- Matt Szczur has chosen the Cubs over a possible NFL career today by signing a 1.5 million dollar contact. Here is what Baseball America has to say about him-
"Szczur has a knack for barreling balls, which combined with his top-of-the-scale speed will allow him to hit for high averages. He has hit some 400-foot bombs in batting practice, and once he gets more coaching and learns to finish through the ball better, he could have average or better power. He's still refining his basestealing and baserunning, but his speed alone makes him a threat. Villanova football coach Andy Talley says Szczur is his fastest player ever, ahead of star NFL running back Brian Westbrook. In his short time in pro ball, Szczur's center-field play and his throwing made significant strides. He'll have plus-plus range once he improves his jumps, and his arm strength rated as average after he loosened up and lost some of his football tightness. His competitiveness and work ethic are impeccable."
Szczur was originally drafted by the Dodgers in the 38th round of the 2007 draft before he decided to play football and baseball at Villanova. Szczur hit a robust .347 with a .414 OBP, 10 doubles, a triple in 25 games for the Boise Hawks, Peoria Chiefs, and in Rookie ball. I know it is early but he has all the tools to become a star in the making.
- Levine says the Cubs could add a guy like Orlando Cabrera that can play multiple spots and be a veteran bat off the bench. We have said the same thing here on HSC.
- Andrew Cashner has a spot in the rotation according to Levine.
- Mark Riggins says Smardzija will be heading to the bullpen.
- Fernando Perez and Reed Johnson will compete for the 5th outfield spot this spring. Perez has youth and speed while Johnson has fan support and a hard work ethic.
- There are only 4 candidates to call games with Pat Hughes; Gary Matthews Sr., Doug Glanville, Dave Otto, and Keith Moreland. Levine says Otto is the favorite. I think Moreland has the lead while I would love Glanville to get the job.
- Levine expects the Cubs to get a player or two before ST is over.
- Soto, Quade, and Hill have some strong words for Theriot and his comments he made toward his former team.
Until Next Time…
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Cubs Avoid Aribtration with Two....
The Cubs avoided arbitration with Matt Garza and Sean Marshall. Garza signed a one year deal worth 5.95 million dollars which is slightly below what the majority of media thought he would make in 2011. Sean Marshall finally has some stability and is getting paid a lot better. Marshall signed a two year deal worth 4.7 million. He will make 1.6M in 2011 and 3.1M in 2012. This will buyout Sean Marshall's last two arbitration years.
The only arbitration eligible player left is Carlos Marmol. According to sources the Cubs and his agent are trying to get a multi-year deal hammer out to be the closer for "several more years."
Until Next Time..
The only arbitration eligible player left is Carlos Marmol. According to sources the Cubs and his agent are trying to get a multi-year deal hammer out to be the closer for "several more years."
Until Next Time..
Monday, January 17, 2011
Gorzelanny Gets A Good Return and More....
Tom Gorzelanny was traded to the Washington Nationals for 3 prospects today. The Cubs received Micheal Burgess, A.J. Morris, and Graham Hicks. Tom Gorzelanny got a better return than I (along with many others) thought. Burgess is a 22 year old lefty outfielder with a cannon arm. He hit .265 with a .357 OBP and 18 home runs in 122 games in between A and AA. Morris is a 24 year old right-handed pitcher who went 5-3 with a 3.77 ERA in 27 games (16 starts) in Rookie and A ball. Hicks is not to impressive posting a 5.04 in A ball last season although he is only 21.
A.J. Morris is the 18th best prospect and Burgess is the 19th best prospect in the Nationals organization. Hicks did not show up in the top 20 best prospects.
This looks like a great trade for the Cubs because their pitching was such as surplus since the acquire Garza.
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In Other News.....
- The Cubs agreed on term with Geovany Soto to avoid arbitration. He signed a one year deal worth 3 million.
- Want the latest on the Cubs Convention? No one does it better than CCO.com and CubbieCrib.
- The Cubs are still looking for takers on Fukudome.
Until Next Time...
A.J. Morris is the 18th best prospect and Burgess is the 19th best prospect in the Nationals organization. Hicks did not show up in the top 20 best prospects.
This looks like a great trade for the Cubs because their pitching was such as surplus since the acquire Garza.
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In Other News.....
- The Cubs agreed on term with Geovany Soto to avoid arbitration. He signed a one year deal worth 3 million.
- Want the latest on the Cubs Convention? No one does it better than CCO.com and CubbieCrib.
- The Cubs are still looking for takers on Fukudome.
Until Next Time...
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Reed Johnson is Back and More Cub Talk...
