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MLB: Cubs' Inactivity

cycloneworld

cycloneworld

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Mar 20, 2006
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Urbandale, IA
It was mind blowing to me (and a lot of others) that the Cubs didn't move anyone except Fukadome at the trade deadline. It sounds like there was interest in Pena, Baker, Soto, and Aramis. And yet the Cubs do nothing. They have the 6th highest payroll and one of the worst records in the league.

And then I hear Tom Verducci on Dan Patrick this morning saying the Cubs were telling teams that they weren't going to move anyone for any price.

Makes no sense to me...
 
Would you rather them say that no one wants our overpaid old players. I bet they took the temperature of the market and when you compare Alphonso to Pence or Bourn there is no comparison.


When you get under bad contracts, its hard to move them. (See Jeff Suppan. The brewers ate $12MM worth of his contract because they got in a bad contract)
 
cycloneworld said:
It was mind blowing to me (and a lot of others) that the Cubs didn't move anyone except Fukadome at the trade deadline. It sounds like there was interest in Pena, Baker, Soto, and Aramis. And yet the Cubs do nothing. They have the 6th highest payroll and one of the worst records in the league.

And then I hear Tom Verducci on Dan Patrick this morning saying the Cubs were telling teams that they weren't going to move anyone for any price.

Makes no sense to me...
Click to expand...

It was reported on the MLB network this morning that the Pirates were interested in Pena, but had to go for D.Lee when the Cubs rebuffed them.
 
I'll give Hendry the benefit of the doubt that he couldn't find a sucker, er, taker for Soriano and Aramis wouldn't waive his no trade clause.

However, the fact that Jeff Baker is still on the team is a fireable offense IMO.
 
The Cubs are trying to avoid a complete rebuild. It's frustrating, but they cannot just empty the cupboards. There appears to be no prospects ready to move up, or push the starters at this time. Good article in the trib by Phil Rogers this morning pointing this out.

The off season should be very active. They are going to have to bite the bullet on Soriano, and add a pitcher.
 
ThatllDoCy said:
The Cubs are trying to avoid a complete rebuild. It's frustrating, but they cannot just empty the cupboards. There appears to be no prospects ready to move up, or push the starters at this time. Good article in the trib by Phil Rogers this morning pointing this out.

The off season should be very active. They are going to have to bite the bullet on Soriano, and add a pitcher.
Click to expand...

I think the pitcher they go after will have to be ace-quality. Dempster and Z just don't have it anymore on a consistent basis. Another Garza-like acquisition won't cut it.

They're going to have to do something for 1B too. I don't really see them resigning Pena. Is there honestly a chance Fielder will end up in Chicago? I can't even tell anymore. Either way, they need to sign someone there too.
 
They were discussing the Cubs this morning on the MLB network, and according to "insiders" the reason Hendry didn't want to go into Fire Sale mode (a la the Astros) is because they thought that would make the Cubs less attractive to a potential big free agent signing come the off season. So, I guess that can only mean that they are going to try and make a realistic play for Fielder or Pujols and don't want to appear as a club in rebuilding mode.
 
ThatllDoCy said:
The Cubs are trying to avoid a complete rebuild. It's frustrating, but they cannot just empty the cupboards. There appears to be no prospects ready to move up, or push the starters at this time. Good article in the trib by Phil Rogers this morning pointing this out.

The off season should be very active. They are going to have to bite the bullet on Soriano, and add a pitcher.
Click to expand...

I would much rather have a complete rebuild than be in the exact same situation next year.

And they will need to add a helluva lot more than a pitcher next year...they need about 3-4 BIG pieces to be competitive.
 
Sign Fielder and CJ Wilson in the off season and I'll forget all about what they didn't do at the deadline.
 
cycloneworld said:
It was mind blowing to me (and a lot of others) that the Cubs didn't move anyone except Fukadome at the trade deadline. It sounds like there was interest in Pena, Baker, Soto, and Aramis. And yet the Cubs do nothing. They have the 6th highest payroll and one of the worst records in the league.

And then I hear Tom Verducci on Dan Patrick this morning saying the Cubs were telling teams that they weren't going to move anyone for any price.

Makes no sense to me...
Click to expand...


It seems like teams are much more protective of their prospects in today's game. I'm guessing that Hendry tried to move all of the players mentioned above, but if the other teams were insisting that the Cubs pay 80%+ of the remaining salary, and the Cubs were only going to get low-rated prospects in return, there isn't really any reason to do a deal just for the sake of doing a deal.
 
