Results tagged ‘ Rich Harden ’
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!
What Are the Cubs Going to Do?
The Cubs need a boost. I don’t think there is any denying it. We have had injuries this season to Aramis Ramirez, Rich Harden, Carlos Zambrano and the list goes on and on. Milton Bradley hasn’t hit well and neither has Soto. Fontenot has been playing out of position at third since Aramis went on the DL and his hitting has suffered since moving to the other side of the infield. The Cubs have brought up Bobby Scales, Andres Blanco and Jake Fox. I say we keep Scales and Fox up and let go of Freel and Miles who are both on the DL. Blanco is a great defender, but is not known for his hitting. If he gets sent down it won’t bother me one bit.
I still want the Cubs to acquire Jake Peavy. I say we trade young Josh Vitters, pictured below, to obtain Peavy.
The Cubs will hopefully be active this summer before the trade deadline. I want to get another stud pitcher. Peavy is at the top of my list. He may be the kind of guy that puts the Cubs over the top. I would hate to lose Vitters in a deal, but I also understand that it would take a deal involving him to get Peavy. I would be willing to make that sacrifice.
A Few Updates
The Cubs finally set their roster for opening day. Two players weren’t going to make the team. It didn’t surprise me that the Cubs sent Jeff Samardzija to Triple-A Iowa, but I was stunned that they let go Chad Gaudin. Here’s a guy that throws hard, just turned 26 and has experience starting and pitching out of the pen. And when some other team signs Gaudin the Cubs will still be paying him $1.6 million. I have read that Jim Hendry tried to trade Gaudin but couldn’t find any takers. Yet, I would be willing to bet that someone will have him signed by the end of this week. The Cubs did keep Angel Guzman on the big league roster and I wasn’t too surprised by that move. Hopefully he can stay healthy for a change.
Another thing on my mind is Rich Harden. He gave up 7 homers in 13 innings this spring and that’s not good news for Cub fans. If Harden is having troubles once the season starts then I will be even more concerned. The Cubs need him to be healthy in order to win the Central Division this year. I consider every team a threat to the Cubs to win the division except for the Pirates. Sorry Pirate fans. The Cards are really scaring me with the emergence of what appears to be a healthy Chris Carpenter. If he’s able to make 30+ starts in ’09 then the Cards will have a good chance to make it to the post-season.
Anyway, I just had a few things I wanted to touch on today. I have more thoughts bouncing around in my head, but I don’t have enough time to cover it all today.
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!
Big ‘Z’ and the World Baseball Classic
Last season Carlos Zambrano was up and down with shoulder problems. It was the first time in several years that he did not pitch over 200 innings. I believe that this could turn out to be a good thing. Big ‘Z’ is also not going to pitch in the World Baseball Classic for Venezuela. That’s also good news in my opinion. The Cubs need a healthy and fresh Zambrano in 2009 if they want to repeat as Central Division Champs. What has me concerned now though, is an eye infection. He was already considering having laser surgery to help correct a vision problem. Now, with the infection he may have to put the surgery off until later this spring. I hope he doesn’t do it during the regular season. I think the surgery is a good idea, but he needs to have it done when his eye is completely recovered from the infection and before the season starts.
I mentioned that Zambrano won’t be competing in the World Baseball Classic and I think that is a good thing. Fellow Cubs pitcher, Rich Harden, has also chosen not to compete in the Classic. This is great news for the Cubs.
There are several Cubs players that are going to participate in the World Baseball Classic this spring. Carlos Marmol, Alfonso Soriano and Aramis Ramirez will be playing for the Dominican team. Ted Lilly and Derek Lee are on the USAs team roster. Geovany Soto may play for Puerto Rico. Outfielder Kosuke Fukudome will be playing for team Japan. There are other players from the Cubs that will be participating, but these are the main guys. These are the guys that will either be in the everyday lineup or play a major role on the pitching staff. I think the only guy that will really benefit from playing inthe WBC is going to be Fukudome. He needs to have a good WBC to gain confidence. He finished last year on a sour note, even losing his starting role. The Cubs invested a lot of money into him and they need for him to deliver this season. I believe he is capable of hitting over .280 this year. We will have to wait and see.
I wish the World Baseball Classic would take place in November after the regular season. I feel that having the games before the season starts isn’t a good thing. I went to Florida in 2006 to watch some spring training games. Several players were absent because they were representing their country in the WBC. It wasn’t the same for me. But I guess I am complaining and I know I don’t have any say in the matter. Yet, I think it would be better to have the games after the season rather than before.
Starting Pitching
Pitchers and catchers report next week and I cannot wait. As of rignt now, we still don’t know who the fifth starter will be. We do know that our 1-4 pitchers stack up well against any other team in baseball.
