Bryan LaHair to the Bigs

[dew1679666265]

outfield upgrades will have to wait. Even if they plan on spending big, it will be over a few years. I'd prefer to wait until Kemp or Ethier might be available instead of next years weak crop.

 

Exactly the reason why they shouldn't trade Byrd this offseason - it creates a hole needlessly that we'd have to spend more money to fill.

[Little Slide Rooter]

LaHairs at the point in his career where he's not playing out this month to earn a starting job, or even a guaranteed bench spot. He's playing to be taken seriously during Spring Training and the chance at a spot on the big league club, which guys like LaHair are never guaranteed no matter what they do in Spring Training.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

2011 MLB stats

 

LaHair 438/471/875

Pujols 297/368/547

Fielder 293/407/538

 

The choice is clear.

[CubColtPacer]

2011 MLB stats

 

LaHair 438/471/875

Pujols 297/368/547

Fielder 293/407/538

 

The choice is clear.

 

And that was before last night...now LaHair is at .500/.565/.950.

 

All kidding aside though, if the Cubs like his bat I think they have the luxury of keeping him on their bench next year. With Barney starting at 2nd, that makes keeping another backup SS unnecessary. Baker and DeWitt can backup pretty much every position besides SS, C, and CF. So you have a backup C, a backup CF (that could be Colvin, Campana, or a free agent), Baker, DeWitt, and that still leaves one bench spot. There's no real need for that to be another defensive backup so the Cubs can afford to put a bat in that spot, and if they think LaHair can put up a .750+ OPS he could be it.

[apete6]

2011 MLB stats

 

LaHair 438/471/875

Pujols 297/368/547

Fielder 293/407/538

 

The choice is clear.

 

And that was before last night...now LaHair is at .500/.565/.950.

 

All kidding aside though, if the Cubs like his bat I think they have the luxury of keeping him on their bench next year. With Barney starting at 2nd, that makes keeping another backup SS unnecessary. Baker and DeWitt can backup pretty much every position besides SS, C, and CF. So you have a backup C, a backup CF (that could be Colvin, Campana, or a free agent), Baker, DeWitt, and that still leaves one bench spot. There's no real need for that to be another defensive backup so the Cubs can afford to put a bat in that spot, and if they think LaHair can put up a .750+ OPS he could be it.

 

Cubs lineup next year if @thekapman created it:

 

Castro SS

Barney 2B

LaHair 1B

Byrd CF

Colvin RF

LeMahieu 3B

Jackson LF

Soto C

 

I'm pretty sure that team would lose 100 games. Only about 85 losses with the Phillies pitching staff.

[Sammy Sofa]

2011 MLB stats

 

LaHair 438/471/875

Pujols 297/368/547

Fielder 293/407/538

 

The choice is clear.

 

And that was before last night...now LaHair is at .500/.565/.950.

 

All kidding aside though, if the Cubs like his bat I think they have the luxury of keeping him on their bench next year. With Barney starting at 2nd, that makes keeping another backup SS unnecessary. Baker and DeWitt can backup pretty much every position besides SS, C, and CF. So you have a backup C, a backup CF (that could be Colvin, Campana, or a free agent), Baker, DeWitt, and that still leaves one bench spot. There's no real need for that to be another defensive backup so the Cubs can afford to put a bat in that spot, and if they think LaHair can put up a .750+ OPS he could be it.

 

Cubs lineup next year if @thekapman created it:

 

Castro SS

Barney 2B

LaHair 1B

Byrd CF

Colvin RF

LeMahieu 3B

Jackson LF

Soto C

 

I'm pretty sure that team would lose 100 games. Only about 85 losses with the Phillies pitching staff.

 

There's no way Kaplan wouldn't have Campana in CF instead of Byrd.

[Cubswin11]

2011 MLB stats

 

LaHair 438/471/875

Pujols 297/368/547

Fielder 293/407/538

 

The choice is clear.

 

And that was before last night...now LaHair is at .500/.565/.950.

