Anyone left worth going after?
From my worst calculations, there appear to be 52 free agents left on the market. There's only another month or so til Spring Training gets in full swing. Other than pitching, which Theo/Jed said they would like more of, is there anybody out there that the Cubs should go after on the market? It seems from their organizational chart that the answer is probably a resounding ‘no,' but I just wanted to field the question.
Here is the list of possible free agents left:
|
INF |
|
|
INF |
|
|
1B/OF |
|
|
1B |
|
|
SS |
|
|
1B/3B |
|
|
DH/OF |
|
|
C |
|
|
RF |
|
|
C |
|
|
C |
|
|
DH/OF |
|
|
RF |
|
|
RF |
|
|
Ramon Castro |
C |
|
LF |
|
|
1B/OF |
|
|
DH/1B/3B |
|
|
Vladimir Guerrero |
DH/RF |
|
RF/1B |
|
|
RP |
|
|
SP |
|
|
SP |
|
|
Chris Young |
SP |
|
P |
|
|
RP |
|
|
RP |
|
|
RP |
|
|
P |
|
|
P |
|
|
RP |
|
|
Javier Vazquez |
SP |
|
SP |
|
|
RP |
|
|
RP |
|
|
RP |
|
|
P |
|
|
SP |
|
|
SP |
|
|
RP |
|
|
P |
|
|
P |
|
This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of SB Nation or Al Yellon, managing editor (unless it's a FanPost posted by Al). FanPost opinions are valued expressions of opinion by passionate and knowledgeable baseball fans.
0 recs | 104 comments
Answer to your question
No.
Al Yellon - February 3, 2012
Second that
Easy Ed - February 3, 2012
Looking at that list - No, no, no!
ClarkFan - February 4, 2012
I concur
obc2 - February 8, 2012
Answer. Yes.
Jorge Soler
Yoennis Cespedes.
Team Cuba
timh815 - February 3, 2012
I think the fact that...
…the list starts with Aaron Miles answers your question succinctly enough.
(And, yes, I know it’s alphabetical.)
daver - February 3, 2012
Regardless of the alphabet;
anyone posting a list of players for the Cubs to consider, that includes Aaron F Miles, should be penalized heavily.
He owes each of us $5.
Tat14 - February 3, 2012
how about
you buy me a season ticket and a season’s worth of Old Style and we’ll call it even?
ChicagoBlues1983 - February 10, 2012
Who are you, Scott Boras?
That doesn’t seem like a fair deal at all.
daver - February 10, 2012
Better give in. He'll end up with more with the mystery team getting involved.
ubercubsfan - February 10, 2012
I'll sweeten the deal.
I won’t post on BCB for the entire season if you send them to me.
ChicagoBlues1983 - February 11, 2012
why not bring back more members of the old gang
Aaron Miles INF
Derrek Lee 1B
Jason Kendall C
Kosuke Fukudome RF
David Aardsma RP
Michael Wuertz RP
Rich Harden SP
Sergio Mitre P
Cubbie-Tim - February 3, 2012
I think...
only Harden would be worthy to come back as a minor league, non-roster invite. The others should probably consider retirement or a contract with the Florida Marlins. Oh, excuse me, the Miami Marlins.
ChicagoBlues1983 - February 3, 2012
Seriously.
There are a TON of ex-Cubs on that list!
elgato - February 3, 2012
you can almost field a starting line up
that is 8, and with how we have done things in the past, we could just play people out of position and manage with it
Cubbie-Tim - February 3, 2012
What about Harden in a relief role? That's about the only one that looks like he may be worth a shot.
His numbers with the A’s last year were not pretty, but his K/9 was somewhere around 9 or 10. It seems like he still has some stuff, but maybe just not as a starter.
The rest on that list are memories with varying degrees of pleasantness or queasiness.
Mapanator - February 3, 2012
The auto-response to this...
…has always been that it takes Harden too long to warm up to pitch in relief. And that he can’t go on back-to-back days. But I would think he’d have to at least consider moving to the bullpen to prolong his career at this point.
daver - February 3, 2012
Dennis Eckersley
kicked and screamed his way out of town before going to the pen. Weep.
timh815 - February 3, 2012
This is not true
Eckersley didn’t want to be traded. Green traded him because he was battling alcoholism and felt that Eckersley couldn’t handle pitching for a team that played all of their home games during the day.
