Five Questionable Moves during the Cubs Offseason Part 1: People Leaving Town

Look, before you assume that this move was not questionable, look at what we have just acquired: Aaron Heilman.

Aaron Heilman 2008 stats:
78 Games with 76 innings pitched
78 Games: 3-8 with a 5.21 ERA, WHIP 1.59, three SV, five BLSV, 15 HLD

Bob Howry 2008 stats:
72 Games with 70 innings pitched
7-5 with a 5.35 ERA, WHIP 1.46, one SV, four BLSV, 15 HLD

Bobby Signed a $2.75-million deal with the Giants and has a far better track record than that of Heilman, who will probably make just as much as Howry.

I also got sick of him giving up tons of runs. But it's not like we have exactly improved with Heilman, who most likely will be taking over for Howry.

"We Don't Got Wood."
I have a feeling that this is what most Cubs fans will be thinking to themselves as they are watching their team next season.

Closing out ballgames is not easy folks. While like many other fans, I do believe Carlos Marmol will be able to fill this role. But with him playing in the WBC, I wouldn't at all be surprised to see him fade late in the season when it counts the most.

While we did acquire Mr. Gregg from Florida (more on him later), the lose of Wood could be crippling to this team.

Wow, what a job Edmonds did for the Cubbies last year. Talk about a huge pickup for us offensively as well as defensively. Not to mention the leadership he had in the clubhouse as well.

While he probably is at the end of his strikingly amazing career, Edmonds was still a good player that had pop and played the way that we hope all of our Cubbies would.

He WAS left handed as well and hit 19 home runs in 85 games for us. Even though he wasn't completely healthy and still playing everyday, at 162 games that would have transferred to him hitting close to 40 dingers for the year.

But leave it up to the Cubbies to sign Joey Gathright and So Taguchi instead of bringing back one of the classiest players this town has ever seen.

Mr. Henry White. Another class act that is not going to be playing for us this year. Instead, Paul Bako is back. Why? Well of course, because he bats left handed and Henry doesn't.

The career stat lines are stinking and almost scary with how close they compare to each other's.

Blanco's career stats:
746 Games, 483 Career Hits, 188 Walks with 395 SO, while batting .227

Bako's career stats:
745 Games, 482 Career Hits, 220 Walks with 557 SO, while batting .231

The main thing here is that Geovany Soto wanted Blanco back. He didn't want Bako. Mr. Henry White was Soto's mentor and he should have never been let go.

To my surprise, the Cubbies actually did something that I had wanted them to do this offseason. They traded away Mark DeRosa after he had a career year.

But what exactly did they get in return? Three minor league pitchers that might have a slim chance of helping us. I was thinking that they would get quality for him, and I hope they did. But so far this trade seems very strange and ridiculous.

Mark had heart and he loved us, all of us here in Chicago. You could tell that he felt like he belonged here and he was happy. He even did us, the fans, a favor and showed up to the playoffs (minus that error he made).

The only good part about this trade is that hopefully, with my fingers crossed, it will give our little Mike Fontenot a chance to start everyday.

I just hope that Lou Piniella lets him start everyday instead of Aaron Miles and gives him a little wiggle room, allowing him to go 0-4 in a game and still start the next game.

I have a bad feeling that for the next four years, the Cubbie faithful will be wishing that the front office would have let this man walk away, or better yet, run.

Yes, he did finish in the top 10 for the 2008 Cy Young award but what in the world gives anyone the inclination that he will again dominate as he did last season.

His career stats include:

420 games pitched, 195 starts, nine complete games with two shutouts

76 Wins with 81 Losses and 87 Saves with an ERA of 4.55

He has had a TOTAL of two seasons in which he was primarily been a starter and posted an ERA below 4.71 (2000 and 2008). It's too bad we didn't sign him to an eight-year deal.

For him to sign a four-year, $52-million deal was a little extreme.

Talk about a contract year.

Just a little suggestion for those who think signing Jason Marquis was a bad idea and this wasn't. Do yourself a favor and compare the career stats of Dempster and Marquis and hopefully you will start to see what I mean.