Minor League Ball.com released his Cubs' Propect list.

John Sickels does an excellent job and his old show on XM (Down on the Farm Friday) was one of the best.

http://www.minorleagueball.com/2009/12/29/1224651/chicago-cubs-top-20-prospects-for

I will post a separate article with other lists to compare.

Those unfamiliar with John's work should bookmark his site.

Neil, great link...Thanks...there is some hope abounding in the minor league camps.

Here's what I don't get...

we have well publicized needs at:

1)CF

2)2B

3)5th starter

4)relief

5)bench

the best options would appear to be (in order):

1)any # of trades for young talent like Cabrera, Perez, and Upton, otherwise Ankiel and Byrd

2)trade for Uggla, otherwise Lopez, then Hudson

3)Sheets...that's all. I might take a flier on Bedard as well

4)nobody. The only ones I'd consider like Valverde would want closer money, and Capps and Putz already signed elsewhere, so internal candidates are best in this case

5)Blalock, Uribe, Gomes, Tracy, Hinske, Wily Mo Pena, Kearns, and Jeremy Reed

Yet, the names we've heard:

1)Podsednik

2)Castillo

3)Contreras

4)Calero

5)Loretta

all are VERY uninspiring, aren't they? You get the feeling that like last year, the Cubs will take a step backwards yet again

Aaron...Great point.

Actually, the lack of movement is beginning to make me wonder if there is indeed a bigger play coming. (Re GM)

Maybe. Maybe not.

We know there isn't much money in the kitty if any....and Ricketts did say any improvement would have to come from the minor league system.

And yet any GM worth his salt still has to make "due diligence calls" that would generate rumors.

That being said, it's awfully quiet from Clark and Addison considering the holes that still need to be filled.

And yes, te names being bandied about

are distressing.

To me Rick Ankiel is a big gamble. His strikeout totals are very high and I have to question whether or not he can adapt and play everday as a outfielder. If the Cubs can come up with a solid platoon player than signing

Ankiel might be worthwhile. He did have an over .800 SLG% in 07 and 08 and if anyone can turn a hitter around it is Jaramillo.

I do not think Ankiel should be the first option but still be a fallback. The Cubs still have Fuld and Colvin so to me we should not rush as to what the

Cubs do unless the Bay signing all of a sudden causes a flood of signings possibly causing the Cubs to miss out.

I have been able to watch Marlyn Byrd quite frequently here in Texas and he became very valuable and reliable in the clutch for the Rangers. In my opinion Byrd is a more proven player with both having almost identical OPS over 162 games. Ankiel .763 and Byrd .762 with .820 with Texas which covers 3 yrs. Byrd though is less likely to make an error with a career .987 fielding percentage in center compared to Ankiel which is .977.

The biggest thing Ankiel has going is that he bats lefthanded and will likely come cheaper for the Cubs which could make a difference in what Hendry wants to do.

Another thing I got to mention is that Byrd according to Baseball Reference.com compares with Mark Teahen, David DeJesus and Coco Crisp with all three having been previously pursued by the Cubs with Teahen and DeJesus being actively sought.

Ok everyone let us actually compare OHUD and Lopez based off of info on Baseball Reference.com. OHUD has four Gold Gloves and 2 All Star appearances since 2004 and a career .986 fielding percentage. Lopez has only one all star appearance in 2005 along with a silver slugger award that year with a .977 fielding percentage with six years at second.

Lopez average stats for 162 games are:

R H 2B 3B HR RBI

85 162 31 5 13 62

SB BA OBP SLG OPS

18 .269 .338 .400 .738

OHUD average for 162 games.

R H 2B 3B HR RBI

79 165 34 8 12 69

SB BA OBP SLG OPS

8 .282 .348 .431 .778

Looking at the stats it does seem to me that OHUD does have a slight edge and both made about the same money in 2009. OHUD 3.4 mil and Lopez 3.5 mil.

I would then declare it a toss up and based on personal preference. I have advocated on other blogs that either would be a outstanding fit for the Cubs and probably costs about the same if the Cubs could afford either. The biggest difference is that Lopez is a little younger.

I agree if you can sign Lopez, Ankiel, and Sheets to one year deals make it happen. Give us a chance to win then if we are out of it at the break we need to fire sale the pieces. Build the farm and free up money for 2011 but if we sign those three I see us in the playoffs even better!!!