- One of my favorite outfielders the Cubs have ever had, Reed Johnson, has signed a minor league deal with an invite to Spring Training. Reed has some tough competition in the outfield such has Brad Snyder, Fernando Perez, and James Adduci but if an outfielder gets injured or traded (Fukudome) then I can see Reed staying on the 25 man roster. If anything it will be nice to see Johnson back in Cubbie Blue!
- The Cubs avoided arbitration with Koyie Hill signing him to a $850,000 contract. I honestly do not know why we still have this guy. Here is hoping that Max Ramirez or Wellington Castillo becomes the backup to Soto.
- The Cubs may end up trading Gorzelanny after all because Quade says they have the luxury of having Scott Maine, Sean Marshall, James Russell, and John Grabow. James Russell may even have a shot at the rotation according to Quade. The Cubs are likely to deal Gorzelanny because of the amount he is likely due to his arbitration raise. He has interest from several teams most noteably the Nationals, Mets, and O's.
- Randy Wells says he may have gotten too big of a head and now is battling several players for 2 spots in the rotation. If Wells does not land a rotation spot he could be sent to the pen for long relief, traded, or sent to AAA.
- The Cubs did not make a offer for Grienke because of the amount of cash he is owed over the next several years.
- Levine says he has not heard any talk about a Halos/Cubs trade but thought the idea was interesting and he would look into it.
- Levine sees Samardzija as the 5th starter. Please God No!
- There is no chance Big Z is traded before Opening Day.
- Bruce Levine names Doug Glanville as one of 4 remaining for the spot of Pat Hughes partner. He is currently my favorite to land the job,
- Before we go I just want to say the thought of having a Soriano, Byrd, Colvin, Perez, and Johnson outfield excites me a bit. A nice mixture of young players and vets, speed and power, OK defense and great defense. Lets just hope Johnson and Perez show up this Spring and Fukudome get traded.
Until Next Time...
- The Cubs avoided arbitration with Koyie Hill signing him to a $850,000 contract. I honestly do not know why we still have this guy. Here is hoping that Max Ramirez or Wellington Castillo becomes the backup to Soto.
- The Cubs may end up trading Gorzelanny after all because Quade says they have the luxury of having Scott Maine, Sean Marshall, James Russell, and John Grabow. James Russell may even have a shot at the rotation according to Quade. The Cubs are likely to deal Gorzelanny because of the amount he is likely due to his arbitration raise. He has interest from several teams most noteably the Nationals, Mets, and O's.
- Randy Wells says he may have gotten too big of a head and now is battling several players for 2 spots in the rotation. If Wells does not land a rotation spot he could be sent to the pen for long relief, traded, or sent to AAA.
- The Cubs did not make a offer for Grienke because of the amount of cash he is owed over the next several years.
- Levine says he has not heard any talk about a Halos/Cubs trade but thought the idea was interesting and he would look into it.
- Levine sees Samardzija as the 5th starter. Please God No!
- There is no chance Big Z is traded before Opening Day.
- Bruce Levine names Doug Glanville as one of 4 remaining for the spot of Pat Hughes partner. He is currently my favorite to land the job,
- Before we go I just want to say the thought of having a Soriano, Byrd, Colvin, Perez, and Johnson outfield excites me a bit. A nice mixture of young players and vets, speed and power, OK defense and great defense. Lets just hope Johnson and Perez show up this Spring and Fukudome get traded.
Until Next Time...
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Cubs Add Another Ramirez, Minors, and Halos/Cubs Trade Update....
- The Cubs have claimed catcher Max Ramirez off of waivers from the Red Sox. Max Ramirez (who is out of options) provides more competition for Koyie Hill and Wellington Castillo for the backup catcher position. Max Ramirez has ML experience but not to much success; he batted .217 with 4 homeruns and a .343 OBP in 45 career games. He has done very well in the minors though. In 7 minor league seasons he has hit .298 with a .396 OBP with 72 homers and although he has a bad .986 fielding% in the minors as a catcher but Koyie Hill had a .985 fielding% in 9 minor league season. In fact when you compare the two; Ramirez is younger and has a better bat while Hill has more ML experience, a better arm, and is a switch hitter. I think the Cubs should go into ST with an open mind on the backup catcher spot regardless of cost or age.
- The Cubs are still very much interested in signing utility players Nick Punto, Willy Aybar, Bobby Crosby, or Andy LaRoche to minor league deals with invites to ST. The Cubs are also very interested in signing some free agent relievers to minor league deals like Todd Coffey, Jose Veras, Manny Corpas, Alfredo Aceves, or Miguel Batista according to sources.
