With spring training fast approaching, Scott Barzilla over at Kissmyastros.com and I exchanged questions on each others teams to give our fans a preview of what our NL Central competition has been up to this offseason and what to expect in 2010. Below are his responses. You can check out the Q&A on the Cubs HERE.
In addition, you can check out Scott's Q&A with Brewers correspondent Adam Burnett HERE and Adam's Q&A with Scott HERE. There will be more to follow.
1. After making it to the World Series in 2005, the Astros have failed to make the playoffs the last 4 years. What has the team done this offseason to get themselves back into contention? What areas still need to be addressed?
That team had unbelievable pitching that year with Roger Clemens, Andy Pettitte, and Roy Oswalt all sporting ERAs under 3.00. That covered up a lousy offense. The first mistake was in expecting that to happen again. Now, Pettitte, Clemens, Bagwell, and Biggio are gone. The Astros need to develop the next generation of stars. Jason Castro is a good start, but I'm afraid they will put way too much pressure on him to be the savior. He's a good prospect. Because of all of the trades and free agent signings, the Astros didn't have good drafts in 2005, 2006, and 2007. They will need a couple more good ones like they have had the past two seasons to catch up. They got two compensation picks for Jose Valverde, so this one should be a great draft. I hate to say wait until next year to a Cub fan, but that is the mode the Astros are in now.
2. After Roy Oswalt, Wandy Rodriguez and Brett Myers, who completes the starting rotation? Will Brian Moehler continue to be allowed to put up miserable numbers before being replaced? Are the Astros still looking for pitching (via free agency or trade)?
Bringing back Moehler has been a bone of contention with most Astros fans, but the hopes are that Myers presence will keep Moehler out of the rotation. Bud Norris came up late last season and finished 6-3. Felipe Paulino is a top-echelon talent, but he struggled with the gopher ball last year. Seamheads recognize that his final numbers were inflated and see him as a comeback possibility. If the Astros are going to compete and prepare for the future, those two have to take the ball every fifth day. There will be some growing pains, but they are they best hope for the future.
3. Is Tommy Manzella ready to handle the shortstop role? Who could replace him if he fails?
Manzella is going to be a huge upgrade defensively over Miguel Tejada. So, he is ready on that front. As a hitter, he has never done much in the minors. The Astros won a pennant with a weak hitting shortstop (Adam Everett) so I see them giving him a long rope. Right now, the best backup plan is Jeff Keppinger. He played short in Cincinatti, but his defensive numbers (the sabermetric ones) were spotty at best. The Astros best chance to win requires for Manzella to be passable as a hitter.
4. Who wins the starting catcher job for Houston? Could J.R. Towles finally live up to expectations or might Jason Castro be given the job out of spring training?
This is the $64,000 question. My gut tells me that Humberto Quintero will be the opening day catcher. I don't think anything will be given to Castro, but if he performs well they may go ahead with him. Personally, I think he needs more time in AAA, but desperate times call for desperate measures. I have always had high hopes for Towles and he has always performed well in the minors. Late last season he seemed to turn a corner. We can only hope that he continues, because he is the best chance we have to get offense out of the catcher position this season.
5. What other rookies could make an impact on the team in 2010?
The Astros have a void of minor league talent in the upper levels. Other than Castro, most of their major prospects have already come up. Sammy Gervacio did a really good job late last season in the bullpen. Yorman Bazardo has an outside chance of landing in the rotation at some point this season. Polin Trinidad is a better long-terms prospect on the mound. In terms of position players, the only real prospect in the high minors is Brian Bogusevic. He is a poor man's Rick Ankiel. He began as a pitcher when they drafted him out of Tulane, but he switched to centerfield two years ago. His .707 OPS in AAA kind of tells you the state of things for Houston. In fact, Towles was the only player on the AAA roster to produce an OPS over .800. The prospects for the AA team aren't much better.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Xavier Nady Signs with Cubs. Could Fukudome be out of a job?
The Cubs made another splash in the free agent pool today as they agreed to sign Xavier Nady to a one year deal worth up to $5 million (including incentives). Nady is recovering from his second Tommy John surgery.
Overall, I think this is a great addition by the Cubs. There is some risk involved, especially considering the injury history, but the upside is worth the risk.
Many might see this as the Cubs adding a 4th outfielder. Nady is a good hitter against lefthanders (career .296 hitter against lefties with 15 HR's in 334 AB's) and could end up in a platoon with Fukudome in right. However, from 2006-2008, Nady improve his hitting against righties each year. He hit .263/.312/.424 in 2006, .274/.322/.479 in 2007 and .317/.359/.529 in 2008. Quite an improvement over a 3 year stretch.
If Nady can maintain that level of performance against righthanders, he has the potential to become a .300 hitter with 20-25 HR's each year, certainly a far more productive player than Fukudome.