I don't see why everyone has a crush on Hudson. He's a great second baseman defensively, but he's not a leadoff hitter- not even close. With a good hitting coach (which we now supposedly have) Fontenot can give you Hudson's offensive numbers. I know he hit .20 crap last year, but the power numbers were the same. I personally don't want us to waste money on old guys who can't run anymore. What good does it do us to build to fail in the playoffs. We should sign Lopez as a first priority becuase he has been an all star, plays multiple positions, and can run. Even if its a stopgap, it takes care of the leadoff problem until some of our kids develop. I don't know what to do about our outfield situation. I don't really like any of our options (unless we pick up someone via trade). I guess the point is that if we don't start placing more emphasis on manufacturing runs and defense, then we are going to be waiting a lot longer for a championship.

Completely agree that Lopez does provide a lot of flexibility and that would provide a lot of options for Lou to mix and match especially late in the game when making substitutions.

Why does Fukudome have to move to RF? Was his defense in CF really that bad??

I agree with Suzy. He's defense was not horrible. Fukudome is considered an average centerfielder and an above average right fielder.

bparrish793...Fuko's defense is not that bad in center...but his natural position

is indeed right field....Right field in wrigley is difficult to play with the corners, winds etc....and Fuko is acclimated to it.

So the desire is to put Fuko in right,

and get a more natural centerfielder.

BUT there is no HAVE TO about it.

Is the OHud that everyone seems to want the Cubs to sign the same OHud that was benched by the Dodgers down the stretch in favor of journeyman infielder Ron Belliard? The guy who totaled 2 HR and 2 steals after the all start break?

While he is an upgrade over Fontenot and Baker, I think you will all be disappointed with his 7-9 home runs and 7-9 steals ... for $2-$2.5 million, I'd take the risk, but at his likely $4-5 million price tag, I'd pass.

Thank you David, I have been screaming this everytime someone brings up Hudson's name. He is a good first half player period. Which in essence could do well for the Cubs, if indeed Castro is ready for the second half. But he is not worth paying a full time starter salary.

Hendry can salvage this off season, to where it won't sacrifice the future of the organization with three moves. Aaron hit them all on the head yesterday.

1. Sign Ankiel

2. Sign Lopez

3. Sign Sheets to an incentive laden deal

Save the big money to go after Crawford, Mauer, Lee, etc in the offseason. If the Cubs are out of it at the break, trade away the big boys and rebuild the system with top prospects. Lee and Lilly come off the books as well as possibly losing Ramirez. We could get huge return on these guys along with Zambrano, and be set for the next ten years if done right.

I agree that Lopez, Ankiel and Sheets make the most sense ... of course the issue will be $$$$. Will Ricketts allow JH to spend $4-5 million for Lopez, $4-5 million for Ankiel, and $7 million (+an additional $5 million in incentives) for Sheets???

I think we will need a different GM for that to work.

Yup, that's the one David. Seems like too many that criticize Hendry for being reactionary and paying for career years suffer the same affliction -- clinging to past production and hoping for future returns.

Wow. Looks like he got 6M$ more over the same 4 years...1.5 per to play for the Mets instead of Boston.

Ick. That's where greedy agents get you. Damn Mets.

I wonder if Hendry even discussed a package with Seattle on the crap swap. Here are three guys, any of which I would have rather seen in the deal rather than the stinking 9M$ that came with Silva.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/marinersblog/2010623925_who_could_be_the_best_remainin.html

jc.3-6-3 Don't travel down that road. It will only bring you more grief.

The guys mentioned in the article all have upside and downside to them.

Given the time Hendry took to make a deal to get rid of Milton...I'm sure he did the very best HE could.

That's not to say another gm might have done better. But it is what it is...

don't torture yourself.

o don't worry Suzy, I am way past torturing myself over this.

You are probably right, the length of time it took JH to make that deal was surely negotiating that cash back so he could go sign Byrd. I would just have rather he added another middle infielder prospect with lots of upside instead of the $$. Not to say it could have happened.

If I could be a fly on a wall, it would Hendry's office wall...I'd LOVE to actually know...to hear the conversations...so interesting.

The problem with flies is they only have about a 3 week life-span.

The way Hendry makes trades...just when the listening started to get good...you'd expire...lol.

(Much like the Cubs fans waiting for a world series.)

HA!

Just saw the Mets will announce Jason Bay

signing early next week...if true...

it changes the landscape a bit.

I wonder if he regrets not taking Boston's 4 year offer earlier?

Suzy S I think Jason Bay was just greedy I would rather play in Boston , what have the Mets done lately than choke.

