Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Attention Cubs Management: Please do NOT sign Ryan Dempster to an extension.

OK, so its been a pretty slow year as far as Cubs news goes.  The Cubs are in last place and Carlos Zambrano is not around to blow up after another one of his bad outings.

However, I recently came this gem of an article that made me cringe.  Apparently, Cubs President Theo Epstein is open to signing Ryan Dempster to an extension. 

First let me say that Dempster has been tremendous for the Cubs this year.  If it wasn't for him the Cubs would be in last place...er, scratch that.  If it wasn't for Dempster, the Cubs would be in Iowa.

But, let's be clear about this, the reason Cubs fans are suffering through this miserable year is that there is a hope that Epstein and GM Jed Hoyer have a master rebuilding plan that will put the Cubs back into contention in the not-so-distant future.

So, why is it that the Cubs management would decide to take their best trade chip off the market before the market even develops?

Do they plan to use him as a building block for a future championship team?

As good as Dempster has been, he recently turned 35 and is not getting any younger.  Prior to this year, Dempster's ERA as a starter increased each year from 2008 (2.96 ERA), his first year starting with the Cubs, to last year's 4.80 ERA.


Sure, this is Dempster's 9th season with the Cubs and he would probably give them a bit of a discount to finish his career in Chicago.  But if that's the case, the Cubs should try to trade him in July, then resign him as a free agent.

If the Cubs are truly committed to rebuilding, they need to cash in on Dempster while his stock is high.  The Cubs have a lack of quality arms in their minor league system and Dempster could bring a decent return.

If the Cubs retain Matt Garza and Jeff Samardzija continues to develop, the have two young pitchers to build around.  If they are able to add a young pitcher by trading Dempster and another potentially through the draft, then we can get serious about contending on a consistent basis. 

Thursday, May 10, 2012

Carlos Marmol will be back as closer. Just you wait.

Cubs Manager Dale Sveum made an interesting comment the other day, saying basically that Carlos Marmol is not guaranteed to return to the closer role

Well, I think he is.  In fact, I believe he'll be back in the role by June (at least, if the Cubs know what's good for them).

Bottom line is that the Cubs need to trade Marmol and they cannot do that when his value is at its lowest, which it is now.  They need him to get back into form, put together a strong month in the closer role and then trade him in July to the first contender to come calling.

Marmol is just another example of bad contract management by former GM Jim Hendry.  Coming off a career year in 2010, Hendry signed Marmol to a 3-year extension in February 2011, effectively buying out his last two years of arbitration and his first year of free agency.

The problem is that, even though Marmol put up incredible numbers, posting a 2.55 ERA, saving 38 games and striking out 138 in 77.2 IP (16.0 K/9), he still showed signs of the control problems that have plagued him every year.

His BB/9 ratio in 2010 was 6.0, same as his career mark.  Sure it was down from his high water mark of 7.9 in 2009, but its still too high to be an effective reliever over the long haul.

Hendry would have been better served to let Marmol play out his arbitration years and see how he performed before committing to him long-term.  Sure hindsight is 20/20, but the warning signs were there.

Now, the best bet for the Cubs is that Marmol returns to the closer role at the beginning of June, puts up solid numbers for a month and garners strong interest from one of several teams in need of bullpen help.

Currently there are five teams with injured closers:  Boston (Andrew Bailey), Tampa Bay (Kyle Farnsworth), Washington (Drew Storen), Toronto (Sergio Santos) and San Diego (Huston Street).  In addition, there are 3 other teams (besides the Cubs) with struggling or deposed closers:  Miami (Heath Bell), LA Angels (Jordan Walden) and the White Sox (Hector Santiago). 

At least half of these teams are considered contenders and there are likely more teams with bullpen issues to crop up as the season progresses.

As you can see, it is imperative that Marmol gets back into form so the Cubs can deal him in July.  Otherwise, they will be stuck paying $9.8 million for 2013, an expensive price for a setup man.

Thursday, May 3, 2012

Taking a look at the Cubs potential July trade chips

I know that its only May, but when you're in rebuilding mode, like the Cubs, its never too early to start thinking about the July trade deadline.  The Cubs will obviously be sellers again, but what assets do they have that might be of value to other teams? 

Here's a look at some players who may be of interest to other teams and the potential return the Cubs could expect for them.

Ryan Dempster

Dempster is probably the best trade chip the Cubs have at this point (unless Matt Garza becomes available--more on that later).  So far this year he has a sparkling 0.95 ERA and a 29/9 K/BB ratio in 28.1 IP.  Contenders are always looking for starting pitching and this year is no exception with the Yankees and Red Sox among the teams in need.  Dempster seems to have regained his form after a sub-par 2011 and should net the Cubs 2-3 prospects with at least one in that team's top 10. 

