The Deal Jim Hendry Should Make Revisited

Back in the middle of October, I wrote an article that generated some significant discussion regarding a trade Chicago Cubs General Manager Jim Hendry should make without thinking twice.

In light of the events that have taken place this offseason, both specifically with the Cubs and throughout baseball, I think this deal is worth revisiting in the context of the current state of Major League Baseball.

In that article, I proposed that the Chicago Cubs trade Kosuke Fukudome and Derrek Lee to the Seattle Mariners for Ichiro Suzuki.

That proposition was based on a number of factors.

First, the Cubs were still searching for the right mix in their starting rotation. Ryan Dempster was to become a free agent, leaving the Cubs with the potential for Jason Marquis to be their number three starter. The other key factor on the pitching side of the ball for the Cubs was that Kerry Wood, like Dempster, was on the verge of becoming a free agent, leaving the Cubs with a hole to fill in their bullpen.

Updating those factors, the Cubs kept Ryan Dempster to solidify their rotation, and traded for Florida closer Kevin Gregg to replace the now-departed Wood.

The position player pieces that were in play at that point were also different than they are now.

In October, the Cubs were looking for a left handed hitting rightfielder to bat in the middle of their order. There was potential to move Fukudome into a platoon situation with Reed Johnson in center and young Felix Pie off the bench. The infield seemed set, with Mark DeRosa and Ryan Theriot combining again as the double play combination between Aramis Ramirez and Lee.

The changes that have taken place in the field have been as much in speculation as they have been in reality. Pie still doesn't have a spot on the Cubs roster, but now his future has been clouded further by the addition of Joey Gathright, who would appear to be the same player, but four years older.

The fact that DeRosa was linked to trade rumors at all bring into question how valuable a player who can hit over 20 home runs and drive in 85 runs, with just one season left on his contract, is on the market.

The changes for the Cubs have been largely superficial and most, with the exception of Wood's departure, have been inconsequential thus far. No mega deal was struck for Peavy or Baltimore's Brian Roberts. No big minor league swaps to bring in more young pitching. Just a one-for-one deal that send Jose Ceda for Gregg.

The same can't be said of the movement in Seattle.

Just a number of days ago, the blockbuster of the winter meetings took place when Seattle, Cleveland and the New York Mets combined on a three team deal that saw well over 15 players swapping jerseys. For Seattle, the major players leaving were closer JJ Putz and young centerfielder Jeremy Reed. In return, the Mariners bulked up their farm system and their major league bench by acquiring seven players.

Outfielders Endy Chavez and Franklin Gutierrez will be a part of the major league plans in Seattle this coming season, with Gutierrez likely playing in between Ichiro and Wladimir Balentine and Chavez playing the same utility role he did in New York.

The Mariners are still searching for pitching depth, even after the big trade.

Aaron Heilman was a nice addition, but he has not proven to be able to keep a starting job for long in New York. Youngster Brandon Morrow, who did an adequate job closing while Putz was injured in 2008, is a possibility for the back end of the Mariners rotation; however, that would leave a hole in the closer spot for Seattle.

And then there's the issues the Mariners already have and haven't solved by making a significant trade.

At the end of last year, then-manager Jim Riggleman was starting Jose Lopez, a talented young second baseman, at first base because of the release of Richie Sexson. Looking forward to 2009, rumors are that some in the organization would like to keep Lopez at second while, at least right now, necessity might require him to get more reps at first.

The Mariners also have enormous issues with their starting rotation. After "King Felix" Hernandez, the M's have a rotation that's headliner is perhaps the biggest disappointment of the 2008 winter, Eric Bedard.

Between Bedard and Jarrod Washburn, the middle of the Seattle rotation has question marks about durability and consistency, while the back end of the rotation has bigger issues depending on how the organization moves forward with Morrow.

So here is my updated proposition, something we'll call The Deal Jim Hendry Should Make Part II:

The Chicago Cubs send starter Jason Marquis (with half of his salary), outfielder Felix Pie, and first baseman Derrek Lee to Seattle for Ichiro straight up. 

Why would the Cubs do this?

Even after acquiring Gathright, the Cubs still do not have a right fielder. And, if you look at Gathright's career statistics, the Cubs do not have a real leadoff man, either. Gathright would be able to serve strictly as a pinch runner/hitter for his $800,000 salary while Ichiro would being his historic on-base percentage to the top of the order.

Ichiro would be a presence on the Cubs roster that would be undeniable; his defensive prowess would help allow whomever was playing centerfield to spend more energy and attention on the needs in left field. He might, also, take the pressure off Fukudome and allow him to return to the form that made him so wildly popular in April and May of 2008.

While trading Lee, Marquis and Pie would appear to be a lot, consider what other options this deal would provide the Cubs.

First off, Marquis can't leave town fast enough. The fact that the Cubs are willing to pay most, if not all, of his salary while he pitches somewhere else tells a lot. While he is a quality fifth starter, most people believe Sean Marshall is ready for a crack at the rotation. Marshall would give the Cubs a cheaper arm who would serve as a second left handed starting pitcher in the rotation.

Pie is out of minor league options, and the Cubs showed their level of commitment to the speedy young outfielder when they acquired Gathright. Pie might be a case of selling too low in this scenario, but it has become clear that both Hendry and manager Lou Piniella have run out of patience for the young man. In a crowded outfield even before potentially bringing on Ichiro, he's the odd man out.

Lee would be the hardest part of the deal for the Cubs. However, his power numbers and batting average have declined in each season since he broke into Chicago with a bang. By moving Lee, the Cubs might find an in-house remedy to their desire to have a left handed bat in the middle of the order; Micah Hoffpaiur has displayed the ability to hit with power and drive in runs from the left side of the plate at every level of the organization.

Why would Seattle do this deal?

It's almost a no-brainer for Seattle. Marquis would be able to step into a rotation that lacks an individual who can eat 180 innings. Marquis does that annually. Most importantly for Seattle is Marquis being in the final year of a contract of which, in this proposal, the Cubs would pay half (approximately $5 million).

Pie, though being out of minor league options, gives a team that is not in the same compete-now situation as the Cubs someone around whom the Mariners could develop. Pie is a good, athletic defender and could become a wonderful tandem with Gutierrez in the spacious Seattle outfield.

And in Lee, the Mariners are acquiring someone around whom they can develop an endless marketing strategy to replace Ichiro as the face of the franchise.

Lee is one of the better human beings in the game today, which, according to some reports at the end of the season, might be the opposite of Ichiro. Lee's swing has also become much  more gap-oriented, which in the outfield at Safeco might get him a gaudy doubles total. He also would allow them to leave Lopez at second base, where he's both naturally positioned and happier.

By paying half of Marquis' $9.875 million contract, this deal would be almost dead even as far as money would be concerned. The Mariners, in an obvious state of rebuilding, would again move a valuable veteran player for building blocks for both 2009 and beyond, while the Cubs would acquire a top-tier defender and leadoff man to reshuffle their batting order in an attempt to win it all.

This, my friends, is a deal that makes sense for both teams.