Results tagged ‘ Carlos Silva ’

CARLOS SILVA

Sorry, but I had to chime in on Silva.  

It was only a matter of time before the Chicago Cubs cut ties with Carlos Silva.  As most of you already know, Silva was dealt to the Cubs for volatile outfielder Milton Bradley.  Essentially, the trade was one bad contract for another…..Bradley with his temper and Silva with his health issues and inability to get batters out.  I’ve read that some fans feel the Cubs were foolish in trading for Silva and I understand their thinking, but I disagree with them.  He surprised almost everyone the first half of 2010 for the Cubs, but that was just a glimpse of the pitcher that he once was.  Silva may be upset over the handling of the situation, but he was terrible this spring with an ERA almost at 11.00.  That’s not how you win a job with a major league team.  Randy Wells has posted a 2.10 ERA this spring and Andrew Cashner a 4.41.  These are the two players that beat out Silva for the 4th and 5th spots in the starting rotation.  Marcos Mateo beat him out for the final bullpen spot by posting a 1.29 ERA this spring at the time of this post.  Silva has no one to blame but himself.  If he had pitched as well as these other pitchers he may still have a job with the Cubs.  Instead, he will still be collecting a nice salary that will be paid by the Cubs and Mariners.

MARCH MADNESS AND OTHER STUFF

The Cubs have begun to make cuts this week and the team is beginning to take shape.  We still have some battles going on for the starting rotation and bullpen along with bench player spots for the hitters.  We have two weeks to figure out who’s gonna stay and play and who’s being sent down or released.  

I was reading about trade rumors involving Chris Davis and to my disappointment the Cubs do not seem to be one of the teams interested in him right now.  I still say he would be a great power bat off the bench capable of playing both corner infield positions.  
Carlos Silva has been scouted by a few teams this spring.  For his sake, I hope he does get traded to a team that will allow him to start.  I don’t see him as a starter for the Cubs this year.  One idea I read about was Silva for Oliver Perez of the Mets.  I like that idea.  Perez would be a free agent after the season and he is a lefty.  We could use him in the bullpen and hopefully a fresh start with a new team would benefit him.  
I really like a lot of the talented young players the Cubs sent to their minor league camp this week.  Pitchers like Jay Jackson, Trey McNutt and Chris Carpenter along with hitters Brett Jackson and Josh Vitters.  I think our minor league teams in Iowa and Tennessee will have good seasons with these players.  I think our starting pitching rotation at Iowa this year looks strong and I expect several of these guys to be pitching for the big league club soon.  
Finally, it’s March Madness and I’m excited.  I’ve filled out my brackets and I have the Kansas Jayhawks winning it all.  For the record, I filled out my picks before the President made his.  It just so happens he and I finally agree on something!  

JUST RANDOM THOUGHTS

The Chicago Cubs appear to content with the lineup we currently have.  I was kind of hoping we would trade Fukudome, but that does not seem like it will happen.  I was also a little bit interested in Michael Young to play second over the platoon of Blake DeWitt and Jeff Baker, but that is not going to happen either.  Another possible “solution” for second would be Luis Castillo if the Mets were willing to part with him.  Personally, I don’t like this idea at all.  The one move I still think the Cubs could make is acquiring Chris Davis from the Rangers.  I think it would take catcher Wellington Castillo and another high minor league player.  

I keep reading that teams are scouting Carlos Silva and Braden Looper.  I would love to see with us part with Silva no doubt.  However, I am curious to see what Looper could bring to the team this season.  
Matt Garza pitched four solid innings in his last outing which has me excited.  I think our starting five will be Ryan Dempster, Carlos Zambrano, Matt Garza, Randy Wells and Andrew Cashner.  However, Braden Looper is making a strong case to make the rotation.  The downside of this rotation is that we do not have a lefty in there.  Ted Lilly was a great competitor during his time with the Cubs and he will be missed. Our bullpen is looking good too in my opinion.  Marshall, Wood and Marmol will anchor the pen and hopefully Samardzija and a healthy Grabow will be able to help out as well.
Scott Moore is making a good impression this spring and while I don’t think he will make the team, I believe he would be a great mid-season call up if someone were to get injured.  However, I would rather have Chris Davis as our corner infielder.  No offense to Moore, but I’ve been fixated a bit on Davis this off-season.  
That’s all I have for today.  It’s supposed to be in the 60s tomorrow and in the 70s on Thursday here in southern Illinois.  I hope the weatherman is right!

RANDOM STUFF

I’ve got a few things I want to touch base on today before I enjoy some spring training baseball and college basketball.  

