The Cubs' revamped rotation has gotten deeper, as they've officially signed lefty Paul Maholm to a one-year, $4.75MM deal that includes a 2013 club option for $6.5MM with a $500K buyout. He can earn up to $550K in incentives each year, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. With Matt Garza, Ryan Dempster, Chris Volstad, Travis Wood, and Randy Wells already on the club, the new Cubs management has accumulated much-improved rotation depth. The Maholm signing isn't a precursor to another move, GM Jed Hoyer told reporters today.
As a member of the Pirates for seven seasons, Maholm has logged 64 career innings at Wrigley Field. The 29-year-old posted a 3.66 ERA, 5.4 K/9, 2.8 BB/9, 0.61 HR/9, and 49.9% groundball rate in 162 1/3 innings for the Bucs in 2011. I ranked him as the ninth-best free agent starter in October. Maholm, a Bo McKinnis client, had his 2011 season cut short in August due to a shoulder strain. After the season the Pirates chose a $750K buyout over his $9.75MM club option.
So far this offseason Cubs president Theo Epstein and GM Jed Hoyer have signed David DeJesus, Reed Johnson, Manny Corpas, and Andy Sonnanstine via free agency. They've added Ian Stewart, Casey Weathers, Ronald Torreyes, Dave Sappelt, Wood, Volstad, Zach Cates, and Anthony Rizzo via trade.
Bruce Levine of ESPNChicago first reported the near-agreement, with Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune adding contract details. Mike Axisa contributed to this post. Photo courtesy of Icon SMI.
So Maholm broke the signing of himself
I will always remember Paul Maholm as the guy who struck out Billy Crystal.
at least he has something to tell his Grandkids.
too bad those grandkids would say…WHO!??
Good depth signing for the Cubs. He may not be the most attractive free agent starter out there, but he should get the job done as an innings eater, barring any injuries of some sort. With the way Hoyer/Epstein have been rolling this offseason, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Garza traded now. However I’m not quite sure how they’re going to get rid of Soriano. Epstein and co. would have to pull a hat trick in order to successfully move him given how much he is owed and how he is only a DH at this point.
Maholm is a solid four starter and a very solid five starter. As for Soriano the team has come out and said they are willing to eat a nice portion to rid themselves of him so even if they do its still gonna hit payroll. At this point unless they can actually get some prospects back by eating the whole thing its probably best to hold onto him. His market is tiny, who needs a streaky hitting poor D playing left fielder?
I could see teams like the Orioles and Rays that could have interest in Soriano, even though Duquette may not be very compelled at taking a player like that. I think if the Rays don’t sign anyone, then Soriano would be a good add for them at DH, if most of his contract is eaten of course. However, with a lot of his limitations dragging him down like you said, he’ll most likely stay in a Cubs uniform for now.
If Soriano can have a solid season I think a team in the AL in need of a DH or an NL team who needs a LF might give up a solid prospect if his contract is eaten. Its possible, its probably one of only a couple scenarios were Theo could actually rid the team of him and get something worthwhile.
not…he is not an innings eater…he is the type that can go 6 and then throw the relievers in….remember he missed a couple starts due to fatigue/dead arm
Okay I see your point, but look at the number of innings he went before 2011:
2008: 206.1
2009: 194.2
2010: 185.1
Yes, you could say that the number of innings he’s pitched since 2008 has gone downhill since, but mainly that was because of ineffectiveness. However, had he stayed healthy, we would have likely passed the number of innings he ate in 2010 and possibly 2009. Given that he is only 29, if he can stay healthy, I could see him eating more innings in the future. Point being, he may not be a top of the rotation type of starter, maybe middle of the rotation quality at best, but what he will provide is someone who will take the load off the bullpen and their young pitchers. I think Maholm is a solid signing, depending on the amount of years and dollars given of course, for the Cubs as he would be an upgrade over any of the Cubs younger starters given his experience.
thats the question…..is that shoulder trashed or is it ok???…time will tell but all this tells me is that Garza is pretty much out the door
How many years? /:
7.
teen.
Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo.
thousand.
kajillion
Googolplex. I win. Biggest singular number I can name.