I’ll start with Carlos Zambrano, also known as Big Z. Last year was the first time since 2002 that Zambrano did not pitch over 200 innings. That may be a good thing for him and the Cubs in 2009. Hopefully, his arm and shoulder will be more rested and a healthy Zambrano could mean 20 wins this season. Last year was up and down for Big Z. He slugged the snot out of the ball and even threw a no hitter. He now has 6 consecutive winning seasons as a pitcher. He’s been consistent winning between 13 and 18 games since ’02. I expect big things from the big guy this year.
Next, we have Ryan Dempster. He is coming off a career year and it would be hard to expect him to improve off of last season. I anticipate 15 wins and 200 innings though. He’s one of my favorite players because of his competitive nature. When he first came to the Cubs he was out of shape. Since then he has slimmed down and turned into a lean pitching machine. He signed on to stay with the Cubs this off season and I believe he will have much success over the next 3-4 years in a Cubs uniform. His dedication to excel as a pitcher will hopefully push his teammates to do the same.
Then we have our sole lefty in the rotation, Ted Lilly. I love Lilly now, but when we first signed him I wasn’t so certain. This is a classic example of me questioning a move by Jim Hendry. It is also an example of Henry making the right move. Lilly is 32-17 since joinging the Cubs. Another thing I like about Lilly is his striking resemblance to a close friend of mine named Zane. Zane was also a left handed pitcher, but he never quite made it as far as Lilly. If I were to post a close up picture of Lilly and Zane side by side you would think they were related. Anyway, Lilly is a great guy to have in the rotation. I think he will be third or fourth in the rotation and will probably win 15 games again this year.
Rich Harden is our next guy. His stuff is electric. He is capable of being a number one pitcher on most any team, but he also has a history of not being healthy. I would use him as the number four starter personally due to his health concerns. He would probably be the best number four starter in all of baseball. I hope he stays healthy and I know Lou won’t over use him. If we can get 25 starts from Harden I think he will win at least 12 games. Who knows, if he stays healthy all season we could be looking at a sleeper Cy Young candidate. But that may be reaching just a little bit.
As far as our fifth starter goes it’s still up in the air. I could see lefty Sean Marshall fill that role, but I like his versatility out of the bullpen. I think he is more valuable as a middle reliever who is capable of starting when needed to. There is also Jeff Samardzija. The 24 year old Samardzija has great stuff and could fill this role nicely or he could be used as a setup man. Either way, I see a bright future for this guy and the Cubs. There are other guys who have been mentioned as a possible fifth starter, Chad Gaudin, Aaron Heilman, and Angel Guzman seem to be the main ones. Whoever the fifth starter is I think he will be solid. I would prefer Samardzija personally.
Rumblings and Grumblings
This off-season hasn’t gone as well as I would have hoped thus far. Initially, I thought things were going smoothly. Hendry and the Cubs picked up Rich Harden’s option. Then the Cubs extended Hendry’s contract. Then they re-signed Ryan Dempster to a four year deal. Then things started going a different direction. First, the Cubs decided not to re-sign Kerry Wood, who is now a member of the Cleveland Indians. Then they traded minor league stud Jose Ceda for Kevin Gregg.
“To Do List” Update!
Well, my personal “To Do List” for the Cubs this offseason started off well. Unfortunately, it has hit some snags. The Cubs picked up Rich Harden’s contract,extended Jim Hendry’s contract and re-signed Ryan Dempster. Then came the bad news. The Cubs traded away a really good prospect in Jose Ceda for reliever Kevin Gregg. Ceda has a fastball the tops out close to 100mph. I believe he has a high ceiling. Gregg is older and obviously more experienced. However, this trade signaled the end for Kerry Wood as a Chicago Cub. But, ever the optimist, I hope the Cubs will still try to sign Kerry for one more year. Highly unlikely. I guess I could put it on my “wish list” instead of my “to do list”. But then I would have to create a wish list. Anyway, the Cubs may still be in the hunt for Jake Peavy. I still like the idea of obtaining him. The Cub are also considering Bobby Abreu and Raul Ibanez and others to play rightfield and supply some left handed lumber in the middle of the lineup. A guy capable of driving in 100 runs would be great. Finally, I would love nothing more than to see Mark Cuban buy the Cubs. Unfortunately, Bud Selig (BOOOOOO!!!!!!!) doesn’t seem to want him as an owner. It’s looking more like someone else will own the Cubs next season. I hope whoever owns the Cubs wants to win a championship as bad as I do. We’ll just have to wait and see.
