Cubs claim IF Adrian Cardenas off waivers, DFA Blake DeWitt

[Brett]

Not sure why we even tendered Dewitt a contract honestly. I guess it all comes full circle, in a way. I would have added Flaherty and cut Dewitt. Now, we add a different utility type without a real position. And Dewitt gets cut. I kind of like Cardenas, but his glove is pretty bad, right? Are we on the hook for Dewitt's 1.1, if he's not claimed?

 

If it was a big league deal, then we likely are on the hook. Completely forgot about that. I doubt anyone will claim him because if there was any interest we likely would have traded him. Anyone with any interest would likely wait until he's a free agent if he makes it through waivers and get him for cheaper.

 

We can still trade him after DFAing him. We'd owe him 1/6 of the contract if we outright release him

You have any idea what happens if we throw him in AAA? Does he keep his same contract? Or does he get some sort of minor league split?

 

He gets all $1.1 million.

[davell]

AZPhil explained it. Here's the deal: if he's put on outright waivers, the claiming team pays 20,000 and gets Dewitt at his 1.1 mill salary. He can refuse to be outrighted to the minors and become a FA immediately. In this case, Cubs owe him nothing. He can also dealy this until after 2012, in which he'd be paid his 1.1 mill salary at the minor league split level(if his contract has this provision). He would lose the ability to become a FA at the end of 2012, if he's added back to the 40 man at any point during the season. He would then be arb eligible for the 3rd time. If we release him, we owe him his full salary, minus whatever a team that signs him is willing to pay(probably a minor league deal, so we'd owe it all) if we release him and he DOES have a split deal, then we owe him 183,000, one sixth his salary. Most arb eligible players do NOT sign split contracts like this, but since Dewitt was a legit non tender candidate, it's very possible we signed him to one.

[MWV]

Piano skills are the new OBP.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

Plugging Cardenas into the ol' MLE calculator, his 2011 comes out to 271/318/353.

 

So, basically Dewitt with less power, but some "former top prospect" hope for improvement.

[Little Slide Rooter]

AZPhil explained it. Here's the deal: if he's put on outright waivers, the claiming team pays 20,000 and gets Dewitt at his 1.1 mill salary. He can refuse to be outrighted to the minors and become a FA immediately. In this case, Cubs owe him nothing. He can also dealy this until after 2012, in which he'd be paid his 1.1 mill salary at the minor league split level(if his contract has this provision). He would lose the ability to become a FA at the end of 2012, if he's added back to the 40 man at any point during the season. He would then be arb eligible for the 3rd time. If we release him, we owe him his full salary, minus whatever a team that signs him is willing to pay(probably a minor league deal, so we'd owe it all) if we release him and he DOES have a split deal, then we owe him 183,000, one sixth his salary. Most arb eligible players do NOT sign split contracts like this, but since Dewitt was a legit non tender candidate, it's very possible we signed him to one.

 

But as of now, it's the whole 10 days to trade, release, or outright, right? If so, I'd assume that he's being shopped as we speak. Logic says that if there was anyone interested that they would have traded him rather than DFA, but it could be that they wanted to open the spot for Cardenas immediately and decided to worry about what to do with Blake when the time comes. While afwul at 2nd, I've heard that he's a solid defender at 3rd, and some teams might view him as a potential upgrade over what they have or at least a super-sub.

 

From what I read from Goldstein, Cardenas has a decent hit tool but an awful defensive player at every position. Sounds like a slightly younger Blake DeWitt. He added that a DP combo of Castro and Cardenas would be an absolute nightmare.

[SouthSideRyan]

They had to open up the 40 man spot for Cardenas immediately.

[Little Slide Rooter]

They had to open up the 40 man spot for Cardenas immediately.

 

It says that he was DFAd January 26th, so they must have had some plans to claim him for at least a few days, so they should have had some time to shop him around. Then again, it could just be a placeholder thing, and they could be hoping to trade Byrd or Soriano and add DeWitt back if they were to trade one. Then again,one could argue that if they don't mind dumping someone that they just gave a >million dollar contract to, Reed Johnson would have been the better choice.

[jersey cubs fan]

So, why does anybody like this acquisition? Where's the benefit?

[Hairyducked Idiot]

So, why does anybody like this acquisition? Where's the benefit?

 

He's a worse version of DeWitt, but with that small chance that he suddenly lives up to his former top-100 prospect status. Everyone's getting boners lately for bad players who were in BA's 75-95 range four years ago.

[Sammy Sofa]

I really like the cut of the jib of this collection of scrappy young go-getters.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

OH GOD THIS IS HORRIBLE PLEASE SKIP TO THE HAPPY ENDING

[Guest]

So, why does anybody like this acquisition? Where's the benefit?

 

DeWitt is bad at everything, Cardenas might be good with the bat. We won't be needing a defensive sub on the middle infield, so a slight defensive downgrade isn't a big deal in order for potential offensive improvement.

[jersey cubs fan]

So, why does anybody like this acquisition? Where's the benefit?

 

DeWitt is bad at everything, Cardenas might be good with the bat. We won't be needing a defensive sub on the middle infield, so a slight defensive downgrade isn't a big deal in order for potential offensive improvement.

 

So, a pinch hitter? We're hoping he might not be a horrible pinch hitter?

[Little Slide Rooter]

So, why does anybody like this acquisition? Where's the benefit?

 

He's a worse version of DeWitt, but with that small chance that he suddenly lives up to his former top-100 prospect status. Everyone's getting boners lately for bad players who were in BA's 75-95 range four years ago.

