As I welcome in 2009, I don't know what to think. I am confused. I am nervous. I don't know what to say. Nothing makes sense. So, here goes ...
- I think I am going to buy a Cleveland Indians hat tomorrow, or is it a "cap?"
- Neil once said that he wished Lou Piniella had 25 Mark DeRosa's ... now he has none.
- About less than 26 months ago, the Cubs signed Mark DeRosa and there was outrage among Cubs fans. "He's not worth that money." "He's coming off a career year."
- Two years ago, I could never have imagined feeling this much rage over the trade of Mark DeRosa.
- Bye, Heidi. It was ... spectacular. (Think Teri Hatcher on Seinfeld)
- Outrage does not describe my feeling about the Jason Marquis trade. Hey, he wasn't terrible. He bridged the gap here and there. I just always got the feeling that he thought he was better than he actually was. Just my opinion.
- So, we got a bunch of minor leaguers, freed up some salary and are well-positioned to sign ... Milton Bradley.
- Am I missing something here? Milton Bradley? I mean, Monopoly is a pretty sweet game, for an 8-year-old, but Milton Bradley!!!!!!!!!
- $30 million for MILTON BRADLEY. Just let that sink in.
- Milton Bradley tore his ACL while arguing with an umpire. I am sure he won't cause any issues on the field or in the clubhouse. He will be just fine. (In his defense, he was being restrained by the first-base coach during the argument and that led to the ACL tear.)
- But he still tore his ACL arguing with an umpire.
- Bradley excelled in the Texas. Have you ever been to that ballpark? I haven't played competitive baseball in 15 years. I may be able to hit one out there.
- In fact, Mark Teixeira has 180 million reasons to thank the Ballpark at Arlington or whatever the company sponsors call it now.
- Clearly, I am ecstatic about the Cubs offseason thus far.
- I think I am on an island by myself on this one, but when you sign a man to a 4 year, $44 million contract, you can't give up on him after one season.
- We are talking $74 million for a right field platoon. Again, just think about that.
- That might be more egregious than the Yankees spending more that the Domestic National Product of half of the countries in the world on 3 free agents. (That is a very loose guesstimate)
- On what planet is A.J Burnett worth $82 million? Is it the planet Melmac? (I miss ALF)
- Hey, just when I got nervous, the Cubs are about to go sign Paul Bako ... and TOTALLY REDEEM themselves.
- If Hendry parlays the three suspects, I mean prospects, from the Indians into either Jake Peavy or Brian Roberts, then I will be okay. Yes, I am a gullible, misguided fan sometimes.
- Someone, please tell me why I should be excited about Milton Bradley. Also, I am going to promise you all that I drive the "Milton Bradley board game joke" into the ground. So far into the ground. You just watch.
- $74 MILLION for a right-field platoon.
- And ... I am spent.
Feel free to contact me at brian@chicagocubsonline.com and until next time ...
Stay Classy Cubs Fans!!
You know that Mark Texeira just had 2 straight really good years outside of Arlington, right?
74 Mil for a RF Platoon? You don't know that Fukudome is moving to centerfield right? That would make it a 30 Million dollar RF only. Just wanted to point that out.
I loved having Derosa as an insurance policy. He was a nice guy to have when he filled in for Aramis, Soriano and when Fukudome stopped hitting. I admit, I am a Fontenot fan. I preffered to see Fontenot at 2b as the season went along especially against right handers.
Hey, I liked Mark DeRosa.
I really did, but I am not as torn up over this as most. The only thing that made him special is the fact that he was flexible position-wise and he may have been a "character guy" in the club house. He was not a game changing bat. His offensive numbers were only special as second baseman.
The past is the past, the future is now.
I like the Miles signing. He is what De-Ro was defensively maybe even better. His OBP over a full season should be real close to DeRosa and he should, with out a doubt, hit right handed pitching better. His splits are actually the same from both sides of the plate. What I like most about him is he will be motivated to play well. I think he felt shunned by the Cardinals and could be looking for payback. As a Cubs fan, you can't help but love that attitude.
BUT...
All that is neither her nor there. I am most excited that it is finally time for the Mike Fontenot show. Fontenot's numbers projected over the same 505 ABs that DeRosa had, would have been roughly: 90 runs, 155 hits, 25 2Bs, 3 3Bs, 20 HRs, 85 RBIs .305 Avg. .395 OBP. That stat line sound familiar? Very close to DeRosa's career year last year. Fear not fellow Cubs fans, the team will be fine.
