Corner OF's should be left

[Ding Dong Johnson]

I do not see the corner OF positions as being areas in need of a major upgrade. After a horrendous start, Holly is finally hitting very well and Burnie has been playing better than most of us expected.

The obvious hole is CF. Adding a Kenny Lofton-esque player to plug in there and bat #1 would be a wise move. I like Walker, but if they can't re-sign him, he needs to be part of a package with Wood (yes, I said it) to Texas for Soriano. Ronny should be given a shot to play every day since Neifi is struggling so much, and let's not forget that Nomar may return in just under a month. Barrett's been in a funk, and he will come around. I have a feeling Aramis will get red hot and drive that average up to around .325 and drive in lots o' runs. I'm not even going to start on the pitching, but we all know who needs to stay and who needs to go.

 

Long story short, this team needs a minor jolt right now to get the juices flowing again. A modest winning streak now puts us in very good position to make a run at the wild card. I remember being within 2 games of .500 at the ASB in 2003, and we almost ended the drought then.

[wastra]

I think that it is a bad idea to accept "okay" from corner outfielders. You an accept "okay" production from positions like SS, Catcher, and even CF on occassion because generally, you expect a much smaller proportion of your team's offense to come from those positions. However, a below average corner outfielder is a significant drain on an offense because they SHOULD be counted upon to provide a huge percentage of your team's pop.

 

With that in mind, I think it is imminently more important to get at least league average production from both corners than it is to get league average production from a center fielder.

[nolanwood]

I dont think letting go of Wood should even be an option......

 

and Soriano's bad attitude can stay in Texas

[Ding Dong Johnson]

I think that it is a bad idea to accept "okay" from corner outfielders. You an accept "okay" production from positions like SS, Catcher, and even CF on occassion because generally, you expect a much smaller proportion of your team's offense to come from those positions. However, a below average corner outfielder is a significant drain on an offense because they SHOULD be counted upon to provide a huge percentage of your team's pop.

 

With that in mind, I think it is imminently more important to get at least league average production from both corners than it is to get league average production from a center fielder.

 

That's one of the biggest problems in baseball logic -- expecting certain positions to possess specific offensive traits. It simply does not matter where the pop in your lineup comes from as long as it is there. If you had a team of 8 Vince Colemans with a pitcher that could hit like Babe Ruth in there everyday, you could build a winning team. We have enough pop in the lineup, we need more guys to get on base. Holly is starting to do that regularly, and Burnie is already providing some of the pop.

[TB_11]

I think that it is a bad idea to accept "okay" from corner outfielders. You an accept "okay" production from positions like SS, Catcher, and even CF on occassion because generally, you expect a much smaller proportion of your team's offense to come from those positions. However, a below average corner outfielder is a significant drain on an offense because they SHOULD be counted upon to provide a huge percentage of your team's pop.

 

With that in mind, I think it is imminently more important to get at least league average production from both corners than it is to get league average production from a center fielder.

 

That's one of the biggest problems in baseball logic -- expecting certain positions to possess specific offensive traits. It simply does not matter where the pop in your lineup comes from as long as it is there. If you had a team of 8 Vince Colemans with a pitcher that could hit like Babe Ruth in there everyday, you could build a winning team. We have enough pop in the lineup, we need more guys to get on base. Holly is starting to do that regularly, and Burnie is already providing some of the pop.

 

I think the point is that if you're lacking some offensive power from your outfield, often that talent is available to be acquired, albeit often for a hefty price (like the Rockies wanting Cedeno as part of a deal for Preston freaking Wilson). At positions like 2B, SS, and catcher, there simply aren't enough players who provide strong offensive numbers from those positions. Upgrading to better offensive players is more difficult, so teams become more accepting of weaker offensive players at those positions.

 

It's true it doesn't matter where the offensive power comes from in your lineup. But it's easier to upgrade at certain positions than at others.

[soapy]

It might be reasonable to accept "okay" production from the corner OF if the Cubs were actually getting heavy production from positions that are not typically offensively productive (like SS, 2B, C, CF all of which have been mentioned) which the Cubs aren't. You are right to say that it doesn't really matter what position that production comes from, but the Cubs simply lack offensive production, period. No matter how you look at it.

 

It's typically mush easier to find available corner OFers who are productive rather than SS, CF and Catchers.

[Ding Dong Johnson]

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that the only hole is CF. I do believe it is the one weakness that has to be addressed now. I think that the production we are getting from Holly and Burnie right now is worth more than giving up on a lot of promising talent for someone like Kearns or Huff.

 

There is a major upgrade that can take place at SS now, and it is putting Cedeno in the lineup every day. Neifi is an offensive liability right now. If the kid can't handle it, Nomar should be back within the next few weeks, and we all know what a healthy Nomar can do.

 

The catcher upgrade will come. Barrett seems to be more streaky than normal this year and will turn it around. It seems as though he is very comfortable in that 8 spot, and I think he should be left there.

