Cub Offseason Moves/Rumors
- Thread starter ssckelley
- Start date
hawkfarmer
Well-Known Member
I must have missed it. However spring and summer are a bit hectic around here so I'm not on HN quite as much. I will try to keep up this year.
Also, I love baseball more than any sport, grew up playing in my backyard all summer long. I love the cubs and grew up the biggest mark grace fan. I even tried to convince my parents to change my name to mark. no dice. I do love it, but have a tough time following them when the season gets started.
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woodyk1
Well-Known Member
Section136
Well-Known Member
Cubs sign 18 year old Cuban LHP.
Cuban pitching star Gerardo Concepcion agrees with Chicago Cubs, source says - ESPN Chicago
Cuban pitching star Gerardo Concepcion agrees with Chicago Cubs, source says - ESPN Chicago
hawkfarmer
Well-Known Member
This is the cuban defector I was really hoping for the cubs to sign. I really would be estatic if they signed all three, and Cespedes is the last one on my list just because of the money he is due.
hawkfarmer
Well-Known Member
Cubs drop DeWitt. I bet it is killing Hendry to watch Theo undo everything he has done over the past few seasons (though it's a good thing). DeWitt came over in the Theriot deal.
ssckelley
Well-Known Member
You did not mention why they dropped DeWitt. They claimed Adrian Cardenas off waivers from the A's, I'd say nice trade off. He is a career .300 hitter in the minors with a little speed and can play several positions. A former 1st round draft pick, bats left handed, and comes with a little cheaper price tag than DeWitt.
hawkfarmer
Well-Known Member
True, I did not link, my bad. No I think it is a very good trade off for the cubs and DeWitt honestly, he was not going to get much time as a cubby. I just wanted to point out that another one of Hendry's magnificent deals has been corrrected by Theo and Co.
http://espn.go.com/chicago/mlb/stor...-blake-dewitt-claim-infielder-adrian-cardenas
ssckelley
Well-Known Member
I think the direction they were going to take with this upcoming season was determined by Ramirez and Pena. Ramirez had the option to play the last year of his contract for $15 million and Pena was offered arbitration. Since both rejected their deals the Cubs decided to blow this team up. I am shocked that Soriano is still with the Cubs as I cannot believe he is not worth even 5 million to an AL team in need of a DH. Unless Garza gets hurt I would be shocked if he is still a Cub after the trade deadline. I look at the potential lineup right now for 2012 and I cannot help but wonder if they would even make the playoffs in the PCL.
Epstein realizes his honeymoon with Cub fans will be a short one. I think he realizes that if he blows this team up now is the time to do it so they can progressively get better. Previous GMs would always throw money at free agents to get Cub fans excited to think they have a shot.
Epstein realizes his honeymoon with Cub fans will be a short one. I think he realizes that if he blows this team up now is the time to do it so they can progressively get better. Previous GMs would always throw money at free agents to get Cub fans excited to think they have a shot.
woodyk1
Well-Known Member
Ramirez was never going to accept arbitration. Pena was a maybe. I think it turned out OK to younger at 1B and see what Stewart can do at 3B. This will be a long process.
1977Hawkeye
Well-Known Member
I think right now, our best hope is that Soriano has a pretty good first half, and ends up traded to an AL contender at mid-season. Guess we'll see - that contract is going to be hard to unload. They managed to get rid of Z's contract, but of course had to eat quite a bit of his salary to do it.
I'm ok with Epstein dismantling the team right now. IMO it was long past time to air out that club house - bring in new players, new attitude, new culture. I for one did not expect Epstein to be able to work a miracle right out of the chute - get back to me in a couple years and we'll see how it looks.
hawkfarmer
Well-Known Member
Theo is doing it the right way. He's building. He knows you can only patch a hole or two with FAs, not build a team that way. You also have to have a great farm system not only for developing your talent, but for trades. It is much easier to trade for a final piece to the puzzle than to sign it as a free agent, and also when you have great depth in your system you don't mind trading a few pieces away. I honestly think that Marmol, Garza, and Soriano won't be around after the first half of the season. I think that those are 2 pieces you can get something for and a contract that needs to go, although I love Soriano's attitude and leadership, it's time to start fresh. have to rid the club of the Hendry maneuvers that got the cubs here in the first place.
tm3308
Well-Known Member
What I wouldn't give for Soriano to have a reasonable contract. He's still an okay player, and his clubhouse presence is great. For that reason, I'll hate to see him go, but it's necessary.
FWIW - I believe this move was purely motivated by Cardenas being cheaper and markedly better offensively. He'd probably have found a home in the big leagues already, but he is terrible with the glove. DeWitt's just as bad, and making about $700k more doing it. No brainer move. Cardenas could be an everyday 2b if he could improve in the field. Would certainly take him over Barney offensively, but Barney gets the nod given his glove.
They need Soriano to have a great 1st half to be able to deal him. They are going to have to eat money, but Theo and Jed will also make sure they get some return for him.
They are not going to trade him just to be rid of him. But some contender will more than likely take him and offer a suitable return as well.
