The Cubs are finally starting to get serious about making trades, and The Chicago Tribune's Fred Mitchell and David Kaplan hear that the team is picking up their efforts to shed some "cumbersome salaries." Ownership is also expected to address the media about the team's direction at some point.
"It has been very difficult for the family and the team the first half of the season," chairman Tom Ricketts told season ticket holders. "This is not where the family wanted to be in the first half of the season."
Kosuke Fukudome, who has close to $20MM left on his deal, probably represents the most "movable" of the big salaries, since the team is unlikely to find a taker for Alfonso Soriano ($62MM left) or Carlos Zambrano ($45MM) without eating a significant portion of their contracts.
Derrek Lee is owed approximately $6.2MM the rest of the season, Ted Lilly a touch less. Those two are probably Chicago's best hope for clearing payroll, though the savings will not extend beyond this season since both are scheduled to become free agents this winter. The Cubs have over $103MM in salary obligations for 2011, and more than $62MM for 2012.
Lilly to philly pleaseeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
First off fire Jim Hendry
And lose Maddux and Wilken’s staff? No way. Fire Crane. Promote Jim to President for a year. Then fire him.
Kind of like the Bulls, except Hendry has no say like Pax does.
Promote a guy who has proven to be incompetent? How would you expect anything to change? Why would kicking Tommy Boy to the curb mean you lose Wilken and Maddux?
We’ve just gotten the first taste of Wilken in Castro, Colvin and Cashner. I don’t think I want to lose that. Maddux was one of the best minds in baseball when he was playing I’d rather see what he can do as a GM.
When you fire a GM you lose his staff. Promote him, fire him after Maddux and Wilken are in place.
Problem I see with Wilken is that he drafts the same guys over and over.
We still don’t have an impact bat in the whole org. Yet we went another draft without picking one up?
Athletes that look good in a baseball uni and fine and dandy. We just don’t need to draft 50 of em each and every year.
Big time, sure thing, All-Stars don’t get picked at 15 or below.
Many keep assuming it, but I really doubt Mad Dog wants to be a GM. He does not have the ego to want to jump in that kind of role. That’s a job with a lot of stress and a heavy workload. Maddux has always been a behind the scenes type. His current role in evaluations for the front office and helping pitchers if they seek his advice is more to his personality. That type of work is valuable, stress free and allows him to golf more often. I agree with everything else you said.
He’s always been tagged as future GM, so I don’t know. I do agree though, but Maddux has always been a “gamer” and this seems like something he would do to step up.
in other news, dog bites man and the US deficit increased
In other news, man bites dog and the U.S. deficit increased. The bigger question is what are the Cubbies asking for Lilly?
Fukudome & $6M to the Nationals for an autographed Cristian Guzman jersey?
game worn?
Fukadome to Nationals for Stratsberg and that homerun ball Delywn young hit off of him.
I can’t see them being able to find a taker for DLee, he’s been so awful. Fukudome has a tiny amount of value as long as the Cubs eat most of his remaining salary.
Lilly should be easy to deal. I would think Nady would be a nice low cost addition for some contender.
Beyond those guys, I don’t know who else they could find a spot for. If Theriot ever wakes up he could be traded, but right now most teams aren’t very interested in singles hitters who do absolutely nothing else. I would love to see Fontenot traded, I can’t stand him.
who would seriously want zambrainless.
i mean, disregard the headcase part, but a 19million dollar guy that puts up a mid 5s
ERA?
Cub fans reap what they sow. For years and years and years, the fan base whined and moaned about how badly they needed a big-time free agent. Hendry went out and spent irresponsibly, yet no one above him ever made any inclination about reigning him in. Time after time, year after year, Cubs management gave out ridiculous years and unbelievable sums of money to players, effectively negotiating against themselves. One big contract, I can understand, but it happened over and over and over. This screwed many other teams out there by driving up the market. So…I hope other teams out there remember this, and allow the Cubbies to live with what they have done to themselves and the rest of baseball.
So Hendry giving out bad contracts was the fans fault? Sure. Hendry was/is the idiot. He prospered under a situation where there was little accountability. The new owners will hold him accountable for all the horrible contracts, don’t worry. But your theory that somehow this is the fans fault is idiotic.
