Bleacher Report - Chicago Cubs

Let's Make a Deal: Chicago Cubs-Philadelphia Phillies

TAB BAMFORD — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:01:15 -0500

It's closing in on Thanksgiving and baseball circles are starting to heat up with discussion about players moving from one city to another.

The wonderful part of being a fan at this time of year is the speculation that comes with rumors, whispers, and just throwing junk at the wall to see what sticks.

In the spirit of discussion, I present to you an idea for discussion: the Cubs should explore trading third baseman Aramis Ramirez to the Phillies.

First, let's walk through the foundation of why this deal would even be a consideration for either side.

From the Phillies perspective, this could be a bold gamble to get them back to a third consecutive World Series. Adding Ramirez to a predominantly left-handed lineup would give the Phillies a batting order that rivals the best of all-time. With Jimmy Rollins leading, Chase Utley, Ryan Howard, and Raul Ibanez are the heart of the order. Putting a consistent 100-RBI guy like Ramirez in the middle of that from the right side of the plate would be incredible.

The Phillies are actively entering the market for a new third baseman after not renewing ties with Pedro Feliz. However, the free agent market at third is soft and could force a team like the Phillies to over pay. Adrian Beltre leads a class that includes Mark DeRosa, Feliz, and not much else.

The Phillies showed a willingness to trade aggressively by bringing in the right players in the blockbuster deal to acquire Cliff Lee this past summer. A trade for a marquee player like Ramirez isn't out of their imagination.

Other trade options for Philadelphia could include Colorado's Garrett Atkins, but Ramirez is a former Silver Slugger who undoubtedly brings an elite bat to the plate.

From the Cubs perspective, it would be naive to not begin looking into the future. This coming season is the last year that Derrek Lee and Ted Lilly are under contract, and the new ownership group has not committed to GM Jim Hendry. It's also the final year of manager Lou Piniella's contract.

Another reality the Cubs need to deal with is that Ramirez has a player option after the 2010 season. If he feels that his services are worth more than $16 million on the open market, he could opt out and become a free agent in another weak class. If Lee, Lilly, and Piniella are on their way out, Ramirez might see the changing clubhouse dynamic as enough of a catalyst to try the market and leave Chicago.

There's a very real possibility that Ramirez could be gone after the coming season.

The Cubs are also trying to keep up with the Cardinals, who continue to push the envelope in the division. With a soft farm system and some awful contracts weighing down the major league club, the Cubs would have to be open to adding some younger, less expensive talent to the mix.

With those factors in mind, let's make a deal!

The Phillies are such a deep organization. There are a number of routes the Cubs could pursue if they wanted to explore a trade with Philadelphia. One would be to explore a deal that centers around a major league player or two, while the other would be an effort for the Cubs to stockpile prospects.

If the Cubs were to make an offer centering around major league players, there are two players I think the Cubs could, and should target. One is left-hander Cole Hamels, the other is outfielder Jayson Werth.

Hamels had a rough season after being named the World Series MVP in 2008, and lost some favor with the fickle fans of Philadelphia when he made a comment about wanting the World Series to be over. He's still young, and has great experience on his resume.

Werth will need a new deal after 2010, but would bring a legitimate 30 homer, 30 steal guy to the Chicago order.

Remember when Hendry sold Chicago on Soriano being "that guy" in the Cubs' order? Yeah... about that...

Werth could come in and replace Milton Bradley in right field for significantly less money and, with a long-term extension, could be a corner outfielder for the Cubs for the better part of the next decade.

The other route the Cubs could pursue in a trade of Ramirez would be a bounty of prospects. Obviously, the top tier of the Phillies farm system has been fairly well documented since the rumors began swirling around a potential Roy Halladay deal in July.

Back then, the Phillies weren't apparently willing to move Kyle Drabek as part of a package for the former Cy Young winner. If the Cubs didn't ask for Hamels, Drabek would likely be part of the equation.

Other possibilities would include pitching prospect Jason Knapp or outfielder Domonic Brown.

It would be a bold step for the Cubs to consider moving Ramirez, but bringing in a package of top prospects, or younger major leaguers with small contracts, could be another step in changing the organization's culture from huge contracts to the right mix of players.

Disclaimer: I'm not saying I would dump Ramirez for nothing, or that I'm even a fan of the idea of moving the best offensive player on the team. However, there is historical precedent for trades between Philadelphia and Chicago changing the history of the two franchises.

The young third baseman the Cubs picked up named Ryne Sandberg turned out pretty well.

I look forward to the discussion this idea brings.

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Milton Bradley: What's His Trade Worth?

Adam Bernacchio — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:41:32 -0500

On Jan. 6, 2009, Chicago Cubs GM Jim Hendry signed outfielder Milton Bradley to a three-year, $30 million contract.

At that point everyone screamed “Nooooooooooooo!!!” This was a disaster waiting to happen, and it did happen.

Not only did Bradley grossly underperform in a Cubs’ uniform, but on Sept. 20, Bradley was suspended for the rest of the season because of conduct detrimental to the team.

“Recently, it’s become intolerable to hear Milton talk about our great fans the way he has,” Hendry said. “We pride ourselves on having the greatest fans in baseball, so at this time we felt it was best to send him home for the rest of the season.”

Now, almost one year later, Hendry is looking to ship Bradley out of town. Who would possibly take on Bradley and his contract?

Let’s take a look at the pros and the cons of Bradley and what teams would be interested in trading for the beleaguered outfielder.

Pros

If there is one thing that has been consistent with Bradley’s play on the field throughout his career, it’s that the man knows how to work the count.

Bradley had a .378 on base percentage in 2009, which ranked him fifth amongst all major league right fielders. For his career, Bradley has a .377 OBP including leading the American League in OBP with a .436 mark with the Texas Rangers in 2008.

And while Bradley’s overall numbers were down in 2009, there was a period in the season where Bradley was doing what he was brought in to do—hit the baseball. From May 1 through Aug. 31, Bradley hit .281 with a .402 OBP.

He had his best month in August when he hit .308 with a .911 OPS.

Bradley is also only 31 years old, doesn’t it seem like Bradley should be older than that? I feel like he has been around forever.

But at 31, Bradley should still have a lot left in the tank.

Cons

Where do I begin? Outside of his one year in Texas, Bradley has been a problem everywhere he has been.

You name the place and you can name an incident where Bradley has costs himself a long-term contract. There is a reason why this guy hasn’t been on a team for longer than two years.

Not only does Bradley have a tough time staying on one team, but he has a hard time staying on the field once he is on that team. The most games he has played in one season is 141 with the Los Angeles Dodgers back in 2004.

He is an injury waiting to happen and of course, there is the issue of his contract. Bradley has two years and $21 million remaining on his contract. Is a team really going to take on that salary and have the risk of Bradley losing his mind 50 games into the season?

Now that we looked at the pros and cons of Bradley, let’s take a look at what teams would be interested in trading for the former Expo, Indian, Dodger, A, Padre, and Ranger.

Texas Rangers: The one place where Bradley really thrived was Texas. There has been a lot of talk recently of a reunion between Bradley and the Rangers.

Texas is a perfect place for Bradley. There is no pressure, the fans really don’t care, and Bradley can just come to the ball park and attempt to play baseball.

Bradley could serve as the Rangers’ DH, while Nelson Cruz plays left, Julio Borbon plays center, and Josh Hamilton plays right.

Tampa Bay Rays: There was talk earlier in this offseason of a Bradley for Pat Burrell swap. Outside of trading down year for down year, I really didn’t understand the trade for either team.

Burrell is less of a headache than Bradley and is more than capable of having a bounce-back-year in 2010.

And while Tampa is another good spot for Bradley to go (see Rangers above), Bradley would also present an upgrade in right field over Gabe Gross, but I just don’t see it happening.

Outside of those two destinations, I am not sure what team would have an interest in Bradley. Hendry has really dug himself a hole with Bradley.

However, I am going to say there is a 75 percent chance of the Cubs trading him just because they have to. I don’t think there is any way they can bring him back in 2010.

You can follow The Ghost of Moonlight Graham on Twitter @ theghostofmlg

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Chicago Cubs: Is Carlos Marmol Recruiting Pedro Martinez?

TAB BAMFORD — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 01:36:08 -0500

Not sure if anyone read the latest foot-in-mouth interview from Chicago's North Side, but this time it isn't one of the usual suspects.

No, it wasn't Milton Bradley talking about how racist the fans were. And it wasn't Geovany Soto talking about the proper way to pack a bong during the World Baseball Classic.

This time, it was closer-to-be Carlos Marmol. And he was jumping all over the hot stove.

Marmol first stated the obvious, telling the AP that the Cubs plan to use him as their closer in 2010. While logic hasn't always been the Cubs' operating philosophy, it appears it will finally win out at the back end of the bullpen.

But then Marmol decided to wander onto the topic of free agents. He told the AP that the Cubs plan to pursue fellow Dominican Pedro Martinez to fill out the back end of their rotation.

My reaction sounds like it was pretty consistent with Jim Hendry's to the news: WHAT?

A Cubs' official told Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune that the team wasn't interested in Martinez, who threw only 44.2 innings in a 2009 season cut short by injury.

In his nine starts with the Phillies, Pedro allowed seven home runs and struck out only 37; no longer did Martinez carry the Pedro Prestige that he did in Boston. His 5-1 record, and hair "style," were the only intriguing parts of Martinez's return.

So while Marmol might think adding Martinez is a great idea, as a fan I hope Hendry looks at this the same way I did: at least he didn't talk about how white Sammy Sosa has become.

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Ray of Hope?: Cubs' Milton Bradley Could Be Tampa-Bound

Matt Trueblood — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 23:45:39 -0500

The Chicago Cubs took the first concrete steps toward crystallizing their team in 2010 today, trading right-handed pitcher Aaron Heilman and re-signing would-be free agent John Grabow.

Those steps were preliminary, though, and general manager Jim Hendry knows that in order to make more drastic and necessary changes, he must first resolve the single most dauntingly enigmatic question that faces Chicago during this offseason: To whom will Hendry send outfielder Milton Bradley?

USA Today reports that the most likely answer is the same one it might have been this time last year, when Bradley was a free agent being courted by a half-dozen teams: Tampa Bay.

Tampa, led by supremely confident manager Joe Maddon, fits for multiple reasons. Firstly, they offer a relatively low-pressure environment, in which Bradley can rest assured he won't be turned upon at the first sign of failure.

Second, Bradley fits the team's philosophy, which focuses on batters getting on base and staying patient. Even during his ostensibly awful 2009, he managed 66 walks and a .378 on-base percentage in 473 plate appearances.

Thirdly, Tampa has a bad contract to exchange with Chicago. Pat Burrell, the erstwhile Phillies slugger who in 2009 fell short of 20 home runs (he had 14) for the first time since his rookie season in 2000, has played left field almost exclusively during his 10-year career.

However, Burrell (who is owed $9 million for 2010, the same figure as Bradley, though his contract expires thereafter while Bradley's goes for another season at $12 million) has the kind of hitting profile Hendry has said he wants as protection for Derrek Lee and Aramis Ramirez. Burrell and Bradley would be about a dead-even exchange, with the Cubs likely paying the Rays most of Bradley's 2011 salary.

