2010 Offseason Targets
Cubs Potential Offseason Targets: Randy Winn or Marlon Byrd
I had to take a break from the series last week cause of that annoying paying job that I jeopardize every day spending way too much time here on TCR. So I'm gonna double up the efforts and today we look at some more potential center field candidates. Let's start with Randy Winn.
Cubs Potential Offseason Targets: Mike Cameron
I'll go through a few more lower level free agents this week and pick it up to some possible bigger names next week. As we know, there's talk that if the Cubs can move Milton Bradley, they'd put Kosuke Fukudome back to right field and try and improve the outfield defense with a more true center fielder. And that's where Mike Cameron comes in...
Cubs Potential Offseason Targets: Kelvim Escobar
Trying to figure out which relievers the Cubs may try to acquire - if any - to bolster a poor bullpen performance is like trying to find a decent Cubs position player developed by the Cubs farm system over the last 35 years. For all I know the Cubs won't do much but try and resign John Grabow and then see who might stick from the current crop of youngsters plus a few Chad Fox-type reclamation projects that they might hope to stick...and probably Chad Fox himself.
We do know Hendry likes his strikeout pitchers and Escobar has a 7.89 K/9 rate for his career which trends higher when he's worked out of the bullpen as you'd expect. There hasn't been much chatter on Escobar since he went down with a shoulder injury after pitching just 5 innings in 2009 (and he missed all of 2008 as well after labrum surgery), but I think it's a fair bet he'll come back in 2010 as a reliever...that is if he's coming back at all.
Cubs Potential Offseason Targets: Akinori Iwamura
Let's move back to the infield and check in on another possible second basemen...the Rays Akinori Iwamura.
Year | Age | Tm | G | PA | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | CS | BB | SO | BA | OBP | SLG | OPS | OPS+ |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2007 | 28 | TBD | 123 | 559 | 491 | 82 | 140 | 21 | 10 | 7 | 34 | 12 | 8 | 58 | 114 | .285 | .359 | .411 | .770 | 105 |
2008 | 29 | TBR | 152 | 707 | 627 | 91 | 172 | 30 | 9 | 6 | 48 | 8 | 6 | 70 | 131 | .274 | .349 | .380 | .729 | 92 |
2009 | 30 | TBR | 69 | 260 | 231 | 28 | 67 | 16 | 2 | 1 | 22 | 9 | 1 | 24 | 44 | .290 | .355 | .390 | .745 | 94 |
3 Seasons | 344 | 1526 | 1349 | 201 | 379 | 67 | 21 | 14 | 104 | 29 | 15 | 152 | 289 | .281 | .354 | .393 | .747 | 97 |
Cubs Potential Offseason Targets: Rajai Davis
To view past articles in this series, you can always click on the 2010 Offseason Targets tag in the byline above.
Let's give credit to Arizona Phil for this suggestion as he pointed out that Rajai Davis qualified for Super Two status and could be available if the A's want to save some money.
Year | Age | Tm | G | PA | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | CS | BB | SO | BA | OBP | SLG | OPS | OPS+ | TB | GDP | HBP |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2006 | 25 | PIT | 20 | 17 | 14 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 3 | .143 | .250 | .214 | .464 | 22 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
2007 | 26 | TOT | 75 | 219 | 190 | 32 | 53 | 11 | 2 | 1 | 9 | 22 | 6 | 21 | 28 | .279 | .361 | .374 | .735 | 92 | 71 | 1 | 4 |
2007 | 26 | PIT | 24 | 57 | 48 | 6 | 13 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 7 | 3 | .271 | .357 | .354 | .711 | 87 | 17 | 1 | 0 |
2007 | 26 | SFG | 51 | 162 | 142 | 26 | 40 | 9 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 17 | 4 | 14 | 25 | .282 | .363 | .380 | .743 | 93 | 54 | 0 | 4 |
2008 | 27 | TOT | 113 | 226 | 214 | 30 | 52 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 19 | 29 | 6 | 8 | 40 | .243 | .272 | .346 | .618 | 68 | 74 | 1 | 1 |
2008 | 27 | SFG | 12 | 19 | 18 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 6 | .056 | .105 | .056 | .161 | -56 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
2008 | 27 | OAK | 101 | 207 | 196 | 28 | 51 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 19 | 25 | 6 | 7 | 34 | .260 | .288 | .372 | .660 | 80 | 73 | 1 | 1 |
2009 | 28 | OAK | 125 | 432 | 390 | 65 | 119 | 27 | 5 | 3 | 48 | 41 | 12 | 29 | 70 | .305 | .360 | .423 | .784 | 112 | 165 | 12 | 7 |
4 Seasons | 333 | 894 | 808 | 128 | 226 | 44 | 11 | 7 | 76 | 93 | 27 | 60 | 141 | .280 | .336 | .387 | .724 | 94 | 313 | 14 | 12 |
Cubs Potential Offseason Targets: Jeremy Hermida
As I mentioned earlier, this is an exercise at some of the low profile names the Cubs could or should look at this offseason. And remeber, these articles are designed to just start the discussion, not settle the case one way or another.
