23 replies to this topic

[Rated Rookie]

As I've said before, we don't have to be bad. Nay, we shouldn't be bad. We havea solid foundation. Our most glaring hole has been a legit, big league heart of the lineup. And there's no question that we could use a front end starter and a back end reliever. Easier said then done? Not when you have a ton of freed up payroll, one of the best front offices in baseball (allegedly,) and a decent amount of moveable parts so that we could win now and not sacrifice the future plans.

5. Keep Soriano and Marmol. Unless someone's wiling to really give us something of real value, they'd be more valuable with us than paying them to play elsewhere.

4. Jeff Niemann: High reward pick up for the back end of the rotation. Tampa has no shortage of young pitching, and a big shortage of offense. I think that he could be had for as little as Bryan LaHair, but I'd be willing to give them DeJesus for him, who would fill a big hole for them.

3. The Japanese fellow. Sure, he'll be expensive, esepcially with both LA teams supposedly courting him. He's 32, and if we sign him, it needs to be with the intent of morewin now moves. I just have no idea how much he's cost.

2. Brett Anderson. The A's have a lot of young pitching, and he might not be the most desireable, but he could be the most reastic. Once one of the top pitching prospects in baseball, he's had his share of injury trouble in the past. However, he's one of those guys who's been around long enough that you look him up and say shit, he's only 24? I know that Billy wouldn't give him away, but with te surplus of young pitching that they have, two of baseballs front offices should have no problem making a deal which benefits both sides. Perhaps Szczur, Vitters or Lake, Dolis, and
one of Amaya/Alcantara/Hernandez/Torreyes with them sending something else our way. Ian Krol and/or Michael Taylor could work.

1. Josh Hamilton at 4/80 or 5/90. Yup. I know that he allegedly wants 6-7 years, but that doesn't mean he'll get it. I know that some of us are still un shy on big contracts due to Hendry, but remember, he used them to fill every hole he had. I'd be OK with throwing one wreckless contract out there for a ruely elite player. Im aware of his injury history, and history of substance abuse could shorten his peak years. I'd move him to RF to protect the investment, though it would hurt the WAR.

This gives us an opening day roster of:

1. Jackson CF (L)
2. Castro SS ®
3. Hamilton RF (L)
4. Rizzo 1B (split Hamilton&Rizzo vs. lefties) (L)
5. Soriano LF (for now) ®
6. Stewart 3B (big X factor, fingers crossed) (L)
7. Castillo C ®
8. Barney 2B ®
Rotation Garza, Anderson, Shark, Niemann, Baker/Wood (Struck, Coleman,Raley,Rusin as depth if kept)

Pen: Marmol, Japanese guy, Russell, Beliveau, 4 of Guttierez/Putnam/Bowden/Chapman/Brigham/Jackson/Mateo
Vizcaino&Cabrera in Iowa as starters
Bench: Navarro, Sappelt, Campana, Valbuena, Watkins

[fromthemitten]

too many temptations with the Chicago nightlife for me to be comfortable with Hamilton. He's better suited for a cowtown. I wouldn't be opposed to Nick Swisher and Eric Chavez.

[King Jeff]

I have to agree with Mittens on Hamilton. I would love to see him in a Cubs uniform the next few years, but his personality scares the hell out of me. I feel like he'd come to Chicago and completely fall apart because of how awesome we Cubs fans are to party with.

[fromthemitten]

I can imagine it now

Hamilton, having a Hawklike year for a floundering Cubs team, is patrolling right field when Casey Coleman serves a home run ball into the right field bleachers. A drunken fan douses the ball in Old Style and throws it back. Hamilton picks up the ball and the alcohol absorbs into his hand.

Two hours after the game this happens:

[Mike Taylor (no relation)]

Only 5 moves?
#1. Send Junior Lake, Nick Struck, Bryan LaHair, Jeff Beliveau, Matt Szczur, and Luis Valbuena to Cleveland for SP Justin Masterson and 3B Lonnie Chisenhall.
#2. Sign Angel Pagan to play CF.
#3. Sign Jeff Keppinger to play 2B/3B.
#4. Trade Alfonso Soriano for something ML-ready.
#5. Sign Ryan Ludwick to play LF.

