So.... Next Year

[ColoradoCub]

<!--quoteo(post=100964:date=Jun 11 2010, 03:28 PM:name=ruby23)-->QUOTE (ruby23 @ Jun 11 2010, 03:28 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->I don't think the Cubs are done yet this year . . .<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

Well aren't you just the unusual ray of fucking sunshine

[rok]

<!--quoteo(post=100964:date=Jun 11 2010, 04:28 PM:name=ruby23)-->QUOTE (ruby23 @ Jun 11 2010, 04:28 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->I don't think the Cubs are done yet this year . . .<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I agree. We haven't played our worst baseball yet.

[jstraw]

Ricketts should have sent Hendry packing with dignity when he could have. "Jim, thank you for all your years of dedicated service, you did a lot of great things for the club that will have an impact for years to come...but we bought this team with a plan to implement a philosophy of our own and we're going to begin the transition to our management team beginning now."

[ruby23]

<!--quoteo(post=100966:date=Jun 11 2010, 04:32 PM:name=ColoradoCub)-->QUOTE (ColoradoCub @ Jun 11 2010, 04:32 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec--><!--quoteo(post=100964:date=Jun 11 2010, 03:28 PM:name=ruby23)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (ruby23 @ Jun 11 2010, 03:28 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->I don't think the Cubs are done yet this year . . .<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

Well aren't you just the unusual ray of fucking sunshine
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
The NL is so bad, it has more to do with how bad the NL is than anything. Any sort of winning streak or good 2 week stretch and the Cubs are right there. I don't think they could be doing any worse than they are now. There's nowhere to go but up, right?

[leonardsipes]

<!--quoteo(post=100972:date=Jun 11 2010, 04:52 PM:name=ruby23)-->QUOTE (ruby23 @ Jun 11 2010, 04:52 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec--><!--quoteo(post=100966:date=Jun 11 2010, 04:32 PM:name=ColoradoCub)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (ColoradoCub @ Jun 11 2010, 04:32 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec--><!--quoteo(post=100964:date=Jun 11 2010, 03:28 PM:name=ruby23)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (ruby23 @ Jun 11 2010, 03:28 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->I don't think the Cubs are done yet this year . . .<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

Well aren't you just the unusual ray of fucking sunshine
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
The NL is so bad, it has more to do with how bad the NL is than anything. Any sort of winning streak or good 2 week stretch and the Cubs are right there. I don't think they could be doing any worse than they are now. There's nowhere to go but up, right?
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

The central is even worse than the rest of the NL. Stl is 14-13 vs the rest of the NL, Cin is 11-11. Stl just got swept by the Dodgers.

[Scarey]

In order for this team to win 88 games, it would have to play at a .604 winning percentage. To put that into perspective, a .604 winning percentage for 162 games is a 98 win team. Can this team play better than the 2008 Cubs for the rest of the year?

[Scarey]

These are the guys that would be on my trade block.

Derrek Lee
Aramis Ramirez
Ted Lilly
Tom Gorzelanny
Geovany Soto
Ryan Theriot
Mike Fontenot
Kosuke Fukudome
Carlos Silva
Jay Jackson

I think Ramirez will not be a good fit for a trade to anyone, so I think he stays. Geo I wouldn't mind trading because he would have a ton of value and the Cubs have two decent offensive minded catchers at AA (Chirinos and Clevenger who could make a rare catcher platoon). Kosuke may be hard to deal too, but if he can extend his numbers to the trade deadline, someone might jump at the chance to get him. I like Jay Jackson, but he is an extreme fly ball hitter, and I don't see that working out that well at Wrigley.

If the Padres fall out of it, I would like to see a package put together for Gonzalez starting with Soto, Gorzelanny, and Jackson. There should be a buyer for Lee at some point this season. As long as Lee can be convinced to go to a contender, a decent prospect for his return would be nice. Lilly could turn into a very nice prospect and maybe Theriot and/or Fontenot could be throw ins. Fukudome and Silva are going to take just the right kind of deal. Either a decent prospect and the Cubs get salary relief or the Cubs pick up part of the bill and get a very good prospect.

I think that would give us a pretty decent team going into next year not counting what we would get in return.

C Clevenger/Chirinos
1B Gonzalez
2B Theriot
SS Castro
3B Ramirez
LF Soriano
CF Byrd
RF Colvin

SP1 Dempster
SP2 Zambrano
SP3 Cashner
SP4 Wells
SP5 Coleman/Diamond/Chen/Bibens-Dirkx/Carpenter

It would be a team full of question marks, but I think with Gonzalez, Ramirez (who will be in a contract year), Soriano, and Byrd in the middle of the order, there would be enough consistency on the offensive side. You're kind of putting a lot of your eggs in the Cashner basket in this case though. I'm hoping he can handle the extreme increase in work load and be at least a solid number 3 or at best an emerging ace.

[Fella]

I think thats a pretty good plan other than the parts abut the catchers and keeping Theriot.

If we could really trade that much we could stock up on some nice young talent and really not be much worse.

I also don't think we will be or even should be players for Adrian Gonzalez. You know they will ask for Castro and Cashner and we aren't going to pay that. I also don;t want anymore big contracts for now.