Other options exist: Tampa may not have the money to vie for free-agent closers but need a relief ace to shore up a bullpen that went from among the best in the league in 2008 to among the worst in 2009. Chicago could try to package Bradley with incumbent closer Carlos Marmol in order to acquire Carl Crawford (owed $10.5 million in 2010) as a leadoff hitter and center fielder.

In all likelihood, though, a trade to the Rays would have to involve Burrell. That can be good or bad for Chicago; it would, or will, depend upon what else Hendry does. Slotting Burrell into right field and keeping Kosuke Fukudome in center is not an option; it's defensively untenable. Someone would have to slide somewhere else on the diamond.

Burrell is the best candidate. He played 58 games at first base in his rookie year, though he has so far not returned. Chicago could look to trade first baseman Lee, who is owed $13 million for next season and whom they would then have to convince to waive his no-trade clause.

Lee, however, has sky-high market value this winter, especially to a team like the New York Mets, who need a first baseman but won't find a satisfactory one in the free agent pool.

If that second move went off, the Cubs could afford to shop the free agent and trade markets for a center fielder who could hit anywhere from first to fifth in the lineup, opening up Detroit's Curtis Granderson and free agents Mike Cameron and Chone Figgins as options.

Most importantly, though, if the Cubs can get rid of Bradley with as little of Bradley's 2010 salary on their books, Hendry will have succeeded in getting the offseason going in the right direction for the North Siders.

If it hasn't happened by then, keep an eye on this story around the Winter Meetings in Indianapolis Dec. 7-10.

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Chicago Cubs Trade Aaron Heilman To Diamondbacks

Adam Bernacchio — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 20:43:27 -0500

Late this afternoon, the Chicago Cubs traded RHP Aaron Heilman to the Arizona Diamondbacks for prospects Scott Maine (no relation to John of the New York Mets) and Ryne White.

Can Cubs GM Jim Hendry get a do-over from the 2008-2009 offseason?

Let’s see, he acquired Kevin Gregg to be the closer and that didn’t work out.

He acquired Milton Bradley to play right and be a force in the middle of the Cubs’ lineup and that didn’t work out.

He acquired Heilman to be a solid set-up man to Gregg and now that hasn’t worked out either.

I have no idea what criteria Hendry uses to evaluate players, but mental makeup is not one of them. Heilman couldn’t handle the pressure in New York with the Mets, so what made Hendry think he could handle it in Chicago where the pressure might be worse?

Any scout worth his salt could have told Hendry that Heilman wouldn’t work out in Chicago.

Going to the Diamondbacks is probably a good thing for Heilman. The pressure is not nearly as great in Arizona and the fans won’t want to rip his head off on every pitch.

Since Heilman was a non-tender candidate in December, the Cubs received just a couple of low-level prospects from the Diamondbacks.

Maine is a 24-year-old left-handed reliever, who had a 2.90 ERA with 61 K’s in 62 innings between Double-A and Triple-A in 2009. White is a 23-year-old, left-handed hitting first baseman, who hit .266 with six home runs and a .371 OBP in 116 games in Single-A in 2009.

You can follow The Ghost of Moonlight Graham on Twitter @ theghostofmlg

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Talent for Nothing: Chicago Cubs Get Legitimate Prospect In Heilman Deal

Matt Trueblood — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 18:50:52 -0500

Give Jim Hendry credit. He doesn't get them all right, but he doesn't get them all wrong, either.

On the same day that reports out of both major Chicago newspapers said Hendry will ink middling middle-reliever John Grabow to a two-year extension, he redeemed himself from that gaffe (as I saw it ), by trading reliever Aaron Heilman to the Arizona Diamondbacks.

For more on the deal itself, check out the first B/R article to break this news , or the mlb.com story by Carrie Muskat. Instead of duplicating those efforts, I want to take a moment and assess the talent Hendry procured in return.

The better of the two young Minor Leaguers the Cubs acquired is named Scott Maine. A left-handed pitcher, Maine went to the Diamondbacks in the sixth round of the 2007 draft.

He throws from a low three-quarter arm slot, but still can crank his heater up to the mid-90s on the radar gun, making him a prime candidate for future work as a specialist out of the bullpen. Such a motion could help him neutralize tough left-handed hitters late in the game.

Exclusively a reliever over the past two seasons, Maine has 114 strikeouts against just 43 walks in 80 appearances and 110 innings. He also uses that low arm angle to force batters to beat the ball into the ground: his groundball/flyball ratios at three stops over the last two years are as follows: 1.63, 1.12, 1.42.

Maine is 25 years old, has three seasons of pro ball under his belt since graduating college, and sparkled at Triple-A Reno (not an easy place to pitch, even for a sinker-baller) last season in the Arizona system. Maine not only has a future here, but may be a very real contributor out of the bullpen for the 2010 Cubs. His arrival could also signal another potential trade around the corner, making either Sean Marshall or Tom Gorzelanny (both of whom have been talked about as potential trade bait) expendable.

Ryne White, a 23-year-old first baseman (and native Chicagoan; an unconfirmed rumor says he was named after Ryne Sandberg), went in the fourth round to Arizona in 2008. Already 23, White nonetheless has room to improve. But he knows how to take a walk, a key consideration for a man who lacks much ability to hit average or speed with his hulking frame.

He projects to have power, but will have to actually show some before he becomes a legitimate Major League prospect. Although his only defensive position is first base, he could find his way to the show sooner or later, given his left-handed power. Again, maintaining his thus-far keen eye will be key to future success. Guys like White bloom late; he could well contribute down the road.

To get anything for Heilman, I believed, would be a significant win for Hendry. This represents a coup. Hopefully, this move will give the Cubs momentum as they look toward the Winter Meetings in Indianapolis Dec. 7-10.

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Hope for Cubs Fans: Aaron Heilman Dealt to Arizona

TAB BAMFORD — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 16:52:51 -0500

In a move that restores all hope to Chicago Cubs fans, GM Jim Hendry found someone dumber than himself and made a trade.

The Cubs dealt Aaron "The Gas Can" Heilman to the Arizona Diamondbacks on Thursday for minor leaguers Ryne White and Scott...who cares. Heilman's gone, people! Party!

In a related story, the bag of balls that had been rumored to be dealt to Chicago for Heilman is relieved to be staying in Arizona for the winter.

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Cubs Re-Sign John Grabow: Bullpen Issues Will Go Unresolved

Matt Trueblood — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 12:57:56 -0500

John Grabow can laugh his way to the bank.

According to the Chicago Sun-Times , Grabow and the Cubs have agreed on a two-year contract extension worth at least $7 million dollars, and Grabow is considered an option to take over the closer's role if Carlos Marmol's control issues cannot resolve themselves.

As I made clear weeks ago , I will not abide this decision. It apportions no less than $3.5 million dollars for next season to a well below-average reliever, on a club that has little remaining budgetary space within which to operate.

Not only does it fill the bullpen with one more ineffective left-hander (if we need those so badly, Sean Marshall deserved the extension in lieu of Grabow), but if Wittenmeyer's report of the organization's intentions reflects reality, this signals the end of any search for a more reliable power arm at the back end of Chicago's bullpen, a badly-needed missing element of the 2009 team.

Grabow walks more batters than is ever acceptable for a situational reliever, and situational reliever he is: in 2009, right-handed batters fared 20 percent better against him than did lefties. He also allows hits at a rate that simply does not match his new level of compensation as a top-tier back-end bullpen guy.

Worst of all, though, the market for closers this winter is teeming with intriguing options that the Cubs will now have no chance to even explore. Jose Valverde (twice the NL leader in saves), Rafael Soriano (career strikeout-to-walk rate north of 3.5), Fernando Rodney (Detroit's ground-ball maven) and southpaw Billy Wagner all are available, yet Hendry did not even wait for the end of the exclusivity period prior to true free agency to re-sign Grabow at a lucrative rate.

For the same price, the Cubs could have inquired about John Smoltz as a middle reliever; Scott Downs, as a left-handed specialist; or Kiko Calero, coming off a solid walk year with the Marlins.

In the trade market, Cincinnati is desperately trying to move Francisco Cordero, a three-time All-Star. Cleveland wants to find a taker for former Cub and fan favorite Kerry Wood; and Oakland's over-abundance of bullpen aces will have Billy Beane fielding offers from across the league.

Instead, Hendry solidified Marmol's hold on the job, and at the same time weakened the support Marmol can expect from his set-up corps, by bringing back one of the three horsemen of the Cubs' 2009 bullpen apocalypse. One can only hope now that the other two (Kevin Gregg and Aaron Heilman) won't also suddenly return to the teams' radar, and that Hendry can at least acquire another starting pitcher who can take pressure off of what will now certainly be another mediocre crew of firemen in 2010.

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The Final Chapter: 2008 and 2009 Chicago Cubs

Antwan Fields — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 03:52:18 -0500

Sometimes I wonder if my years of rooting for the Cubs have actually harmed me. Rooting for the Cubs forces you to look at each windfall with a critical eye and not committing to the Indian, as a certain Blackhawks official once said. No team ever starts at the top, and all teams build to win consistently.

In an alternate universe, Boy George has won five or six Grammys, Michael Jordan is a hall of fame baseball player, Jason Voorhies rescues teenagers, and the Cubs have won multiple rings, while the Yankees just had their first playoff series in fourteen years.

Sadly, we're in THIS universe, and in this universe the Chicago Cubs have watched their bats turn into wet noodles against the Arizona Diamonbacks. For those who care,the Red Sox won their second World Series in 2007, their second in four years, leading the Cubs into 2008 with questions that could not be answered with a sweep of the magic wand.

First, Mark Prior's career in Chicago, which had started with such great promise, finally came to an infuriating end when he signed with the Padres.

Here's an honest question: If Mark Prior has a Dusty Baker voodoo doll, would anyone be surprised? Sometimes I look at Dusty Baker and ask how the G.M of the Reds, who for some reason I keep thinking is Wayne Krivsky though I'm sure I remember him being fired, can trust Dusty with Homer Bailey, but then again the Reds need no help from Dr. Salvador (Chris Gruler, anyone?)

Jacque Jones was shown the door in a move that later came back to haunt the Cubs in the worst possible way, but NOT in 2008. Since I need to give voice to my intense rage about the 2009 season, let's sum it up in bullet points:

Rich Harden

Ryan Dempster

Soriano, for 17 million, put .280-29-76.

97 wins, most in National League

Right-handed dominated lineup

3-0 sweep by the Dodgers

Your 2008 World Series Champions: Philadelpihia Phillies.

Cubs folded up like an old, bad card table.

------------------------------------2009------------------------

Dan Bernstein, who is half of one of the greatest duos in sports radio history, opened the 2009 free agency period by saying, after hearing that Milton Bradley was being shown interest by Cubbie Blue, that as a sports fan he didn't want Bradley here. But as a talk radio host, he wanted Bradley on the Cubs.

This is because Jim Hendry and a small circle of moronic Cub fans believed that the reason the Cubs did their Iron Mike Sharpe impression against the Dodgers was because they didn't have a lefty in the middle of the order, forgetting that the Dodgers had, and have had for years, a great rotation regardless of the lineup being put on the field against them. Bradley was and is a well-known train wreck.

