Deal to Keep Cubs at Wrigley

There is a deal in the works to keep the Cubs at Wrigley Field. This is good because most people, including me want to see the Cubs at Wrigley when they win the world series?? Oh well, also in other news, The Cubs non-tendered pitcher Mark Prior.

Free Agent pitcher Mark Prior is finally just that; a free agent. I have been waiting for this day since his atrocious, absolutely horrible 2006 campaign. Oh well, the salary is gone, and the Cubs never again have to worry about saving a spot in their rotation for Mark Prior come July. Good bye, and Good Riddence, Mark Prior!

Ryan

Get Rid of Wrigley, I Want the Fuku (Fook-Yoo) Dome

Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times reports that Kosuke Fukudome, one of Japan's most elite hitters, is coming to play in the United States. The word at Yahoo! Sports is that the Cubs are frontrunners for the dome's services.



If the Cubs do get Fukudome, which it looks like they have a good chance, then that's 2/3 outfield spots locked up; Center Field remains open. Pie proved he can't hit major league level pitching everyday, so I hope for the sake of everyone that has any cubs spirit.


Well, we'll know soon enough if we get the dome.

Peace,

Ryan

Kaz Meets Exclusively With the Cubs

Kaz Matsui met exclusively with the Cubs on Wednesday, the day before Thanksgiving, at a lunch date 1-on-1 with Jim Hendry. I like Hendry's dedication to getting Matsui. I still think it's a good idea to get Kazuo Matsui, who is coming off a career year.

Kaz rejected a 2 year, $7 million contract from the Rockies. To me this means the Rockies are out of the picture, and a previous report said that the Cubs and Rockies are ahead of the Astros. Well, if the Rockies are out of the picture, than it's down to the Cubs and Astros.

Either way, this is good news to me. Also, the Cubs are still interested in Kosuke Fukudome, who has recieved 2 offers from Japanese teams. He is now said to be turning his attention to U.S. teams, which is also in the sun-times report I have up above for Kaz Matsui's meeting.

That's all for today,

Ryan

Cubs Trade Monroe for PTBNL, and a Great Rumour

Today the Cubs made a move with the Minnesota Twins. That move was giving them Craig Monroe. Smart Idea. Now we'll have 3 outfielders for our push for Carl Crawford, the Tampa Bay Rays outfielder.

Also, The Cubs want to re-sign Prior, and Kerry Wood and have him close. Well, quite possibly Prior, as well. Also, according to ESPN radio, they want Dempster to start in 2008, and they want Marmol, Howry, or obviously Wood close.

Hendry continues to amaze by his interest, along with the Rangers, in Coco Crisp. The Cubs, like I have previously stated, also have interest, along with the Padres, for Kazuo Matsui, the free agent 2ND baseman from the Colorado Rockies.

So, needless to say, it has been a good, if not somewhat surprising off-season so far to date.

Off-Season To Do List

First and foremost, the Cubs need the following, [Position- Most Suitable]:

1. SS- Kazuo Matsui



2. SP- Hiroki Kuroda



3. RF- Kosuke Fukudome



4. CF- Torii Hunter

Kaz Matsui just had a season where he hit .288 and fielded 2nd base very well. We all like Theriot, but let's be honest; he didn't get the job done last year. We need someone who can consistently hit the ball and field his position. Theriot had the defense down, but not quite a hero on the offensive side of his game. Kaz may cost more than Theriot, but it will be good to have a producer in there. That said, how do we know that season wasn't a fluke altogether? Well, there isn't any way to tell right now, but that is a gamble worth taking. What's the worst that could happen? Another Alex S. Gonzalez? Nevermind, bad memories, but still, it's a good fit.

Japanese pitching sensation Hiroki Kuroda is a possibility for the rotation. Rumours have been going around about Hendry going crazy trying to get Kuroda, Fukudome and Matsui. Well, Kuroda has his upsides. In 2007, he threw 179 1/3 innings in 26 games. 62 Major Leaguers threw more than him, but all of them had at least 28 starts. Of those 26 games he threw 7 complete games. That amazes me. He averaged going 6.89 innings per start. That is behind Rays pitcher James Shields who averaged 6.93 innings per start, and Blue Jay's ace Roy Halladay who average 7.26 innings per start. He also trailed C.C. Sabathia and Brandon Webb, and Fausto Carmona. Those 5 pitchers, though, are all at the top of their game and 3 of those pitchers are aces in thir respective rotations, except for Shields, who is behind Scott Kazmir, and Carmona, who is behind Sabathia. Kuroda also had a 12-8 record and 3.56 ERA.