So, if Nady shows that he is healthy and hasn't lost the ability to hit righthanders, he could steal away the starting rightfield job from Fukudome. Of course, that's assuming that the Cubs' management will swallow their pride, admit their mistake and put Fukudome's $13 million hiney on the bench where it belongs.
Overall, I think this is a great addition by the Cubs. There is some risk involved, especially considering the injury history, but the upside is worth the risk.
Many might see this as the Cubs adding a 4th outfielder. Nady is a good hitter against lefthanders (career .296 hitter against lefties with 15 HR's in 334 AB's) and could end up in a platoon with Fukudome in right. However, from 2006-2008, Nady improve his hitting against righties each year. He hit .263/.312/.424 in 2006, .274/.322/.479 in 2007 and .317/.359/.529 in 2008. Quite an improvement over a 3 year stretch.
If Nady can maintain that level of performance against righthanders, he has the potential to become a .300 hitter with 20-25 HR's each year, certainly a far more productive player than Fukudome.
So, if Nady shows that he is healthy and hasn't lost the ability to hit righthanders, he could steal away the starting rightfield job from Fukudome. Of course, that's assuming that the Cubs' management will swallow their pride, admit their mistake and put Fukudome's $13 million hiney on the bench where it belongs.
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Its been a pretty slow offseason for the Cubs so far.
Jim Hendry is still looking for a bench bat and a setup man and former Red Johnny Gomes is a possibility as a 4th outfielder. Gomes would be a great fit for the Cubs as he hits lefthanders well (.307/.369/.545 in 2009) and would be a great platoon partner for Kosuke Fukudome (.167/.277/.255 vs lefties in 2009).
However, other than that, it appears that the Cubs do not expect to make any more significant moves this offseason, so now is a good time to take a look at what they've accomplished so far.
First of all, the Cubs had 7 free agents this year (Rich Harden, Neal Cotts, Chad Fox, John Grabow, Kevin Gregg, Reed Johnson and So Taguchi). Grabow was resigned by the Cubs for too much (2 years, $7.5 million), while Harden, Cotts, Fox, Gregg and Taguchi were allowed to walk away. Johnson remains a possibility for the Cubs 4th outfielder spot, however Gomes seems like a better fit (at least offensively).
Losing Harden hurts the pitching staff a bit, but despite his unworldly numbers in 2008 with the Cubs (5-1, 1.77 ERA), the fact is he is a high risk pitcher who has averaged only 15 starts a season over the last 6 years. There have been rumors that the Cubs might pursue Ben Sheets. However, he is just as much of a high risk pitcher (he missed all of 2009) and was seeking at least $10 million per year, which is probably a bit more than the Cubs are willing to pay.
By far the biggest moves this offseason were the trade of Milton Bradley to the Mariners for Carlos Silva and then Hendry replacing Bradley in the outfield with Marlon Byrd.
There is no question that Bradley had to go, for the sanity of Cubs fans everywhere. That Hendry was only able to get Silva in return is kind of disappointing, however he did save about $6 million in the deal.
That money was used in part to sign Byrd to a 3 year $15 million deal. I would have liked to have seen fewer years or less money, but Hendry's back was up against the wall after losing out on Curtis Granderson and Mike Cameron, so he probably felt the need to overspend on Byrd to ensure that he got him.
The remaining offseason moves involved Hendry trading spare parts in Jake Fox and Aaron Miles for a servicable reliever (Jeff Gray) and a couple prospects (Matt Spencer and Ronny Morla), trading Aaron Heilman to Arizona (good riddance), picking up a couple minor league free agents (Bryan LaHair and Scott McClain) and picking up former Cardinals farmhand Mike Parisi in the Rule 5 draft at the winter meetings.
Do these moves make the Cubs better? On the face of them, probably not. But the best move the Cubs may have made did not involve any players. It was when they signed Rudy Jaramillo as their hitting coach.
Its obvious that the Cubs need to get their offense turned around if they are going to compete in the NL Central. In particular, Alfonso Soriano and Geovanny Soto need to figure things out after dismal seasons in 2009.
Soriano worked with Jaramillo from 2004-2005 when he was with Texas and he is the one of the hitters that can absolutely carry the Cubs when he's on. Knee problems may have contributed to his season-long funk and he had surgery to correct the problems. If healthy, I fully expect him to bounce back in 2010.
Soto had an impressive 2008 rookie year. But he put on some weight in the offseason and was never the same hitter in 2009 while battling injuries of his own. There are reports that Soto has lost around 40 pounds this offseason, which, if true, could imply that he his committed to turning things around in 2010.
If Jaramillo can get Soriano and Soto hitting the way their capable, the Cubs offense should bounce back and they should contend for the Central title. However, without those two hitting consistently, its going to be another long season for the Cubs.
