Series Preview: Padres v. Cubs, August 16 – 19, 2010
It’s series preview time again as the Chicago Cubs welcome the best team in the National League to Wrigley Field. So bring it on Braves… er… Dodgers … er Cardinals? Giants?
Wait. San Diego Padres? Um, what?
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 beautiful women, too. So there’s that.
Check out the Padres series preview, after the jump
Mark Prior Is Actually Going to Play Some Baseball
I needn’t go over the sad, shattered history of Mark Prior. The former Chicago Cubs employee has had a long way back to professional baseball after shoulder looseness and amorphous elbow issues robbed him of his effectiveness more than three years ago. But he’s going to get a shot to pitch again, this time with the independent Golden Baseball League.
Prior, a former first-round Draft pick who has had a career plagued with injuries, signed with the Orange County Flyers of the independent Golden Baseball League on Tuesday. Prior spent last season working back to health in San Diego’s organization and is hoping to pitch his way into position for another chance at the Majors.
Prior, the second overall selection in the 2001 First-Year Player Draft, shot through the Minor Leagues and attained star status virtually immediately upon his promotion to the Cubs. The right-hander finished third in the National League’s Cy Young balloting in ’03, thanks to an 18-9 record and a 2.43 ERA in 30 starts.
Unfortunately, that was the last time he pitched a complete season. Prior missed two months with an Achilles tendon injury in ’04, and he missed time due to a compression fracture in his pitching elbow in ’05. Prior missed another two months in ’06 with a strained shoulder, and he hasn’t been able to make it back to the Majors since.
Prior underwent shoulder surgery and missed the entire ’07 season, and after signing with the Padres, he re-aggravated his shoulder condition toward the end of his rehabilitation period. Prior had a season-ending surgery again in ’08, and he spent last season with the Padres on a Minor League contract. cubs.com.
Prior is expected to pitch out of the bullpen before crumpling in a heap of despair, and lifting a homemade sign that reads, “Cautionary Tale: Stephen Strasburg, Invest Wisely.”
Obsessive Ted Lilly Trade Watch: The Dodgers Are A-Callin’
Though he didn’t even appear in the game, last night’s shellacking of Carlos Silva made it incrementally more likely that Chicago Cubs starter Ted Lilly would be traded. With just over a week to go before the non-waiver trade deadline on July 31, the Cubs are no doubt continuously evaluating their position vis a vis the other teams in the NL Central. And when you get blown out by one of the worst teams, it becomes a whole lot easier to think sell-sell-sell, even if it’s just “one game.”
With that as a backdrop, we can add another team to the list of suitors for Ted Lilly’s services: the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Losers of four in a row and with 13 of their next 17 games against the San Francisco Giants and San Diego Padres, the Dodgers, according to baseball sources, have been very aggressive in their pursuit of pitching, both for the rotation and the bullpen. They continue to call the Houston Astros on Roy Oswalt(notes), the Chicago Cubs on Ted Lilly(notes), the Diamondbacks on Haren and even the Cleveland Indians on Jake Westbrook(notes) and Fausto Carmona(notes). Yahoo! Sports.
The only team for which there have been reports of real talks or prospect scouting is the New York Mets, and recently those reports have cooled. It’s good to know there are a number of teams interested in Lilly – the Mets, Dodgers, Tigers, Yankees, Twins, White Sox, among others – but right now, concrete details are a scarcity.
Will Ryan Theriot Be Shopped This Year?
If the Chicago Cubs continue falling out of contention, you know as well as I do that we will daily be bombarded with rumors/ideas/suggestions about which players the Cubs should unload, and which players they should keep for the future.
Well, I’m here to start bombarding you.
Ryan Theriot presents an interesting case. Now that he’s been supplanted as the starting shortstop, his future with the Cubs beyond 2010 is in doubt. Then again, there is not an heir apparent at second base, waiting in the wings. Mike Fontenot and Jeff Baker could platoon there, but neither is the “future” at second base. Darwin Barney looks like a solid future utility player, but not a future starter.
Theriot led off and played second base — roles that don’t necessarily match his skill set — in each of the Cubs’ past two games. He doesn’t walk as often as a classic leadoff hitter. And is he really more productive than a platoon of Mike Fontenot and Jeff Baker?
Theriot was never regarded as a great defensive shortstop, but he’s shown that he can play the position. The Padres, Tigers, Twins and A’s are among the contenders who have had below-average production at shortstop, but there are no indications that those clubs have interest in Theriot.
For that reason, there’s no need for Hendry to rush. (Also: Castro is hitting .227 since his first 10 games in the majors.) But if enough teams need a shortstop by early July, the GM should act.
It helps that Theriot wouldn’t be too expensive. He’s earning $2.6 million in his first year of salary arbitration. FOX Sports on MSN.
Theriot’s value on the market could vary wildly between teams. Some will view him as less than a starter, while others will see him as a cheap starter at shortstop. The Cubs would be wise to feel out the market over the next few weeks, especially if they do not expect to tender Theriot a contract at the end of this season.
The Chicago Cubs Would Like to Trade Derrek Lee
Well here’s a bit of a shocker – at least, it’s a shocker that this is coming up in May as opposed to July. The Chicago Cubs are willing to move first baseman Derrek Lee. Not as shocking? Nobody’s interested.
Derrek Lee, first baseman, Cubs: If the Cubs could move him, they would, according to multiple scouts. The 34-year-old first baseman is in the final year of a five-year, $65 million contract, earning $13 million this season. The Cubs are looking to shake things up, but a taker for Lee will be hard to find if teams feel his bat is slowing. Lee also has a no-trade clause. The Boston Globe.