I think it's a fair assumption that the Cubs will be likely focusing at second base and either center or right field along with some bullpen help. So today's guest is another possible non-tender candidate, Marlins outfielder Jeremy Hermida.
Hermida was the 11th pick in the 2002 draft and was the top Marlins prospect from 2004 to 2006 according to Baseball America.
Year | Age | Tm | G | PA | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | CS | BB | SO | BA | OBP | SLG | OPS | OPS+ | GDP | HBP |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2005 | 21 | FLA | 23 | 47 | 41 | 9 | 12 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 11 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 12 | .293 | .383 | .634 | 1.017 | 168 | 1 | 0 |
2006 | 22 | FLA | 99 | 348 | 307 | 37 | 77 | 19 | 1 | 5 | 28 | 4 | 1 | 33 | 70 | .251 | .332 | .368 | .700 | 84 | 6 | 5 |
2007 | 23 | FLA | 123 | 484 | 429 | 54 | 127 | 32 | 1 | 18 | 63 | 3 | 4 | 47 | 105 | .296 | .369 | .501 | .870 | 125 | 10 | 4 |
2008 | 24 | FLA | 142 | 559 | 502 | 74 | 125 | 22 | 3 | 17 | 61 | 6 | 1 | 48 | 138 | .249 | .323 | .406 | .729 | 91 | 12 | 7 |
2009 | 25 | FLA | 129 | 491 | 429 | 48 | 111 | 14 | 2 | 13 | 47 | 5 | 2 | 56 | 101 | .259 | .348 | .392 | .740 | 96 | 6 | 4 |
5 Seasons | 516 | 1929 | 1708 | 222 | 452 | 89 | 7 | 57 | 210 | 20 | 8 | 190 | 426 | .265 | .344 | .425 | .769 | 102 | 35 | 20 |
Cubs Potential Offseason Targets: Kelly Johnson
I'm in the midst of one of my hell projects at work, this one just happens to be a little more hellish and is gonna last until December. In order to keep the fun going around here, I thought I'd present some reasonable trade and free agent targets over the next weeks - some of the low-hanging fruit that will probably be more in line with Hendry's budget for 2010. I'm not really going to make a case one way or another, rather just try and open up the discussion. Today's guest is Atlanta Braves second basemen Kelly Johnson....
Braves GM Frank Wren came out today and said Martin Prado will pretty much go into 2010 as the their starting second basemen which leaves Kelly Johnson as prime trade bait. It doesn't mean the Braves have to move him, but he's certainly going to be available for the right price, which can't be a whole lot for a guy with a .692 OPS last year. He's also arbitration eligible and coming off a 2.85M payday in 2009, so it's very possible - let's go ahead and call it likely - that he'll just end up being non-tendered if he's not traded before December 12th.
Recent comments
Dolorous Jon Lester (view)
That’s a fantastic deal for SF
crunch (view)
SF snags b.snell...2/62m
Cubster (view)
AZ Phil: THAT is an awesome report worth multiple thanks. I’m sure it will be worth reposting in an “I told you so” in about 2-3 years.