 

The main benefit is that the risk is minimal compared to the reward. Teams do seem pretty gung ho about failed top prospects the past few years, and I like the idea of the low risk/high reward pick ups, but I think that Jim Abbott could count on his right hand the number of times that these ex 75-95 guys really panned out for the team that picked them up. I guess they figure that teams have had some luck with ex top 50 guys in recent years, so maybe the top 75-100 could work out too.

[sneakypower]

lol, look at gooney freaking the [expletive] out over a guy who'll probably end up at AAA

[KingCubsFan]

So, why does anybody like this acquisition? Where's the benefit?

 

He's a worse version of DeWitt, but with that small chance that he suddenly lives up to his former top-100 prospect status. Everyone's getting boners lately for bad players who were in BA's 75-95 range four years ago.

 

The main benefit is that the risk is minimal compared to the reward. Teams do seem pretty gung ho about failed top prospects the past few years, and I like the idea of the low risk/high reward pick ups, but I think that Jim Abbott could count on his right hand the number of times that these ex 75-95 guys really panned out for the team that picked them up. I guess they figure that teams have had some luck with ex top 50 guys in recent years, so maybe the top 75-100 could work out too.

You're not going to find stars in that range but guys like Marquis, Gorzelanny, Wily Mo Pena, Taylor Bucholz and Matt Belisle have all been pretty good pickups for at least one team.

[jersey cubs fan]

lol, look at gooney freaking the [expletive] out over a guy who'll probably end up at AAA

 

This was quite an idiotic statement. I'm not freaking out at all. I saw some people talking positively about the acquisition and I didn't know what the positives were. So I asked.

[RynoRules]

Meh. At least he has more upside than DeWitt.

[Little Slide Rooter]

So, why does anybody like this acquisition? Where's the benefit?

 

He's a worse version of DeWitt, but with that small chance that he suddenly lives up to his former top-100 prospect status. Everyone's getting boners lately for bad players who were in BA's 75-95 range four years ago.

 

The main benefit is that the risk is minimal compared to the reward. Teams do seem pretty gung ho about failed top prospects the past few years, and I like the idea of the low risk/high reward pick ups, but I think that Jim Abbott could count on his right hand the number of times that these ex 75-95 guys really panned out for the team that picked them up. I guess they figure that teams have had some luck with ex top 50 guys in recent years, so maybe the top 75-100 could work out too.

You're not going to find stars in that range but guys like Marquis, Gorzelanny, Wily Mo Pena, Taylor Bucholz and Matt Belisle have all been pretty good pickups for at least one team.

 

These are mostly guys who already had big league experience and some degree of success when acquired by a new team, as opposed to guys who were once top prospects but never made the majors, or had at most a cup of coffee. The first group describes most of our pickups(Volstad, Stewart, Sonnenstine) but the latter seem to be getting popular, which is the catargory that Cardenas falls into.

[davell]

To me, Cardenas has slightly more upside than Dewitt does. Of course, Dewitt actually has none. I'm willing to give Cardenas a shot, he may be a decent bat anyway. A pretty inconsequential move, in the end, that at best, gives us a decent backup middle infield bat. There is no downside, as far as I'm concerned, because Dewitt sucked.

[Little Slide Rooter]

To me, Cardenas has slightly more upside than Dewitt does. Of course, Dewitt actually has none. I'm willing to give Cardenas a shot, he may be a decent bat anyway. A pretty inconsequential move, in the end, that at best, gives us a decent backup middle infield bat. There is no downside, as far as I'm concerned, because Dewitt sucked.

 

DeWitts problem is even if he was able to hit a bit better, which I think he could he really has no defensive home. He's bad at 2nd, and at 3rd we have Stewart and hopefully Vitters eventually. The best thing that can really be said about Cardenas is that he has a higher ceiling than all of the AAAA middle infielders we've scraped up.

[sneakypower]

This was quite an idiotic statement. I'm not freaking out at all. I saw some people talking positively about the acquisition and I didn't know what the positives were. So I asked.

2Bs hit .260/.319/.388 last year; it's not hard at all to envision Cardenas being above average at the position, offensively

[Hairyducked Idiot]

This was quite an idiotic statement. I'm not freaking out at all. I saw some people talking positively about the acquisition and I didn't know what the positives were. So I asked.

2Bs hit .260/.319/.388 last year; it's not hard at all to envision Cardenas being above average at the position, offensively

 

 

I'm having a hard time imagining a .388 SLG out of Cardenas. A very hard time. The BA/OBP sounds about right, though.

[jersey cubs fan]

This was quite an idiotic statement. I'm not freaking out at all. I saw some people talking positively about the acquisition and I didn't know what the positives were. So I asked.

2Bs hit .260/.319/.388 last year; it's not hard at all to envision Cardenas being above average at the position, offensively

 

But if the reports of being an awful defender are true I can't imagine the benefit of playing a slightly above average hitter there.

[sneakypower]

2Bs hit .260/.319/.388 last year; it's not hard at all to envision Cardenas being above average at the position, offensively

I'm having a hard time imagining a .388 SLG out of Cardenas. A very hard time. The BA/OBP sounds about right, though.

he had a .780 ops in the minors while being young for his level most of the way; i think you're underselling his potential

 

But if the reports of being an awful defender are true I can't imagine the benefit of playing a slightly above average hitter there.

if he approaches his milb numbers, he'll be much more than a 'slightly above average hitter' for 2B

[Hairyducked Idiot]

he had a .780 ops in the minors while being young for his level most of the way; i think you're underselling his potential

 

And lately, most of that's come in the very homer-happy PCL.

 

You don't slug .418 in your third trip through the PCL and then only lose 30 points going to the majors.

 

I might be underselling the BA/OBP a bit, but the power is definitely not there.