Cubs MLB Roster

Cubs Organizational Depth Chart
40-Man Roster Info

40 players are on the MLB RESERVE LIST (roster is full) 

28 players on MLB RESERVE LIST are ACTIVE, and twelve players are on OPTIONAL ASSIGNMENT to minors. 

Last updated 3-26-2024
 
* bats or throws left
# bats both

PITCHERS: 15
Yency Almonte
Adbert Alzolay 
Javier Assad
Jose Cuas
Kyle Hendricks
* Shota Imanaga
Caleb Kilian
Mark Leiter Jr
* Luke Little
Julian Merryweather
Hector Neris 
* Drew Smyly
* Justin Steele
Jameson Taillon
* Jordan Wicks

CATCHERS: 2
Miguel Amaya
Yan Gomes

INFIELDERS: 7
* Michael Busch 
Nico Hoerner
Nick Madrigal
* Miles Mastrobuoni
Christopher Morel
Dansby Swanson
Patrick Wisdom

OUTFIELDERS: 4
* Cody Bellinger 
Alexander Canario
# Ian Happ
Seiya Suzuki
* Mike Tauchman 

OPTIONED: 12 
Kevin Alcantara, OF 
Michael Arias, P 
Ben Brown, P 
Alexander Canario, OF 
Pete Crow-Armstrong, OF 
Brennen Davis, OF 
Porter Hodge, P 
* Matt Mervis, 1B 
Daniel Palencia, P 
Keegan Thompson, P 
Luis Vazquez, INF 
Hayden Wesneski, P 

 



 

Minor League Rosters
Rule 5 Draft 
Minor League Free-Agents

Some News…

Organizational meetings started yesterday in Arizona but still very little on the rumor front. The Cubs did hire former A's hitting coach Gerald Perry to fill out the coaching staff. He use to work under Piniella in Seattle from 2000-2002. If you go read the press release linked above, you'll notice an unusual amount of stress put on OBP and walks for the teams that Perry was a coach. We can only hope it carries over to the Cubs. - An expose on Lou Piniella in USA Today confirms a bit of the Cubs game plan.
"Just get me two starting pitchers, two position players, and, I'm telling you, we'll win."
Piniella seems to indicate that Soriano, Zito and Schmidt are on the top of the Cubs wish list. There's also a mention that Hendry is pretty confident he'll bring back Ramirez, but not so much on Pierre. If Pierre does leave, Matthews Jr. could move to the top of the list. Don't expect any bullpen signings but the bench will get an overhaul with a stress on power bats. And if you read between the lines, you get the sense that Murton is going to get moved to the bench for a power upgrade. There are also mentions of Ted Lilly, Miguel Batista, Vicente Padilla and Jeff Weaver along with a $115 million payroll but they don't seem to be direct quotes from Lou himself.

Comments

so basically the article confirms the cubs are after everyone on the planet but c.lee. neat. hehe...

If the Cubs are committed -- lets see if they win the Daisuke Matsuzaka bidding. Then I will be impressed.

Haha, Zito in Texas. Disaster waiting to happen.

Thank you for the link to the article. Whoever put the summary of positions together is an idiot. "Watch out for Chris Walker". Where does he get his information?

Any Ryan Theriot fans in the house will be bummed by the conspicuous absence of his name in the USA Today article. And that "stellar defense" tag provided Cedeno was a joke, right?

hard to put any stock into the position by position review. Nightengale probably had his intern put it together. The quote and bits attributed to Lou directly were the interesting items.

btw...i culled this article from a topix.net search. the past year or so they've really extended and enhanced the scope and manner they cull information off the net. it finds some stuff other outlets pass up. http://www.topix.net/mlb/chicago-cubs there's an RSS feed, too. its not perfect, there's trash in it...whatever algorithms and/or sorting method for what the spiders find isnt dead on, but it still has found some interesting stuff from minor outlets.

CRUNCH: Thanks for sharing, man. For stuff for us to speculate about here!

"And if you read between the lines, you get the sense that Murton is going to get moved to the bench for a power upgrade." -- Why? Because there's one sentence about wanting a power hitter in LF. He does throw C-Lee's name in the mix, but he also threw out Soriano and Sheffield too. That column looks like a lot of uninformed guessing. If Murton gets benched in favor of Jacque under any scenario, this organization needs an enema. The only way that benching Murton wouldn't be a crime is if you trade Jacque and sign/trade for an outfield of: LF - Soriano CF - Matthews RF - Sheffield

I didn't see anything in those articles about $4 billion being the price? Did I miss something? I thought I read there worth about $8 billion total. We may hear as soon as tomorrow on Matsuzaka.

We may hear as soon as tomorrow on Matsuzaka. that will be nice. If the Cubs sign Carlos Lee (the player the Sox dumped to win the World Series) I agree with BJS, they need to be put down. Seriously, it is not 1988, how stupid can you be?

We may hear as soon as tomorrow on Matsuzaka. Or tonight, even, if it gets leaked.

Rob- When I originally heard the news (on NBC5 news), they referenced the fact that "McClatchy Co. paid $4 billion in cash and stock for Knight Ridder Inc.", and I thought they said that's what the bid was. Woops!

Why? Because there's one sentence about wanting a power hitter in LF. He does throw C-Lee's name in the mix, but he also threw out Soriano and Sheffield too. That column looks like a lot of uninformed guessing. Piniella said 2 position players and all the talk seemed about outfielders. Then the throw away line in the position breakdown that they wanted to upgrade in LF. I could be very wrong on all this though.

You gotta love Gerald Perry. Just the emphasis on OBP is refereshing. Or refreshing. Nevertheless, it will be a different day. Any chance we can trade Ivan DeJesus for Chase Utley? A replay of winter '81? Fleece the phils. No, they aren't that dumb anymore. This bid for the Tribune is complicated. On NBC5 here in town they said, "The curse may be over." It is promising news, but as we know with the tribsters, ain't nothing decided. What a world it has become in the last 24--Democrats (almost) in control COngress, Donald Rumsfeld resigns, the Cubs might be sold, they hire a hitting coach who knows what OBP, they might win a right to land the non-Hideki Irabu (someone good). ANd, Pinella didn't seem to keen on "that young man." Ahhh...sweet lou and Pierre, what a team. TO quote someone I heard a while back, "we will wake up tomorrow in different America." Regardless how you vote, we all vote CUbs. Perhaps it is, as Reagan used to say, "morning again in America." What's next? Felix Pie talking a walk? Stay tuned!

Old, Old, Old news at TCR. Two hours after the story breaks is old here, MARK R.

seattle traded griffey jr. to the reds. also, the dodgers are moving to LA...what a bunch of bums.