I actually live in Texas and go to The Rangers Ballpark in Arlington (which is what it is currently called) all the time, and while it is no question an offensive park, that doesn't mean it makes you into a great hitter, it just means great hitters put up better numbers. (It also doesn't hurt that the Rangers have baseball's best hitting coach, Rudy Jarramillo). I was exctatic when the Cubs signed DeRosa (and am hurt and angry over the trade now) because I had seen up close and personal the type of player that he was, and while he was coming off of a career year, I knew that his time with Rudy was as big a part of it as the Ballpark. That being said, I think Milton Bradley will become a HUGE fan favorite in Chicago. I'm telling you right now, everyone is going to love this guy. If we'd have had him last season we wouldn't have been swept by the Dodgers, he would have woken this team up, been in their faces and it would have showed.
When he tore his ACL in the fight with the Umpire, it is important to point out that the Umpire was fined and suspended by MLB for his actions. Not to say Bradley should have gone after him, but MLB admitted that it was the Umpire who was in the wrong! As for me, I want to see some fire like that from a player after two meek exits. Our only fire comes from Big Z and unfortunately every time he shows some heart he can't throw a strike, so Bradley seems to me to be the perfect fit.
That being said, I still really miss DeRosa and Kerry Wood for that matter.
Dear Confused, Just imagine that you are the one-eyed man in the land of the blind. In those circumstances, you are Da King. Ann Landers
Hey, clarity has to happen--doesn't it? It starts this week--now that all of the paid baseball personnel are back to work and 150 or so free agents are looking for work. Deals and signings are on the way. It was a lot easier for fans like Gramps and me in the mid-40's when we would read that Pafko and Caveretta each got a raise of a grand or two, and we knew that Bert Wilson would soon be on
WIND radio with opening day.
However unclear the thinking, the time and the reason to get excited about Bradley are when we see him in a Cubs jersey. Then he will be ours, and we loyalists will rise to his occasion with enthusiasm. Hopefully, he gives us reason to sustain that enthusiasm--and he could.
The constraint on getting a low risk alternative seems to be that, with Sori, ARam, Z, D, DLee, Dome and Lilly as our Big People and all locked in through 2110 (or beyond), JH is limited budget-wise to either some high risk taking--or standing pat. When our season ended, I don't recall anyone saying that we should not replace a few deck chairs and hope that our cruise ship is not the Titanic. JH's flexibility was limited too--to the chairs like Woodie and DeRo that weren't boltd to the deck.
After 60 years or so in my imagined GM job and as something of a sentimentalist, I would have been happy to have DeRo and Hinske as a RF platoon. Hinske at about $2 mil with his decent average and 19 HR's last year against right handed pitching would have been my "missing" lefty bat. Dome would have moved to CF and I would have looked for a good lefty reliever to go with Marmol. In terms of getting to the World Series, my moves could (and would) be argued as not being enough.
If we get Bradley and he is close to 30 HR and 100 RBI's (possilbe, IMO), JH will have been right. If Bradley (or an alternative signee) goes 18 HR and 70 RBI, JH will have made a high-risk bet and lost.
Bradley was the AL OPS leader last year. Why don't you do your research before complaining?
And Brian Roberts has 0% chance of happening, because the Peavy trade needs to happen much more.
The reigning AL OPS leader has played 75, 96, 122, and 126 games in the last 4 seasons due to suspension, or most recently injuries to BOTH knees. Last year he was limited to playing DH only after the All-Star break and still missed significant time. Try looking beyond the numbers and at the reality that at 31 years old those knees aren't going to start magically feel better.....thats what I call "common sense".
.....and I agree BR has no chance of happening, but why exactly to we need to trade all of our chips for Peavy?
Last time I checked we have scored 12 runs in our last 6 NLDS games (all losses in case you don't remember), the solution to that is to trade all the prospects we have for another starting pitcher?
Peavy is great, an ace even, but Lilly/Dempster are WAY too good to be used as #5 starters.
