Blow up the Cubs

H

hawkfarmer

Well-Known Member
The cubs are absolutely horrible this year, and I know they had injuries but they are just bad.

That team needs to get blown up, although I don't think that it is possible as I'd like it to be given their stupid contracts they gave out.

Starting pitching:
Zambrano- has 1 more year on his contract (2012), says he wants to be a cub (he has no trade clause so he's stuck)-has an option in 2013, not sure if player or team option.
Dempster- has 1 more year (2012). Somebody might want him actually as he is a veteran and can do it. Potential trade
Garza- He's young and has good stuff, I think he can be a 2 or 3 starter for a few years (and he's cheap for now)
Wells-Was pitching well in spring and had a good first start then injured. He's a talented 4 and is cheap keep him
Cashner- He is good. Is he a starter, don't know. Is he the next Kerry Wood, I don't know. I hope he is good and can do it as a starter. He has good stuff, keep him, SP or BP he can contribute.

1B
Pena has one year on his contract, he's playing better, but let him go

2B
Barney- He is young and talented, I like his game and he is a heady player
Baker- He is talented and cheap. I think the cubs could trade him as he is having a good year and is a talented player at many positions
DeWitt- I'd say trade him but don't see his value

SS
Castro- Is good, going to get better, still young and learning. If he can find a spot in the lineup and stay there I think it will do him some good.

3B
Ramirez- Not having a bad year statistically but no power, hasn't since the wrist injury. He's off contract this year and I think the cubs go another direction. maybe vitter is ready

LF
Soriano- Never going to get rid of that contract as much as I would love to. At least he's a good clubhouse guy. Only 3 more years everyone

Colvin- Needs to be in Triple A for a while until he can figure it out, not sure he ever will, but not trade material anymore. His .086 average is amazingly bad. I think it's the sophomore coma, not slump.

CF
Byrd- He has 1 more year after this season, he's not horribly expensive and is a good player. I think the Cubs will keep him and then be done with him after 2012. However, if he comes back from the injury and can still play he could be good trade bait, but the injury is a big deal.

RF
Fukudome- Done after this year. That is all

C
Soto- I think he's a good player. This is tricky though. I could see him getting traded if Castillo gets better at handling a rotation. He'll be around in 2012 though. Castillo is new backup as he passes Hill up.

RP
Marmol- No brainer you keep him
Wood- Only had a 1 year contract, I think he might retire
Grabow- Highly overpaid and is done after this year. gone
Marshall- Good big lefty reliever, he stays
Samardzija- Has an option for 2012, I think he has to go
Russell- young, cheap, has promise. keep him around


2012 lineup (from current club)

SP
Zambrano
Dempster
Garza
Wells
Cashner
Unfortunately Nothing changed

1B- ?
2B- Barney DeWitt (Baker gone to trade)
SS- Castro
3B- ?
LF- Soriano (Colvin at Iowa)
CF- Byrd (can't get traded due to injury)
RF- ?
C- Soto/Castillo

RP
Marmol
Marshall
Russell
Lots of young guys


In 2013 I think this is where it blows up. I also think Quade gets fired, though I lik him

SP
Garza
Wells
Cashner
hopefully a new ace

1B- ?
2B- Barney DeWitt (Baker gone to trade)
SS- Castro
3B- ?
LF- Soriano (Colvin at Iowa)
CF- ?
RF- ?
C- Soto/Castillo

RP
Marmol
Marshall
Russell

IMO that is a good core to add some FAs, and hopefully some guys keep developing in the minors.

I hope that it blows up with some trades this year, but it may be more of a let the contract expire kind of deal with Hendry. Who knows who he'll sign next year anyway.
 
Can't argue with much in your post. The trading deadline this year will be interesting. Let's see what they can and will get rid of.
 
There isn't a lot of "big" deals in my post as I don't think the cubs can make those types of trades happen. However, I never thought that M. Bradley could get traded and he did. If Dempster can all of a sudden figure it out, he might be at a premium for a team in the race.
 
hawkfarmer said:
There isn't a lot of "big" deals in my post as I don't think the cubs can make those types of trades happen. However, I never thought that M. Bradley could get traded and he did. If Dempster can all of a sudden figure it out, he might be at a premium for a team in the race.
Click to expand...
Agree. I don't they have a ton of value to deal. Sometimes the trade is not what you get in return but what spot opens up (like for Vitters if Ramirez is traded). I hope Cashner is back soon so we can see what he can do.
 
woodyk1 said:
Agree. I don't they have a ton of value to deal. Sometimes the trade is not what you get in return but what spot opens up (like for Vitters if Ramirez is traded). I hope Cashner is back soon so we can see what he can do.
Click to expand...

