Cubs Sign Esteban German

Very solid signing. For those of us who look past one year, 95 OPS+ who can play most any position on the field is very solid. I hope he can make this team, I'd much rather have him than Miles.

Career .277/.358/.383? Sign me up.

Totally agree with the coop

Although I totally agree that giving away DeRosa was an awful move. The guy was underpaid and yet they still didn't receive good value for him.

One of the few moves that Hendry has made that I really truly hate.

I agree that this is a decent signing, with little to no risk.

I also hate the DeRosa trade, but apparently we had to do it to cut salary for Milton Bradley.

What this really signifies is that the Cubs are not comfortable with Miles/Fontenot playing 3rd when A-Ram is getting rest.

Yeah I really can't see German making the team unless Miles or Fontenot get hurt -- but he's certainly a great guy to have waiting in AAA as the 26th man.

"Yeah I really can't see German making the team unless Miles or Fontenot get hurt -- but he's certainly a great guy to have waiting in AAA as the 26th man."

That's exactly right. German is a good guy to have on the roster. He can play any position, he's a decent hitter, he can even bat leadoff in a pinch. He was the Royals' emergency catcher, too.

I'm a huge fan of the low risk, potential minor league signings. They are usually rediculously cheap and I live in Des Moines so it's kinda cool seeing these guys dominate the PCL. We may not have the greatest prospects coming up but Iowa is a pretty solid bench for Chicago...well, in my opinion. When I think about it being a good bench I just remember watching Soto, Theriot, and Samardija comin through. Oh and for people who think Hoff should miss out on the big leauges come to an I-cubs game and watch him punish these AAA pitchers...he's too good for AAA...I am a little nervous about the roster but I also think it has some solid potential to do big things. Not a lot of time to get this title before our core dies of old age lol Get'em cubbies!!!

I think that this will probably do it. German is the last piece of the puzzle that the cubs needed to put together a package to get Peavy. Everyone can go order their #44 pinstripe jerseys now.

On DeRosa- The Cubs wanted to get more left handed. Who are you going to move that did not have a NTC? Teetz is right. Fonteno projected better all around than DeRosa last year and is projected better numbers this year. Moving DeRosa cleared money for Bradley as well. I liked Dee-Ro as much as anyone. He is a professional, versitale and a good guy. Again, Hendry gave so many NTCs on the team that there are few moves he could make to get left handed (projected upgrade) and clear some money. Did he get enough for DeRosa? Tough to say for another few years. Right now, no. Since the Tribe took all of his contract...in his contract year, they were not going to get top tier talent back. I think you have to seperate DeRosa. On one hand Hendry did well by getting Fonteno more ABs and clearing money for yet another left handed bat. On the other hand, the DeRosa trade itself looks like a salary dump.

On Lee- I have not heard that rumor. I really doubt it to be true. Lou really likes Lee. It is known that Lou lets Lee handle clubhouse issues with guys and looks to him as the leader. Personally, I would not make the move only because I don't trust Hoffpauir (Hasselhoff) for full time at 1B. There is no other option right now. Besides, I think Lee is about right on salary for this year, though I have not looked. That being said, I am not one of those Cub fans who closes my eyes to Lee just because he is a nice guy. He really needs to step up his offense and drive the ball. I have been saying over a year now Lee is no longer the 3 hole hitter. His career year of '05 is long gone. His defense has slipped a little as well. He is still very good, just not a superstar.

Having watched him in KC over the last few years I can say this is a good MINOR LEAGUE contract.

He is a solid infield utility guy and has shown some flashes in the past of being a decent contact hitter.

Keep him in the infield. Don't think he can play LF like the Royals did last year.

But for those of you who say he has 'potential' I think you're missing the boat. He's 31. What you see is what you get.

does anyone not like how the cubs are signing all of the players the ROYALS are releasing? If they were not good enough for them why woulld they be good enough to make our team?

Hahahah Cubs picking up the Royals trash

"does anyone not like how the cubs are signing all of the players the ROYALS are releasing? If they were not good enough for them why woulld they be good enough to make our team?"

Ouch. That hurts. I mean...when a fan of a historically bad team says that it's painful...what with all the championships the Cubs have won in the last 100 years and all.

The Royals have been in two World Series in the last 30 years and won one. Do I have to Google the Cubs or can someone fill me in on the number of championships they had in that same window?

Esteban German? I say print the World Series tickets now! We did have someone (Mark DeRosa) who could play virtually everywhere (and who could actually hit) and who made virtually nothing ($5 million/year is nothing in baseball), but we gave him up for three worthless pitchers and then signed a couple replacements who CAN'T HIT A LICK and who make almost the same amount of money.

Can the management of the Cubs get any dumber?

1. Trade away all of the people we refused to give up last year for Roberts (including Ceda) and walked away with only Kevin Gregg, who lost his closers job with Florida last year. Ceda is projected to have a 3.41 ERA in the majors this year, which was better than Gregg's last year (and Ceda's a young rookie under 6 years of control!).

2. Trade away DeRosa (see above). Just plain stupid.

3. Let Wood go. I know he had some back problems, but he has those every year. He'll be fine. See how his leaving threw our entire bullpen into a meltdown?

4. Traded Rich Hill. He's going to win 13 games this year for a losing team, and he's a future 20 game winner. Write it down. But hey, at least we'll get whatever garbage they promised us in return, right?

5. Signing people like Paul Bako, Esteban German, and inviting a boat load of Neifi Perez impersonators to camp who CAN'T HIT AT ALL. Besides that, we also have a boat load of pitchers vying for bullpen spots who couldn't get me out.

6. Now we're going to promise to bat Fukudome in the 2nd hole before he even bats this spring? How about Fontenot? Why isn't Theriot (6th in the NL in AVG last year) leading off as well?

101 years and counting...keep up the great work, Hendry!