The Cubs rotation is beginning to take shape.  Carlos Silva seems to be pitching himself out of a job in the starting rotation.  Meanwhile, Randy Wells has looked good and stands a good chance to lock up the job as the 4th starter for the Cubs.  
I am betting on Andrew Cashner as our 5th starter at this point in the spring.  He hasn’t pitched great, but he hasn’t pitched bad either.  
Marlon Byrd is really hitting the cover off the ball this spring.  I expect this will be the best year of his career.  I know we need a big year from him along with several other players and I am encouraged by the job Rudy is doing with some of our hitters.  
Jeff Samardzija has struggled with his command in the past, but has yet to walk a batter this spring.  I know he’s only thrown 4.1 innings as of this post, but still, if he can throw strikes consistently I expect him to be a big help to our pen. 
I’m concerned about the platoon at second with Blake DeWitt and Jeff Baker.  I was hoping the one of these two players would elevate their play this spring and win the starting job.  Neither one of them looks too sharp early in the spring.    
I plan on watching the Cubs this afternoon and hopefully they will play well.  I’m not concerned with wins and losses in spring training.  Instead, I want to see players perform well and do the little things that will help them win in the season.   

TRADE IDEAS…..AGAIN

Now that the Cubs roster is beginning to take shape I think the Cubs would be wise to make a trade or two before the season starts.  I have 3 players in mind to trade away.  They are Jeff Baker, Kosuke Fukudome and Carlos Silva.  I would like the Cubs to get Chris Davis in return for any of these players.  If you’ve read my blog some this winter then you will know that this is something I have mentioned several times.  

Here’s my thoughts on Baker.  We could trade him and replace him with Chris Davis.  Davis is a true corner infielder.  He could backup Aramis Ramirez and Carlos Pena.  This would allow Darwin Barney to backup Starlin Castro and Blake DeWitt.  Davis has a lot of power and would be a power threat off the bench.
If the Cubs were to trade Fukudome it would open up an everyday position for Tyler Colvin.  While some Cub fans may not be sold on Colvin, I am.  Also, if we were to trade Fukudome that would allow Reed Johnson and Fernando Perez to both make the team strengthening our outfield defense and give us a lot of speed off the bench.  
Finally, trading Silva would allow one of our younger pitchers or one of our veteran non-roster invitees to make the starting rotation.  I know Silva had the blow up with Ramirez, but that’s not the main reason I would like to trade him.  He hasn’t pitched all that well this spring and I believe he will be on the DL by mid-summer.  
As long as we got Chris Davis in a deal I would be happy.  There are no other players that I have in mind at this point.  Maybe we could get some low level minor leaguers in a deal.  Plus, we could unload Fukudome’s and Silva’s contracts to a team willing to pay them.  I don’t think a trade will happen soon, but these are just a few ideas.  

GO CUBS GO!!!

RANDOM THOUGHTS

With the injury to Adam Wainwright, I truly think the Cards need to sign Jeremy Bonderman.  He’s the type of pitcher that Dave Duncan could turn around and get 12 wins from this season.  

The Cubs need to trade Carlos Silva to the Yankees so he and Bartolo Colon can battle to make their rotation.  I can also imagine each of them tearing up the buffet’s in Tampa this spring.  
The Cubs need to find a real leadoff hitter for the future.  I know that Fukudome may get the job this spring, but he’s not the real solution to this problem.  Neither is Starlin Castro.  I think Castro is better suited to hit second at this point in his career.  Maybe Brett Jackson will be the answer for 2012.  
The Cubs defense has been pitiful so far this spring.  I hope they are taking extra fielding practice.  I imagine that Q has them doing this and I am gaining more and more confidence in him as our manager.  
Marlon Byrd was a great free agent signing by Jim Hendry.  He played well last season, but will probably need a few extra days off as the season progresses this year.  A person’s body can take only so much punishment.  Byrd is a beast and seems to be a great teammate.  
I like Tyler Colvin getting some action at firstbase this spring.  I would prefer him in RF over Fukudome, but as long as he’s getting consistent playing time at 1B and RF I can live with that for now.  
Here’s to a healthy season!  GO CUBS GO!

ODDS AND ENDS

Wow, the Cubs cannot seem to field the ball this spring.  We’ve played 4 games and have committed 14 errors.  That’s not a good sign.  What’s worse than that.  Carlos Silva blowing up at Aramis Ramirez.  Maybe it was overblown, but you can’t have guys going at it this early in the spring.  The grind hasn’t even begun yet.  I hope this is not a sign of things to come. 