He's been run off every team he's ever been a member of, he embarrassed himself by injuring himself while arguing with an umpire, he's an extremely selfish player, just an all-around bad guy. And while we're at it, here comes the rant. I've been waiting to lay this one down for about 14 months, and here's the best opportunity to do so.

So Jim Hendry decides, after Bradley has an admitted good year in Texas, to go after this pile of kitty litter because he's a switch-hitter. At about the same time Adam Dunn and Bobby Abreu become free agents.

Adam Dunn loves Wrigley Field. And despite whatever some brain-dead hack sportswriter might think, Dunn is the ultimate protection for DeLee and Aramis Ramirez. See, Dunn draws walks. When he does make contact, he launches the ball.

Adam Dunn in Cubbie Blue would have been...oh, the box scores!! The guy strikes out 120 times a year? He also walks 100 times a year, hits 30-40 homers a season, and he's still a pretty damn good player. That was the number one guy on my wish list.

But no, we can't have him despite years of success. No, the goddamned NATIONALS sign him. THE NATIONALS. Words cannot express my dismay at this.

Wait, there's Bobby Abreu. Yankees don't want him anymore. He'd be a great fit at Wrigley, he could hit third in front of DeLee and Aramis he has a good OBP. He plays some semblance of defense and he'll come cheap...wait, what's that? They signed Bradley? 3 yrs, $33 million dollars?

What kind of idiot are you, Jim Hendry? Your job is not to waste money, it's to win! Milton Bradley is not a winner, he's a tool and an obstruction to winning. And to pay this idiot $33 million dollars when you could have had Dunn for half that that and Abreu for 1/5.

The minute I heard they signed Bradley, I shook my head. Not that I believed Bradley would completely destroy the clubhouse and be a complete scumbag to such a point that the team would win 83 games after everyone-and I mean EVERYONE OUTSIDE OF ST.LOUIS-predicted they would win the division.

But I knew Bradley wouldn't be a good teammate.

Think about this: Cleveland, when they were starved for offense and were forced to play Matt Lawton in right field-they didn't want him.

San Diego would rather stick a combination of Verne Troyer and a cocaine-addled Gary Dourdan out there than keep this jerk in town.

The Dodgers would call Adam Carolla, who just happens to be awesome except at big-league baseball, before they called Bradley's agent.

So what made Jim Hendry think Mlton Bradley had changed his tune?

Yes, the Cubs stunk. Yes, they lost Ramirez and others to injuries that stunted them, while the Cardinals went Hulk Hogan on them, even finishing with a particularly painful Atomic Leg Drop (acquisition of John Smoltz) while the Cubs sat on ther hands and Kevin Gregg sucked worse than the second Blair Witch movie (not that the first one was any great shakes). But the final straw before the final straw was Bradley.

Cubs fans would tell me his OBP was good, thus he was good. No. That is not how it works. You know what's a good stat: OPS. A good player has an OPS above .800 over a full season. In 124 games, Bradley's was .775. This does not work. 66/95 K/BB ratio is even worse. Milton Bradley was not up there swinging the bat, he was screwing this team when it needed him to hit. The guy wasn't trying. I know when a player puts in real effort, and he didn't give a crap.

Then in the final weeks of the season, he had the nerve to accuse the bleacher fans of racism, yet could not provide a single instance. Jim Hendry suspended him in September. It was too late.

Milton Bradley is a scumbag. You know why we haven't won anything in 100 years? Because we don't go after Adam Dunn's and Bobby Abreu's, we go after clods like him. And he had the biggest possible hand in the destruction of the 2009 Chicago Cubs.

I blame Hendry, I blame Piniella, but most of all I blame myself for getting my hopes up.

Update: I heard from Boers and Bernstein that when Hendry announced Bradley was suspended members of the Cubs cheered. Am I surprised? What do you think?

I'll tell you right now. If Milton Bradley comes back, this team, the 2010 Chicago Cubs, will extend that 101 year old drought to 102. But this article is over because I can't think of ways to express my anger that wouldn't scare little children, and I have other things to write about, such as a certain football team that wears a golden helmet.

This one will not be all that hard to write about, because I'm not a huge ND fan, but in the next one, I'll tell you why none of it surprises me.

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Selling High: Cubs Should Show Tyler Colvin the Door

Matt Trueblood — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 20:39:49 -0500

Tyler Colvin, the Cubs' first-round draft pick in 2006, finally reached the Major Leagues as an emergency mid-September call-up this September. When center fielder Sam Fuld injured his wrist on a spectacular catch (okay, instant replay advocates, a spectacular trap), Reed Johnson was not yet ready to come off the disabled list, so the Cubs called upon Colvin, 24, to fill the space down the stretch of a highly disappointing season.

Though he amassed only 20 plate appearances and collected just three hits in six games, Colvin's defense (two stellar catches in the ninth inning during a 7-2 Cubs win in his second big-league game) and apparent nose for opportunities (he drove in a run with a sacrifice fly in his first career PA) impressed Cubs brass and fans alike.

I submit, however, that we may all have had stars in our eyes all along with Colvin. As the thirteenth overall pick in 2006, it is only natural for fans to believe that sooner or later, given health, this guy would start to produce. He might yet do so.

But in four Minor League seasons, Colvin has never managed even a .340 on-base percentage. He's shown glimpses of middling power, but has never shown even a slight ability to maintain or develop patience at the plate and simultaneously pile up extra-base hits. Even when Colvin was first drafted, scouts projected him as a Mark Grace-type hitter: doubles power, high average, smooth left-handed stroke without a ton of pop.

For Grace, that profile worked wonderfully. Crucially, however, Grace had the ability to take a walk on a regular basis, something Colvin simply does not. Further, Grace played stellar defense, which (despite the impacts of our availability heuristics) Colvin has not, at any level or in any of the three outfield spots.

Colvin, who has yet to record his first game at the AAA level and figures to start the season there, isn't ever going to be the answer to the Cubs' outfield problems. At this point, smarter money would be placed on Brett Jackson or Kyler Burke. Given those facts, the Cubs should look to move Colvin in a winter that finds Jim Hendry with many holes to fill, and little money with which to do so.

It isn't that Colvin can not contribute. But he would only do so for the 2010 Cubs as a slap-hitting, left-handed fourth outfielder with the ability to man center. For the same price (the Major League minimum, or thereabouts), Sam Fuld provides those things, but with superior defense and more patience and speed. Fuld would not garner as much in return as part of trade package, either, which makes moving Colvin the wiser option.

Dealing Colvin would also take pressure off Hendry and Lou Piniella to slot Colvin in as an everyday player, or at least a Major Leaguer. In return for Colvin alone, the Cubs might not get much, but he would make a very attractive addition to a package for, say, Roy Halladay or Curtis Granderson .

Including him would even help the Cubs level the playing field upon which they currently compete with the Yankees (among others) for Detroit's prized center fielder; New York has a Major League-ready replacement to offer, in Austin Jackson. If the Cubs can sell Detroit on Colvin, they could match that offer.

In any case, it is time for the management to come to grips with Colvin's reality, which is not that of a Grace-caliber star. If the difference between an Opening Day center fielder named Byrd and one named Granderson is only the security blanket of Colvin, the Cubs must cut the cord and send their 2006 first-round pick packing.

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Could the Chicago Cubs Pursue Roy Halladay?

TAB BAMFORD — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 20:17:22 -0500

I was wandering around various baseball sites today, and came across a thought that honestly made me laugh when I first read it.

"[The Cubs] have the finances... have a chance to win, which is what [Roy] Halladay will certainly require, and while the Cubs' farm system isn't atop the league right now, there are a few intriguing talents that could fill out a package for Halladay."

That's on ESPN.com's Rumor Mill. I've read a couple other places that the Cubs might be a "darkhorse" candidate to make a splash for the Blue Jays' ace.

Wow. And I thought the only rumors "coming out of left field" this winter for the Cubs would be Alfonso Soriano taking pitches next year!

But after some reflection, there might be a possibility that the Cubs could, and might be more willing to, put together a package of players that's both larger and better than a team like the Phillies, that doesn't necessarily need Halladay to win.

In the final year of Derrek Lee and Ted Lilly's contracts, and with questions swirling around GM Jim Hendry's future with the club past 2010, the Cubs' sense of urgency should be like needing a bathroom on a stalled elevator.

But what could the Cubs offer Toronto that would make them consider moving the former Cy Young Award winner?

Josh Vitters , 3B

Vitters is one of the top two or three prospects in the Cubs' organization, and has been the headline generating trade piece for the Cubs over the past 15 months. Right now, the Blue Jays have former Cincinnati third baseman Edwin Encarnacion, whom they acquired for Scott Rolen in a mid-season trade, working the hot corner.

Vitters would present an opportunity for the Jays to see what they have in Encarnacion for another year or two before the think about bringing up the big-swinging Vitters.

However, the one question mark here would be whether or not Vitters' defensive issues raise red flags (bad Canada pun?) about his transition onto the carpet in Toronto. If he projects more as a corner outfielder, that might hurt his value.

Starlin Castro/Ryan Theriot , SS

Castro might be the biggest intrigue of the Cubs' winter. He's a 19-year old shortstop who's been arguably the best player in Arizona this fall, and projects as a significantly better major league shortstop than the current resident on the left side of the Cubs' infield, Theriot.

I personally doubt the Jays would want Theriot, having already lived through a failed David Eckstein experiment in the last few years. He is a good gap hitter, though, and his minimal salary and ability to contribute at the major league level now might make him a candidate for the deal.

The Jays could use a middle infielder to play next to Aaron Hill, and one of these two could be a part of a package.

Geovany Soto , C

This might be a long shot, but Soto showed enough potential in his 2008 Rookie of the Year season that Toronto might be intrigued. They are currently working with Raul Chavez behind the plate, so Soto might become a more offensive option if he can bounce back from his high winter, and low season of 2009.

Esmailin Caridad/Jay Jackson/Andrew Cashner/Jeff Samardzija , RHP

Caridad was effective in a brief run with the Cubs at the end of 2009, and might factor into their bullpen moving forward. He's still raw and has great stuff, but much like Carlos Marmol, he doesn't always appear to know where the ball is going when it leaves his hand.

Samardzija wants to be a starter, but hasn't shown a big (or good) enough repertoire at the major league level to be effective yet. He might get the chance to start in Toronto, though, which might make him think twice about his no-trade clause.

Jackson and Cashner haven't seen Wrigley Field yet, but both have had solid minor league careers. Either could swing between the bullpen or rotation, and would at least give the Jays enough organizational depth to potentially make other moves in the future.

Jake Fox , 3B/OF/DH

Fox is a fascinating player for a potential deal with Toronto because of his skill set: He can hit. The Cubs haven't found a position in the field where they feel confident in Fox, but his ability to play a corner outfield spot, or third base, or even perhaps first base, and DH when needed, might make him valuable.

In 2009, Fox hit 11 home runs in only 209 at bats. If he got a chance to bat every day, whether he played in the field or not, might show that he's a legit 30-homer guy. Or, he might just be the second coming of Matt Stairs. Either way, at $400,000, he's cheap and can hit at the major league level. The Jays could be interested in Fox.

