storminspank
Justin VanLaere
The problem with trying to move Z and Soriano is that no one is going to take them.
If you could ask the Cubs to trade 1 player...
- Thread starter hawkfarmer
- Start date
hawkfarmer
Well-Known Member
Unless Lee goes on a massive tear he is done, and his contract is done at the end of the year. No need to trade him, plus we have no 1B to fill in for him. best to wait and hope he gets hot, then let him walk at the end fo the year.
Agreed on Gonzalez as I state above. But to get him they're going to need to part with some money. Seeing Howards and what Pujols contract will be, Gonzalez won't be cheap. Maybe they let Lilly go and hope that someone can step up and take his starting spot. Or they trade Z and free up some money. Gonzalez is going to get a big contract, and if he doesn't perform we can complain about it like we do for Sori, Fuk, Lee, and Rammy.
hawkfarmer
Well-Known Member
I think this might be the case at the end of the season, or trade deadline. I think Ricketts will overhaul everything if this season is a bust.
clicheusername3
Banned
That would be a nightmare, my other nightmare would be that Silva continues to get totally lucky and he wants to get paid and the Cubs pay him.
hawkfarmer
Well-Known Member
That won't happen. He was just the lesser evil (contract wise) to Bradley. he's done when his contract is done, unless he gets traded. He could resign, but it won't be for the money he is making now.
DYK88
Well-Known Member
So true. (guilty as charged here)
ShadasRevenge
Well-Known Member
Sorianos contract hasn't stopped the Cubs from signing free agents, and won't stop them from doing the same thing in the future. It didn't stop them from signing Fukudome, Bradley, or Byrd, and those three players all have contracts that pay at least 10 million a year.
The Cubs aren't a team like the Marlins where one big contract - Hanley Ramirez - is going to handcuff them from going after other players.
HawkeyeShane
Well-Known Member
I'd trade Castro...he's the only one with a doable contract and the only one with enough talent, who could get some prospects in return who are worth a sh!t...
And yes, I'm just kidding...about the trading him part...
And yes, I'm just kidding...about the trading him part...
thejumper5
Well-Known Member
Along with everything else that hurt the Cubs about Mark Prior and Kerry Wood's injury problems, moving Z from third in the rotation to #1 has probably put a huge damper on how good he could have been. I truly believe that if he had the other two to take the pressure off him, he could be consistently awesome. At this point, it would do Zambrano and the Cubs organization a lot of good to give him a fresh start.
hamiltoncounty
Well-Known Member
At this point (since Soriano is on a tear) it has to be big Z, he gets upwards of 20 mil a year and nobody seems to know if he is a starter or a reliever, both parties would be better for it.
tiggerhawk
Well-Known Member
Meaning you still have a team that can't score runs, only worse if Lee leaves as a free agent. Older, and still the most overpaid lineup in baseball. Still not a solid bullpen, and a less impressive rotation of starting pitchers.
Since this team can't play .500 ball. that is a depressing scenario.
tiggerhawk
Well-Known Member
Lee will be a free agent. Most likely he will be gone after this year. None of the contenders in either league need a 1B so its not like anyone is going to give up worthwhile prospects or a major player to rent him for two months.
Soriano similarly would bring zilch in return. The most the Cubs can hope for is that eventually they can find a team that will take most of his salary along with him--like the Yankees taking Bobby Abreu's full salary but not having to give players as well.. To get prospects or a player for Soriano the Cubs would have to eat all or most of his remaining contract---and with the most bloated payroll in baseball the Cubs can hardly afford to dump Soriano without getting rid of most of the money due him as well.
tiggerhawk
Well-Known Member
Agree, everyone on your list is expendable. The best course of action is that they all go except either Lilly or Dempster, maybe Soto not quite yet until Castillo or Cerda is ready. And Dempster is the better option to trade, since he would bring more in return than Lilly (who will be a free agent).
