Is Bryan LaHair legit?

[Irrelevant Dude]

Now, the Cubs did play LaHair 14 games at right or left field last year. I neither remember him embarrassing nor distinguishing himself. If the Cubs think he can hack it in left, it'd make the most sense to play him and let Soriano sit. If the Cubs don't think he can hack it in left, you have to decide if trading him gives you more value than using him as a left handed ph. Given that the Cubs apparently weren't able to trade Pena for a box of used balls last year, the later might be the case.

I seem to remember some misplays in the outfield and I just don't see LaHair being an everyday outfielder. He is serviceable enough to fill in at a corner outfield position occasionally, but I think his deficiencies would become apparent if he were to play out there on a regular basis.

 

As for comparing his trade value to Pena, that is probably not a fair assessment. LaHair is younger, cheaper, and (if he keeps hitting anywhere near his current level) better.

[Guest]

You've got some pretty low standards for great.

[champaignchris]

I've melded Iowa City and Des Moines into one place in my mind. And really, can you blame me?

 

Next thing you guys are going to try to convince me that Burlington and Davenport aren't the same place.

[SouthSideRyan]

Next thing you're going to try to convince me that Burlington is an actual place.

[treebird]

The Rizzo issue is tied up with the LaHair issue. If Rizzo weren't destroying it down on the farm, there'd be no reason at all not to just let LaHair play it out and see what he can do. But as it is, sooner or later, there's simply not going to be any point in having the guy you envision being your first baseman for the next 10 years still down in Iowa City.

 

Now, the Cubs did play LaHair 14 games at right or left field last year. I neither remember him embarrassing nor distinguishing himself. If the Cubs think he can hack it in left, it'd make the most sense to play him and let Soriano sit. If the Cubs don't think he can hack it in left, you have to decide if trading him gives you more value than using him as a left handed ph. Given that the Cubs apparently weren't able to trade Pena for a box of used balls last year, the later might be the case.

 

I don't think there's ever been a reason to have Rizzo in Iowa City.

 

WHAT IF HE WANTS TO GET A BEER WITH DA TREE

[treebird]

Next thing you're going to try to convince me that Burlington is an actual place.

 

burlington has a cool bridge

[javy knows my name]

The Rizzo issue is tied up with the LaHair issue. If Rizzo weren't destroying it down on the farm, there'd be no reason at all not to just let LaHair play it out and see what he can do. But as it is, sooner or later, there's simply not going to be any point in having the guy you envision being your first baseman for the next 10 years still down in Iowa City.

 

Now, the Cubs did play LaHair 14 games at right or left field last year. I neither remember him embarrassing nor distinguishing himself. If the Cubs think he can hack it in left, it'd make the most sense to play him and let Soriano sit. If the Cubs don't think he can hack it in left, you have to decide if trading him gives you more value than using him as a left handed ph. Given that the Cubs apparently weren't able to trade Pena for a box of used balls last year, the later might be the case.

 

I don't think there's ever been a reason to have Rizzo in Iowa City.

 

You could say that about anyone.

 

Annnnnd [expletive] off.

[javy knows my name]

I've melded Iowa City and Des Moines into one place in my mind. And really, can you blame me?

 

Yeah, you shouldn't do that

[XZero771679666304]

1. Des Moines and IC are very different places

 

2. As much as I despise Iowa athletics, Iowa City is not a bad place. I'd take it over most of the other B1G towns, including UC, easily (granted I haven't been to UC in a long time).

[Old Style]

Next thing you're going to try to convince me that Burlington is an actual place.

 

burlington has a cool bridge

I like their coat factory.

[SouthSideRyan]

Next thing you're going to try to convince me that Burlington is an actual place.

 

burlington has a cool bridge

I like their coat factory.

 

If Burlington smells like their coat factory, then I find my opinion on it completely justified.

Edited April 26, 2012 by SouthSideRyan

[Little Slide Rooter]

Once Rizzo is ready, wouldn't the best bang for our buck be to platoon Soriano and LaHair in left? Traditionally, you don't want your 18 MM guy getting the short end of a platoon, but it's better than paying him 18 MM to play for the Orioles or Mariners while we get junk or nothing. We can say this until we're blue in the face, but until he's blocking someone or a better option becomes avaialble there's no benefit to running him out of town without a substantial return.

 

Soriano has always hit lefties well. The past 2 years he averaged .283/.344/.534 against them. LaHair is terrorizing rigthies to the tune of .394/.488/.758, and while it's not realistic to expect that, his career against rigthies is .304/.372./490 which is quite reasonable to expect. In theory, that would give us a .293/.358/.512 bat for the heart of the lineup, although I'm well aware that it would not necessarily turn out that way. The question is would the offense of the pair be enough to offset the defense?

[SouthSideRyan]

Then the LaHairiacs will spaz about him sitting vs lefties.

[bukie]

Then the LaHairiacs will spaz about him sitting vs lefties.

The LaHair-balls?

[Pushfrog98]

Then the LaHairiacs will spaz about him sitting vs lefties.

