Cubs "not motivated" to move Pena

[Guest]

I don't know if the likelihood of a change is any different whether the team wins 68 games or 62.

[SouthSideRyan]

I really don't want us to win more games and cost us in our draft slot for next season as a result.

ah, sorry, forgot that one.

 

Lose as many games as possible. This will improve the draft pick and maximize chances of a regime change.

 

I feel it's pretty damn unlikely we win enough games to make this season respectable so that's not a concern. Regarding draft position, meh it's a terrible draft next year, and we're talking what a max of 5 spots? I'd rather not go to Albert Pujols to convince him to leave his 80 win team to come to a 60 win team.

 

You have no concern about the potential for lack of regime change?

 

Winning 70 games isn't going to save Hendry's job.

[Tryptamine]

Well, how many 1st round picks are type A free agent protected? I'd be incredibly pissed if the Cubs played just well enough that they would lose their pick if they acquired a Fielder/Pujols.

[UMFan83]

I really don't want us to win more games and cost us in our draft slot for next season as a result.

 

Plus you know that will fool this [expletive] organization into believing we just got off to a poor start this year because of injuries, and we are so close to being awesome. Going even .500 over the rest of the season would be suicide for the 2012 season.

[KingCubsFan]

Well, how many 1st round picks are type A free agent protected? I'd be incredibly pissed if the Cubs played just well enough that they would lose their pick if they acquired a Fielder/Pujols.

That's not happening. It would almost be impossible to fall out of the top 15

[Guest]

Well, how many 1st round picks are type A free agent protected? I'd be incredibly pissed if the Cubs played just well enough that they would lose their pick if they acquired a Fielder/Pujols.

 

They're about 11 games and 14 teams away from that. It's not going to happen.

[SouthSideRyan]

I really don't want us to win more games and cost us in our draft slot for next season as a result.

 

Plus you know that will fool this [expletive] organization into believing we just got off to a poor start this year because of injuries, and we are so close to being awesome. Going even .500 over the rest of the season would be suicide for the 2012 season.

 

If Ricketts is dumb enough to buy into a 70-92 finish as being close to awesome then the franchise is screwed regardless.

[jersey cubs fan]

I really don't want us to win more games and cost us in our draft slot for next season as a result.

 

Plus you know that will fool this [expletive] organization into believing we just got off to a poor start this year because of injuries, and we are so close to being awesome. Going even .500 over the rest of the season would be suicide for the 2012 season.

 

If Ricketts is dumb enough to buy into a 70-92 finish as being close to awesome then the franchise is screwed regardless.

 

The fact that Ricketts was dumb enough to keep Hendry through the first three seasons of his ownership is already a bad sign.

 

70-92 would mean a 27-27 finish to the season, which could be portrayed by some as vindication that the only thing wrong with the team were unforeseen injuries early on.

 

If Hendry was a lock to be gone, he would already be gone.

[SouthSideRyan]

So Ricketts should've retroactively fired him before the 2009 season?

[jersey cubs fan]

So Ricketts should've retroactively fired him before the 2009 season?

 

He owned them in 2009. He could have fired him the day he took over. He should have fired him the first day of the offseason following that purchase and that fact that he didn't fire him last offseason raises huge doubts about his lack of dumbness.

[SouthSideRyan]

So Ricketts should've retroactively fired him before the 2009 season?

 

He owned them in 2009. He could have fired him the day he took over. He should have fired him the first day of the offseason following that purchase and that fact that he didn't fire him last offseason raises huge doubts about his lack of dumbness.

 

He became owner on October 27, 2009. He's kept him on for 2 seasons, and only this season is debatable as to whether he should have been retained.

[questionmarkgrace]

I really don't want us to win more games and cost us in our draft slot for next season as a result.

ah, sorry, forgot that one.

 

Lose as many games as possible. This will improve the draft pick and maximize chances of a regime change.

 

I feel it's pretty damn unlikely we win enough games to make this season respectable so that's not a concern. Regarding draft position, meh it's a terrible draft next year, and we're talking what a max of 5 spots? I'd rather not go to Albert Pujols to convince him to leave his 80 win team to come to a 60 win team.

 

You have no concern about the potential for lack of regime change?

 

Winning 70 games isn't going to save Hendry's job.

 

lets hope so. personally I thought if he was able to move soriano then Ricketts would for sure let him stay next year. I don't see how he lets him stay now but I guess stranger things have happened.

[Flames24Rulz]

I just don't want "injuries" become the scapegoat for a horrid season & a fundamentally flawed team.

 

Neither do I. Lose, lose, and lose some more.

[d_money]

Would anyone be opposed to snagging Wandy?

 

2011

 

Garza

Wandy

Dempster

Z

Cashner??

 

He would kind of be like having Lilly back with pretty much the same price tag to boot.

 

Do we have enough in the kitty to sign 2 of the following 3...?

 

Wainright - hits FA if the Cards don't excecise his $9M/$12M option

CC Sabathia - opts out of contract

CJ Wilson - FA

 

OK, I'll put down the crack pipe now.

[Sammy Sofa]

No, not if they also want to sign an impact bat.

[MSG T]

Would anyone be opposed to snagging Wandy?

 

2011

 

Garza

Wandy

Dempster

Z

Cashner??

 

He would kind of be like having Lilly back with pretty much the same price tag to boot.

 

Do we have enough in the kitty to sign 2 of the following 3...?

 

Wainright - hits FA if the Cards don't excecise his $9M/$12M option

CC Sabathia - opts out of contract

CJ Wilson - FA

 

OK, I'll put down the crack pipe now.

 

Probably, but are you sticking with the current offense/defense? Cause the team will still suck, it will just be low scoring suck. Losing games 3-2 instead of 6-4 won't help them get to 90 wins. They need help on offense as much as defense.