Jim Hendry is still looking for a bench bat and a setup man and former Red Johnny Gomes is a possibility as a 4th outfielder. Gomes would be a great fit for the Cubs as he hits lefthanders well (.307/.369/.545 in 2009) and would be a great platoon partner for Kosuke Fukudome (.167/.277/.255 vs lefties in 2009).
However, other than that, it appears that the Cubs do not expect to make any more significant moves this offseason, so now is a good time to take a look at what they've accomplished so far.
First of all, the Cubs had 7 free agents this year (Rich Harden, Neal Cotts, Chad Fox, John Grabow, Kevin Gregg, Reed Johnson and So Taguchi). Grabow was resigned by the Cubs for too much (2 years, $7.5 million), while Harden, Cotts, Fox, Gregg and Taguchi were allowed to walk away. Johnson remains a possibility for the Cubs 4th outfielder spot, however Gomes seems like a better fit (at least offensively).
Losing Harden hurts the pitching staff a bit, but despite his unworldly numbers in 2008 with the Cubs (5-1, 1.77 ERA), the fact is he is a high risk pitcher who has averaged only 15 starts a season over the last 6 years. There have been rumors that the Cubs might pursue Ben Sheets. However, he is just as much of a high risk pitcher (he missed all of 2009) and was seeking at least $10 million per year, which is probably a bit more than the Cubs are willing to pay.
By far the biggest moves this offseason were the trade of Milton Bradley to the Mariners for Carlos Silva and then Hendry replacing Bradley in the outfield with Marlon Byrd.
There is no question that Bradley had to go, for the sanity of Cubs fans everywhere. That Hendry was only able to get Silva in return is kind of disappointing, however he did save about $6 million in the deal.
That money was used in part to sign Byrd to a 3 year $15 million deal. I would have liked to have seen fewer years or less money, but Hendry's back was up against the wall after losing out on Curtis Granderson and Mike Cameron, so he probably felt the need to overspend on Byrd to ensure that he got him.
The remaining offseason moves involved Hendry trading spare parts in Jake Fox and Aaron Miles for a servicable reliever (Jeff Gray) and a couple prospects (Matt Spencer and Ronny Morla), trading Aaron Heilman to Arizona (good riddance), picking up a couple minor league free agents (Bryan LaHair and Scott McClain) and picking up former Cardinals farmhand Mike Parisi in the Rule 5 draft at the winter meetings.
Do these moves make the Cubs better? On the face of them, probably not. But the best move the Cubs may have made did not involve any players. It was when they signed Rudy Jaramillo as their hitting coach.
Its obvious that the Cubs need to get their offense turned around if they are going to compete in the NL Central. In particular, Alfonso Soriano and Geovanny Soto need to figure things out after dismal seasons in 2009.
Soriano worked with Jaramillo from 2004-2005 when he was with Texas and he is the one of the hitters that can absolutely carry the Cubs when he's on. Knee problems may have contributed to his season-long funk and he had surgery to correct the problems. If healthy, I fully expect him to bounce back in 2010.
Soto had an impressive 2008 rookie year. But he put on some weight in the offseason and was never the same hitter in 2009 while battling injuries of his own. There are reports that Soto has lost around 40 pounds this offseason, which, if true, could imply that he his committed to turning things around in 2010.
If Jaramillo can get Soriano and Soto hitting the way their capable, the Cubs offense should bounce back and they should contend for the Central title. However, without those two hitting consistently, its going to be another long season for the Cubs.
Monday, January 18, 2010
News from the Cubs Convention
With the annual Cubs Convention happening this past weekend, Cubs fans had a chance to ask questions of Cubs management and vent their frustrations all at the same time.
They grilled Lou Piniella on his repeated use of Alfonso Soriano as a leadoff hitter. Piniella's response "He was signed here for a lot of money because of the success he had out of the leadoff spot. When he got here, Alfonso was stealing 40-45 bases a year. But he didn't anymore, and we made a decision, with Soriano's consent, to move him to the sixth spot. Now we're now looking at him as a leadoff hitter anymore. Now he's more of a tail-end of the middle lineup kind of hitter. Hopefully he can hit fifth for us. We'll see." Mark's Remarks - When did he have success as a leadoff hitter. He has a career .326 OBP. When are managers going to start realizing that there's more to leading off than stealing bases.
Then they continued to rake Jim Hendry over the coals for his decisions to trade Mark DeRosa and sign Milton Bradley. Hendry's response "Obviously it was a shoot-for-the-moon (decision)," he said of Bradley. "Obviously it didn't work out. It was totally my responsibility. It was a mistake in hindsight." Mark's Remarks - At least Hendry takes responsibility for his actions.
