Other Possible 1B options

[mookie]

Astros moving Carlos Lee to first. Maybe we can pry Brett Wallace away from them?

[Guest]

Astros moving Carlos Lee to first. Maybe we can pry Brett Wallace away from them?

 

We want someone who is good at hitting to play first base, so Brett Wallace is out.

[davell]

Yeah, I have zero interest in Wallace.

[mookie]

lol...about the same initial response to Chris Davis.

 

Just for fun, who would come cheaper, Davis or Wallace?

[davell]

lol...about the same initial response to Chris Davis.

 

Just for fun, who would come cheaper, Davis or Wallace?

 

Davis, almost without question. Houston just dealt for Wallace last year and won't be ready to trade him for a bag of balls. He's their "answer" at 1B and I'd be shocked if he doesn't get at least one full season as a starter in the majors to prove what he is or isn't for them.

[mookie]

lol...about the same initial response to Chris Davis.

 

Just for fun, who would come cheaper, Davis or Wallace?

 

Davis, almost without question. Houston just dealt for Wallace last year and won't be ready to trade him for a bag of balls. He's their "answer" at 1B and I'd be shocked if he doesn't get at least one full season as a starter in the majors to prove what he is or isn't for them.

 

I guess they are shifting him to third then? I love our division so far this off season. Theriot and Berkman to the Cards. Kawakami to the pirates. The Brewers made a solid move though.

[Post Count Padder]

The Blue Jays are "in hard" for free agent first baseman Carlos Pena, ESPN's Gordon Edes heard from another club with interest (Twitter link).

[big_shooter17]

The Blue Jays are "in hard" for free agent first baseman Carlos Pena, ESPN's Gordon Edes heard from another club with interest (Twitter link).

 

With all of the interest that he is drawing, you have to wonder if Pena will have to take a one year contract to rebuild his value.

[Northside Blues]

Is it just me or does it seem like from Thanksgiving until Christmas Jim Hendry spends his time eating chocolate, pie, and doing christmas shopping for his family instead of trying to run a baseball organization. Then after Christmas he tries to construct his roster together after most of the decent players and deals have been scooped up.

I can see Jim Hendry and Andy MacPhail at the winter meetings sharing booze and sweets in their hotel room, while the Red Sox are making trades for Adrian Gonzalez. Of course, MacPhail has enough sense to do some work. Hendry probably just goes to the bar afterwards, MacPhail makes some calls.

[sneakypower]

ohhh, because he's fat

[davell]

Is it just me or does it seem like from Thanksgiving until Christmas Jim Hendry spends his time eating chocolate, pie, and doing christmas shopping for his family instead of trying to run a baseball organization. Then after Christmas he tries to construct his roster together after most of the decent players and deals have been scooped up.

I can see Jim Hendry and Andy MacPhail at the winter meetings sharing booze and sweets in their hotel room, while the Red Sox are making trades for Adrian Gonzalez. Of course, MacPhail has enough sense to do some work. Hendry probably just goes to the bar afterwards, MacPhail makes some calls.

 

I think everyone is at least a little bit frustrated by the lack of activity. But, in a year where it's obvious that we have little to no money to spend whatsoever, what do you want or expect him to do? Sure, trading for A-GON would have been great, but Hoyer may have just felt more comfortable dealing for guys he already knew more about. Hendry is bargain shopping this offseason. And you don't find those at the beginning of FA. You wait until teams have their needs filled and see what's left over. Sometimes, it works out great, sometimes it doesn't. But, that's the position Hendry has put himself in at the moment and anyone expecting rabbits to be pulled out of a hat here are going to be sorely disappointed.

[shnsajax]

Billy Butler please!

[SouthSideRyan]

Of course Hendry has done most of his big moves before Christmas...

 

PROBABLY BECAUSE HE'S TOO BUSY AFTER THE HOLIDAYS EATING FOOD

[SweetZombieJesus]

Between trading Colvin for Loney or Gordon straight up. I wonder if the cubs could the caliber of player Aaron Miles for Colvin in a straight swap.

 

Good lord, people.

[JeffH]

I wish they would quit dicking around and just sign Brad Hawpe.

