Other Possible 1B options

[Cubs Fan Dan]

Obviously we have mentioned risks such as Gordon, Kila, Nick Johnson, Loney, Branyan, Pena, Colvin.

 

Has anyone thought about Nick Swisher? I was hearing a few weeks back the Yankees would like to move him and he would be a pretty safe bet to hit .260/.370/.450. Could be a better option than most and his ability to play some OF would not hurt for season, although I believe this is his free agent year. My only concern with the deal is that I think Swish is kind of a DBag of the field but his production has been solid if not very good other than his year with the white sox.

 

Thoughts...

[rocket]

I don't think the Yankees have much interest at all in trading Swisher

[Outshined_One]

This pretty effectively sizes up the FA options this offseason.

 

...we're going to end up with Chris Davis as the starting 1B next season, aren't we?

[Guest]

Get serious with Berkman and see if he'd like a short deal to re-establish his value.

 

Otherwise, it really couldn't take much to get Ka'aihue from Kansas City, and plugging him in at 1B with Baker(or someone similar) filling in against tough LHP is just as good a bet to get to 2+ WAR as any.

[Post Count Padder]

I don't think the Yankees have much interest at all in trading Swisher

Well, they're talking to Crawford and would have to move one of their outfielders. That said, Swisher is a huge fan favorite.

[davell]

I don't think Ricketts would OK a deal for Swisher, based on his salary. We'd probably be asking the Yanks for some salary relief in a deal for him. I don't think this one is too plausible.

 

I'm starting to set my sites on Billy Butler. Which seems par for the course and very Cub-like. Lose out on the big prize, go find a solid, yet unspectacular piece that will probably be near the middle of NL 1B over the length of his future Cub career.

[Cubs Fan Dan]

I don't think Ricketts would OK a deal for Swisher, based on his salary. We'd probably be asking the Yanks for some salary relief in a deal for him. I don't think this one is too plausible.

 

I'm starting to set my sites on Billy Butler. Which seems par for the course and very Cub-like. Lose out on the big prize, go find a solid, yet unspectacular piece that will probably be near the middle of NL 1B over the length of his future Cub career.

 

Butler would not be the worst option and its possible his HR totals could reach the low to mid 20's. He is young and has a great bat, possbily with hitting him between Ramirez and Soriano (whoever hits 5th) could be beneficial for him.

[rocket]

I don't think the Yankees have much interest at all in trading Swisher

Well, they're talking to Crawford and would have to move one of their outfielders. That said, Swisher is a huge fan favorite.

 

Gardner would then probably be the odd man out.

[Post Count Padder]

I don't think the Yankees have much interest at all in trading Swisher

Well, they're talking to Crawford and would have to move one of their outfielders. That said, Swisher is a huge fan favorite.

 

Gardner would then probably be the odd man out.

Fans love Gardner too. And I can't see them giving up on Granderson already. The smart move for them would be making Swisher the DH and having an OF of Gardner, Granderson and Crawford. But they're DHing Posada. They've got a good outfield without Crawford. I feel like they're just talking to him to drive up the price for Boston.

[KingCubsFan]

I don't think Ricketts would OK a deal for Swisher, based on his salary. We'd probably be asking the Yanks for some salary relief in a deal for him. I don't think this one is too plausible.

 

I'm starting to set my sites on Billy Butler. Which seems par for the course and very Cub-like. Lose out on the big prize, go find a solid, yet unspectacular piece that will probably be near the middle of NL 1B over the length of his future Cub career.

 

Butler would not be the worst option and its possible his HR totals could reach the low to mid 20's. He is young and has a great bat, possbily with hitting him between Ramirez and Soriano (whoever hits 5th) could be beneficial for him.

He'd be the perfect project for Jaramillo. He hits a ton of doubles, and is a big guy, so it's not out of the question he could hit around 30 homers.

[rawaction]

I had a dream this summer that Nick Swisher was the opening day 1B for the Cubs. I don't think that's extremely far fetched. Like has been mentioned, if they go out and get Crawford, Swisher could become expendable. Odds are, Gardner would be the odd man out, but it's hard to just bench a .383 OBP and 47 steals (even though Crawford would even out the stolen bases lost). With Posada likely getting a lot of time at DH, it's not like the Yanks could play all their OFs either way.

 

Also, trading Swisher could help the Yankees get a couple more prospects in order to go after a big bat in a trade if necessary.

