Pujols signs with Angels pg 151

[jersey cubs fan]

It's all up to what the Ricketts are willing to spend. If they're willing to keep this year as a rough ceiling as to what the Cubs can spend then they're going to have a LOT to spend after this season and the next, to the point they that could conceivably sign someone like Pujols or Fielder + Reyes this year, someone like Kemp next year and still have more than enough money for a true ace.

 

It's more than what you are willing to spend. It's what you are willing to spend in contrast to what all the other big spenders are spending, and what is available. Unless you are the Yankees, signing a middle of the order bat and an ace pitcher is nearly impossible.

 

Again, it's up to the Ricketts. If they're willing to keep the payroll at approx. $150 million if necessary then the Cubs would potentially have in the vicinity of $50-$60 million to spend. That would easily cover both if both are available. Then they have even more money coming off the books after 2012.

 

Sure, it's up to them, if they want to pour whatever they can into the team they can do anything. But in reality it's a nearly impossible task, not to mention incredibly risky. Even the Yankees failed to get their big fish last year in Cliff Lee.

 

You need to produce impact players on the farm and cannot just rely on a guys who could be okay if they meet their projections.

[Sammy Sofa]

Well, durrr.

[dew1679666265]

You need to produce impact players on the farm and cannot just rely on a guys who could be okay if they meet their projections.

 

Ideally, yes. However, you can succeed even if you're not in an ideal situation. The position the Cubs are in has them with a couple guys with fringy superstar potential (McNutt, Brett Jackson), a huge boom/bust guy (Vitters), and a ton of players who project to anywhere from decent ML starters to very good starters.

 

Ideally you have more superstar caliber guys in your system, but the Cubs don't. There's nothing you can really do about that in the short term, however, so the key is working with that the best you can. If you can fill 20-23 spots on your roster cheaply with those guys, then you combine the third highest payroll in the majors and you have more money than most teams to go get a couple of guys like Pujols, Fielder, Hernandez, Votto, Kemp, Reyes, etc.

 

Is it the best position to be in? No, but it's a very winnable situation given the upcoming options in free agency, the money the Cubs have to spend and Hendry's ability (if he's still the GM after this year) to go out and get good values in trades.

[Sammy Sofa]

You need to produce impact players on the farm and cannot just rely on a guys who could be okay if they meet their projections.

 

Ideally, yes. However, you can succeed even if you're not in an ideal situation. The position the Cubs are in has them with a couple guys with fringy superstar potential (McNutt, Brett Jackson), a huge boom/bust guy (Vitters), and a ton of players who project to anywhere from decent ML starters to very good starters.

 

Ideally you have more superstar caliber guys in your system, but the Cubs don't. There's nothing you can really do about that in the short term, however, so the key is working with that the best you can. If you can fill 20-23 spots on your roster cheaply with those guys, then you combine the third highest payroll in the majors and you have more money than most teams to go get a couple of guys like Pujols, Fielder, Hernandez, Votto, Kemp, Reyes, etc.

 

Is it the best position to be in? No, but it's a very winnable situation given the upcoming options in free agency, the money the Cubs have to spend and Hendry's ability (if he's still the GM after this year) to go out and get good values in trades.

 

Couldn't agree more.

[dew1679666265]

Also, the Cubs may have that frontline ace people are clamoring for in-house. I wasn't the biggest fan of what we gave up to get Matt Garza, but he's followed up being a good to very good pitcher his entire career with pretty dominant numbers in a small sample size this year.

 

1.82 FIP/2.43 xFIP are really impressive numbers and very much improved over what he's done with the Rays. I don't see him as a dominant ace in the mold of a Halladay, but if he's taken a step forward in his age 27 season, then we may have that ace in-house at a reasonable cost for a while longer.

[Northside Blues]

I wonder how much of the difference between Garza the Ray and Garza the Cub has to do with the Cubs' pitching philosophy and the National League.

 

He always had strikeout stuff, but the Rays had never had a strikeout first philosophy despite having guys like Kazmir, Shields, and Price. Yes, these guys always get their K's, but Garza did a lot too. Still when pitchers went to and from the Rays their K's didn't really change. The Cubs always have had a focus on the whiff - for better or for worse - and when you couple that with no DH it's not a shock to see Garza take a huge step forward and thrive in this situation. That being said, he's not a 11.0 K/9 guy, but he could be a true 9.0+er which would do wonders for his FIP.

[CubColtPacer]

I wonder how much of the difference between Garza the Ray and Garza the Cub has to do with the Cubs' pitching philosophy and the National League.

 

He always had strikeout stuff, but the Rays had never had a strikeout first philosophy despite having guys like Kazmir, Shields, and Price. Yes, these guys always get their K's, but Garza did a lot too. Still when pitchers went to and from the Rays their K's didn't really change. The Cubs always have had a focus on the whiff - for better or for worse - and when you couple that with no DH it's not a shock to see Garza take a huge step forward and thrive in this situation. That being said, he's not a 11.0 K/9 guy, but he could be a true 9.0+er which would do wonders for his FIP.

 

I definitely think philosophy has something to do with it which translates to pitch selection. He threw over 70% fastballs all 3 years as a Ray. He's throwing 54.7% fastballs as a Cub. His swinging strike percentage is easily the highest it's ever been. That hasn't done terrible things to his walks so it looks to be a good change.