"If the Cubs sign Carlos Lee (the player the Sox dumped to win the World Series)" Ha! Sure. And what about Magglio Ordonez? Him too? What a joke comment. As if dropping Carlos Lee is what put them over the edge. PUUUUUULLLLLEEEEEZZZZZ!

ESPN Insider question... the Nomar and Eaton stories, anything interesting?

the Nomar and Eaton stories, anything interesting? You mean the ones from Rumor Central? Eaton: Seems to be a lock for a 3-year deal. 5 teams at least interested apparently: Orioles, Rangers, Mariners, Cubs, Red Sox. Eaton's agent says he has the highest upside outside of the elite group. He also said that Dr. Donald Sheridan, the guy who operated on Eaton's finger, reports the finger completely healed and unlikely to be a problem again. Also, Eaton's value likely goes up a little since, as a Type C FA, he won't require draft pick compensation. Nomar: LA Times reports 1B is not necessarily an option for Nomar. Arn Tellem said only that Nomar would be "open-minded" about 1B, 3B or maybe outfield. Colletti says that if Garciaparra returns he'd play one or two positions, but wouldn't move around consistently. Also apparently, Minaya would rather trade for a No. 1 starter than sign him. He'll target Peavy along with Willis.

thanks, wouldn't mind Eaton as the "other" starting pitcher we sign.

thanks, wouldn't mind Eaton as the "other" starting pitcher we sign. Me neither, although unless we land Matsuzaka or Igawa, I don't know who the first one will be. Schmidt seems committed to the West Coast, and Zito seems likely to go somewhere other than Chicago, as the Cubs don't seem to have much interest in him. I've been reading some more on this Matsuzaka thing. Apparently, Tim Dierkes' had a source that said the Cubs would bid $21m for the posting fee. Reports earlier today said as little as $11m might get it done. Bob Klapsich said the Yankees bid was $20m. (!!!)

I just can't understand this whole posting fee. 20 million dollars? C'mon. Just break that up over the life of this guy's contract. lets say he gets what? 5 years 25 million? That almost double the amount spent on this guy. Isn't that a bit high for an unproven commodity. Let's not forget Hideki Irabu! (sp?)

Isn't that a bit high for an unproven commodity. Let's not forget Hideki Irabu! (sp?) I don't think anyone's forgetting Irabu, but how exactly is he unproven? He's been the best starter in Japan for a few years now, and he's still young. He dominated the WBC, and while he won't be as good in MLB as he was there or in Japan, he's still a #2 starter talent at worst. With the way the market is right now, a total contract of 5 year, $50m is a steal.

when there's only 3 legit aces to be known available, you have to do extreme things. Unfortunately you can't trade players to Japan, that's why there's the posting system. A lot has to do with his age as well and of course all those glowing scouting reports.

There is still a good Indi rock scene in Chicago, and more live music clubs in town. Too bad - its his loss. Check out japanesebaseball.com and weed through "local" rumors and team x team potings and FA's. Lots of info on "Mats" as CRUNCH sez, and Kuroda (indeed, as a TCR posted earlier, one of the Japanese papers reported he will "be returning" to his old team), as well as the coveted 3b stud infielder with the career .300 average. Can't recall his name. When I clicked the link for the Kuroda story, it was in Japanese! Alerting any TCR Japanese-fluent posters - please help! Is this obsessive, or what?

There is still a good Indi rock scene in Chicago, and more live music clubs in town. Too bad - its his loss - Re: ZITO

$21mm? Is this a deposit that can be applied to the salary??? You know, like when the specialist, HVAC guy or plumber comes out for an estimate?

I think I saw this earlier on another post but this blurb was on yahoo new regarding Trib sale- "When bids for Tribune came in far lower than expected, Tribune told prospective bidders that individual pieces were available for sale." Paging Mark Cuban.

actually it's due to the Seibu Lions on the day he signs his new contract. Your Trib headlines over the next 2 months: Cubs win Auction to Sign Matsuzaka Cubs sign Matsuzaka Cubs announce ticket and concession price increases; Beer $15, Hot Dogs $10, Bleachers $100

How soon until we hear that the Cubs were outbid for Matsuzaka. Again. Like every other high profile free agent since the dawn of time. But Hendry "tried", wow, I feel so much better now about my last place team.

Cubs announce ticket and concession price increases; Beer $15, Hot Dogs $10, Bleachers $100 I have, honestly, no problem with that. Although they better re-sign Ramirez and get a big slugger. It's time to win this damn thing.

"but how exactly is he unproven?" How many innings has he pitched in the MLB? I think its close to zero. And before you quote me one damned stat from the Japanese baseball leagues let me tell you that Karl "Tuffy" Rhodes averaged 40 homers a season over there. And he would have broken the all time single season home run record if they would have pitched to him. Oh and the WBC? Lets see what happens the second or third time players get to see him. He may turn out to be lights out awesome, but as of right now, he is unproven.

He may turn out to be lights out awesome, but as of right now, he is unproven. Fine, Chad, whatever. Frankly, as bad as our pitching was this year, I'm willing to gamble a bit personally. The likelihood that the best pitcher in Japan absolutely sucks at the MLB level isn't very high, so 5 year/ $50 mil for a #1 starter at best and a #3-4 at worst? With the other options out there (which Schmidt and Zito are not among), I'll take it. And, btw, let me tell you, that I think that one damned example of Tuffy Rhodes is a little disingenuous, considering he changed his entire workout regimen and swing when he went over there. So on a scale of 1-10, how relevant is your example? Probably close to zero.

Good point Andrew. A gamble isn't a bad thing, but this is no small gamble. It's $20 mill up front, at least, and then $10 mill a year? He'd better be more than a 3 or 4 for that...

It's $20 mill up front, at least, and then $10 mill a year? I agree, although in the numbers I was using, it would be $10m a year for him total (salary + posting fee). It seems that most people think his salary will be 4-5 years, probably $5-7m per. I think he'll be much better than a #3 pitcher as long as he can avoid the long ball.

To BE CLEAR: As I understand the bidding process - and ROB you may have covered - 1. It is "BLIND" bidding - Owners do NOT know what teams are attached to which bids, they come from the Commish office. 2. They can choose to REFUSE bids altogether, and Mats stays in Japan for one more year and can become true JPN FA next year. 3. If they DO accept a bid, the "winner" has 30 days with Bor-ASS to consumate a deal or $$ gets returned and the player hops back on JAL on a flight to Tokyo. No one really knows what the bids were. Except probably that person at the rumor site and his "terrific" sources. They'll tell you anything.

pretty much e-man, matszuka though can't be a free agent until early on in the 2008 season, so he could be posted again next year. The Japanese teams in theory don't even know who the bidding teams are or the amounts. Only MLB offices know and they supposedly just tell the Seibu Lions what the winning bid is and Seibu can accept it or not.