And by the time its up they STILL won’t have won another world series.
googolplex PLUS ONE AAAAAAH INFINITY IS SCARY
I SAID SINGULAR! SINGULAR!
And now I’m writing in not all caps so maybe my comment won’t get deleted or something.
No…
I hope this signals a Garza trade. I like Garza but he’s gonna be costly soon and by the time his controlled years are up the Cubs will probably no have won anything. It makes all the sense in the world to trade him now.
Really hoping they can pry Turner away from the Tigers. The Cubs might not win more than 75 games this year, yet I haven’t been more excited about the Cubs and their future than I am right now. I love what Theo and Jed are doing in this front office.
guess he enjoys playing on losing teams?
jays fans shouldnt really be kicking dirt in anyone’s face
Sure hope your team has won a wildcard or a division in the past decade otherwise your comment is gonna seem silly.
if i was lucky enough to play in the majors in any sport and have a decent enough year before my contract expires, i’d prefer to sign with a team that isn’t in rebuild mode, especially at maholm’s age. that’s all i’m saying. unless the cubs are paying significantly more than any other team, then i don’t see the point of maholm signing with the cubs.
obviously i don’t know what the offers were like for maholm, but i just don’t see how he’s going to make an impact with the cubs, and i don’t see any sense in him signing with them.
Obviously we can’t no for sure what every team is offering him, but if I had to guess though I would say that the money he is getting 4.1M a season is competitive with what he has been offered. Contending teams arn’t going to spend much on a 4-5 starter at this stage of the game. They are generally looking for #2-3 types and depth signings. The cubs need cheap 4-5 types to fill out the rotation with the question marks they got and will continue to have once/if Garza is gone. Assuming Garza goes they got Dempster, Wood, Maholm, Volstad, and something like Wells/Sonanstine. Even if Garza stays he is needed. As for why the cubs? Why a rebuilding team? I don’t know it could be the franchise or a lack of serious competing options.
i’m not convinced the cubs are moving garza until the season begins. they would do much better to hold on to him an sell him to a contender at full value. I get that contending teams wouldn’t go after maholm, but at least a more competetive team would be more of an attraction, and i’d personally take a slightly reduced salaray if it meant playing a couple more competetive games of baseball. if he doesn’t mind playing for rebuilding teams, than that’s great for him.
yeah I would personally go where the money is in this economy. Maholm probably could have signed with NY, or Boston ect but he is good enough where he is looking for a guaranteed role on a team and I don’t think they could have given it to him. Just my theory. Garza is at his highest value now. He still will be very valuable at the deadline but not quite as valuable as he is right now. Plus there is always the outside chance he gets injured and kills his trade value completely. I would put it at 80% that he does get moved before the season starts.
You know your team was bad when you sign Paul maholm and your team gets better
So the other 5-6 teams that were after him suck as well? Cant wait til the Red Sox and etc. fans come after you. Tip of the cap for the witty insight though.
But when a guy picks the cubs over the red sox or for an actual MLB team you have to think maybe other teams weren’t actually in on him
Red sox are at or near the luxury tax cap. If they signed him, they are essentially paying 40% more than the contract due to the tax.
its called kicking the tires, for those new to the world of baseball
Not really. Guy goes 6-7 innings most starts and thats more than solid for a 5 starter. Their arn’t many teams that couldn’t benefit a little bit from signing him.
New G.M., huge salaries, under performing players, and a depleted farm system. Sounds like my team 3 years ago when Jack Z took it over. Buckle up Cubs fans cause it’s a long ride back to respectability.
Fortunately, they don’t have a Chone Figgins parallel.
Soriano wouldn’t compare….
If not Alfonso then they did with Zambrano. Even tho they’ll miss his uplifting presence in the locker room, they’ll still feel his shadow in their payroll this year.
I meant the signing of a big contract after the new GM took over and the rebuilding had started.
I get your point, but with the Angels/Rangers in your division, not to mention the respective payroll constraints (or lack thereof in Chicago) I don’t think it’s quite the same in terms of difficulty.