Agreed, I like his stuff, but who knows if he can be a starter. Maybe he is the next Kerry Wood (as in must be a reliever to avoid injury-I hope not). I thought Wells was going to have a huge year before he got hurt, hope he can bounce back.
 
I wish we could get rid of everyone except Castro, Barney, Cashner, Garza, Marshall, Marmol, Colvin (I still like his make-up) and Wood (need some sort of veteran presence). I live her in KC and bought tickets to the upcoming series here vs the Cubs, and I'm now wishing I didn't spend the money. I'll go to all 3 games, and I'm sure have a good time, but this is as disgusted as I've ever been as a Cubs fan. I'm also regretting my subsription to MLB Extra Innings.
 
CubHawk1237 said:
I wish we could get rid of everyone except Castro, Barney, Cashner, Garza, Marshall, Marmol, Colvin (I still like his make-up) and Wood (need some sort of veteran presence). I live her in KC and bought tickets to the upcoming series here vs the Cubs, and I'm now wishing I didn't spend the money. I'll go to all 3 games, and I'm sure have a good time, but this is as disgusted as I've ever been as a Cubs fan. I'm also regretting my subsription to MLB Extra Innings.
Click to expand...

Except for the part about living in KC I am in the exact same boat. I am not looking forward to going down to KC and watching them. I also have tickets to two of the Cubs/Phillies games in Chicago. I also bought MLB At Bat to listen to games at work on my phone. I haven't used it since late April. What a waste.
 
Hawkfromnorwalk said:
Except for the part about living in KC I am in the exact same boat. I am not looking forward to going down to KC and watching them. I also have tickets to two of the Cubs/Phillies games in Chicago. I also bought MLB At Bat to listen to games at work on my phone. I haven't used it since late April. What a waste.
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Just wait until September and you can listen while all of the young prospects play....oh wait, all of the "top" prospects are already playing. CRAP
 
None of this matters. Here is what matters

2011 MLB Attendance - Major League Baseball - ESPN

Party on. Now that school is out, Cubs game attendance will shoot up from 84% of capacity closer to 93 by the end of the season...owners pockets get lined, people drink it up and don't care who wins, and the incentive to blown thing up lessens.

That's Chicago Cubs baseball about as long as I have known it.

Sure they want to win games...but the need to be a top flight organization doesn't matter as much to them.
 
JonDMiller said:
None of this matters. Here is what matters

2011 MLB Attendance - Major League Baseball - ESPN

Party on. Now that school is out, Cubs game attendance will shoot up from 84% of capacity closer to 93 by the end of the season...owners pockets get lined, people drink it up and don't care who wins, and the incentive to blown thing up lessens.

That's Chicago Cubs baseball about as long as I have known it.

Sure they want to win games...but the need to be a top flight organization doesn't matter as much to them.
Click to expand...

you havent known the cubs very long then.

Chicago Cubs Attendance Records by Baseball Almanac
 
JonDMiller said:
None of this matters. Here is what matters

2011 MLB Attendance - Major League Baseball - ESPN

Party on. Now that school is out, Cubs game attendance will shoot up from 84% of capacity closer to 93 by the end of the season...owners pockets get lined, people drink it up and don't care who wins, and the incentive to blown thing up lessens.

That's Chicago Cubs baseball about as long as I have known it.

Sure they want to win games...but the need to be a top flight organization doesn't matter as much to them.
Click to expand...

True, however Ricketts is a cubs fan probably more than he is an owner. he wants the cubs to win very badly and isn't going to put up with it. yes the $ is good, but winning is better, and winning still gets you more $. The cubs will not be spending more than they are right now, so if they start to win more it will not be because the owner shells out more money, it will be because they have the right players.
 
jim hendry how is he not gone???? he has made some of the worst baseball contracts in the history of the game. he has cost the team a lot of $$$$. it is crazy this man is still the gm. Sandberg should have been the coach and maddux should be the new gm when hendry gets the ax.
 
