The non waiver trading deadline of July 31st is rapidly approaching and their is much speculation about what the Cubs might do or not do to improve their up and down club. Obviously GM Jim Hendry would like to add a bat to improve a struggling offense but the first question that has to be answered is what bat do you target and where do you play him in the lineup?
In today's Chicago Tribune Cubs manager Lou Piniella talked about his team's need to add a left handed bat. Wasn't that what the Cubs set out to do last winter when they dramatically reshaped their roster to clear enough salary space to add Milton Bradley? Here is the cold reality: White Sox rookie Gordon Beckham who made his major league debut on June 4th has 2 more RBI's than Bradley entering play today. Cubs outfielder Micah Hoffpauir has 5 more RBI's in 53 less at bats than the 10 million dollar man and 2B Mike Fontenot has 8 more RBI's than the left handed run producer the Cubs added last winter.
Bradley has been nothing short of brutal at the plate but with 21 million dollars left on his contract after this season the Cubs are stuck with him. So if he can't be moved what options does Jim Hendry have to improve his team? The only positions that are open for discussion are either 2B where the available options include Pirates standout Freddy Sanchez who's contract status could be a problem with the ownership situation still unsettled. Sanchez is hitting .307 with 6 HR's and 34 RBI's and he has an OBP of .346. He is an excellent defensive second baseman and at age 31 he has plenty of baseball left in him.
However, Sanchez has an 8 million dollar club option for 2010 and after 2010 he will be a free agent which means that if you give up a lot to get him you need to get him signed to an extension at some point in the not too distant future. The price will be extremely high especially because the Pirates would prefer to trade him outside of the NL Central.
Other options for Hendry could be to improve his bullpen with a situational left-hander but the problem there is that the price is exorbitant for mediocre players. One guy that Hendry would love to bring in is Baltimore Orioles standout George Sherrill who can set up and close and is holding left handed hitters to a .125 batting average. However, former Cubs president Andy MacPhail is a notoriously tough guy to make a deal with as the Cubs can attest to in their failed attempt to land Brian Roberts last season. How much would you pay to land a left-hander who is not the final piece to winning a championship?
The only other spot that the Cubs can add a player is in center field but with 2 more years left on Kosuke Fukudome's deal at 26.5 million dollars the chances of him being moved are non existent unless the Cubs eat most of the salary. He has looked better since moving to the lead off spot but a punch and judy singles hitter for 48 million dollars was not what the Cubs envisioned when they signed the Japanese star.
Let's Talk About the Cubs and the Trade Deadline
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So go ahead and play GM and tell me what you would do to improve a talented but seriously flawed baseball team. The bullpen needs an upgrade, the offense needs a jolt, and if Soto can't come back for a while then another catcher is needed. That is an awful lot to have to add while trying to hang on to some of your best prospects.
Here is what I believe will happen after talking with several baseball sources who are well versed on the Cubs needs and desires. The Cubs will add a situational reliever and perhaps a bench type of bat. I do not believe that there will be any major acquisition because of the cost in players and dollars that would be required to add one. Take a look at the standings and you will see that there are really only 9 teams that are definitely out of the race. In the AL you have the Orioles, the Blue Jays, Kansas City, Cleveland, and Oakland.
In the NL you have Pittsburgh who is already in trade mode dealing Adam LaRoche to Boston earlier today as well as Washington, Arizona, and San Diego. Look at those rosters and it becomes apparent that there is not much to take a run at. You want Adam Dunn? Well, where are you going to play him? The Cubs are not going to bench Milton Bradley in the hopes of trading him next winter. In this economy the chances of moving Bradley, Fukudome, or Soriano's contracts is basically impossible. Plus, Dunn is owed another 12 million dollars for next season which the Cubs do not want to saddle a new owner with.
What about Roy Halladay you ask? Well, he is owed another 15.7 million dollars for 2010 after which he will become a free agent so you have to move quickly to sign him to a long term extension. Plus, to land him you would have to give Toronto five of your best young players which in the Cubs case would include Carlos Marmol, Sean Marshall, Josh Vitters, and who know what else they would ask for. Halladay is a superstar but he can't hit which remains the Cubs most glaring weakness.
Joe Beimel is a situational lefty pitching for the Nationals and he may be someone that Hendry can take a run at but those of you who are hoping for a major acquisition are probably going to end up very disappointed when you wake up on August 1st and realize that if the Cubs are going to make a run this season it will have to come from the players already on the roster.
Sweet Lou is signaling to his bosses that he needs some help for his struggling offense.
Here is what I believe will happen after talking with several baseball sources who are well versed on the Cubs needs and desires. The Cubs will add a situational reliever and perhaps a bench type of bat. I do not believe that there will be any major acquisition because of the cost in players and dollars that would be required to add one. Take a look at the standings and you will see that there are really only 9 teams that are definitely out of the race. In the AL you have the Orioles, the Blue Jays, Kansas City, Cleveland, and Oakland.
