The latest from Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports…
- On Saturday Rosenthal talked about the "consensus in the game is that the Cubs need to show progress for GM Jim Hendry to keep his job beyond this season." Rosenthal, however, feels that the Ricketts family should extend Hendry, who in his estimation has built a team that is positioned to contend for the next several years. The club may have over $60MM to spend in 2012 salaries during the offseason, so the Cubs' GM, whoever it is, should be a major player in the free agent market.
- Rosenthal wonders whether the Indians will be willing to part with prospects for midseason reinforcements, having assembled much of their promising team through trades. Earlier this month, MLBTR's Ben Nicholson-Smith discussed the Indians' approach with GM Chris Antonetti.
- If the Diamondbacks want to acquire a pitcher, they're most likely to move Kelly Johnson according to Rosenthal. He feels that they'd be open to swapping Johnson for a starter "at a comparable salary and service level," though Johnson would need to start producing first. It's tough for me to identify a team positioned to swap a starter for Johnson, as well.
- Jered Weaver has the best stuff in the game, says Red Sox DH David Ortiz. Click here for my take on how much Weaver might earn in his 2012 contract year.
I wonder if the Indians and Cubs could work out a deal for Dempster or Zambrano. The Cubs aren’t contending this year, and the Indians could use a solid veteran in their rotation.
No I think we are fine as far as pitching goes IMO going forward with Masterson, Carmona, Tomlin, White + Carrasco, Talbot, Gomez w/ More #4 & 5 type starters at AAA like Huff, McAllister, and others I think we can live through the season without picking up a overpaid Vet pitcher.
They will be looking to add a power hitting righthanded bat or maybe even 2 to this roster if anything Weak spots right now is Kearns — Justin Germano & Chad Durbin
with Hagadone one of the key guys from the Victor martinez trade with Boston on the fast track and throwing in the upper 90’s there is talk he could be permoted from AA to fill one of the relief weaknesses.
You could see all needs filled from the AAA level IMO we have several guys top prospect taring it up there Kipnis, Phelps, Donald, Chisenhall could all be added at some point before the end of the season.
I can almost say w/o a doubt that the Indians are not going to acquire any big salary players.
a) I’m not sure they are convinced this is a team built to win a championship.
b) To give up a package of prospects it would have to be a pitcher that is relatively affordable, preferably sill under team control and therefor easy to trade if needed. Someone like Garza would’ve been perfect.
I would suggest that Jurrjens, Shields, J.Sanchez or A. Sanchez might be better targets because they have years left under control and because they can be flipped easily in the offseason if needed.
So because most of Hendry’s horrible contracts are set to expire over the next couple years, the Cubs should extend him and let him hand out more huge contracts? I agree that the Cubs will be able to contend over the next few years, but not because of anything Jim Hendry has done it’s only because of their payroll. It doesn’t take long to re-build when you are a big market team.
I don’t think anyone said Hendry should remain GM because contracts are expiring.
But they are only in a position to contend for the next several years because they are going to have alot of money to spend over the next couple years. And that money is going to be freed up from contracts expiring.
False, the core of the AA team will be ready by 2013.
They’re not in a position to contend for the next several years. The core of this team is old, slow, declining, and has horrible contracts. Next season they’ll need a 1b, 3b, RF, upgrades at SP, and RP. The kids are not ready to move up, and when they do they’ll have growing pains. This team is nowhere near being a contender in the next 2-3 years.
The core of the team is old? The old core is still there, and they’re old, yeah. But with Castro, Soto, Marmol, etc. they arguably already have a new core taking over right now.
Third base could be a problem, yeah. But 1B is one of the easiest positions to fill in baseball. As for OF, Jackson has a .949 OPS in AA, drawing walks in 20%+ of his plate appearances. And Szczur isn’t far behind.
They may or may not buy a SP next year. It will depend on how Cashner and company shake out this year.
Even assuming they did need everything on your list, they’d have $60MM to get it.
I think there are probably many, many baseball fans who’d cheerfully trade their entire roster for the Cubs’ under-30 stars and prospects and $60MM to spend. They’re nowhere near the sustained level of success of the other huge market teams, but can/will they contend in the NL Central during the next two years? Of course they can.
I agree that they can still contend. They are in the worst division in baseball. And the only veterans who look old right now are Ramirez and Dempster. Im excited about the younger players, like Castro and Barney.
Hendry should and will be fired. I could see Dempster to the Yanks. Sanberg should be GM. The Garza trade killed the future.
Chris Archer and Brandon Guyer were the future? You don’t know too much about the Cubs farm system. They have a surplus of outfielders, and seeing as Archer is projected as a back end of the bullpen guy, he was also expendable.
A response to rockfordone. Rockfordone…couldn’t agree more on Dempster to the Yanks. Been saying that since the season began. As for killing the future, the jury’s out on Archer and Lee. Fuld is get lucky and is in his late 20s, hardly the future. Chirinos is struggling at AAA. And Guyer…the Cubs have him…his name is Brett Jackson. And what about that future…so you’re saying Barney, Castro, Jackson, Vitters, Cashner, McNutt, and Carpenter aren’t the future. Boy, both your opinions are really headscratchers….I guess I’m in the camp with poster Mike H on Hendry. That being said, regardless what I think, is this club doesn’t finish above .500, the Ricketts will change GMs.
I, for one, hope they do extend Hendry…… but I’m a Cardinals fan. 😀
What about Kelly Johnson to the Phils for Joe Blanton? Phils can address their need for 2B/OF help and the slaries for this season are comparable as well, so it would be even, (I guess, I know I’m pushing it as a Phils fa, but thos could potentially work!)
The diamond backs would want some one younger.
Johnson is awful right now + Utley will be coming back fairly soon
Kelly Johnson is worthless at this point or until he shows that last season was not just a smoke and mirrors situation much like ” even a blind squirrel finds a nut every now and then”.
What I’m saying is Kelly Johnson is not worth any type of Quality starting pitcher young, vet or otherwise.
Orlando Cabrera in a slight slump right now with the indians IMO has more trade value at this point than Kelly Johnson, this is a key situation of not realizing that you had lightning in a bottle and should have trade said player before the lightnings glimmer has faded away.
spot f-ing on with your assessment of KJ!
I said all along Dbacks should have turned 2b over to Roberts before they signed KJ – and then once they knew they had a commodity with KJ, they should have swapped/dropped him like a hot potato mid season, or in the offseason – or even at the last whistle this spring training when Roberts was playing out of his mind…now they will be lucky to get a damn thing for KJ – or from him!
How about KJ for Kenshin Kawakami.
Dbacks should’ve sold high on Johnson when they had the chance.
I can’t see the dbacks getting a SP other than a Joe Saunders type. If that’s the case, why bother?
Jim Hendry is a genius … let the Soriano contract play itself out before you judge. The best is yet to come.
I dont know if I would call him a genius, but hes done a lot more for this franchise than he gets credit for. Everybody is obsessed with the negativity. Indeed, Cubs fans all seem to be fatalists. I cant help but think that all these negative vibes are keeping the Cubs from winning.
The biggest issue with the Cubs is 2012. Do they pick up Fielder for a ton of money and tell their fanbase they’re in it? Which to me necessitates a trade for another big offensive player to give Fielder protection. Or do they acquire other players via lesser trades, like Mike Napoli, to play 1b and 3b, not raiding the farm system so much? That’s the question for them. No, they’re not competing this year–they have very little run production.