It is worse for the cubs. If the Rays have taught me anything as a Sox fan its that a young effective rotation can go a long way. The Mariners got that is spades they got Felix, Penidea, Vargas, and somee very talent arms coming up real soon. Arms can shut down offenses. The cubs have no such luck they essentially got Starlin and a long wait for now. I would put my money on Seattle being at least respectable (3rd) before the Cubs.
Respectable means nothing. You can’t seriously think that the Mariners will challenge for a divisional title before the Cubs, right? It’s not the Mariners fault, they definitely have good pitching. But their offense is so, so much worse than the Rays, it’s not comparable. It’s been a historically bad offense. The Cubs had a better run differential than the Mariners last year, and the Cubs had awful pitching outside of Garza, and a bad offense. If the Mariners played in the NL Central, I’d bet on the Mariners winning a division before the Cubs won the AL West, but it’s not the case. The Rangers and Angels are going to be really good for a few years at least, while the Cards/Brewers are probably going to slip, due to aging players/loss of free agents. The Astros are leaving (ironically, that might help the Mariners; 18 more games against Houston can’t hurt) and the Reds and Pirates are theoretically getting better, but neither has the resources the Cubs do. The Mariners might finish third for a few seasons while the Cubs finish 4th…but that’s hardly more “respectable”, and that’s banking heavily on the Mariners learning to actually create runs.
The honest truth is that niether team is likely to compete for a long time unless some thing break their way inbetween now and then. But thats why respectability is important. Sure the Cubs can spend money but so can the Mariners. Cubs might have more money but if the Mariners can field a very good team of players before the Cubs which they are all but certain to, then they will likely be able to attract FA better than Chicago. If your a competitive slugger or ace pitcher you want the team with the excellent foundation or the team thats mediocre at best and years away from seriousness. The mariners as is with their solid rotation and excellent pitching prospects are a couple young arms breaking through, and some free agent signings away from competing in the AL West. Where is after Garza is gone the Cubs need like 4 above average starters and the better part of an entire lineup revamp to compete.
The Mariners are not nearly that close to competing. Their offense is literally historically bad. They do not have nearly the payroll ceiling the Cubs do. And Chicago is plenty attractive to free agents, no matter the team on the field. Your estimation of where the Cubs are and where they could be is off base. They’re about to have a lot of young talent (under 25) in their system, with a payroll ceiling of $150 million, maybe more, in the NL Central. They have a very smart front office with a supportive ownership. (It’s so weird to say that about the Cubs. I wouldn’t have 6 months ago.)
The Mariners have a terrible offense. They play in a much tougher division, especially for the next few years, before the Angels/Rangers rosters age a bit. The Cubs play in an ever-weakening division. The Cubs won 97 games in 2008, and while it was a really good team, it wasn’t exactly full of superstar, impossible to find players. After this season, the Cubs have essentially $100 million in payroll flexibility. And they finally have a smart front office, with a farm system that is improving rapidly.
But the most important part of my argument is the divisions. The Mariners are quite unlucky right now; the AL West is an arms race this offseason. The Rangers and Angels were already way, way better than Seattle, and they’ve done nothing but improve. Seattle has just done nothing. Meanwhile, the Cubs have seen an exodus in talent from the NL Central. The Brewers will struggle to retain Greinke beyond this year. Maybe Marcum as well. The Cards will be good this year, probably; but how many years does the Carpenter/Wainwright tandem have left? Plus, both those teams are losing franchise players.
The Reds will be losing Votto in a couple of years. The Pirates are still in a a one step forward two steps back mode.
Obviously every team has major question marks but if the Rays can compete with a nice rotation and mediocre offense I think Seattle can eventually. If the Mariners Smoak can take a step forward, they were to sign Fielder, and make a couple solid trades for offense to compliment Ichiro, Ackley they could field a solid offense. The cubs got Castro, Rizzo, and Barney in the lineup representing the only guys who are likely to be a part of this offense when they do contend. The farm has very little as far as pitching prospects go. I get that their division might be easier before Seattles, but just as easily it could not. Brewers/Card/Reds could pick people up and continue to improve with their good young players. Just my opinion.