Carlos Marmol

Marmol is struggling this year and may soon be out as the Cubs closer, but his live arm could still be of use to a contender in a setup role.  Given that he is being paid $7 million this year and is owed $9.8 million for 2013, the Cubs would probably have to kick in some money to get a decent prospect in return.  However, the Cubs have shown a willingness to do just that, most recently with Marlon Byrd.  Expect the Cubs to net a mid-tier prospect (someone in a team's 11-20 range) or a former top prospect that needs a change of scenery.

Paul Maholm

Maholm hasn't exactly been great this year, so teams will not be knocking down Jed Hoyer's door for him, but after the top pitchers are off the market, Maholm could appeal to a lot of teams, if only because he's left handed.  He's signed for a reasonable $4.25 million this year with a $6.5 million option for 2013 that carries a $500K buyout.  Again, depending on how much money the Cubs throw in, I would expect they could get another mid-tier prospect for Maholm.

Geovany Soto

Its hard to get a read on Soto career trajectory.  Is he the guy who had an OPS of .868 and .890 in 2008 and 2010 or is he the guy who had an OPS of .702 and .721 in 2009 and 2011?  So far this year, it appears to be the latter, as Soto has struggled mightily and is losing playing time to Steve Clevenger.  Soto is making $4.3 million in his second year of arbitration and will likely see an increase in 2013 because that's just how the arbitration process works.  Once again, we're probably looking at a mid-tier prospect in return and that's if the Cubs throw in a few million in the deal.

Matt Garza

Garza is the Cubs wild card.  Everyone in the organization is saying they want to sign him to an extension and build around him, but there has not been much news on the extension front.  For his part, Garza has not let his uncertain future hinder his performance.   He has been very good so far with a 2.67 ERA and 36 K's in 33.2 IP.  Bruce Levine has been saying for months that "if Garza is not signed to a long-term deal by July, he will be dealt."  If the Cubs do end up dealing Garza, he should command a pretty steep price.  We're talking at least 3-4 good prospects, with at least two in a team's top 10. 

Alfonso Soriano

The Albatross will likely be a fixture in left field for the Cubs for the next two years unless the Cubs can find some sucker to take him off their hands.  Ideally suited for the DH role, Soriano still has some pop left in the bat, having never failed to hit more than 20 homers since his rookie year in 2001.  By the time July rolls around, Sori will still have around $45 million left on his contract and you can bet that the Cubs would have to eat a large chunk of that to be rid of him.  Even if they do, the Cubs will likely not get much in return.  Best case would be a fringe prospect.  Worst case would be a bad contract in return.  If the Cubs cannot find a taker and Brett Jackson is knocking down the door, they may be better off just releasing Soriano and eating the remainder of his contract.

As I said before, this should be an interesting July and could go a long way towards the Cubs rebuilding efforts.  The returns they get this year, along with their high draft picks this year and next, could very well determine how soon they can become contenders again.

Tuesday, May 1, 2012

Rizzo who? Bryan LaHair is the Cubs first baseman!

Sometimes all you need is a chance to prove yourself and Bryan LaHair is doing just that.

After languishing in the minors for 9 seasons, the Cubs are the first team to finally give LaHair a chance to show what he can do on the major league stage.  So far, the results have been spectacular.

Through 20 games, LaHair has a slash line of .390/.471/.780 for an obscene OPS of 1.251 and an OPS+ of 241.  Despite missing the first 3 games of the season due to injury, he still leads the team in homers (5) and doubles (8), and is tied for the team lead for RBIs (14) with Starlin Castro and walks (10) with David DeJesus.

The only blemish on his ridiculous start is that he has also struck out 25 times in just 59 at bats, a sign that his average will likely drop.  However, his power is legit (he hit 38 homers in AAA last season) and he certainly looks like a keeper for the Cubs.

LaHair's performance reminds me of another late-bloomer who broke onto the scene with a big season in his age 29 year--Ryan Ludwick.

Ludwick had a bit more experience than LaHair, playing in 271 major league games before he turned 29.  But Ludwick never gave any indication of being capable of putting up the kind of numbers he did when he broke out in 2008 to hit .299/.375/.591 with 37 homers.

Unfortunately for Ludwick, he was never able to reproduce those kind of numbers again and has since bounced around the majors looking for a home. 

Could LaHair's career follow a similar path?  Cubs fans hope not, but baseball history is littered with players who have one magical season that they are never able to duplicate.

If this is to be LaHair's magical season, its too bad its going to be wasted in a rebuilding year.  But the Cubs are hoping that LaHair is legit and can learn to play left field for when Anthony Rizzo is ready.

Saturday, April 21, 2012

Cubs trade Marlon Byrd to Red Sox for Michael Bowden and PTBNL

Overshadowed by Philip Humber's perfect game today was the Cubs move to trade struggling outfielder Marlon Byrd for Red Sox pitcher Michael Bowden and a PTBNL.

Bowden, the 47th overall pick in the 2005 draft, has ranked as high as 2nd on the Red Sox 2009 Top 10 prospect list by Baseball America.  He has a career 3.19 ERA in the minors and has a 5.61 ERA in 59.1 major league innings.  He profiles as a #3 starter.

