Gameday Open Thread / Cubs @ Padres

Reed Johnson = good candidate for 5th OF?

Jason Werth would be a good back-up OF who can play all 3 spots and hits RH

Pie and Fuld were not both going to make the team anyway. They've said several times this spring that the loser of the battle will play everyday at AAA.

I'd nab Johnson if he's open to coming here because he can play all 3 outfield spots, is a righty bat, and he mashes lefties over his career. Plus he won't cost anything other than cash, unlike Coco Crisp.

My guess for the final 25 man is something like this:

Soto
Blanco

DLee
DeRosa
Theriot
ARam
Fontenot

Soriano
Pie
Fukudome
Murton
Ward

Zambrano
Lilly
Dempster
Hill or Marshall
Marquis (if they don't deal him I think he starts over Lieber because he pitches well early, he could be showcased, and he might cause trouble if he's in the bullpen)

Lieber (pretty much useless to have him in the pen, but he's not going to be cut. He's probably edged out Marquis for the rotation but politics might cost him the job for now)
Hart
Weurtz
Eyre
Marmol
Howry
Wood

That's a 24 man roster, leaving room for Reed Johnson or, god forbid, Cedeno.

Johnson would give the team three righty bats on the bench when Pie starts - Murton, Johnson, Blanco
and two lefty bats - Ward, Fontenot

If Cedeno made the team the bench sucks, only Murton is a righty pinch hitter of any real value. I can't picture Cedeno making the team. Maybe the Roberts deal finally goes down soon, if so, and they pick up a righty OF like Johnson or someone else, Fontenot probably goes to the minors to start the year and Roberts takes his roster spot.

I wouldn't expect Hill to be sent down, but who knows. And unless Marquis and/or Marshall are traded, I don't see Marshall starting the season in the majors, just too many pieces and knock on wood, everyone is healthy right now.

Denver Post reports this morning that Cubs have given up on Pie, and wiil likely include him in a Roberts deal.

Interesting rumors from middle to bottom of page..must read

http://chicagocubsonline.com/archives/2008/03/cubs...

More Brian Roberts rumors

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/rumors/post/Cubs-Oriol...

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=ap-tigers-ca...

Miggy to be Tiger, albeit a very rich Tiger, for many years.

152 mil 8 year. Actually a bargain if you ask me.

I meant to post this link regarding Brian Robert's meeting which he had his agent accompany him to meet with Andy McFail...look for a trade this week.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/baseball/bal-sp...

Interesting..Derosa voicing if Roberts deal gets done wants to compete for the shortstop position.
seems like their source is Buster O.

http://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/2008/3/23/318240/if...

Chris Capuano has been diagnosed with a torn UCL. May need TJ surgery and will definitely miss some extended time.

Per the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

wsox/royals (oh joy) on WGN...cubs on the interwebs radio

I have a question, probably for Ariz Phil, but if anyone knows the answer, great. I know a player on a one year contract gets a prorated portion of the contract if they are released before a given date. I think once the season begins they get the entire contract once they are released.

But my question is, what about multiyear contracts. For example, ARod. He's signed for something like $275 million over 900 years. If a team wanted to cut a player with a long term deal, is only the first season pro-rated if they are cut before the season begins, and the additional years are all guaranteed?

I'm just curious because the NFL draft is coming up and free agency has me looking at salary cap figures, and also thinking about which sports have 100% guaranteed contracts.

cubs hitting mad ducks early...2 runs, 0 outs.

-edit-

yow...6 runs in (theriot with a 3 run double in the 8 slot...madducks served up a 80-something mph fastball down the middle). marquis knocks in theriot with a single. ha.

btw...tcr chat exists.

only 2 people in there right now and we're both randomly in/out it seems.

see most of you regular season...

eyre has a "sore elbow"

http://blogs.chicagosports.chicagotribune.com/spor...

"and has steroids/HGH rumors surrounding him?"

Yeah, and also false-birth certificate concerns? Gime me a break, Cabrera has never been linked, and I stress, never been linked to steroids and/or HGH.

also from Crunch's tribune link:

The Cubs are also looking at adding a right-handed hitting outfielder, and Piniella said that either Reed Johnson or Jeff DaVanon could draw the Cubs interest. DaVanon, 34, was released by San Diego on Saturday, and has a .295 career average in 528 games. Johnson, 31, was released by Toronto on Saturday and is a .298 career hitter.
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interesting the both EPat and Hoffpauir are in the lineup when Lou has said he wanted to get all his veterans more at bats. Showcase time outweighs veteran hitting in the game of rock, paper, showcase, veteran hitting and scissors.

Johnson had back surgery for a herniated disc last year, and may not be 100% yet.

Reed Johnson did have back surgery last April.

 Here's a link to the Bluejays mlb.com site

The Reed Johnson before a bad back was a very useful player but it appears this is not the same player. 