In the NL you have Pittsburgh who is already in trade mode dealing Adam LaRoche to Boston earlier today as well as Washington, Arizona, and San Diego. Look at those rosters and it becomes apparent that there is not much to take a run at. You want Adam Dunn? Well, where are you going to play him? The Cubs are not going to bench Milton Bradley in the hopes of trading him next winter. In this economy the chances of moving Bradley, Fukudome, or Soriano's contracts is basically impossible. Plus, Dunn is owed another 12 million dollars for next season which the Cubs do not want to saddle a new owner with.
What about Roy Halladay you ask? Well, he is owed another 15.7 million dollars for 2010 after which he will become a free agent so you have to move quickly to sign him to a long term extension. Plus, to land him you would have to give Toronto five of your best young players which in the Cubs case would include Carlos Marmol, Sean Marshall, Josh Vitters, and who know what else they would ask for. Halladay is a superstar but he can't hit which remains the Cubs most glaring weakness.
Joe Beimel is a situational lefty pitching for the Nationals and he may be someone that Hendry can take a run at but those of you who are hoping for a major acquisition are probably going to end up very disappointed when you wake up on August 1st and realize that if the Cubs are going to make a run this season it will have to come from the players already on the roster.
13 Comments
OrangeKrush said:
As far as catcher Kap, why isnt Chris Anderson(Triple A) an option? Just saw him in the AAA all-star game last week...
spraytanfan said:
How about starting with clearing out the dead weight? Can someone please explain to me why David Patton has not been sent back to Colorado?
GMAN 2009 said:
Trade Milton Bradley to the Tigers for Magglio Ordonez!!!
GMAN 2009 said:
Trade Milton Bradley to the Tigers for Magglio Ordonez!!!
MLBfan said:
First off, the Cubs will not be making a big trade. 2nd, I see the biggest need is to add another left handed pitcher to the pen. Whether that is someone like, Sherrill/Grabow or someone who can consistently get batters from both sides of the plate out, I'm not sure. I do know that the Cubs need to get Marshall some help in the pen. 3rd, I love watching Hill throw out potential base stealers. He is doing fine behind the plate. I'm not so concerned with his lack of hitting. Unless Geo is in Arizona getting in shape while rehabbing, I see Soto's fat ass as a bigger problem. 4th, maybe it was just me, but Milt looked a bit more relaxed today. If he turns it around great, otherwise, release his ass.
art said:
Kap,
first off we agree that Soriano is one of the worse outfielders ever....we also agree that Adam Dune is a statue in LF......we also agree that Fox is a professional hitter.....can Fox be any worse in LF then them 2?...NO....
2nd, weren't the orioles interested in fukudome 2 years ago?......
ok, they can do it with what they have...problem is Lou doesn't have the stones to do it.....bring up and play lead off man and CF Fuld, Fox in LF, Reed in RF, Sanchez at 2nd, trade Fukudome, Patton, Miles, Lou, Larry for Sherrill.....
if Fukudome is still here play him in RF, Reed in LF late in games for defense....
let's be honest, Soriano had a nice April (hitting), stunk in May, stunk in June, and for what he gets paid has stunk in July, sit him,
Bradley has stunk all year, sit him........
Cubs have to many streak hitters, that's why we can't win play off games, not because of needing more lefty hitting.....
did you notice the Phil's had 3 straight lefties in the line up......Lou wants to play the lefty, lefty righty, righty thing.....
Lou said it's the same old movie, who keeps playing the same old movie?..
change it, play a new movie....simple....with that you have speed, defense, hitting, pitching,
art said:
PS, bring up your best defensive catcher till Soto comes back...who ever made the decision to keep Hill and Fox as back up? silly move, one of many by Lou.....he's a nice guy but he's never sold me as a HOF manager......with Fox as back up Soriano stays in LF, Lou is smart but silly, stupid move..
jbhyannis said:
Carlos Marmol, Sean Marshall, Josh Vitters, and someone else? It would not take this much to get the Halladay deal done and it is laughable to even suggest it.
tom said:
Don't underestimate Jim Hendry,after all anyone who can trade Todd Hundley and his salary and get Grudzielanek and Karros in return when everyone thought it was impossible to unload Hundley
more than likely will pull off something.Hendry has had some lapses this past season but he always tries to make something happen.Some GM's are afraid to make controversial moves.At least Hendry tries
art said:
Kap,
Bradley throws a ball in the stands with 1 out, he stands there like a statue on the Theriot play, he's not in the game, he doesn't care, he is not happy here......
Lou does not like Bradley so he must go...
his career year was last year in Texas.....Texas would love to have him back.....they must have something we could use, make the trade.....get rid of his salary......
