Kosuke Fukudome Signs With Cubs

Welcome to the Cubs, K-Fuk.

4 Years, 50 Million.

Kos-K yay!

Time for Fucs and Bobosan to come get their medicine. I know they won't show up though.

Man, what an awful offseason for the White Sox. They are approaching Giants territory.

Congrats cubs fan, and yes i agree with a previous poster, I wish Harry Carey was still alive to pronounce his name during the season, and BTW, do you not think major league baseball will mandate this guy to wear his first name on teh back of his uni, you know, to prevent any future "goofs"

I know trob, Bedard is a stretch but I have a feeling about it. With the Hendry-McFail relationship I think it's not so far fetched if the Cubs are willing to pony up. Hell, we may even get Tejada thrown in the deal.

what the hell kind of comparison is a young, healthy, mark kotsay??!

Here's to the second coming of Kaz Matsui.

I think you're getting a little crazy with the trade ideas. I'd be very surprised if we got Tejada or Bedard and certainly not all 3. But this is great news.

Now all you Royals and Padres fans can eat your crow.

Well supposedly Bedard is going to the Dodgers soon in a block buster that is possibly going to be announced soon. If that's true then it won't matter. I don't see them getting Tejada anyway. They should get Roberts though. The deal for him would be Murton+Marshall+???(Not Pie, Soto, or Hill).

Here's the ESPN link...they don't have salary yet: http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3151060

Typepad sucks. They called this post spam.

2B Roberts
RF DeRosa
1B Lee
3B Ramirez
CF Fukudome
LF Soriano
SS Tejada
C Soto

Zambrano
Bedard
Lilly
Prior
Hill

Yeah, the cubs might get roberts, but the reds are about to get Bedard, so good luck against that!

"2B Roberts
RF DeRosa
1B Lee
3B Ramirez
CF Fukudome
LF Soriano
SS Tejada
C Soto"

If that lineup were to happen, and it wouldn't, DeRosa would be hitting 8th...

I'm waiting for the update that says he still hasn't made a decission to come to the cubs and a decission isn't expected for another 2 weeks.

The lineup will be

1. Soriano
2. Fukudome
3. Lee
4. Ramirez
5. DeRosa
6. Soto
7. The Riot
8. Pie

If we got Roberts, and thats still a big IF, it would probably be:

1. Soriano
2. Roberts
3. Lee
4. Fukudome
5. Ramirez
6. Soto
7. The Riot
8. Pie

Just my 2 cents, thats how I would bat them.

It's not that hard to construct logical lineups, just say that was our starting roster

it'd go

Soriano
Roberts
Lee
Ramirez
Fukudome
Tejada
Soto
DeRosa

or

Roberts
Fukudome
Lee
Ramirez
Soriano
Tejada
Soto
DeRosa

possibly switch Soto/DeRosa

DeRosa almost never hit in the 2 spot with last years lineup, if we added Fukudome/Roberts he'd never bat there.

This is a nice step in the right direction. Now, there's a big decision to be made by tomorrow midnight (i will not mention his name).

Tejada seems destined for elsewhere. Bedard may indeed be heading to the Reds...or not. Nobody had MCabrera and Willis going to the Tigers before it happened though, did they? Roberts seems to be a likely target now. Speed is what we need. This is in no way a knock on Mark DeRosa...I sure hope he don't take it that way.

Soto will surprise...he is going to be really good...and solidify the 6 hole all year.

Dodgers are NOT getting Bedard. Stop drooling over our young players!

Congrats to the Cubs and their fans for getting Fukudome. This helps Dodgers fans out tremendously, because it leaves the Giants and Padres in a likely bidding war for Aaron Rowand.

Fukudome will bat second with his high OBS and walks. He is left handed so he will help Soriano and Lee see some better picthes

If we get roberts then Fukudome will bat 5th

"Typepad sucks. They called this post spam."

That's because nothing you have to say is worth others reading.

Fuk off Arod. Seriously.

" "The deal for him would be Murton+Marshall+???(Not Pie, Soto, or Hill)."

Gallagher + Colvin + someone"

Yeah thats the other possible deal, just saying what I have heard.

"

Dodgers are NOT getting Bedard. Stop drooling over our young players!

Congrats to the Cubs and their fans for getting Fukudome. This helps Dodgers fans out tremendously, because it leaves the Giants and Padres in a likely bidding war for Aaron Rowand."

Yeah I also was just saying what I read on a Orioles Board, I didnt think I would have made the deal, the Dodgers have a really good young nucleus and they don't need to ship it out to be successful.

"This is a nice step in the right direction. Now, there's a big decision to be made by tomorrow midnight (i will not mention his name)."

Mark Prior...please take one more shot on him Cubs...PLEASE

"Yeah, the cubs might get roberts, but the reds are about to get Bedard, so good luck against that!"

And they still won't compete in the division, Bedard's arm will be dead by the end of the season thanks to our old Chicago favorite! DUSTY...lol, I am still wondering why..