The only people who fared well were the Ricketts family, who received a standing ovation when introduced. They announced a complete rennovation of Wrigley Field and even gave Jim Hendry a vote of confidence. Mark's Remarks - Here's hoping that Hendry follows the same path as others before who have received the same "vote of confidence".
In other news from the convention, Piniella laid out his starting line-up, as follows:
Theriot, SS/Fukudome, RF
Fukudome, RF/Theriot, SS
Lee, 1B
Ramirez, 3B
Byrd, CF
Soriano, CF
Fontenot/Baker, 2B
Soto, C
P
Mark's Remarks - Hitters 1-4 look good. However, its hitters 5-8 that we have to worry about.
Finally, from the rumor front, the Cubs will be one of 12 or more teams on hand to watch Ben Sheets throw tomorrow and Jim Hendry told fans at the convention to expect to see "two new faces" on the Cubs by spring training. In particular, the Cubs are looking for another reliever and a veteran bat.
They grilled Lou Piniella on his repeated use of Alfonso Soriano as a leadoff hitter. Piniella's response "He was signed here for a lot of money because of the success he had out of the leadoff spot. When he got here, Alfonso was stealing 40-45 bases a year. But he didn't anymore, and we made a decision, with Soriano's consent, to move him to the sixth spot. Now we're now looking at him as a leadoff hitter anymore. Now he's more of a tail-end of the middle lineup kind of hitter. Hopefully he can hit fifth for us. We'll see." Mark's Remarks - When did he have success as a leadoff hitter. He has a career .326 OBP. When are managers going to start realizing that there's more to leading off than stealing bases.
Then they continued to rake Jim Hendry over the coals for his decisions to trade Mark DeRosa and sign Milton Bradley. Hendry's response "Obviously it was a shoot-for-the-moon (decision)," he said of Bradley. "Obviously it didn't work out. It was totally my responsibility. It was a mistake in hindsight." Mark's Remarks - At least Hendry takes responsibility for his actions.
The only people who fared well were the Ricketts family, who received a standing ovation when introduced. They announced a complete rennovation of Wrigley Field and even gave Jim Hendry a vote of confidence. Mark's Remarks - Here's hoping that Hendry follows the same path as others before who have received the same "vote of confidence".
In other news from the convention, Piniella laid out his starting line-up, as follows:
Theriot, SS/Fukudome, RF
Fukudome, RF/Theriot, SS
Lee, 1B
Ramirez, 3B
Byrd, CF
Soriano, CF
Fontenot/Baker, 2B
Soto, C
P
Mark's Remarks - Hitters 1-4 look good. However, its hitters 5-8 that we have to worry about.
Finally, from the rumor front, the Cubs will be one of 12 or more teams on hand to watch Ben Sheets throw tomorrow and Jim Hendry told fans at the convention to expect to see "two new faces" on the Cubs by spring training. In particular, the Cubs are looking for another reliever and a veteran bat.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
What's left for the Cubs this offseason?
With their outfield issues apparently resolved, Cubs fans are left to ponder what other moves the Cubs might make this offseason. There appear to be no other significant needs for the Cubs, however they continue to be mentioned in various rumors.
The Cubs main interest seems to be finding another starting pitcher. With Ted Lilly expected to miss some time at the beginning of the season and the uncertainty surrounding the potential 5th starter quartet of Tom Gorzelanny, Sean Marshall, Jeff Samardzija and, dare I say, Carlos Silva (ugh, I just threw up in my mouth), adding another proven starter couldn't hurt.
However, it appears that the Cubs are biding their time and waiting for the market to settle in hopes of finding a bargain.
One possible bargain could be former Brewer Ben Sheets. The Tribune's Paul Sullivan reported that the Cubs have their eye on him. However, MLB.com's Carrie Muskat Tweets that his current asking price of $10-12 million does not fit the Cubs budget.
Sheets is scheduled to throw for teams Tuesday at the University of Louisiana at Monroe, according to ESPN's Tim Kurkjian and the Cubs are one of 6-10 teams to show interest in the righthander. Sheets would fit into the Rich Harden role for the Cubs (high-upside, high-risk of injury).
Another option at starter for the Cubs appears to be Jose Contreras. Ken Davidoff tweets that the Cubs are one of 5 potential suitors for his services. However, its hard to see him as much of an upgrade over their current options.
On the hitting side, the Cubs starting lineup is pretty much set, however they continue to look for bench help. In particular, a 4th outfielder who can hit righthanded and potentially platoon with Kosuke Fukudome in right.
One potential candidate to fill that role is former Cubs Reed Johnson. Paul Sullivan indicates that the Cubs are still interested in re-signing the popular outfielder. Johnson hit .324/.403/.500 against lefthanders in 2009 (albeit in only 68 AB's). Fukudome only hit .164/.277/.255 against lefthanders in just 55 AB's.