[goonys evil twin]

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that the only hole is CF. I do believe it is the one weakness that has to be addressed now. I think that the production we are getting from Holly and Burnie right now is worth more than giving up on a lot of promising talent for someone like Kearns or Huff.

 

The catcher upgrade will come. Barrett seems to be more streaky than normal this year and will turn it around. It seems as though he is very comfortable in that 8 spot, and I think he should be left there.

 

A couple spurts of productivity here and there shouldn't change the direction your team goes in for improvements. Holly and Burnitz don't even come close to fulfilling the team needs at corner OF.

 

What makes you think Barrett is comfortable in the 8 spot? If anything, it's the worst possible spot in the lineup for him. First off, at the bottom of the order, he's got some very bad OBP in front of him, and won't be able to take advantage of the main quality he provides, power. But perhaps more importantly is the fact that he's going to swing at everything anyway, so why put him in a spot where pitchers will not give him strikes? He is hitting .238/.279/.427 in the 8 spot. He's hit much better in the 50+ plate appearances in the 5 and 6 hole. I don't think Barrett is comfortable at all. I think he's perhaps the Cubs' most anxious hitter, even more than Patterson, who at least tries to take pitches from time to time.

[Ding Dong Johnson]

My bad, I was using the 10-key. I meant to say "comfortable in that 5 spot".

[Backtobanks]

And for how much longer does Holly stay hot? Holly is an excellent 4th OF/PH. He gets hot for 2 weeks and then collapses. That's one of the big problems the Cubs have; playing Perez & Holly as regulars when they're bit players. As for Burnitz, overall I think he has done a decent job and probably better than most of us expected. Actually, looking at most of the "saviors" that are mentioned in the trade rumors, most of what I see are .250 - .270 hitters and pitchers with 5 plus ERA's. I guess the GMs are hoping one of these guys gets hot for the last few months of the season.

[GaryWoods]

If you had a team of 8 Vince Colemans with a pitcher that could hit like Babe Ruth in there everyday, you could build a winning team. We have enough pop in the lineup, we need more guys to get on base.

 

Saying that we need 8 Vince Colemans and that we need guys who can get on base is an oxymoron. Coleman posted an OBP over .340 over a full season just once in his career.

[katway]

I don't think we need to trade for a a corner OF either because I think we have the answer in the organization... Matt Murton is the long term answer for Left Field. He doesn't have a lotta pop in his bat, but doesn't strike out much, gets on base, and is fairly athletic. At 23 years old with college experience, he should be ready for the majors this year. It's time to call him up and see what he can do.

 

I do agree that we need to trade Corey. I don't think he has much value other than an Austin Kearns or perhaps a quality middle relief pitcher. We have a tendancy to put much more stock in Corey than the teams around the league who view him as a sure out with a lot of unrealized potential.

[Evers2Tinker2Chance]

I don't think we need to trade for a a corner OF either because I think we have the answer in the organization... Matt Murton is the long term answer for Left Field. He doesn't have a lotta pop in his bat, but doesn't strike out much, gets on base, and is fairly athletic. At 23 years old with college experience, he should be ready for the majors this year. It's time to call him up and see what he can do.

 

I think that he needs to AT LEAST taste AAA. He may get a cup of coffe at the bigs as a September call up, but i really doubt that we see Muton this year.

[katway]

I don't think we need to trade for a a corner OF either because I think we have the answer in the organization... Matt Murton is the long term answer for Left Field. He doesn't have a lotta pop in his bat, but doesn't strike out much, gets on base, and is fairly athletic. At 23 years old with college experience, he should be ready for the majors this year. It's time to call him up and see what he can do.

 

I think that he needs to AT LEAST taste AAA. He may get a cup of coffe at the bigs as a September call up, but i really doubt that we see Muton this year.

 

AAA isn't what it used to be. Teams used to play their best up and coming minor leaguers at AAA, now they keep a lot of them at AA ball and use AAA as a practice squad team with the likes of Trenidad Hubbard and Ben Grieves getting at bats.

[GaborBako]

The Cubs get below league average production at all three outfield spots. All are in need of an upgrade and all three are likely to have different players in them next year than this. Hollandsworth's a free agent, Burnitz has a team option the Cubs are unlikely to pick up and Corey's played himself out of a spot. If you're going to replace them all, you might as well start looking right now.

[CubfaninCA]

Hopefully Brian Giles is in rf next year. He's an ideal Trib signee. A little past his prime, so he won't sign a long term expensive deal. Baker may not like him cause he's on base too much.

[frostwyrm]

Hollandsworth can't be relied upon to keep putting up his recent numbers, which is exactly he only makes $900K after a decade in the majors.

[neely crenshaw]

corey is struggling terribly but they main problem is that because of hendry's ofer picks corey is expected to be the main offensive threat. he ias expected to be beltran and pujols rolled into one. if he put up last years numbers with some production at one corner and short..we would be fine. he is very cheap right now. plays good d and has some production. if we had one stud corner of we could just set corey at 6th or 7th and let him play d and be inexpensive.