 

All kidding aside though, if the Cubs like his bat I think they have the luxury of keeping him on their bench next year. With Barney starting at 2nd, that makes keeping another backup SS unnecessary. Baker and DeWitt can backup pretty much every position besides SS, C, and CF. So you have a backup C, a backup CF (that could be Colvin, Campana, or a free agent), Baker, DeWitt, and that still leaves one bench spot. There's no real need for that to be another defensive backup so the Cubs can afford to put a bat in that spot, and if they think LaHair can put up a .750+ OPS he could be it.

 

Cubs lineup next year if @thekapman created it:

 

Castro SS

Barney 2B

LaHair 1B

Byrd CF

Colvin RF

LeMahieu 3B

Jackson LF

Soto C

 

I'm pretty sure that team would lose 100 games. Only about 85 losses with the Phillies pitching staff.

That everyday lineup, with roughly the same pitching staff as this year, would honestly struggle to win 50-55 games. That team would be reaching historically bad levels. The scary thing is an everyday lineup involving most, if not all of, those players next year is not that far fetched IMO.

[Little Slide Rooter]

2011 MLB stats

 

LaHair 438/471/875

Pujols 297/368/547

Fielder 293/407/538

 

The choice is clear.

 

And that was before last night...now LaHair is at .500/.565/.950.

 

All kidding aside though, if the Cubs like his bat I think they have the luxury of keeping him on their bench next year. With Barney starting at 2nd, that makes keeping another backup SS unnecessary. Baker and DeWitt can backup pretty much every position besides SS, C, and CF. So you have a backup C, a backup CF (that could be Colvin, Campana, or a free agent), Baker, DeWitt, and that still leaves one bench spot. There's no real need for that to be another defensive backup so the Cubs can afford to put a bat in that spot, and if they think LaHair can put up a .750+ OPS he could be it.

 

Cubs lineup next year if @thekapman created it:

 

Castro SS

Barney 2B

LaHair 1B

Byrd CF

Colvin RF

LeMahieu 3B

Jackson LF

Soto C

 

I'm pretty sure that team would lose 100 games. Only about 85 losses with the Phillies pitching staff.

 

There's no way Kaplan wouldn't have Campana in CF instead of Byrd.

 

Soto would have been traded and Koyie Hill would be the starting C and 3 hitter with Chris Robinson as his backup.

[Little Slide Rooter]

Just out of curiosity, how does contract status work for guys like LaHair? Is he automatically a free agent, or a minor league free agent, or is he under team control?

[CubColtPacer]

Just out of curiosity, how does contract status work for guys like LaHair? Is he automatically a free agent, or a minor league free agent, or is he under team control?

 

If the Cubs keep him on their 40 man roster than he'll be under team control this winter. I can't quickly find if he used all his options with the Mariners (he used at least two) so I'm not sure if the Cubs would have the ability to option him to the minors next year or not or if he would have to stick on the major league roster.

[Little Slide Rooter]

Just out of curiosity, how does contract status work for guys like LaHair? Is he automatically a free agent, or a minor league free agent, or is he under team control?

 

If the Cubs keep him on their 40 man roster than he'll be under team control this winter. I can't quickly find if he used all his options with the Mariners (he used at least two) so I'm not sure if the Cubs would have the ability to option him to the minors next year or not or if he would have to stick on the major league roster.

 

Thanks. I don't think that an option would be necessary for LaHair. If on the team, hopefully he'd be a backup, and it wouldn't take them that long to decide if he's going to stick. If not, Bryan LaHairs are plentiful throughout AAA.

[Tryptamine]

God help us if he has a big first game. The meathead contingency will want us to lock him up for the next 5 years.

 

God [expletive] damn it, it's already started. This is going to end up giving me an aneurysm between now and next year.

[Little Slide Rooter]

God help us if he has a big first game. The meathead contingency will want us to lock him up for the next 5 years.

 

God [expletive] damn it, it's already started. This is going to end up giving me an aneurysm between now and next year.

 

[Bote McBoteface]

Time to lock him up. 5 years 150 mil.

[Little Slide Rooter]

Time to lock him up. 5 years 150 mil.

 

Full NTC, partial ownership.

[Outshined_One]

God help us if he has a big first game. The meathead contingency will want us to lock him up for the next 5 years.