[d_money]

I know...

 

CC's set to make $24M next year. Who the hell can sign him for more? He's 30 and a workhorse. Seems reliable for a long term deal but that could paralyze a team other than NYY or BOS.

[Outshined_One]

I know...

 

CC's set to make $24M next year. Who the hell can sign him for more? He's 30 and a workhorse. Seems reliable for a long term deal but that could paralyze a team other than NYY or BOS.

 

It'd be pretty damn funny (and terrifying) if the Phillies signed him.

[Little Slide Rooter]

Would anyone be opposed to snagging Wandy?

 

2011

 

Garza

Wandy

Dempster

Z

Cashner??

 

He would kind of be like having Lilly back with pretty much the same price tag to boot.

 

Do we have enough in the kitty to sign 2 of the following 3...?

 

Wainright - hits FA if the Cards don't excecise his $9M/$12M option

CC Sabathia - opts out of contract

CJ Wilson - FA

 

OK, I'll put down the crack pipe now.

 

Probably, but are you sticking with the current offense/defense? Cause the team will still suck, it will just be low scoring suck. Losing games 3-2 instead of 6-4 won't help them get to 90 wins. They need help on offense as much as defense.

 

I dont know, if we had a rotation of 2 of those 3, plus Garza, Demp, and Z, it could make up for the offense. Look at the Giants. Obviously, their park is a huge factor, but that rotation would be pretty tough. The offense would probably line up like: Jackson CF, Castro SS, Byrd RF, Pena 1B, Soto C, Soriano LF, Baker/Flaherty/whatever 3B, Barney 2B, which may look awful, but if they could generate 3-4 runs per game, that might be all they need.

[dew1679666265]

No matter what we do in FA this offseason, one thing we must do is platoon Soriano and Colvin. That's the best chance to optimize Soriano's value the rest of his contract (.880s career OPS v lefties, .880s this year as well). It'll also help keep him healthier.

[Backtobanks]

No matter what we do in FA this offseason, one thing we must do is platoon Soriano and Colvin. That's the best chance to optimize Soriano's value the rest of his contract (.880s career OPS v lefties, .880s this year as well). It'll also help keep him healthier.

 

Sounds like a decent plan assuming Colvin starts to show anything. Right now he's hopeless.

[dew1679666265]

No matter what we do in FA this offseason, one thing we must do is platoon Soriano and Colvin. That's the best chance to optimize Soriano's value the rest of his contract (.880s career OPS v lefties, .880s this year as well). It'll also help keep him healthier.

 

Sounds like a decent plan assuming Colvin starts to show anything. Right now he's hopeless.

 

Yeah, part of that plan is assuming the Colvin we've seen this year isn't anywhere close to the Colvin we can expect going forward. Long term I think he could potentially give us close to the .810 OPS he posted against righties in 2010.

 

If he doesn't show anything the rest of the year, however, we'd probably have to start looking at other options. The key is to get Soriano into a platoon to maximize his value.

[KingCubsFan]

No matter what we do in FA this offseason, one thing we must do is platoon Soriano and Colvin. That's the best chance to optimize Soriano's value the rest of his contract (.880s career OPS v lefties, .880s this year as well). It'll also help keep him healthier.

 

Sounds like a decent plan assuming Colvin starts to show anything. Right now he's hopeless.

 

Yeah, part of that plan is assuming the Colvin we've seen this year isn't anywhere close to the Colvin we can expect going forward. Long term I think he could potentially give us close to the .810 OPS he posted against righties in 2010.

 

If he doesn't show anything the rest of the year, however, we'd probably have to start looking at other options. The key is to get Soriano into a platoon to maximize his value.

I'd rather give him away to someone and pay all but a $1 million per year on his contract. Use Jeff Baker or Reed Johnson in a platoon if you have to, and use the $1 million saved every year to sign a good draft pick.

[dew1679666265]

I'd rather give him away to someone and pay all but a $1 million per year on his contract. Use Jeff Baker or Reed Johnson in a platoon if you have to, and use the $1 million saved every year to sign a good draft pick.

 

We may need Baker to platoon at third if we let Aramis go in the offseason. We also wouldn't see a defensive improvement (most likely) playing Baker in left over playing Soriano in left. Reed would definitely be a defensive upgrade in left over Soriano and probably be similar offensively, though I wonder how good a hitter he actually is at this point considering he's got a sky high BABIP this year.

[UMFan83]

Jonah Keri says the Cubs are the biggest losers in the trade deadline:

 

30. Chicago Cubs

 

The period leading up to the trade deadline boils down to a vast exercise of supply and demand. Every team in baseball, from loaded first-place clubs to the worst of the worst, has at least one useful relief pitcher … sometimes two or more. But not every contending team needs a relief pitcher, or has the stomach to give up useful prospects to get one. So we have to be realistic about some sellers' situations: You can't sell crap if no one wants your crap, even if it's pretty good crap. All this means you're going to read about a lot of teams that stood pat at the deadline. Some will be described with mild irritation, their lack of movement disappointing but somewhat understandable. One or two no-move clubs will actually earn praise for their patience.

 

The Chicago Cubs fall into exactly neither of those categories. Carlos Pena, Carlos Marmol, Marlon Byrd … Chicago reportedly had multiple opportunities to cash in veterans with little to no keeper value for younger talent. Yet other than the minor trade of Kosuke Fukudome for fringe prospects Abner Abreu (no relation to Bobby) and Carlton Smith (yes, he is related to both of them), the Cubs did nothing. Because being better than the Astros is apparently good enough.

 

Not to worry, though. Jim Hendry's got this.