Paul Sullivan also says the Cubs are interested in former South Sider Jermaine Dye. Dye would only serve as a platoon partner for Fukudome, a backup to Alfonso Soriano and Derrek Lee, as well as DH during interleague play. However, its unlikely that Dye would be willing to take on a reduced role at this point.
In off the field moves, the Cubs hired Greg Maddux as an assistant to GM Jim Hendry. According to the press release, Maddux's duties will include "assisting the coaching staffs at major league and minor league spring training, assisting in the development of Cubs minor leaguers during the regular season and assisting Hendry and the baseball operations department in talent evaluation." I'm sure that Cubs fans will agree that any assistance Hendry can get is greatly needed.
Finally, Ryne Sandberg was promoted to manage the Cubs AAA affiliate in Iowa. Its obvious that the Cubs are grooming Sandberg to take over the managerial reigns from Piniella. Piniella's contract is up after the 2010 season and it will be interesting to see what the Cubs due should Piniella be successful in 2010? Could the Cubs bring Lou back for another year and make Sandberg the bench coach or will Sandberg take over in 2011 no matter what Lou does? We'll just have to wait and see.
The Cubs main interest seems to be finding another starting pitcher. With Ted Lilly expected to miss some time at the beginning of the season and the uncertainty surrounding the potential 5th starter quartet of Tom Gorzelanny, Sean Marshall, Jeff Samardzija and, dare I say, Carlos Silva (ugh, I just threw up in my mouth), adding another proven starter couldn't hurt.
However, it appears that the Cubs are biding their time and waiting for the market to settle in hopes of finding a bargain.
One possible bargain could be former Brewer Ben Sheets. The Tribune's Paul Sullivan reported that the Cubs have their eye on him. However, MLB.com's Carrie Muskat Tweets that his current asking price of $10-12 million does not fit the Cubs budget.
Sheets is scheduled to throw for teams Tuesday at the University of Louisiana at Monroe, according to ESPN's Tim Kurkjian and the Cubs are one of 6-10 teams to show interest in the righthander. Sheets would fit into the Rich Harden role for the Cubs (high-upside, high-risk of injury).
Another option at starter for the Cubs appears to be Jose Contreras. Ken Davidoff tweets that the Cubs are one of 5 potential suitors for his services. However, its hard to see him as much of an upgrade over their current options.
On the hitting side, the Cubs starting lineup is pretty much set, however they continue to look for bench help. In particular, a 4th outfielder who can hit righthanded and potentially platoon with Kosuke Fukudome in right.
One potential candidate to fill that role is former Cubs Reed Johnson. Paul Sullivan indicates that the Cubs are still interested in re-signing the popular outfielder. Johnson hit .324/.403/.500 against lefthanders in 2009 (albeit in only 68 AB's). Fukudome only hit .164/.277/.255 against lefthanders in just 55 AB's.
Paul Sullivan also says the Cubs are interested in former South Sider Jermaine Dye. Dye would only serve as a platoon partner for Fukudome, a backup to Alfonso Soriano and Derrek Lee, as well as DH during interleague play. However, its unlikely that Dye would be willing to take on a reduced role at this point.
In off the field moves, the Cubs hired Greg Maddux as an assistant to GM Jim Hendry. According to the press release, Maddux's duties will include "assisting the coaching staffs at major league and minor league spring training, assisting in the development of Cubs minor leaguers during the regular season and assisting Hendry and the baseball operations department in talent evaluation." I'm sure that Cubs fans will agree that any assistance Hendry can get is greatly needed.
Finally, Ryne Sandberg was promoted to manage the Cubs AAA affiliate in Iowa. Its obvious that the Cubs are grooming Sandberg to take over the managerial reigns from Piniella. Piniella's contract is up after the 2010 season and it will be interesting to see what the Cubs due should Piniella be successful in 2010? Could the Cubs bring Lou back for another year and make Sandberg the bench coach or will Sandberg take over in 2011 no matter what Lou does? We'll just have to wait and see.
Sunday, January 10, 2010
If some of you have not heard of MLBTradeRumors.com yet, you need to check it out. It is a great place to check out the latest rumors involving all MLB teams.
Recently, TimDierkes, who runs the site, posted the GM Trade Histories for all of the NL Central GM's, including of course Jim Hendry. Its always interesting to see how some of the past moves have paid off, so let's review what Hendry has done over the last 7+ years.
First of all, Hendry has completed 96 trades during that time. Here's a look at the Good, the Bad and the Ugly trades during Hendry's tenure:
The Good
7/23/2003 - Cubs trade Jose Hernandez, Matt Bruback and Bobby Hill to the Pirates for Aramis Ramirez and Kenny Lofton.