Shanghai Badger - February 3, 2012
I was under the impression
that he insisted on being a starter until he went to Oakland. Thanks for the clarification.
timh815 - February 3, 2012
i had heard that as well
and it took LaRussa convincing him to make the change.
Cubbie-Tim - February 3, 2012
I knew a Cub scout from the Green years and as he told it, Eck went to
Charlie Fox and told him he was now in the program and had a handle on his drinking. I thought I remember Eck also saying he would go to the pen or do anything else he had to do to regain their trust. It didn’t really matter since the sentence I do remember clearly was Fox telling Green, “Once a drunk, always a drunk,” and they sent him to Oakland.
the nth - February 4, 2012
i heard that for years when i was saying Wood to Closer (in 1999)
and that worked out quite well, so i say give Harden a chance with it IF he is up to it.
Cubbie-Tim - February 3, 2012
I think Royko (RIP)...
Just vanished in a logical paradox. Cubs with the highest Ex-cub factor?
EcoGeek - February 4, 2012
I think we're done with FA's but
a flyer on Marte or Mike Gonzalez could be OK.
SouthWabashSoul - February 3, 2012
as for flyers...
I’m curious about Ben Sheets. For as good as he once was, I’d like to see what he has left in the tank. Brad Penny, too. I’d sign them to minor league contracts or give em a non-roster invite. If they don’t work, cut ’em loose.
ChicagoBlues1983 - February 3, 2012
I don't believe Ben Sheets is even in baseball anymore.
He tried to make a comeback with A’s in 2010, and it didn’t work out because of his injuries. It is a shame, because he was a great pitcher.
daver - February 3, 2012
2010 ended with another surgery for him
i have no clue where he is post surgery
MLBTradeRumors
Cubbie-Tim - February 3, 2012
Seems like he's done...
…unless he pulls a Dennis Quaid.
daver - February 3, 2012
sadly I agree
and to think at one time we (Mil and Chi) were looking forward to a decade plus of Sheet/Prior match ups, and both flamed out so fast. It makes how Wood has been able to adjust and still contribute (even as a middle reliever) that much more impressive IMHO
Cubbie-Tim - February 3, 2012
No
lookingdeadred - February 4, 2012
Apparently...
Brad Penny signed with a Japanese team.
EcoGeek - February 6, 2012
I'll take a Rich Harden circa 2008
give the man an NRI
unretrofied93 - February 3, 2012
He's more likely to get an MRI
Shanghai Badger - February 3, 2012
BOOM-SHAKALAKA!
daver - February 3, 2012
FWT!
Tat14 - February 3, 2012
not sure what I meant here...
Tat14 - February 3, 2012
FUNNY WACKY TERRIFIC!!!!
daver - February 3, 2012
Funny We-Treet?
Cubbie-Tim - February 3, 2012
No we-treet, no surrender.
daver - February 3, 2012
Fun With Theo
ballhawk - February 3, 2012
A few of those guys aren't free agents anymore
Brooks Conrad is an NRI for Milwaukee, Jonny Gomes signed with Oakland, and Dan Wheeler and Clay Hensley have both signed on somewhere, though I forget where.
That being said, I don’t have much interest in any of these guys. If anything, maybe a veteran reliever or 2 for NRIs. Which ones? I would say Shawn Camp, Luis Ayala, Jamey Wright, and/ or Hong-Chi Kuo.
Mulhollandmania - February 3, 2012
"Cross them off, then!"
ballhawk - February 3, 2012
Lol
This guy here is dead!
ferris2001 - February 3, 2012
This is my kinda team, Charlie. My kinda team.
ChicagoBlues1983 - February 7, 2012
What about David Aardsma?
Is he done? Seems like he’s still pretty young and was very good with Seattle at one point.
elgato - February 3, 2012
Oh, TJ surgery last summer.
Wonder if he’d be someone to sign in the Dempster 2004 mold …
elgato - February 3, 2012
I could ask him on Twitter.
