Can we please please PLEASE now non-tender Hill. So our offseason budget is now an estimated 9 mil. Pleasant.

Let's see, Pena wants a reported 6 mil for 1 year. That reduces us to 3 mil.

Wood-Yeah right I doubt he'll accept 3 mil.

And that leaves 0 money to add a starter. Not that I feel as if that is neccesary anyway as we cannot afford an ace.

Can anyone say THIS SUCKS!

Dear god I wish that I could make that much and contribute soooo little.

From Jon Paul Morosi

Cubs sign Jeff Baker to one-year, $1.175M contract, thus avoiding arbitration, source tells FOXSports.com.

W.

T.

F.

With this move we'll be right back in contention for 2011.

Geez!

I Think I just threw up in my mouth...

Merry Christmas, Jeff Baker.

Bruce Levine has a link to a podcast of Theriot interview. Pretty funny.

http://espn.go.com/blog/chicago/cubs

I'm afraid the Cubs have turned into a good old boys network. The way Pinella seemly just gave up the last year and a half, I wonder if he just got tired of fighting it. I bet at their organizational meetings its the same core of guys regurgitating the same old ideas that flip flop from year to year. Never read about any new blood they bring into the organization, just someones buddy.

I still say the person that scouts the Rangers knows what he is doing by the success of Dero and Byrd. None of the other scouting areas jump out at all.

Rickett's is disappointing in the sense he doesn't back his words up. We are going to keep payroll down to put into the minors. Well, please let us know what has been done. I don't see any big international signing increase or big spending in the draft.

He just needs to come clean and say he spent too much buying the team so we will have some lean years. If he can't eat contracts because of his creditors then say it, so the fans understand.

Saying your a fan and then doing little to improve the team outside of trying to increase revenue, seems to be taking us for granted.

Yes, I'm a die hard and it is really sad to be a fan so far in this off-season. Especially when you have to deal with Card fans quite a bit. Looks like another long summer for me.

I like the Jose Lopez idea, let's hope Jimbo does also.

I would rather have explosive diaherria than have a platoon of Baker/Dewitt.

K. Hill cannot hit RHP. Here's his career stats:

774 PA 150 H 6 HR, 66 RBI .215 BA

VS. RHP:

625 PA 6 HR 50 RBI .204 BA slugging=.291

VS. LHP

149 PA 0 HR 16 RBI .257 SLUGGING=.346

Compare K. Hill vs. Mario Mendoza, of the famed "Mendoza Line."

Career stats"

1456 PA 4 HR 101 RBI .215 BA .262 slugging.

Do you see that K. Hill and Mendoza are equals in the batter's box.

Jose Lopez was just non-tendered from the Mariners. While I realize he's like Juan Uribe with good power, and has played 3B, SS, and 2B just like Uribe, and unfortunately has the same low OBP like him....

If we lose Marquez Smith in the Rule 5, we're screwed, as Josh Vitters is nowhere near ready yet.

The thing with Lopez is, that while he doesn't have a high OBP, the guy doesn't strike out a lot, and gets his fair share of hits. Last year, he had 142 hits, which would've ranked 2nd on the Cubs to only Marlon Byrd (170 hits). He would've ranked 3rd in 2009 to only Lee (163) and Theriot (171). In our offensive explosion season of 2008, he would've ranked 5th (very close to 4th, as DeRosa had 144 hits).

Here are his stats the past 5 years in full-time duty:

.282 avg, .319 OBP, 170 hits, 10 hr, 79 RBI

.252 avg, .284 OBP, 132 hits, 11 hr, 62 RBI

.297 avg, .322 OBP, 191 hits, 17 hr, 89 RBI

.272 avg, .303 OBP, 167 hits, 25 hr, 96 RBI

.239 avg, .270 OBP, 142 hits, 10 hr, 58 RBI

*Additionally, he averages about 67 K's per season, with a high of 80 in his first full-time season. This leads one to believe that he puts an awful lot of balls in play, he's just been unlucky at times.

You have to go all the way back to 2006 with Juan Pierre to find a Cubs player that's had more than 181 hits (which Lee had in 2008). Prior to that, Lee had 199 hits in 2005, otherwise, the highest number of hits we've had is usually in the 170 range, which Lopez has nearly accomplished in 3 out of 5 seasons, just missing out with 167 hits in 2009.

My point is, DeWitt has had at most 115 hits and Baker has a max of 80 hits thus far. Now, obviously neither of them have received full-time gigs thus far like Lopez has, but DeWitt came close to the same number of AB's Lopez gets last year, and still fell short, and in full-time duty down the stretch after his acquisition, DeWitt regressed considerably, leading one to believe he's nothing more than Mike Fontenot Part 2.

There are just some things that you can't believe when looking at this team. It's one of the most poorly managed payrolls (and rosters) of all time. There is absolutely no way, with a top 5 payroll the past 4 years, that the Cubs should have a non-playoff team, and yet 2 of the past 4 years have resulted in just that.