 

God [expletive] damn it, it's already started. This is going to end up giving me an aneurysm between now and next year.

 

There have been some delightful posts on other Cubs websites about how Bryan LaHair should be starting at 1B next year if Fielder or Pujols aren't signed.

 

I'm hoping LaHair turns out great for the Cubs and all, but people are getting ridiculous over an eight game hot streak.

[Tryptamine]

God help us if he has a big first game. The meathead contingency will want us to lock him up for the next 5 years.

 

God [expletive] damn it, it's already started. This is going to end up giving me an aneurysm between now and next year.

 

 

Not here, thank god. People I know, other various sites, etc. This place is my where I come when I want to slam my face onto my desk after talking to other people about the Cubs. Even if Dave occasional makes me want to do it as well.

[Little Slide Rooter]

If there was anyone out there left who thought that a guy having his minor league breakthrough in his late 20's should be given consideration as anything other than a 4th outfielder for next year, they clearly forgot about Hoffpauir and Fox. I'm not going to lie through, I really thought we had something with Colvin last year do to his age and draft status.

[mul21]

If there was anyone out there left who thought that a guy having his minor league breakthrough in his late 20's should be given consideration as anything other than a 4th outfielder for next year, they clearly forgot about Hoffpauir and Fox. I'm not going to lie through, I really thought we had something with Colvin last year do to his age and draft status.

 

Outside of Ludwick with the Cards, and his problems were mostly injury related, there's really not much to indicate this might be real. Although, I'm not entirely familiar with what he actually did when he supposedly remade his swing. That's the only thing that gives me pause with him having some future potential, not that I even remotely expect him to be anything more than slightly above average long term.

[Little Slide Rooter]

Again, I really have no problem with Lahair on the bench, I see no harm in giving him a spot as a bench bat rather than pay for another Cliff Floyd. Worse that can happen is he sucks, and he's gone by June. I just can't imagine anyone wanting him as the starting 1B as a viable alternative to Fielder or Pujols.

[Guest]

Again, I really have no problem with Lahair on the bench, I see no harm in giving him a spot as a bench bat rather than pay for another Cliff Floyd. Worse that can happen is he sucks, and he's gone by June. I just can't imagine anyone wanting him as the starting 1B as a viable alternative to Fielder or Pujols.

 

Please, no more posts about LaHair. Let's just all agree he should be sent to a nice farm upstate and never heard from again once this season ends.

[Sammy Sofa]

I just can't imagine anyone wanting him as the starting 1B as a viable alternative to Fielder or Pujols.

 

Nice deflection, but we all know the truth.

[Little Slide Rooter]

Again, I really have no problem with Lahair on the bench, I see no harm in giving him a spot as a bench bat rather than pay for another Cliff Floyd. Worse that can happen is he sucks, and he's gone by June. I just can't imagine anyone wanting him as the starting 1B as a viable alternative to Fielder or Pujols.

 

Please, no more posts about LaHair. Let's just all agree he should be sent to a nice farm upstate and never heard from again once this season ends.

 

Man, you really hate the guy at a Jeff H level. Just out of curiosity, why? If he got a roster spot, he wouldn't really be taking it from an actual prospect, just someone like Colvin, Montanez, or a 38 year old journeyman. Remember, there was a time when we carried both Daryl Ward and Cliff Floyd. I believe Craig Monroe was on that same team for a little while. We can make room for a guy who might be a solid lefty off the bench.

[Sammy Sofa]

Remember, there was a time when we carried both Daryl Ward and Cliff Floyd.

 

Man, that year [expletive] sucked.

[KingKongvs.Godzilla]

Man, you really hate the guy at a Jeff H level. Just out of curiosity, why? If he got a roster spot, he wouldn't really be taking it from an actual prospect, just someone like Colvin, Montanez, or a 38 year old journeyman. Remember, there was a time when we carried both Daryl Ward and Cliff Floyd. I believe Craig Monroe was on that same team for a little while. We can make room for a guy who might be a solid lefty off the bench.

 

How is LaHair a prospect but Colvin isnt? Id take Colvin easily over Shelley Duncan/Micah H 2.0, terrible year be damned.