(.385) CF Angel Pagan (S)
(.370) 2B Jeff Keppinger / Dave Sappelt RF (.385)
(.383) 1B Anthony Rizzo (L)
(.418) LF Ryan Ludwick
(.354) SS Starlin Castro
(.361) 3B Lonnie Chisenhall (L) / Jeff Keppingger (.370)
(.356) C Welington Castillo / Dioner Navarro (.361)
(.357) RF David DeJesus (L) / Darwin Barney 2B (.309)

SP Matt Garza
SP Justin Masterson
SP Jeff Samardzija
SP Scott Baker
SP Travis Wood (L)

[fromthemitten]

#1 Sign Nick Swisher to play RF and protect Rizzo in the lineup. Shift DeJesus to CF
#2 Big ass package for Chase Headley
#3 Sign Anibal Sanchez
#4 Shore up the bullpen with Joakim Soria
#5 For good measure sign Sean Burnett to have a lefty to compliment Russell

CF - DeJesus
SS - Castro
3B - Headley
1B - Rizzo
RF - Swisher
LF - Soriano
2B - Barney
C - Castillo/Navarro

Bench
OF - Sappelt
1B/OF - LaHair
INF - Valbuena
INF - Somebody on a minor league contract who can play short

Rotation
Garza
Sanchez
Shark
Baker
Wood

Bullpen
Marmol
Soria
Russell
Camp
Burnett
Bowden (showed great improvement in the end of the season)
Dolis

[Brett]

Hamilton is also going to get much, much more than you've proposed - even if he doesn't get the six or seven years, he's going to get well more than $20 million per year.

[Rated Rookie]

Again, I'm OK with going all out, maybe even a bit wreckless with one guy assuming that it's a real differencer maker, and we're prepared with cheaper and internal options to fill additional holes.

[hansman1982]

1. Sign BJ Upton, Anibal Sanchez and 1 of McCarthy/Marcum
1a. Big no-thank you on Hamilton - over 30, giant risks
2. If the Indians will do this (I doubt they would) "#1. Send Junior Lake, Nick Struck, Bryan LaHair, Jeff Beliveau, Matt Szczur, and Luis Valbuena to Cleveland for SP Justin Masterson and 3B Lonnie Chisenhall." do it.
3. A couple more garbage guy signings for BP (think Shawn Camp style)

Lineup:

1. DeJesus (RF)
2. Castro
3. Rizzo
4. Soriano
5. Upton
6. Chisenhall
7. Castillo
8. Barney

Garza
Shark
Sanchez
Masterson
Marcum/McCarthy

Marmol
Russell/Camp
Random assortment of dudes

[Rated Rookie]

I know that Swisher and B.J. Upton are the type of players that advanced stat mined new age GMs love, and to a ready made contender, they'd be great additions. However, what we really need is a bonified 3 hitter, and anyway you spin it, neither Upton nor Swisher are that.

[fromthemitten]

that's why I said to trade for Chase Headley. Plays a position of need not readily available in the trade market and put up great numbers at Petco

[Mike Taylor (no relation)]

Chase Headley had a career year last year for whatever reason. His OPS was over .800 for the first time in his career. He hit 13 HR at Petco and 18 HR away, everything else was about even.


BJ Upton is not very good. Every season he's had is like Alfonso Soriano's in 2011, but stolen bases. I think he'll end up being another contract fans will despise if he signs with us.

Jorge Soler will be our bonefide #3 hitter. We'll have Rizzo in the 4 slot and Castro at 5, and Jackson, if he's still around, will hit 6th.

[King Jeff]

I would absolutely love to get Headley, but I think he's going to cost way too much. He's easily the best "available" 3rd baseman in one of the most barren markets in recent history. I doubt we could get San Diego interested until we conceded at least one of the top 3, and possibly 2 of them.

[Tommy]

Chase Headley had a career year last year for whatever reason. His OPS was over .800 for the first time in his career. He hit 13 HR at Petco and 18 HR away, everything else was about even.


BJ Upton is not very good. Every season he's had is like Alfonso Soriano's in 2011, but stolen bases. I think he'll end up being another contract fans will despise if he signs with us.

Jorge Soler will be our bonefide #3 hitter. We'll have Rizzo in the 4 slot and Castro at 5, and Jackson, if he's still around, will hit 6th.

I like the way you think, Mike, and I'm glad to hear someone else say that about Upton (I couldn't agree more).

Honestly - if the Cubs don't trade Maholm and Dempster last year, and Garza doesn't get hurt, we would have been considerably better. If we can get Garza back healthy and pick up a couple decent starters to replace the production we got from Maholm and Dempster, along with a decent upgrade in the OF and maybe 3B, anything can happen. Will we be a WS contender? Probably not, but I think we can be considerably better than last year.

Keep up the positive vibe!

And yeah - we'd all love Headley, but Jeff summed that situation up pretty well. I just don't see any way that happens.

[Mike Taylor (no relation)]

I think we're going to end up sticking with Ian Stewart for at least a half-year, and then platoon Vitters with him when he comes up. If we do this, we only "need" to sign a SP and a CF or RF.

I think clubs are too reluctant to trade for Soriano, given the break out year, so he'll be in the Matt Garza boat this year.

1st half of 2013:
1. CF DeJesus (L) / Sappelt
2. 2B Barney / Valbuena (L)
3. 1B Rizzo (L)
4. LF Soriano
5. SS Castro
6. RF Hairston --FA--
7. C Castillo / Navarro
8. 3B Stewart (L)

SP Garza
SP Sanchez
SP Samardzija
SP Baker
SP Wood (L)