Soto is going to stick around for sure and if he didn't there is no way in a million years we would go with two brand new rookie catchers that don't know the league.

As a rough sketch thats pretty good though. Its about the best we can do with our contract situations.

[Scarey]

<!--quoteo(post=100986:date=Jun 11 2010, 07:12 PM:name=Fella)-->QUOTE (Fella @ Jun 11 2010, 07:12 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->I think thats a pretty good plan other than the parts abut the catchers and keeping Theriot.

If we could really trade that much we could stock up on some nice young talent and really not be much worse.

I also don't think we will be or even should be players for Adrian Gonzalez. You know they will ask for Castro and Cashner and we aren't going to pay that. I also don;t want anymore big contracts for now.

Soto is going to stick around for sure and if he didn't there is no way in a million years we would go with two brand new rookie catchers that don't know the league.

As a rough sketch thats pretty good though. Its about the best we can do with our contract situations.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

Honestly, I was thinking more along the lines of the two catchers duking it out for a roster spot and hiring a defensive minded veteran. Theriot was simply because I don't really see any attractive free agent second baseman if we do happen to trade him away. It seems crazy, but outside of a trade Theriot may be the Cubs best option at second next year.

As far as big contracts, we already have quite a bit coming off the books next year. If we end up trading some of those guys, that would give us even more payroll to work with. And I don't mind giving Gonzalez a long term contract because he's only 28 years old. That's the thing, large contracts need to be handed out to players that are worth that kind of investment.

The thing you have to realize is the post-Lee era looks bleak at first base. Pena and Dunn are free agents this upcoming off season and I wouldn't mind having either of them on a short term contract. Fielder will be a free agent in 2012, but I don't think he's worth a long term contract. I think the concerns of his long term durability are obvious. Gonzalez makes sense because he's young, plays good defense, and is a power bat. He's a perfect fit for the Cubs and if you include a young slugging catcher like Soto in the deal and a couple of fly ball pitchers, I think the Padres would be very interested.

[BackyardLegend]

<!--quoteo(post=100941:date=Jun 11 2010, 03:48 PM:name=jstraw)-->QUOTE (jstraw @ Jun 11 2010, 03:48 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->I'd like to see Cashner, Dempster, Marmol, Marshall, Wells, Zambrano, Soto, Castro, Lee, Byrd & Colvin back even though some of them have struggled. That said, I'd sell any of them for the right return...except maybe the three kids...and my man Byrd.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

Get Derrek Lee the hell out of here. Find someone who doesn't "start slow". I get tired of that excuse every god damned year.

[1060Ivy]

Face it folks, Ricketts is not going to dismantle this team in the first half of his first year of ownership.

[jstraw]

<!--quoteo(post=101005:date=Jun 12 2010, 06:31 AM:name=1060Ivy)-->QUOTE (1060Ivy @ Jun 12 2010, 06:31 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->Face it folks, Ricketts is not going to dismantle this team in the first half of his first year of ownership.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

Ricketts has one role in this: to keep or dump Hendry. When Hendry started the year, I knew he'd finish it. Firing Piniella or dismantling the team is the GM's turf. Hendry's here till September. Piniella doesn't need to be.

If Ricketts keeps Hendry after this season, I'm going to be very disappointed.

[Runnys]

The worst part about all of this though is that if this team is playing up to their capabilities we are probably in first in this division.....the GM and Manager can only do so much unfortunately. Yes, we are hamstrung by bad contracts, but if Lee, Ramirez, etc. were even doing their career averages we would be in much better shape.

[Clapp]

<!--quoteo(post=100945:date=Jun 11 2010, 02:50 PM:name=Runnys)-->QUOTE (Runnys @ Jun 11 2010, 02:50 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->The only ones I would keep are Cashner, Castro, and Colvin.....everyone else is available.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
No way in hell I'd trade Marmol. I don't care how "injury-prone" he seems by his slider and violent delivery. K-Rod's still doing okay for himself.

Marmol's just 27. He has a 1.93 ERA and has 53 strikeouts in 27 innings. That's 18 K/9 IP, and good or something. He's an absolutely elite reliever that will not be able to be replaced anytime soon.

[Runnys]

<!--quoteo(post=101067:date=Jun 12 2010, 07:20 PM:name=Clapp)-->QUOTE (Clapp @ Jun 12 2010, 07:20 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec--><!--quoteo(post=100945:date=Jun 11 2010, 02:50 PM:name=Runnys)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Runnys @ Jun 11 2010, 02:50 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->The only ones I would keep are Cashner, Castro, and Colvin.....everyone else is available.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
No way in hell I'd trade Marmol. I don't care how "injury-prone" he seems by his slider and violent delivery. K-Rod's still doing okay for himself.

Marmol's just 27. He has a 1.93 ERA and has 53 strikeouts in 27 innings. That's 18 K/9 IP, and good or something. He's an absolutely elite reliever that will not be able to be replaced anytime soon.
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

I am fine with keeping Marmol, but he could probably bring back a ton in a trade from someone like the Twins...if the price was right I would move him.