Ravech: Doesnt expect to see Hendry next year

[SouthSideRyan]

After tonight, Jeff Baker will join that list.

[CubColtPacer]

3) I agree that the offense is more than one player away. But we'll get continued growth from Castro, a likely upgrade at 2B, even if it is just incremental growth from within, 3B is likely to be better whether it is Aramis or a replacement and something other than a black hole in CF. All of those upgrades are pretty easy because the production from those spots this year has been so bad.

 

I don't think you can list 3B as a likely upgrade, nor expect it to be easy to upgrade it.

So you don't think they can find something better than a .750 OPS out of third base next year? Whether Aramis stays or goes, I expect better performance than that. Heck, I expect a much better performance than that out of 3B by the end of this year.

 

3B is not an easy position to find a great or even good offensive player at. It wasn't easy even 4-5 years ago and it's gotten much harder now. The Cubs best chance for one who's better next year is probably Aramis but that's far from from a guarantee.

I fully expect Aramis to finish this season around .810 - .820, even after his poor start. If we keep him, I'd expect him to be easily better than .750 again.

 

I know 3B production is way down this year, but I don't believe it would be THAT hard to find someone to post a .775 OPS there next year, which would be a significant upgrade over the current production of .745 from 2011 Aramis.

 

I'd have a hard time seeing Aramis get that high. He'd probably have to average between an .870 and a .900 OPS the rest of the way and while I think that's possible considering his age and the lack of power around the league I would think that would have to be unlikely.

 

As for next year, finding a guy who could post a .775+ OPS will probably be pretty easy. Finding a guy who will project to be that high will be difficult IMO.

[SouthSideRyan]

3B with a .785+ OPS in 2011, minimum 100 PA's: A-Rod, Euclis, Longoria, Beltre. The end.

 

EDIT: Betemit is 5th with a .759.

 

You must be looking at AL only. Ryan Roberts is at 819 and Chipper's at 790.

 

ETA: Blake, Wigginton, and Dobbs are all ahead of Betemit as well.

[Guest]

Why in the world would ESPN default to AL-only? Fascists.

[SouthSideRyan]

I'm more curious as to why you'd use ESPN to look up stats.

[Guancous]

Why in the world would ESPN default to AL-only? Fascists.

 

What league would you use if you only cared about the Yankees and Red Sox?

[Old Style]

I'd have a hard time seeing Aramis get that high.

Maybe he should hang out with Geo more often.

[Guest]

I guess Aramis' second half last season wasn't quite as good as I remembered, but it was still .847 after a first half OPS of .648. If he plays the rest of the season at a .847 clip, then he'd finish right around .800 for the year.

 

I guess my overall point still stands...if Aramis comes back, I'd expect him to post better than a .745 OPS for the season.

 

If Aramis doesn't come back, I see that he's ranked 13th among 3B with at least 100 at bats. However, this is an historically bad year for production out of third baseman that is not likely to be replicated. If I go back just one season, that .745 OPS would rank 24th among 3B with at least 100 AB and 21st among 3B with at least 250 AB. The numbers are about the same in 2009.

 

There are also notable injuries at the position this year to guys like Wright and Zimmerman.

 

I don't think it is all that difficult to expect to be able to find a 3B who could improve upon a .745 OPS in 2012.

[davell]

Ricketts just said he's got 100% confidence in Jim and Quade going forward. He sees Jim as someone who can lead us into the future. They'll maybe reassess things in the offseason.

 

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/chi-ricketts-says-hendry-and-quade-are-safe-20110615,0,2356555.story

[Radar3454]

never thought I would long for the days when the Trib owned the team

 

If Hendry is still GM next year I will be beyond pissed

 

I would be very happy if we hired the TB GM - Andrew Friedman - very different markets but if you can be successful in a small market against 2 very well run big market teams I like the chances of success in a big market

[Shilzzz]

boy i'm glad someone pointed out that boston really isn't that great of a front office, all things considered.

[KingKongvs.Godzilla]

I've always liked Ravech. I don't dislike Hendry as much as I used to, but the models we should be looking at (Boston and Toronto) are on point.

[KingKongvs.Godzilla]

Cripple seems strong.

yeah - HJL is the piece we're really going to end up missing. Archer may not ever really get control of his stuff. Guyer and Chirinos are mainly just guys (old guys at that).

 

It took a lot of the depth from the system and I would have loved to have Guyer on hand with the OF injuries we've had this year. But cripple seems too strong of a word.

 

Fair enough. The system certainly isn't at a point where it can handle the loss of 3 of their top 10 prospects.

 

I thought Archer was one of the more overrated prospects in baseball last year. He just walks too many guys for me to think TOR SP or even SP period. He showed better control at the High A level last year, but then went back to his 5+ BB/9 upon promotion to AA. He's doing it again this year.

 

I think the system is fine, and well on the way up. I also believe we just might be close to having the ammo for a Justin Upton or David Wright (some kind of young star player) if they were to actually be traded.

