Author Topic: Cubs in '11  (Read 57295 times)

Jes Beard

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Re: Cubs in '11
« Reply #555 on: May 17, 2011, 06:27:03 am »
Is there anything about that contract that doesn't suck?


Yes, there is.  It was central to making you and other Cub fans happy in 2007 and 2008.  And fans who are not willing to accept full rebuilds shouldn't complain too much on the out years about moves which worked quite well in the early years.

Jes Beard

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Re: Cubs in '11
« Reply #556 on: May 17, 2011, 06:41:57 am »
Ugh, I hope not.  This team needs someone capable of power and/or OBP, not Campana.

How about making moves with a horizon of more than the next couple of weeks?  This season is going nowhere.  Instead of making moves to add power and/or OBP right now to a team which is going nowhere, how about instead making moves now which are intended to help the team in later years.  I don't know if Campana is such a move, but looking to add power and/or OBP now in order to win this season is not.

Bruce Miles:
Here is what GM Jim Hendry told reporters in Cincy:
"He had a really good year for us and since the first days of spring training he never played up to that level. We're in the production business.


With some minor changes in that, Ricketts could make the same statement about Hendry in firing him -- "He had a really good (first) year for us and since the(n) he never p(roduced) up to that level. We're in the production business."

Unless Hendry can make a trade with himself, there's no way any other team will take Soriano no matter how much money we eat.  May as well just release him and swallow the rest of the contract.  It's better than letting him kill you on the field every day for the life of the deal.

If the Cubs cut Soriano, and another team picks him up off waivers, doesn't the new team only have to pay his waiver salary, something like $25K?  And if the Cubs found a trade partner willing to take Soriano if the Cubs ate 90% of his salary, wouldn't the Cubs be better off?  Or are you assuming that any advantage the Cubs might get in that scenario would be more than offset by what it would take to get Soriano to waive his No Trade Clause?

CurtOne

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Re: Cubs in '11
« Reply #557 on: May 17, 2011, 06:43:40 am »
According to the Trib, the invaluable  :'( "closed door meeting" after tonight's game.

After a leadoff out, the horrible 6th started with a play that a good 3B should make.  Maybe I'm seeing things that aren't there, but it seemed that when the next batter, Renteria, came up, Aramis smiled at him and gestured to a scoreboard--maybe the scoring of the non-play as a hit, not an error?  If so, I guess that maybe shows where Aramis is coming from these days. 

Soriano is not a fun player to watch anymore, obviously, but I don't blame him too much.  We know his defense sucks, so kind of asking too much for him to make a play like the line drive that froze him.  On the out at home play later, a terrible blunder by DeJesus to send Soriano with no outs.  Hard to blame Soriano for that one.  Blame the coach.

I'm not keen on blaming the manager too much, but Quade is behind the curve as an in-game manager too often.  That seems pretty plain.  Not too impressed with the coaching staff either.

The dispiriting games seem to be adding up.

Good post, Reb.

To me, the most disheartening thing is that we have a new owner who appears to be oblivious and clueless.

Eastcoastfan

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Re: Cubs in '11
« Reply #558 on: May 17, 2011, 06:51:19 am »
Let Colvin tear it up at AAA for a little bit.  Then, simply give him the LF job for the rest of the year and waive Soriano.  Waive Ramirez too if he keeps dogging it and play Scales.  Turn your attention to figuring out who the next GM is going to be.  Really, is it so hard to figure out what to do right now?

JR

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Re: Cubs in '11
« Reply #559 on: May 17, 2011, 08:05:40 am »
Campana almost certainly has to be the guy.  All of the other serious possibilities, like Montanez, played the whole game in Reno, which is a long way from Cincinnati.  The Hendry quote made it sound like this was decided before the game yesterday.

AZSteve

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Re: Cubs in '11
« Reply #560 on: May 17, 2011, 08:11:41 am »
"To me, the most disheartening thing is that we have a new owner who appears to be oblivious and clueless."
I feel that the Ricketts aren't clueless and/or oblivious, but  committed to allowing the course of the season to be determined by their hirelings to whatever record can be achieved with the current roster / payroll and at season's end make the moves to change the future direction of the franchise.

brjones

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Re: Cubs in '11
« Reply #561 on: May 17, 2011, 09:23:18 am »
I guess the poor man's Juan Pierre is officially joining the team.  From the Trib:

Colvin's spot on the roster will be filled by Iowa outfielder Tony Campana, who was hitting .342 with eight stolen bases.

Cactus

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Re: Cubs in '11
« Reply #562 on: May 17, 2011, 09:57:35 am »
Why the delay in announcing who takes Tyler Colvin's roster spot?

One reason could be his replacement is coming in a soon to be worked out trade.

Reb

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Re: Cubs in '11
« Reply #563 on: May 17, 2011, 10:19:48 am »
Nice story about Campana, from a few days ago.  Good for him to get to the big leagues.

http://www.press-citizen.com/article/D2/20110508/SPORTS1402/110506025/Mother-s-Day-extra-special-mom-Iowa-Cub

Clarkaddison

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Re: Cubs in '11
« Reply #564 on: May 17, 2011, 10:34:23 am »
Thanks for the link. I would prefer Montanez because he would do better with lots of bench time, whereas Campana might be a real prospect and needs at bats. However he is a great story, and we do need some speed.

Let's face facts. This is a lost year so let's play guys that might help usnin the future. Look at what Barney and Castro are doing.

brjones

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Re: Cubs in '11
« Reply #565 on: May 17, 2011, 10:46:42 am »
I keep seeing Montanez's name...and I just can't figure out why anyone has any interest in having him on the major league team.  He's tearing up AAA because he's a AAAA player.  In the majors, though, he has essentially been Koyie Hill.  He's hitting .223/.257/.323 in 266 career plate appearances.  Koyie Hill's career line?  .212/.275/.305.  The OPSes are identical, but Hill's is slightly better because OBP is the more important part of OPS. 

Montanez has no value now or in the future.  There is no reason for him to ever get a major league at bat with the Cubs.

Clarkaddison

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Re: Cubs in '11
« Reply #566 on: May 17, 2011, 10:53:37 am »
Montanez is hitting better than he ever has. Maybe a light turned on. Also, he had one good part of a year with the Os.

On another note, I wonder how  much of Colvin's struggles are due to his injury last year.

brjones

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Re: Cubs in '11
« Reply #567 on: May 17, 2011, 11:00:50 am »
I think we're going to find out that the primary reason for Colvin's struggles is that he's just not that good.  He never did anything in the minors to show that he could do what he did last year.  And if improving that much was as easy as going to "Camp Colvin" for part of an offseason, every fringe major leaguer would do it.

Colvin is looking at a career somewhere between Corey Patterson and Jacque Jones.  He will never be a star, or even a starter on a good team with money.  He's likely to be most useful as a 300-400 AB 4th/platoon outfielder on a contender that can't afford better, or as a second division starter.

buff

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Re: Cubs in '11
« Reply #568 on: May 17, 2011, 11:02:49 am »
I agree Colvin isn't very good.

fredr

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Re: Cubs in '11
« Reply #569 on: May 17, 2011, 11:31:57 am »
If I had control of the Cubs for 1hour here is what I would Do.
Trade / release: Soriano, Rameriz & Byrd [ the juice has been squeezed out].
They won’t be back next year anyway, so do it now.[ except for Soriano who has nothing left
And is killing the team.
Bring up the best available kids & let them play.
Hill & Fukudome would be on a short leash.