I'll think of a way to get rid of Soriano, lol.....kidding, no I'll try....
Nick V said:
Just thought I would leave Kaplan with a piece about the players acquired from Cleveland for DeRosa. Seems like Hendry actually did a good job...
"
Prior to the 2009 season, the Chicago Cubs traded infielder Mark DeRosa to the Cleveland Indians for three players that fell into the B- or C-level prospects category. DeRosa was then traded from Cleveland to St. Louis midway through the season when Cleveland fell out of the playoff hunt (for big-league reliever Chris Perez and a PTBNL). Let’s see how those three prospects from the initial trade are doing in the Chicago system.
Jeff Stevens: Stevens is the first player from the trio to have an impact at the MLB level for the Cubs. The right-handed reliever has yet to allow a run in four innings of work. In triple-A, he had a 2.18 ERA (3.03 FIP) with 25 hits allowed in 41.1 innings of work. Stevens could end up as a key arm in the bullpen as the club races for a playoff spot in 2009. ETA: Now
John Gaub: The southpaw began the year in double-A where he allowed 19 hits in 28.2 innings of work with a walk rate of 5.34 BB/9 but a strikeout rate of 12.56 K/9. Gaub, 24, has now allowed one hit in 5.2 triple-A innings, with three walks and four Ks. In his career, left-handers are hitting just .158 against him, so he could have a career as a LOOGY if he cannot sharpen his command and control. ETA: Mid 2010
Chris Archer: This 20-year-old right-hander has moved very slowly through minor league baseball, due mainly to his poor control. This season in low-A, Archer has allowed just 50 hits in 71.2 innings. He does, though, have a walk rate of 5.53 BB/9 and a strikeout rate of 10.93 K/9. He has the potential to be a quality starter, but if the control does not improve, he’ll end up as a middle reliever. ETA: Late 2011
In these types of trades, where you go for quantity over quality, you’re basically hoping to hit on one of the three prospects. All three players in this swap, though, have shown improvements since coming over to Chicago from Cleveland. This trade is a perfect (and rare) example of what can happen when a general manager executes a successful trade of a veteran player who has just one year left on his existing contract.
At best, DeRosa will go on the free agent market as a B-level free agent, which will earn the Indians Cardinals one supplemental first round draft pick in the 2010 draft, if DeRosa signs with another club (and St. Louis offers him arbitration). The trio of Stevens, Gaub and Archer is certainly worth much more than that."
Philg Knows said:
Dave, love the Blog
To answer your question , their so many questions surrouding this team and what parts to use with this years team and what key parts to use in a possible trade. Because i dont know the money situation in whole ,I would look at those teams whom would have those goods for which the Cubs would benefit.
The Baltimore Orioles have a lead-off hitter in Brian Roberts which would clearly fix the misalligned chemistry on the roster. With Brian most of our offensive issues for this year are answered. This club has the bats with the added Roberts.
Theriot and Roberts can bat 1,2 with Fukedome batting 7th.
This can also be manipulated but just changing fuke and roberts or roberts and theriot. The whole point is we now have bats 1-8 which are solid. Jake Fox could be used in a back up role to catch or play left. Lou could platoon Fox and Soriano or simply bringing up Fuld to be used in the middle innings of games for Soriano. We also have Sam Fuld whom can play in the 7th hole or again off the bench.
We can move Fonteanu, Vitters, Hart for Roberts.
Hendry and Mcfail have a relationship, let them work something out...
Their is also the morgan kid on the nats whom would fit in real good again in the OF. We can certainly trade some of our young prospects and some cash. Harden can even be tossed in their depending on how Lilly's MRI turns out.
For the Cubs to compete they need that one consistent lefty bat but not a power only bat. One other lefty reliever help as well. That is it...
its not real complicated.. simple lefty bat / bp pitcher
thxs
phil Gialluisi
cubswin000@aol.com
joethecubfan said:
Not only do we need a bat, we need pitching. But the dilemma as many have stated is "at what cost". And do we have the resources to give up to obtain talent at this juncture. Bradley is god awful and should be sent packing to the minors, and maybe we should just trade him at a loss for a decent tax write-off. Soriano is spotty at best but has been awful as well. Fukudome is starting to come around but is is too little too late? Ramirez comes back with a hurt shoulder and comes through even wincing in pain. Then we have pitchers who are hurting - a toe, a shoulder, etc.
The real issue is that over the past couple of years the Cubs have expanded their payroll to obtain star talent that has not worked out, and their is no one they can let go of at this point. Look, I think the world of Hendry, but this past winter he's failed us. Something has to change. Personally I believe July 31st will come and go, and we'll have to hope for the best with who we have.
How ironic is it that we are only a game out of first place.
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