Carlos Marmol , CL

Here's the great wild card in any Cubs rumor mill this winter. Marmol would be a substantial upgrade over Jason Frasor in Toronto, so there would have to be interest in a young arm that's still in arbitration years.

Where this becomes intriguing on the Cubs end is factoring in the deep field of available closers this winter. It would require the Cubs to spend more money, but they could certainly bring in a veteran closer with historically better control than Marmol.

However, if the Cubs put together a package, the addition of a pitcher the caliber of Halladay would be incredible. Putting a bonafide innings eater in front of Carlos Zambrano and Lilly, who played with Halladay in Toronto, would give the Cubs arguably the strongest rotation in the National League.

It would also greatly reduce the Cubs dependency on their bullpen. Halladay averaged 7.2 innings per start last year, with nine complete games; by comparison, the Cubs had one complete game as a team last year.

Whether or not the Cubs would want to part ways with the substantial package of prospects and potentially major league players it would take to get Halladay, with only one year left on his contract, is another huge question.

Last year, the Cubs made a now-infamously public attempt to get Jake Peavy away from San Diego and failed. Whether or not the Cubs are as open about any major player movements in the future is questionable after Hendry had egg on his face after not getting Peavy.

Oh, did I mention Peavy's now pitching in Chicago after all... for the White Sox?

But if Hendry's truly going for broke in 2010, mortgaging a few prospects that might, or might not, do anything in the majors for a legit front-of-the-rotation starter might be the bold move it takes to get the Cubs back into October.

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Chicago Cubs Centerfield in 2010: Curtis Granderson or Kosuke Fukudome?

Jake Karmel — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 13:22:57 -0500

I've been doing my fair share of reading on this site among others about the Cubs' interest in Granderson and what people think of the possible acquisition. Very interesting.

Right now on the Cubs' depth chart, young gun Tyler Colvin is the starting center fielder. As of now, I don't see the Cubs taking a risk on the young guy by throwing him into the mix right away. At least I wouldn't.

For those of you who think Colvin is more than ready, do the names Felix Pie and Corey Patterson ring a bell? They were in the same exact position as Colvin. We all know how the two of them turned out. Let's not let Colvin turn out the same way. Give the kid some time. He's 24.

Let's look to the stats and contracts between Fukudome and Granderson.

Fukudome in 2009 was mediocre at best. That is being generous. He hit .259 with 11 home runs and 54 RBI in 146 games. Pretty amazing. Not.

Yes, his defense is very good in the outfield but that is not why he makes the big bucks.

Fukudome's contract is pretty ridiculous for the lack of production he provides. In 2009, Fukudome made $11.5 million. In 2010 Fukudome will make $13 million. In 2011 he will bring in $13.5 million and then become a free agent in 2012. For platoon numbers, Fukudome is not worth the big money he is making.

Let's take a look at Granderson.

In 2009, Granderson played 160 games. He did bat .249 but he had 30 home runs, 71 RBI, and 20 stolen bases. Besides his batting average, pretty good numbers.

In 2009 Granderson made $3.5 million. Granderson doesn't make above $10 million until 2012. The highest he makes is in 2013 if the club picks up his option. If not, free agent market.

Who could the Cubs give away?

If you look to the lack of talent in the Cubs farm system, they have a few names they could shell out. I could see the Cubs and the Tigers agreeing on a trade that includes Josh Vitters and a couple of pitchers. The Tigers SHOULD have a very keen interest in Vitters. Brandon Inge is always injured and when down, Vitters could fill that void.

Pitchers that could be included could be Samardzija, Cashner, and maybe someone like Caridad who showed promise or Gorzelanny who is still fairly young and talented.

If I were the Cubs and the Tigers, I would do a deal that looks something like this.

Josh Vitters, Tom Gorzelanny, and maybe Cashner or Samardzija for Granderson and a prospect from their system. Seems like a fair deal to me.

Jim Hendry, let's get it done.

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Re-Signing Mark DeRosa Will Not Make the Chicago Cubs Better

Damen Jackson — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 12:00:00 -0500

Filed: Nov. 18, 2009

Have you ever found yourself reading a well-written piece and feeling like it all sounds logical and sensible, but then you think about it a little more and wonder if the writer is off his meds?

I had a moment like this when I read a recent piece by Fox Sports writer Dayn Perry , who proposes in the column a number of moves that teams need to make this offseason.

It reads like something of a wild farce through a fantasy league, although I do recommend that you read it. You'll find ideas like:

1) The cash-strapped Tigers ignoring that they can't sell tickets (or dump salaries) and spending even more to pick up a free agent closer;

2) That Mike Cameron should ignore his ego, talent, and reputation and go man a corner spot for the Cardinals, which would then give them one of the best outfield defenses in the league—his words, not mine;

3) That the Yankees should continue to march Johnny Damon out to left field for the next three years—and at likely a premium price for the trouble;

And oh, my favorite: that the Cubs should re-sign Mark DeRosa to man second base next season.

Ouch. Now even Perry is drinking the Kool-Aid?

You guys know me. I generally like the idea of getting the band back together, and when DeRosa was good, he was very good. But the team has moved on; they've changed. General manager Jim Hendry needs to recognize that and not have this turn into another offseason of bad moves and poor lineup construction.

The long and short of it is that the Cubs don't need right-handed power. You've got four RH hitters capable of hitting 25-plus homers a season. You don't need a super-utility man either. Jeff Baker has spent time at every position on the field sans shortstop, and even being arbitration eligible, he should likely slot into the 2010 roster at at least half the cost of re-signing DeRosa.

What they do need is a left-handed hitter capable of getting on base and some help with run prevention, neither of which can be expected from a 35-year-old DeRosa playing second base.

The Cubs still missed plenty of bats in 2009, but it's very evident that the biggest advantage that the Cubs could give themselves next season besides better health is improving their up-the-middle defense.

No more Kosuke Fukudome in center, a real defensive second baseman, and if they were really smart, quietly showing Ryan Theriot the door, but I guess that last one is a conversation for another time.

Quite simply, with Rich Harden leaving and a lack of power arms in the pen, look for more balls in play in 2010, and the need to cover more ground to not have to extend starters and get into what so far is looking like a very thin middle relief situation.

I'm going to make a modest proposal. Rather than pandering and playing the PR game as Perry suggests, how about improving the team on the field? If shuttling Milton Bradley doesn't return a left-handed-hitting infielder in return, may I suggest Felipe Lopez or Orlando Hudson, both of whom should be expected to see deals in the same neighborhood as DeRosa, if not cheaper?

Not to mention that both are younger, able to swipe a base, and perfectly suitable for the top-of-the-lineup role that Hendry and manager Lou Piniella have suggested an interest in.

Whatever the case, you simply can't go home again. Trading Mark DeRosa was never the problem. Shipping him off so as to sign the likes of Milton Bradley was. It's done. It didn't pan out. Move on.

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Hope Is Here, or Is It?: The 2004-2009 Chicago Cubs (Part 2)

Antwan Fields — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 04:24:35 -0500

So, we've arrived in 2004. The Chicago Cubs have just undergone the worst choke in the history of the NLCS. Stunned, Cubs fans could only watch in horror as Josh Beckett and A.J. Burnett dominated the mighty New York Yankees in the World Series.

You'll forgive us if we didn't enjoy the Jan Brady-like feeling running through our veins during that entire series and subsequent off-season.

The Marlins have two rings, and the Cubs continue to play foil for teams we fans thought our teams were better than.

In 2004, though, it seemed things were looking up. After Eric Karros went out to pasture and Hee Seop Choi didn't develop, the Cubs managed to catch the Marlins on yet another fire sale and acquire the villain of the NLCS, Derrek Lee, shoring up one of the few infield weaknesses.

Things got better when the day before my 21st birthday, Greg Maddux came home to the city that introduced him to the MLB audience (and something I will NEVER forgive the Cubs front office for) and suddenly the Cubs had the best rotation in the National League. It was suddenly a question of 'Who could beat this rotation?'

At Busch Stadium, Walt Jocketty slipped on his Darth Vader mask. Cue the ominous Star Wars music. Because Jock had AP5, and Jim Edmonds at his borderline hall-of-famer best, and Scott Rolen at his most dangerous.

The Cardinals pretty much shook their head pityingly at the Cubs that season, and then ran away from them and the rest of the National League like Usain Bolt.

This race was over quicker than a Charlie Weis diet, and the Cubs were fighting with the Astros and the Giants for the Wild Card.

It was a tense clubhouse. During the previous season Sammy Sosa, if he can be believed, grabbed the wrong bat and exploded his reputation, along with the Louisville Slugger.

Instead of really understanding what he did wrong or apologizing, Sosa grew a Fu Manchu goatee and basically started acting like Dr.Evil.

Dusty Baker then really stuck it to a superstar he'd had nothing but problems with by claiming he prohibited the use of corked bats on his team (Sosa's always been believed to be a cheater even as the rest of his bats were clean...figure it out).

He'd completely alienated the fans, but then some Cubs fans...well, listen to Chicago sports radio, you'll know what I mean. On top of all of this, Alex Gonzalez was hearing it from Cubs fans all that season for his performance in the NLCS, forgetting his role in getting the Cubs there, and it completely destroyed his play.

Jim Hendry did some wheeling and dealing, and acquired Nomar Garciaparra from the Red Sox. Nomar was in the process of destroying his potential hall-of-fame chances by seeming to forget what "playing hurt" means, and in retrospect, theirs was the wrong move.

Gonzalez went to what remained of the Montreal Expos, Garciaparra and his considerable ego moved in, and there was no sense that this team was really good enough to be playing in the post-season.

The Cardinals were run by, arguably, the best GM in the National League. And when he grabbed Larry Walker, who despite being on the downside of his career still brought much value to the eventual NL Champion Cardinals than Garciaparra ever brought to the Cubs, and it was when this deal was announced on Aug. 6 that you could feel the air go out of the Cubs potential division winning.

Sosa was so-so, putting up a .253 batting average with 35 homers and 80 runs batted in. Not what you want out of your "superstar," downside of his career or not.

Then LaTroy Hawkins, who wasn't and never was a closer, no matter what any of his managers may have thought, pretty much blew the Cubs up.

They lost the Wild Card to Houston, Sosa finally cut his last ties to the Chicago Cubs like an idiot, going out like Terrell Owens, and the Cubs were ready for 2005 (I would have a moment in the sun as my 1B team, the Boston Red Sox, came from a 3-0 deficit against the despised New York Yankees and went on to win the Series...against the aforementioned Cardinals).

The Cubs had won 89 games, yet had the misfortune to play in a division with the Cards and Astros.

With Sosa gone, the Cubs expected a lighter clubhouse, and a better record. Well, they got halfway there. Picked to win the division by some publications, they went 79-83, cratered, and it was awful to watch.

However, I didn't see any of this, as by then I had mercifully moved to Minnesota, otherwise my rage would have been worse than it was, as Mr.Garciaparra qualified for workman's comp more than the batting titles that had been envisioned, the bullpen failed more than the Timberwolves, and Dusty Baker continued his impression of Dr. Salvador, using his chainsaw to cut through the tendons in Mark Prior's right arm.

Then came 2006.