On paper the Angels and Rangers have good teams, no argument there, Rangers more so than the Angels in my opinion. Mariners have a solid young core of pitching and positional players and believe it or not also have financial means for a BIG addition right now. 2 years from now our T.V. deal is up and since we appeal to 4 states you have to know that the new deal is going to be huge! Ichiro will be off the books next year and Figgins the next so I’m not so worried about that so-called financial constraint.
Jacob Turner…come on down! Bring your friend Smyly with you.
You shut your mouth…
Haha. I wasn’t super greedy and including Castellenos.
And for that I commend you
I like the 1st sentence of the article, LoL!!, “The Cubs’ revamped rotation has gotten deeper”
Yeah, deeper in doo doo… Or, I’ll be nicer, deeper in 4th & 5th starters… I’m a Cub fan, but this rotation is killing me, especially if they go ahead with the rumored trading of Garza…
Why? Goal is to rebuild…Maholm is a great buy-low candidate. 60 wins probably gets us the #1 pick. With the new CBA, it’s the only way to have a really great draft….early picks.
at this rate, #1 pick for the next 4 years….
Funny you guys should say that… I said the same thing about the draft picks & the down 2012 season, & got roasted for it on a different forum… LoL!!
Probably by ignorant and stupid fanatics. The way this is going cheap and depth are one thing, moronic moves are another. Wood, Malholm, 3B, DeJesus, etc…what next Pena at 1B?
Yeah, I second that opinion.
What other forum are you on? I can never find an intelligent Cubs forum.
Bleacher Nation is a solid forum.
Try Sons of Ivy.
As long as those picks make an IMMEDIATE impact by 2016, better known as the last year of Theo’s contract 🙂
and here’s where the a’s throw their hats into the ring for #1 pick for the next two years
Nah… Cubs have at least a little talent. Astros have the #1 pick locked up.
that is a 2 way race.houston or a’s….
I like the signing of Maholm (for reasons beyond the fact that I finally got my 7th free agent correct in the contest…it’s been a rough go) but I think that definition of “rebuild” is perhaps too narrow. With Garza, you have a really good, relatively young starter, under team control, and you’re a team that can easily afford to pay him. One of the quickest ways to rebuild a team is to build a really good starting rotation. Whether you think Garza is a 1 or a 2 in the NL Central, he’s still a guy you could build around. Signing him to an extension, on top of all the other moves they’ve made, would still be a legitimate rebuilding tactic. And it’s one I think the Cubs would do if teams didn’t meet their price for Garza. I don’t think the Cubs would have lowered their demands, and it seems like the Tigers are willing to meet them, although things certainly can change. So if they get a package they think improves the organization more than a Garza extension would improve the organization, they’ll do it. But just blindly dealing Garza is not necessarily the way to go. Nor do I think Theo is going without “stars”; not by choice, anyway. I think he’d be more than willing to spend on free agents that fit the plan, but beyond Fielder, there were no real obvious candidates this year. Especially since they’re probably not competing next year, as much as it pains me to say.
No issues with this. But if the deal with the Tigers IS for Turner plus others, it essentially is a no-brainer. Turner has an ace-level ceiling and has dominated at every stop so far (except his ridiculous callup at 20 that made no sense). You get a young SP with 6 years of control and at least an equivalent ceiling. That gives your 3-4 legit players under 24 who are close to ML ready with Rizzo, Castro, and Jackson. Not a bad foundation.
Then fill in the remainder of the roster with Wood, Maholm, Volstad, DeJesus, and Stewart the club should be great in 5 years…lol.
For sure. If it’s Turner, Castellanos, and Smyly, for example, or if not Smyly someone like Oliver or another projectable SP prospect plus a lottery ticket…I don’t see how you couldn’t consider that a win for the Cubs, especially when they could turn around and use the Garza extension money to sign a really good free agent starter next year or the year after. That’s the luxury of a big market team. Teams like Toronto/Tampa have to deal guys like Garza because they can’t carry them on the payroll…the Cubs moving Garza just allows for more payroll flexibility. The return for Garza isn’t just the prospects, it’s also whoever the Cubs acquire using the money they could have spent on Garza.