- I have had a lot of questions regarding the Halos/Cubs trade rumors. Word is the Angels want to spend money along with making their fan base happy which they are not right now. The Angels lost out on Cliff Lee, Adrian Beltre, Carl Crawford, Jayson Werth, and Adam Dunn. They are not giving up on getting at least an impact bat for this team. They have been linked to DH types like Vlad but they are reluctant to resign him because the declining health and defense. The Angels told baseball execs last year that they would shop Kazmir this off-season. They were even talking about a swap with the Rockies before they signed Jorge. All in all I give both rumors about a 25-30% chance of happening. Soriano and Shark both have no-trade clauses and that could be tricky, not to mention the amount of players and money that would be changing hands. I have seen crazier things happen during the off-season and this one makes more sense than some of those deals that actually went through, so anything can happen.
Of course I will keep you updated on the latest Cubs rumors and news!
Until Next Time…
- The Cubs are still very much interested in signing utility players Nick Punto, Willy Aybar, Bobby Crosby, or Andy LaRoche to minor league deals with invites to ST. The Cubs are also very interested in signing some free agent relievers to minor league deals like Todd Coffey, Jose Veras, Manny Corpas, Alfredo Aceves, or Miguel Batista according to sources.
- I have had a lot of questions regarding the Halos/Cubs trade rumors. Word is the Angels want to spend money along with making their fan base happy which they are not right now. The Angels lost out on Cliff Lee, Adrian Beltre, Carl Crawford, Jayson Werth, and Adam Dunn. They are not giving up on getting at least an impact bat for this team. They have been linked to DH types like Vlad but they are reluctant to resign him because the declining health and defense. The Angels told baseball execs last year that they would shop Kazmir this off-season. They were even talking about a swap with the Rockies before they signed Jorge. All in all I give both rumors about a 25-30% chance of happening. Soriano and Shark both have no-trade clauses and that could be tricky, not to mention the amount of players and money that would be changing hands. I have seen crazier things happen during the off-season and this one makes more sense than some of those deals that actually went through, so anything can happen.
Of course I will keep you updated on the latest Cubs rumors and news!
Until Next Time…
Monday, January 10, 2011
Halos and Cubbies Talking Trades....
The Chicago Cubs are done with their off-season goals but that does not mean there done wheeling and dealing. Here are two detailed rumors I have come across my rumor inbox both involving the Angels and the Cubs-
The first rumor says the Cubs and Angels have been discussing a trade that would send Kosuke Fukudome, Tom Gorzelanny, and a minor leaguer to the Angels for Scott Kazmir and Reggie Willits. The trade seems logical for both the Angels and Cubs but lets look at it from a Cubs perspective. The Cubs would receive a former top of the rotation pitcher in the AL that has seen his numbers go through peeks and valleys through his career with both the Angels and Rays. He would provide the Cubs with a solid #5 pitcher and is a lefty which makes Tom Gorzelanny going to the Angels kind of a wash. Kazmir saw his best year in 2007 when he pitched 206 innings with 239 SO and a 3.49 ERA in the AL East. Recently his inning has decreased while his ERA has climbed but a change to the weaker NL could boost his numbers some.
The Cubs also get an switch hitting speedy outfielder who would likely battle for the outfield spot on the 25 man roster. Willits had his best season in 2007 as well hitting .293 with a .391 OBP and 27 SB.
The Cubs would be creating an everyday opportunity for Tyler Colvin in RF by trading away Fukudome and Gorzelanny leaving creates the 5th spot in the rotation open for Kazmir.
The Angels have been rumored to be shopping Kazmir because of the amount he is owed. The Angels remove the money he is owed but take on a similar amount for one year with Fukudome. But the Angels also get Gorzelanny who has put up close or better numbers than Kazmir has in the past couple years and Gorzelanny will only cost 2 million in arbitration this year. Not to mention he is still under team control. They also get a minor leaguer but not a prospect in the deal.
The money here is basically a wash and I can see this trade being a win-win for both clubs!
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The 2nd rumor also involves the Cubs and Angels but a lot more players. Here is what it looks like-
Cubs receive- Scott Kazmir, Kevin Jepsen, Alberto Callaspo, and a PTBNL
Angels acquire- Alfonso Soriano, Tom Gorzelanny, Jeff Samardzija, Jeff Baker, and Marquez Smith.
Cubs- We already broke down what Kazmir can give the Cubs and what he brings. Kevin Jepsen provides a veteran arm to the pen with good numbers. Last season in 68 games he went 2-4 with a 3.97 ERA and 60 SO. Alberto Callaspo would provide the Cubs with a bat from both sides of the plate that can play multiple infield positions at an affordable price (under team control for 3 years). The Cubs also get the great PTBNL.