"Minaya [...] will target Peavy" Good luck with that, Omar.

Heilman, Pelfrey and Milledge for Peavy?

Heilman, Pelfrey and Milledge for Peavy? Surely he could get Willis for less than that.

GM Jr. sucks. I am sorry. He had a year where his BABIP was .350 and he is also turning 32. As much as I don't want Pierre, I might want Gary even less. He will also command at least a few million more this year due to his 'break out' year.

Some new articles on Cubs happenings over at MLBtraderumors.com, referencing the Trib's Paul Sullivan. Also, some blog called Bucco Blog reports the Cubs may push payroll all the way up to $120m.

Just wanted to add that this is the second offseason in a row that the Friars traded a good second baseman for basically nothing. Also, they hired Bud Black to manage.

Dick Pole to Cincy.

Just wanted to add that this is the second offseason in a row that the Friars traded a good second baseman for basically nothing. Kouzmanoff and Brown aren't nothing, but they're certainly less than Barfield in my mind. It certainly allows Shapiro to save the dough he would have spent on bringing back Belliard or some other 2B.

http://tinyurl.com/ykzymz here's the sullivan article Because it's unlikely the Cubs will get into a bidding war, Ramirez probably will get a take-it-or-leave-it offer by Saturday night. Hendry, who is in Arizona at the organizational meetings, was unavailable for comment. meh...

So, this bidding for Matsuzaka seems ripe for gamesmanship. Could someone who understands the process better than me comment on whether this could happen: Team X bids $50 million for the right to negotiate, and wins. Then, Team X offers $3 million/year for 3 years. Boras says no, Team X says fine, go back to Japan, see ya later. Team X (maybe Boston, Toronto?) repeats the process in 2007, perhaps as part of a plan to deny all other teams (Yankees?) the chance to get him. It seems that Boras has zero leverage in this deal, for once in his life, at least until 2008 when Matsuzaka becomes a true FA. Teams will know that Boras won't get a penny unless and until Matsuzaka signs with a MLB team (I'm assuming he doesn't get a cut of the existing Japanese contract). So, a "take it or leave it" offer can actually be effective in the sense that Boras will have no real alternative to taking it.

I'm not sold on Sarge Jr either, but he'll likely be much more productive than Pierre and might not cost much more. Plus you shouldn't have to give him too many years being that he'll turn 33 next season. Sheffield might not be such a bad option for a couple of years. He'll probably give you roughly the same offense as Soriano for '06-'07 and be quite a bit cheaper. I wonder if it's even possible for E-Patt to get considered for 2B out of ST. Theriot as his and Izturis' backup? 2B - E-Patt LF - Murton 1B - D-Lee 3B - Aramis RF - Sheffield C - Barrett CF - Jacque SS - Izturis That should give you a small mountain of money to use on pitching. Probably getting ahead of myself with Patterson... I doubt he'll get serious consideration, but with the weak options through FA, I'd prefer to see E-Patt or Theriot at 2B next year. Just say no to Loretta. Durham sounds good, but he's sure to get a bigger and longer contract than he should.

Rob G. (From Sullivan article): Because it's unlikely the Cubs will get into a bidding war, Ramirez probably will get a take-it-or-leave-it offer by Saturday night. Hendry, who is in Arizona at the organizational meetings, was unavailable for comment. Not going to get into a bidding war... wow. I'm finding fewer and fewer differences between the Cubs and teams like the Devil Rays and Royals.

A team can win the bidding and then turn right around and trade him without settling on a contract. All they do is trade away his rights. They could, in theory, put down a posting fee of, say, $40 million, and if they were to win the rights to Matsuzaka, they could then offer him in trade to teams such as the Red Sox, Mets and Yankees -- and part of the trade price would be for those teams to pay most or all of the fee, in addition to surrendering a player or a package of players. Just imagine if the Cubs won the bidding and turned around and traded him to ohhh say the Mets? I am sure the Cubs could easily get Milledge and Heilman and most of that cash knocked off in a trade for him. Say we wanted to deal with the Yanks? Sure we will take Sheff, but we want Robinson Cano also. And I wish people would stop fretting about the posting fee. The team that signs him will instantly be getting a marketing icon in Japan. Merchandise of him in his new uniform will sky rocket revenue to what ever team signs him not to mention advertising in Japan. Your getting that country's best player and millions of people are going to pay attention to your team that didn't in the past. It is an extremly wise investment that will pay huge dividends not only in revenue generated to the franchise but exposure to the team. Just think about this for a second.....if the Cubs are going to be sold, having Matsuzaka on the roster bumps up how much the team can be sold for.

"but (Sarge Jr.) he'll likely be much more productive than Pierre and might not cost much more" Based on what? Nothing. 1 good year and you think he's a good player. You are so blind it hurts.

What is your malfunction? I said I wasn't sold on Matthews. He's still sure to outproduce Pierre next year though. 3 year splits: GM Jr -- .817 OPS Pierre - .726 OPS When you take into account Matthews' superior defense, it's really no contest. End o' subject

Not end of subject and I'll bet you anything that Mathews goes right back to his career averages and Juan Pierre will collect 200 hits...again. What's your major malfunction. You're the one who wouldn't know a good player from a crap POS with 1 career year. If you were GM, we'd be screwed. You'd go out and sign ever idiot who had a career year.

" The team that signs him will instantly be getting a marketing icon in Japan." I think you can still get a Hideki Irabu Yankee jersey for like 2 yen.

"You'd go out and sign ever idiot who had a career year." We're still waiting for yours.

The Matsuzaka / Irabu comparisons aren't really fair. For one thing, Irabu was FAT. He was in terrible shape when he came to the US, and it showed in his performance. Matsuzaka seems to be in good shape and he seems dedicated enough to winning that I don't see him going the Glendon Rusch route by spring training. More importantly, though, Irabu was never even that good in Japan. He only really had two plus pitches (fastball/splitter), and his career record in Japan at the time he came to the US was only 59-59. That's a far cry from Matsuzaka who supposedly has four plus pitches and has a career record in Japan of 108-60.

Really, Gary Matthews Jr. is better than Pierre? On what freaking planet? He hit .313 with a .371 OBP. His career is .263, with a .336 OBP. Does anyone see a problem forming? People are getting trapped in the Glendon Rusch, Neifi Perez, Gary Gaetti, Todd Hollandsworth type of thinking. "Ohhh, hey this player had some success in the middle of a decline/poor career, LETS SIGN HIM UP ASAP!" Pierre is the better player, in fact Pierre beats him like a wet noodle in how good he is compared to Matthews. Matthews has 2 seasons in which he got over 100 hits. Pierre has 4 seasons in which he has over 200 hits. But in Cub logic, Matthews is better. And we wonder why the Cubs sign Glendon Rusch, Neifi Perez, Todd Hollandsworth and a cast of suck. I learned years ago to stear clear of the 1 year freak wonders. They burn you almost every time. I tend to learn from the Cubs past mistakes, the Cubs just keep repeating them over and over. Sooooo I guess Matthews will be a Cub within the month?

