Results tagged ‘ Reed Johnson ’
WHAT’S NEXT?
The Cubs have had a difficult season so far and I can’t help but wonder….What’s Next?!?! We had a lot of trouble with our defense in spring training and that has continued into the regular season to some extent. We had Andrew Cashner and Randy Wells go on the DL in early April. We’ve lost Marlon Byrd, Matt Garza, Reed Johnson, Geovany Soto (he’s back now) and Jeff Baker to the DL as well. Afonso Soriano injured his quad yesterday and I don’t know if he will be the next to visit the DL, but wouldn’t be surprised if he did.
With all of these injuries, the Cubs have won 23 and lost 29 as of this post. That’s six games under .500 and puts us in second to last in the division. However, we are only 7.5 games out of first.
The frustration for me is that we are signing and trading for Doug Davis and Rodrigo Lopez to help our starting rotation. I know they probably weren’t that expensive, but I would rather us go young. We did with Casey Coleman, but he wasn’t getting the job done. We also tried James Russell, but I believe he’s better a relief pitcher than starter and his stats prove it. I know it may be too early, but I would love to see the Cubs bring up Trey McNutt who is pitching great at AA Tennessee.
Overall, I think we need to get healthy to see what we this club can really do this season. And if we don’t, then I would hope the Cubs bring up more of our younger players and let them get a taste of the big leagues and see what they need to work on. I don’t want to hinder their development, but it would be nice to see some of these young players get a cup of coffee. They are our future, right?
WELCOME BACK REED JOHNSON!
One of my favorite players is back on the Cubs. Reed Johnson has agreed to a minor league deal. I hope that he makes the team because we could use a guy like him as a spark plug off the bench and in the clubhouse. I think the Cubs will have to trade Fukudome or start the year with 5 outfielders, which is a possibility. Either way, I look forward to having him back in Cubbie Blue.
In other news, I read today that the Cubs may trade Gorzelanny. Now, I’ve heard this before this offseason, but Bruce Levine wrote about it earlier today and explained why. Here’s the link to the Bruce Levine article. Trading Gorzelanny should come as no surprise and it would open up a spot in the rotation for one of our younger pitchers. I’ve also read some other interesting rumors, but none worth mentioning at this point.
I still see us shopping Gorzelanny, Fukudome and Wells this spring. I believe the Cubs are in the unique process of rebuilding for this year and for the future. It’s hard to do, but we seem to be on the right track and like I keep saying, we have a lot of money coming off the books at the end of this season and I look for us to go on a big shopping spree next winter.
Business of Baseball
With the winter meetings right around the corner I guess it’s a good time to talk some business. The Chicago Cubs have a lot of work to do….mainly involving Milton Bradley. It is my opinion, that the Cubs will try to deal Bradley starting next Monday. I am halfway tempted to make the drive to Indy and tell Jim Hendry what I think. Then again, I know I wouldn’t even get a chance to say hello to Jim or any other exec so I won’t waste my time.
So, far the Cubs made a good move trading Heilman. We need to trade Aaron Miles too while we are at it. I have read that the Cubs may shop Jake Fox to some American League teams. While I understand the business side of this I really like Fox and would love to see him playing for the Cubbies in 2010.
The Cubs decided not to offer arbitration to Kevin Gregg, Chad Fox, Rich Harden and Reed Johnson. While I love Reed Johnson I understand we have Tyler Colvin and Sam Fuld that could take over Johnson’s role with the team. I would also like to see Harden back with the Cubs, but I know he will command more money than the Cubs will be willing to pay.
The Cubs have a lot of work to do. There are rumors about trading for Curtis Granderson. I like Granderson a lot. Yet, I don’t want to trade away too much young talent to get a guy that strikes out a ton and hits for a low average.
Some of our minor leaguers that may attract interest from other teams are SS Starlin Castro, 3B Josh Vitters, P Andrew Cashner and P Blake Parker. These are just a few of our young players that other teams may inquire about in any potential trades. I would prefer not to trade any of them away personally, but if the right deal comes along……who knows?
Finally, the Braves and Phillies made some moves this week that I like. The Braves signed Billy Wagner. If he stays healthy the Braves will have an elite closer. Meanwhile the Phils picked up Placido Polanco to play thirdbase. Polanco will hit for a good average and play great defense while hardly ever striking out. Good moves by both teams. Hopefully, the Cubs will make some good moves next week!
