Cubs thread

[wrveres]

a better idea.

View From The Bleachers: There is no overnight solution to the Cubs’ losing habits. The foundation of the team is old and crumbling. Literally. Jim Hendry has tried to build a winning team around players like Alfonso Soriano and Aramis Ramirez. They are both past their prime and have begun a very rapid decline into mediocrity. Both are frequently assigned to the disabled list with injuries that vary from strained quadriceps to sprained thumbs. Soriano, Ramirez, and Zambrano are three of the highest paid players on the team, yet their performance does not reflect their salaries. Another obstacle the Cubs face is their pitching, with a team ERA of 4.73, which is the worst in the MLB. That number speaks for itself.

[wrveres]

stupid poll!

[ATLbraves]

I think Aramis is having a good season actually, and he is usually a 2nd half player so he should continue playing better from here on out.

[BigZ38]

They're horrible. Hendry needs fired immediately, (although I kind of want Pujols and I know Hendry's the only one stupid enough to offer him 10 years/300 million. )

Here's my game plan for Cubs management. Fire Hendry, then absolutely liquidate the ball club. Save $ anywhere you can.
Trade Soriano even if you have to eat 3/4th of his contract. If you can save 1/4th of Soriano's contact, do it. He has 0 value for this ball club, they aren't going to win with him.
Trade Zambrano even if you have to eat 1/2 his contract.
Trade Pena, eat 1/5 of his remaining contract.
Trade Fukudome, I think some team may be willing to take the remainder of his contract.
Let Ramirez go after this season.
Trade Wood and Jeff Baker.

Cut team payroll to 60 to 70 million over the next 3 to 4 years, spend some of the money you save for building the best farm system in baseball.

Get rid of these horrible contracts, start playing young guys now, go total youth movement. This isn't a 2 year fix plan, its a 5 or 6 year plan.

[Syfo-Dyas]

They're horrible. Hendry needs fired immediately, (although I kind of want Pujols and I know Hendry's the only one stupid enough to offer him 10 years/300 million. )

Here's my game plan for Cubs management. Fire Hendry, then absolutely liquidate the ball club. Save $ anywhere you can.
Trade Soriano even if you have to eat 3/4th of his contract. If you can save 1/4th of Soriano's contact, do it. He has 0 value for this ball club, they aren't going to win with him.
Trade Zambrano even if you have to eat 1/2 his contract.
Trade Pena, eat 1/5 of his remaining contract.
Trade Fukudome, I think some team may be willing to take the remainder of his contract.
Let Ramirez go after this season.
Trade Wood and Jeff Baker.

Cut team payroll to 60 to 70 million over the next 3 to 4 years, spend some of the money you save for building the best farm system in baseball.

Get rid of these horrible contracts, start playing young guys now, go total youth movement. This isn't a 2 year fix plan, its a 5 or 6 year plan.

And if those young guys dont work out as you hope than its 10-15-20 year plan?
The only young player worth something on their roster is Castro.
So how you get those quality young guys you wanna build the team around?
1. The Cubs dont have them right now, and they suck drafting.
Who was their last good draftpick? Kerry Wood?
2. No ones gonna give up any real talent for those players you mentioned except Zambrano, not to mention trading them will be difficult even without getting any young talent in return.
3. Or do you think that any team wil give up their best talent for cash?
Only the Cubs managment is that "smart" to trade a Josh Hamilton for $50.000.

[Pogotheostrich]

Fire Hendry. I can't believe he still has a job.
Trade Soriano and Zambrano and eat what you have to get the deals done.
ARam is only signed through 2012 so I would stick that out unless some prospects are offered up.
Fukodome is gone after this year.

Chances are Hendry still has a job this offseason and he throws a truckload of money and Fielder but that's the Cub's way.

[RedHopeful]

Curious, even though the Cubs have sucked for hundreds of years, does it really matter whether they become winners? They draw millions year after year as they continue to be America's lovable losers. If anything, perhaps management/owner fear they'd lose half of their followers if they win a World Series or two.

[BigZ38]

They're horrible. Hendry needs fired immediately, (although I kind of want Pujols and I know Hendry's the only one stupid enough to offer him 10 years/300 million. )

Here's my game plan for Cubs management. Fire Hendry, then absolutely liquidate the ball club. Save $ anywhere you can.
Trade Soriano even if you have to eat 3/4th of his contract. If you can save 1/4th of Soriano's contact, do it. He has 0 value for this ball club, they aren't going to win with him.
Trade Zambrano even if you have to eat 1/2 his contract.
Trade Pena, eat 1/5 of his remaining contract.
Trade Fukudome, I think some team may be willing to take the remainder of his contract.
Let Ramirez go after this season.
Trade Wood and Jeff Baker.

Cut team payroll to 60 to 70 million over the next 3 to 4 years, spend some of the money you save for building the best farm system in baseball.

Get rid of these horrible contracts, start playing young guys now, go total youth movement. This isn't a 2 year fix plan, its a 5 or 6 year plan.