Jacque Jones signed as a free agent, and Mr.Slap-and-Run, Juan Pierre, was acquired in a fire-sale trade with the Marlins. Speaking of the Marlins, maybe the Cubs should start looking at them as the enemy. Somehow whenever the Cubs trade with the Marlins, something goes wrong.

Somehow, whenever the Cubs have a meeting with the Marlins, a screwjob happens. I was convinced Vince McMahon was pulling the strings behind the Marlins, and the Cubs had the opportunity to play Bret Hart. Not really smart.

The Cubs finished 66-96, and Dusty Baker had completely destroyed the clubhouse by his willingness to destroy the respect of the players, him and his damned toothpick.

It was a bad season all around, as Juan Pierre continued to rack up 200-hit seasons while posting OBP's below .350 and slugging percentages that would bring a smile to the face of a Little Leaguer.

And Juan Pierre is NOT Ichiro Suzuki. Juan Pierre is not 1/10th of the player Ichiro Suzuki is. That random bit of info is in reference to the fact that Ichiro hits 7,000 singles a year, like Pierre.

Unlike Pierre, Ichiro's heard of a walk, and unlike Pierre, pitchers actually fear him because Ichiro can hit the ball further than 200 feet.

Baker finally was dumped by Jim Hendry, who told Baker he was not bringing him back for the 2007 season. I heard, but did not confirm, that Derrek Lee and Aramis Ramirez were overheard singing "Ding, Dong, the witch is dead."

And Aramis has a hell of a singing voice, according to my source, doing the entire song with impressive breath control.

Before I proceed to the 2007 Chicago Cubs, I need to go off on a mini-rant here.

As you well know, Baker is one of the leading proponents of the theory that people with high on-base percentages "clog up the bases unless they can run well."

One of the people he shares this with is Joe Morgan, who ironically is one of the all-time leaders in OBP. But anyway, here's a thought: Has it ever occurred to Mr. Baker that this is why he's never won anything?

Despite my hatred for the Yankees, when they were winning back in the late 90s before Jason Giambi arrived and was bad, they didn't need window-breakers. They won with Bernie Williams, Derek Jeter, Tino Martinez, some washed-up vets, and an impressive array of arms.

Not because Joe Torre stood in the dugout and gave the famous "Joe Torre look" immortalized in one of Charles Schulz' last Peanuts comic strips before the legendary cartoonist passed into time.

The best player in baseball over the past five years, a guy who plays for the Cardinals and wears No. 5, has had OBP's well over .370, and a few of those have been over .400. Oh, and he's got a World Series ring.

So the last thing I would need to read from some lunkhead with a toothpick in his mouth is how people "clog up the bases."

Because the one thing Dusty forgets is, if this half-baked theory wasn't in his mind, had he put a few high OBP guys who run like dump trucks on ahead of Barry Bonds, HE'D HAVE A RING BY NOW, AND HE WOULDN'T BE MANAGING THE HOPELESS CINCINNATI REDS. Endeth the sermon.

Anyway, the Cubs surprised me with their next hire. Fully expecting Jim Hendry to hire someone out of the system who would come cheap, the Cubbies locked up Sweet Lou Piniella to a three-year deal, got Mark DeRosa to play second, and it all looked good...

Until the Cubs bid against themselves, basically, locking up Alfonso Soriano to an eight-year deal worth about $17 million a year.

Soriano was about to turn 31 at that point. At the time, as all sports fans do with contracts that huge, all I could think about was that Soriano would be 39 and making 17 million long after his production was gone.

All I could think of was, could you imagine what Ted Williams would command in today's market, with free agency?

Soriano is a good player, yes. $17 million a season worth? We were about to find out.

He sure as hell wasn't worth it in the first month. As a matter of fact, it now becomes a question: Despite my love for Soriano as a player, who decided he was worth $136 million?

With the Cubs sinking out of sight, Derrek Lee demanded the presence of every Cubs player in a meeting. Derrek Lee is 6'5, 245 pounds, no one with any sense is going to turn him down.

Something happened during this meeting, because with Carlos Zambrano spitting fire because of Michael Barrett's mistakes, and Zambrano not being known as the Marquis of Queensbury, there was no avoiding what happened next: In full view of the television cameras, Barrett, who the previous season had been involved in an altercation with the universally loathed A.J. Pierzynski, began yelling at Zambrano, and Zambrano responded with 1) a burst of unrepeatable Spanish curse words, and 2) a right cross.

While the Braves whacked the Cubs on the field, the two repaired to the clubhouse and battled. Lou Piniella got himself ejected for kicking an umpire in the very next game.

You know those hokey stories about how fights clear the air and unite the team? Those exist only in the imagination, kids.

In reality, Barrett was not done, arguing with Rich Hill after Hill gave up an RBI single to Jared Washburn (Jared Washburn? Really?)

Barrett cost the Cubs that game, and Jim Hendry had had enough. Barrett was traded to San Diego, and suddenly the Cubs were winning.

And they kept winning, driving the Brewers back like Orlando Pace in his prime, leading to an excellent finish where the Brewers cratered and the Cubs grabbed the edge of the cliff.

Only for the Diamondbacks to smack the smile off the faces of Cubs fans by smothering the Cubs' potent offense.

So wrapping part 2, we poise at the edge of the historic 2008 season. In the final chapter, after the 2008 season, I'll cover the 2009 season in detail.

And everything you will read will be laced with anger and red-tinged rage because of the failure the 2009 season ultimately became.

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Come To Think Of It: MLB Writers Take Steps Forward and Back in Award Voting

Bob Warja — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 22:36:34 -0500

Perhaps there is hope for the writers who vote for the Major League Baseball awards, after all. Then again, it's always one step forward, two steps back with these guys.

One might hope that the preponderance of advanced statistical evidence might educate voters for awards such as Cy Young, MVP, ROY and the Gold Glove.

After all, as younger and (hopefully) more enlightened writers obtain voting rights, the subjective manner of awarding players should improve.

One possible example of this is Zack Greinke winning the Cy Young award today. In the "old" days, many voters used such sad stats as won-loss records as a judge of the best pitcher. In that regard, Greinke wouldn't have had a chance.

His victory total (16) matched that of Arizona's Brandon Webb three years ago for the fewest by a starting pitcher to win a Cy Young Award in a non-shortened season and was the fewest by an AL starter to win in a full-length season.

But Greinke won in overwhelming fashion over King Felix of Seattle, who went 19-5. This is a positive result because it demonstrates that voters are finally beginning to appreciate that a pitcher's record is largely dependent on such things as park factor, defense, and run support.

Kansas City scored just 13 runs in his eight losses and 21 runs in his nine no-decisions. He failed to get a victory in six starts in which he allowed one run or fewer.

Meanwhile, he easily led the league in FIP (Fielding Independent Pitching), and ERA.

Yet just as soon as you think there's light at the end of the tunnel, you harken back to the Gold Glove award. How Seattle's center fielder Franklin Gutierrez could be left out in the cold is almost mind-boggling.

UZR is not the be all, end all of stats and admittedly, defensive metrics have their flaws and limitations.

But a UZR of 29.1 and an RngR (the number of runs above or below average a fielder is, determined by how the fielder is able to get to balls hit in his vicinity) of 29.3 is so far off the charts that it is downright sick.

Even owing to statistical deviations, this was a great performance and more than worthy of a GG. Jones' UZR? -4.7.

Jones' one statistical advantage is his arm. He not only throws out more than his share of runners, but also keeps more than his share of runners from advancing extra bases.

Shane Victorino was another head scratcher, with negative metrics across the board. Nyjer Morgan would have been a much better choice.

Even admittedly fine fielders such as Mark Teixeira did not have their best seasons, at least in terms of the metrics. Yet he also won a GG.

Meanwhile, Derek Jeter seemingly won on reputation, and Orlando Hudson over Chase Utley? Blasphemy.

And on it goes. So maybe we shouldn't give writers too much credit for picking Greinke after all. Maybe it was simply the buzz. At least that's what ESPN's Rob Neyer thinks.

Let's see if FIP leader Tim Lincecum wins the NL Cy Young now, come to think of it.

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Chicago Cubs' Fifth Rotation Slot: A Pitch for Five Guys Who Fit the Mold

Matt Trueblood — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 02:23:29 -0500

As the Cubs look toward 2010, General Manager Jim Hendry has to be pleased with the quartet he has assembled atop his starting rotation.

In Ted Lilly, Carlos Zambrano, Ryan Dempster and Randy Wells, the Cubs have as deep a four-man staff as any in the National League, albeit not the most talented.

However, unless Hendry and Piniella unexpectedly unveil a plan to return to the four-man rotation , those four leave the Cubs (at best) one card short of a full hand in the preliminary race for the 2010 pennant.

To round out the corps, Hendry will have to either find an in-house candidate suitable for the job, or use the active off-season player markets to acquire a solid fifth option.

Given the volatility that still abounds as the Cubs search for one good move to determine the direction of their winter, Hendry could choose to address the situation in a number of ways. Here are my top five candidates, ranked in descending order of preference (that is, number one is the choice I find most appealing):

Javier Vazquez: This would be the blockbuster. Vazquez is not the biggest name available on the trade market, where Toronto's Roy Halladay and Seattle's Felix Hernandez dangle. Given that either of those men would cost twice the talent to acquire as would Vazquez, however, the Atlanta right-hander is still the best bargain in town. Chicago would have to move serious contracts to make this happen; a recent article by another Cubs featured columnist provides one possible vision for that undertaking. Personally, I would encourage Hendry to send Lee to Atlanta in exchange for Vazquez, then turn and sign Nick Johnson to play first, allowing Curtis Granderson (whom the Cubs are attempting to acquire in trade with the Detroit Tigers) to bat third in Lee's stead against right-handed pitchers, and Johnson there against southpaws.
Bronson Arroyo: Reports out of Cincinnati have the Reds seeking to move their rubber-armed right-hander, who has the misfortune of being owed $11 million in 2010 on a club looking to cut payroll. But Arroyo, who will turn 33 during spring training, had a career-best ground ball-to-fly ball ratio of 1.22 last season. He added to that three complete games (two of them shutouts), 220 1/3 innings pitched and a 3.84 ERA. He is not now, nor will ever be, a top-tier starter, but as the fifth man in the rotation, Arroyo would have value because he never gets hurt (32 or more games in every season since 2004) and piles up innings, giving the Cubs the luxury of sending the top of their rotation out there with the confidence instilled by a fresh bullpen.
Roy Oswalt: Oswalt, whom many long considered a Cubs antagonist, probably deserves some absolution for those alleged sins. First of all, the primary justification given for his vilification is a shouting match-turned-ho-hum brawl he got into with the Cubs in 2004. On the other end of that dispute, however, was then-Cubs catcher Michael Barrett . Once again, that's Michael Barrett . Michael Barrett . Oswalt also has worse numbers (13-12, with a 3.81 ERA) against the Cubs than against any of the Astros' other NL Central rivals. Best of all, he is the highest-paid Astro (at $31 million for the next two seasons, with a club option for 2012) on a team looking to shed salary . If he were less expensive, either in terms of salary or talent given up in trade, he would top my list, He is one of the top ten pitchers in baseball in inducing ground balls. He strikes out more than three times as many batters as he walks, and hasn't started fewer than 30 games since 2003. Oswalt wouldn't be a fifth starter, nor would Vazquez. But he would certainly make this Cubs starting staff better, and do so fast and by an order of magnitude.
Pedro Martinez: Martinez is the only free agent to be found on this list, for two reasons. First, the market for free agents is thin this winter, meaning teams more desperate for pitching than the Cubs will overpay not only aces like John Lackey, but also second-tier pitchers like Jon Garland and Joel Pineiro. Second, the Cubs simply don't have the money in their budget to add substantially to their pitching expenditure, unless they are able to unload a big contract (like Lee's) in a trade. Martinez is the anti-Arroyo. He will not eat innings in the fifth starter's role. In fact, though he intends to throw a full season , the Cubs should probably count on being without the future Hall of Fame right-hander for some stretch, even if they sign him. Yet, as he showed during his brief stint with Philadelphia in 2009, Pedro still has a little in the tank. His last two managers, Jerry and Charlie Manuel (Jerry with the 2008 Mets, Charlie last year in Philadelphia), have not made good use of Pedro. Martinez has never responded well either in-game or in ensuing starts when forced to throw over 100 pitcher, yet New York's Manuel asked him to do so eight times in 15 starts after taking over in June of that year. In Philadelphia, Charlie allowed Martinez to throw 119 and 130 pitches in back-to-back September starts, and paid for it in Pedro's two remaining regular-season outings. If the Cubs can intelligently utilize him, they may get one more year of solid, control-oriented pitching from Martinez, and at a very economical rate.
Tom Gorzelanny: Gorzelanny isn't left for last as a slight: first, he faces stiff competition in this group. Secondly, he appears in a recent speculation about packages Chicago could use to acquire Curtis Granderson, therefore throwing into question his very future with the club. If he stays, he is a decent option to hold down the spot. Ideally, however, the Cubs could do better.