I’m Back….and Still Can’t Figure Out What The Cubs Were Thinking
It’s been almost 2 months since my last post. I would like to say it was mainly due to laziness. I don’t plan on taking any more breaks either. But I will start back by trying to figure out why the Cubs brass did what they did last off-season.
I just don’t understand what the Cubs were thinking last off-season.
They had a team that had just won 97 games in the regular season. I
know there was pressure to “tweak” the roster so they could perform
better in the post-season, but the moves they made have backfired.
Jason Marquis, Mark DeRosa, Henry Blanco and Kerry Wood are all gone.
That may not seem like much, but it’s had a huge impact and I am going
to attempt to explain why.
Jason Marquis may not put up dazzling numbers, but he gets the job done
every fifth day. What I mean by that is he is one of those guys who
pitches and gives his team a chance to win almost every time out. As of
today, he is 14-8 with a 3.47 ERA for the Colorado Rockies, who look
like they have a good chance to win the wild card. Considering the Cubs
injuries to their starting rotation this season they sure could have
used him. And it doesn’t hurt that the team he’s played for has made the
playoffs every season during his major league career. But trading him
away for Luis Vizcaino was a mistake, especially considering the Cubs
don’t even have Vizcaino anymore.
The Cubs also decided to trade away super-utility man, Mark DeRosa.
Not only was DeRosa capable of playing almost any position, but he did
it without complaining or letting it affect his hitting. With the
injury to Aramis Ramirez this year, the Cubs really could have used
DeRosa at third base. Or, DeRosa could be the starting second baseman
and Fox could play third when Aramis is out. Or, DeRosa could play
leftfield or rightfield when needed. He’s got a good bat and plays
solid defense wherever the you put him. To make matters worse, he’s now
on the Cardinals. I wish DeRosa the best, but I would love to have him
back in a Cubs uniform.
The loss of Henry Blanco may not seem like much to most fans. But to
me, it was a huge loss. The Cubs let him get away via free agency last
off-season. Here’s a guy that was a mentor to Geovany Soto. Soto went
on to win the Rookie of the Year award and I would like to think that
Blanco was a factor in that. Plus, he hit well when he did get to play
last season.
Finally, the Cubs let go of Kerry Wood allowing him to sign with the
Cleveland Indians. That made me mad. I understood that baseball is a
business, but Wood had been with the Cubs since 1998. As the Cubs first
round pick in the ’95 draft, Wood quickly became one of my favorite
Cubs. While his career has been plagued with injuries, there is not
doubt that he possessed the talent to be a good starter early in his
career and a solid closer now. So, the Cubs let him go and then go and
trade minor league Jose Ceda for Kevin Gregg. As much as I want Gregg
to succeed he hasn’t been consistent as the Cubs closer. So, the way I
see it, the Cubs gave up Kerry Wood and Jose Ceda (and his 98mph
fastball) for Gregg. Another move that hasn’t worked too well.
Equally important is the chemistry the team had last year. The loss of
these four guys wasn’t just a loss on the field but in the dugout,
bullpen and clubhouse. There is no doubt that this year’s team does not
have the chemistry of the ’08 Cubs. I believe that loss combined with
injuries to Soto, Ramirez, Ryan Dempster, Ted Lilly, Reed Johnson and
Carlos Zambrano is the reason why the Cubs are struggling to stay above
.500.
It will be interesting to see what moves the Cubs make the remainder of
this season and this upcoming off-season. Will the Ricketts family give
Jim Hendry a blank check book? Will Lou Piniella stick around for
another year or will Ryne Sandberg be the new Cub manager? Will the
Cubs even finish this season over .500? We’ll just have to wait and
see.
Last Minute Taxes!
