Offseason Outlook: Chicago Cubs

If the Cubs cannot extend their budget much this offseason, Akinori Iwamura (TB 2B/3B with $4mil+option) could definitely make sense for them as a back up to Aramis (played all but one mlb/npb season at third), leadoff hitter, and at 2B.

Not a cubs fan but I agree Iwamura would fit in nicely.

Akinori Iwamura he ould be nice but idk id rather see baker doing that role. But not leading off Theriot or Fuld should lead off

I don't think there is any way they can bring Bradley back. After what the players said about him and the mood in the clubhouse once he was suspended they'd be killing any hopes of good team chemistry. Bradley is a dark cloud hovering over them, even if the guy hits you know there are going to be some issues. One he dumped on the fans and organization and played the race card that was it, no turning back he has to go.
Who knows what the budget is going to be , they just spent over 800k a year for a hitting coach so I'm thinking they'll have some wiggle room to address problem areas.

I'm suprised that Hendry and Pinella still have a job on the North Side after this sub par season. Can't put all the blame on the signing of Milton Bradley (who has become Cubs fans new Billy Goat.) Soriano needs to step it up.. no more leadoff for this guy, maybe move him back to second. Let Rich Harden walk, don't want to invest your money into a pitcher who will strike out 10 or more batters, but only last 5-6 innings. Sign Doug Davis, who will eat innings up. Trade Bradley to the Rays for Pat Burrell.. or just cut your losses, and release him, then sign Bobby Abreu. Lots of work needs to be done. At the end of Spring Training though, Big Z will still be the ace, and Randy Wells will be No.2 man

Wrigleyterror37-
I agree with you about having Fuld and maybe even throwing Colvin, we have Fox and Hauffpauir that would be fine there too. All I was saying is that there is not several holes that need to be filled, only one or 2 at the most. We have good players internally that deserve a shot.

MPM-
Holes all over the field? I am not seeing it. 2nd base and maybe one outfield spot if/when we trade Bradley. We have planety of starters even the option to bring Harden back.

Posted by: uww1 | October 21, 2009 at 12:20 PM

uww1,

You aren't seeing it? How bout a trip to the eye doctor for a check up then? Cubs have no 2B, no RF, an average at best CF, which looks even worse considering how much they are paying him, a decent hitting ss, but below average fielder, a 1B while he had a great year, there is more reason to believe his numbers will go down then up this year, a catcher who we have no idea if he is more like his 08 or 09 stats or somewhere in the middle, a way overpaid LF, a 3B when healthy is great, but now has a shoulder problem,and at least right now with no competent backup, not much of a bench, one very overpaid sp (Dempster), and a closer who can't throw strikes. Other then that Hendry has done a great job with one of the biggest payrolls in the game, and has this team ready to contend for the World Series. Yes you need your eyes checked. Lenscrafters, Pearl Vision, which one would you like to go to?

Well based on Jim Hendry's moves, thoughts etc, if he were his cousin, wouldn't he be living in a fantasy world?

You know the world where it makes sense to sign Dempster to the amount of money he did, to not let Harden and Heilman be claimed when it was clear there was no chance this team was going to make the playoffs.

What about the "I love Milton Bradley's fire" quotes when he was getting suspended the first home game last year. or the let's trade for Kevin Gregg to be our closer and we will win the world series.

Yeah I would say uww1 is both Hendry's cousin and living in fantasy world. You can't be one without the other.

I stopped reading when he lopped D. Lee in with the "holes" all over the field.

Soriano needs to step it up.. no more leadoff for this guy, maybe move him back to second.

Posted by: andre14 | October 21, 2009 at 12:22 PM

Second in the batting order or move him back to 2nd base? If the Cubs were silly enough to play Soriano at 2nd all year, the Bucs may have an outside shot at finishing 5th in the NL Central this year!

$1M + Dontrelle Willis ($12M) + Nate Robertson ($10M) for Bradley ($21M)

After the last offseason it's hard to trust Hendry going into this one.

If the choices were mine to make I'd look into Wagner. It's hard to trust Marmol given his control problems this year.

Working it out with Bradley probably isn't an option, he may say the right things to get back on their good side but is there any doubt that he'll end up being a problem again? That should have been obvious before they signed him. What they get for him and how it affects payroll determines what else can be done.

Given that Bradley's defense wasn't the best anyway they might as well look for a Dunn/Abreu type for RF, short term contract. Lefty hitter who can mash and stays in the lineup.