Jon, I think (I hope!) you're wrong. I think Cub fans have just about seen enough. Yeah, there will be the usual crowd making their yearly pilgrimage to Wrigley, but the long sufering Cub fan, like myself is getting fed up. I already hate the Ricketts. Giving Hendry a vote of confidence was idiotic considering the damage he has inflicted on the franchise. And Quade was just another mistep in a long line of blunders by Hendry. Just yesterday, they picked a SHORTSTOP with their first pick in the draft. If there is any position they have covered, I would say it is shortstop. They do have a lot of money coming off the books in the next year, but I get the feeling that the Ricketts will pocket it and try to win with minor league players under the guise of "rebuilding with youth." They talk about going after Pujols (never happen), but the player they should have opened the cashbox for was Adrian Gonzalez. Instead they sign Pena for $10 mill. I have given up on this franchise on more than one occasion, but curse my father, he got me hooked at an early age and I keep returning. Unfortunately for him, he recently died at age 98 without ever seeing them win a World Series and I figure I am doomed to the same fate. Luckily being a Cub's fan means you have a lot of spare time in the summer that other fans spend following their team, because like most years, the Cubs are already out of it by June.
 
MisterLucky said:
Jon, I think (I hope!) you're wrong. I think Cub fans have just about seen enough. Yeah, there will be the usual crowd making their yearly pilgrimage to Wrigley, but the long sufering Cub fan, like myself is getting fed up.1. I already hate the Ricketts. Giving Hendry a vote of confidence was idiotic considering the damage he has inflicted on the franchise. And 2. Quade was just another mistep in a long line of blunders by Hendry. Just yesterday, t3. hey picked a SHORTSTOP with their first pick in the draft. If there is any position they have covered, I would say it is shortstop. They do have a lot of money coming off the books in the next year, but I get the feeling that the Ricketts will pocket it and try to win with minor league players under the guise of "rebuilding with youth." They talk about going after Pujols (never happen),4. but the player they should have opened the cashbox for was Adrian Gonzalez. Instead they sign Pena for $10 mill. I have given up on this franchise on more than one occasion, but curse my father, he got me hooked at an early age and I keep returning. Unfortunately for him, he recently died at age 98 without ever seeing them win a World Series and I figure I am doomed to the same fate. Luckily being a Cub's fan means you have a lot of spare time in the summer that other fans spend following their team, because like most years, the Cubs are already out of it by June.
Click to expand...

I am obviously not loving the Cubbies right now since I started this thread but you've gone a little to far on a few things here.

1. What was Ricketts supposed to do? He could fire Hendry, but if you give him 1 more year to see what he can do with the new budget. I want to see Hendry gone, but you give him one more chance. If you're ricketts you can't be like he's an idiot and put the cubs in horrible spot. that's not PC especially when you try to earn respect of your players etc.

2. I loved the Quade hire, still do. What's he supposed to do, he can't go out and throw pitches or hit the ball. he puts players that he has in. I think the Cubs needed a hire like this. This year was a lost cause, did you really want to saddle Ryno with that burden since he's the hometown hero. No. Quade is a good coach, he showed it at the end of last year. Losing 2/5th of his rotation and well horrible production by the high profile players is not his fault. A coach can only do so much. Maybe another coach has 3 or 4 more wins. Great now only 7 or 8 GB.

3. You probably just read the kid's position and assumed that's where he'd be. The cubs think he'll make a pretty good 3B. Hmm, well we need someone there. Who knows if Vitters is ready or when he will be or if he will be. It was a good pick. Also, all the slam dunk pitchers were gone by then and this kid has tremendous upside.

4. I too wanted Adrian Gonzalez and I believe the Cubs tried, but a trade couldn't get done. I agree he would've been a great get, and I don't see the Cubs going after Pujols, thankfully as he'd be 10 years at 30/year. I like Pena, he's a good player, thought they paid a bit too much for him, but it is a 1 year deal, oh well. I think the cubs tried for AGon, but he either didn't want to go, couldn't get the deal, or the Padres couldn't get enough for him.
 
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