Ramirez and Lofton were key components of a Cubs team that was one game from the World Series. Lofton hit .327 with an .381 OBP and was a catalyst atop the order for the Cubs, while Ramirez smacked 15 homeruns in less than 1/2 a season. Lofton has since retired, but Ramirez continues to man the hot corner for the Cubs after being resigned in 2006.
None of the players the Cubs gave up amounted to much in the majors. Bobby Hill had a decent half season with the Pirates in 2004, hitting .266 with a .353 OBP, but has since washed out of the majors and has played the last two years in the Independent League.
Hernandez was 33 at the time of the trade and already on the downslope of his career. He hit only .223/.282/.326 for the Pirates in 2003 before bouncing around for a few years. He was last seen playing in the Mexican League in 2008.
Bruback never pitched a day in the majors.
11/25/2003 - Cubs trade Hee-Seop Choi to the Marlins for Derrek Lee
Lee has been the other cornerstone of the Cubs infield, hitting .304 with 163 HR's in his 6 years with the Cubs. His best year came in 2005, when he went off for a .335/.418/.662 line with 46 HRs.
Choi, once a promising prospect, hit .270/.388/.495 with the Marlins before being traded to the Dodgers. His propensity to strike out finally caught up with him as he last played in the majors in 2005 and finished with a career .240/.349/.437 line.
The Bad
12/7/2005 - Cubs trade Sergio Mitre, Ricky Nolasco and Reynel Pinto to the Marlins for Juan Pierre.
After getting burned by the Cubs in 2003, the Marlins returned the favor in 2005. Pierre has been miscast as a leadoff hitter for years. In his one year with the Cubs he hit .292/.330/.388, showing no ability to get on base and despite stealing 58 bases for the Cubs, he only scored 87 runs on the year.
After struggling in his first major league season (11-11, 4.82 ERA) and battling injuries in 2007, Nolasco broke out in 2008 with a 15-8 record and a sparkling 3.52 ERA. His 2009 season was hampered by injuries, but he still managed to strike out 195 batters in 185 innings, despite a lousy 5.06 ERA. Nolasco has the makings of a front-line starter.
Pinto has turned into a servicable reliever for the Marlins, compiling a 3.70 ERA in 214.1 innings for the Marlins.
Mitre has battled injury problems and ineffectiveness (5.56 career ERA), but still continues to find work in the majors, most recently with the Yankees in 2009
12/7/2006 - Cubs trade Josh Hamilton for Cash.
Hamilton, who battled drug problems before finally getting his act together, was selected by the Cubs in the 2006 Rule 5 draft and immediately traded to the Reds for cash. Hamilton went on to hit .292/.368/.554 with 19 HR's in just 298 AB's for the Reds in 2007. He then signed as a free agent with the Rangers and proceeded to hit .304/.371/.530 with 32 HR's in 624 AB's in 2008 before battling injury problems in 2009. Just think what the Cubs would have looked like with him instead of Milton Bradley.
The Ugly
2/2/2005 - Cubs trade Sammy Sosa to the Orioles for Jerry Hairston Jr., Mike Fontenot and Dave Crouthers.
Forced to trade Sosa after he walked out on the team at the end of the 2004 season, Hendry was lucky to get anything for him. Hairston didn't amount to much with the Cubs in 1+ season and Fontenot appears to be a flash in the pan. On the other hand Sosa didn't do much with the Orioles either (.221/.295/.376) and of course there's that little steroid issue hanging over him.
12/18/2009 - Cubs trade Milton Bradley for Carlos Silva
You can read my thoughts on this trade here, but let's just say that even though the jury's still out on this one, it doesn't look promising.
Well, there you have it. After starting out with some excellent trades in 2003, acquiring both Lee and Ramirez, Hendry has petered off with his trades going from bad to ugly. Combine that with his poor free agent signings in recent years and you can see why many Cubs fans want him gone.
2010 is going to be a key year for Hendry. If he can work some magic and get the Cubs back into the playoffs, he very well could save his job. Otherwise, the Cubs will be looking for a new GM.
Recently, TimDierkes, who runs the site, posted the GM Trade Histories for all of the NL Central GM's, including of course Jim Hendry. Its always interesting to see how some of the past moves have paid off, so let's review what Hendry has done over the last 7+ years.
First of all, Hendry has completed 96 trades during that time. Here's a look at the Good, the Bad and the Ugly trades during Hendry's tenure:
The Good
7/23/2003 - Cubs trade Jose Hernandez, Matt Bruback and Bobby Hill to the Pirates for Aramis Ramirez and Kenny Lofton.
Ramirez and Lofton were key components of a Cubs team that was one game from the World Series. Lofton hit .327 with an .381 OBP and was a catalyst atop the order for the Cubs, while Ramirez smacked 15 homeruns in less than 1/2 a season. Lofton has since retired, but Ramirez continues to man the hot corner for the Cubs after being resigned in 2006.
