The Cubs’ Offseason Sucked

Sports Illustrated’s Jon Heyman threw together a list of the eight most disappointing offseasons in Major League Baseball this year, and - no surprise - the Chicago Cubs made the cut. In fact they came in at number two behind only the New York Mets, who at least added a big bat in Jason Bay. High praise, this is not.

It’s never going to be a great winter when the big goal is to undo the biggest move of the winter before. They did finally get rid of Milton Bradley but had to take Carlos Silva, poster of an impossibly bad 8.60 ERA last year and one of the worst pitchers in baseball since signing for $48 million over four years, in return from Seattle. Marlon Byrd’s acquisition allows them to move Kosuke Fukudome to right field, where he’s excellent, although Byrd isn’t exactly a Gold Glover in center. John Grabow was overpaid at $7.5 mil for two years, and Xavier Nady seems similarly fortunate to get $3.3 million (plus $2 million in incentives) given that he didn’t play after April last year and needed a second Tommy John surgery. But the bigger issues were beyond their control. Ted Lilly’s injury could be a big blow, and Alfonso Soriano proved to be even more untradeable than [Luis] Castillo. No matter, they remain very talented and still have an excellent shot to get back to the playoffs. Jon Heyman - SI.com.

Although I don’t agree with his assessment of the Xavier Nady signing, which I regard as the team’s best move this offseason, and his comment that Alfonso Soriano “proved” untradeable seems strange given the Cubs never endeavored to trade him (did they?), Heyman is spot on in the rest.

Heyman didn’t even mention the fact that the 2010 Cubs are down one very good starting pitcher in Rich Harden.

Live Together, Die Alone: LOST and the Chicago Cubs

“Every man for himself is not going to work. It’s time to start organizing. We need to figure out how we’re going to survive here. Now, I found water. Fresh water, up in the valley. I’ll take a group in at first light. If you don’t want to go, then find another way to contribute. Last week most of us were strangers. But we’re all here now. And God knows how long we’re going to be here. But if we can’t live together, we’re going to die alone.” - Jack Shephard

I have generally avoided using this space to pontificate on things personal and outside of baseball. I figure you all come here to read about the Cubs, not my thoughts on health care reform. And for a guy who has an obsession with the television show LOST that is equaled only by his obsession with the Cubs, it’s hard not to go off about the show from time to time. Warning: this is one of those times.

But the truth is, this post is as much about the Cubs as it is about LOST. The parallels weaving their way through the show, the Chicago Cubs, and Cubs fandom are worth at least one, little article as we approach tonight’s premiere of the much-anticipated final season and dramatic conclusion of LOST. The article’s a bit longer than our usual fare here at Bleacher Nation, but I think it’s worth your time if you’re a fan of the Cubs or a fan of the show. Keep reading up on the Cubs-LOST crossover.

The 2010 Chicago Cubs Batting Order is Largely Set

Without too many moving parts from last year to this, the batting order for the Chicago Cubs is not as prone to questioning as it has been in years past. In fact, the main question - why in the sweet hell is Alfonso Soriano still leading off - mercifully faded away, for good, last year.

But the addition of new center fielder Marlon Byrd and departure of Milton Bradley did leave one lineup question: what changes with Byrd instead of Bradley? The answer: nothing. Manager Lou Piniella says Byrd will replace Bradley in the five hole.

“That, to me, is the most important thing to our team this year offensively — who hits fifth,” Piniella said at the annual Cubs Convention.

Piniella said he plans to take a look at both Kosuke Fukudome and Ryan Theriot as the team’s potential leadoff hitter. From there, he seems confident in his spring training order.

“We have Derrek Lee who’s a wonderful, wonderful three hitter,” Piniella said. “[Aramis]Ramirez is very productive at the four spot. And we’ve settled in with Soriano at the six hole, and I think he’s comfortable with it. We really just have the fifth hole to look at, and I’ve talked to the new hitting coach [Rudy Jaramillo] at length about Marlon, and he thinks he can fit in there.” ESPN Chicago.

That means the early favorite on the lineup is as follows:

1.) Ryan Theriot, SS / Kosuke Fukudome, RF
2.) Ryan Theriot, SS / Kosuke Fukudome, RF
3.) Derrek Lee, 1B
4.) Aramis Ramirez, 3B
5.) Marlon Byrd, CF
6.) Alfonso Soriano, LF
7.) Mike Fontenot, 2B / Jeff Baker, 2B
8.) Geovany Soto, C
9.) Pitcher

Piniella has suggested that Fontenot will hit 7th, and Soto 8th, but you’ve got to believe if Soto finds his stroke again, it will be hard to keep him at the bottom of the order. Oh, and not to mention: it might be hard for him to find his stroke again while hitting at the bottom of the order.

But today is a day for clarity, not complaints. There’s plenty of time to gripe about the order.

The Cubs Lost in 2009 Because They Were Fat - Now They’re Not

Conditioning in baseball is a funny thing. For every athletic freak, there are plenty of David Wells and Cecil Fielders out there who don’t really need to do the whole “being in shape” thing in order to be successful.

For the Chicago Cubs, conditioning issues popped up repeatedly in 2009: Alfonso Soriano’s legs turned on him, despite long being lauded as a physical specimen unlikely to suffer the deleterious effects of aging (woo hoo, signed through 2014!). Carlos Zambrano suffered a few nagging injuries that he attributed to an ineffective exercise routine. And Geovany Soto, who said he’d become a great hitter through diet and exercise, became a bum at the plate through a diet of fast food and exercise of weed.

