Author Topic: Cubs in '11  (Read 57325 times)

JeffH

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Re: Cubs in '11
« Reply #1335 on: June 08, 2011, 09:37:50 am »
Steve Clevenger just turned 25.  Ryan Flaherty will turn 25 next month.

They are both hitting a ton.

Koyie Hill and Brad Snyder are on the big league team.

Why aren't Clevenger and Flaherty up?

That, of course, is a rhetorical question.

JR

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Re: Cubs in '11
« Reply #1336 on: June 08, 2011, 09:46:58 am »
Because we're in the production business?

Jes Beard

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Re: Cubs in '11
« Reply #1337 on: June 08, 2011, 09:55:31 am »
The only hope is that while Clevenger and Flaherty are both hitting well, management believes both have something to learn which they can learn better, perhaps more quickly, and perhaps without the concern about failure and loss of confidence that might come in the majors, and that the decision to leave them in the minors right now is in fact part of a reasoned approach to rebuilding.

Not that I believe the reason they are still in the minors is the result of anything other than a bad decision, but there is always a hope....

This season is lost.  It was lost long before it began.  It should have been dedicated to rebuilding with no concern about the W/L record, with that in mind from the very start of the season.

Though starting that approach now would delay the time when the team develops a strong nucleus, it is never too late.

brjones

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Re: Cubs in '11
« Reply #1338 on: June 08, 2011, 11:32:35 am »
Facing Halladay, Lee, and Oswalt this weekend.  Given the Cubs' fear of the walk, will we even see the Phillies bullpen after tomorrow?

Cubsin

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Re: Cubs in '11
« Reply #1339 on: June 08, 2011, 12:07:05 pm »
Why is LeMahieu riding the pines in Chicago? Send him to AAA and call up Bobby Scales. We're going to need a new 3B next year, so LeMahieu needs to play every day. Scales isn't one of the contenders for the 2012 job, but LM is. Colvin needs to go back to Iowa to play 1B. Vitters should be moved permanently to 1B and Flahrety installed at 3B for Tennessee.

We have a vast stockpile of AAA and AAAA players. Using them instead of our real prospects won't help or hurt much this year, but might help in 2012.

Ron

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Re: Cubs in '11
« Reply #1340 on: June 08, 2011, 12:54:37 pm »
Why is LeMahieu riding the pines in Chicago? Send him to AAA and call up Bobby Scales. We're going to need a new 3B next year, so LeMahieu needs to play every day. Scales isn't one of the contenders for the 2012 job, but LM is. Colvin needs to go back to Iowa to play 1B. Vitters should be moved permanently to 1B and Flahrety installed at 3B for Tennessee.

We have a vast stockpile of AAA and AAAA players. Using them instead of our real prospects won't help or hurt much this year, but might help in 2012.

I also would like the Cubs to do whatever they can to figure out if they have a 3B in the system to replace Ramirez next year. I was glad to see that Flaherty has been playing 3B, and seems likely to be a better bet than LeMahieu - if he can handle it. 

I think sending Colvin down to play 1B is an interesting notion as well.   Seems like he's made some nice plays when he has played 1B, and it would be good for him to just get as many ABs this year as possible to see if he can bounce back (but not at the major league level, where his confidence is probably being deteriorated even further). 

JR

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Re: Cubs in '11
« Reply #1341 on: June 08, 2011, 01:01:56 pm »
Sad Fact of the Day:

The Cubs have not won three games in a row all season.

craig

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Re: Cubs in '11
« Reply #1342 on: June 08, 2011, 02:42:56 pm »
I also would like the Cubs to do whatever they can to figure out if they have a 3B in the system to replace Ramirez next year. I was glad to see that Flaherty has been playing 3B, and seems likely to be a better bet than LeMahieu - if he can handle it. 
....

Flaherty has appeared in only 3 games this season at 3B.  He'd appeared there once during the first month.  Sp during the ten days that Lemahieu hasn't been on the team, they've used Flaherty at 3B only twice. 

It doesn't appear that Fleita views Flaherty as a real factor in the 3B scene. 

I think one 3B option is Aramis Ramirez.  The Cubs aren't going to pay him $16.  But that doesn't mean that Hendry might not be willing to do a renegotiated $7 mill deal. 

Imagine (this is just off the top of my head):  $12/2 contract, Cubs with option the 2nd year, $2 buyout.  Essentially Hendry would have a short-term roster-fill veteran for 3B while Lemahieu or Flaherty or Vitters or whomever have opportunity to prove they are actually ready.  A deal like that would cost Hendry only $4 for next year (pay $6 for Aram to play or pay $2 to make him go away), so he might think it was a better value deal than any other one-year contract guys available, and Aram would cost no draft picks or prospects.  And quiet low-key Aram wouldn't need to move to a new home.

brjones

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Re: Cubs in '11
« Reply #1343 on: June 08, 2011, 06:52:30 pm »
Phil Rogers speculates that Hendry's days as GM are numbered.  He also suggests a couple GMs that wouldn't be better: Allard Baird and Ned Colletti.


http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-spt-0609-cubs-reds-chicago--20110608,0,4670099.column

JeffH

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Re: Cubs in '11
« Reply #1344 on: June 08, 2011, 06:58:10 pm »
Phil Rogers speculates that Hendry's days as GM are numbered.

Phil Rogers is wrong.  Very, very wrong.

StrikeZone

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Re: Cubs in '11
« Reply #1345 on: June 08, 2011, 06:58:30 pm »
Ned Colletti?

Allard Baird?

Those are two terrible suggestions.

The Bruce Miles plan of choosing a club president who then chooses a GM is far superior speculation.

Cactus

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Re: Cubs in '11
« Reply #1346 on: June 08, 2011, 07:02:22 pm »
As Rogers notes, Hendry is in Arizona for the draft.  Tom Ricketts is probably the type of guy who would want to do the firing in person and is only waiting for Hendry's return.   ???   ???

StrikeZone

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Re: Cubs in '11
« Reply #1347 on: June 08, 2011, 07:04:20 pm »
Crane Kenney is in Chicago, though.

Can his ass now.

Why wait?

Playtwo

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Re: Cubs in '11
« Reply #1348 on: June 08, 2011, 07:55:39 pm »
Phil Rogers is wrong.  Very, very wrong.
It might be a very high number.

Jes Beard

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Re: Cubs in '11
« Reply #1349 on: June 08, 2011, 09:34:53 pm »
I think one 3B option is Aramis Ramirez.  The Cubs aren't going to pay him $16.  But that doesn't mean that Hendry might not be willing to do a renegotiated $7 mill deal. 

Wouldn't be at all surprising.  Would be foolish, but not at all surprising.  The team needs to rebuild, and if Vitters or DJ or others are not ready to show their stuff in the majors, or lack the makeup to allow real learning there, put Bobby Scales there, or some other version of Bobby Scales.  There is no reason to put ARam out there in 2012, even if he will take one year at $6M.