Series Preview: Cubs v. Brewers, June 8 – June 10, 2010

It’s Series Preview time again, as the Chicago Cubs head out to face the Milwaukee Brewers – the one team against whom the Cubs have played well this year. And Miller Park usually plays like Wrigley North, so it should be a fine reception for the Cubs.

A refresher on the series preview here at Bleacher Nation:

The idea is to hook you up with the bare minimum of what you need to know about every series this year. That way you can look like a genius, hardcore fan in front of all your friends, with minimum effort. Oh, and there will be pictures of hot chicks, too.

Check out the Brewers series preview, after the jump

We’re All Screwed: The Cardinals Call Up Aaron Miles

I’ll level with you: the Cubs’ chances in the NL Central were already looking terrible. But after the Cardinals’ most recent move to shore up their bench, the Cubs have almost no chance.

The Cardinals have called up Aaron Miles.

The 33-year-old Miles was one of the final players cut by the Reds this spring and signed a minor league contract with St. Louis on April 30. He batted .279 with 13 RBIs in 16 games.

Miles previously played with the Cardinals from 2006-08 and was a member of the World Series title team in ’06. He was in uniform for Tuesday night’s game against the Reds, although he wasn’t in the starting lineup and manager Tony La Russa said he wouldn’t start Wednesday, either. ESPN.

Aaron Miles was the John Grabow of 2009, having signed a 2 year, $5 million deal before the season, and then, following hilariously awful performance, fell victim to “injuries” before being dealt this past offseason.

He bounced around and found his way back to the Cardinals, where he’s almost certain to have a resurgent half-season.

Why the 2010 Cincinnati Reds Will Suck

Editor’s Note: Yes, it’s that time of year again – the time for us to settle back into our protective bubble where the Chicago Cubs are destined for greatness, and every other team in the National League Central is bound for spectacular failure. If you’d care to check out last year’s fare: St. Louis Cardinals, Cincinnati Reds, Milwaukee Brewers, Pittsburgh Pirates, Houston Astros.

The 2010 Major League Baseball season is nearly upon us, and that means two things: (1) we’re all so deprived of real baseball action that we’re willing to treat meaningless Spring Training games like they’re the playoffs, and (2) the prognosticators are out in full force. Yes, every sports publication in the world puts out a season preview. Some are interesting, some aren’t. For the most part, folks just don’t have the time necessary to do the kind of in-depth preview that is going to be of any use to a reader that actually follows the team being previewed.

So most previews end up being pretty surface level, and boring. Well, we’re not going to do that here at Bleacher Nation. It’s much more interesting (notice how I subtly pat myself on the back?) to simply examine why the team currently sucks and is going to suck in 2010.

So enjoy – we’ll be previewing the suckiness (suckosity?) of the other teams in the National League Central over the next five weeks. Up first, the ward of the gentleman to the right: the Cincinnati Reds. Read the full preview on why the 2010 Cincinnati Reds will suck, after the jump.

Jeff Baker Wants to Punch Mike Fontenot’s Heart

Last year, Mike Fontenot was anointed the Chicago Cubs’ starting second baseman out of Spring Training following a 2008 season where he was dominant at the plate in a part-time role.

He struggled.

The Cubs responded to his struggles (and Aramis Ramirez’s injury and Aaron Miles’ totally unpredictable sucking) by acquiring second baseman Jeff Baker from the Colorado Rockies. All Baker did was hit .305 with an .810 OPS in his time with the Cubs. And now, understandably, he wants to be the Cubs’ starting second baseman.

“Guys who you’re competing with for the same spot, you’re still good friends and [the competition] doesn’t change anything,” Baker said. “As long as Mike and I have the same mindset that it’s about what’s best for the team and about what’s best for the team that day, I don’t think anything will change. We’re both professional players and we both want to win.” …

“It’s one of those things, coming over here was a fresh start and an opportunity for me,” Baker said of the Cubs. “The one thing I’ve noticed about the Cubs is if you play well, you’ll get the opportunity to play. I’m going to try to take advantage of it and I’m going to go out there and go 100 percent. It’s not going to be from a lack of effort or lack of preparation.”

This offseason, he started hitting earlier than usual. Baker has been working out at George Mason University, which is near his home in Dumfries, Va.

“There’s no one there in December,” he said of the school, located in Fairfax, Va. “I started going a couple times a week and I’ve been going every day in January.”