Angels- The Angels get the impact bat they have been searching for this entire off-season. They have lost out on Adrian Beltre, Jayson Werth, and Carl Crawford. The Angels were offering 5+ years for those players paying them 15+ million a year. Soriano is owed 4 years 72 million but the Cubs would pay about half that contract to get this deal done according to this source so the Angels would only be on the hook for about 4 years 36 million which is a far cry from what they would pay Werth, Crawford, or Beltre. Lets not forget they tried to sign Soriano before he eventually signed with the Cubs. Soriano would provide the Angels with a right-handed bat for the outfield and DH. The Angels also get Gorzelanny which we discussed above. They also get Jeff Samardzija (if he approved the trade) he would provide a young fireball to their pen. Jeff Baker brings a right-handed bench bat who can play all over the infielder and is a better fielder than Callaspo. The Angels also finally get a legitimate young third baseman that put up great numbers in AAA last season. He would likely start at 3rd for the Halos this coming season because he provides more power and a better glove than any third baseman on their 25 man roster.
In this deal the Angels would be taking on 21 million for this upcoming season while taking on at least 9 million for the following 3 years (Soriano’s contract) for 5 players. The Cubs would be removing 7 million (minus the contracts they take on) this season and also removing 9 million each year for three years (Soriano’s contract). The Angels get their power hitter they are looking forward along with affordable replacements for Callaspo, Jepsen, and Kazmir. The Cubs get salary relief, a really good lefty as their 5th starter, a solid switch hitting infielder with speed for their bench, and veteran arm for their pen.
One big reason why I think this is legit rumor is look at the Angels lineup-
1. Bourjos
2. Kendrick
3. Morales
4. Hunter
5. Soriano
6. Abreu
7. M. Smith
8. Aybar
9. Mathis/Napoli
Balanced, Power, and Speed!
I don’t know if anything will come of these rumors but if you are an Angels or Cubs fan you should hope one of them comes true!
What do you; the readers think?
Until Next Time….
The first rumor says the Cubs and Angels have been discussing a trade that would send Kosuke Fukudome, Tom Gorzelanny, and a minor leaguer to the Angels for Scott Kazmir and Reggie Willits. The trade seems logical for both the Angels and Cubs but lets look at it from a Cubs perspective. The Cubs would receive a former top of the rotation pitcher in the AL that has seen his numbers go through peeks and valleys through his career with both the Angels and Rays. He would provide the Cubs with a solid #5 pitcher and is a lefty which makes Tom Gorzelanny going to the Angels kind of a wash. Kazmir saw his best year in 2007 when he pitched 206 innings with 239 SO and a 3.49 ERA in the AL East. Recently his inning has decreased while his ERA has climbed but a change to the weaker NL could boost his numbers some.
The Cubs also get an switch hitting speedy outfielder who would likely battle for the outfield spot on the 25 man roster. Willits had his best season in 2007 as well hitting .293 with a .391 OBP and 27 SB.
The Cubs would be creating an everyday opportunity for Tyler Colvin in RF by trading away Fukudome and Gorzelanny leaving creates the 5th spot in the rotation open for Kazmir.
The Angels have been rumored to be shopping Kazmir because of the amount he is owed. The Angels remove the money he is owed but take on a similar amount for one year with Fukudome. But the Angels also get Gorzelanny who has put up close or better numbers than Kazmir has in the past couple years and Gorzelanny will only cost 2 million in arbitration this year. Not to mention he is still under team control. They also get a minor leaguer but not a prospect in the deal.
The money here is basically a wash and I can see this trade being a win-win for both clubs!
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The 2nd rumor also involves the Cubs and Angels but a lot more players. Here is what it looks like-
Cubs receive- Scott Kazmir, Kevin Jepsen, Alberto Callaspo, and a PTBNL
Angels acquire- Alfonso Soriano, Tom Gorzelanny, Jeff Samardzija, Jeff Baker, and Marquez Smith.
Cubs- We already broke down what Kazmir can give the Cubs and what he brings. Kevin Jepsen provides a veteran arm to the pen with good numbers. Last season in 68 games he went 2-4 with a 3.97 ERA and 60 SO. Alberto Callaspo would provide the Cubs with a bat from both sides of the plate that can play multiple infield positions at an affordable price (under team control for 3 years). The Cubs also get the great PTBNL.
Angels- The Angels get the impact bat they have been searching for this entire off-season. They have lost out on Adrian Beltre, Jayson Werth, and Carl Crawford. The Angels were offering 5+ years for those players paying them 15+ million a year. Soriano is owed 4 years 72 million but the Cubs would pay about half that contract to get this deal done according to this source so the Angels would only be on the hook for about 4 years 36 million which is a far cry from what they would pay Werth, Crawford, or Beltre. Lets not forget they tried to sign Soriano before he eventually signed with the Cubs. Soriano would provide the Angels with a right-handed bat for the outfield and DH. The Angels also get Gorzelanny which we discussed above. They also get Jeff Samardzija (if he approved the trade) he would provide a young fireball to their pen. Jeff Baker brings a right-handed bench bat who can play all over the infielder and is a better fielder than Callaspo. The Angels also finally get a legitimate young third baseman that put up great numbers in AAA last season. He would likely start at 3rd for the Halos this coming season because he provides more power and a better glove than any third baseman on their 25 man roster.