[The Logan]

I don't think Ricketts would OK a deal for Swisher, based on his salary. We'd probably be asking the Yanks for some salary relief in a deal for him. I don't think this one is too plausible.

 

I'm starting to set my sites on Billy Butler. Which seems par for the course and very Cub-like. Lose out on the big prize, go find a solid, yet unspectacular piece that will probably be near the middle of NL 1B over the length of his future Cub career.

 

Butler would not be the worst option and its possible his HR totals could reach the low to mid 20's. He is young and has a great bat, possbily with hitting him between Ramirez and Soriano (whoever hits 5th) could be beneficial for him.

He'd be the perfect project for Jaramillo. He hits a ton of doubles, and is a big guy, so it's not out of the question he could hit around 30 homers.

 

Why on Earth would the Royals want to trade Billy Butler? He's not some ruined failed prospect who needs a change of scenery, he's actually good and he's still well below his prime and he's entering his 1st year of arbitration so he's going to still be affordable for the Royals. They have no reason to trade him

[JoshiQ]

I don't think Ricketts would OK a deal for Swisher, based on his salary. We'd probably be asking the Yanks for some salary relief in a deal for him. I don't think this one is too plausible.

 

I'm starting to set my sites on Billy Butler. Which seems par for the course and very Cub-like. Lose out on the big prize, go find a solid, yet unspectacular piece that will probably be near the middle of NL 1B over the length of his future Cub career.

 

Butler would not be the worst option and its possible his HR totals could reach the low to mid 20's. He is young and has a great bat, possbily with hitting him between Ramirez and Soriano (whoever hits 5th) could be beneficial for him.

He'd be the perfect project for Jaramillo. He hits a ton of doubles, and is a big guy, so it's not out of the question he could hit around 30 homers.

 

Why on Earth would the Royals want to trade Billy Butler? He's not some ruined failed prospect who needs a change of scenery, he's actually good and he's still well below his prime and he's entering his 1st year of arbitration so he's going to still be affordable for the Royals. They have no reason to trade him

 

Not to mention they are going to try and contend in 2012. 2012 will probably be the starting year for a lot of their prospects hitting the big time. Buter is a proven commodity and will still be fairly cheap at that point. They will probably want him there as the veteran influence.

[davell]

I don't think Ricketts would OK a deal for Swisher, based on his salary. We'd probably be asking the Yanks for some salary relief in a deal for him. I don't think this one is too plausible.

 

I'm starting to set my sites on Billy Butler. Which seems par for the course and very Cub-like. Lose out on the big prize, go find a solid, yet unspectacular piece that will probably be near the middle of NL 1B over the length of his future Cub career.

 

Butler would not be the worst option and its possible his HR totals could reach the low to mid 20's. He is young and has a great bat, possbily with hitting him between Ramirez and Soriano (whoever hits 5th) could be beneficial for him.

He'd be the perfect project for Jaramillo. He hits a ton of doubles, and is a big guy, so it's not out of the question he could hit around 30 homers.

 

Why on Earth would the Royals want to trade Billy Butler? He's not some ruined failed prospect who needs a change of scenery, he's actually good and he's still well below his prime and he's entering his 1st year of arbitration so he's going to still be affordable for the Royals. They have no reason to trade him

 

The reason they can deal him is because they have Eric Hosmer waiting in the wings. They also have Mike Moustakos on the other side of the diamond coming up at the same time. And TONS of pitching. It makes sense to trade Butler and add something else that they may need in order to make a bonafide run in a few seasons. And they'd get more for Butler now than in the future.

[JoshiQ]

I don't think Ricketts would OK a deal for Swisher, based on his salary. We'd probably be asking the Yanks for some salary relief in a deal for him. I don't think this one is too plausible.

 

I'm starting to set my sites on Billy Butler. Which seems par for the course and very Cub-like. Lose out on the big prize, go find a solid, yet unspectacular piece that will probably be near the middle of NL 1B over the length of his future Cub career.

 

Butler would not be the worst option and its possible his HR totals could reach the low to mid 20's. He is young and has a great bat, possbily with hitting him between Ramirez and Soriano (whoever hits 5th) could be beneficial for him.

He'd be the perfect project for Jaramillo. He hits a ton of doubles, and is a big guy, so it's not out of the question he could hit around 30 homers.