All things considered, the most likely scenario could be this last. Hendry has a rather tight budget to deal with, after all, and has at least two bigger holes to fill on the offensive side of the equation. Still, the Cubs would do well to keep their options open, lest Ted Lilly's rehab turns out less well than is hoped, leaving the Cubs' 2010 rotation vulnerable and ace-less.

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Out of Season: A brief article leading up to the 2007 Chicago Cubs

Antwan Fields — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 02:17:43 -0500

I'm not a fan of the Resident Evil series, nor of very many RPG's. But, as I thought about my many years as a Cubs fan, I compare it to a meeting with Dr. Salvador.

For the uninitiated, or the few people who pretend they don't care, Dr. Salvador is the giant guy with the chainsaw in Resident Evil Four.

Among other things he can do besides cut your head off, he can teleport to the top of a ladder you're climbing and cut your head off, he can teleport ahead of you and cut your head off, he can break down the door of a room you're in and cut your head off-notice a pattern?

Being a Cubs fan is like being on the business end of that chainsaw.

Pre-1950, the last Cubs WS, as any baseball fan knows, was won in 1908. Since then, the Cubs have been on the receiving end of much mythology (the Homer in the Gloamin, Ruth's called shot, etc) with little or nothing to show for it. This team, in fact, went the entire 1950's, 60's, and 70's without a single playoff experience.

In 1983, I was born. Apparently I was a better luck charm than any, because the Cubs made the NLCS the very next year (and got run off the field by the inferior San Diego Padres, who then jobbed out to the rampaging Detroit Tigers.)

As I grew up, I was vaguely aware that there were two teams in Chicago, one called the South Side Hit Men, AKA the Chicago White Sox, and the other called the Cubs.

As a kid, the White Sox just seemed more exciting when I finally became a full-time baseball fan in 1993, having seen a few ALCS games a year or so earlier. They had one of the best hitters ever in Frank Thomas, an exciting young third baseman and all around winner in Robin Ventura, and a catcher who I, weirdly, identified with named Ron Karkovice, not knowing he was really a below-average player, I thought he was the greatest thing since sliced bread.

The Cubs? I didn't really know much about them, except this Lefevbre guy won more than he lost.

Nowadays, that's not really a measure of a good manager, but cut me a break, I was 10. I knew this guy named Sammy Sosa who was fast, a first baseman named Grace, and a second baseman named Sandberg who hit second.

I couldn't figure it out: Harry Carey and Steve Stone talk about this Sandberg guy like he's Hank Aaron, but he didn't seem that good to me, if he's so good, why does he hit second?

Yeah, I was a dumb kid back then.

Years progress, and people pass through: Eric Yelding, Kevin Roberson, Luis Salazar, Steve Buchele, and a host of others.

Then the White Sox fired Gene Lamont, who wasn't exactly a nice guy to begin with, and about this time, Rick Wilkins had a 30 homer season. It was Rick Wilkins, later that season, who participated in the play that summed up my later years as a Cubs fan, but more on that later.

Suddenly I began paying attention to the Cubs, and as I did, even though they lost a lot, they were fun.

Wilkins was coming off the 30 homer season, where before and after, he was garbage.

Anyway, a game the Cubs are losing in San Diego to those accursed Padres by either one or two runs, Wilkins gets inserted as a pinch hitter by, I believe, Jim Riggleman. Wilkins was fading and didn't have confidence anymore, but he got hold of one off Trevor Hoffman and launches it to dead center field.

Steve Finley happens to be manning center, and he jumps over the wall and catches the ball. Obviously, the Cubs lost that game, and they've lost plenty more, but 1998 brought me back from the brink.

That was the year Harry went away.

He fell down steps and died, and the Cubs dedicated the season to him. Then Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa (and Greg Vaughn to a much lesser extent) went on that historic home run binge, and baseball was fun again. Except on the South Side, but that's something to write about in another article.

Never mind the Cubs getting swept by the Braves after that heroic effort in game 163 against Barry Bonds, an elderly Joe Carter, and the Giants.

I was ecstatic. They can build upon this, can't they?

No, they couldn't.

The years passed, Kerry Wood struck out 20 batters, Sosa continued to batter the ball, and the Cubs continued to finish not where they deserved to be.

Finally, Riggleman went away–I try to forget Don Baylor exists–and was replaced, after a joker named Bruce Kimm pretended he was the manager of the Chicago Cubs, by Dusty Baker.

In retrospect, Dusty Baker was Dr. Salvador, only he went after arms instead of necks. Wood and Superman, AKA Mark Prior, kept having these high pitch counts in high-inning starts. And as any doctor will tell you, repeatedly throwing a ball will have disastrous results. But before that, the magical 2003 season hit.

Everything seemed to be going right.

Prior was automatic. Wood matched him strikeout for strikeout. Moises Alou urinated on his hands quite a bit to the tune of 280-22-91, and he slumped at the end of the season or he would have finished over .300.

Of course, there was Sammy Sosa, who despite coming to the end of his tenure in Chicago put up a .279-40-103, and he got help from newcomer Aramis Ramirez and Alou.

It was pitching, though, with Prior, Wood, and Carlos Zambrano firing BB's across the plate, and after defeating the Braves in the NLDS and coming home to Chicago up 3-2 on Florida, (the final game in Florida being one I believe Dusty Baker intentionally lost) it looked good, because it would be Prior and Wood, and we had to like our chances.

One of my best friends, at that time, was and is a rabid Cubs fan. The one game I ever attended was with him, and the Cubs lost to the accursed Marlins back when Andre Dawson was a member of the Marlins coaching staff.

The point is, when they lost that game, he was outside Wrigley Field yelling "we'll get em tomorrow." So when Prior went into the eighth inning up 3-0, everyone in Chicago was readying themselves for a wild celebration...or at most Cub fans, Sox fans seem to hate Cub fans more than Cub fans hate them.

I don't believe in curses, but after what was about to take place, my faith in the non-existence of curses was shaken to it's foundation.

With one out, and the awful Juan Pierre at second Luis Castillo hit a foul ball to left field. A man wearing a cap and headphones reached slightly over the fence for a foul ball. Replays later showed that Steve Bartman's hand was merely inches over the glove of Moises Alou, and when Bartman touched the ball, it was a borderline call whether it was fan interference or not. The umpire in left field ruled it wasn't, and watching replays, I hate to say it, but it wasn't.

Had Alou kept his cool, Prior might have gotten out of the inning and turned the game over to Joe Borowski. Alou did not do so, and then the roof fell in, and the Cubs took what Mark Twain would call "a clodding"

Lowlights: Alex Gonzalez committed a bad error, future Cub All-Star Derrek Lee tied the game with a double, MIKE FRIGGIN MORDECAI clears the bases with a double, and suddenly the game and the series are over.

And I will NEVER forget the looks on the faces of fellow Cubs fans after Game Seven was over. Wherever David Lemmon was at that time, I guarantee he was not saying "we'll get em tomorrow" after Game Six.

As I wrap up Part One of this article leading up to the 2009 Chicago Cubs, which I will discuss in detail, this was my first brush with true hope for this team, and I was convinced there would be more next season, which would be the 2004 season.

TBC.

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Carlos Zambrano Can Hit... But Does a Hitting Pitcher Help His Team?

Matt Trueblood — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 09:31:14 -0500

Carlos Zambrano recently received his third Silver Slugger award, and second straight, as the best hitting pitcher in the National League. Zambrano actually dropped off considerably in his offensive production in 2009, seeing his OPS drop from .892 to .689.

But that .689 is nearly double the league average pitcher; National League hurlers compiled a miserable .355 OPS in 2009.

Given that Zambrano represents such a remarkable upgrade from a normal pitcher, perhaps he can make a serious impact, even in such obviously limited offensive playing time (he accrued only 72 PA in 2009, and his career high is just 86).

Let's test the data. Zambrano had an OPS 94 percent above league average for pitchers. No other National League player did as well, relative to his position. But for the sake of an instructive comparison, let's assume that Zambrano is the equivalent, in the hitting pitcher community, to Albert Pujols. Pujols had an OPS 88 percent better than the overall league average, so the parallel is fairly drawn.

In exactly 700 plate appearances in 2009, Pujols added 69.7 runs to the Cardinals' ledger with his superior bat. Dividing that number by just under ten, to find Zambrano's contribution in 72 plate appearances, we get 7.17 runs added by Zambrano's bat.

Unfortunately, it isn't as simple as that, and the method I have just employed overstates the value of a good hitter on the mound. The reason is that the runs above average metric derives from a run-expectancy framework. This overestimates Zambrano's value by removing the context in which he performed from the equation.

For all position players, that is precisely what we want to do. But with pitchers, certain key variables enter the equation: first, managers nearly always remove pitchers who come to bat after the sixth inning with any men on base; second, pitchers who come to bat with runners on are generally expected to bunt; and third, pitchers bat less often with runners on base, because of the lesser quality of the hitters in front of them. Zambrano, therefore, is worth about ten percent less than that metric would indicate as a batter, because that is how much less than Pujols' his plate appearances were each worth.

Taking ten percent from 7.17 leaves us with only 6.46 runs of added offense, even though Zambrano so dominated his position offensively. In 2008, when Zambrano's OPS was 152 percent better than the league-average pitcher, he may have earned the cubs one extra win (generally, ten marginal runs equal a marginal win).