He’s pretty active.
daver - February 3, 2012
I don't think he'll be ready til mid-season
Mulhollandmania - February 3, 2012
I'd take a chance
comsidering the reliability of Marmol…having Aardsma on the roster would provide pretty cheap depth…it also gives us thwe ability to trade Marmol at the deadline for more prospect depth.
sfg79 - February 7, 2012
If Bryan LaHair seriously struggles for a few months,
and Theo doesn’t think Rizzo is quite ready, I would love to pick up DLee. He’s not that bad these days and he could even be a nice, cheap bench bat (if they would carry 11 pitchers). He could even be like a Jason Giambi.
mdcubsfan - February 3, 2012
I wonder whether Derrek would sign with a team midseason.
There’s talk that he may be Jermaine Dyed into retirement. Why don’t the Pirates just re-sign him? Do they have a better option?
daver - February 3, 2012
They don't.
I think he wants more $ than they want to give. Dye is a good comp.
Al Yellon - February 3, 2012
do you think if Derrek decides to retire, he would sign a 1 day contract to retire a Cub?
I know he won a ring with a team that shall not be named, but he was with us for quite a few years.
rsikes - February 4, 2012
I would doubt he'd do anything quite that dramatic.
It doesn’t really seem like his style. And, like you said, he won a ring with the Marlins. Maybe if he’d come up through the Cubs farm system like Kerry Wood and played here for a decade or so. But that wasn’t the case. I could see him showing up at Cubs Convention, though.
daver - February 4, 2012
If LaHair struggles? More like when
lookingdeadred - February 4, 2012
Aaron Miles! Duh!
That’s just a joke. Don’t do it, TheoJed. For the love of God, don’t do it!
Cub Style - February 3, 2012
Sign him as a minor league
option. Offer him to Sawks as compensation. Then release him when they refuse.
timh815 - February 3, 2012
that guy was the biggest joke ever, he couldnt bat his own weight.
rsikes - February 4, 2012
Can Wakefield be worse than Rodrigo Lopez?
NobodySpecial - February 4, 2012
yes
jesus christos - February 4, 2012
I'm not so sure about that.
It’s an interesting question, actually. Wakefield has been worth 4.2 fWAR over the last three seasons (in the AL East, no less), RoLo 0.7. Of course, I still seriously doubt Wakefield would be willing to hang around Des Moines waiting for a rotation spot to open up.
daver - February 4, 2012
Yeah, but the only way to estimate Wakefield's age is through Carbon-14 dating....
ClarkFan - February 4, 2012
wakefield imo was one of my fav pitchers for osme odd reason
loved the knuckleball pitch of his.
Geo4MVP - February 4, 2012
Yeah, knuckeballers are fun to watch in general.
daver - February 7, 2012
I can see you have never been a catcher
lookingdeadred - February 8, 2012
I said watch, not catch!
daver - February 8, 2012
Umping a knuckleballer is no fun either...
ballhawk - February 8, 2012
Don't the Cubs need a back infielder who can play SS?
Renteria could be serviceable back up. He could be a good mentor for Castro.
Mitchener - February 5, 2012
I wouldn't say they NEED one.
But if there’s a guy who can play SS and hit as well as DeWitt, it could be a consideration. Not sure of Renteria would interest Theo and Jed or not.
Dcr18 - February 5, 2012
Looks like i'm not the only who thinks he could be a good fit
https://twitter.com/#!/JonHeymanCBS/status/168069449981755393
Mitchener - February 10, 2012
link again
Mitchener - February 10, 2012
double fail
https://twitter.com/#!/JonHeymanCBS/status/168069449981755393
Mitchener - February 10, 2012
Meh.
I don’t really want Jon Heyman building my team, even in a year like this.
daver - February 12, 2012
since there doesn't seem to be much of a market
i’d gauge roy oswalt’s interest in a one year plus team option deal with the cubs, though it seems unlikely he’d want to come here. i’m sure at least one of the relievers on this list will get signed late and end up having a very good year. i’d have no problem bring mike gonzalez, michael wuertz or stashing david aardsma away until midseason.
circuitclout - February 5, 2012
Gonzalez is the most interesting name here.
I’d be fine with letting him battle Beliveau for a spot in the pen.
Dcr18 - February 5, 2012
Definetly
Derrek Lee, IF they can get him cheap enough. A 1 year contract with a club option and incentives would be nice. This would give Rizzo some time to mature in the minors and D Lee is a fan favorite. Theo/Jed has moved some fan favorites (Ramirez/Zambrano/Marshall) and a little goodwill in a rebuilding period could not hurt.