Just be patient and wait for the Yanks and BoSox to dominate the Rays this season (last year was a fluke for them). Then the small market Rays will realize keeping the likes of Longoria, Upton, Pena is more important that picking up the final option year on Carl Crawford's deal. I would take his .293 career average and 50+ stolen bases a year in exchange for the "Peavy package" any day of the week/month/year/lifetime.
THAT is the impact player we need. Not another SP........
Here's the thing....
What I'm noticing on the CCO lately is a trend. A trend toward "you can't please anyone"
It's either "the team choked in the playoffs two years running - something must be done and now" but when moves begin to be made it's "why the hell are we making THOSE moves?"
Here's the deal...
We need a lefty bat. One that can actually make a difference in the middle of the order. We're too righty and the Dodgers exploited that in the playoffs. Without the lefty and against the wrong team in a short series - we're looking at similar results.
So....
The priority is to get that bat to balance the lineup.
Now...
There's an ownership change in the works combined with a team that has most of it's key players already signed.... and since the pockets aren't deep enough to continue to add and add and add all the time - especially with the changing of owner change - then we need to shed payroll. Preferably at positions where we're covered.
Such as letting Woody go and giving Marmol the shot.... Such as letting DeRo go (and yes - I loved the guy too but it freed up money and he was in the last year of his deal and got us some trading chips) and giving Fontenot a shot.... such as letting Marquis go and giving any of our ready-for-the-bigs minor league guys a shot at the 5th starter role.
((Note here.... if they didn't trade Marquis... and they DID manage to get Peavy.... then Marquis would have been a $10MM middle reliever. He had to go.))
So - they're gone.
Now then - with those moves done - it's on to addressing a lefty bat.
There were literally only four choices going into the off season that even remotely fit the bill.
Abreu, Bradley, Ibanez, and Dunn.
Abreu - aging but still wanting a huge deal
Bradley - injury prone nutcase that can hit a ton... if he plays
Ibanez - solid but unspectacular
and Dunn - big bat - good OBP - horrid defense - and a .230 average
So - given that.....
And also given that Ibanez is already signed and the other three seem to want 3 year deals at around the same $10M range (word is Abreu wants $15.... good luck with that).....
Abreu at his age... no way you commit that much to a guy that's lost a step or two.
I agree with JH - while Dunn is also attractive, his defense makes Bradley the better choice if he's available - and it appears that he is.
oh - loved all the pop-culture references Brian LOL
Although Texas has hitter's park, the other places that Bradley has played in the past are considered good pitcher's parks (SD, LA, Oak). So I think that could translate into better numbers (i.e his numbers in Texas were his best years) for cubs.
And I hope Miles does not play more time than Fontenot at 2b. If they platoon, fine (fonty being left-handed will get majority of playing time.... and I know Miles is switch-hitter).
And fuku will not be platooned with Bradley...Lou has him penciled into CF with RJ, not sure where you got that. That would leave about 30 starts for bradley. That ain't happening. (and by the way, he is getting 48m, not 44m)
I am full of complaints. And for those who know me, I am normally an overly-optimistic Cubs fan.
Re: Bradley - He is injury prone and a headache. I will eat my crow on this one. Just seems like a lot of money for a guy who gets hurt. And, yes, I did know he led the AL in OPS. We will see. Right field has just been a place Free Agents go to die since you know who left. Bradley has a bad week, starts hearing it from the fans and he will go off.
Re: Fukudome - I know he is penciled in to play center. Remember when he played CF last year? He was lost? Took bad routes to the ball. He is an natural RF and it could be tough for him to transition. That's why I think he will eventually be back in RF. Remember when Soriano was "penciled in" to play CF two years ago?
I know the current state, but things will change a lot before opening day. Being penciled in doesn't mean anything.
However, I totally agree that changes needed to be made. And I hope it all pans out. Those were just my thoughts and guesses.
I know Teixeira played well the last two seasons, but his power numbers went down. Though, his average did go up. He is a good player, but I think he is the third best player in his new infield. $180 million seems ludicrous. But I guess that is where baseball is heading.
I apologize if I overstated the impact of the Ballpark at Arlington.
Good day.
no worries Brian - you ramble - we ramble.... it's a back and forth thing :-)
All I know is all of us will stop fighting about the right decision when we look at a lineup come spring that looks a little like this....