And if those young guys dont work out as you hope than its 10-15-20 year plan?
The only young player worth something on their roster is Castro.
So how you get those quality young guys you wanna build the team around?
1. The Cubs dont have them right now, and they suck drafting.
Who was their last good draftpick? Kerry Wood?
2. No ones gonna give up any real talent for those players you mentioned except Zambrano, not to mention trading them will be difficult even without getting any young talent in return.
3. Or do you think that any team wil give up their best talent for cash?
Only the Cubs managment is that "smart" to trade a Josh Hamilton for $50.000.

1. You can build a solid farm system in baseball in other ways than the draft.
2. Where did I say that they were going to get real talent for the players I mentioned? They're worthless. Getting rid of their contract, or even a portion of it, is in reality saving the club money. Soriano is worth $0 but he is going to be paid what 60 million dollars over the next 3 years? If they can only pay him $30 million, they're also saving themselves $30 million they aren't wasting on him. Spend $30 million to save $30 million.
3. No I don't think anyone will give the Cubs talent for cash
.
I'm advocating for cutting the payroll immensely over the next 2 to 3 years, develop a few pieces (Castro, Barney, Vitters, Jacksons, etc) and then give the new GM the financial ability to fill in the rest.

How do you propose the Cubs go about fixing their mess?

[Syfo-Dyas]

They're horrible. Hendry needs fired immediately, (although I kind of want Pujols and I know Hendry's the only one stupid enough to offer him 10 years/300 million. )

Here's my game plan for Cubs management. Fire Hendry, then absolutely liquidate the ball club. Save $ anywhere you can.
Trade Soriano even if you have to eat 3/4th of his contract. If you can save 1/4th of Soriano's contact, do it. He has 0 value for this ball club, they aren't going to win with him.
Trade Zambrano even if you have to eat 1/2 his contract.
Trade Pena, eat 1/5 of his remaining contract.
Trade Fukudome, I think some team may be willing to take the remainder of his contract.
Let Ramirez go after this season.
Trade Wood and Jeff Baker.

Cut team payroll to 60 to 70 million over the next 3 to 4 years, spend some of the money you save for building the best farm system in baseball.

Get rid of these horrible contracts, start playing young guys now, go total youth movement. This isn't a 2 year fix plan, its a 5 or 6 year plan.

And if those young guys dont work out as you hope than its 10-15-20 year plan?
The only young player worth something on their roster is Castro.
So how you get those quality young guys you wanna build the team around?
1. The Cubs dont have them right now, and they suck drafting.
Who was their last good draftpick? Kerry Wood?
2. No ones gonna give up any real talent for those players you mentioned except Zambrano, not to mention trading them will be difficult even without getting any young talent in return.
3. Or do you think that any team wil give up their best talent for cash?
Only the Cubs managment is that "smart" to trade a Josh Hamilton for $50.000.

1. You can build a solid farm system in baseball in other ways than the draft.
2. Where did I say that they were going to get real talent for the players I mentioned? They're worthless. Getting rid of their contract, or even a portion of it, is in reality saving the club money. Soriano is worth $0 but he is going to be paid what 60 million dollars over the next 3 years? If they can only pay him $30 million, they're also saving themselves $30 million they aren't wasting on him. Spend $30 million to save $30 million.
3. No I don't think anyone will give the Cubs talent for cash
.
I'm advocating for cutting the payroll immensely over the next 2 to 3 years, develop a few pieces (Castro, Barney, Vitters, Jacksons, etc) and then give the new GM the financial ability to fill in the rest.

How do you propose the Cubs go about fixing their mess?

1. How do you build a solid farm if you suck drafting, not getting talent in trades, and not signing young international players?
2. I assumed. You were talking about developing talent, but since theres non there right know, who fits the profile, acquiring that talent was my obvious assumption.


IMO Soriano is worth about $6.0 mill/season, so I dont think that anyone is willing to pay $30 mill. But if the Cubs can only save $18-20 mill for the next 3 seasons, than its just not worth trading him.
And tell me, if the Cubs do save ca. $60 mill/season, why should I care? What they gonna do with that money if the plan is developing talent? Those players cost next to nothing, so the money goes into Ricketts pocket?
I rather watch that idiot in left field for 3 more years.

You wanna call up Jackson, and Vitters? They did nothing yet to justify a rosterspot in the show, and they can be developed better in the minors.
Barney isnt a huge talent you build a team around either.
As I said its only Castro.
Theres no etc.
a couple of pitchers might develop better than expected, but counting on that is mistake.


How to fix this mess?
I have no idea.
A possibility would be to go the evil empire way, and spend like crazy. I guess they will do just that. They'll go after Pujols and or Fielder.
Or go to a complete sucking mode, which wont be that hard, cause they are already there, and luck into a generational talent or two in the drafts.
But getting lucky is not much of a plan I guess.

[wrveres]

The Cubs will now officially enter the AS break without a three-game winning streak, making them the first such team since the 2000 Astros.