Well, I doubt the deal would include Castellanos with Turner, but yes to your other points. The payroll flexibility is enormous. Unfortunately, the savings can no longer be re-invested. Stupid CBA.
Well, not re-invested in the draft. But there are still smart free-agent signings to be had.
You really don’t think Castellanos would be in the deal? I think it’s possible.
With Turner? No chance. Without him? Sure. Dombrowski wants to win, but he isn’t a total moron.
who have the blue jays had to let go of because they cant carry them financially? Wells was traded because he sucked for the $ he was getting, Halladay was traded because he wanted a chance at a ring and wouldnt sign an extension.
Gigantes is right on – bad sign when adding a #5 starter makes your rotation better than it was.
2 predictions for ’12:
1) Cubs break team record, if not league record, for fewest runs scored
2) Cubs break team record, if not league record, for largest differential between runs scored and runs given up.
and yes, I am a Cub fan.
Yeah, well when your rotation depth is pretty much nil it makes things pretty easy to improve
glad to meet an honest cubs fan, good to see someone who calls a spade a spade.
I’m sure the Pirates are quaking in their boots to have to face Paul “Innings Eater” Maholm.
oh, so the pirates are wearing boots during their games now? i suppose it can’t make them any worse…
hilarious
that, was funny……
i really love how everyone bashes Maholm like he’s a single A pitcher in the bigs. not saying much but he was top 70 in WAR for starting pitchers in 2011. Gotta mean something.
That’s basically a 3/4 starter, which was also one of his better years. He’ll either continue the trend or regress back to a 4/5 starter which he’s been for most of his career. Good depth signing though like him better than Wells and others.
Maholm or Garza? That’s the complaint. Maholm is a fine #5. But 2 out of 6 good years is scary.
Theo has quite the challenge in front of him. Obviously he’s thrown out the next 3-4 yrs. The garbage he’s brought in to the MLB roster will hurt revenue (which Ricketts won’t like), but he has a track record of a strong farm. His biggest challenge will be a $130m payroll vs a $160-180m Boston payroll. Theo’s assesment of FA’s has been less than 50% accurate and the bad FA will hurt much more with a lower payroll. Ultimately, I don’t think Theo can do this in less than 5 yrs.
One thing he has very much going for him is that if they move Sori soon and Demp’s contract being done after this year they have tons of money to spend and a MUCH MUCH better farm system than 2 months ago…I wouldn’t go as far as saying he’s thrown out the next 3-4 years just because he will have money to spend starting next offseason. Future is looking so much brighter already from him and Hoyer cleaning up the mess that was left by Hendry. Maybe I’m just being too optimistic but so far I have no complaints and enjoying all the moves and looking ahead. Either way I still love Cub baseball.
This is true. If Garza is dealt, the Cubs would only have 33m committed to 2013. That’s insanity. And only two arb-eligible guys would be in their 3rd year (Soto and Sonnanstine). I certainly could see having the ship on a VERY good direction by 2014 especially if the Tigers deal happens.
Indeed. Anyone saying 3-4 years thrown out is way off base, especially when you factor in the rest of the division and their respective situations. Theo doesn’t have to build the ’27 Yankees in 2 years, he just has to build a team better than the rest of the 2013/2014 NL Central.
My prediction:
2012, tough year. Before the year is done, probably squeeze a few more trades out to rid the team of Soriano (if not his money!), Byrd, and Maholm. Soto is a question depending on how he performs. It’s possible DeJesus might go too, but I think he stays for at least one full year.
2013, it depends on who ultimately makes it to free agency but I think the Cubs go hard after Cain and/or Hamels. Instant leap back to respectability in the division with some big FA pitching signings. Some of the better prospects (Jackson/Rizzo mostly) have their first full years.
2014, prospects have some Major League action under their belts and the rotation is much improved, so a handful of acquisitions put them into serious contention in the Central. A couple more prospects (Baez? Szczur?) may also be up and ready to contribute.
2015, sustained serious contention/maintenance mode. I’m not the type who is going to predict a division championship much less anything more, but I think the Cubs’ transition from joke to perennial contendor is more or less complete by then.
“move Sori” is going to require that they pay him most of his contract anyway.
