Cubs Rumors: Hermida, Bradley, Roberts

If Furcal's price has dropped to something close to 4/40 wouldn't the Cubs be better off going down that road than trying to work a deal for Roberts?

Roberts will most likely end up costing more in salary (after this year) AND will cost you an arm and a leg in terms of talent.

This would then allow Soriano to slide down to the 4/5/6 slot, create a surplus of talent and an opportunity. You would now have the ability to move Theriot and/or Cedeno to try and find a good fit in CF/RF.

I agree i really don't want Ibanez either, i would stick to going after Dunn, Abreu, or Bradley. As for Roberts, he would be a great fit but with all the Peavy rumors i would rather use our trading chips for him, cuz if we got Peavy that would mean we most likely got rid of Marquis and i don't want to ever see him pitch in a cubs uniform ever again.

Hermida would be the best of the bench as long as he didn't cost much to get. Roberts, forget about it. No way the Cubs can get him at a fair price from that schmuck of an owner. Bradley is too much of a head case. Dunn, absolutely NOT. A lineup that included Lee, Dunn, and Soriano?! We'd easily lead all of baseball in strike outs! And his defense is TERRIBLE! Abreu would be perfect. At least his k:BB ratio is very good. He still gets on base a nice clip. Has okay power. And while his defense is nothing special, it is better then Dunn's and Ibanez's. I like Ibanez, but he had a career year last season. Seeing how Pinella loves him, I think that is the player we wind up with in right.

"What would really make this deal sweet is if the Cubs could somehow get Markakis involved in the trade."

Dream on. Markakis has more value than Roberts. A trade for Markakis would absolutely destroy the Cubs' farm system. Actually, I doubt they have the prospects.

""What would really make this deal sweet is if the Cubs could somehow get Markakis involved in the trade.""

What do the Cubs have that could get them Markakis?

Nothing. The Cubs farm system doesn't have the elite prospects needed to pry Markakis away.

Cubs should sign Abreu, Furcal (no picks) if they have the resources, then, trade prospects Marshall, Vitters and excess middle infield and corner outfield depth for peavy (he'll still be there)

Let's be honest, if peavy didn't have the NTC, cubs probably wouldn't be in the talks, but he does and they are

"What do the Cubs have that could get them Markakis?"

You people ripping the Cubs' trade chips do realize that the Cubs are the favorites to land a 27-YO Cy Young winner with a reasonable long-term contract, right?

Sure the circumstances there are unusual (and certainly favorable for the Cubs), but the point stands that what the Cubs have to sell is obviously worth more to actual GMs than it is to you cyber GMs.

And FWIW, we heard the same "Cubs don't have enough" story last year regarding Harden. Not only did that trade happen, but it included the Cubs getting Chad Gaudin as well.

Bottom line is you'd be foolish to rule out Hendry in just about any major trade. He might not have the talent other teams have, but unlike many of those other teams, they're all in play.

If the Cubs really wnated Hermida, maybe they should have expanded the Kevin Gregg deal. Instead they gave up their third best prospect for one year of an overrated reliever.

mmontice,

I agree with most of what you said...but other than Soriano and Marquis, I don't really see his "backloading" as really being an issue. We just have a lot of high priced players.

Outide of the ones already mentioned, Zambrano, Demspter, Ramirez, Fukudome and Lilly all have escalating contracts.

Lilly's goes up $5M between 2008 and 2009.

Fukudome's goes up $5.5M between 2008 and 2009.

Milton Bradley is a risk, but his contract will factor into that risk, hence why he'll be cheaper than Ibanez and Abreu. Bradley's "attitude problems" mean nothing. The Cubs have the depth to deal with any possible injuries Bradley may have. The guy is made of glass, but I don't see any other NL Central teams running away with the division if Bradley misses a month or two.

Zambrano:
09:$17.75M, 10:$17.875M, 11:$17.875M, 12:$18M, 13:$19.25M vesting

Hardly "backloaded"

Ramirez:
09:$15.65M, 10:$15.75M, 11:$14.6M player option, 12:$16M club option ($2M buyout)

Hardly "backloaded"

Dempster:
09:$8M (+ 4 mil signing bonus = $)12M, 10:$12.5M, 11:$13.5M, 12:$14M player option

Hardly backloaded

Fukudome:
08:$6M(+ $4M signing bonus = 10 mil), 09:$11.5M, 10:$13M, 11:$13.5M

There is a large difference between "backloaded" and escalating. Escalating is just fine, and actually smarter, because of inflation.

Lilly's is a big jump between last year and this one, but its still at least market value, and I'm sure the player feels better when he sees all the free agents out there signing huge contracts. When Garland is going to get 10 plus, Lilly deserves better. I think the players appreciate this, and I would probably do the same thing. Z's contract is the same way.