Speaking of Silva, the errors didn’t help but neither did giving up the homeruns.  I will definitely be keeping track of his next couple of starts.  He may not make the rotation if Andrew Cashner and Randy Wells pitch good this spring.
I’m curious to see what Rudy Jaramillo will do for Carlos Pena this year.  We need a huge year from him.  I think he could be the difference maker for our offense this season.  
I still cannot believe what Hank Steinbrenner said about players building mansions.  It was obvious he was directing his frustrations at Jeter.   In my opinion, Derek Jeter is one of baseballs classiest players.  Foolish comment Hank!
With everything going on with the Mets financially, I would love to see Donald Trump buy them.  I know this is not going to happen, but I would still like to see D.T. as an owner.  As a matter of fact, I would like to see Mark Cuban as an owner too.  
I think the Pirates will not finish last this year.  I also believe they are a step closer to finishing above .500 in the near future.  Andrew McCutchen has quickly become one of my favorite players to watch.  And one thing I’ve noticed on MLBLOGS is that there are a lot of die hard Pirate fans still out there waiting for their team to start winning again.  I wish them the best of luck.
That’s all I’ve got for today….until another Cub erupts in the dugout or something like that.

SPRING BATTLES

Along with about every other baseball fan, I love this time of year.  Spring training is finally here!  And in addition to baseball, March Madness is about to begin for us college basketball fans as well.  Anyway, it’s been a couple days since my last post and I wanted to catch up on a few things.

Kosuke Fukudome is getting a chance this spring to leadoff.  The Cubs desperately need to find someone who can fill the role of being a leadoff man for the team and it appears he’s getting the first shot at it.  If he succeeds at this role then I would be excited.  However, I am not completely confident that this is where he needs to hit.  Personally, I think he makes a good number 2 hitter or someone in the lower lineup.  Plus, if wins the job of starter in rightfield and leadoff man, that means Tyler Colvin will become a bench player.  I would like to see Colvin as our everyday rightfielder.

Leftfielder Alfonso Soriano is looking good in the early going this spring.  If he is able to stay healthy and play better than he has the last couple of years that would be huge for the team. 

Tyler Colvin has been working on playing firstbase this spring and may be our backup in case Carlos Pena gets injured this season or needs a day off.  This is something that I like.  I believe Colvin can be an everyday player at firstbase or rightfield.  I also believe that Colvin will battle Fukudome for the starting job in RF especially if Kosuke cannot handle the job of leadoff man. 

Reed Johnson and Fernando Perez will be battling for a spot on the roster as our 5th outfielder.  In this battle, I prefer Johnson at this point.  He’s a seasoned vet and just happens to be one of my favorite players. 

The battle for the 4th and 5th spots in the rotation have begun.  Carlos Silva, Randy Wells and Andrew Cashner are my three favorites to win those two spots.  It will be interesting to see how they perform this spring.  In this battle, I prefer Cashner and Wells.  While Silva got off to a good start in 2010, I’m not convinced he is going to be that successful again.  I also like Casey Coleman as a darkhorse in this race, but from what I’ve read he will probably start the season in Iowa.

Another battle going on this spring is for utility infielder.  Youngster, Darwin Barney, and veteran Augie Ojeda are the two main guys fighting for this job.  I prefer Barney in this battle. 

Another utility player that I would like the Cubs to give a chance is Bobby Scales.  I don’t think he will make the team out of spring training, but I believe if someone struggles or gets injured he will have a good chance of getting called up.  He’s versatile and I would love to have his energy coming off our bench. 

That’s all I’ve got for now. 

 

ALBERT PUJOLS

I know everyone in the world has an opinion on Albert Pujols and his contract situation with the Cardinals.  Will he sign with the Cards, how much money and how many years seem to dominate the baseball news everyday.  I have no problem with that because I want to know too.  So, I have a couple of scenarios regarding Albert and his next contract.  Hope you enjoy.

Scenario 1

Albert signs with St. Louis and Red Bird nation breathes a huge sigh of relief.  He gets 7 years guaranteed at $28 million per year with a player option for an 8th year and a club option for a 9th year.  This allows the Cards to be the favorite in the NL Central for another few years.  However, the Cards may face some problems long term with this contract.  The Cards already signed Matt Holliday for $17 million a year through 2016 and a team option for 2017 at the same price .  Adam Wainwright has a $9 million team option for 2012 and $12 million team option for 2013.  Wainwright will be a free agent after the 2013 season unless things change between now and then.  Chris Carpenter has a $15 million team option for 2012 and will be a free agent after that season.  Fortunately, they have young players in Colby Rasmus, Jaime Garcia and David Freese that will help offset the salaries of the Cards’ “Big 4″.  At least until 2015.  That’s the earliest year that Rasmus and Garcia can become free agents.  So, I think the Cards will do great in the first few years of Albert’s contract, but it may hamper them financially in 2015 and beyond.  I know resigning Wainwright won’t be cheap.  He’s a great pitcher and a legitimate ace.  If Rasmus, Garcia and Freese all continue to improve they should get substantial raises through arbitration or contract extensions.  However, the Cards suffer more, in my opinion, by not signing Albert. 