Why is Hendry still with this organization again?!?

I am convinced the Jim Clueless will attend all of our funerals. He's here to stay as GM. Ricketts is P.K. Clueless Ricketts. They are two of a kind. It's incredible how they got together. A marriage made in, well, not heaven, but another lowly place.

This team is such a mess. I just noticed that DeWitt hits better vs. Lefthanders than righthanders. His career BA vs LHP is .268 with .405 slugging and .759 OPS.

Career BA vs RHP is .257, .357 sluggging (pluuu-eeeeeese!) and .702 OPS (better bat him #3!!!).

DeWitt had best sit vs. RHP, and play vs. LHP. But that's what Baker does best, too. Baker hit .350 vs LHP last year, and for 2008-2010 he hit .316 with .545 slugging (YEAH!!) and .902 OPS (that's Adam Dunn territory!).

So we've got two 2B who can play vs. LHP, and no one to bat vs. RHP.

All I can say is that Jim Clueless should really finish the job and just release Marquez Smith, just like he did Casey McGaHee. Then watch the Brewers grab him!

Because Ricketts isn't ready to make the "hard choices" yet and probably realizes a competent baseball mind running his organization will cost money he feels is better spent redecorating the trim around the Wrigley sign?

This really is sad to see. From late August all through September, and now into the offseason absolutely NOTHING makes any freaking sense.

Quade plays Fuky in Right, Nady at first, and Hill at catcher, while Castillo, Snyder and Lahair are all available to use. Then come the offseason we have no clue if these guys are for real or not. Subsequently Snyder is released, Lahair is released and re-signed but doomed to remain in AAA, and Castillo is still an unknown so Hendry keeps Hill on the roster wasting an invaluable 40 man slot that could easily be used on a hell of a lot cheaper and most likely a much more effective player.

The managerial stuff is confounding. Especially all of the statements about Quade's handling of the young players, uhhhh see above. Then a Cub icon is jettisoned to the Phillies organization.

But to make even less sense, Hendry decides to aim for Pitching... HUH! Hey Jim, we do desperately need an ace, but guess what...You can't get one because you do not have money! So let's pay a pitcher multi millions of dollars, who may or may not be effective, WHEN WE CLEARLY HAVE MORE SERIOUS NEEDS ELSEWHERE, namely 1B and Set up.

Somebody please explain what the hell Hendry is doing other than being Hendry. At this point we have to hope and pray for the most fundamentally sound, timely hitting, clutch pitching, greatest defensive team in the history of baseball to be competitive and I just do not see that happening with this lot.

Please 2012, get here, with a new GM and a clue has to how to build a winner. That is all the hope we have right now. Sad to see indeed.

No question that Baker & Hill should not be tendered. Together it's 1.7 million. I am not against re-signing Baker to half the money he makes now.

I don't post mush, but I thought this was a good article! Hope the sibling Cubs are reading the papers!

http://blogs.chicagosports.chicagotribune.com/rosenblog/2010/12/good-teams-go-after-postseason-pitchers-the-cubs-go-after-post-op-guys.html

I am glad Prior is healthy again and Neal why are we offering Baker and Hill contracts they do not make the team better.

That is the $2 million dollar question.

Neil,

You don't have to answer this if you prefer not to...But are you finding it really difficult to support this team as I am?

I continue to be flabbergasted by Hendry's decision-making. NOTHING he does makes sense, and as you put it:

"...having four catchers on their 40-man roster appears to be another example of poor roster management by the Cubs' front office."

The debacle with allowing McGehee to be unprotected without a legitimate 3B option in the minors anywhere close to the MLB level. Then he traded our starting 2B in DeRosak which made matters even worse. His decision-making defies ALL logic. You simply do NOT DFA a guy like McGehee, knowing there's no other option close to MLB, then trade the only other back-up 3B. If it wasn't so sad, it'd be hilarious.

I am finding it more difficult by the day to be a fan of this garbage. Each day,I wake up, hoping (there's that word again for Cubs fans) that I find a ray of hope (there it is again) in message boards and sports pages where the Cubs actually have a plan for the future.

We were given a ray of hope when the Ricketts family purchased the team, and started talking of championships, and being good for years to come. Then, we finish in 5th place, and we hear that they will spend less in the foreseeable future. And more importantly, NOTHING they have done since purchasing the team, has even come remotely close to giving fans confidence they know what they're doing with this team. They have focused on the stadium, Spring Training sites (ultimately making the wrong call there with Mesa, as it should have gone to Naples, having a fresh start, and playing with most of the World Series contenders), and completely neglecting the draft (which they said they'd invest more money in) and even international signings, especially in Latin America.

Nothing makes sense. It almost seems as if they're purposely sabotaging this team (which I know sounds ridiculous at face value), but tell me that nobody else has thought this.