Soriano and Marquis are too much for me...but he had to overpay for Sori anyway. Marquis, well...there is no excuse for that.

Like I said, I wish it wasn't to the extent that it is...but I think Hendry gets much more critism than he deserves.

Thank you Aduncaroo for pointing out the difference between 'escalating' and 'backloaded'! (I don't say that sarcastically - there's a big difference and I think a lot of folks here use 'backloaded' as a blanket term.)

I do have to say regarding Jason Marquis - the guy is not NEARLY as bad as everyone makes him out to be. If you're a playoff contender do you want him in your top 3 starters? Of course not. But he stays healthy, eats innings, and will give you a stat line fairly close to the league average. When you have guys like Carlos Silva making $12 mil/yr, or a guy like Jon Garland, whose career numbers are almost identical to Marquis, poised to get a 3 year, $30-35 million dollar deal from someone, IMO Marquis is a very safe, low-risk, short term play for any team looking for an innings eater to fill out the back of their rotation. Especially given that the Cubs are willing to pick up 4 mil of the just under $10 mil he's making this year. Sorry, but if I'm a GM looking for a 4 or 5 starter, I'd much rather pay Jason Marquis $5.9 million to do it for a year than for over a long term deal for Jon Garland.

I think the O's will end up being the 3rd team in the Peavy deal. They are one of the few teams that make sense. McPhail knows the Cubs system (which is prob. why he wasn't bowled over with the Roberts deals last year b/c he knew EXACTLY what was being offered) and actually could have a use for some of the Cubs players. Pie not a huge need for the O's but given his age and the O's in rebuilding mode I think they would give him a fair shot. Cedeno could actually start for the O's, not that that is a huge accomplishment, but Cedeno could be a better option than Isturiz or Felipe Lopez. Even Marquis has value to the O's, not at $10 mil but at 6-7 mil why not. The O's really have an open competition for 3-4 spots in their rotation. They seem like they will bring in a Bryd or Wolf type of starter, Marquis (with the cubs chipping in) will come cheaper in years and money.

Now this is not to say I believe Roberts would be included in this deal. I don't think the Cubs have enough for Peavy and Roberts. Remember Pie=Olsen, who is needed for the Peavy deal. Cedeno and Marquis aren't even the start of a deal for Roberts. I think it will end up being something like Olsen and Brian Bass and maybe the Cubs only having to pay $2-3 mil instead of $4 million.

Since almost anyone we acquire to play right field would be poor defensively (Abreu, Ibanez, Dunn all suck defensively, especially in right), I'd take a chance on Bradley. He won't play good defense and he may be a head case, but the man can really hit!

And btw, the Cubs will NOT get Peavy.

"(Soriano, Fukudome, Zambrano, Ramirez all probably wouldn't have signed without it.)"

And almost all (except Ram) were bad signings!

There are rumours now that the Tribune (Cubs owner) is facing bankruptcy. I have to wonder what that mean in terms of the Cubs budget and ability to chase higher priced FAs.

If it is true I can't see any trustee being willing to permit the team to significantly increase its salary budget. rather the reverse actually. Perhaps Hendry is hoping to get things done before things get tighter.

Aduncaroo,

I do get a raise, but I don't sign a long-term contract.

If my company offered me more money up front, rather than a cost of living adjustment raise, I would be much happier. If these players were offered slightly more money up front instead of a slowly increasing contract, the time value of money would equal out, and they would have still accepted the deals.

Problem is Hendry was desperate to sign players under his budget constraints during those years, so he had to build in increases to their contracts in the later years instead of a flat contract with more money up front.

"If my company offered me more money up front, rather than a cost of living adjustment raise, I would be much happier."

Umm...considering inflation, the team is smart NOT to give them more money up front. Economically, its the smarter thing to do. Do you know anyone that has a frontloaded contract???

"whereas contracts have raises set in stone whether they perform well (Ramirez) or crap their pants (Zambrano~4.0 ERA)."

Hence the vesting option on their contracts.

Like I said from the beginning, Hendry probably does it too much, but he takes more abuse for it than he should.

Aduncaroo, your point about Hendry getting what he wants is irrelevant. What he ought to want is what we need. But now that he's got his contract, he doesn't need to prove anything to mgmt. He'll hold the line on finances because of fans like you who are content with being competitive, and gosh darn it, too bad we can't ever win the whole thing. We'll get 'em next year. That kind of loser mentality is what they'er selling and I'm not buying. We deserve to win it all after all these years of supporting this team and this team as currently constituted will not ever win it all. That's my point.

2 things first is I think some of these had escelatons due to the current owner wanting to sell the team. Pawn that off to the new owner. Remember Lee's contract was pretty straight forward.

Second. I am with A-Dun. I am against doing too much. yea the team choked 2 years on a row. Well to quote Pedro Cerano "Sorniano no hit curveball, bats are afraid". the guy chases garbage if you get a lead on him.