Still pushing to give Baldelli a shot! And also if I wanted anyone from the Braves I'd want McClouth, Melky is average at best... I also agree keep Vitters and Castro, never trade them for anything.

There are not to many names out there that I like for the CF job. At this point I would rather put out a platoon of Fuld and Johnson. Why can we never give youth a chance???????? Jose Contreras???? Mike Cameron???? Byrd???? I would rather take my chances with a kid pitcher. I would rather take a chance on Rick Ankiel than anyone else.

I am probably leaning that way more and more myself. See my other posting. I am probably more in favor of going with Colvin though than Fuld given that Colvin has more power potential but Lou could make that decision based on performance during spring training. However has the best spring gets the job.

I say the Cubs go with the young farm hands and only bring in OHUD and possibly resign RJ. If our off season is going to be so lackluster we might as well show we are serious about player development. Yes, that may cause Lou to go mad but someday the Cubs will have to make the transition anyway. The Cubs lineup could look like this.

1. OHUD

2. Fukudome/RJ

3. DLee

4. ARAM

5. Soriano

6. Soto

7. Colvin

8. Castro

Theriot gets traded. The bench will need to get sorted out but Baker is the most likely candidate to make it with the others based on performance and needs during spring training.

Yes this defies the sentiments of most but will save us a lot of money and we will finally know whether a couple of the prospects can actually play.

Here are the players by position:

1. OHUD (2B)

2. Fukudome/RJ (RF)

3. DLee (1B)

4. ARAM (3B)

5. Soriano (LF)

6. Soto (C)

7. Colvin (CF)

8. Castro (SS)

There is about as much chance of the Red Sox trading Ellsbury as there is of the Cubs landing Mauer next year

And Rips. is right about digging through the trash... Jose Contreras????? Sheesh that supposedly 38 (probably more like 45) year old dude has had ERAs of 5.57, 5.42, 4.54 the last 3 seasons. He is WASHED UP! completely!

The Hot Stove for the Cubs this off-season has been depressing to say the least. So far the only addition to the squad has been $6 million and another washed up bum -- and all the rumors are about other bums.

DYE IN RF FUKUDOME STAYS IN CENTER

This reminds me of the Ed Lynch era, always looking for lightning in a bottle.

From a Red Sox point of view...if they add Bay...it would be Cameron they move...not Ellsbury. Even with an Agon deal...I don't see Ellsbury going...CF

is too hard to replace...even for a stud

slugger like Agon.

Ellsbury is just a pipe dream...but a nice one.

I would do that trade only if Vitters and Castro are not in it. I want to keep these two. At least until Rudy works with them in Spring Training to see what he thinks. I am tired of Jimbo Judging talent lets leave that to someone else. Theriot and two other prospects I say make it happen for Ellsbury.

Ellsbury is just too good to be true. But let me throw this out.

How about Theriot, Vitters, and Jay Jackson for Ellsbury ?

Have Blanco play SS until Castro is ready, Sign O-Dog for 2B. You're "up the middle" defense would be 1000 times better.

Normally I hate giving up your best prospects like Vitters, but if you're getting back a YOUNG stud like Ellsbury, than I would do it. If Ellsbury was in his 30's, I would be against it. And I love Theriot, but you have to give up something to get something in return.

Yea, I know, I'll go back to sleep now and start dreaming again.

:-)

jc 3-6-3...I'm in agreement with your thought process here...we'll see how it plays out.

cc002600...my only thought on your proposed trade is I'd be extremely

careful with pitching prospects that might project to the front end of the rotation in the near future.

So substitute someone else for Jackson.

Try to utilize our excess of lefty arms.

Gaub/Marshall/Gorzelanny?

Dear Mr. Hendry,

I see where the rival Cardinals have expressed interest in Felipe Lopez now especially since DeRosa's off the board. You need to get over this centerfield deal and get the best BALL PLAYER that fills the biggest need the Cubs have. The guy that does that is FELIPE LOPEZ. This is last year all over again when you were hung up on getting a guy that had to bat left handed. All the while ignoring guys like Orlando Hudson who was a better fit last year and has even splits righies vs. lefties. Didn't you learn anything?? Hey, Orlando Hudson, not a bad back-up plan. I digress...

Mr. Hendry, my message to you is to try being a little more open minded. It might actually result in a few more wins.