But maybe the better approach is to consider what the team needs, and potential trade targets or free agents who fit the needs. IMO the very best move the Cubs could make is to package Dempster or Zambrano. minor league CF Brett Jackson (1st pick 2009 draft), and Iowa SP Jay Jackson to the Astros for Michael Bourn (or other players, prospects whoever would be enough to bring Bourn to Chicago). Cubs get a YOUNG player with not yet a big salary--a young player who is both the best centerfielder and the best leadoff man in the NL, maybe the best in baseball. Then the lineup begins with the NL's leading base-stealer, a guy with a near .400 OBP with enough power to pile up extra-base hits in Wrigley. Follow him with Castro, then Byrd next, and put Soriano at cleanup. Trade the other of Dempster/Zambrano and another player/prospect or two to get a left-handed power-hitting right fielder to bat behind and protect Soriano. Find a team that will take Fukadome and all/most of his salary. And find whoever will take on Ramirez' contract.
Soriano, batting cleanup with the speed/OBP of Bourn & Castro plus Byrd in front of him, piles up huge RBI totals, and maximizes his value in the minds of teams/owners lusting for another power hitter. Voila, in the off-season the Cubs manage to move Soriano & the bulk of his contract.
Lee becomes a free agent. The Cubs are out from under the bloated, crippling contracts of Zambrano, Dempster, Fukadome, Soriano, Lee, Ramirez. They can build around a quality OF of Bourn, Byrd, the new RF, Castro, Lilly, Wells, Silva, Cashner, Marshall, Marmol, Theriot, any talent they get in moving Fukadome & Ramirez. They have acquired flexibility in the payroll, can afford to pursue a topflight free agent for 1B & a 5th SP. And in a few months transform themselves from an aging, vastly overpaid veteran team on the decline to a younger team on the rise.
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hamiltoncounty
Well-Known Member
I know Bourne is a really good leadoff hitter ( 15 sb's and hitting .288) but our best pitcher (Dempster) our best position prospect now that Castro is in the bigs (B. Jackson) and one of our best pitching prospects (J.Jackson)? Seems like a little much, that being said we could use a stud leadoff hitter.
hawkfarmer
Well-Known Member
The Ricketts have set a budget and the cubs are at it. I'm saying that they can't just add players with huge contracts every year. They lose Lilly and Lee this year so they will have some money to play with, but they need to fill 2 spots, so unless Cashner is ready (cheap) they can't spend a lot on 2 FA, but if they can spend a lot on Gonzalez and put Cashner in the rotation, great. Yes they will continue to sign free agents, but they can do it smarter, and then they can actually build a bull pen, instead of rely on one returning member and all young kids to help. (Even though I think our young bullpen is better with the young guys-get rid of Grabow).
As far as one contract handcuffing. It's not as extreme as the marlins, but Soriano's huge contract for 7 years does handcuff them. They are stuck with him for 7 years, can't trade him, and can't get someone who may be better to play the position, like another Byrd. Or they can't let Colvin get a chance. That is handcuffing, even though it doesn't stop them from signing people, it handcuffs them in the outfield.
DYK88
Well-Known Member
Tiggerhawk, you my friend, are delusional. What exactly do you see in bourn that would lead you to believe he's such a great lead-off man to pull off your potential trade?!
Michael Bourn Stats, Bio, Photos, Highlights | astros.com: Team
Career .265 avg / .331 obp
Michael Bourn Stats, Bio, Photos, Highlights | astros.com: Team
Career .265 avg / .331 obp
hawkfarmer
Well-Known Member
hawkeyehat
Well-Known Member
If you can ditch Zambrano now, I think you do it. Then trade Silva at either the trade deadline or during the winter if he has a good year. Let Lilly walk and you've got a rotation of Dempster, Wells, Gorz, Cashner, and Jackson or Diamond and about 40 mil less in payroll. With Lee leaving for sure this summer that opens up an additional 13 mil or so. I think at this point Ramirez won't opt out and will be back, hopefully he can get it together or get healthy whatever is bothering him. However, that really only leaves 2B and 1B open to make improvements unless you can find a taker for Fukudome going into his final year.
Still by making the above moves you've got about 55 mil to sign a 1B and 2B. There are some very nice 1B who look to be in the market during the summer. Sign one of them preferably a lefty and bring in a legit offensive 2B and you could be in business while still having some cash to add an arm to the pen.
Still by making the above moves you've got about 55 mil to sign a 1B and 2B. There are some very nice 1B who look to be in the market during the summer. Sign one of them preferably a lefty and bring in a legit offensive 2B and you could be in business while still having some cash to add an arm to the pen.