Jayson Stark said it best.
Chicago Cubs

chc.gif
We heard from enough Cubs fans this month to know exactly what they were hoping this deadline would bring -- an Everything Must Go closeout sale. On Alfonso Soriano and his $18 million-a-year fizzle. On Carlos Zambrano and his $17.9 million shenanigans. On Aramis Ramirez and his $14.6 million home run-or-bust act.
Heck, these people even dreamed of watching the Cubs sell off guys they actually LIKE -- a Ryan Dempster or a Carlos Pena or even a Marlon Byrd -- just to change the mix and restart the engines.
Unfortunately, that was impossible. Between no-trade clauses, contracts that acted like no-trade clauses and low-energy under-performance from so many guys on this roster, the Cubs headed for the auction stand with almost nothing they could sell, other than Kosuke Fukudome. And once Fukudome was gone, that's exactly what they did get moved:
Nothing.
"Now that," said one scout, "is a deadline loser if I ever saw one."




GO CARDINALS!!
 
Mind-baffling, but not surprising. I would rather be in rebuild mode for a year or two (or three) than stuck with a ****** overpaid team for another year or two (or three). This team is not one or two pieces away from winning the division.
 
cycloneworld said:
I would much rather have a complete rebuild than be in the exact same situation next year.

And they will need to add a helluva lot more than a pitcher next year...they need about 3-4 BIG pieces to be competitive.
Click to expand...

If you add an ace with Garza, Dempster, Zambrano, Wells, Cashner that can be a good pitching corp.

If you add Prince Fielder for power. You have Fielder/Barney/Castro/Ramirez or Vitters/Jackson in the infield.

Then replace Soriano with Campana/platoon with Byrd and Colvin in the outfield.

Soto behind the plate.

That is a competitive team on paper anyway. This year was a potential .500 team with a lot of injuries. Not much they could do.

Really, they need better leadership. Someone to come in at president and challenge and direct Hendry. IMO he has too much power over the direction of the Club. We need a President with ideas, and BB savvy.
 
I look at Hendry as one of the old bumpkins on American Pickers. A couple guys come knocking on your door and say "Hey, we are looking for some old crap that you don't want anymore--we may have a use for it" (teams interested in Soriano, Big Z, ARam, etc.). So the guy says he's selling some stuff and lets the guys look around, and wouldn't you know it they pull out an old rusted sign amidst a bunch of other crap and want to deal ("We are interested in trading some prospects for Soriano if you pick up most of his contract"). This guy hasn't seen this old sign in years and it is of no use to him, but the guys can fix it up and make a profit (i.e. can DH in the AL). The old man thinks it over and says, "Nah, it means to much to me, I think I'll keep it." (i.e. let it hit 7th and bat .250 and play an awful left field).
 
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ThatllDoCy said:
If you add an ace with Garza, Dempster, Zambrano, Wells, Cashner that can be a good pitching corp.

If you add Prince Fielder for power. You have Fielder/Barney/Castro/Ramirez or Vitters/Jackson in the infield.

Then replace Soriano with Campana/platoon with Byrd and Colvin in the outfield.

Soto behind the plate.

That is a competitive team on paper anyway. This year was a potential .500 team with a lot of injuries. Not much they could do.

Really, they need better leadership. Someone to come in at president and challenge and direct Hendry. IMO he has too much power over the direction of the Club. We need a President with ideas, and BB savvy.
Click to expand...


Campana, Byrd, Colvin? That would be the worst outfield in the majors, at least until Colvin proves he can hit again. If Campana ever has a role greater than pinch-runner/defensive replacement, that to me would be unforgivable.
 
GoCubsGo said:
Campana, Byrd, Colvin? That would be the worst outfield in the majors, at least until Colvin proves he can hit again. If Campana ever has a role greater than pinch-runner/defensive replacement, that to me would be unforgivable.
Click to expand...

Agree. Fielder would provide instant power and I'd be very pleased with our 2-4 part of the lineup (although I think I'd like to see Barney try some leadoff). But Colvin and Campana simply aren't every day major leaguers. I'd be able to settle with Soriano, Byrd and a platoon at right of Colvin, Baker, Campana and Montanez.
 
For some reason, I get this terrible feeling that Hendry will stick around and decide to resign Carlos Pena to a 3 year deal instead of trying to get Pujols or Fielder. I swear, the man is delusional. Old players past their prime are NOT the answer, get a clue Cubs!
 
BCoffClone125 said:
For some reason, I get this terrible feeling that Hendry will stick around and decide to resign Carlos Pena to a 3 year deal instead of trying to get Pujols or Fielder. I swear, the man is delusional. Old players past their prime are NOT the answer, get a clue Cubs!
Click to expand...

Which, at least to me, seems like a reason not to go after Pujols. Not saying he doesn't have good years left, but not worth the risk of signing him to the deal he wants.
 
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