1. Soriano
2. Theriot
3. Bradley
4. Ramriez
5. Lee
6. Soto
7. Fukudome
8. Zambrano
9. Miles
The cubbie faithful will join around the decisions of mr. hendry and we will love the excitement that bradley will bring to the club house. And lets be honest, wrigley needs a fight every once and a while. It fuels the excitement that it is to be a cubbie fan in the first place.
How about we just commit RF to Hoffpauer. Playing everyday he'll deliver similar offensive results as Soto did last year, and at a minimal cost.
But hey, why go give the job to a youngster who tore it up at every level so far? The Braves, Reds, Rays, RedSox all promote their young stars. But no, not our Cubs. We promote them for a bit, let them get ass blisters on the bench, and then give up on them when they don't produce when they get 1-2 at-bats a week. Just platoon Pie and Johnson, give RF to Hoffpauer, and take the damn saved money and go get Peavy.
I know we all have differing views on Hendry, but these large, no-trade contracts are killing us.
Although I truly hate to see DeRo go, I will gladly toast him when we win in Oct. As much as we would like to think we know more than JH, I believe we should wait til, oh...say Apr before we whine about who we did and didnt get.
Have faith Cubs fans...its what has gotten us through the last 100 years.
go Cubs go!
As was pointed out above, when Bradley tore his ACL it was because the umpire instigated it by using profanity and a racial slur towards Bradley. That is why he went nuts, and why the umpire was fined and suspended. As for how his knee got tore, his manager, Buddy Black, grabbed him and tried to turn him away from the umpire. As he did, Bradleys cleet stuck in the ground and he spun to the ground in agony.
I know Bradley is a risk. But sometimes risks pay off.
There is no guarantee it is a RF platoon. If he is signed, he is likely signed for full time if healthy. Why would you assume he would be platooning with Fukudome? We are getting Bradley to be the LH stick. Fukudome is also LH so where is the platoon? We are not getting Bradley to swing only RH.
That is a good thing Bradley brings to the table is he is a switch hitter. He also seems to hit equally as well from both sides.
You mention that Bradley's numbers were inflated by playing in the Texas stadium. Last time I checked, Wrigley was pretty cozy for hitters as well....
I like the fire that Bradley could bring to the team. How many of us would have loved to see Bradley go off when the team seemed to lay down in the playoffs last year??
As for money, I said all along I see 2 years for Bradley at an average of about 8 million per. Possibly an option year and possibly more money with incentives.
Once the Marquis trade is official, I see the Peavy trade pick up steam and thats a good thing. Peavy, Zambrano, Harden, Lilly, Dempster??? WOW!!
If that is our rotation, then you know we have a Rich Hill trade in the future as well. No options left.
I think alot of the team issues will not be sorted out until spring training. AND THAT'S NEXT MONTH!!
Recently written by Buster Olney
Now, however, Burrell has essentially agreed, and Milton Bradley is expected to agree to a deal with the Chicago Cubs in the next 24 hours. The Rays had pursued both Burrell and Bradley, with Bradley believed to be their top choice. But when it became clear that Bradley was going to wind up in Chicago, they quickly moved in Burrell's direction.
Just heard on ESPN Radio, Bruce Levine, that Bradley has signed for 3 years 30 mil. What does everyone think of this move? I am nervous about the games played over a consistent stretch.
Hey!! There's real news! I thought it would be closer to 3 and $25 than $30. JH has placed the high-risk bet. We now have our Mickey Mantle. JUST JOKING, SPORTS FANS. Welcome MB. Step in and and be a difference maker--nearly everyday!
Re. Chad's lineup above. I'm not sure where Soriano will bat, and I'm predicting Fontenot will be our starting second baseman.
cubs sing m. bradley!!! whats next peavy or roberts?
this "hitters park" stuff is the dumbest thing ive ever heard its not THAT much of an advantage i mean when the wind is blowing out at wrigley no place is better....where the reds play and white sox r both hitters parks but people dont put up insane numbers it just goes to show that cuz derosa put up great numbers outside texas and so did tex.....bradley hit .321 last year for a reason and he will be a fan favorite soon
Ugh, I think if they were willing to take a chance with the injury riddled, sub-par defense-playing Bradley, our Cubbies should have tried to get the aging Ken Griffey Jr. on a short term deal. His bat appeared to be slipping last year, but he is one of the most respected players of the era, and I think he could still contribute a lot of hits and runs for a year or two. And HE won´t be fighting any umpires...