This doesn't sound at all encouraging... With so much at stake this offseason -- and with new manager Lou Piniella waiting to see the revamped product he was promised -- Hendry can't afford to waste any more time. He needs to get a definitive answer on Ramirez in the next week, then move on. Here's the odd thing. Talks between Ramirez's agent, Paul Kinzer, and Hendry have not been what anyone would call serious since the end of the season. That's about to change next week during the general managers' meetings in Naples, Fla. "They have had a lot going on, and Jim has been busy," Kinzer said. The Cubs sure are acting like they could give a rats ass if Ramirez leaves.

Jim has been busy???? HA HA HA Whatever... While I agree you have to make a decision on ARam at some point and can't let him keep dragging you out, you can't say this Saturday is it or nothing. That would make no sense. I understand that Hendry does not want to be dragged out so long that he misses out on finding a replacement 3B, but giving him a only a couple more days sounds quick.

From Ben Maller's site: Most of the experts have Carlos Lee headed to Houston because he has a ranch there, but sources close to Lee insist the Cubs are his preferred destination because of his numbers in Wrigley Field and a chance to show up the White Sox. The Cubs are expected to be in on the Jason Schmidt sweepstakes but probably won't go longer than four years because of the injury factor. Schmidt, with Barry Zito one of two prominent free-agent starters, is expected to wind up in Seattle. The Cubs have an interest in signing San Diego's Dave Roberts and making him their new leadoff man if Juan Pierre leaves, as expected. Pierre told the Miami Herald he would be interested in returning to the Marlins, but hasn't heard from them. Full Story Two different major-league officials believed Yankees OF Gary Sheffield will end up with the Cubs or Athletics. The Padres are also in the mix, but the Astros aren't. Full Story Because of the posting process, Matsuzaka and agent Scott Boras will not have the leverage of multiple teams like a true free agent. And the threat of returning to Japan is viewed mostly as empty. But Boras has made it clear he will see ace money, perhaps five years at $12-15 million a year. Full Story

I think Murton is toast as either a starter or a bench player, and will be trade bait to some small-market team looking for a cheap OF. The Piniella interview emphasized that Lou looks for power and defense from his position players, and Murton provides neither. In addition, Lou likes power from his bench guys, and Murton fails again. I like Murton and think that if left to develop at the ML level, he could be exactly what Perry wants in a hitting pupil. But the Cubs are in a hurry, and simply don't have time for Murton to develop here. Too bad.

Dave Roberts ... now that I read it ... would be a very nice stopgap bewteen Pierre and Pie. What is it likely to cost to sign him for one year? Schmidt is my no. 1 player on the market for this team, but Hendry is very smart to not give him more than four years. As per dollars for those four years give him what he wants. And the opposite for Carlos Lee. I'm not too thrilled about paying superstar money for him. He's a good player who's about to get paid like a great one.

Diamondbacks sporting red uniforms now. Ugh. The black and teal was cool. There's way too many teams in baseball using red and blue. Even a "common" color like green, you only have the DRays and Athletics. Makes me want an "old school" DBacks hat actually.

While there has been lots of complains about Hendry not trading ARam -a guy that he clearly wants to keep next year- I can't figure out for the life of me why Pierre wasn't put on the trading block. Every indication is that Hendry isn't counting on him coming back in 2007, yet there wasn't even any rumors of him being traded at the deadline. Pierre had turned his season around by late July, so he certainly could have brought back some value. The only conclusion I could think of at the time was that Hendry wanted to bring him back in 2007. But I guess I forgot that it was Jim Hendry was running things: The GM who has never had a direction -much less a long term plan- for the team, and spends all of his time trying to patch holes, without realizing he's working on a crumbling foundation.

"He's not ready yet." ñ referring to Pie, from the USA Today article What's the likelihood that Pie could post an .800 OPS and play respectable defense if he played CF every day next year? It seems like people focus on what Pie CAN'T do, not what he CAN do. I'm a little surprised that Pie hasn't been thrown out there as a legit option. Just because Corey Patterson didn't work out doesn't mean the same thing will happen to Pie. After all, the issue was never Patterson's bunting ability or baserunning or defense (though annoying). It was his hideous OBP. It's just odd that we're talking about Little Sarge or re-signing Pierre, who are just complementary players anyway, when Pie has a chance, though admittedly not great, of being a star and a cheap star to boot.

Last 3 years, GMJ: 29 275/350/461 101 30 255/320/436 96 31 313/371/495 119 Last 3 years, JP: 26 326/374/407 107 27 276/326/330 84 28 292/330/388 81 Last column is OPS+. Matthews Jr. has been superior at the plate over the last 3 years. Most of it's due to the significant slugging difference over Pierre. Let's look at the inverse of OBP, the outs. Over the last 3 years, Matthews Jr. made 1028 outs over 1533 plate appears, for an average of .671. Pierre had 1553 outs over 2216 plate appearances for an average of .701. Fascination with Pierre's 200 hit seasons doesn't recognize that he's making an out in 70% of his plate appearances--just dreadful for a leadoff hitter. While Matthews is no prize and probably just had a career year at 31, he'd likely be an offensive upgrade over Pierre.

To be clear, outs--as calculated by Baseball Reference--include caught stealing, sacrifices, double plays, etc. So it's more accurate to say that in Pierre creates more outs than Matthews Jr. during the innings in which he plays.

In other news, Eric Patterson hasn't made an error since AZPhil's comment about his defense. I'm still leaning toward "it was a rough week" as an explanation for E-Pat's 6 errors in his first 12 games. I think that people are/were jumping the gun in calling for a position change. His AFL stat line is just fantastic: .361/.424/.518 - .924 OPS, 9 BB v. 10 K, 10-12 SB.

BLEED: "But I guess I forgot that it was Jim Hendry was running things: The GM who has never had a direction -much less a long term plan- for the team" I'm with ya here, BLEED. Actually, he DID have a plan. It was counting on Wood and Prior two years in a row and then everything would be rosy from there. Oh - and the addition of "Holly". And, Mabry, Jody Garut, Tony Womack, MArquis Grissom, Scott-Towel Williamson, et. al.

Roberts-CF Izturis-SS D. Lee-1B Ram-3B Sheffield-RF C. Lee-LF Barrett-C Cedeno/Theriot-2B It's a bit righty-heavy, but it could be the lineup that Lou is expecting Hendry to provide.

