We have all heard the rumors surrounding the Cubs getting Figgins, Blanton, Bedard, and/or Roberts. But will they get one of these players in Cubs blue pinstripes by Christmas??
I say yes! Hendry has a flare for the dramatic and I expect the Cubs to trade for one of these players before the Holidays get here.
Well, which one will it be??
Out of the 4 players listed I say the most likely to be on the northside is Roberts. Hendry still has his eye on him regardless of his name being in the Mitchell Report. Roberts would make this lineup come together nicely. Lou could put Brian in the lead off spot and move Soriano to the 5th or 6th spot in the lineup or leave Sori in the leadoff spot and bat the switch hitter 2nd( which I see Lou doing).
As for the other 3 players, I see Bedard being the hardest to get away. He would likely cost Hill and Pie along with 3 other prospects. The O's are valuing him just below Santana which is ridiculous. Blanton seems like a more reasonable pick up. He wont cost as much as Bedard and he makes only 380,000 next year. Not to mention you would have Blanton for at least the next 2 to 3 seasons. I also consider Blanton to have more upside and be a better fit for the Cubs because he is a righty and the cost of him would be a lot less than Bedard. The guy I think would be the most tricky to get is Figgins. The Angels will not move him until the get a 3rd baseman, and the Cubs will not trade Aram( I dont blame them) so they would have to get another team involved like the Cards who has Rolen available. Figgins is better than Roberts in my opinion and much more versatile which would help the Cubs in case of an injury. He would most likely play CF for the Cubs, thus allowing Derosa to play 2nd base everyday.
In a perfect scenario the Cubs would acquire Blanton, Figgins, and Roberts before Christmas and look forward to spring training. Unfortunately baseball isn't always perfect, I would be tremendously happy if the Cubs landed one of these players. If they landed two of them Hendry would deserve a medal!
10 comments:
If the Cubs are able to acquire Figgins, why not put him at shortstop? He has more speed and a much better bat than Theriot. A middle infield of Roberts and Figgins would be very impressive.
I don't think Hendry is done but I don't see Hendry making a blockbuster deal (i.e. Blanton, Figgins, or Roberts). He might just add a bench player or another arm in the bullpen. I'd like to see Hendry maybe take a look at Bartolo Colon.
2008 Starting Rotation:
1. Zambrano
2. Lilly
3. Hill
4. Colon
5. Dempster
They can then use Gallagher and Marquis as trade bait.
I like the idea of adding more speed to the lineup...having a couple legit speed threats at the top in front of Lee and Ramirez and co. is a great idea.
Who is the best "ground-ball" "innings eater" out there yet?
I agree that Blanton would be cheaper and a better fit than Bedard.
To me Roberts is a faster Mark DeRosa. I think we need starting pitching.
Any rumors out there of the Cubs expressing interest in Colon or Benson? These two would be a bit of a risk, but they wouldn't cost the Cubs anything by way of prospects in order to acquire them. They might be worth looking into.
I havent heard any rumors on Colon or Benson related to the Cubs but I imagine the later it gets in the offseason and the more talented arms go off the market the more rumors you will circling around the Cubs and arms like Colon, Benson, and other free agents.
As far as the best ground ball would be jake westbrook in my opinion tho the indians are not active in shopping him. The best inning eater would be Hernedez. He has pitched 200+ innings the past 3 years. As for a guy who is an inning eater with high groundballs I cant really find one.
I would love for the Cubs too take a look at one of several SPs coming off injuries. If we were workin on getting Prior under $3 million for 08... we can definitely take a look at Colon, Clement, Benson, Lieber, etc.
Colon is at the top of my list because when right he can be a strong #2 guy if not a 1a. Assuming we dont trade away all of Marquis, Demp, Marshall, Hart, and Gallagher... we still have the depth to get by if Colon does go down again.
Also... MLB Rumors is saying that DBacks might deal O Hudson now that they have traded for Haren... thinkin that the DBacks wont have the money to resign Hudson to an extension/long term deal.
I would say Hudson is just as good a fit at 2B as Roberts... and if the price is lesser... worth a look right?
Now that there are rumors that the D-backs may be looking to move Hudson, I think that the Cubs should seriously consider him. He is a switch hitter, he has speed, has won a couple of gold gloves, and can hit for average. He would make the Cubs infield even stronger than it has been in years.
Any thoughts?
Funny you guys just mentioned Hudson. Just posted that the Cubs should take a look at him!
As for the Cubs taking a gamble on an oft injured pitcher. They got burned by Prior and Miller in the past but I think Colon would be a good gamble. He is a solid#2 if healthy. Another guy that should be looked at is Livan. He is an inning eater and would be a solid #5 pitcher. As for Benson I would say no, not a fan of him. Just my opinion. I do like Clement tho, always have. He did well in Chicago, he just didnt get run support.
Dont you guys wish we still had MADDOG! I DO!
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