Grabow is okay but I wouldn't spend too much on him. There are other options who'll cost less. I'd add a bullpen arm, left handed. Trade Bradley and find a hitter for RF. I'd look at trading prospects (Vitters while he still has value) for the RF replacement (Hawpe, Dunn) if free agents get too expensive. Obviously payroll can't be further hampered by a large, long contract. After that I'd look for a 2b upgrade if I could still afford it. Baker isn't likely to continue hitting as well as he has imo.

Figgins would be nice because he'd also fill the leadoff hole. Could he play RF? Fukodome could if Figgins played CF. Hard to see him fitting payroll, again, depending on what happens with Bradley.

In all there isn't going to be nearly as much movement as last year but if Hendry is smart he can definitely fix most of the problems.

The Cubs have holes at 2B, CF, RF (Fukudome is a 4th OF'er), back-up infielder that can play 3B, back end of the rotation and multiple bullpen spots. Yeah, I'd say that's holes all over the field and little to no payroll flexibility to address them all.

bwenger,

All you did was assume that pretty much every player would bounce back and have a better year, with no reasoning.

Soriano, Soto, and Bradley need to have good seasons for the Cubs to be a playoff team next season. Ramirez needs to stay healthy as well, and you can't just 'assume' all this is going to happen. That's a lot of question marks, and if they aren't in the midst of the playoff race in late September, there's gonna be some pissed Cubbie fans.

WS2009 - I base it off their careers....For example, Soto in 2008 vs Soto in 2009. Even if you believe 2008 was a career year, 2009 was a far cry from that. Based on 2007/2008 (Triple A stats and MLB stats) Soto should revert back to similar stats rather than 2009.

I agree there may not be a ton of statistical basis for this opinion, but based on the careers of most of the Cubs players, I think we can agree 2009 was a bad year for most (ie Soriano, Soto) or a shortened year (Aram).

"Soriano, Soto, and Bradley need to have good seasons for the Cubs to be a playoff team next season. Ramirez needs to stay healthy as well, and you can't just 'assume' all this is going to happen."

Soto is the main guy who should bounce back. He improved his walk rate, lowered his strikeout rate, increased his contact rate in spite of decreasing his swing rate, and went from having good luck in 2008 to awful luck in 2009.

Certainly, the drop in his line drive rate hurt his BABIP, but a drop from .337 to .251 in BABIP generally reflects a change in luck, and not a change in skill level, when the fluctuation is so great. He also saw his HR/FB ratio drop, and wasn't healthy enough to accumulate 400 PA this year.

I'm expecting Soto is improve, for sure.

Soriano, though, I'm a tad more concerned about. Pitchers realized that he depends on hitting fastballs to succeed, and just stopped throwing him so many fastballs. It appears that unless Soriano can make some major adjustments in his approach at the plate, he may never return to his previous level of production, like the consecutive 5.5 WAR seasons he posted in 2006 and 2007.

I define 'hole' as a position that needs to be upgraded. The Cubs have WS aspirations and a roster not even CLOSE to that level. Look at the 4 teams in the championship series'. Do you think the Cubs can compete with those teams with Jeff Baker at 2B?? Kosuke Fukudome in RF?? Zero infield or outfield depth. A weak backend of the rotation and a weak bullpen. Everyone can keep bringing up the 2008 but that team is long gone thanks to Jim Hendry.

Posted by: MPM | October 21, 2009 at 04:05 PM

If we are going strictly by position players The Phillies are light years ahead of the Cubs. Better at every position except for third base and probably catcher if we are looking long term. They also have a true ace which i don't believe the Cubs have (Sorry Zambrano isn't a true ace)

opening day 2010:

LF Fukudome
SS Theriot
1B Lee
3B Ramirez
RF Soriano
2B Baker
C Soto
CF Johnson
P Zambrano

opening day 2010:

LF Fukudome
SS Theriot
1B Lee
3B Ramirez
RF Soriano
2B Baker
C Soto
CF Johnson
P Zambrano

Posted by: 2HeadedBoy | October 21, 2009 at 04:28 PM

Good thing the Bears signed Cutler long term then. That lineup screams .500. Thank God for the Astros, and Pirates or that team starting lineup would lose close to 90 in any other division.

JDRF,

You're spot on about the Cubs having the dumbest fan base. You forgot to mention they are the most classless fan base too though. Whether it be throwing trash on the field, shouting racist comments at players, completely blaming a guy instead of a ss for not going to the world series, hanging a dead goat from a statute, or pouring beer on an opposing player, Cub fans prove year in and year out, they are completely stupid and classless.

For those who keep saying theriot is a average defender,i would say he has come a long way and is better then average...i just dont get why some insist he just an ok player....come on people give the kid his do,plays a good ss and also has been one the most reliable all around players the cubs have had the past couple years.and his bat has really come around...for me he is one of the most underated players in baseball.always plays hard and is a awesome teamate..reminds me much of ryno....different type of player but still many of the quality's ryno had.