The LaHair-balls?

I prefer "The LaHairetics"

[Post Count Padder]

Once Rizzo is ready, wouldn't the best bang for our buck be to platoon Soriano and LaHair in left? Traditionally, you don't want your 18 MM guy getting the short end of a platoon, but it's better than paying him 18 MM to play for the Orioles or Mariners while we get junk or nothing. We can say this until we're blue in the face, but until he's blocking someone or a better option becomes avaialble there's no benefit to running him out of town without a substantial return.

 

Soriano has always hit lefties well. The past 2 years he averaged .283/.344/.534 against them. LaHair is terrorizing rigthies to the tune of .394/.488/.758, and while it's not realistic to expect that, his career against rigthies is .304/.372./490 which is quite reasonable to expect. In theory, that would give us a .293/.358/.512 bat for the heart of the lineup, although I'm well aware that it would not necessarily turn out that way. The question is would the offense of the pair be enough to offset the defense?

That defense would be grotesque. That also assume Soriano doesn't regress more and LaHair maintains his high BABIP. Would be better than some of the alternatives, I guess. Can also see the FO leaving Rizzo in AAA a few more months.

[Clem Fandango]

EDIT: Nevermind. I somehow managed to completely forget that Anthony Rizzo exists Edited April 26, 2012 by The Logan

[biittner77]

Once Rizzo is ready, wouldn't the best bang for our buck be to platoon Soriano and LaHair in left? Traditionally, you don't want your 18 MM guy getting the short end of a platoon, but it's better than paying him 18 MM to play for the Orioles or Mariners while we get junk or nothing. We can say this until we're blue in the face, but until he's blocking someone or a better option becomes avaialble there's no benefit to running him out of town without a substantial return.

 

Soriano has always hit lefties well. The past 2 years he averaged .283/.344/.534 against them. LaHair is terrorizing rigthies to the tune of .394/.488/.758, and while it's not realistic to expect that, his career against rigthies is .304/.372./490 which is quite reasonable to expect. In theory, that would give us a .293/.358/.512 bat for the heart of the lineup, although I'm well aware that it would not necessarily turn out that way. The question is would the offense of the pair be enough to offset the defense?

 

Maybe not a straight up platoon but splitting time seems like a viable option

[wastra]

I don't know if anyone is suggesting that the moment Rizzo gets the callup, we trade LaHair for garbage. But once Rizzo proves h'es ready to crush major league pitching too, if LaHair can bring value from a position we can trade from depth, you have to look at that.

 

Rizzo is going to get called up long before this club is seriously competing for the post season, so we'd be wasting a chance to POTENTIALLY get some long-term help for a shorter-term player if we kept LaHair and moved him to another position.

 

Eyes on the long-term rebuilding project...that's the prize. Hoping to squeeze a few more runs out of the lineup next year while sacrificing the opportunity to help us long-term is the wrong focus.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

No one is going to give you anything of value, ever, for Bryan LaHair.

[SouthSideRyan]

Then the LaHairiacs will spaz about him sitting vs lefties.

The LaHair-balls?

I prefer "The LaHairetics"

 

Those are the people led by TT.

[davearm2]

I don't know if anyone is suggesting that the moment Rizzo gets the callup, we trade LaHair for garbage. But once Rizzo proves h'es ready to crush major league pitching too, if LaHair can bring value from a position we can trade from depth, you have to look at that.

 

Rizzo is going to get called up long before this club is seriously competing for the post season, so we'd be wasting a chance to POTENTIALLY get some long-term help for a shorter-term player if we kept LaHair and moved him to another position.

 

Eyes on the long-term rebuilding project...that's the prize. Hoping to squeeze a few more runs out of the lineup next year while sacrificing the opportunity to help us long-term is the wrong focus.

Why is LaHair a shorter-term player?

 

If he turns into a pumpkin at some point in 2012, so be it. You can't get much for him in trade now anyway.

 

If he doesn't, the Cubs have many years of club control. Probably the same as Rizzo, in fact, although I haven't double-checked.

 

(And no need to remind me of each guy's age. It's irrelevant to the issue of years under team control.)

[Guest]

Considering how important the age related decline of first basemen was to you this offseason, I would think you'd need to be acutely aware that LaHair turns 30 this year when discussing their long term prospects.

[davearm2]

Considering how important the age related decline of first basemen was to you this offseason, I would think you'd need to be acutely aware that LaHair turns 30 this year when discussing their long term prospects.

Age related decline is a much more important consideration for guys getting $200M contracts than it is for guys that can be non-tendered pretty much whenever.

[javy knows my name]

Considering how important the age related decline of first basemen was to you this offseason, I would think you'd need to be acutely aware that LaHair turns 30 this year when discussing their long term prospects.

Age related decline is a much more important consideration for guys getting $200M contracts than it is for guys that can be non-tendered pretty much whenever.

 

Age-related decline is a much more important consideration for guys who were NEVER EVER EVER GOOD until their 29th birthday.