Have you ever seen a Cubs telecast? Hurt revenue? Cubs fans are the most genuine and loyal in all of sport! We will continue to support our team no matter what. Trust me, we have suffered through much worse than 2012 will bring. Plus, we aren’t expecting anything, so anything close to a 50-50 record is going to be gravy. I think all Cubs fans are excited to see what the very near future holds.
Last year, scalpers were selling tickets at face value. Actual attendance was down. Sure, this isn’t Florida, but revenues are down when the Cubs can’t compete.
I don’t think Theo will bring a championship. In the end he couldn’t even save Boston with the second highest payroll. he spent all our money on overpaid players (like the Cub’s Soriano). Most overrated GM. I’m glad he’s gone.
Two World Series rings will make Cub fans happy. I would think Red Sox fans would be happy with that as well, based on the pre- Epstien drought.
Dan Duquette needs to share much credit for 2004 for all but Curt Schilling.
I heard Maholm is a honeybadger….
He doesn’t give a $&@*
Interesting thing about Maholm is that soft-tossing lefties like him are usually able to sustain lower than average BABIPs (see: Jamie Moyer, career .282 BABIP, or Barry Zito at .268), meaning that “advanced” stats like FIP tend to underrate them. Maholm’s is .310 for his career, which is actually slightly worse than average, but he’s also played most of that time with really crappy Pirates defenses behind him. The two times in his career that his BABIP has dropped below .300 (2008 and 2011), he was able to achieve ERAs under 4.00. I’m wondering if with a reliably competent defense he might be able to maintain the level we saw in 2011.
That eliminates the Cubs, doesn’t it?
Well played.
Seriously though, the two worst UZR offenders last year were Ramirez and Fukudome, both gone now. I don’t follow the Cubs real closely, so I don’t know exactly what the defensive alignment projects to be, but it’d be tough to be worse defensively than the 2010 Pirates.
Cubs can rebuild quickly, I agree with the thought that it can happen in 3 years. There are a lot of high salary guys coming off the books, theo and jed will have their choice of any impact player to fill in holes. by then baez and whomever else will already be coming up and showing what they can do. writing some blank checks to hamels and cain would be a good start next offseason. signing cespedes and a shrewd college player heavy draft could put you in a good position quickly.
even if cubs dont have the greatest team they do have a good shot at the NL central. since pit sucks, brews will be without their best player for a while, fielder wont be resign and cards just lost their best player
I disagree. Cards and Brewers are still better than the Cubs without their best players.
Wow, everyone hating on Pittsburgh. Remember they were competing for the first half of the season last semester and all their players are coming into their prime while they’ve made very solid additions this offseason.
Poor Cubs. If they had a first rate offense I’d say they could be competitive with this staff, Maholm gets a bad rap but at his best he can be a #3. The Cubs offense however…is unsalvageable right now.
You sign this guy for way too much money, but want Wood with the hometown discount…Poor moves by new management in my eyes.
If you wanted a softthrowing lefty could have gone for Moyer to fill a spot and saved about 3mil
The truth is the Cubs don’t need Wood. Keeping team mascots such as
Kerry as an act of loyalty is not what you want to see if you’re trying
to turn this franchise around. The Cubs don’t need a below average set
up man for 1 year for however much money the market determines.
Especially since all he’ll be doing is taking a spot away from a younger
arm in the bullpen.
If you really believe that’s all there is behind building a winning team with a winning attitude over the long haul, then I and all Cubs fans are really happy you aren’t calling the shots in Chitown.
Wh..what does that even mean? Where did I say that’s all the is behind it? I’m merely saying there’s no reason to keep Kerry Wood around as a mascot if he wants more money than he’s worth to our ball club. Why are we going to spend money on something that doesn’t help us at all? Loyalty?
That’s why “You and all Cubs fans” aren’t in angreement with Theo and Hoyer on this one. You’re blinded by your Kerry love. He doesn’t help us. He’s a waste of money no matter how much you love him. Deal with it.