The fact is, amateur armchair GM's like us have made the correct calls more times than not regarding this team, and yet the Cubs do the exact opposite of what we see, and even the baseball world as a whole sees.

I don't know....I am just beside myself with this team. I can think of 3 young players that'd be excellent fits on this team (Hermida, Melky Cabrera, and Franceour). The problem is, Hendry's already loaded this roster with underperforming veterans with immovable contracts, that it's almost impossible to improve.......or is it?

The Detroit Tigers have proven that you can have one of the top payrolls in the league, and if you have underperforming veterans on that roster, there's absolutely NO reason why you shouldn't just cut ties with them, and go with younger talent that comes at a fraction of the cost. By that time, you can decide whether or not you want to proceed with that young talent, or you simply trade it off like they did for Miguel Cabrera.

I've suggested this before...but why would you not at the very least, consider signing Cabrera, Franceour, and Hermida, and try to develop them into productive MLB players, then make the call to either trade them for another proven young player, or just keep them, and trade off your prospects that aren't performing up to expectations.

But, whatever...what do I know

Aaron, sorry for the delay. Time was very limited today and just tried to post the news as it was coming in.

Like you, I have questioned the roster moves/decisions by Cubs management for years ... and will always do so. With that said, the moves made over the last two-plus winters by the current front office continue to make me shake my head.

When the people not paid to make the decisions can see the outcome before it happens, why can't the people in charge see it as well?

To answer your question, I will always follow the Chicago Cubs but I broke my fan goggles a long time ago.

U took the words right out of my mouth!

as a 43 yr old i've never been so mad at this team; i see no light at the end of the tunnel.

102 yrs or 110 yrs or 120--i have no hope the drought won;t continue.

P.K. McCaskey and family are soooooo clueless; thanks MLB for signing off on this.(at least Cuban has run a pro franchise and spends money)

I agree JH should be launched; but really who would they hire???--seriously, I have NO hope after the Ryno baseball and PR disaster that they would not make it worse.....and it could be---see Omar Minaya or any of the last 10 Pirates GMs.

the only hope is backlash. the convention taking weeks to sell out has to be a First; i predict a 10 yr low for sale of tix in Feb and another 300K loss in attendance which would be 600K from 2009 record.

I see their financing plan blew up as well---GOOD-put some of your own money into it PK or sell.

I swear I did not copy your post, I was typing when you were... LOL but we are on the same page about this... it is ridiculously confounding.

Let's hope that JH has, just a little, sense in him. You don't use 4 roster spots up for catchers. If there are any JH supporters out there still, even you have to agree this makes no sense. It's not like Castillo and Chirinos are no-hit average defensive catchers. They are both good prospects. Most teams would love to have either of these guys, to be able to be their back-up catcher(s). You don't keep a K Hill, a no-hit, above avg defensive catcher on the 40 man, as a back-up, for a potential $1M. This all could have been avoided if Quade (the guy who supposedly played all the youth in his short stint as mgr) had played Castillo, the majority of the time, when Soto was out. We've talked about this alot, but to quote ESPN football

C'MON MAN!!!

A team can not keep making so many roster mistakes and get back to being a competitive team. M Smith should be on the 40 man, but isn't because, they have to carry 4 catchers, since they didn't get there young guys experience in September.

Jeff Baker - I've read some posts where they are saying he is worthless. Once again, when put players in the wrong spots, fringe players will look bad. When used in ways, that allow the player to be successful, will build that players confidence, making them more effective. Using Baker as an everyday player, is not going to work. Using Baker against lefties, works very well. Using Baker's versatility, to fill, short term holes, works well. He is a player who can play anywhere in the IF, and hits lefties, on this team, he should have a roster spot. If this team can improve the talent level, then I would cut him. But have you seen the roster? He is the only guy on the 40 man roster, that has played 1B at the major league level. You have to keep him for now, doesn't mean he makes it to Opening Day, and definitly, doesn't mean he makes it to September.

Marmol needs to be signed to a deal. You want to control his pay, through the next 2 years of arb, and buy out his 1st year of FA. You give him a nice check upfront, give him guaranteed pay for 3 years, he gives you a known payroll figure, that will be less, than if he plays it out year-to-year. His deal, will make some people say he is not worth it. Look at some other closers and what they are getting in their arb and fa deals. They should have locked him up, last winter, before he had a year of closing under his belt.

Gorzellany - I would go year to year.

Soto - I would go year to year, and I would try to trade, once you know Castillo/Chirinos can fill both catcher jobs, on the 25 man roster.

Marshall - I would give this guy a contract to buy out his arb and 1st year of FA as well. He has been a true team player, and of all the guys, is deserving of a deal. He is a lefty reliever (who could start, if a team wanted) who will have value in a trade market (if needed), maybe even more so, with payroll certainty.