#82 of 83: By Dillon1998 (November 9, 2006 12:11 PM) In other news, Eric Patterson hasn't made an error since AZPhil's comment about his defense. I'm still leaning toward "it was a rough week" as an explanation for E-Pat's 6 errors in his first 12 games. I think that people are/were jumping the gun in calling for a position change. ---- DILLON: Eric Patterson may yet develop into a decent second-baseman, but it's not because hasn't made any errors in the last few games. What you would see if you saw Eric Patterson is a second-baseman with outstanding range and above-average arm strength, with the athleticism to make "impossible" leaping catches and diving stops not many other second-basemen can make. Couple that with not making solid feeds to the shortstop on DPs, being stiff and awkward turning the DP, and a "skaky jake" who bobbles ground balls and does not make consistently accurate throws to 1B. That's Eric Patterson. A two-guard who is playing point guard. What I said last week was that if Eric Patterson had just average offensive skills, the Cubs could afford to spend a couple of years letting him work on his defensive shortcomings at AAA and perhaps (hopefully) make himself into a passable second-baseman, because he has outstanding range and athleticism. However... Eric Patterson is a very good offensive player right now, an excellent baserunner and base-stealer, and (unlike his brother) an outstanding bunter and a good hitter who is patient and works the count, and who is capable of driving extra base hits into the gaps. To have E-Pat spend a couple of years trying to work out his defensive problems at AAA with the possibility that he might (or might not) evolve into an OK second-baseman could be a waste of time if he can be an MLB lead-off hitter right now, though NOT as a second-baseman. What I have been trying to say is that if Eric Patterson was moved to the outfield (and I believe he has the athleticism and arm to play CF, or at least LF), he could probably play in the big leagues in 2007, and be a quality MLB lead-off hitter. But not if he plays 2B, because he will need a lot of work before he will be an adequate big league second-baseman, and even if he spends a couple of years at AAA trying to develop his infield skills, he still might not make it at that position.

#84 of 86: By WPZ (November 9, 2006 12:30 PM) Dillon, how many ABs is that for EPat? -- WPZ: Eric Patterson in the AFL. E-Pat is: T-2nd in stolen bases T-3rd in runs scored T-3rd in triples 4th in batting average 6th in OPS 6th in SLG 8th in OBP T-8th in doubles

SEAM: Are you SURE you would want to bat Izzy 2nd? He truly is an atrocious hitter, unless of course Mr. Perry's guidance helps him get it together.

Please, please, please God don't let Jim Hendry trade for Gary Sheffield. That guy is toxic. For proof, check out this quote (http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2639001): "I don't know what they're (Yankees) going to do," Sheffield said. "Maybe they picked it up just to trade me. If they do that, if I just (go) to a team for one year, there's going to be a problem." So basically, any team that trades for him is nuts, because he's going to be a nightmare unless they sign him to a multiyear deal. And this isn't anything new for this assshole either. I remember when he played for the Brewers back in 1990-91, he admitted to intentionally dogging it until he was traded. And to top it all off, he's a juicer. And he's 38 years old. And he killed Santa Claus. And kicks three-legged puppies. Why the F would we want this guy?

EPat sounds a lotlike Rickie Weeks to me, who defensively was atrocious for much of the early part of the season but really turned his defense around before getting injured. Weeks is exceptionally athletic but looked uncomfortable at 2B and routinely flubbed the easy plays. He worked on his defense and eventually figured it out. It takes experience and (cringe) coaching. No reason Patterson can't do the same, so long as the Cubs are resigned to some yippy defense for a year or so. Long-term, EPat as a second baseman is much more valuable than EPat as an OF. I say let him take his defensive lumps. Give him a couple years to figure it out. Athletic players can learn to play competent defense.

"The GM who has never had a direction -much less a long term plan- for the team" No direction. No plan. Think of the damage he would have done if he had been in charge of our entire minor league system.

Seamhead- I see one big problem with your lineup. Based on your lineup (signing Roberts, Sheff and C. Lee) there couldn't be much money left for the biggest hole on this team...STARTING PITCHING.

EPat as a CF is valuable as well, if he's hitting leadoff , stealing bases, scoring runs, etc...

"Let's look at the inverse of OBP, the outs. Over the last 3 years, Matthews Jr. made 1028 outs over 1533 plate appears, for an average of .671. Pierre had 1553 outs over 2216 plate appearances for an average of .701. Fascination with Pierre's 200 hit seasons doesn't recognize that he's making an out in 70% of his plate appearances--just dreadful for a leadoff hitter. While Matthews is no prize and probably just had a career year at 31, he'd likely be an offensive upgrade over Pierre." - Word. I tried explaining some of this in another thread, but they weren't listening. Pierre gets 200 hits because he gets 700-750 plate appearances and swings at everything in fear of striking out. The result is a shitload of weak contact groundouts and popouts. I'm not sold on Matthews and last year was probably a career year, but he's sure to be more productive than Pierre next year. It's very likely that Matthews will put up an .800-.850 OPS with above average defense. Pierre won't come close to providing either.

#90 of 90: By myronbaker (November 9, 2006 01:04 PM) Long-term, EPat as a second baseman is much more valuable than EPat as an OF. I say let him take his defensive lumps. Give him a couple years to figure it out. Athletic players can learn to play competent defense. - MYRON B: And that is exactly the position of the Cubs organization. However, I would remind the Cubs organization that Tim Raines, Don Buford, Frank Catalanotto, Alfonso Soriano, and many, many others in the annals of MLB were second-basemen who were moved to LF to keep them in the lineup while minimizing their defensive shortcomings. And I'm not so sure that if Eric Patterson were to be moved to the outfield, that he would necessarily have to play LF. He MIGHT be able to play CF. I don't know.

OK, I try to avoid sweeping generalizations but here goes: Anyone who thinks that GMJr is a better player than Juan Pierre doesn't know anything about baseball. The very fact that probably 0 GMs would agree with you is proof enough to me.

Does anyone else find it funny that Chad is almost always in the minority, yet his response to anyone who disagrees with him is typically that "you don't know anything about baseball." The sun revolves around the earth, and if you don't agree, you just don't know much about science!

personally, i'd take pierre over matthews...but its not like its a slam dunk. matthews has the defensive edge, but he's got what...1 full season, period, under his belt and he's 32? pierre is a leg injury from being almost totally ineffective, though, thanks to his reliance on his speed in every aspect of his game (plate, field, and bases). i wouldnt want either guy getting more than 5-7m bucks, though...and would be concerned about anything longer than 1-2 years.

guess matt has 2 full seasons...03 in bal/sd...not much worth mentioning in 03, though. he's a "different" hitter when he got to TEX...he's definitely done something to improve his power stroke (or its showing better) and park influence cant be pointed to as a sole or heavy factor. just going on numbers on that, though.