But in 2009, despite a second straight season with four home runs and a reputation as a slugger, Zambrano failed to change the Cubs' fortunes by even one game in the standings. He deserved the Silver Slugger. But instead of to pitchers, the Silver Slugger should probably go to a star pinch-hitter in the National League. That way, the award can reward more legitimate contributions to team success in run scoring.

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A Case Study for the Cubs and Granderson

Robert Walsh — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 18:46:23 -0500

So let us think about this for a moment. The following stat line is that of player X's splits against right handed hitters.

451 ABs, 74 Runs, 124 Hits, 19 2Bs, 8 3Bs, 28 HRs, 62 RBIs, 18 SB, 4 CS, 57 BBs, 99 SO, .275 BA, .358 OBP, .539 SLG, .879 OPS.

Isn't this kind stat line what we were all dreaming for last winter? On top of mashing righties, this player plays center field, and as we all know this is one of the Chicago Cubs most glaring issues both defensively and offensively. Oh and might I add that Player X usually hits in the leadoff spot as well and at the ripe age of 28 this player is just coming into his prime.

As for the batting average, this season Player X had a BABIP of just .276, basically meaning that he was a bit unlucky at the plate last year. But what about his defense you say? His UZR/150 this year was a modest 1.6 while the Cubs had Koske "Helicopter Strikeout Swing" Fukudome and his UZR/150 of minus-18.1 patrolling CF most of the year.

What if I told you that this guy out homered the next best centerfielder in 2009 by a total of four homeruns. How about letting you know that this guy had 23 3Bs just two years ago.

Since being granted the everyday job in 2006, Player X has played in 141 games, or more every year. In every full season since then he has compiled at least 90 runs scored, 155 hits, 23 2Bs, eight 3Bs, 19 HRs, and 66 RBIs. Remember now these stats are the minimum numbers that he has put up since coming into the league. Now take those minimum stats per year and look at this year’s roster.

If he would have been on the Cubs team this year and if he would have hit his minimum stats per year he would have ranked:

3rd on the team in games played, behind Koske Fukudome and Derek Lee

2nd in runs scored behind Lee

3rd in total hits, behind Ryan Theriot and Derek Lee

4th in doubles, behind Derek Lee, Koske Fukudome, and Soriano

1st in triples, with the closest being Theriot and Fukudome (both with only 5)

3rd in HRs, behind Lee and Soriano

2nd in runs batted in behind Lee once again

(Remember, these are his career LOWS. Think about that for a second. )

Much is being said about this player’s inability to hit left handed pitches. This players struggles again left handed hitters is well documented and his splits this year again them looks like such:

180 ABs, 17 Runs, 33 Hits, 4 2Bs, 0 3Bs, 2 HRs, 9 RBIs, 15 BBs, 42 SOs, 2 SBs, 2 CS, .183 BA, .245 OBP, .239 SLG, and .484 OPS.

Yes this does not look very pretty, and the things being said about his inability to hit them have some merit.

However he did hit .259 against lefties in 2008, which shows some promise, yet this was probably somewhat of a fluke seeing as though each season besides that he hit at most .218.

This however, is the only flaw on his career thus far. He is a good clutch hitter a good fielder, and can mash righties in ways that no other CF in the majors has been able to. At a reasonable price, $23.75 million for the two years left on his contract, Player X is someone that would improve just about every team in the majors at this point, much less the Cubs.

Now pretend for a second like you didn't know who I was talking about.

Player X = Curtis Granderson.

When thinking about whether or not this would be a good idea for the Cubs I have come to the conclusion that this is a no brainer. However, I must say that the price the Detroit Tigers might want may be out of hand. This is starting to sound like the new Brian Roberts, but the thing about that comparison is that Detroit needs to cut payroll while Baltimore never really had a reason to give up Roberts. They would much rather send him to the NL where he would be playing them multiple times a year instead of sending him to the already unstoppable Yankees, or even the mighty Angels out west.

So this gives Hendry and the Cubs some leverage when it comes to trade talks. Jim Hendry, with all the dumb moves he has made in recent years, has a chance right now to get a good if not great player for a reasonable price if he plays his cards right. However, if the Cubs must give up some young talent, I would hope that they are smart enough to not trade off the best of the up and coming talent in our farm system.

Josh Vitters is a name we have all known for about a year now and still looks to have a bright future ahead of him. Starlin Castro, the newest Cubs mega prospect, has been said to look like a future all star as well. These players shouldn't be dealt for their is no reason for Hendry to have to do so to get Granderson.

The Cubs farm, as surprising as it may be to most, does have a bunch of other promising prospects, such as pitchers Andrew Cashner or Jay Jackson, that could be a part of a deal that would include the super slugging Jake Fox. Catcher Wellington Castillo has a monster of an arm, throwing out 44 percent of minor league base runners, could also be seen as a piece to this puzzle.

Realistically speaking, Hendry should be able to come up with a package that doesn't include Vitters or Castro while still making the Tigers more than happy.

However, this scenario all depends on one player. That player is Milton Bradley, and the ridiculous contract that Hendry gave him last year in a desperate attempt to gain balance in a lineup that led the league in just about every offensive category in 2008. The Cubs are now in a position that includes needing a couple of veteran relievers as well as a stable second base option when we all find out that Jeff Baker is not the guy he made us all love last year.

Until the Cubs unload Bradley's contract, and if they are able to do so without eating most of the contract, the Cubs simply cannot afford to go after another outfielder that will be making $10 million plus per year. But if they are able to do so, the Cubs should pounce on the opportunity to get a guy who would not only fill the needs for next year in CF, but will probably become a mainstay just as we have seen Derek Lee and Aramis Ramirez in recent years. Lee and Ramirez were acquired without much talent and given the position of our farm system as of right now, pulling off a deal for Granderson shouldn't be that much of a problem for Hendry.

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Come To Think Of It: Curtis Granderson Rumors Should Be Shelved

Bob Warja — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 00:21:11 -0500

It has been reported that the Detroit Tigers may be willing to trade center fielder Curtis Granderson. I just hope the Cubs aren't interested.

Sure, the Cubs need a center fielder, so they can trade Milton Bradley and move Kosuke Fukudome (who, if it weren't for the money owed to him would be gone by now) to right field, where he is at least adequate defensively.

But let's stop right there, Cubs fans. Granderson isn't an everyday player. He is a guy who can't hit lefties and would be overpriced as a platoon player.

Phil Rogers, who seldom has a lucid thought, has suggested Carlos Marmol and Starlin Castro as trade bait for local product Granderson. That is simply way too much, even if you think he can somehow turn it around.

Granderson cannot hit lefties. He hit .183/.245/.239 against them last year. While he is a decent (not great) defensive outfielder, his defense does not make up for his lack of offense.

Granderson's .327 OBP is not worth a future star shortstop and a reliever who, when he is not walking people, is unhittable.

Yes, Granderson hit 30 homers. And yes, he is from Blue Island. But I wouldn't give up that much talent for a guy who makes outs just under 70 percent of the time.

Meanwhile, if they do trade Bradley, the Cubs better get someone to put in center other than the garbage they are likely to obtain in the actual trade. For let's be real here—the Cubs are not likely to get a good player in return if they move Milton.

And you can forget about Tyler Colvin—he may make it as a fourth outfielder, but that's about it.

Hey Detroit, you can keep Curtis—he is not worth trading for, come to think of it.

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MLB 9s: Chicago Cubs—Are Ernie Banks and Hack Wilson the Best Ever?

Ash Marshall — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 12:03:28 -0500

Billy Williams, Fergie Jenkins, Ryne Sandberg, Ernie Banks.

The Chicago Cubs have had some of the all-time greats run out onto Wrigley Field.

While they haven't been to the World Series since 1945, there is more than enough talent in the Cubs' history to fill out a dream team twice over. From Rogers Hornsby to Derrek Lee, the Cubs have had incredible depth and production throughout their lineup.

One question remains. Which Chicago Cub had the greatest ever offensive season at his position?

Major League Baseball has been asking fans this question in an effort to choose each team's best ever collection of stars. They are calling it MLB 9s.

Here I separated the contenders from the pretenders in an effort to pick my dream Cubs lineup. Have your say by commenting below, or by voting on the MLB site here .

Other MLB 9s you might want to check out are:

Arizona Diamondbacks

Atlanta Braves

Baltimore Orioles

Boston Red Sox

Catcher: Rick Wilkins (1993)

In his first full season as the Cubs' primary backstop, Wilkins hit 30 home runs and drove in 73 runs. In 136 starts, Wilkins batted .303, drew 50 walks, and crossed the plate 78 times.

His .561 slugging percentage was good enough for fifth in the National League, while his 30 home runs earned him a spot in the Top 10. Incidentally, his slugging percentage ranks second all-time among Cubs catchers with at least 80 games played. Gabby Hartnett holds the record with .630, set in 1930.

Highlight Game: July 5, 1993, at Colorado. Wilkins went 3-for-5 with two home runs and four RBI in a 10-1 victory against the Rockies.

Competition: The previously-mentioned Gabby Hartnett almost won my vote here. Looking back over the numbers, maybe he should have. I'm man enough to admit that. But I stand by my decision.

Gabby Hartnett is one of the greatest catchers of all time—a six-time All Star and NL MVP. Despite only playing in two-thirds of the Cubs' games in the 1935 season, Hartnett hit 13 home runs and drove in 91 runs. The 34-year-old's days as a true power hitter were gone though, and I would even argue that his 1930 season was the best of his career despite him never receiving even a glancing MVP look.

I read somewhere that he is considered the best NL catcher from the first half of the 20th century, but that is not enough for a purely single-season-based look at offensive production.

Playing in what is known as the 'live ball era', Hartnett benefited from a stacked Cubs' lineup. The team won 100 games—something Chicago hasn't done in the 74 years since—with Hartnett batting behind Billy Herman, who led the league in hits and doubles, and in front of the team's best power hitter, Chuck Klein.

First Base: Derrek Lee (2005)

D-Lee was good enough in 2005 to win the NL MVP, playing just as well as Albert Pujols, but he got snubbed in the voting.

Luckily for the Cubs' first baseman, I'm going to show him some love here. Lee was just nasty in '05, leading the league with 50 doubles and 199 hits. His .335 batting average was also a league-high, while his slugging percentage (.662) and total bases (393) were also good enough for the top ranking in those categories.

Only Andruw Jones hit more home runs, out-dueling Lee 51-46.

Highlight Game: April 27, 2005, vs Cincinnati. Lee went 4-for-4 with a pair of home runs and six RBI in leading the Cubs to a come-from-behind victory.

Trailing 6-2 in the sixth inning, Lee hit a two-run home run off of Aaron Harang. The following inning, Lee took Joe Valentine deep for a three-run blast to tie the game at 7-7.

Competition: Lee is an easy choice at first base. Fred McGriff hit 30 home runs and drove in 103 men in 2002, and Billy Buckner batted .306 with 105 RBI two decades earlier. Looking more than a century back, Frank Chance batted .327 and stole 67 bases in the 1903 season.

Second Base: Rogers Hornsby (1929)

Four years after winning his first MVP award with the St Louis Browns, Hornsby took home his second title in his first season with the Cubs.

Hornsby hit 39 homers and 47 doubles, knocking home 149 runs and scoring a league-leading 156. Hornsby batted .380—only good enough for third—but he slugged .679 and recorded 409 total bases.