In this deal the Angels would be taking on 21 million for this upcoming season while taking on at least 9 million for the following 3 years (Soriano’s contract) for 5 players. The Cubs would be removing 7 million (minus the contracts they take on) this season and also removing 9 million each year for three years (Soriano’s contract). The Angels get their power hitter they are looking forward along with affordable replacements for Callaspo, Jepsen, and Kazmir. The Cubs get salary relief, a really good lefty as their 5th starter, a solid switch hitting infielder with speed for their bench, and veteran arm for their pen.
One big reason why I think this is legit rumor is look at the Angels lineup-
1. Bourjos
2. Kendrick
3. Morales
4. Hunter
5. Soriano
6. Abreu
7. M. Smith
8. Aybar
9. Mathis/Napoli
Balanced, Power, and Speed!
I don’t know if anything will come of these rumors but if you are an Angels or Cubs fan you should hope one of them comes true!
What do you; the readers think?
Until Next Time….
Sunday, January 09, 2011
Garza..Starting Rotation..and more....
- Bruce Levine provides some insight on Matt Garza. It is a good read!
- Hendry says this move is not a only a "win now" move but a move for the future of the Cubs. Garza is under team control for 3 years.
- Hendry also says he must evaluate the moves he just made and go over the direction of the club with others in the organization. Hendry completed his objective by acquiring a starter, late inning reliever, and power left-handed bat for first base. But Hendry did say "we’re not opposed to trying to do some other things."
- Fernando Perez said he is excited to join the Cubs even though he does not know much about the team or know many of the players. He is just excited because he is finally healthy and looking forward to competing for a spot in the outfield out of ST. He was told by Hendry he would get every opportunity to land a spot on the 25 man roster. If Perez is healthy he would provide the Cubs with something that they don't have, a with really good speed that can play all three outfield positions.
- A guy lost in the shuffle is Zach Rosscup, a 23 year old lefty with great numbers in the minors. He is 6-5 in 22 starts with a ERA of 2.66 in his career. He has pitched in Single A and Rookie ball and could find himself starting in AA for the Cubs. He is a really good lefty with 68 SO to 15 BB in 84 career innings. Not what I call a toss in.
- According to sources the Cubs are looking to deal some of their starting pitching to either acquire a bench bat, reliever, or prospects to restock the farm system. The Cubs could just release Carlos Silva but he would likely just start the year on the DL for a "injury." The Cubs main trading chips for pitching are Shark, Randy Wells, and Tom Gorzelanny. The Cubs would love to trade Jeff because he is out of options but he has vetoed two trades already so he is likely to stay put. Randy Wells could help a team like the Pirates or O's but his trade value is so low the Cubs are better off holding onto him. Tom Gorzelanny will get the most return but he is the only lefty in the rotation so unless the Cubs get tremendous value he is staying put.
- The Cubs still really like Darren O'Day and Chris Davis but are willing to meet the Rangers asking price which has been Robinson Chirinios (now a Ray) and now they are asking for Josh Vitters or Jay Jackson.
- Wondering what the Cubs rotation will look like. The first four are already decided-
Matt Garza
Carlos Zambrano
Ryan Dempster
Andrew Cashner
and either Tom Gorzelanny, Jeff Samardzija, Casey Coleman, or Carlos Silva
- The Cubs will not make a decision on the next radio guy for at least two to three weeks according to sources.
Until Next Time...
- Hendry says this move is not a only a "win now" move but a move for the future of the Cubs. Garza is under team control for 3 years.
- Hendry also says he must evaluate the moves he just made and go over the direction of the club with others in the organization. Hendry completed his objective by acquiring a starter, late inning reliever, and power left-handed bat for first base. But Hendry did say "we’re not opposed to trying to do some other things."
- Fernando Perez said he is excited to join the Cubs even though he does not know much about the team or know many of the players. He is just excited because he is finally healthy and looking forward to competing for a spot in the outfield out of ST. He was told by Hendry he would get every opportunity to land a spot on the 25 man roster. If Perez is healthy he would provide the Cubs with something that they don't have, a with really good speed that can play all three outfield positions.
- A guy lost in the shuffle is Zach Rosscup, a 23 year old lefty with great numbers in the minors. He is 6-5 in 22 starts with a ERA of 2.66 in his career. He has pitched in Single A and Rookie ball and could find himself starting in AA for the Cubs. He is a really good lefty with 68 SO to 15 BB in 84 career innings. Not what I call a toss in.