None of the players the Cubs gave up amounted to much in the majors. Bobby Hill had a decent half season with the Pirates in 2004, hitting .266 with a .353 OBP, but has since washed out of the majors and has played the last two years in the Independent League.
Hernandez was 33 at the time of the trade and already on the downslope of his career. He hit only .223/.282/.326 for the Pirates in 2003 before bouncing around for a few years. He was last seen playing in the Mexican League in 2008.
Bruback never pitched a day in the majors.
11/25/2003 - Cubs trade Hee-Seop Choi to the Marlins for Derrek Lee
Lee has been the other cornerstone of the Cubs infield, hitting .304 with 163 HR's in his 6 years with the Cubs. His best year came in 2005, when he went off for a .335/.418/.662 line with 46 HRs.
Choi, once a promising prospect, hit .270/.388/.495 with the Marlins before being traded to the Dodgers. His propensity to strike out finally caught up with him as he last played in the majors in 2005 and finished with a career .240/.349/.437 line.
The Bad
12/7/2005 - Cubs trade Sergio Mitre, Ricky Nolasco and Reynel Pinto to the Marlins for Juan Pierre.
After getting burned by the Cubs in 2003, the Marlins returned the favor in 2005. Pierre has been miscast as a leadoff hitter for years. In his one year with the Cubs he hit .292/.330/.388, showing no ability to get on base and despite stealing 58 bases for the Cubs, he only scored 87 runs on the year.
After struggling in his first major league season (11-11, 4.82 ERA) and battling injuries in 2007, Nolasco broke out in 2008 with a 15-8 record and a sparkling 3.52 ERA. His 2009 season was hampered by injuries, but he still managed to strike out 195 batters in 185 innings, despite a lousy 5.06 ERA. Nolasco has the makings of a front-line starter.
Pinto has turned into a servicable reliever for the Marlins, compiling a 3.70 ERA in 214.1 innings for the Marlins.
Mitre has battled injury problems and ineffectiveness (5.56 career ERA), but still continues to find work in the majors, most recently with the Yankees in 2009
12/7/2006 - Cubs trade Josh Hamilton for Cash.
Hamilton, who battled drug problems before finally getting his act together, was selected by the Cubs in the 2006 Rule 5 draft and immediately traded to the Reds for cash. Hamilton went on to hit .292/.368/.554 with 19 HR's in just 298 AB's for the Reds in 2007. He then signed as a free agent with the Rangers and proceeded to hit .304/.371/.530 with 32 HR's in 624 AB's in 2008 before battling injury problems in 2009. Just think what the Cubs would have looked like with him instead of Milton Bradley.
The Ugly
2/2/2005 - Cubs trade Sammy Sosa to the Orioles for Jerry Hairston Jr., Mike Fontenot and Dave Crouthers.
Forced to trade Sosa after he walked out on the team at the end of the 2004 season, Hendry was lucky to get anything for him. Hairston didn't amount to much with the Cubs in 1+ season and Fontenot appears to be a flash in the pan. On the other hand Sosa didn't do much with the Orioles either (.221/.295/.376) and of course there's that little steroid issue hanging over him.
12/18/2009 - Cubs trade Milton Bradley for Carlos Silva
You can read my thoughts on this trade here, but let's just say that even though the jury's still out on this one, it doesn't look promising.
Well, there you have it. After starting out with some excellent trades in 2003, acquiring both Lee and Ramirez, Hendry has petered off with his trades going from bad to ugly. Combine that with his poor free agent signings in recent years and you can see why many Cubs fans want him gone.
2010 is going to be a key year for Hendry. If he can work some magic and get the Cubs back into the playoffs, he very well could save his job. Otherwise, the Cubs will be looking for a new GM.
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Cubs Hall of Famers Facts as Andre Dawson is elected to the Hall
With today's announcement that the Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA) have elected former Cub Andre Dawson to the Baseball Hall of Fame, I thought it would be interesting to take a look at some fun facts regarding the players who at one time or another played for the Cubs and are in the Hall of Fame.
What do all of these facts tell us? The main thing I see from this is that when the Cubs have had the talent, they have won. The problem of course is that its not often that you can boast 4 future Hall of Famers on your team, let alone one.
- There are 37 former Cubs in the Hall of Fame. You can see the complete list HERE.
- Of those 37 players, only 13 spent the majority of their careers with the Cubs, they are: Cap Anson, Ernie Banks, Mordecai Brown, Frank Chance, Johnny Evers, Gabby Hartnett, Billy Herman, Fergie Jenkins, King Kelly, Ryne Sandberg, Joe Tinker, Billy Williams and Hack Wilson.