 

Why on Earth would the Royals want to trade Billy Butler? He's not some ruined failed prospect who needs a change of scenery, he's actually good and he's still well below his prime and he's entering his 1st year of arbitration so he's going to still be affordable for the Royals. They have no reason to trade him

 

The reason they can deal him is because they have Eric Hosmer waiting in the wings. They also have Mike Moustakos on the other side of the diamond coming up at the same time. And TONS of pitching. It makes sense to trade Butler and add something else that they may need in order to make a bonafide run in a few seasons. And they'd get more for Butler now than in the future.

 

Yeah, but what do we have that they need? They aren't going to give us Butler for Colvin and some junk. They already have the corner spots fixed, pitchers galore, and probably moving Myers to the outfield. Not to mention that if they do actually trade Greinke, after also trading DeJesus, there is no way they will trade their last drawing card.

[The Logan]

The Toronto Sun's Bob Elliot believes the Blue Jays are making a push to acquire Zack Greinke from the Royals.

Elliot believes the Jays could land Greinke if they're willing to part with Kyle Drabek, Travis Snider and a minor leaguer or two. That doesn't sound far off to us. Drabek could slot right into the Royals' rotation, and Snider still projects as a 30-homer-per-year left fielder.

 

If this were to happen this would almost certainly make Alex Gordon instantly expendable, fwiw

[dew1679666265]

The Toronto Sun's Bob Elliot believes the Blue Jays are making a push to acquire Zack Greinke from the Royals.

Elliot believes the Jays could land Greinke if they're willing to part with Kyle Drabek, Travis Snider and a minor leaguer or two. That doesn't sound far off to us. Drabek could slot right into the Royals' rotation, and Snider still projects as a 30-homer-per-year left fielder.

 

If this were to happen this would almost certainly make Alex Gordon instantly expendable, fwiw

 

He'd be our ideal option, I think.

[CubsWin]

Gordon could be ready to succeed at the major league level. But he'll also be 27 on opening day as will Kila Ka'aihue. How would Lars Anderson compare as a long term prospect at first? He'll be 23 all season next year and is blocked by Adrian Gonzalez now. Anderson might not be ready for the majors next season, but he could be a better long term answer. Signing Pena to a one-year deal and trading for Anderson makes more sense to me assuming Anderson can be had for an agreeable price.

[dew1679666265]

Gordon could be ready to succeed at the major league level. But he'll also be 27 on opening day as will Kila Ka'aihue. How would Lars Anderson compare as a long term prospect at first? He'll be 23 all season next year and is blocked by Adrian Gonzalez now. Anderson might not be ready for the majors next season, but he could be a better long term answer. Signing Pena to a one-year deal and trading for Anderson makes more sense to me assuming Anderson can be had for an agreeable price.

 

The price is what scares me with him. In Gordon's case, Dayton Moore loves guys like Colvin and there's a very real possibility he would value Colvin's skillset highly enough to center the trade around him and maybe a couple low level type guys.

 

In Anderson's case, the Red Sox are much better than the Royals at valuing players and would likely keep Anderson rather than trade him for less than top notch value. Anderson might be the better option, but he'll cost more in prospects than it would probably be worth for a guy who may not even be ML ready yet.

[Little Slide Rooter]

Gordon could be ready to succeed at the major league level. But he'll also be 27 on opening day as will Kila Ka'aihue. How would Lars Anderson compare as a long term prospect at first? He'll be 23 all season next year and is blocked by Adrian Gonzalez now. Anderson might not be ready for the majors next season, but he could be a better long term answer. Signing Pena to a one-year deal and trading for Anderson makes more sense to me assuming Anderson can be had for an agreeable price.

 

The price is what scares me with him. In Gordon's case, Dayton Moore loves guys like Colvin and there's a very real possibility he would value Colvin's skillset highly enough to center the trade around him and maybe a couple low level type guys.

 

In Anderson's case, the Red Sox are much better than the Royals at valuing players and would likely keep Anderson rather than trade him for less than top notch value. Anderson might be the better option, but he'll cost more in prospects than it would probably be worth for a guy who may not even be ML ready yet.

 

I dont see why we should have to center a trade around Colvin. Gordon will be 27 years old when spring training starts, and after a promising start to his big league career, hes done nothing the past 2 years. Colvin for Gordon straight up sounds fair to me. Otherwise, Id just as soon trade Castillo or Chirinos for Chris Davis whose younger.

[rawaction]

The Toronto Sun's Bob Elliot believes the Blue Jays are making a push to acquire Zack Greinke from the Royals.