You can't call the Cubs' fan base one of the dumbest, it's merely one of the largest, so the number of dumb Cub fans is large as well.

Some Cub fans are actually pretty knowledgeable once you get out of the bleachers, and you'd be silly to argue that the fans don't adore the team.

I'd rather go to a packed Wrigley with a couple of bad eggs than an empty stadium.

"Yeah Ryan Theriot reminds me of Ryne Sandberg alot too. They both have the same first name. Other then that I can't think of much else that Theriot reminds me of Sandberg, certainly not with his play on the field."

Aren't RYNE and RYAN different names? Do I have a reading disorder now or something? Do you?

977 fielding percentage is pretty damn good sandberg had a 988...yes i agree his range isn't the same i'm not say he is hall of fame material,all i'm saying is he is much better then people give him credit for,the way you here some talk about him it makes him sound like he is shagging balls on crutches....and furthermore the reference to ryno was more meant in the sense of being a good team player and upstanding guy.no he isn't Ozzie not even close,there is only one ozzy u won't ever see another like him or ryno for that matter don't take what i said so literal just referring to the fact he is much better then many make him sound.

I think the Cubs should stick with Fontenot, not Baker, Baker isnt a starter he only played in a limited role and Fontenot looked like god too when he was limited niether of them are starters. I like the idea of a platoon at 2B, RELEASE bradley, and have Fuld start at center. If the article is true on the cubs homepage that Castro can make the big league team by mid next season i say stay exactly where we're at and wait for Castro to come up, then move Theriot to 2nd, and trade either Baker or Fontenot after that.
Opening Day:
Fuld - CF
Theriot - SS
Lee - 1B
Ramirez - 3B
Fukudome - RF
Soriano - LF
Soto - C
Fontenot - 2B

After the All Star Break:
Fuld - CF
Theriot - 2B
Lee- 1B
Ramirez - 3B
Fukudome - RF
Soriano - LF
Soto - C
Castro - SS

I disagree with the thought that we have holes all over the field. Isn't this pretty much the same team that won more games in the NL that anyone else just 2 seasons ago?

Look, when you break it down, I don't think anyone can argue that other than 1B and maybe SS, we should see better numbers in 2010 at every position than 2009.

C - Soto should bounce back, at least a little.

1B - I would expect Lee to regress a little, based on career numbers. Still should have a solid season.

2B - Baker, Font, and Miles would have to perform better than Cubs 2nd baseman this year.

SS - Theriot was better in 2008 than 2009, but should fall somewhere in the middle

3B - Having Aram play all year will be a huge help

LF - I think we can all assume Soriano will bounce back at least a little bit. He was really bad this year.

CF - Having Reed Johnson to play vs LHP will help a bunch.

RF - Up in the air, but even in Bradley stays, I think the new hitting coach gets more out of him than he showed in 2009.

So, basically that should upgrade our offense without bringing someone in.

Posted by: bwenger6183 | October 21, 2009 at 02:24 PM

I need to be changed. I read this and laughed so hard I pissed my pants. Where do I start?

Bradley...he probably couldn't be much worse on the field, but he could be a bigger cancer in general after the year ended with him. When that happens I wouldn't bank on any type of positive contribution from him. Ok I lied, I guess he could be worse then this year on the field.

C and 1B-I'll agree with you on.

2B: Um those are the same guys that were here this year. Didn't the Cubs just make a mistake with Fontenot in thinking he could play everyday? Jeff Baker is a right handed version of Mike Fontenot.. problem is neither of them are good enough to start on a GOOD team.

SS- I'm not convinced Theriot will go back up offensively. He is horrible in the field.

3B- having Ramirez the whole year will help? Wow with insight like that, I'm surprised I haven't seen your name in the running for the Padres GM job?

LF: I'm not assuming Soriano will bounce back. He is over 30, possibly by more then we know. I think it's more likely Soriano breaks down and is hurt again then bounces back to his 08 form.

CF: I knew it!!!! We need Reed Johnson to play more!!!! I just hope I can get World Series tickets before they sell out.

RF: I already touched on Bradley.

Bullpen is still very much in the air. I'm not convinced Marmol can close or really anyone down there can fill their role. Signing Grabow that long is a horrible idea, but Hendry will do it.