He’ll be in the Cubs’ camp in Mesa, Ariz., when pitchers and catchers report Feb. 17.

“For me, taking ground balls off a gym floor is good,” Baker said, “but it’s definitely nice being out on the grass and I like the warm weather, too.”

He did not take the attitude that he’ll be a backup on the Cubs.

“I always prepare like I’m going to be a starter,” Baker said. “I believe I can play every day in the big leagues and I can be productive and help a team win. It doesn’t really change how I go about my business or my offseason.

“The opportunity to start doesn’t come along too often,” he said. “I’ve been fighting for one my whole career. If I get that opportunity in Spring Training, it’s something I’m going to try to grab hold of tight and not let go.” cubs.com.

For now, the Cubs expect to platoon the two second basemen, which may be the best move for all involved. Baker can pick up some extra at bats by spelling Aramis Ramirez at third or Derrek Lee at first, and Mike Fontenot can sit against lefties.

The 2009 Chicago Cubs: Recalling Those “Worst Case Scenarios”

Oh those Chicago Cubs. They are, as always, predictably unpredictable – with the exception that they are predictably disappointing. Now, with the advent of 2010, we can finally reflect dispassionately on the 2009 Chicago Cubs.

The 2009 iteration of the Cubs was no exception in the disappointment department. We didn’t quite know how things would play out, but we knew it would end with us nestled up to a gutter, clinging to our hopes for next year like a vagrant clings to his dwindling bottle of booze – to which we are also clinging.

Still, we didn’t think it would be quite this bad. The 2008 Cubs, after all, had been the best in the National League, and the team had added a full year of Rich Harden and a new, stellar switch hitter in right field. But a certain level of skepticism was necessary for protection from heartache. To that end, we had this to say:

We know, intellectually, the 2009 season will not play out as we project. Seasons never do. However, we assume that it will play out closer to the averages, to our expectations, than something else.

But what if that something else happens? What if – God, yes God, forbid – the worst happens? Not just for a couple players, but for every single Chicago Cub. What would that season look like, and would you survive it?

And with that, we laid out the worst case scenarios for the 2009 Chicago Cubs – never believing, of course, that the foreboding predictions would prove closer to reality than the outlandish fiction they were supposed to approach. Like a certain episode of the Simpsons, we thought, certainly something bad could befall one of the Cubs. Maybe even two. Maybe even three Cubs would struggle for various reasons. But all of them (except Homer)? Surely that’s the stuff of fantasy.

Or nightmare. Because those “worst case scenarios” absolutely became our hellish reality in 2009. Enter the nightmare, after the jump.

Jeff Gray, Ronny Morla, and Matt Spencer Are Chicago Cubs

Welcome to the three news members of the Chicago Cubs organization, acquired yesterday for Jake Fox, Aaron Miles, and $1 million of wheel-greasing: reliever Jeff Gray, and prospects Ronny Morla and Matt Spencer.

Gray is the guy you’ll immediately notice from this trade, because he’s very likely to be a part of the Cubs’ pen in 2010. Already a very crowded group, Gray figures to have a good shot at a middle relief role following a solid 2009 campaign, where he put up a 3.76 ERA in Oakland after dominating AAA. Of course, he did that at age 27, so the dominating AAA part is less impressive. Gray was a boom or bust sort, giving up nothing in 15 of his 19 relief appearances in the bigs last year, but gave up three earned runs in his last appearance. Otherwise, his ERA would have been under 3.00. He doesn’t strike out a lot of guys, but the good news is he doesn’t walk a lot either – just four walks in over 26 innings last year. That’s music to the ears of Cubs fans who are used to seeing their relievers give up at least a freebie every other inning.

Gray won’t be eligible for arbitration for the first time until 2012, so he’s going to be cheap for a while. That part is nice, too.

Matt Spencer is a 23 year old bopper who split time last year between the A’s single A and double A clubs, putting up an .833 OPS in just his second professional year. No one expects him to become a full-time big league regular, but he could contribute off of the bench as soon as the second half of this year. Spencer plays the corner outfield spots and first, but despite his solid bat, is not great defensively at any of those spots (hmm, sound familiar?).