Before Cubs fans get all excited about the prospects of Brett Jackson's arrival in Wrigley Field, Bruce Levine reports that Theo Epstein and company will not promote Jackson (or Rizzo for that matter) until the feel he is ready. Levine goes on to say that the general rule of thumb is that prospects should receive 500 AB's at the AAA level before they are promoted.

Currently, Jackson has only 247 AB's (through Friday) in 63 games.  At that pace, it would probably take him around 65 more games to reach 500 AB's or around the end of June.

In the meantime, the Cubs will likely give Tony Campana a shot to show what he can do.  Campana is a good contact hitter (83% career contact rate in minors) and has excellent speed.  He could provide the Cubs with another option for the leadoff spot.

One things for sure, the youth movement continues in Chicago.

Thursday, April 19, 2012

In search of an ace for the Cubs.

Let's face it, the Cubs pitching staff stinks again this year.  The quintet of Matt Garza, Ryan Dempster, Jeff Samardzija, Paul Maholm and Chris Volstad is unlikely to strike fear in the hearts of opponents.  Through 12 games, the Cubs starters are 12th in the NL in ERA (4.33).

One thing the Cubs sorely lack is an ace.  Matt Garza is a fine pitcher and should be kept around if the Cubs can sign him to a reasonable extension, but he is no ace.  He would probably be at best a #2 starter on a good team. 

So, how do the Cubs go about finding an ace?

Well, trading for one is probably out of the question.  The Cubs are rebuilding and are unlikely to trade what little minor league depth they have to acquire a true ace.

Signing an ace as a free agent is also becoming more difficult, as most of the best pitchers are signed to extensions before they reach free agency.

Where does that leave the Cubs?  Well, thanks to last year's poor record, the Cubs get to pick 6th overall in this year's draft.  It just so happens that, according to Baseball America, 5 of the top 7 draft prospects are pitchers.  Thus, if the Cubs are ever going to find an ace in the draft, this is the year to do so.

Here is a quick breakdown of the top pitching prospects available in this year's draft:

1.  Kyle Zimmer, RHP, San Francisco (3-3, 2.79 ERA, 65K's, 10BB, 61.1 IP)

Ranked as the 3rd best draft prospect by Baseball America, Zimmer can reach the high 90's with his fastball and has seen his stock rise dramatically over the last year.

2.  Mark Appel, RHP, Stanford (4-1, 2.86 ERA, 68K's, 18BB, 66IP)

Ranked as the 4th best draft prospect, he is more polished than Zimmer (a converted infielder), with a fastball that tops out at 95mph and the makings of a plus curve and change.

3.  Kevin Gausman, RHP, LSU (6-1, 2.76 ERA, 77K's, 19BB, 62IP)

The 5th best draft prospect by BA, Gausman also possesses a high 90's fastball and has a plus changeup and two curves to go with it.

4.  Lucas Giolito, RHP, Harvard-Westlake HS, Studio City, CA

The 6th best draft prospect can touch 100mph, but recently was declared out for his HS season with a strained UCL (no surgery needed, 6-10 weeks rest).

5.  Michael Wacha, RHP, Texas A&M (5-0, 2.42 ERA, 66K's, 11BB, 63.1IP)

The 7th best draft prospect throws in the low 90's, but has good command and polish. 

As you can see, there are a lot of good arms available at the top of this years draft.  Personally, I like Kyle Zimmer.  As a converted infielder, there is less wear and tear on his arm than the other prospects (he only started pitching full-time last year as a sophomore).  Problem is, his stock is rising fast and he is rumored to be the potential first overall pick.  However, if he somehow makes it to the Cubs, they should grab him.

The opportunity is out there for the Cubs to draft their future ace this year.  Let's hope their scouting department can figure out who that guy is.

Friday, April 13, 2012

Bryan LaHair vs Anthony Rizzo: the battle continues

Just because Spring Training is over and Bryan LaHair "won" the starting first baseman job (technically he was handed the job before Spring Training even began), it doesn't mean that the battle is over.  LaHair will be constantly looking over his shoulder and keeping a close eye on Anthony Rizzo's performance at AAA Iowa.

So far at least, LaHair has performed well enough to silence the doubters, but Rizzo is tearing it up in the PCL and is only a phone call away.

Here are their stats through Thursday:

Bryan LaHair
Year G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB CS BB SO BA OBP SLG
2012 6 16 1 6 2 0 1 1 0 0 2 6 .375 .444 .688
Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 4/13/2012.

Anthony Rizzo
YearGABRH2B3BHRRBISBCSBBSOBAOBPSLG
2012831512003101027.387.424.677
Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 4/13/2012.

LaHair missed a few games early on due to injury, but has certainly hit the ground running.  I will keep weekly tabs on this battle (at least through July) to see when or if Rizzo over takes LaHair.