SP: Dempster is average, but paid like an ace as he proved last year. Z-could be an ace, but I'm thinking more and more he needs a change of scenery or change of pitching coach for that to happen.

santo's as much i hate to i agree with you on most of what you said,Demp is fine for a 3 or 4 pitcher with the exceptions of a couple teams most can't afford to have 3 aces.Big Z needs to go now while he still has trade value.Bullpen sucks has for a while,don't even know where to start to fix it with so many holes.My biggest fear is hendry is so desperate to unload bradley he may throw in to much to unload him without having to pony up his salary....like vitters or something.Crazy as it sounds hendry has proven how stupid he really is.reed is fine as a 4th outfielder.The rest of the outfield is beyond a mess,what is it like about 50 million this coming year for 3 unproductive over paid underachievers,could it be any worse.

Re: Bradley, his time with the Cubs is over. Even his team mates dumped on him, especially guys like Dempster & Lee, who normally keep silent. He is history! Yes, the contract problem is a pain, but if the Cubs can't muster the money for Figgins, then Arron Rowland, who is Mr. Hustle and a great clubhouse guy. Yup, it's a 21 mill for 32 mill contract trade. Easy, get the Giants to pop for 8 or 9 mill. Giants already said they would make the trade, with no discussion of the money issue. Solvers the CF issue and moves Fuke back to RF where he belongs. Lead off man still an issue. Resign Harden!!!

P.P.S Send Fontenot back to the minors for a head adjustment. He's another Corey Patterson, a little guy who wants to hit HR's, get over it and be more of a contact type hitter, reduce SO's, hit for a better average and inprove On Base Percentage, especially in the clutch, or good bye.

I agree, dump Hendry and Miles, both pretty worthless. I am afraid Lou could also go with them. Looks like Lou's nuts have shrunk by letting Hendry telling him who to play....very ugly. Hendry says how great Lou is to work with...YUK, Lou the puppet, just waiting to suck out another year of paydays...and then retire, BS!!!!

Reality checks:

1. Other than the Phillies, the Cubs lineup can contend with any other NL team.

2. It's hard to imagine the team or GM having a worse 2010 than 2009.

While it would be great to add a SS with speed and defense (we missed out on Furcal), we did win 97 games with Theriot in 2008. So, add Figgins or as a second choice Hudson and put them at 2B.

Trade Bradley for Rowand.

Release Miles and do the other obvious minor moves.

Be patient, see what happens and wait to make the needed trade for additional pitching or a lefthanded hitter.

Figgins/Hudson
Theriot
May
Ramirez
Soriano
Rowand
Fukudome
Soto

That's not so bad. Add a lefthand hitter sometime during the season.

Zambrano
Lilly
Dempster
Wells
Marshall/Shark/Tommy

I think Z and Dempster will be better. Above average bullpen.

Wagner sounds good to me...I honestly wouldn't be upset about just doing that and heading into the season...maybe making a Fontenot swap for a lefty reliever.

Soto isn't that good. He's lazy behind the plate and the league found a ton holes in his awing.

milton bradley probably will end up in texas. Im thinking for some minor leaguers . I would not cry if the cubs traded zambrano for i dunno matt kemp . Id love to see Cliff Lee in cub pinstripes. In my opinion the best positioned fielder is chone figgins even though he had a terrible post season sign him and trade z to the dodgers for kemp and move soriano for as well. The cubs need mark derosa back too.Thecubs should go after granderson from det and throw in alfonso in that deal somehow but as for eyesore in left chone could be his replacement theres our everyday leftfielder and lead-off hitter 2 birds with one stone , now for this say good-bye to dlee for jake fox at 1st after next year. So this should be the '10 lineup: cf,granderson lf,figgins,1b,dlee,rf,fox,3b,ramierez ,2b derosa,c,soto,ss theriot,p,

Let me start off by saying i'm done with Fontenot. He got his shot and blew it big time however Jeff Baker is not a proven player and i'm not really willing to take a chance on him this year. Theriot has a decent bat; around a 300 BA but is an awful fielder, has no power and doesn't walk enough. All of this points to one thing- the need for a fresh, new 2B. Cincinnati is apparently willing to get rid of Brandon Phillips which I personally think would be a fantastic addition to the team. I also think that Granderson would be fantastic and is a realistic possibility. In a perfect world, we could also snag Figgins but if we get two of three, it would be amazing. Also, Starlin Castro is the real deal. Hes tearing it up in the AFL and is progressing at a nice level. I believe that if he was given the job as the starting SS, he would not disappoint. Here is my opening day lineup...

1. Curtis Granderson- CF
2. Brandon Phillips- 2B
3. Aramis Ramirez- 3B
4. Derrek Lee- 1B
5. Alfonso Soriano- LF
6. Kosuke Fukudome- RF
7. Starlin Castro- SS
8. Hill/Soto Platoon- C
9. Pitcher