Kusoke Fukudome played in 81 games this year, batting at a .294 average. In 269 official at-bats, he had 22 doubles, 13 homers, 48 RBIs, 64 runs, 11 stolen bases vs. only 2 caught stealing, and an average of .318 with Runners in Scoring Position (RiSP). Fukudome's .520 Slugging Percentage was behind that of 20 Major League hitters. That may not be the best SP% out there, but it'll get the job done, as it was only lower than 2 Cubs starters-- Aramis Ramirez and Alfonso Soriano. Derrek Lee's was .513, Soriano's was .560, and Ramirez's slugging percentage was .549. He also has speed 11/13 steals. This makes him fit the bill for a 2 hitter-- he has good contact and good running ability.

Torii Hunter hit .287 with 28 homers, 45 doubles and stole 18 bases in 2007. In terms of fielding, he made 2 errors in 394 total chances with 5 assissts, a .995 fielding percentage. He's been known to make a ton of web gems playing center field, and he's definitely a better hitter than the platooned starters, Felix Pie, and Jacque Jones. I would love to see Torii in a Cubs uniform come next season, and he'd complete an outfield that needs completing. He and Fukudome, if both signed, would make a dynamic and very athletic outfield.

Kaz Matsui as a Cub

Torii Hunter as a Cub

Sorry, I couldn't find any suitable photos to use to photoshop Kusoke Fukudome or Hiroki Kuroda with.

Until tomorrow's post,

Ryan

Free Agent Comparison.. Dig In!

Well, here is my post for today, a chart* I created recognizing, in my opinion the top 30 free agents on the market. 15 of them hitters, 15 pitchers, not by coincidence. Enjoy! Tomorrow's post will be about 2 Japanese players, Kusoke Fukudome, as see in this post, and Hiroki Kuroda, who may become Cubs. Also, Kaz Matsui, who Hendry is "aggressively pursuing," will be in that article. Until tomorrow,



Ryan, Die-Hard Cubbie Fan
*To see the chart up-close, click on it with the mouse.

Free Agency

If it was during the season or playoffs, which I completely by passed unfortunately, I'd be doing the nice date header, opponent, pics of the starting pitchers, etc., but instead during the off season, I try to write longer articles as opposed to fancy work.

Free Agency is a wonderful thing. This year, however, it may be a secret agent working against the Cubs. Scott Eyre, Cliff Floyd, Jason Kendall, Wade Miller, Steve Trachsel, Daryle Ward, and Kerry Wood all became free agents this year.

Ward had his option accepted, Floyd had his declined, and so did a Steve-O, who had a horrendous '07 campaign in blue. The Ward deal was a move of genius, meaning that only an idiot wouldn't have exercised his option.

Woody and Scott could be harmful to the friendly confines next year, as Eyre has been a huge piece to the 'pen the past 2 seasons. He and Wood are valuable. If Wood and Eyre leave, and Marquis gets traded (please!! any takers?), the Cubbies are in deep "doo-doo".

That would potentially and most likely result in Dempster to the rotation, Bobby Howry as the closer, maybe Marmolade. That means that the Cubs have 5 starters, 1 closer, and 4 relievers. The 2 out of the puzzle were 2 of the best last year, cutting out Eyre's first half. Still, they are both very talented from the bullpen.

If this happens as I have described it, assuming Sean Marshall gets fed to the dogs, as he well should, there are a good many options:

1. Get Neal Cotts up here for the first month or so to see if he can re-claim a spot in the pen and sign a reliever,
2. OR sign a pair of relievers as if it was 2006 and we were talking about Howry and Eyre.