Scenario 2

The Cards don’t get a deal done with Albert this spring.  He hits the free agent market and the bidding goes crazy!  Eventually, he agrees to sign with the Cards for $30 million a year for 10 years.  The Cards try to defer some of the contract, but it’s such a large deal that it still hampers them finacially beyond 2015 .  I don’t see the Cardinals brass caving in to 10 years and $30 million.

Scenario 3

Pujols decides to give the Cardinals a break and sign for 7 years at $27.5 million a year.  This is the best case scenario for the Cards.  I can see this happening if the Cards work out some sort of vesting options for an additional 3 years potentially making it a 10 year contract.  I can see something like Pujols having to play in a minumum number of games each year or driving in a certain number runs in order to guarantee years 8-10.  If the Cards pull this off I think they will benefit greatly!

Scenario 4

The Cub scenario!  The Cubs sign him for 10 years at $30 million a year.  The ONLY way this would work for the Cubs, in my opinion, is to front load the deal.  Ramirez, Silva, Fukudome and Pena are all free agents after this season (Ramirez and Silva each have options for next year with buyouts).  That would free up around $40 million dollars for next season.  That’s a lot of money to be used on Pujols.  Soriano will become a free agent in 2015 clearing up another $18 million a year.  Carlos Zambrano will become a free agent in 2013 or 2014.  He has a vesting option for 2014 at $19.25 million.  So between Soriano and Zambrano the Cubs have over $35 million coming off the books soon.  I think the Cubs could make this work financially if we spend our money wisely.  We have one of the largest payrolls in baseball and I know we could afford Pujols.  The real question is, Do we want to?  Do we really want to spend that type of money on the best hitter in the game who will be aging for the majority of his contract?  Do we want to risk another Soriano type of contract?  Do we want to add fuel to the fire in the Cubs/Cards rivalry?  I don’t know!  I do know this.  I would like to see what Albert could do offensively playing 81 home games at Wrigley Field.  But I don’t know if I would be willing to pay the price.

I know there will be a lot of teams willing to make an offer to Albert if he doesn’t sign with the Cards.  The Angels, Cubs, Rangers and Nationals are the teams I have as frontrunners, outside of the Cardinals, to make a serious run at Pujols if he does become a free agent.  Yet, I consider myself a baseball purist.  And as a baseball purist I want to see Albert play his entire career in St. Louis.  I also want the Cubs to beat the Cards with Albert still wearing a Cardinals jersey.  That would be just fine with me.

WHO’S PITCHING?

Going into Spring Training I am confused by the overload of pitchers the Cubs have to choose from.  I know that may sound odd to say, but I do have my own biased reason behind these words.  We’ve invited several pitchers as non-roster invitees that we are trying to catch “lightning in a bottle” with, but I would rather see us let our younger pitchers compete for a spot on the team’s pitching staff over these guys.  Braden Looper, Todd Wellemeyer and Scott Rice are three pitchers that I don’t think will make the team nor should they.  Looper and Wellemeyer are veterans trying to land with a team and Rice is a career minor leauger trying to do the same.  Rice is a lefty and younger than both Looper and Wellemeyer and is the only one of these guys I would like the Cubs to hold on to.  Let him start the year at AA or AAA and see what he can do as a lefty reliever. 

We also have Carlos Silva, Randy Wells, Andrew Cashner, Jeff Samardzija, Casey Coleman, James Russell and Thomas Diamond that will be competing for the 4th and 5th spots in the rotation.  Obviously, Dempster, Garza and Zambrano will be the top three starters for us.  I expect the competition for those two spots in the rotation to be fierce.  And any of these guys that doesn’t make the rotation will be competing for a spot in the bullpen as well.   

Arms out of the bullpen will be Sean Marshall, Kerry Wood and Carlos Marmol for certain.  However, we have several players trying to land a spot in the pen as well such as,  Justin Berg, John Gaub, John Grabow, Scott Maine and Jeff Stevens.  I think our bullpen may be really young in 2011. 

We also have a few of our minor league pitchers that are non-roster invitees this spring as well.  This includes Chris Carpenter, Trey McNutt and Jay Jackson.  I think Jay Jackson is the closest to being ready for the big leauges of these three.  I imagine he will start the season in Iowa though. 

I know there is a handful of pitchers that I have not mentioned.  But the bottom line, is that we have a lot of guys competing for a limited amount of spots.  I know this happens every year, but I wish the Cubs would let the young guys fight it out and not worry about Silva, Looper or Wellemeyer.  I believe the talent is there with some of our minor league pitchers is we would just give them the chance to play in the big leagues. 

 

 

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