- According to sources the Cubs are looking to deal some of their starting pitching to either acquire a bench bat, reliever, or prospects to restock the farm system. The Cubs could just release Carlos Silva but he would likely just start the year on the DL for a "injury." The Cubs main trading chips for pitching are Shark, Randy Wells, and Tom Gorzelanny. The Cubs would love to trade Jeff because he is out of options but he has vetoed two trades already so he is likely to stay put. Randy Wells could help a team like the Pirates or O's but his trade value is so low the Cubs are better off holding onto him. Tom Gorzelanny will get the most return but he is the only lefty in the rotation so unless the Cubs get tremendous value he is staying put.
- The Cubs still really like Darren O'Day and Chris Davis but are willing to meet the Rangers asking price which has been Robinson Chirinios (now a Ray) and now they are asking for Josh Vitters or Jay Jackson.
- Wondering what the Cubs rotation will look like. The first four are already decided-
Matt Garza
Carlos Zambrano
Ryan Dempster
Andrew Cashner
and either Tom Gorzelanny, Jeff Samardzija, Casey Coleman, or Carlos Silva
- The Cubs will not make a decision on the next radio guy for at least two to three weeks according to sources.
Until Next Time...
Friday, January 07, 2011
Garza Trade Reaction
Now that the dust has settled and when know who is going where (besides the PTBNL); here is my reaction to the deal.
First off the Cubs did in fact give up a strong package for Garza but most minor league baseball experts say the Cubs did not give up there impact players such as Castro, Colvin, Jackson, Vitters, and Jay Jackson. But in my opinion the package of players the Cubs did move was slightly above the value of Matt Garza and Fernando Perez. Now depending on the PTBNL, who could be an impact player for the Cubs, this deal looks like a slightly bigger win for the Rays. The Rays get 4 out of the top 20 prospects from the Cubs system but guess what I can see Hendry's logic.
Chris Archer- Rated the Cubs top prospect by many baseball sites. He has a great fastball and is expected to be a top of the rotation pitcher once he makes it to the majors. The reality is the Cubs have had "top prospects" in their system like this just fizzle out in AAA like Bobby Hill, David Kelton, and may others . Not to mention the Cubs have Jay Jackson, Chris Carpenter, Andrew Cashner, Brett Wallach, Trey McNutt, Hayden Simpson, and others that could fill the same role as Chris Archer. The main reason I don't mind giving up Archer is the fact he only pitched in AA last season where he had tremendous success but he is a hard thrower with control issues.
Hak-Ju Lee- This one hurts in my opinion. Lee was the Cubs SS of the future maybe even getting the call this year. He hits for average, has great speed, great range, and a plus arm. This is a guy that Cubs should have marked off limits and is a mistake on the Cubs part to include him in this deal. One good thing is the Cubs have some good up and coming infielders such as Ryan Flaherty, Junior Lake, and DJ LeMahieu. Having said that, Hak-Ju Lee will be a ML superstar in the next 5 years! Mark my words!
Robinson Chirinos- To be honest I would have traded this guy along with a minor leaguer for Chris Davis and Darren O'Day. I see this guy being a good backup catcher in the ML or an average starter behind the plate. I do not see him exceeding what Soto brings to the table and I think Wellington Castillo will be a better catcher in the long run than Robinson.
Brandon Guyer- At first I was furious they gave away a guy that stole 30 bases in 2010 with a .344 batting average but then I looked at the depth the Cubs have in the outfield for years to come. They have Brett Jackson who should hit the Big Show in 2011 then they have guys like Colvin, Soriano, and Byrd who will likely be in the outfield until 2012. They also have some young guns coming up through the system that are a few years away like Reggie Golden and Jae-Hoon Ha. Losing him is not as bad as I thought.
Sam Fuld- I did not know he was still on the roster. Just kidding... I wish Sam the best but I do not see how he fits on this team.
Now here is what we have-
Matt Garza- He is a good pitcher not a great pitcher. I view him on the same level as a Lilly and Dempster, a solid #2. The difference with Garza is he has pitching in the toughest division in baseball for the past years and has been a Yankee and Red Sox killer. Now he is going to the easy NL league in arguable one of the worst divisions in baseball. I think Garza will be a solid pitcher for the Cubs in 2011 and win double digit games. One thing he needs to learn is to keep that ball down if the wind is blowing out.
Fernando Perez- At first glance this guy looks like a throw in for the Cubs but before a wrist injury sidelined him in 2009 he hit .288 with a .361 OBP and 43 SB in AAA in 2008. He had success in the minors even before then hitting .307 in A ball. Now can he turn those numbers in to success in the ML? That remains to be seen. One thing that worries me is this guy sounds awful familiar, he reminds me of former Cub and Ray Joey Gathright. Lets hope he does not end up that way.
PTBNL- Something tells me this is going to be a top 20 prospect from the Rays organization.