- Four of the Hall of Famers (Brown, Chance, Evers and Tinker) played during one of the most successful stretches in Cubs history from 1906-1910, when the Cubs won 4 pennants and 2 World Series titles.
- Another 3 players (Hartnett, Herman and Wilson) were around for at least part of another successful run in Cubs history from 1929-1935 when the Cubs made it to 3 World Series (only to lose them all).
- Two players (Anson and Kelly) were from the pre-1900 ERA (no World Series).
- Banks, Jenkins and Williams all played during one of the Cubs most successful post-WWII stretches, when the Cubs had 6 consecutive winning seasons from 1967-1972.
- Ryne Sandberg helped lead the Cubs to two postseason appearances (1984 and 1989).
- Since the amateur draft began in 1965, no players selected by the Cubs have made it to the Hall of Fame (Sandberg was drafted by the Phillies). However, that will change when Greg Maddux is elected into the Hall in 2014.
- Rafael Palmeiro, who was also drafted by the Cubs, could possibly be elected into the Hall of Fame, but his steroid issues will likely keep him out. Also, he played most of his career elsewhere.
What do all of these facts tell us? The main thing I see from this is that when the Cubs have had the talent, they have won. The problem of course is that its not often that you can boast 4 future Hall of Famers on your team, let alone one.
Monday, January 4, 2010
Cubs All-Time Starting 5
After taking some time off for the holidays and getting preempted by the Marlon Byrd signing, I am finally ready to present my choices for the Cubs all time 5 man starting rotation. To compare pitchers from different eras, including the "deadball era" from 1901-1919, I looked at their ERA+ scores, which measures their ERA compared to the league ERA.
So, without further ado, here are the Cubs All-Time Starting 5:
Honorable mentions:
Rick Sutcliffe (1984) - Since he only came over midseason from the Indians and started only 20 games for the Cubs, it unfair to label his season as one of the 5 best. However, his 16-1 record and 2.69 ERA (144 ERA+) with the Cubs helped carry them to their first postseason appearance in 39 years.
Fergie Jenkins (1971) - Fergie won 20 games in 6 straight seasons for the Cubs, but none of them were good enough to make my list. In 1971, he won 24 games, for a team that finished 83-79, and had an ERA of 2.77 (142 ERA+). He started 39 games, completed 30 of them and pitched 325 innings.
There you have it, the best pitching seasons in Cubs history. Coming up I will compile my 5 best relief pitching seasons in Cubs history.
So, without further ado, here are the Cubs All-Time Starting 5:
- Mordecai "Three Finger" Brown (1906) - The Cubs Hall of Famer put together one of the most dominating seasons of any pitcher, let alone any Cubs pitcher. Brown went 26-6, with a 1.04 ERA and an ERA+ of 253, 73 points higher than the next pitcher on this list. It also helped that the Cubs won 116 games and made it to the World Series.
- Mark Prior (2003) - Prior had his one and only dominating season in 2003, compiling an 18-6 record with a 2.43 ERA and and 178 ERA+. With the Steroid ERA still going strong, Prior only gave up 15 HR's in his 30 starts.
- Greg Maddux (1992) - Mad Dog showed off his Cy Young stuff in his last year with the Cubs, compiling a 20-10 record and a sparkling 2.18 ERA (166 ERA+). Although he would go on to have even better years with the Braves, this was Maddux's finest year with the Cubs.
- Grover Cleveland "Pete" Alexander (1920) - Old Pete wasn't quite as good as he was with the Phillies in the 1910's when he pitched for the Cubs from 1918-1925, but he had one excellent year in 1920, posting a 27-14 record and a 1.91 ERA (168 ERA+) in 46 games (40 starts). He had 33 complete games while pitching 363 innings and added 5 saves to boot.
- Dick Ellsworth (1963) - Often forgotten in Cubs pitching lore, Ellsworth had his career year with the Cubs in 1963. He posted a 2.11 ERA (167 ERA+) and won 22 games for a Cubs team that finished 82-80. He never had an ERA below 3.00 again.
Honorable mentions:
Rick Sutcliffe (1984) - Since he only came over midseason from the Indians and started only 20 games for the Cubs, it unfair to label his season as one of the 5 best. However, his 16-1 record and 2.69 ERA (144 ERA+) with the Cubs helped carry them to their first postseason appearance in 39 years.
Fergie Jenkins (1971) - Fergie won 20 games in 6 straight seasons for the Cubs, but none of them were good enough to make my list. In 1971, he won 24 games, for a team that finished 83-79, and had an ERA of 2.77 (142 ERA+). He started 39 games, completed 30 of them and pitched 325 innings.
There you have it, the best pitching seasons in Cubs history. Coming up I will compile my 5 best relief pitching seasons in Cubs history.
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