I highly disagree. Who is going to be the face of the Cubs. You need to have some established clubhouse presence or you are going to completely disassociate with your fanbase. Theo needs a smooth transition, not instantly clear house or your going to have no one for the fans to hold onto. Your not going to win anyone over by having a bunch of no names.
On the upside, Soriano is still a Cub. Oh wait…
No you don’t. No one watches the Cubs for Kerry Wood and he’s far from the “face”. “Clubhouse Presence” Lol. That barely matters at all. Kerry Wood is my favorite player ever. I’m not going to stop being a Cubs fan if they get rid of him because I’m smart and know it’s for the best of the team. Plus, if they stop being fans because of this then who needs them anyway.
Said the boy who never played team sports.
There is a dynamic among teammates that is completely unquantifiable. A likable veteran like Kerry goes a long way to creating a harmonious atmosphere for the players, especially in light of all the under-25s who will be on the opening day roster.
Do you know what a mascot is? Let me google that for you: “A person, animal, or object believed to bring good luck, especially one
kept as the symbol of an organization such as a sports team.” So, you think all Kerry Wood will do is bring good luck to the Cubs? Good point. He certainly won’t be pitching, teaching or leading at all? Good to know you have such a firm grasp on the fundamentals. Thank you for your input, I learned a lot.
Do you think that you are some baseball genius who is the only one to have come up with this thought? Do you think Theo and Jed would be baffled by your theory?
They’ve obviously thought about that. So have I. It’s not worth it. Kerry Wood, on the baseball field and “teaching”, is not worth what he’s asking for and he should not be paid it just because he’s Kerry Wood.
There’s a reason we’re not looking for any other decent veteran relievers. Because we need one of those just as much as we need Kerry Wood. We don’t. Which is why Theo and Jed know better than to sign him for what he’s worth.
I agree with you overall, but I don’t think calling Kerry Wood a below average set-up man is accurate. He is still a quality pitcher.
That said, signing him certainly wouldn’t block anybody and it’s a nice story for a team that is going to have a rough year. Paying him market value isn’t going to hurt the Cubs, and there is something to be said for having a veteran guy in what is likely to be an extremely young and inexperienced bullpen.
I never said he wasn’t a good reliever. I said he’s a below average set up/8th inning reliever. Look around the league. He’s not as good as others and shouldn’t be paid as much as he apparently wants. We can do without him.
The truth is the Cubs don’t need Wood. Keeping team mascots such as Kerry as an act of loyalty is not what you want to see if you’re trying to turn this franchise around. The Cubs don’t need a below average set up man for 1 year for however much money the market determines. Especially since all he’ll be doing is taking a spot away from a younger arm in the bullpen.
In general, I agree that the Cubs don’t need Kerry Wood this year. However, if the plan if for Kerry to become the voice of the Cubs (tv or radio) I think that there is value long term to the organization to keep him as a member of the team. His costs would be more a marketing expense for the future. That being said, I think that Kerry would be foolish to leave the Cubs for another team. Staying on (slightly underpaid) would build a rapport with the Cubs fans, and we all know how well that ended up working for Ron Santo. I think that Theo knows this, I think Kerry knows this, and I think Kerry will re-sign for $3M by Friday.
The guy is actually a pretty good pitcher. i’m a lifelong pirate fan,hopefully he can finally experience some winning,good luck.
God pick up by the cubs..The Pirates seriously belong in some sort of AAAA League, going on their third decade of refusing to compete
Good pickup*
Pirates would have paid this scrub almost $10 mil to pick up his option for this year. Not picking up his option made sense not only economically, but in the truest professional sense. Only a team that would look up at the Pirates in the standings would consider him a legitimate starter. Ah yes, the Cubs….
One thing you reviewers are OVERLOOKING! Paul is a GROUNDBALL PITCHER, great fit for the Friendly Confines
by that line of reasoning we should be looking at Brandon Webb too…While both groundball pitchers, when those balls don’t get down enough the end up in the street…The wind in Wrigley blows out as often as in
Theo Einstein stealing the Pittsburgh model for winning baseball.. Bwaahaahaahaa
He will go 5-12 for the Cubs. But three of his wins will be against the Pirates. One of which will be a complete game, one hit masterpiece…in Pittsburgh.