But the good news is that the latter two players are reportedly in terrific shape.

The Cubs didn’t just shed the dead weight known as Milton Bradley this offseason — they also peeled off all those unwanted pounds that helped kill their promising 2009 season. Turns out a look in the mirror after an 83-78 disappointment led to some drastic measures.

”It confirms to me that when good human beings don’t reach their own expectations or team goals, it bothers them, and they go home and do something about it,” general manager Jim Hendry said. ”Soto’s in terrific shape. I think Zambrano’s conditioning is apparent.

”It hurt them not to achieve their goals. There is nothing you can do about it until next April except get yourself in the best possible condition. And get your mind in the right shape.” CHICAGO SUN-TIMES.

Zambrano was on the radio earlier in the week showing off his self-described “six-pack” (though the hosts conceded it was more of a hearty four-pack, it’s still impressive for a guy of Z’s natural size), and word around the Cubs Convention is that Soto has dropped as many as 40 pounds this offseason.

The Cubs Will Win This Year Because Marlon Byrd is a Nice Guy

Get ready to be overloaded with “addition by subtraction” type optimism pieces as we gear up for the 2010 Chicago Cubs season. The Cubs, apparently, are going to win eight to ten more games in 2010 simply by virtue of not having Milton Bradley on the team anymore. I question the statistical legitimacy of such a claim, but who am I to quibble with Lou Piniella - the guy who said it.

It’s no wonder the good-guy nature of newly signed outfielder Marlon Byrd — and clubhouse chemistry in general — was the undercurrent of the pre-convention media event Wednesday at Harry Caray’s downtown.

How important is it to new teammates that Byrd is a good clubhouse guy?

”As opposed to what? Who are you implying?” pitcher Jeff Samardzija said, smiling. ”You hear a lot about the clubhouse growing up as a kid, but you never really know going into it. But after being here for a couple years and understanding the dynamics of it, it means a lot.”

Especially after 5½ months of one underachieving, oversensitive outfielder grinding against the grain of a team already grinding through injuries and slumps.

Whatever Byrd might bring as a center fielder, it’s his reputation for a personality nothing like that of Bradley, his friend and former Texas Rangers teammate, that’s attracting more attention.

”Hopefully he’s a great guy. I’m sure he will be,” Samardzija said. ”That means a lot. When you’re on each other’s side and everyone’s on the same page, it means a lot. It makes going out and playing the game a whole lot easier.”

As opposed to what? Throwing helmets and tantrums so often your manager finally kicks you out of a game and calls you an unprintable name? Claiming umpires are out to get you? Eating your pregame meals alone in the trainer’s room? Taking yourself out of games? Refusing to pinch-hit and creating a dust-up over it with your hitting coach? Claiming that negativity within and around the organization is why the team hasn’t won a World Series in 100 years? Spending the final 15 games of the season at home because you’ve alienated and ticked off so many people that the general manager suspends you?

Piniella often downplayed the value of chemistry last season, deflecting Bradley’s drag on the Cubs. He used his Bronx Zoo collection of infighting Yankees of the 1970s as an example that friendships have little to do with championships.

But there’s no denying the shared focus on winning those Yankees had, regardless of their personal differences.

And there’s no denying the difference between that and what the Cubs went through last year. The Bradley saga — and by extension the chemistry problems — might have played out differently had he hit well enough and the Cubs stayed healthy enough to overcome the other issues and reach the playoffs.

But when asked about Byrd’s intangibles Wednesday, even Piniella said, ”There’s no substitute for having hard workers on the team and having good chemistry in the clubhouse.

”We’re going to start anew. I like the things we’ve done. We’re going to have a good ballclub this year. I’m looking forward to a team that will win this division again and give us another chance to move on and win the World Series.” CHICAGO SUN-TIMES.

So I guess it isn’t merely the subtraction of Bradley that will lead to more wins. It’s the addition of a good clubhouse guy like Marlon Byrd. I’m sure it can’t hurt, but let’s hope he performs as well on the field as he does in the clubhouse.

A Far Better Bradley Trade That Never Was

It may shock you, but trading Milton Bradley for “pitcher” Carlos Silva was not the Chicago Cubs’ idea of the perfect trade. The Cubs actually almost participated in a four-team blockbuster (well, inasmuch as a whole bunch of salary dumps can constitute a “blockbuster”), which would have seen them land Pat Burrell and Luis Castillo.

According to ESPN’s Jayson Stark, a four-team trade involving Milton Bradley, Pat Burrell, Luis Castillo, and Gary Matthews Jr. fell apart at the winter meetings for an undisclosed reason.

According to a source, the deal would have sent Bradley to the Rays, Burrell and Castillo to the Cubs, and Matthews Jr. to the Mets. Burrell would have then been spun off elsewhere. No word on what the Halos would have received, though getting rid of Sarge Jr. and presumably at least part of his contract would have been a win. MLBTradeRumors.com.

Odds are, the deal was never particularly close to being completed. With this many overpaid players and this many teams involved, it’s highly likely they never got close on the money.

Still, how much sunnier would things look today if Milton Bradley was gone, Luis Castillo was penciled in at second base, and Obsessive Pat Burrell Trade Watch was kicking off?

The End of the Milton Bradley Era: A Portrait of the Player as a Young Man

There’s a story about Milton Bradley as a young man that pops up from time to time.