Lee will start hitting soon – of that, I have no doubt. But even if the Cubs decided their 2010 season was over (and although I’m pessimistic, it’s *way* to early to call it), how much of Lee’s contract would they have to eat to move him? Could they really get something of value in return?
And most importantly, who plays first base for the Cubs in 2011? For the rest of 2010, it wouldn’t really matter – heck, Xavier Nady could fill the spot if need be. But in 2011? The Cubs will need a real first baseman. Maybe the guy is Lee, and maybe he’s still the guy even if he gets traded.
But if it isn’t Lee, it surely isn’t going to be anyone presently in the Cubs’ system.
Tyler Colvin Draws Closer to Making the Chicago Cubs
Tyler Colvin exploded at the plate yesterday – again – with four hits including a triple and a homer against the San Diego Padres. The hits came against Major League caliber pitching, including lefty Clayton Richard, to boot. The kid has done nothing but hit (literally, nothing but hit: he has yet to take a walk) since the start of Spring Training, and it’s hard to imagine the Cubs not taking him to Chicago with them.
Maybe it’s no longer a question as to whether Tyler Colvin will make the Cubs’ opening-day roster.
Manager Lou Piniella ratcheted things up just a little bit Saturday after watching Colvin go 4-for-5 with a homer and 2 RBI in a 2-2, 10-inning tie with the San Diego Padres.
“He’s not looking for a roster spot; he’s looking for somebody’s position,” Piniella said.
Piniella tried to calm things down a bit when asked it Colvin was going to get that position.
“This is spring training,” the manager said. “But I tell you what, it’s impressive, isn’t it? He’s going about it the right way.”
Colvin isn’t packing his bags for Atlanta and the regular-season opener yet.
“I’ll believe it when I see it,” he said after a postgame session in the weight room. “Right now, all I have to do is wait until our last game on April 3 and see what he says.
“I’m just going about it trying to get ready for the season, have good at-bats and make it tough on them.” …
“He’s taking aggressive passes,” Piniella said. “He looks like a major-league hitter up there.”
With less than a week to go before spring training ends, it will be awfully difficult for the Cubs to send Colvin down to the minor leagues. Piniella admitted as much Saturday.
“Yeah, it really is,” he said. “Let’s be perfectly clear about that. I don’t think the way this kid’s playing that he’s satisfied just making our team. Remember what I said about 4-5-6 days ago that if he’s on our team, we’ve got to play him some. He’s making it very easy to do that.” Daily Herald.
At present, the Cubs are down to Sam Fuld and Colvin as the fifth outfielder. Fuld brings the slightly better glove and more speed, but Colvin clearly has the more potent bat. Piniella keeps saying he won’t keep Colvin up unless there are regular at bats for him, but once Xavier Nady is ready to play the field – in a month or two – where will those at bats for Colvin come from? Are the Cubs really prepared to sit one of the starters? And even if they do, are they really prepared to also sit Nady?
It’s just hard to see Colvin getting more than a couple of at bats per week.
Chicago Cubs Reliever Rumors
In the wake of Angel Guzman’s shoulder issues, the Chicago Cubs are being attached to a number of reliever rumors. Some are nothing new – the Cubs are still interested in Luke Gregerson from the San Diego Padres or Jason Frasor from the Blue Jays – but some are brand new.
The Cubs, who currently are scouting the Cactus and Graperfruit Leagues for a setup man, would be interested in both [Pedro] Martinez and [John] Smoltz “down the line,” according to a major-league source. FOX Sports on MSN.
It’s hard to know what “down the line” means, unless Smoltz and Martinez are currently seeking more money than they should be. Neither would be a terribly exciting addition, but they would add some veteran influence in the pen. Smoltz, who will turn 43 this year, has been exclusively a starter since 2004. He was brutal last year in Boston, but was adequate after moving on to St. Louis.
Martinez, 38, has exclusively been a starter in his career, but many believe if he’s got a future, it’s in the bullpen. He pitched just 9 games last year for the Phillies, but made the most of it.
As for the two trade targets, we’ve discussed Gregerson and Frasor at length before. The former is younger, on the upswing and under control for a couple years; the latter is in his mid-30s, had a career year last year, and is a free agent after this year. Take a wild guess at which one the Cubs will end up with. Either way, with Guzman out, you can bet that the asking price just went up.
Cubs Still Looking at Relievers, but Probably Not Kiko Calero
Although Chicago Cubs general manager Jim Hendry has gone back and forth on whether or not the Cubs are done making moves this offseason, he waivers the most when asked about the bullpen. There can be no doubt that he’d like to add another right-handed reliever if the right opportunity comes along. It’s been rumored recently that any addition would have to be by trade, and a recent shoot-down of the Cubs’ interest in signing free agent Kiko Calero may confirm that.
The Cubs are still looking for late-inning relief help, preferably right-handed. That said, they could open camp without adding anyone else and possibly make a deal during Spring Training. There were rumors the team was interested in free agent Kiko Calero, 35, but he missed time in 2008 because of a torn rotator cuff and was sidelined last season because of inflammation in his shoulder. Calero is looking for a two-year contract, and the Cubs are probably hesitant to do something like that considering his injuries. cubs.com.
Of course, if Calero’s options dwindle to having to sign a minor league deal or a $500k-ish one-year deal, it’s hard to imagine the Cubs’ interest won’t pick back up.
For now, the Cubs seem to remain most interested in snagging Jason Frasor from the Blue Jays or Luke Gregerson from the Padres. One move makes sense (Gregerson) and one looks like a Jim Hendry special (Frasor).