Ronny Morla may be the key to the deal, and could be a good one. The 21 year old fireballer had an ERA near five in A-ball last year and a 1-7 record. So what am I talking about? First of all, learn to be open to ignoring crappy ERAs for low-level prospects. Yes, it’s always a good sign when the pitcher isn’t giving up runs, but sometimes, when the kid is, it’s not reflective of his ability. Sometimes he’s being instructed, and is working on certain things (new pitches, for example), which can result in runs given up. Also, the defense behind you isn’t quite the same caliber as you’ll see at higher levels. So why am I excited about this kid? Well, he’s struck out over 10 guys per 9 innings, and sports a 3 to 1 K:BB ratio, which means he has good stuff and good control. That’s a combination that I’ll take every time over low-level ERA and win/loss.

So all in all, the trade appears to be an adequate one for the Cubs. Sure, there’s always a chance that Jake Fox continues to improve, and turns into David Ortiz for the A’s. But that wasn’t going to happen with the Cubs. And sure, there’s always a chance Aaron Miles hits .300 off the bench for the A’s. But who cares? Miles is the king of empty batting average (by which I mean, his .300 is terrifically unproductive, resulting in an OPS doesn’t even approach mediocre). And, moving Miles opens up $1.7 million in salary that Jim Hendry can blow on some random unproductive veteran the Cubs can use to improve this year’s team.

Of course, the pathetic irony is that the Cubs would not have had to try and “save” money by dealing Aaron Miles if Jim Hendry hadn’t signed him to an absurd, two-year deal last winter.

BREAKING: Cubs Trade Jake Fox and Aaron Miles to Oakland A’s

The Chicago Cubs just traded utility players Jake Fox and Aaron Miles (that’s pretty much the only way you would ever hear them listed with the same descriptor) to the Oakland A’s for a few youngsters: right-handed pitcher Jeff Gray (edit, Gray is a 28 year old reliever, so yeah, not so much on the young) and minor-leaguers Ronny Morla and Matt Spencer.

This is all per Bruce Levine.

The Cubs to eat $1 million of the $2.7 million owed to Miles this year – given that fact, and the inclusion of Fox, you’d have to believe the three guys netted aren’t complete garbage. Tentative impression? Pleased. The Cubs moved two guys who didn’t really have a spot on this year’s team, saved almost $2 million, and picked up a decent, cheap reliever, a possible future bench contributor, and a high upside youngster.

We’ll have a more informative/evaluative update on the deal a little later.

Chicago Cubs are Shopping Aaron Miles, May Shop Jake Fox

We’ve heard plenty this offseason about the Chicago Cubs’ targets, but very little about current Cubs headed out the door. Two of the players that make sense as trade bait are utility players Jake Fox and Aaron Miles.

They make sense in that capacity for very different reasons, of course: Fox, because he’s cheap and should have a great deal of value to small market AL teams, and Miles, because, well, um, so many commas, he sucks.

The Cubs have heard from numerous team about Jake Fox. American League clubs such as Kansas City and Oakland believe Fox can be a valuable asset as a part-time designated hitter and position player.

The Cubs will deal Fox because he really doesn’t fit as a National League bench player. In the National League you need to come off the bench as a pinch-hitter and then play a position or two as the manager tries to fit you into late game situations and double switches. Although Fox can really hit the fastball, the former Michigan All-American catcher never has been able to overcome a good-hit, no-field reputation. Fox has worked extremely hard at honing his skills at third base and outfield but unfortunately for him, the results have only been marginal.

The Cubs will also try to move infielder Aaron Miles. The former White Sox, Rockie and Cardinal never got over the hump last season due to personal and physical setbacks. Miles will make $2.7 million in the second year of two-year contract after hitting .185 in 74 games. The Cubs will consider eating some of Miles’ contract but at age 33, the switch-hitting infielder should have some productive years left as a backup infielder. Believe it or not Cubs fans, Miles is a career .282 career hitter. ESPN Chicago.

The Cubs, I imagine, would gladly send off Miles for nothing if they found a team willing to take on as much as $2 million of his 2.7 million 2010 salary.

Levine takes the unnecessary shot at Fox’s defensive abilities – it seems to me he was more than adequate at, for example, third base in his relief of Aramis Ramirez – but that is the perception, which will necessarily hurt Fox’s value. Moving Fox at the peak of his value makes sense, but it won’t result in any cost-cutting for the Cubs. Still, the bench is already looking very crowded for next year, with guys like Mike Fontenot (or Jeff Baker), Andres Blanco, Micah Hoffpauir, Reed Johnson (if he returns), Sam Fuld, Tyler Colvin, and Koyie Hill already in the mix.

Getting a couple high ceiling, low level prospects would be a very nice return for Fox.

And now a moment to keep this place running.

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