[imb]

until his arm wears out from all the breaking pitches oh crap

[Cronos006]

I hope the Cubs sign him for around $30 million a year for ten years.

[Yeti]

I hope the Cubs sign him for around $30 million a year for ten years.

who?

[Cronos006]

I hope the Cubs sign him for around $30 million a year for ten years.

who?

 

Pujols.

[XZero771679666304]

I hope the Cubs sign him for around $30 million a year for ten years.

who?

 

Pujols.

 

If Pujols doesn't start looking more like Pujols, he may price himself back down into your price range.

[Cronos006]

If Pujols doesn't start looking more like Pujols, he may price himself back down into your price range.

 

Hopefully he heats up a little bit and thus still interests the Cubs.

[Banghart]

As much as I think Pujols is the greatest pure hitter of this generation, I still can't help but htink that Fielder more fits with this teams needs. I mean when is the last time a guy less than 30 years of age has been able to hit 30 homeruns from the left side of the plate for the Cubs?

[XZero771679666304]

As much as I think Pujols is the greatest pure hitter of this generation, I still can't help but htink that Fielder more fits with this teams needs. I mean when is the last time a guy less than 30 years of age has been able to hit 30 homeruns from the left side of the plate for the Cubs?

 

 

There is the matter of his agent and his body. I'd be all for Prince if it were a 4-5 year contract, but the potential for physical breakdown gets scary beyond that. I think he has DH written all over him.

 

The only player I would have no qualms about signing to a big, long term contract would have been Adrian Gonzalez, but the Sox beat us to that option.

[SouthSideRyan]

As much as I think Pujols is the greatest pure hitter of this generation, I still can't help but htink that Fielder more fits with this teams needs. I mean when is the last time a guy less than 30 years of age has been able to hit 30 homeruns from the left side of the plate for the Cubs?

 

1993 - Rick Wilkins

 

Personally, I don't care which side of the plate a guy is hitting 30 HRs from, I just care that he does it.

[Sammy Sofa]

As much as I think Pujols is the greatest pure hitter of this generation, I still can't help but htink that Fielder more fits with this teams needs. I mean when is the last time a guy less than 30 years of age has been able to hit 30 homeruns from the left side of the plate for the Cubs?

 

1993 - Rick Wilkins

 

Personally, I don't care which side of the plate a guy is hitting 30 HRs from, I just care that he does it.

 

Man, talk about a flash in the pan. I remember going nuts over him because of that year.

[erik316wttn]

As much as I think Pujols is the greatest pure hitter of this generation, I still can't help but htink that Fielder more fits with this teams needs. I mean when is the last time a guy less than 30 years of age has been able to hit 30 homeruns from the left side of the plate for the Cubs?

 

1993 - Rick Wilkins

 

Personally, I don't care which side of the plate a guy is hitting 30 HRs from, I just care that he does it.

 

Man, talk about a flash in the pan. I remember going nuts over him because of that year.

 

Holy one-year wonder, Batman!

 

Did he ever turn out to be a disappointment.

[NOLA]

As much as I think Pujols is the greatest pure hitter of this generation, I still can't help but htink that Fielder more fits with this teams needs. I mean when is the last time a guy less than 30 years of age has been able to hit 30 homeruns from the left side of the plate for the Cubs?

 

1993 - Rick Wilkins

 

Personally, I don't care which side of the plate a guy is hitting 30 HRs from, I just care that he does it.

 

Man, talk about a flash in the pan. I remember going nuts over him because of that year.

 

Me too. Didn't we end up trading him to the Astros for Scott Servais?

 

That was the end of a string of great catching for the Cubs. Jody Davis, of course. Joe Girardi, Damon Berryhill and Rick Wrona were all on the same team I think. Watching the Cubs was enjoyable then. That '89 team was fun.

 

Damn you Will Clark.

[SouthSideRyan]

Servais and Luis Gonzalez. Of course we let Gonzalez go before he became a stud.

[Cubswin11]

Servais and Luis Gonzalez. Of course we let Gonzalez go before he started taking steroids.

Fixed

[SouthSideRyan]

You mentioned how fun the '89 team was, Luis Gonzalez's mention makes me remember how much I loved that '95 team. Looking at the end of year standings makes it look like a mediocre year, but they went on an insane run at the end of the year, where they needed to win to stay alive and the Rockies needed to lose and it kept happening in ridiculous fashion. I was late for football practice pretty much every day that week.

[Formerly Snayke]

For the Cubs' sake, they should probably go after Fielder. I love Pujols, but he's either not healthy or lost his mojo between last September and this April.

[tfarks]

For the Cubs' sake, they should probably go after Fielder. I love Pujols, but he's either not healthy or lost his mojo between last September and this April.

 

Saw an article somewhere not too long ago that Pujols hurt his hamstring earlier in the season, and was his usual self up to that point. Ever since then his swing changed (no power off his leg) and his numbers dropped.

[SouthSideRyan]

For the Cubs' sake, they should probably go after Fielder. I love Pujols, but he's either not healthy or lost his mojo between last September and this April.

 

You see how your own fans treat you Albert??? There's St. Louis loyalty for you!!!