ChicagoRobb - February 5, 2012
No point in bringing him back at all
You stick Lahair out there. Give him a shot and presumably hand the job to Rizzo when it’s his time.
Hammer - February 5, 2012
no
jesus christos - February 5, 2012
Why?
We know what D Lee is. Give LaHair a shot, and if he hits well he’s good trade bait when Rizzo is ready. Lee wouldn’t make any sense at all, and in no way would it go with the direction Theo and Jed have been moving this offseason.
Dcr18 - February 5, 2012
Lee makes some sense.
As long as he knows he would be the new Eric Karros.
elgato - February 6, 2012
Not worth the aggravation
It’d be like Jerry and Elaine hooking up again. Starts off with “this” but pretty soon somebody wants “that”… and “the other”.
But if you still want to go ahead, well – there’d have to be rules…
ballhawk - February 6, 2012
Ha.
Well, I see your point. I still don’t think it would be a terrible idea, if there are ground rules.
elgato - February 6, 2012
I just don't see the point.
And as far as I know, LaHair doesn’t have terrible splits. And even if he does, Baker is a fine platoon partner at any position.
Dcr18 - February 6, 2012
One point is defense.
LaHair isn’t that great defensively, and Baker would be playing out of position (albeit at an easier position).
I’m kind of interested to see what LaHair can do, but if he turns out to be a AAAA player, the Cubs lineup will be pretty weak. I know it’s a rebuilding year, and we can probably put up with a bad lineup in 2012.
Lee had pretty good numbers in Pittsburgh last year. I wouldn’t be opposed to signing him for $2 million with incentives in a reserve (for now) role.
elgato - February 7, 2012
I don't think he'd sign for that little and in that role.
DLee is one of my all-time favorite Cubs, but I feel like bringing him back would be awkward.
daver - February 7, 2012
If he wouldn't take that role ...
then he’s not worth bringing back.
elgato - February 7, 2012
Well if LaHair turns out to be a AAAA player, why wouldn't you just call Rizzo up?
His defense is probably pretty comparable to Lee’s at this point, and he actually has a future on the team. And having both LaHair and and Lee on the team would really kill our bench versatility, unless we only go with one primary backup OF, and that doesn’t seem likely with our abundance of outfielders.
Dcr18 - February 7, 2012
I agree, that’s the likely scenario. Derrek Lee? That would be pretty ridiculous in 2012.
Al Yellon - February 8, 2012
Lee would be a stop gap.
until Rizzo is ready. I’m not saying give hime some big contract, rather maybe a 5 mill with incentives. Here are my reasons:
1.This team needs some veteran leadership. Wood is nice but wouldn’t be helpful to have someone with a ring
2. If any older player could bounce back, it would be Lee. This guy is an athlete beyond baseball.
3. Couldn’t we have a few fan favorites? The Rays signed Pena for 7.25 million, what would be wrong with a big discount contract for Lee. He does not seems to have a lot of options left, so he may be cheap, if he does not retire.
I am one of the few that is not really all that enamored with the new regime. For what the Brewers got Ramirez for, we could have paid him and kept one of the best hitting 3rd basemen in the league. As for the Zambrano trade,the team is eating so much of his salary, they should have kept the best hitting pitcher in baseball. Currently, as it is made up, Soriano will probably lead the team homers. We are talking about a guy who hit 35 home runs for us as recent as 2009.
ChicagoRobb - February 5, 2012
heheheh
jesus christos - February 5, 2012
We already have a stopgap with more upside.
His name is Brian LaHair. Lee has been pretty mediocre since 2009, obviously because he’s old and on the decline, he’s probably not gonna magically turn it around and be a force again. Theo isnt bringing back a mediocre player because he’s a fan favorite, nor should he.
And you’re really bitching that we traded Z, a total head case, for a guy who’s younger, under control for a few years, and pitched as well as Z last year and has more untapped upside? Because Z is a good hitting pitcher? Dear lord. Ramirez is still a force, but why pay him a boatload to play for a shitty team the next couple teams, and knowing how bad his defense is now, can you imagine how terrible it will be in 2014? Stewart has power upside, and is miles ahead of Aram defensively. Aram is a luxury that didn’t fit for our future. Theo and Jed will spend big money when we’re ready to compete, but now is not the time. It may be next year, or maybe two years from now. Spending millions on declining veterans and relying solely on free agents is what got us in this hole. Theo knows what he’s doing, and it starts with building a core of young players.