After running through this trade in my mind today and seeing both sides of the argument whether this is a good trade or not here is what I came up with. The trade is great for the Cubs for the next two years. The Cubs are getting a potential #1 pitcher in the NL that makes less a year than guys like Carlos Silva, Joe Blanton, Barry Zito, and Derrek Lowe but is twice the pitcher they are. The Cubs get a guy who could be their potential leadoff hitter and starting CF of the future in Perez which softens the stink of losing Guyer.
This is a good trade for the Rays for the future of their organization and will payoff in the long run. Guyer could be playing along side Desmond Jennings in a really talent Rays outfield, Hak-Ju Lee could start becoming the face of their franchise as early as 2013. Chris Archer could help this year but more than likely the following year and be apart of a rotation that includes Jeremy Hellickson, David Price, James Shield, and Jeff Niemann. Robinson Chirinos is under team control forever could easily be named the starting catcher in 2011.
The Cubs right now are getting a great deal while fast forward two years later the Cubs and their fans are going to be saying "remember when we traded Lee and Archer to the Rays?" "What was Jim thinking?"
I honestly hope I am wrong on this but it is hard to ignore the talent the Cubs sent away for basically one good pitcher.
Win Now Grade- B+
Future Grade- D-
Overall- C
Here is what the rest of the media is saying-
MLBTR
CubbieCrib
Calltothepen
Until Next Time...
First off the Cubs did in fact give up a strong package for Garza but most minor league baseball experts say the Cubs did not give up there impact players such as Castro, Colvin, Jackson, Vitters, and Jay Jackson. But in my opinion the package of players the Cubs did move was slightly above the value of Matt Garza and Fernando Perez. Now depending on the PTBNL, who could be an impact player for the Cubs, this deal looks like a slightly bigger win for the Rays. The Rays get 4 out of the top 20 prospects from the Cubs system but guess what I can see Hendry's logic.
Chris Archer- Rated the Cubs top prospect by many baseball sites. He has a great fastball and is expected to be a top of the rotation pitcher once he makes it to the majors. The reality is the Cubs have had "top prospects" in their system like this just fizzle out in AAA like Bobby Hill, David Kelton, and may others . Not to mention the Cubs have Jay Jackson, Chris Carpenter, Andrew Cashner, Brett Wallach, Trey McNutt, Hayden Simpson, and others that could fill the same role as Chris Archer. The main reason I don't mind giving up Archer is the fact he only pitched in AA last season where he had tremendous success but he is a hard thrower with control issues.
Hak-Ju Lee- This one hurts in my opinion. Lee was the Cubs SS of the future maybe even getting the call this year. He hits for average, has great speed, great range, and a plus arm. This is a guy that Cubs should have marked off limits and is a mistake on the Cubs part to include him in this deal. One good thing is the Cubs have some good up and coming infielders such as Ryan Flaherty, Junior Lake, and DJ LeMahieu. Having said that, Hak-Ju Lee will be a ML superstar in the next 5 years! Mark my words!
Robinson Chirinos- To be honest I would have traded this guy along with a minor leaguer for Chris Davis and Darren O'Day. I see this guy being a good backup catcher in the ML or an average starter behind the plate. I do not see him exceeding what Soto brings to the table and I think Wellington Castillo will be a better catcher in the long run than Robinson.
Brandon Guyer- At first I was furious they gave away a guy that stole 30 bases in 2010 with a .344 batting average but then I looked at the depth the Cubs have in the outfield for years to come. They have Brett Jackson who should hit the Big Show in 2011 then they have guys like Colvin, Soriano, and Byrd who will likely be in the outfield until 2012. They also have some young guns coming up through the system that are a few years away like Reggie Golden and Jae-Hoon Ha. Losing him is not as bad as I thought.
Sam Fuld- I did not know he was still on the roster. Just kidding... I wish Sam the best but I do not see how he fits on this team.
Now here is what we have-
Matt Garza- He is a good pitcher not a great pitcher. I view him on the same level as a Lilly and Dempster, a solid #2. The difference with Garza is he has pitching in the toughest division in baseball for the past years and has been a Yankee and Red Sox killer. Now he is going to the easy NL league in arguable one of the worst divisions in baseball. I think Garza will be a solid pitcher for the Cubs in 2011 and win double digit games. One thing he needs to learn is to keep that ball down if the wind is blowing out.
Fernando Perez- At first glance this guy looks like a throw in for the Cubs but before a wrist injury sidelined him in 2009 he hit .288 with a .361 OBP and 43 SB in AAA in 2008. He had success in the minors even before then hitting .307 in A ball. Now can he turn those numbers in to success in the ML? That remains to be seen. One thing that worries me is this guy sounds awful familiar, he reminds me of former Cub and Ray Joey Gathright. Lets hope he does not end up that way.