Elliot believes the Jays could land Greinke if they're willing to part with Kyle Drabek, Travis Snider and a minor leaguer or two. That doesn't sound far off to us. Drabek could slot right into the Royals' rotation, and Snider still projects as a 30-homer-per-year left fielder.

 

If this were to happen this would almost certainly make Alex Gordon instantly expendable, fwiw

 

That's a similar package to Archer and Colvin (along w/ another prospect or two). If I'm the Cubs, I'd get into the talks. I wouldn't offer Archer, but I'd pitch them a deal of Carpenter, Dolis, and Colvin, with maybe another lesser talented player thrown into the deal.

[dew1679666265]

I dont see why we should have to center a trade around Colvin. Gordon will be 27 years old when spring training starts, and after a promising start to his big league career, hes done nothing the past 2 years. Colvin for Gordon straight up sounds fair to me. Otherwise, Id just as soon trade Castillo or Chirinos for Chris Davis whose younger.

 

If all it takes is Colvin, that's fine with me. The way I figure it, though, is that the Royals don't have to trade Gordon and we'd have to give them reason to deal him. Colvin strikes me as a player Moore would love and he's expendable here and probably overvalued after last season.

[Little Slide Rooter]

The Toronto Sun's Bob Elliot believes the Blue Jays are making a push to acquire Zack Greinke from the Royals.

Elliot believes the Jays could land Greinke if they're willing to part with Kyle Drabek, Travis Snider and a minor leaguer or two. That doesn't sound far off to us. Drabek could slot right into the Royals' rotation, and Snider still projects as a 30-homer-per-year left fielder.

 

If this were to happen this would almost certainly make Alex Gordon instantly expendable, fwiw

 

That's a similar package to Archer and Colvin (along w/ another prospect or two). If I'm the Cubs, I'd get into the talks. I wouldn't offer Archer, but I'd pitch them a deal of Carpenter, Dolis, and Colvin, with maybe another lesser talented player thrown into the deal.

 

Youd offer Carpenter, Dolis, and Colvin for Zach Greinke? Really? Kyle Drabek is one of the top prospects in baseball. I like Archer a ton, but he'll need at least a repeat performance in 2011 before hes on the same level as Drabek as a prospect. Wed probably have to offer more like Archer, McNutt, and Colvin, probably throw in someone like Carpenter or Dolis if we want Greinke.

[Little Slide Rooter]

I dont see why we should have to center a trade around Colvin. Gordon will be 27 years old when spring training starts, and after a promising start to his big league career, hes done nothing the past 2 years. Colvin for Gordon straight up sounds fair to me. Otherwise, Id just as soon trade Castillo or Chirinos for Chris Davis whose younger.

 

If all it takes is Colvin, that's fine with me. The way I figure it, though, is that the Royals don't have to trade Gordon and we'd have to give them reason to deal him. Colvin strikes me as a player Moore would love and he's expendable here and probably overvalued after last season.

 

This is true, but we dont have to trade Colvin either. Chris Davis is younger and his big league career has gone very similarly to Gordons so far with a strong start and than falling off a cliff, and we can get him for an expendable backup catcher. Colvin still has value, and might not be as expendable as you think depending how much money we have to spend on outfielders in the next few years. We have Soriano for the next 4 years, or until he turns to dust, whichever comes first but other than that, theres no guarantee that Jackson or Guyer will be any better or worse than Colvin.

Edited December 5, 2010 by Little Slide Rooter

[dew1679666265]

This is true, but we dont have to trade Colvin either. Chris Davis is younger and his big league career has gone very similarly to Gordons so far with a strong start and than falling off a cliff, and we can get him for an expendable backup catcher. Colvin still has value, and might not be as expendable as you think depending how much money we have to spend on outfielders in the next few years. We have Soriano for the next 4 years, but other than that, theres no guarantee that Jackson or Guyer will pan out.

 

There's not guarantee Colvin will pan out, and so far I like what I've seen from Jackson more than Colvin - as far as peripherals go.

 

As for Davis vs Gordon, I like Gordon's peripherals a lot more. He's far more patient and has shown an advanced skillset that Davis has not. I think Gordon is far more likely to reach his potential than Davis and I view Colvin as nothing more than a 4th OF as a ceiling. So in reality, I don't see that we're giving up that much for Gordon. Certainly more than we're giving up for Davis, but Gordon is the superior player.