I am one of the world’s biggest procrastinators. But there is one thing that I never wait til the last minute to do and that is my taxes. So, as I sit here today with the peace of mind that my taxes are done I know that there are a lot of people out there just getting started. (That’s for you Dave, my Reds friend)
Anyway, more important to me than taxes is baseball. The Cubs have come out of the gate to a respectable 5-2 start. They have also started the season a little banged up too. Soto has a sore shoulder, Gregg’s knee isn’t 100%, Bradley has a sore right groin and Aramis’ back isn’t feeling all the great either. However, Reed Johnson has flashed some leather robbing Prince Fielder of a homer, THE RIOT, Ryan Theriot, has hit in all but 1 game, Fukudome is being more aggressive at the plate, Soriano has crushed the ball and the starting pitching hasn’t been too bad. So, all in all, the Cubs are playing well and I know they are only going to get better.
On another note, I just signed up for MLB’s Beat The Streak. It sounds fun and should occupy very little of my time.
QUICK THOUGHTS:
The loss of Chris Carpenter will definitely hurt the Cardinals. However, I would like to see him come back as soon as possible. Anytime the Cubs and Cards both are near the top of the division it makes for a great season.
I watched A.J. Burnett last night and he looked almost as good as Nick Swisher did the night before. In case you didn’t notice, Swisher pitched 1 inning with his fastball topping out at 80mph. But he didn’t allow any runs and he struck out 1.
Red Sox fans should be happy with Jason Bay for a full season. So far, his number are better than Manny’s.
Why I Like Reed Johnson….
As a fourth outfielder, the Chicago Cubs have a great player in Reed Johnson. There is no doubt that he could be an everyday player. However, I believe he is more valuable as a fourth outfielder, pinch runner, pinch hitter and defensive replacement. He is capable of playing all 3 outfield positions. He can hit for average, is a great bunter and can steal some bases too. Last year he stole only 5 bases. I look for that number to increas in 2009. While Reed has never stolen more than 8 bases in a season there is no denying that he has some speed. More importantly than that is his aggressive style of play. He is not afraid to get his uniform dirty.
In addition to his offensive abilities, Johnson is an excellent defender. The Cubs will be able to use him in all 3 outfield positions when needed. I can see Reed replacing Bradley late in games because of his defense. Or, heaven forbid, Soriano goes down with his annual leg injury, he can play leftfield. Then there is the possiblity of platooning with Kosuke Fukudome in centerfield. I see that happening if Fukudome struggles at the plate again this year.
Whichever way you look at it Reed Johnson is a valuable player for the Cubs. I look for him to get around 300-350 at bats this year. He’s the type of player that a championship caliber team needs. He’s a sparkplug whether he’s starting or coming off the bench.
2009—The Year the Cubs Shine?
Ever since the 2003 collapse in the playoffs against the Florida Marlins, I have been waiting for the Cubs to return to the post season and win. 2007 and 2008 were great regular seasons followed by utter disappointment by getting swept out of the playoffs each season. This year is different for me. I am not as confident as I was last year. I look at this current team and still see some holes that need to be filled. However, I strongly believe that any issues the Cubs have this year will be taken care of once the sale of the team is finalized. I am putting a lot of faith into Tom Ricketts, Jim Hendry, Lou Piniella and the players and other coaches. Here’s my quick preview of what I think this year’s team has entering spring training.
The starters should look something like this to start the season:
C-Geovany Soto
1B-Derek Lee
2B-Mike Fontenot
3B-Aramis Ramirez
SS-Ryan Theriot
LF-Milton Bradley
CF-Kosuke Fukudome
RF-Alfonso Soriano
Here’s the bench:
Micah Hoffpauir-1B,LF,RF
Aaron Miles-2B, SS, 3B
Paul Bako-C
Reed Johnson-OF
Joey Gathright-OF
Jake Fox has a chance to make the team as a versatile player capable of playing 1B, 3B, C, LF and RF.
Koyie Hill has a chance to make the team as a backup Catcher.
Here’s a quick look at our pitchers:
Starters first.
Ryan Dempster, Carlos Zambrano, Rich Harden and Ted Lilly.
Guys that could start or come out of the bullpen.
Sean Marshall, Jeff Samardzija, Chad Gaudin, Angel Guzman and Aaron Heilman
Guys out of the pen.
Carlos Marmol, Kevin Gregg, Luis Vizcaino, Neal Cotts, and Kevin Hart.
I am sure things will look a little different when the season starts, but I imagine the team will come out of spring training with a roster consisting of most of the players listed above. A few will start the season at Iowa and hopefully get called up when needed.
Things look bright for 2009. But we can always improve. Go Cubs Go!
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