The sun revolves around the earth, and if you don't agree, you just don't know much about science! - Yes. It's annoying sometimes, but usually it's hilarious. Using that line as a copout instead of using facts to make a case is priceless. I hope Chad never stops doing it.

The very fact that probably 0 GMs would agree with you is proof enough to me. except when it comes to teams wanting CF's this year Matthews Jr. is being rumored for a lot more jobs than Pierre so far. Matthews Jr. seemed to be always liked by the scouts, he's kept finding work although he never peformed adequately. And then last year he stopped listening to his Dad, the guy who was our hitting coach. Maybe he turned something around... Beyond that one amazing play though, his defense isn't all that hot. Pierre and him are pretty much a tossup in that regard. That being said, I steer very far away from him unless he's damn cheap, which it doesn't sound like he will be. All his improvement is concentrated in his batting average and a little more power in a power friendly park. Bleh...

Matsuzaka blog heard some very rumors that Yanks offered $27 mil and Rangers $25, but nothing concrete as he said.

let's start a rumor the cubs offered 35m and plan on trading the rights away to the yanks for arod. fun!

kind of pictured the whole posting process like Godfather. Yanks all sitting around the table waiting for a call from their guy inside the MLB office. "My guy just called, Rangers put in the top bid at $25 mil, we'll have to go up to $27" Cashman goes to the bathroom and reaches behind the toilet to find the Yankees bid which he quickly writes in the amount and faxes it over to MLB offices right before the deadline.

Maybe here on planet earth thing look a bit different than it does on your planet. I see GMJr. a guy who can't keep a job who has one good year and Juan Pierre who averages 200 hits a season and averages 52 stolen bases a year. I don't know, maybe I'm just crazy.

I don't know if you're crazy Chad, personally there both crappy players, but don't pull the B.S. zero GM crap, when Matthews is all over the rumor mill and Pierre is begging for a call from Florida so far.

I've watched Matthews play. Runners don't take bases on him at will. Guys aren't tagging up to take 3rd on deep flyballs like they do Pierre. Like I said, I'm not a fan of Matthews and I wouldn't sign either if it was my call, but there have been rumors of the Cubs being interested in Matthews. If it's between him and Pierre, it's no contest. Matthews is better.

I'm in line with Phil on E-Patt. He's been swinging a heckuva bat this year (and appears to be getting better) and if he doesn't start smoothing out at 2B by mid-season, I'd like to see him get a crash course in CF. He would obviously be much more valuable at 2B but I haven't seen him play 2B, so I have to take Phil's word that he doesn't look good. He could surely grow into an adequate CF relatively quickly. Unfortunately, if Patterson would happen to convert to a decent fielding CF'er, you'd really have to trade Pie. He'd have no future with the organization.

Re proposed lineup: I would hate to bat Izturis 2nd, for the reasons you raised. But unless Theriot wins the 2B job from Cedeno, there is no other viable #2 hitter in this lineup other than perhaps Barrett. Izturis has the potential to be a #2 hitter, and Lou may want to give him a try. As for the cost of that lineup, it calculates to be around $60M. I have estimated around $35M for the starting pitching (Z, 1 $10M FA, 1 $5M FA, Hill and Prior), $14M for the pen and $10M for the bench, for a total of $112M.

word be that the Seibu Lions won't decide on the bid until the board of directors meet on Friday. Don't know the time difference, but I imagine late tonight or tomorrow we'll get word.

Seibu Lions board of directors meeting is in about four hours in Japan, so we could hypothetically know late tonight-early tomorrow who the high bidder was. With the amount of cash being rumored it should be pretty close to a zero percent chance the team decides not to post him. Also, Hendry announces plans to post Glendon Rusch to the Japanese league. Cubs will be unable to possibly sign Carlos Lee because the team plane couldn't possibly take off with both aboard.

Chad...you're not off base in regards to Pierre vs. GMJR. Crunch verified it...not sure he MEANT to...but when he argued that Pierre is a leg injury away from being almost ineffective..... So is Matthews!!!! So is every other major league baseball player......reference NOMAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!! Face it....Pierre and Matthews are BOTH above average CF's......both bring different talents to the team....it's just that Pierre has a longer history to pull from in terms of comparison. For my money.....stay with Pierre.....the devil you know is better than the devil you don't know...even if the devil you DON'T know gets on ESPN highlights a couple times per year. Joey

BP's HACKING MASS winners.. C Brad Ausmus 1b Tomas Perez 2b Mark Loretta 3b Abraham Nunez SS Ronny Cedeno OF Podsednik, Gathright, Rondell White P Pineiro, Marquis not only do you need to be bad, but you need to get playing time. Loretta tied with Jose Castillo actually. http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=5673

There are rumblings on the Chicago sports radio of Dave Roberts going to White Sox.

"A source inside the Padres organization said the team feels very confident they'll sign Alfonso Soriano when the free agent signing period begins, NBC 7/39 reported." Yeah...right, and so are five other MLB teams! HA! IOWA JOEY: Crunch verified it...not sure he MEANT to...but when he argued that Pierre is a leg injury away from being almost ineffective..... So is Matthews!!!! So is every other major league baseball player......reference NOMAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!" I agree and have said this before to CRUNCH or whomever used this kind of reasoning. I also further pointed out that the majority of "this type" of player, has had pretty long careers - Lofton, Butler, O.Smith, Roberts, et. al. Although Scotty Pods had an injury year last year so his "HAPPENED". But the year before, he won a ring...

Oh yeah, Ricky Henderson & Vince Coleman you may add.

sorry if this is a repeat... Two different major-league officials believed Sheffield will end up with the Cubs or Athletics. The Padres are also in the mix, but the Astros aren't. Sheffield said he didn't speak with Steinbrenner in Tampa because of the 76-year-old's health, but he thinks he would be a Yankee in 2007 if the owner was feeling better. http://preview.tinyurl.com/yf6pej tiny url now automatically generates a preview link that takes you to their website and shows you the actual link. Figure that will squash any worries over the content....

Levine is reporting Hendry has a 5/$70m offer on the table for Aramis.

Gammo dropped a M.Wuertz reference in a potential Sheff deal today.