Highlight Game: April 17, 1929, vs Pittsburgh. In just the second game of the 1929 season, Hornsby capped off a resounding victory against the Pirates with a grand slam home run in the bottom of the eighth inning off Fred Fussell. After the team lost its season-opener the previous day, Hornsby led his Cubbies to a comprehensive 13-2 win.

Competition: Ryne Sandberg provides the only real competition to Hornsby. In 1990 the long-time Cub hit a career-high 40 home runs (also an NL-high) and scored 116 times.

Sandberg batted .306 and drove home 100 that year. Not shown on the MLB 9s voting page, Sandberg maybe had his best season in 1984 when he won his first and only MVP award, fueled by 19 triples and a fantastic Gold Glove season.

Third Base: Heinie Zimmerman (1912)

Old school versus new school. Power in 2004 versus speed and batting average in 1912.

It is hard to split hairs with two hitters who are poles apart in terms of style and era, but I am going with Zimmerman. He batted .372 with 14 home runs, 99 RBI, 95 runs and 23 stolen bases.

His 207 hits and 41 doubles led the NL but, maybe more importantly, so did his 14 home runs. In fact, he topped the Major League in dingers that year. Although he finished sixth in the MVP vote, I would argue that he had a better campaign than at least four of the men above him, probably five.

Highlight Game: June 10, 1912, at New York Giants. Zimmerman snapped a 7-7 tie with a one-out, two-run home run in the top of the tenth inning off of Doc Crandall.

Competition: Aramis Ramirez deserves an honorable mention for the .318-36-103-99 line he posted in 2004, as does Ron Santo for his 1964 season. Santo was equally as impressive as Ramirez, just four decades earlier, putting up a .313 batting average, 30 homers, and 114 RBI.

Shortstop: Ernie Banks (1958)

A no-brainer on the left side of the Cubs’ infield.

Banks launched 47 home runs, tallied 119 hits, and racked up 129 RBI, coasting past Willie Mays and Hank Aaron to the first of his back-to-back MVP awards.

Banks led the National League with a .614 slugging percentage and 379 total bases while recording a career-high .313 batting average in 1958.

Banks was a true power hitter in every sense of the word. He still fills each of the top seven positions for homers hit by a Cubs’ shortstop, and no other shortstop has ever hit more than 21 in a season.

Highlight Game: August 21, 1958, vs Pittsburgh. Banks went 3-for-3 with two home runs and a double to lead the Cubs to a 5-3 victory over the Pirates. Banks drove in five and also walked once in one of six multi-homer games of his ’58 season.

Competition: There is no real competition, but for the sake of argument I’ll pick Joe Tinker. In 1912, Tinkler swiped 25 bags, scored 80 runs, and batted in 75. While I’m here, I may as well also mention Shawon Dunston for his 1995 season in which he hit 14 homers and drove home 69 batters.

Outfield: Hack Wilson (1930)

In his penultimate year with the Cubs, Wilson hit 56 home runs and drove in 191. Yes it was 1930, but wow. He scored 146 runs, batted .356, walked on 105 occasions and, best of all, didn’t win an MVP because financial constraints forced the award to be cancelled.

He slugged a league-leading .723 and was ranked second in the National League for total bases (423) and extra base hits (97). The one downside to his game was his high number of strikeouts—84 in this year.

Even so, the Baseball Writers’ Association made Wilson their unofficial MVP and the Cubs reportedly gave him a $1,000 bonus.

Highlight Game: July 26, 1930, at Philadelphia. Wilson had his first and only three-homer game in 1930. He hit a pair of two-run shots off Phil Collins in the first and second innings and then a solo blast off Claude Willoughby with the Cubs ahead 15-2 in the eighth.

Also of note: On June 23, 1930, also versus Philadelphia, centerfielder Wilson hit for the only cycle of his career, starting with a first-inning three-run home run off of…Claude Willoughby.

Billy Williams (1970)

This future Hall of Famer was also robbed of an MVP award, losing out to Cincinnati’s Johnny Bench in the 1970 season.

Williams is the greatest Cubs left-handed batter to ever grace the field, and his 1970 campaign still holds a number of franchise records.

Williams led the league in runs (137) and hits (205), and his 42 home runs, 129 RBI, 80 extra-base hits, and 373 total bases are all-time records by any Cubs’ southpaw.

Highlight Game: July 3, 1970, vs Pittsburgh. Trailing 7-3, Williams hit a one-out grand slam to cap off a six-run inning. It was Williams’ only grand slam in 15 bases-loaded attempts that year.

Sammy Sosa (1998)

A career year by anyone’s standards, Sosa—juiced or not—had fans in the outfield seats at Wrigley Field hanging on his every at bat in the hope of catching a historic home run ball.

And there were lots of them. Sosa hit 66 home runs and drove in 158 runs—both franchise records. He crossed home plate 134 times and he also swiped 18 bags, earning him a spot in my all-time single-season outfield.

"Say It Ain’t So-sa" went to his second All Star Game and won his first Silver Slugger award since 1995, despite fanning 171 times.

The NL MVP and MLB Player of the Year, Sosa hit 20 home runs in June 1998. He also went deep in five consecutive games and recorded 11 multi-homer games.

Highlight Game: June 15, 1998, vs Milwaukee. Not often does a player hit three home runs in one game, but Slammin’ Sammy did it in a game against the Brew Crew.

Sosa went 3-for-4, hitting solo blasts off Cal Eldred in the first, third, and seventh innings.

Competition: Andre Dawson really deserves a place on this list somewhere. In 1987, Dawson hit 49 home runs and recorded 137 RBI. He also scored 90 runs, stole 11 bases and batted .287 on his way to picking up the MVP trophy.

Pitcher: Fergie Jenkins (1971)

Jenkins hit six home runs, scored 13 times, and drove in 20 batters in the ’71 season.

He went 28-for-115 at the plate (.243) with seven doubles and a triple.

Not relevant to his batting, but he also won 24 games, threw 30 complete games in 39 starts, and won his only Cy Young award of his career.

Highlight Game: September 1, 1971, vs Montreal. Jenkins had his only multi-homer game of his career, going yard twice in a 5-2 victory at home to the Expos.

Competition: Claude Hendrix hit three home runs in 1918, while Carlos Zambrano hit four with a .337 batting average and 14 RBI in 2008.

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Atlanta Shopping Javy Vazquez: Should the Cubs Pick Up the Phone?

TAB BAMFORD — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 00:42:20 -0500

The Atlanta Braves and starting pitcher Tim Hudson agreed to a three-year, $28 million contract extension on Thursday.

Hudson originally joined the Braves in a trade in December of 2005, and signed a four-year, $47 million extension that would take him from 2006 through this past season.

But Tommy John Surgery derailed the Braves' plans for him to be their ace in 2008 and 2009, so the team had to go shopping last winter. They signed Derek Lowe to a four-year, $60 million contract and traded a handful of nice prospects to the White Sox for Jaview Vazquez to bolster their rotation.

Hudson is back, healthy, and now extended. Thanks to a bounty of young pitchers showing they are major league ready in 2009, the Braves now have six starting pitchers under contract.

Rumors are now flying that the Braves will look to move a starter, probably one of Lowe or Vazquez, to add to their offense.

Perhaps the Chicago Cubs should give Frank Wren a call.

The Braves will play 2010 knowing that the end of the Bobby Cox Era is in sight. They will undoubtedly go for broke and try to bring in a few bats so they can compete with the defending National League champion Phillies, the young Marlins, and the expensive Mets in the National League East.

If the Braves want to add a bat, perhaps the Cubs could help them out.

The Dodgers have reportedly inquired about Vazquez's availability, and more teams will likely call soon. He had a fantastic 2009 season, going 15-10 with 238 strikeouts and a 1.03 WHIP in 219.1 innings. Opponents only manage a .223 batting average against Vazquez last year.

The trouble with Vazquez, from Atlanta's perspective, is that he'll make $11.5 million in 2010, the final year of his contract. The intrigue with Vazquez is that his contract contains a limited no-trade clause that keeps him from being dealt to the NL or AL East divisions.

Too bad, Dodgers?

All of the numbers for Vazquez were great in 2009, but there's a reason he was in Atlanta and not Chicago.

Down the stretch in 2008, Vazquez was repeatedly called out by White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen for folding under the pressure of playoff-intensity baseball. Eventually, his poor performances down the stretch led to his trade to Atlanta.

So should the Cubs express interest in a guy that's been in this city before, and been run out of town once before?

Let's consider what might have to take place for a deal to go down.

The Braves already have three left-handed hitting outfielders in Garret Anderson, Nate McLouth, and Ryan Church. They also, obviously, have a sound third baseman in Chipper Jones and have shown strong confidence in Yunel Escobar at shortstop. Brian McCann is going nowhere as well.

Where this becomes an intriguing trade partnership is at first base. Adam LaRoche is a free agent, and Atlanta is looking at the potential of going young at first base. But putting a rookie in at first base in the final year of Cox's contract might not be ideal for management in Atlanta.

Derrek Lee, coming off a stellar bounceback season, might be a perfect fit for a trade to happen.

Lee, like Vazquez, has only one year left on his contract. Lee's contract value is comparable to that of Vazquez as well; Lee will make $13 million next year, just $1.5 million more than Vazquez.

If the Cubs made a move like this, how would it impact the Cubs' roster?

Obviously, adding a pitcher like Vazquez brings more depth to the Cubs' rotation. He would probably slide into the No. 2 slot in the rotation to begin the year, between Carlos Zambrano and Ryan Dempster. When Ted Lilly returns from his shoulder injury, Dempster would slide down further to the fourth spot in the rotation.

As Zambrano has matured, he has become more of a ground ball pitcher than the kid that tried to strike everyone out six years ago. Vazquez became one of the better strikeout pitchers in the National League in 2009, and would bring a dimension to the rotation that it didn't have last year.

Vazquez is also an innings eater, meaning the Cubs wouldn't tax their bullpen as much when he took the bump. Last season, Vazquez averaged over 6.2 innings per start, and he's made at least 32 starts every year since 1999.

Consistency and health would be two factors worth adding to a Cubs staff that saw every starter miss time with an injury last year.

The downside of this proposed deal, though, would be the loss of Lee from the field, lineup, and locker room.

In my humble opinion, opening up first base would give Lou Piniella the opportunity to get Jake Fox onto the field every day. Fox showed last year in limited opportunities that he can hit the ball for power, and he just needs somewhere on the field to play.

There would certainly be a drop off in the defense at first base from Lee, but that would be true no matter who the Cubs replaced Lee with if he wasn't on the roster. This year's free agent crop is full of guys that should either be a DH or a backup, so Fox would be as good an option as any.

If you project Fox's numbers out over a full season (roughly Lee's 550 at bats), there's reason to believe that Fox could absolutely hit between 25 and 30 home runs and drive in 90 to 100 runs in the five or six slot in the lineup.

If the Cubs and Braves were to pull the trigger on this deal, it would improve both teams in a way that each needs help. The loss to the Cubs defense would be greater than the Braves loss of Vazquez's innings, but the exchange might make both teams more competitive for a division and National League crown.

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