[haubrich91]

Let's just get Thome and call it an off-season.

[Cubs Fan Dan]

I am not sure Hawpe can play any position well at all. If they were going to get a bad defensive player they would have went for Dunn. I would love his bat I think he is still good for a .270/.360/.470 line.

[champaignchris]

I was going to say the same. Hawpe's played 18 career games at 1B. If we're going to convert an OF, why don't we just use the younger, cheaper one we already have.

 

That's my criterion for the first base acquisition: Is it better than just moving Colvin to first?

[davell]

I think that the two main criteria for Hendry as far as our 1B goes for next year are 1) he's lefthanded and 2) he's very solid defensively to help out with Castro's errant throws at times.

 

Meaning that I don't expect to see a guy like Hawpe or even Colvin thrown in there.

[Cubs Fan Dan]

I was going to say the same. Hawpe's played 18 career games at 1B. If we're going to convert an OF, why don't we just use the younger, cheaper one we already have.

 

That's my criterion for the first base acquisition: Is it better than just moving Colvin to first?

 

I think you need to still attempt to acquire one of Pena. If all else fails I think they need to take a risk on a Chris Davis, Kila K, Gordon or something along those lines. To me signing LaRoche or Overbay should absolutely not happen. Either get a huge potential season out of Pena or take a major roll of the dice. I still think Fukudome or Byrd is going to be traded, no basis just a hunch because I believe its possible the Cubs will go into next season with Guyer and Colvin in the outfield.

[dew1679666265]

I think you need to still attempt to acquire one of Pena. If all else fails I think they need to take a risk on a Chris Davis, Kila K, Gordon or something along those lines. To me signing LaRoche or Overbay should absolutely not happen. Either get a huge potential season out of Pena or take a major roll of the dice. I still think Fukudome or Byrd is going to be traded, no basis just a hunch because I believe its possible the Cubs will go into next season with Guyer and Colvin in the outfield.

 

What will we do with the other of Kosuke and Byrd if we have an OF of Soriano/Colvin/Guyer? If we trade one of the two, is the other just going to be a bench player? I don't see that as likely at all.

 

Plus, a Sori/Colvin/Guyer OF would be awful both offensively and defensively.

[Cubs Fan Dan]

I think you need to still attempt to acquire one of Pena. If all else fails I think they need to take a risk on a Chris Davis, Kila K, Gordon or something along those lines. To me signing LaRoche or Overbay should absolutely not happen. Either get a huge potential season out of Pena or take a major roll of the dice. I still think Fukudome or Byrd is going to be traded, no basis just a hunch because I believe its possible the Cubs will go into next season with Guyer and Colvin in the outfield.

 

What will we do with the other of Kosuke and Byrd if we have an OF of Soriano/Colvin/Guyer? If we trade one of the two, is the other just going to be a bench player? I don't see that as likely at all.

 

Plus, a Sori/Colvin/Guyer OF would be awful both offensively and defensively.

 

Sori/Byrd/Colvin with Guyer playing Colvins role of last year. Just a hunch but they have said repeatedly they wanted Colvin to have a full time gig next season.

[Little Slide Rooter]

I think Im at the point where Im not as concerned with who we get, but what we give up for them be it in prospects or money. Theres really nobody out there that will make the Cubs that much better of a team,

[dew1679666265]

Sori/Byrd/Colvin with Guyer playing Colvins role of last year. Just a hunch but they have said repeatedly they wanted Colvin to have a full time gig next season.

 

It wouldn't really surprise me if they traded Kosuke, though the recent rumors have been that they're leaning more toward keeping him.

[Post Count Padder]

According to Carrie Muskat of MLB.com, Cubs general manager Jim Hendry will meet with agent Scott Boras in order to discuss free agent first baseman Carlos Pena, among his other clients.

The Cubs were involved in the bidding for Adrian Gonzalez, but are weighing alternatives now that he ended up in Boston. Pena, 32, batted just .198 this past season, but still managed to hit 28 home runs and is known as a solid defensive player. The Blue Jays and Nationals have also reportedly expressed interest in the free-agent first baseman.

Source: Carrie Muskat on Twitter