For those of you who will be in the Mesa area tonight (and I am looking at you, John McDonough, Jim Hendry, Lou Piniella, Oneri Fleita, Tim Wilken, et al), the Phoenix Desert Dogs (the AFL's best team) come storming to HoHoKam for a showdown with the AFL's second-best team (YOUR Mesa Solar Sox). There is a reason why the Desert Dogs are (by far) the best team in the AFL. They have four of the AFL's top five starting pitchers (Kyle Yates, Dustin McGowan, Virgil Vasquez, and Jordan Tata), the best catcher (Curtis Thigpen), the best shortstop (Ben Zobrist), the best aggregate outfield (Cody Strait, Fernando Perez, and--when healthy--Elijah Dukes), and the league's HR leader and likely MVP (Chip Cannon). So it will be a tall order for the Sox, and since they are down three games to the Dogs in the standings with only seven left to play, manager Pat Listach will have to pull out all the stops. Go, Solar Sox! Burn out their hearts. Onward, Solar Sox! Way off the charts. Just keep playing hard and soon, You will be winning, Up on the moon. Go, Solar Sox! Just come to play. You'll win your share, and that's when we'll say... Solar Sox are champs for sure, Just win the game, And we'll say that you're.. Our Solar Sox, And you are just fine, You won the game, And see how you shine! We will sit and watch you play, And tomorrow is another day.

Where do you think Levine gets his info from? Unless this is going to be the final numbers, don't you think that both sides are actually hurt by leaking this info? Unless Aram's agent is doing this to see the reaction of other GMs I don't understand why anyone would let this info out. And if there is a source in the Cubs camp then Jim Hendry should stop telling people on his own staff.

"Levine is reporting Hendry has a 5/$70m offer on the table for Aramis." paul sulivan points to "around 5/75" in his recent article (yesterday) as being on the table, btw. and about the tinyurl preview...about time.

Levine is reporting Hendry has a 5/$70m offer on the table for Aramis. As Aramis books his LA ticket to visit Arte and McCourt, maybe takes a drive down to San Diego.

"I also further pointed out that the majority of "this type" of player, has had pretty long careers - Lofton, Butler, O.Smith, Roberts, et. al....Oh yeah, Ricky Henderson & Vince Coleman you may add." Juan Pierre EQA = .256 Career Slugging .377 Rickey Henderson EQA = .306 Career Slugging .419 O. Smith was a shorstop last time I checked Roberts EQA = .267 Career Slugging .371 games 666 Lofton EQA = .278 Slugging = .423 Bulter EQA = .283 Slugging = .376 Coleman EQA = .266 Slugging .345, Of all those guys you listed he is a better offensive player than one of them , and the one he's next closest to is a 34 year old that hasn't played 130 games in a single season. If he would walk like Butler and Raines and Henderson and Lofton, sure he would be a more valuable offensive player. But his career total for walks is 258. To put that in perspective, that's about what Rickey Henderson did in 2 years. Also, if he twists his ankle, he is not going to be able to pinch hit. If you can't walk and you can't slug, you're useless if you can't run. Did you guys watch the '88 series?

don't know if it has been said before, but if you can say that SargeJr. and Pierre are very similar offensive players, then i would say go with SargeJr. because of his defense. The number of runs that SargeJr. would stop from scoring would only make his offense that much better. I don't see pierre going over the wall to bring back homers. And before it is said, i know that no one is going to bring one back at Wrigley.

and about the tinyurl preview...about time. they did have a feature where you can turn a cookie on on the user's end, but now they just generate one automatically.

I like the USA Today's 5 trades that should be made: "What doomed the Braves was a pitching staff whose 4.60 ERA tied for 11th in the league, a departure from the team's mold of the past. Hansen would provide them with a young, lively arm." Different writer, same article: "The Braves have the young pitching to spare" Must be nice to be the Braves.

"As Aramis books his LA ticket to visit Arte and McCourt, maybe takes a drive down to San Diego." Fine with me...I wouldn't give Aramis more than $14m a year, add his injury history to his game not being well rounded enough to warrant Beltran or A-rod money(counting A-rod as present day $16m a year. I know it's a soft FA market this year but $15-16m a year would be the type of contract that usually is attempted to get dumped by year 2 with the soon-to-be canned GM having to eat part of the $ on the remaining years. If Aramis demands more than that I'd let him walk, go get Akinori Iwamura as a stop gap, lock up Z, overpay for Schmidt or Matsuzaka if need be, and set the sights for 2008 which is what the Cubs should be doing anyway.

well young pitching worth something on the market isnt really mlb-ready pitching on the market. yanks got a ton of mlb-ready pitching, but probally only 1-2 guys who would be mlb-ready. we saw a lotta youth pitching for the cubs last year that hold worth, but just aren't mlb-ready...used outta desperation after the training staff ran outta snoopy bandaids for the guys that were supposed to step up and just ended up being injured.

I wonder if we're going to be able to trade our Special Assistant coach for Larry Bowa and Ryne Sandberg at some point. Who would want to work with the 'Special Assistant' coach, anyway? Makes you sound like you're retarded.

"yanks got a ton of mlb-ready pitching" that should be "youth pitching"...

"Orioles scouting director John Stockstill, who was the Cubs' assistant scouting director under Hendry when they drafted Montanez, was instrumental in the signing." I don't think 'Instrumental in the Luis Montanez signing' would make a good bullet point on a resume.

Rob G.: "As Aramis books his LA ticket to visit Arte and McCourt, maybe takes a drive down to San Diego." HA HA... Yeah, if it is only going to be 5 years, then it will most likely have to start at $15 per.

REAL NEAL: Are you really employed? Or, just independently wealthy? How do you have the time to look up this meaningless shit. All I was saying, was that in my opinion the "top-of-the-order" person who has speed in their arsenal (not going by position) and can at least get on base, the examples I showed (and I'm sure there are plenty more I could dig up over the last 20 years if I was so inclined) have "always been a leg injury away" from ending a career. Depending on the severity of injury, of course. And, these guys I listed (yeah, I know Ozzie Smith was a shortstop - I didn't say CF exclusively) had pretty long, productive careers. "Also, if he twists his ankle, he is not going to be able to pinch hit. If you can't walk and you can't slug, you're useless if you can't run. Did you guys watch the '88 series?" Gee reallY?? And, how many speed players at all will/can hit with a "twisted ankle"?

I live in my parent's basement dude. Between games of Dungeons and Dragons, consulting a thesaurus to try to make myself look more intelligent than I really am, and ignoring the female gender, I rack up copious amounts of spare time to ponder meaningless arguments simply for the sake of arguing and then insult anyone that disagrees with my opinion. I'm in finance dude, but you'd think with my superiority complex I would be a brain surgeon or saving the world in some diplomatic manner but in reality I'm just a sad little man. Hope that helps. I'm off to therapy.

I tried explaining some of this in another thread, but they weren't listening. Pierre gets 200 hits because he gets 700-750 plate appearances and swings at everything in fear of striking out. The result is a shitload of weak contact groundouts and popouts. This is what you call an ignorant comment. Lots of players get over 700 PA's. And he doesn't swing at everything in fear of striking out. He knows his strike zone and can place the bat on the ball at will. Getting 200 hit seasons isn't something to scoff at. Most players can never accomplish one in their career. If you think he just gets 200 hits because of his plate appearances your ignorant. It is skill, and using his abilities to their maximum.