I feel like I know you pretty well and you will probably ignore this message and give Marlon Byrd 30 million over three years. You will probably be right back here next year, frantically trying to trade Mr. Byrd and eventually paying him to play for someone else as well.

Mr. Hendry, mistakes are only mistakes if you don't learn something from them. Don't make the same mistake twice. Get the better ball that will cost less and fill the Cubs need for an OBP guy, and let the five RBI guys that the Cubs already have drive him in. Be smart James, Get Felipe...

Sincerely,

Lee Simmons

Cubs fan since 1988

I like this letter to JHendry.

I think Jermaine Dye would be a decent pickup. Wonder what he's asking for ?

Is Jonny Gomes, recently non tendered by

the Reds, somebody we should consider?

He hits well against lefties- would supply @ 20 homers...on the downside,

his defense is average to below average.

Thoughts?

At this point, you absolutely give Gomes strong consideration for a bench spot. I wrote about the value of - and the Cubs dire need for - a "threat" off the bench. Baker, Fontenot, Fuld, Spillbourghs, etc are NOT threats! He'd be nothing more than a pinch hitter/4th OF - maybe Kosuke's platoon partner? I think he can man 1B too, and you know they'll need someone to rest Lee. He would fill Hoffy's role, but is better.

You can start to see the puzzle and how getting a fulltime CF is so important. You can't have a platoon at two OF spots AND 2B. And basically they have to platoon Dome at this point and Fonty/Baker, right?

This is based on the fact that Hendry will not be able to pull of the swaps and signings of Aaron's bloody dead horse, i.e. Ankiel and Lopez. If he did, Fontenot is disposable, CF is tied up and then they only need a partner for Dome in RF - and I'd prefer Reed. Gomes would simply be a bench threat & 1B backup.

Fuld, Hoffy, Fontenot could all expendable and decent, tradeable parts.

Then there is Castro and Theriot and SS. First, IF there is shread of truth in the Ellsbury rumor, I would add Castro if it got Ellsbury in return, no question. But, IF JH could sign Lopez and is set on waiting out Castro and giving Baker the 2B job, Theriot is tradeable. The Red Sox have discussed moving Scrappy Pedroia to SS and I bet they would like Theriot at 2B.

Ahh..to (pipe) dream...

And to your damn Yankees post, I do like watching the Bay / Holliday thing unfold, and lack of market for Boras to exploit. But I bet you are right, Yanks will wait till the last minute and swoop in and grab one of them.

I like the idea of bringing in Gomes. He is a good hard nose player and will give the Cubs some pop off the bench but given that the majority of Cubs are right handed hitters with some pop makes the idea a little bit expensive not to mention that fact that there will be limited times that Lou will pinch hit. Now if the Cubs decide to go with younger players in the starting lineup then adding Gomes makes a lot of sense.

As for your idea of trading Theriot to get Ellsbury I cannot see that happening. Boston already signed Scutaro to play SS and do not see Boston moving Pedroia since that signing. I could be wrong but right now Boston plans on Scutaro being the everyday SS.

It's actually pretty interesting...The Yankee's...that usually set the market...

are actually talking about staying within

a hard budget...a constantly putting out

news to that effect.

Boston is close to tapped....so for public comsumption at least...Bay and Holliday...dangle out there with no bidding war in sight.

It would not surprise me to see the Yanks sweep in at the last second

and nab Holliday or Bay.

In the meantime, the Yankee's interest

in nabbing a LF is raising the price on the secondary market...(like Reed Johnson)...and that directly affects

the Cubs in their search for a CF.

Damn Yankees Again!!!

JHendry is digging through the trash can again. Look at this comment from Neil's article: "The Cubs are apparently interested but as the Tribune pointed out Contreras would fit a similar role to that of Carlos Silva."

Carlos Silva's role: as I said before, DFA'd, DL, or minors by 15 May 2010.

Brenly and I agree: the Cubs may as well platoon Fuld and Reed Johnson in CF if they cannot land a slugging CF.

Insomnia, I just can't sleep.

For the record, Elsbury would be awesome to have. No way do I take Phil Rogers seriously.

Elsbury will not happen this just Jim Hendry building up our hopes again. Just like he did with Jake Peavy and Brian Roberts and we got none of them.

In defense of Hendry, I think the Ellsbury rumor is just Phil Rogers thinking out loud ... would be real surprised if it was anything more.

Jim C., Are you attending the convention? I'm with you on the sleep deprivation...the college kids are home. I still hope there's a trade surprise out there, I just hope it's something to get excited about.....