PTBNL- Something tells me this is going to be a top 20 prospect from the Rays organization.
After running through this trade in my mind today and seeing both sides of the argument whether this is a good trade or not here is what I came up with. The trade is great for the Cubs for the next two years. The Cubs are getting a potential #1 pitcher in the NL that makes less a year than guys like Carlos Silva, Joe Blanton, Barry Zito, and Derrek Lowe but is twice the pitcher they are. The Cubs get a guy who could be their potential leadoff hitter and starting CF of the future in Perez which softens the stink of losing Guyer.
This is a good trade for the Rays for the future of their organization and will payoff in the long run. Guyer could be playing along side Desmond Jennings in a really talent Rays outfield, Hak-Ju Lee could start becoming the face of their franchise as early as 2013. Chris Archer could help this year but more than likely the following year and be apart of a rotation that includes Jeremy Hellickson, David Price, James Shield, and Jeff Niemann. Robinson Chirinos is under team control forever could easily be named the starting catcher in 2011.
The Cubs right now are getting a great deal while fast forward two years later the Cubs and their fans are going to be saying "remember when we traded Lee and Archer to the Rays?" "What was Jim thinking?"
I honestly hope I am wrong on this but it is hard to ignore the talent the Cubs sent away for basically one good pitcher.
Win Now Grade- B+
Future Grade- D-
Overall- C
Here is what the rest of the media is saying-
MLBTR
CubbieCrib
Calltothepen
Until Next Time...
Cubs Trade For Matt Garza! UPDATED!!!
11:40 AM CT- I am hearing the pitcher the Cubs acquired in the trade is Matt Moore, Alex Torres, or Braulio Lara. All three are left handed pitchers in the the Rays top 10 prospects for 2011 according to Baseball America. As soon as I can confirm it I will post it. If this is the case you can then argue the Cubs got a better deal than everyone originally thought.
11:15 AM CT- According to my sources and confirmed by Bruce Miles the Cubs got Fernando Perez, a switch hitting speedy outfielder. Not a bad pick up, would likely replace Guyer on the roster.
The Chicago Cubs have traded Chris Archer, Brandon Guyer, Robinson Chirinos, Hak-Ju Lee and Sam Fuld to the Tampa Bay Rays for Matt Garza, a minor league pitcher, and a minor league outfielder.
This seems like a lot of prospects for one decent #2 pitcher but I guess it is a move Jim "had to make." A lot is going to depend on who the minor league pitcher and outfielder are for me to grade this trade. So far it looks like a win now move for the Cubs by trading away a ton of their young talent.
More reaction and information on this later.....
11:15 AM CT- According to my sources and confirmed by Bruce Miles the Cubs got Fernando Perez, a switch hitting speedy outfielder. Not a bad pick up, would likely replace Guyer on the roster.
The Chicago Cubs have traded Chris Archer, Brandon Guyer, Robinson Chirinos, Hak-Ju Lee and Sam Fuld to the Tampa Bay Rays for Matt Garza, a minor league pitcher, and a minor league outfielder.
This seems like a lot of prospects for one decent #2 pitcher but I guess it is a move Jim "had to make." A lot is going to depend on who the minor league pitcher and outfielder are for me to grade this trade. So far it looks like a win now move for the Cubs by trading away a ton of their young talent.
More reaction and information on this later.....
WGN Radio Update....
The Cubs were hoping to have Pat Hughes' color guy named right around the Cub convention but unfortunately it may be a little longer. The list of candidates did dwindle today after a report from several Chicago media sources. Former Cubs Rick Sutcliffe, Dan Plesac, and Mark Grace have taken themselves out of consideration for the opening. Rick Sutcliffe just signed a new contract with ESPN for 40 games which means he would not be able to do all 162 for the Cubs, Dan Plesac is under contract with MLB Network, and Mark Grace is very hesitant to leave Arizona and Fox Sports for the Cubs radio booth.
The remaining candidates are Keith Moreland, Dave Otto, and Gary Matthews Sr.. Out of the three Matthews seems the most like a long shot and Moreland with the most experience on both TV and radio. I honestly would not count out Doug Glanville who is one of the smartest baseball players in history. Not only does Glanville know how to play the game and has tremendous insight into baseball, he brings an Ivy League education. I think the Cubs should make a big push for Glanville.
Until Next Time...
The remaining candidates are Keith Moreland, Dave Otto, and Gary Matthews Sr.. Out of the three Matthews seems the most like a long shot and Moreland with the most experience on both TV and radio. I honestly would not count out Doug Glanville who is one of the smartest baseball players in history. Not only does Glanville know how to play the game and has tremendous insight into baseball, he brings an Ivy League education. I think the Cubs should make a big push for Glanville.
Until Next Time...
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