As for the rest.. some of it is nerves. so much pressure from us adoring fans to finally win this damn thing. 100 years last year. That had to play in to something. Dempster with 7 walks? The hitting? I just think that someone needs to go in the clubhouse and keep it light.

The Pen will be ok. Not great but ok. I just wish they get Wood back.

I am fine wtih what they have going foward. I would like to move Cedeno and a low level pitching prospect for Teahan, but its not going to happen. I would like to do something small for the Lefty Bat. forget Dunn/Bradley/Abreu... that will just be more bad money. Get a young guy. I am goign to say it again. Get Jason Kubel from the Twins. Not great but wont cost the farm and we can keep the peices for the trade deadline if necessary. Peavy would be GREAT but not if we lose Vitters and not if we cant move Marquis.

Marquis is not high on my list but as mentioned is a fine #4/5 guy for us. Soemtiems he pitches well. Last year he pitched ok down the stretch. He is hot cold but just over a 4 era will work for me.

Are the Cubs really crazy enough to give Milton Bradley a 3 year deal to play OF in a league with no DH? To me that just seems so crazy. They'll be lucky to get 300 AB from him in 2009.

"The Tribune Company filed for bankruptcy today, but the Cubs were not part of the filing."

I heard that report this morning and figured as much. The Cubs are the money maker under the Tribune umbrella. No suprise they are not included since that sale will happen in the next few months. How much is sold and who owns what percentage is yet to be known.

"What would really make this deal sweet is if the Cubs could somehow get Markakis involved in the trade."

Wow cub fans are you really all this delusional?

soxsider,

You are a real winner.

"And FWIW, we heard the same "Cubs don't have enough" story last year regarding Harden. Not only did that trade happen, but it included the Cubs getting Chad Gaudin as well."

uhm, there is a world of difference between Rich Harden (who has never been able to stay healthy) and Jake Peavy (who is in Cy Young contention every year). The Cubs gave up Gallagher, Patterson, Donaldson, and Murton for Harden and an injured Gaudin. That was a lot to give up for a much less relaible pitcher.

I am a die hard Cubs fan and must admit that their farm system is one of the worst in baseball. If they had the players to make a deal a deal would be done by now.

vitters is a good 2 years away. i suppose the cubs could take marshall out and i would still be happy with vitters for roberts straight up

Good Lord, Lou relies on the sportswriters for his scouting information?

Cubs might be able to save money by firing all their scouts and just keeping sportswriters on speeddial.

LOL! - melonis & devlsh

I agree Bravesfan, except I think Beane did the Harden deal for a lot of reasons, one being that he loved Gallagher more than most of the "scouts".

The Cubs left handed power bat is in-house, and his name is Micah Hoffpauir. Back to back ROYs for the Cubbies.

just out of curiosity - why not try and get Olsen and Huff from the o's? I wouldn't expect Huff to do 30+ hrs but 20-25 is reasonable - plus he can play 1B and in a pinch some 3B. How bad can he be as a RF'er? Pie/Cedeno/Marquis and 4mil might do it - maybe toss in a wuetz type BP guy. Gives us LH corner OF who if he doesn't pan out leaves at end of the year. If we can spin olden and farmsystem into Peavy all the better but I wouldn't mind keeping olsen around either

That last post was to the person who said Hoffpauir was our answer.

Hoffpauir is a 28 year old AAAA player. He'll be our pinch hitter. Hoffpauir is only OK. Only thing i know is he'll be better than Ward, or at least in my eyes. I hated Ward.

TMM: If Olsen=Pie, than you need a lot more than Cedeno who could be waived and Marquis who isn't wanted for Huff a 30 HR hitter. Now i'm not saying you would need to add Vitters but you would need at least 2 solid prospects (no not Donald Veal) to get Huff.

Aduncaroo: Really you still need to call him McFail b/c he is a better GM than Hendry??? Where exactly has McPhail, failed?? b/c he didn't trade Roberts for a bunch of players whose value decreased this year?? Look at the names that were thrown around last year, Veal, Pie, Cedeno, Marshall, Gallahger, Murton, Patterson. None of those guys had a great year a few had good years in the minors but all struggled in the majors. Roberts on the other hand had another All star year. Now which of those prospects would you trade a top-5 2B for?? Also you trying to equate the O's asking for Vitters for Roberts to the Cubs asking for Markakis isn't even close. Is vitters a very good prospect? Yes is he untouchable, (i.e. Heyward, Wieters, Price) not even close. He has not suceeded outside of Rookie ball. He is at least 3 if not 4 years away. Roberts is an all-star 2B and you need to give value to get value. Vitters is the only real value in the Cubs system, you can't blame O's fans or McPhail for that, but you can blame the FALIURE of Hendry.