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Discussion: What’s Next For The Cubs?

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The Chicago Cubs haven't enjoyed the most inspiring offseason so far. Their efforts to deal Milton Bradley dragged on for weeks and ultimately resulted in the team taking on a contract even worse than Bradley's. They missed out to the Nationals on a potential bargain in Matt Capps, and signed John Grabow to a contract that Dave Cameron of Fangraphs called "a waste of cash." What exactly are the North Siders planning to do for an encore?

ESPN.com's latest Rumor Central update examines this question, naming the starting rotation, the bullpen, and center field as the three areas that the club will be looking to upgrade before the spring. The article speculates that the Cubs will choose either Marlon Byrd, Rick Ankiel, or Scott Podsednik for their outfield opening, and wonders if Joel Pineiro or Kelvim Escobar could be solutions for the rotation and bullpen, respectively.

One possibility for the Cubs, as Dave van Dyck of the Chicago Tribune points out, is filling out their bullpen with in-house candidates, such as Jeff Samardzija. This would allow the team a little more payroll flexibility, as they attempt to address their other needs.

With the rumor mill slowing down on Christmas Eve, we'll open this topic up for discussion. Will the Cubs salvage their offseason? Which of the team's needs would you like to see them make their top priority? And when the dust settles, which free agents do you expect to see wearing Cubs uniforms?

Mike Lowell’s Future In Boston

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5:04pm: Ken Rosenthal adds to the discussion, making the prediction that Lowell will never play another game for the Red Sox. He says Boston simply does not want Lowell to be their third baseman next year, citing the team's interest in Mark Teixeira last offseason, its moves to acquire Victor Martinez and Casey Kotchman, and its willingness to pay $9MM of Lowell's salary in a trade as evidence.

Rosenthal calls the situation "Julio Lugo all over again," with the notable exception that Lowell has, for the most part, been a very productive player for Boston, unlike Lugo. Still, the veteran infielder is owed $12MM and seemingly doesn't fit into Boston's plans anymore. And if you ask Rosenthal, the end result will be the same as it was with Lugo — a trade of Mike Lowell with the Sox picking up most of the tab.

1:38pm: John Tomase of the Boston Herald looks at what's next for Mike Lowell, now that the trade with Texas has been called off. Tomase notes the extreme respect that the Red Sox have for Lowell's heart and desire last season, playing through injuries to start 105 games and post a respectable .811 OPS.

Boston's biggest concern now is whether or not Lowell will be able to remain healthy and whether or not he will have the mobility to play defense. Lowell had been a consistently strong defender for Boston until last season, when his UZR/150 plummeted from a strong 15.6 in 2008 to an ugly -14.4.

Lowell could still be had at a fairly inexpensive price, as the Red Sox have already shown willingness to eat $9MM of the $12MM owed to him in 2010. The question, however, is whether or not the upside of his bat is worth the risk of his health. Lowell's torn thumb ligament has been described as "non-essential" by one baseball source, but it's only the latest on the list of issues that have shelved the Boston third baseman.

Does it make sense for Boston to hang onto Lowell and hope for the best in 2010, or should they still be actively shopping him? Given that the free agent market has numerous options at both corner infield spots, are there any teams that would make sense for the 36-year-old?

Discussion: Mariners’ Offseason

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It's been less than 15 months since Jack Zduriencik became general manager of the Mariners, but in that time he's transformed a 101-loss team (with a $100M payroll, no less) into a squad that's the early favorite to win the AL West in 2010. After adding Chone Figgins and Cliff Lee earlier this month, Zduriencik may have pulled off his greatest move today, when he turned the awful Carlos Silva into the potentially useful Milton Bradley.

Despite Zduriencik's wizardry, his club still has holes at first base, left field/designated hitter, and perhaps in the bullpen. They were in on Nick Johnson until the Yankees gobbled him up, and expressed interest in both Johnny Damon and Jason Bay. The latter two don't fit Jack Z.'s mold of pitching and defense, however.

Here's the list of available free agents, see any fits? What about Felipe Lopez, with Jose Lopez sliding over the first? Maybe a Reed Johnson–Gabe Gross platoon? Tell us what you think in the comments.

Discussion: Mets Offseason

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Earlier today Bart Hubbuch of the New York Post wrote that there is pressure on Omar Minaya after the Mets missed on Roy Halladay and John Lackey. The Mets have yet to make a significant move this offseason and Minaya spoke about the Mets plans. Minaya said that so far "the timing of the deals have not been there." He also confirmed that the Mets did make a trade offer for Halladay. 

Jeff Francoeur added that the offseason is not over and that the Mets "need three or four different pieces to make [the Mets] a playoff team."

Recently we have heard the Mets linked to Jason Bay, Fernando Rodney, Ryota Igarashi, Matt Capps, and Yorvit Torrealba.

With several of the big names already off the board, what do the Mets have to do this offseason to once again be a playoff contender? Let's hear your thoughts in the comments.

 

Discussion: Winter Meetings Winners & Losers

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Roy Halladay's still a Blue Jay. Jason Bay, Matt Holliday and John Lackey are still free agents. But lots of moves did take place this week in Indianapolis, so let's discuss: which teams are winners? Which teams are losers? And which teams are in between?

The Yankees signed Andy Pettitte and traded for Curtis Granderson. That makes them winners, right? The Dodgers didn't make any major moves and didn't obtain compensation for the loss of Randy Wolf: does this make them losers?

But what about the Astros? Yahoo's Steve Henson considers them a winner, but some people think the Brandon Lyon deal was a mistake. How about the Rangers? The Mariners? Let's hear about your 2009 Winter Meetings winners and losers in the comments section.

Discussion: Winter Meetings

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The 2009 edition of baseball's Winter Meetings officially start tomorrow in Indianapolis, however after attending last year's meetings in Las Vegas, I can assure you reporters are already staking out in the hallways trying to get their hands on any scoop possible.

As fans, the Winter Meetings are the zenith of the Hot Stove League, when most major trades and free agent signings will be made, or at the very least put into motion. As Peter Abraham reminds us, actual business gets addressed at the meetings as well. We really don't care about that stuff though, that's for someone else to worry about.

What do you folks want to see happen at the Winter Meetings this week? Are you hoping to see a big Roy Halladay deal? Matt Holliday or Jason Bay or John Lackey choose a new team? Maybe a smaller deal to help your favorite team shore up a weakness? Let us know in the comments.

Discussion: Carlos Delgado

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The last time Carlos Delgado hit the open market, he signed a $52MM deal with the Florida Marlins. Five offseasons later, Delgado's in line for a considerably smaller deal and the Marlins are expected to spend more conservatively. The Puerto Rican slugger is returning from hip surgery that may limit his ability to play the field. He'll face competition from free agent first basemen and designated hitters, most notably Adam LaRoche, Hideki Matsui and Vladimir Guerrero.

Delgado has been a slightly below average defender in recent years without being a major liability, according to UZR/150. He isn't the offensive force he was in the early part of the decade with the Blue Jays, but he recovered from a tough start to hit 38 homers and post an .871 OPS in his last full season, 2008. This year, he had a .914 OPS before getting hurt in May and he's now just 27 homers away from 500.

So if you cheer for one of the many teams that could use a first baseman or DH, would you want your club to add Delgado? He's never been much of a defender, is returning from hip surgery and turns 38 next season. But he shouldn't be too expensive and he can still hit. The Mariners, Orioles, Braves, Mets and D'Backs are among the teams that could fit. Do you want your team to sign Delgado?

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