1. Pick up Rich Harden’s option for next season.
2. Extend Jim Hendry’s Contract.
3. Re-sign Ryan Dempster.
4. Re-sign Kerry Wood?????????? Please, one more year!
5. Trade for Jake Peavy or try to sign C.C. Sabathia or A.J. Burnett.
6. Find a Centerfielder/Rightfielder. One that bats left handed.
7. Finalize the sale of the Chicago Cubs. Preferrably Cuban followed by the Ricketts family.
Cubs Off-Season “To Do List”
Okay, the 2008 regular season was great. I watched 3-4 games a week and when I couldn’t watch the Cubs I listened to Ron Santo and Pat Hughes call the game on the radio. Unfortunately, the post-season was terrible. But now it’s time for the Off-Season to begin and here is my personal to do list for the Cubs. I have a short list of things to do because I believe the Cubs only need to tweak their roster a little bit in order to win in the playoffs next year. So, here it is….my to do list for the Cubs this winter.
1. Pick up Rich Harden’s option for next season.
2. Extend Jim Hendry’s Contract.
3. Re-sign Ryan Dempster.
4. Re-sign Kerry Wood
5. Trade for Jake Peavy.
6. Find a Centerfielder.
7. Finalize the sale of the Chicago Cubs.
Okay, we already picked up Harden’s option, but I felt it was important to list it anyway. That way, we have already accomplished something this off-season. Next, the Cubs need to extend Jim Hendry’s contract. He is the one who put this current Cubs team together and he seems to have a great relationship with the players. Keeping him is crucial for the Cubs this off-season and could turn out to be the most important move they make all winter. After, securing Hendry, the Cubs should be able to take advantage of his relationship with Ryan Dempster and Kerry Wood and re-sign both players to multi-year deals each.
So far, the first 4 things to do seem simple and the Cubs appear to be on track. However, number 5 on my list is a little more complicated. Jake Peavy recently named the Cubs as one of the teams he would like play for next season if traded. I think the Cubs need to pursue Peavy and make their rotation one of the best in all of baseball. The Cubs must trade Jason Marquis in this deal even if they have to eat most of his salary of $9.875 million for next season. I believe that Felix Pie would have to be in the deal too. I am fine with that. I don’t know who else or what positions the Padres want, but Marquis and Pie is a good start. Especially if the Cubs still pay most of Marquis’ salary. Other players I would consider trading in this deal are Sean Marshall, Ronny Cedeno, Kevin Hart, Angel Guzman, Michael Wuertz, Casey McGehee, Sam Fuld, and Tyler Colvin. It all depends on what the Padres are looking for, but I think Felix Pie would be the center piece of a deal for Peavy.
Next, I would like the Cubs to sign or trade for an everyday centerfielder if they trade Felix Pie. If not, then let Pie play everday to start the season next year. If he is unable to hit by the start of June let Reed Johnson take over. However, assuming the Cubs deal Pie this off-season, I have a few guys that I would like them to pursue. Coco Crisp is on my short list, but I am hesitant to make a trade with Boston. Another option would be to move Fukudome to center and sign Bobby Abreu to play right. He would provide the left handed bat that the Cubs could use. The Cubs could even make it a multiplayer deal for Peavy and obtain Brian Giles, but I think he would be a better fit in rightfield. Or the Cubs could bring back Jim Edmonds and platoon him with Johnson again. These are just a few options but I would like to see an everyday centerfielder next year and use Johnson as your fourth outfielder.
Finally, the impending sale of the Chicago Cubs. I have read that the deal may not be completed until after next season begins. There are reportedly 5 bidders still alive when it comes to the sale of the Cubs. I am interested in only 2 of them, Mark Cuban and the Ricketts family. I would prefer Cuban but I think Ricketts would be decent. Actually, I more than prefer Cuban. I think he would make sure the Cubs won a World Series and take care of the players and fans. He’s the only potential owner that I know who goes to Wrigley and watches the Cubs. He’s the owner of the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA. He loves his team and refuses to sit in some luxury box. Instead he sits courtside and cheers his team on. That’s what I want from the next owner of the Cubs. Someone who is right there with the fans. Someone that wants to win as bad as I do. Someone who won’t be afraid to spend money. You’ve got to spend money to make money. Just imagine how much the Cubs would be worth when they finally win the World Series! I think Cuban is the man for the job.
Anyway, here’s my “To Do List” for the Cubs this off-season. I will try to keep it updated and make any additions when necessary.
Jake Peavy and the Cubs
The San Diego Padres’ star pitcher, Jake Peavy, is wanting to be traded. He has mentioned the Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals as two of the teams he would like to play for. It’s my understanding that he wants to stay in the National League and play for a contender. If all of this is true, and he does get traded, I hope he ends up with my beloved Cubs. Imagine a rotation featuring Carlos Zambrano, Rich Harden, Ryan Dempster, Ted Lilly and Jake Peavy. Take those 5 pitchers and put them in any order you want. You would have 5 guys capable of winning 15 games. It would be a tough rotation to beat. I hope Jim Hendry, at the least, contacts the Padres and tries to make an offer. If anyone can get it done I believe Hendry can.
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