Cubs in 2011
So it has been over 4 months since I have found the time to blog…. I would like to say that I have been busy (which would be moderately true) with trips to Arizona, Vegas, NYC, Hawaii, Seattle and a couple of weddings in the past few months, not to mention indoor soccer, outdoor soccer, city league softball, my son’s first T-ball season and various other timesucking commitments. No major excuses, but the last time I wrote I had faith and hope that the Cubs were going to be relevant this baseball season. As of today, 7/28/2010, the Cubs have played 101 games, going 46-55 and sit 9.5 games back. The trade deadline is looming and there is a ton of buzz about who the Cubs will trade. Ted Lilly could be gone by the weekend; Ryan Theriot too. Will they dump Zambrano? After his conversation with Pedro Gomez this week on ESPN where he apologizes to everyone for his actions in June before his teammates, I would dump his crazy ass. But it is not my $42million that he is still scheduled to earn, errrr receive.
I have read numerous blogs and tweets talking about who the Cubs can get, what they want, who they need, who has a contract that is unmovable and so on. What I have decided to do is develop a list of the ten Cubs that I feel are most likely to be on the opening day roster in 2011 barring an injury in spring training. This factors in whether or not the Cubs could trade them as well as whether or not they would be willing to trade them. A lot can change for sure as there will be a new manager and possible a new GM as well. In the spirit of David Letterman, I will start this list in reverse order.
10. 3B Aramis Ramirez. As was first reported yesterday, Ramirez is likely to exercise his $14.6 million player option for 2011. Really? I mean a guy who was batting under .200 deep into June would take a guaranteed 14 mill? No player this bad turns down money this good. Fortunately, ARAM has hit well in July and may not be totally washed up, but I would still like to see him succeed going forward.
9. CF Marlon Byrd. The Cubs lone All-Star this year, Byrd has been everything Hendry dreamed of and more this season. Byrd has performed well at the plate, in the field and in the clubhouse as a valuable mentor to rookie Tyler Colvin. The only reason Byrd is not higher on the list is that his contract for the next two years is only $11million total. He may be one of the few tradeable assets that would not require Hendry to take back someone else’s Oliver Perez or Carlos Silva.
8. LHP John Grabow. Speaking of bad contracts. Grabow is owed $4.8 million next year and while on the DL currently holds a 7.36 ERA in 25.2 IP. I am not sure what kind of leverage Grabow had on Hendry when this contract was offered, but I have to believe it involved naked pictures. Who would have though that Tom Gorzellany would be the big piece of last years deadline deal with the Pirates?
7. SP Randy Wells. To say that next year’s Opening Day rotation will look different is a major understatement. I hope/believe that Little z is gone. Lilly will be a free agent at the end of the season. Silva is not likely to be around and Gorzellany could be another tradeable asset. Wells has pitched well as of late and I believe that a club like the Cubs who are now investing in developing their own players value their own more than other clubs.
6. SP Ryan Dempster. And your 2011 Opening Day Starting Pitcher for your Chicago Cubs is Ryan Dempster. Dempster has been the quintessential team player since he signed with the Cubs in 2004. Only DLee, little z and Aramis have been with the Cubs longer.
5. LF Alfonso Soriano. I have been pleasantly surprised by the play of Soriano this year, although this is the healthiest he has been since he came to the Cubs in 2007. He still has 4 more years on his deal which makes it unlikely that he will be traded. He has been a valuable mentor to SS Starling Castro. With the young OFs coming through the system and the lack of an obvious replacement at 1B for Lee, I wonder if the Cubs would consider returning Soriano to the infield next year.
4. C Geovany Soto. Soto has bounced back this year to have a very solid 2010 at the plate. Behind the plate he could use a little more seasoning, but the improvement from 2009 to 2010 is clearly because he didn’t feel the need to clean his plate last offseason, as he dropped 40 pounds. Whether it was diet change, no more steroids or quitting smoking marijuana, his play is certainly something to build off.
3. RHP Andrew Cashner. Clearly the Closer of the Future. When that future is anyone’s guess as current closer Carlos Marmol is only 27. Marmol would be another tradeable asset for Hendry which is why he may not be back (although I would like to see him return). Cashner can hit 100mph and has transitioned nicely to the Major League Club this year. He slots in as a 7th or 8th inning guy next year with Sean Marshall(?), to provide a terrific set-up combo.
2. OF Tyler Colvin. Currently leading all rookies in all of baseball with 16 HRs, Colvin has made an impact on the 2010 Cubs. He was not expected to make the roster in Spring Training , but hit everything in sight forcing Lou Piniella to bring him north with the big club. Colvin is currently miscast as a leadoff hitter as his OBP needs improvement and to cut down on his strikeouts. He has played all 3 OF positions this year, eventually taking over RF for Kosuke Fukudome. Colvin may be the answer at 1B next year, depending on other roster moves, but wherever position and lineup spot he plays in 2010, it will be with the Cubs.
1. SS Starlin Castro. I am trying hard to imagine what kind of player Hendry would need to be offered to be tempted to trade Starlin Castro…. Stephen Strasburg? Tim Lincecum? Albert Pujols? And I am not sure he would be available for any of them. This 20-year-old rookie SS has taken the National League by storm since his debut game. Castro has made adjustments at the plate and since Piniella moved him to the 2 hole in the line-up, he has taken off. Castro should be a member of the Cubs infield for the next 10 years.
I would still like to see a few other Cubs return next year as well: Marmol, Marshall, Gorzellany, rookie James Russell and any of the young RH relief pitchers who have learned on the job this year: Berg, Adkins, Caridad and the unfortunately name Brian Schlitter.