 Toronto also announced that Johnson elected to have surgery to repair a herniated disc in his lower back -- an operation that will sideline the left fielder until at least July, but possibly longer. Dr. Thomas Tolli, a spine specialist, will perform Johnson's surgery on Tuesday in St. Petersburg, Fla.The Blue Jays placed Johnson on the 15-day disabled list last week after the outfielder complained of pain in his lower back. An MRI exam revealed the problem stemmed from a herniated disc. It's a similar issue to one Johnson dealt with during Spring Training, when he sat out for more than two weeks.During the spring, Johnson indicated that he felt the most discomfort when running out of the batter's box. That issue also led to mild pain in his right oblique muscle. After resting the injury, Johnson was able to make his first spring appearance in a game on March 8.The 30-year-old outfielder then played in seven games this season, posting a .265 average with one home run and seven RBIs before the back pain flared up again. With Johnson on the DL, Toronto lost its everyday left fielder and leadoff hitter."Reed's our spark plug," Toronto manager John Gibbons said on Friday. "He's our leadoff guy. He makes things happen. When he's rolling, we're good. He's one of the better outfielders in baseball. Naturally, no matter who you put out there, you're going to have a drop off."Johnson led the Blue Jays with a career-best .319 batting average last season and ranked first among American League leadoff hitters with a .390 on-base percentage. He also set career highs in home runs (12), doubles (34), runs (86), hits (147) and walks (33). Johnson was also hit by 21 pitches to lead the Majors.

Submitted by Paul Noce on Sun, 03/23/2008 - 2:10pm.

I have a question, probably for Ariz Phil, but if anyone knows the answer, great.

I know a player on a one year contract gets a prorated portion of the contract if they are released before a given date. I think once the season begins they get the entire contract once they are released.

But my question is, what about multiyear contracts. For example, ARod. He's signed for something like $275 million over 900 years. If a team wanted to cut a player with a long term deal, is only the first season pro-rated if they are cut before the season begins, and the additional years are all guaranteed?

I'm just curious because the NFL draft is coming up and free agency has me looking at salary cap figures, and also thinking about which sports have 100% guaranteed contracts.

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PAUL N: For players signed to "Major League" contracts (40-man roster players), auto-renewal players and players who receive one-year contracts through the salary arbitration process are the only ones with "non-guaranteed" contracts.

If a player signed to a non-guaranteed Major League contract was released (this season) by Friday March 14th, the club would only have had to pay the player 30 days salary (which is 1/6 of his 2008 salary), and if such a player is releaseed by Friday March 28th, his club has to pay the player only 45 days salary (1/4 of his 2008 salary).

However, if a player signed to a guaranteed Major League contract is released prior to the expiration of the contract, the player's original club is on the hook for 100% of the contract, minus the prorated MLB minimum salary ($390K in 2008, and $400K starting in 2009) each season until the original contract runs out (that's if the player signs a Major League contract with another club).

Also, if a player with at least three years of MLB service time is placed on Outright Assignment Waivers and clears the waivers without being claimed and then his club tries to outright him to the minors, the player can either accept the outright assignment (which never happens), or refuse the outright assignment and elect to remain on his club's 25-man roster, or refuse the outright assignment and become a FA (and then his former club is on the hook for the entire balance of the contract, minus the prorated portion of the MLB minimum salary if he signs a Major League contract with another club, just as would happen if the player was given his outright release).

One other thing. If a players is placed on Outright Release Waivers (as happened with Reed Johnson, for example), the player can be claimed by another club for $1 (that's right, a single dollar bill), but then the claiming club assumes 100% of the player's contract.

However, the player has the option to refuse a claim off Outright Release Waivers and can become a FA instead. That's why even though it only costs a club $1 to make the claim you never see clubs claim players off Release Waivers. Interested clubs just wait until the player clears Release Waivers, and then any of the other MLB clubs are free to sign the released player for the MLB minimum salary, and the player's former club is responsible for whatever is left to be paid from the original contract.

A released player is also free to negotiate a new contract for an amount above and beyond what was on his previous contract with his former club, but his previous club still must pay whatever salary or salaries were left on the player's contract at the time he was released, and then the new club just pays the difference (but that's only if the player signs for an amount above the amount remaining on his previous contract).

Phil:

The Denver Post reported this morning that the Cubs have "clearly soured" on Pie.

Have you seen any indication of this?

SEAMHEAD: Nope. I don't see any indication of that.

Pie looks like the Cubs starting (or at least platoon) CF to me. He plays terrific defense and he hits right-handed pitching very well. He just needs to work on his approach versus LHP (where he is sometimes clearly overmatched), and on reading pitchers's moves when he is on 1st base.

The Cubs do need a right-handed hitting CF who can play CF versus LHP until Pie can develop the ability to hit lefties. I understand Pie has to hit against lefties in order to improve, but the Cubs probably can't afford to have him hit .150 versus LHP in 2008 if they fancy themselves as a contender.

Pie will just have to learn to hit lefties when he gets occasional opportunities to do so in the big leagues, and then really work on it next off-season in Winter Ball. Then maybe he can be the "everyday" CF for the Cubs in 2009.

I'd expect a similar deal between the Cubs/Twins regarding Tim Lahey shortly. The Cubs are due a ptbnl for Craig Monroe.
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Bowden did make one move yesterday, however: He swung a deal with the Minnesota Twins to keep outfielder Garrett Guzman, a Rule 5 pick, in the Nationals' system.

Washington will give the Twins a player to be named or cash by July 15. Had the Nationals not kept Guzman on their 25-man roster for the entire season, he would have been transferred back to Minnesota. Instead, he will start the year with Class AAA Columbus.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/artic...

Well, I was shocked to find out Glendon Rusch's spring line:

In ten innings - 0.87 era, 5 hits

Re Pie:

The Dodgers used to start their most promising starting pitchers in the bullpen as rookies in order to ease them into the big leagues, but no one got labeled a "reliever".

Pie is only 23 years old, and if the Cubs put some training wheels on him for his rookie season, no one is going to care (unless they stay on for his whole career).