Arizona Phil (view)
The actual deadline to select a post-2023 Article XX-B MLB free agent signed to 2024 minor league contract (Cooper, Edwards, and Peralta) to the MLB 40-man roster is not MLB Opening Day, it is 12 PM (Eastern) this coming Sunday (3/24).
However, the Cubs could notify the player prior to the deadline that the player is not going to get added to the 40 on Sunday, which would allow the player to opt out early. Otherwise the player can opt out anytime after the Sunday deadline (if he was not added to the 40 by that time).
Arizona Phil (view)
Today is an off day for both the Cubs MLB players and the Cubs minor league players.
Arizona Phil (view)
For those of you keeping track, so far nine players have been called up to Mesa from the Cubs Dominican Academy for Minor League Camp and they will be playing in the ACL in 2024:
* bats or throws left
Angel Cepeda, INF
* Miguel Cruz, P
Yidel Diaz, C
* Albert Gutierrez, 1B
Fraiman Marte, P
Francis Reynoso, P (ex-1B)
Derniche Valdez, INF
Edward Vargas, OF
Jeral Vizcaino, P
And once again, despite what you might read at Baseball Reference and at milb.com, Albert Gutierrez is absolutely positively a left-handed hitter (only), NOT a right-handed hitter.
Probably not too surprisingly, D. Valdez was the Cubs #1 prospect in the DSL last season, Cepeda was the DSL Cubs best all-around SS prospect not named Derniche Valdez, Gutierrez was the DSL Cubs top power hitting prospect not named Derniche Valdez, E. Vargas was the DSL Cubs top outfield prospect (and Cepeda and E. Vargas were also the DSL Cubs top two hitting prospects), Y. Diaz was the DSL Cubs top catching prospect, and M. Cruz was the DSL Cubs top pitching prospect.
F. Marte (ex-STL) and J. Vizcaino (ex-MIL) are older pitchers (both are 22) who were signed by the Cubs after being released by other organizations and then had really good years working out of the bullpen for the Cubs in the DSL last season.
The elephant in the room is 21-year old Francis Reynoso, a big dude (6'5) who was a position player (1B) at the Cardinals Dominican Academy for a couple of years, then was released by STL in 2022, and then signed by the Cubs and converted to a RHP at the Cubs Dominican Academy (and he projects as a high-velo "high-leverage" RP in the states). He had a monster year for the DSL Cubs last season (his first year as a pitcher).
Arizona Phil (view)
DJL: The only players who definitely have opt outs are Cooper, Edwards, and Peralta (Opening Day, 5/1, and 6/1), and that's because they are post-2023 Article XX-B MLB free agents who signed 2024 minor league contracts and (by rule) they get those opt outs automatically.
Otherwise, any player signed to a 2024 minor league contract - MIGHT or - MIGHT NOT - have an opt out in their contract, but it is an individual thing, and if there are contractual opt outs the opt out(s) might not necessarily be Opening Day. It could be 5/1, or 6/1, or 7/1 (TBD).
Because of their extensive pro experience, the players who most-likely have contractual opt outs are Alfaro, Escobar, and D. Smith, but (again), not necessarily Opening Day.
Also, just because a player has the right to opt out doesn't mean he will.
Dolorous Jon Lester (view)
I love the idea that Madrigal heads to Iowa in case Morel can’t handle third.
The one point that intrigues me here is Cooper over Smith. I feel like the Cubs really like Smith and don’t want to lose him. Could be wrong. He def seems like an opt out if he misses the opening day roster
Arizona Phil (view)
Childersb3: Both Madrigal and Wisdom can be optioned without any restriction. Their consent is not required.
They both can be outrighted without restriction, too (presuming the player is not claimed off waivers), but if outrighted they can choose to elect free agency (immediately, or deferred until after the end of the MLB season).
If the player is outrighted and elects free-agency immediately he forfeits what remains of his salary.
If he accepts the assignment and defers free agency until after the conclusion of the season, he continues to get his salary, and he could be added back to the 40 anytime prior to becoming a free-agent (club option).
Childersb3 (view)
Phil,
Madrigal and Wisdom can or cannot refuse being optioned to the Minors?
If they can refuse it, wouldn't they elect to leave the Cubs org?