contract is already considered bad.

 

Stay far away from the big names and the team will likely be in better shape for the long and short run. Look at the payroll this year. If the Cubs were to sign Lee only the Yankees and Red Sox would have 2 pitchers making more than $18 million on the same staff.

 

Your assumption that everyone here wants Lee is wrong and smells like stale farts.

[SouthSideRyan]

Yes, I'm certain we'll pay 1M/Y for our mediocre starting pitcher that we have no need for.

[biittner77]

The Chicago Sun-Times' Gordon Wittenmyer lists Javier Vazquez, Jake Westbrook and Kevin Millwood as possibilities.

 

If Hendry is even considering signing Kevin Millwood that should be grounds for firing him immediately.

[Northside Blues]

Millwood is coming off a 4-16 5.10 ERA season. If he's dirt cheap I wouldn't mind taking a flier on him. If he busts in April its no big deal. I really don't see how he would be different than Silva as far as likelihood of being useful. He's got upside.

[biittner77]

Millwood is coming off a 4-16 5.10 ERA season. If he's dirt cheap I wouldn't mind taking a flier on him. If he busts in April its no big deal. I really don't see how he would be different than Silva as far as likelihood of being useful. He's got upside.

 

Casey Coleman could probably be just as good without costing anything

[soapy]

It's going to be great signing someone like Milwood and an old middle reliever and than having not quite enough money to sign someone like Dunn so we can, you know, fix the real problem with this team.

[KingCubsFan]

Millwood is coming off a 4-16 5.10 ERA season. If he's dirt cheap I wouldn't mind taking a flier on him. If he busts in April its no big deal. I really don't see how he would be different than Silva as far as likelihood of being useful. He's got upside.

 

Casey Coleman could probably be just as good without costing anything

There's at least ten pitchers in the minors who could do better than Millwood. On what planet does Millwood have upside? Outside of one fluke season, he hasn't been good in years and he's 35 years old.