O.K. - I understand, now. Do people still play, Dungeons and Dragons?

18 players had more than 700 PA's last year, 6 of them had 200 hits or more 2 players with 200 hits (Vlad and Freddy Sanchez) had less than 700 PA's.

If you think he just gets 200 hits because of his plate appearances your ignorant. It is skill, and using his abilities to their maximum. If it isn't about his plate appearances, then why doesn't everyone whose batting average is right around .300 get 200 hits? Pierre got his 200 hits last season, but only had a batting average of 292. Other than getting more plate appearances, What "skills and abilities" did Pierre maximize to get more hits than any of the dozens of players who had a better batting average? Pierre gets among the most plate appearance is the league every year because not only is he a leadoff hitter, but he plays nearly every game. That boosts his counting stats. 200 hits is a good thing, it tells you a lot about a players ability to play every day, but it doesn't tell you that he's a great or even a good hitter.

"And he doesn't swing at everything in fear of striking out. He knows his strike zone and can place the bat on the ball at will. Getting 200 hit seasons isn't something to scoff at. Most players can never accomplish one in their career. If you think he just gets 200 hits because of his plate appearances your ignorant. It is skill, and using his abilities to their maximum." --- Your reading comprehension looks bad here. I said he gets 200 hits because he gets so many plate appearances AND because he swings at everything. Yes, he absolutely swings at everything for fear of striking out. That's why he swings at virtually EVERY CLOSE PITCH in a 2 strike count. He doesn't want to go down looking at strike 3. Because of this, he swings at many pitches out of the zone and a ton of borderline pitches. The result is that he makes weak contact and grounds out very often. This approach his decreased his BB total 3 straight years. He does not "know his strikezone". He swings at pitches all the time that he has no chance of putting solid wood on. He's a terribly impatient hitter who swings at crap in 2 strike counts all the time. 200 hits is meaningless when you make an out 70% of the time. It's not hard to understand that.

in a follow up to my previous post on Levine reporting Hendry's 5/$70m offer to Aramis, Levine spoke with Kinzer today so it looks to be accurate and it also should be noted that it's an initial offer and not a "take it or leave it" situation. It's being said that Aramis is holding out for a 6th year and allegedly Anaheim would be willing to add that 6th year. It looks like Kinzer is just sort of leaking said info to get Hendry & the Cubs to add that 6th year which Hendry doesn't seem willing to budge on as of right now.

Initial Offer? I hope not. If so, what the hell has Hendry been doing since the trading deadline?

Also don't rule out the BoSox making a serious push on the Matsuzaka front. According to Gammo, the Red Sox have opened an academy in Japan and China and are looking to get some exposure there. If they miss out on Matsuzaka look for them to push for Igawa who of course the Cubs are also looking at.

If you think he just gets 200 hits because of his plate appearances your ignorant. It is skill, and using his abilities to their maximum. I don't agree completely with this. His skill is represented by his .303 career average, which has a certain value. His 200 hit seasons, however, are a combination of this skill and his durability--that is, the plate appearances. Finally, there's his lack of patience. But whether a 200-hit season is anything special is another question. I think Pierre's doesn't measure up, especially with regard to patience and his lead off role. Pierre walked 32 times in 750 PA, or a rate of .043--the worst of his career. Also, his .292 average is the worst of any of his 4 200-hit seasons. .292 isn't crap, but coupled with a .330 OBP and a weak .388 SLG , this 200 hit season was of considerably less value than his prior three, and in general, is pretty unremarkable. If a 200 hit season, in and of itself, were remarkable, we'd see Pierre get MVP votes. Instead, Pierre's offensive production is replaceable by Gary Matthews Jr.

"He doesn't want to go down looking at strike 3." Can you name a player who does?

Yep... Bobby Abreu, Adam Dunn, Brian Giles, Jason Giambi, Barry Bonds and every other hitter who controls the strike zone sacrifices going down looking on strike 3 over swinging at a pitch they can't make solid contact with. That's why they are good players and don't make outs 70% of the time. They wait for their pitch and put solid wood on it, resulting in much better offensive production.

#150 Totally false. No batter lets a strike go just cause he doesn't think he can get a good piece of it. If Bonds looks at strike three, its that he didn't think it was a strike.

Whoops! Meant to say, 'lets strike 3 go..." Bonds regularly lets strike one and two go if he doesn't think he can kill it.

"Totally false. No batter lets a strike go just cause he doesn't think he can get a good piece of it. If Bonds looks at strike three, its that he didn't think it was a strike." - Thanks "Jan Brady". That's another way of saying what I said. Bonds and the like only swing at strikes. That's why it's called discipline. They don't go fishing for pitches on the edge of the plate.

Recent comments

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    LHP Blake Weiman appears to have been the last cut from the AAA Iowa roster. He is with the Tennessee group at Minor League Camp.

     

  • crunch (view)

    bruce bochy is hobbling rather badly for a guy who's had 2 hip replacements.  his gait is extremely wonky taking the lineup card to the ump.

  • crunch (view)

    yeah, for me this isn't about who's better at 3rd.  it's madrigal, period.  for me it's about who's not hitting in the lineup because madrigal is in the lineup.

    occasional play at 3rd for madrigal, okay.  going with the steele/ground-ball matchup...meh, but okay, whatever.

    seeing madrigal get significant starting time...no thanks.

  • Dolorous Jon Lester (view)

    Yeah I am very disappointed Madrigal is starting. He has no business as a starter. He is AAA insurance, a back up at best. Sure his defense looks fine because he plays far enough in that his noodle arm isn’t totally exposed. It comes at the cost of 3B range.

    He’s garbage, and a team serious about winning would NOT have him starting opening day.

  • crunch (view)

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  • Eric S (view)

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  • crunch (view)

    madrigal at 3rd...morel at DH.

    making room for madrigal or/and masterboney to get a significant amount of ABs is a misuse of the roster.  if it needed to get taken care of this offseason, they had tons of time to figure that out.

    morel played almost exclusively at 3rd in winter ball and they had him almost exclusively there all spring when he wasn't DH'ing.

    madrigal doing a good job with the glove for a bit over 2 chances per game...is that worth more than what he brings with the bat 4-5 PA a game?  it's 2024 and we got glenn beckert 2.0 manning 3rd base.

    this is a tauchman or cooper DH situation based on bat, alone.  cooper is 3/7 with a double off eovaldi if you want to play the most successful matchup.

    anyway, i hope this is a temporary thing, not business as usual for the rest of the season.  it will be telling if morel is not used at 3rd when an extreme fly ball pitcher like imanaga is on the mound.

  • Arizona Phil (view)

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  • Arizona Phil (view)

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  • Arizona Phil (view)

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