[jersey cubs fan]

I don't dislike Hendry as much as I used to,

 

That's weird. The crappier the results have gotten the less you dislike Hendry?

[Dallas Green]

Larkin in part 2 says Cubs have no leadership and questions Stone on Castro changing positions

 

http://www.chicagonow.com/blogs/cubs-insider/2011/06/interview-baseball-tonights-barry-larkin.html

[Post Count Padder]

Ricketts probably just said that for now. PR move. If the Cubs keep tanking, I can see changes this offseason.

[Sammy Sofa]

never thought I would long for the days when the Trib owned the team

 

Crazy talk.

 

And people are looking WAY too much into this. Of course the Ricketts are going to stand behind Hendry and Quade publicly right now when pressed.

[Backtobanks]

never thought I would long for the days when the Trib owned the team

 

Crazy talk.

 

And people are looking WAY too much into this. Of course the Ricketts are going to stand behind Hendry and Quade publicly right now when pressed.

 

Absolutely right. Ricketts either has to stand behind them right now or fire them. Since he has no intention of firing anybody now, he has to stand behind them. Also, he has to see who might be available and at what price before moving forward since he would have to absorb both contracts for next year.

[NOLA]

never thought I would long for the days when the Trib owned the team

 

Crazy talk.

 

And people are looking WAY too much into this. Of course the Ricketts are going to stand behind Hendry and Quade publicly right now when pressed.

 

Yep. The moment he even hints at questioning Quade and Hendry, it means that they are officially toast. Hell, they probably (hopefully) are anyway, but I doubt Ricketts wants this to play out in the press.

[NOLA]

Larkin in part 2 says Cubs have no leadership and questions Stone on Castro changing positions

 

http://www.chicagonow.com/blogs/cubs-insider/2011/06/interview-baseball-tonights-barry-larkin.html

 

Kind of a fluff article, but I agree with just about everything he said. Among them:

TL: Barry you are one of the best to ever play shortstop. Steve Stone says a position change (second or third base) could be in Starlin Castro's future. Have you had a chance to watch Castro and how do you feel about his long term future at short?

 

BL: It's too early to say that he would be moving to second or third base. It's interesting to see how and why people come up with these certain predictions.

[jersey cubs fan]

This was pretty nonsensical:

 

What is the biggest problem you have seen from watching these Cubs?

 

BL: Missing Marlon Byrd has really hurt the team. He is kind of that glue guy. I don't see the consistency or leadership.

 

He was there all last year and they sucked. He was here in the early part of this season and they sucked. His glueability and leadership skills are not what is missing. It's the lack of good baseball players that hurt this team.

[NOLA]

This was pretty nonsensical:

 

What is the biggest problem you have seen from watching these Cubs?

 

BL: Missing Marlon Byrd has really hurt the team. He is kind of that glue guy. I don't see the consistency or leadership.

 

He was there all last year and they sucked. He was here in the early part of this season and they sucked. His glueability and leadership skills are not what is missing. It's the lack of good baseball players that hurt this team.

 

No, I can't agree with that either. It has definitely been one problem, but certainly not the biggest problem. Players who can actually play baseball help.

[KingKongvs.Godzilla]

I don't dislike Hendry as much as I used to,

 

That's weird. The crappier the results have gotten the less you dislike Hendry?

 

I like what he's done as far as getting rid of older veterans and rebuilding the farm system. The Wilken hire was genius for/from an idiot.

 

While I generally think Hendry is a little too old school to be a GM nowadays, I do think he's setting this team up very nicely for post-2011. The farm system is on the up and up, the club is seeing some contracts go away, there's a young stud player at the ML level, there's "glue" veterans who'll still be around, there's a young pitcher in the rotation so that Z and Dempster doesn't go straight to Cashner/McNutt/whoever without a bridge player....

 

Also, my gut says that Hendry gives us a good chance to sign one of these 1B. It's probably just a kook theory, especially in this day and age where every theory is like that, but I do find myself believing it.

[NOLA]

I don't dislike Hendry as much as I used to,

 

That's weird. The crappier the results have gotten the less you dislike Hendry?

 

I like what he's done as far as getting rid of older veterans and rebuilding the farm system. The Wilken hire was genius for/from an idiot.

 

While I generally think Hendry is a little too old school to be a GM nowadays, I do think he's setting this team up very nicely for post-2011. The farm system is on the up and up, the club is seeing some contracts go away, there's a young stud player at the ML level, there's "glue" veterans who'll still be around, there's a young pitcher in the rotation so that Z and Dempster doesn't go straight to Cashner/McNutt/whoever without a bridge player....

 

Also, my gut says that Hendry gives us a good chance to sign one of these 1B. It's probably just a kook theory, especially in this day and age where every theory is like that, but I do find myself believing it.

 

You had me until "glue".

[TruffleShuffle]

hendry gives us a good chance to sign one of the 1b? money coming off the books plus the cubs playing in one of the largest metro areas in the u.s. gives the cubs a good chance to sign one of the 1b.