The Cubs wouldn't bat Alfonso first if they got Roberts, Roberts is so much better then Soriano as a leadoff hitter, and Soriano's power would be more useful in the middle of the order, the whole "he bats better in the #1 spot" he is a good hitter he doesnt just forget how to hit if you put him 5th. He would be in between Kos-K and Rammy which would get him plenty of pitches to hit.

Order & Positions:
2B. Brian Roberts
SS. Mark DeRosa (if freakin Theriot can play short, so can Mark)
1B. Derrek Lee
3B. Aramis Ramirez
LF. Alfonso Soriano
RF. Kosuke Fukudome
C. Geovany Soto
CF. Felix Pie

If Pie starts to hit and Soto contiunes to play at even 80% of how he did at the end of last year then this lineup will be as deadly as any outside of NY or Detroit.

Pads fans, do you think there's any combo of Murton/Pie and a prospect or two that would pry Chris Young away? Maybe throw Prior in?

Oh my god Nancy....oh my god.

Tommy Callahan III....you big Tom Callahan's son? Good luck with those brake pads.

Don't bad mouth The Riot or else he'll haunt you in your dreams. 75%+ on stolen bases, plays much better D than he is given credit for plus he walks and does not K too much. Keep him at short and F Tejada. Let Lou use DeRosa as a super-sub like he did Mark McLemore in Seattle (coincidence his name is Mark?anybody? anybody?).

P.S. I AM Abe Frohman, the suasage king of Chicago.

Cubs fans better hope he is more like Ichiro than he is Kotsay.

Agree that since money is growing on trees it isn't a bad signing. I'm just really hesitant with Japanese players. It's real hit and miss. When you are paying a guy $12m/year you can't afford to miss much.

And can someone please tell me the wisdom of batting your best RBI guy (and one of your worst OBP guys) leadoff. You need a high OBP leadoff hitter. Let Soriano hit 3rd and enjoy the show.

I already know what's going to happen. Soriano will bat in the middle of the order the 1st month of the season and he'll struggle....because it's 20 degrees at Wrigley in April with the wind blowing in everyday. This will be attributed to Soriano not being 'comfortable' nor 'clutch'. I can see Mariotti, Rogers, and Morrissey typing their idiotic thoughts into articles already. Then, Soriano will got back to leadoff right around month 2 when he starts mashing and everyone will say...I told ya so!

Me and Theriot train with the same hitting coach and the guy is nice as heck but I just don't think he is anything better than a utility player, sorry.

I think the 'healthy Kotsay' comparisons are more attributed to his great defense. Peter Gammons always slobbed Kotsay's knob when it came to his defense.

"Oh, and Z is totally due for a breakdown, and I wouldn't be shocked if he's on that Mitchell Report too."

From Cubs.com

48 mil?? NICE work Hendry!

sorry...wrong quote. Cubs.com says its 4 years and 48 mil though...

i love the Chris Young trade scenario. Wonder how him and DLee would get along! We should bring Barret back too...Lots of excitement!

Teetz, I have to say thanks for all of your input into this site... it makes this Cubbies fan crack up out here in SoCali.
I think this is such great news for the Cubbies... I'm not too confident that Fuku is the answer to our dreams (aka is Dempster REALLY going to be a starter for us next season??? Geez... better run to Costco for an ample supply of Pepcid! I think we're headed in the right direction. I know people might think I'm crazy, but what's the consensus on going after both Roberts (Murton, Cedeno, and Patterson ) AND Figgins (DeRosa - 3B, Marshall, and Fuld)... Dreamin' about givin' Lou speed I guess. Happy Festivus everyone!

lol the one reason I hope Theriot develops into a good ML SS is that his legend status potential is pretty high, he will become an internet hero if the Cubs win the WS and he is the starting SS.

FUKUDOME t-shirt...available now at RIOTSHIRTS.COM!!!

If the Orioles are intent on getting rid of Tejada, Cedeno may make more sense than Colvin and I would do that deal in a heartbeat.

We can save Colvin for the Figgins deal, hehe.

Figgins will NOT be worth what they will ask for him. Dude, just give it up with him and Bedard...its just not happening.

It probably won't with the Fuk signing but you never know. Hendry has every reason to go ballz out here so don't be so sure that that which may have seem impossible to fathom two offseasons ago might not be much more likely this season. Chris Young? No. But Bedard or Tejada or Figgins? Who knows? It's fun to fantasize about it anyway.

good one darin..you going to be here all week? Seriously, I love the 5 year olds that come in (Cards\Sox\and other jealous fans) and say something stupid and jet. They contribute nothing to the thread, which probably mirrors what they contribute in life.

Great post Darin! Insightful, well thought out.

Does anybody know the latest on Prior?

Darin, that is quite a lucid, intelligent, well thought-out argument. Keep up the good work big guy.

Damn you guys are fast.

"Darin, go Fukudome yourself."

:D :D :D

You got to think Pie/Fukudome will add about 4-5 wins over Jacque/Floyd.

i wouldn't want to give up vitters either, but that may be what the O's are asking since roberts is such a favorite of Angelos. vitters could be traded as the "player to be named later"

above is all total speculation on my part...think i'll let it alone and just enjoy the fact that the cubs signed fukudome