Those relievers could be any of the following:

1. Alfonseca, the former Cub
2. A. Benitez
3. S. Chacon?? Also could start if Dempster doesn't mesh well as an SP
4. F. Cordero, maybe keep Howry and Marmol as set up men?
5. E. Gagne
6. former cub Latroy Hawkins
7. Todd Jones, who could close and keep Howry and Marmol in da 'pen
8. Jorge Julio
9. Ray King
10. former cub Ron Mahay, pretty amazing in '07
11. Linebrink
12. Jose Mesa
13. Percival, who could close (duh)
14. Mariano Rivera, closer
15. Bob Wickman
16. 2006 Cubbie Scott Williamson

There are tons more, too, and I guarantee that if Hendry isn't hibernating like from the dawn of time until 2007, then we should sign at least one of those hand-picked, cut above the rest (mostly) relievers.

Until tomorrow,

Ryan

Looking Forward to 2008

Hello my (limited amount of) readers.

I am sorry to inform you that Jim Hendry claims that he has no interest in getting A-Rod, the best hitter in all of baseball.

According to an MSNBC report from Tuesday, " 'Doesn’t make a lot of sense,' said Chicago Cubs general manager Jim Hendry."

This isn't good news, but it could be worse. Also, the Cubs have made it clear that Dempster will be moved. I speculate a move to the rotation, which would be fine for me. I'm not crazy, but he is a former All-Star starting pitcher and 15-game winner. Sounds better than 3/5 of our rotation.

I would be OK with a lineup much like this one when opening day comes back around:

1. Alfonso Soriano-- LF
2. Ryan Theriot-- SS
3. Derrek Lee-- 1B
4. Aramis Ramirez-- 3B
5. Mark DeRosa-- 2B
6. Jacque Jones-- CF
7. Matt Murton-- RF OR
8. Kosuke Fukudome-- RF
9. Geovany Soto-- C
10. (Pitcher)-- P

That lineup wouldn't bother me a bit. In my opinion, Murton should've been a starter in right last year. He led the team in BA the year before, and that means it was a Dusty-like move.

Murton also hit well off the bench towards the end of the year after being recalled from Iowa. To me, though, it seems like Lou hasn't really taken to Murton that well. Murton's power numbers have also gotten better in at-bats:homers ratio.

The pitching rotation should look something like this:

1. Carlos Zambrano-- RHP
2. Ted Lilly-- LHP
3. Jason Marquis-- RHP
4. Rich Hill-- LHP
5. Ryan Dempster-- RHP

Also, Bartolo Colon is on the market. Not ace material anymore (posting a 6.34 ERA in 2007 and a 5.11 ERA in 2006), he should come at a discount price for a starter. Other notable starter free agents:

• Tony Armas Jr.
• Roger Clemens
• Matt Clement
• Scott Elarton
• Josh Fogg
• Tom Glavine
• Mark Redman

The bullpen should look like this:

1. Will Ohman-- LHP
2. Michael Wuertz-- RHP
3. Scott Eyre-- LHP**
4. Kevin Hart-- RHP
5. Kerry Wood (SU)-- RHP
6. Bobby Howry (SU)-- RHP
7. Carlos Marmol (CP)-- RHP

There are also free agents availabe for unsure spots in the pen such as Kevin Hart, maybe? They are:

• Antonio Alfonseca
• Armando Benitez
• closer Fransisco Cordero
• Scott Eyre**
• Eric Gagne
• LaTroy Hawkins

**He is actually a free agent right now but I can't see the Cubs NOT re-signing him. He was such a valuable asset towards the end of the 2007 season.

Those are my predictions and projections for the upcoming season, just a little earlier than expected.

For 2007 stats of hitters, go to http://chicago.cubs.mlb.com/stats/sortable_player_stats.jsp?c_id=mlb

For 2007 stats of pitchers, go to http://chicago.cubs.mlb.com/stats/sortable_player_stats.jsp?c_id=mlb&baseballScope=mlb&teamPosCode=all&statType=2&timeSubFrame=2007&sitSplit=&venueID=&Submit=Submit&timeFrame=1

Thanks for reading. Also, www.baseball-reference.com is also a great website to check out for statistics, as are www.goatriders.org and www.baseballalmanac.com.

Until next time,

Ryan