Dcr18 - February 5, 2012
"Theo isnt bringing back a mediocre player because he’s a fan favorite"
Ummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
Nunyabidness - February 5, 2012
You may have a point if Wood were mediocre.
Sure, Wood being a fan favorite was a big part of him coming back. But he’s still a strong set up man that was brought in at slightly less than market value. Wood has been better at his job the last two years than Lee.
Dcr18 - February 5, 2012
mediocre or not
the cubs clearly have no intention of trying to compete in 2012 so spending $3 million on a set up man doesn’t make much baseball sense.
circuitclout - February 5, 2012
They still want to be somewhat competitive.
Giving three mil to Wood isn’t a big investment, and it could be the difference between a few wins. Do you want the pen to consist of Marmol, Samardzija, Russell, and four rookies? I’m all for letting the kids play, but having a veteran presence in the pen to mentor the young guys is very valuable, if that guy can actually pitch, like Wood can. We can’t just go have a daycare pen like we had in 2010, we all saw how that worked out.
Theo and Jed may not expect us to make the playoffs, but they are going to make as many moves to help the 2012 team as long as they don’t hurt the future. Signing Wood still leaves three open spots in the pen, so it’s not like he’s blocking someone, and he does help make the 2012 team better. Maybe if they signed him to a three year deal it wouldn’t make sense, but signing guys to short deals like this one, as well as the Maholm and Dejesus signings, makes perfect baseball sense. Expecting the team to throw out ten rookies on opening day and not spending ANY money this offseason just because we’re not expected to compete isn’t realistic.
Dcr18 - February 5, 2012
I wouldn't use the word "mediocre" to describe Kerry Wood as a reliever.
He’s still "decent’ to even “good” in that role.
daver - February 7, 2012
OK, here goes.
1. LaHair is the stopgap, if he hits he can be flipped or moved to left field if/when Soriano gets traded or hurt.
2. We have veteran leadership, Wood, Dempster, Byrd, DeJesus, Soriano, Garza.
3. DLee, and I love him sees his best days in his rear view mirror.
4. Fan Faves? Castro, Reed, Barney, Garza, Dempster, Wood, Campana, are all popular.
5. As for Ramirez, I was neutral on what they should do with him, let the Crew pay him to watch ground balls go by him, I don’t think he will greatly outperform a Stewart/Baker combo.
6. Z, with Z 51-68 with Z going 9-7 (11-10 in his starts) without his baggage 20-23.
jpeters407 - February 5, 2012
I like your #1
If LaHair can at least hit RHP, he could become a viable platoon with Soriano, whose OBP against right handers has really gotten awful. That kind of playing shift could also encourage Soriano to either change his approach at the plate and/or approve a trade, if Epstein is fortunate enough to find a partner.
ClarkFan - February 5, 2012
DLee is too fragile now
If he could stay healthy then maybe he can have a .850 ops. I think a team like a Brewers should give him a incentive deal.
Mitchener - February 5, 2012
The Rizzo stop gap may not be needed for long
If you believe the Bill James projections, Rizzo should get 439 plate appearances in 2012. LaHair is projected for 316 plate appearances. That’s 755 plate appearances at first base, so something has to give. And that’s before considering Derrek Lee.
RiskyBusiness - February 5, 2012
I wouldn't be opposed to D-Lee ...
on a 1-year deal in a platoon with LaHair. Lee would have to know that he’s essentially Eric Karros Redux, but if Lee’s cool with that, I would be, too. Not because he’s a fan favorite, though.
But the rest of your comments are ridiculous.
Paying Aramis $39 million to play back numbers and rack up good numbers in the summer on a team that’s hopelessly out of it? Pointless.
Keeping Zambrano would have been difficult, and I think the trade the Cubs made makes sense. And, really, Z’s hitting doesn’t matter much in the equation.
As for Soriano leading the team in home runs, it’s possible, I guess. But Stewart and LaHair could bring some power, so if they both hit 20, and Soriano hits 25, who cares?
elgato - February 6, 2012
*play bad defense
elgato - February 6, 2012
frightening number
of crappy ex-Cubs on that list
PrincetonCubs - February 6, 2012
You must Login with your SB Nation account and be a member of Bleed Cubbie Blue to post a comment.