Just calling it like I see it, VR. 40,000 a game in May….fans buying tickets for a higher price from a ticket brokerage owned by the team…TV ratings through the roof. You’re right. Hendry will be gone. The next question for the fans, though, is whether or not they truly believe that the Ricketts family will focus more on winning baseball games than all the other Cubbie BS. And, in my opinion, anyone who thinks that the culture is going to change after a century of it being this way, with the Cubs making more money than they know what to do with is…well, idiotic.
Much as Cubs fans (and yes, I am one) yearned for Hendry and the Tribune Co. to open up the purse strings, the Bradley signing was almost universally and immediately panned, and the Soriano signing brought a lot of skepticism, though most of that revolved around the number of years – which we’re starting to really regret now – knowing that he wouldn’t keep his 30/30 performance up for more than a couple of years. Even many other ‘small’ contracts (Grabow) represent misspent $ that most Cubs fans could see right through. I think that is where the real conflict lies – most fans hated the signings right away. Of course, being an armchair GM, in hindsight, is always easier than dealing in the moment. My hope is that the new ownership will jump into the 21st century with regards to talent evaluation and statistical analysis, a move they’ve already started to make.The real problem here was the lack of development, until quite recently, of the farm system. The number of Cubs failed prospects (maybe more overhyped, to begin with) have been growing over the last dozen years, and even with the breakout of a Wood here and a Prior there (when healthy), it just caught up to us. So now, we sit back, take our lumps, and try to hold strong with some shrewd signings and player development, and hope that in 2-3 years, we’re back to being competitive.
Try to get something for any player that they can – I don’t see anyone on the MLB squad, aside from Castro, being untouchable.
Approved!
Even when you have a 140m payroll. It’s tough to build a contender when every guy on your roster is making top end market rate or above. Hendry really has a tendency to overspend on everyone he signed anyway.
The smart and prudent move would be to strip down and punt on 2011.
Use the hot starts of Byrd and Carlos Silva and try and dump their contracts.
Get this payroll down in the 80-90 million range next year and spend 40 million in the draft/latin america/international market.
Then next (2011/2012) offseason you can resume filling any holes you have via SMART free agent signings.
I agree. However, I really think that DLee is hurt. That’s gonna make it harder to deal him.
Hendry, I think is a really nice guy who was kinda told to throw a lot of money at these guys a few years ago to increase the sale price of the Cubs franchise. Throw out the Soriano, Zambrano and Lilly contracts, and you have some really, really shrewd deals and a few STUPID ones (Nolasco, Mitre and Willis for Pierre? Really?!?) His judgment has been a bit messed up (Theriot and Fontenot, Smardjza, any stocky catcher from Creighton), but for the most part he has been a passionate (if not naive) leader. Please, Jim – don’t prove that nice guys have to finish last…
The Lilly deal was a very good deal considering the market the year it was done.
Granted, no GM makes a great move every time – even Towers, Theo and Friedman (Tampa Bay) have had a few clunkers. And I agree, the Lilly deal has turned out to be a gem, his injury to start this year notwithstanding.
I think at this point, Hendry needs to go just for the sake of change – he’ll never be able to do enough to win in Chicago, and every deal he pulls off will be shunned before the results are ever seen.
FYI, Willis was part of the Clement-Alfonseca deal, a deal pulled off by McPhail; Reynel Pinto was the 3rd piece of the Pierre Deal.
Quit acting like because the White Sox won a World Series that you’re just better than everyone else. Don’t blame the fans like they run the team. Who would have thought that Soriano would have broken down after that amazing season? Who would have thought that Zambrano would have regressed after a great start to his career?
We will eventually win the World Series. For now I’ll sit here and enjoy the Championship that one of my most loved teams just won.
Who said anything about the White Sox, baseball52?
Q: “Who would have thought that Soriano would have broken down after that amazing season?”
A: Apparently, 29 other major league teams. At the time the Cubs offered Soriano his ridiculous deal, he was 31 years old. Logically, the Cubs offered him 8 years. No one else offered him more than 5. That’s good business, right? Like I said, they outbid themselves. But man, there sure was World Series fever in Chicago for a few months.
Q: “Who would have thought that Zambrano would have regressed after a great start to his career?”
A: Again, although he never actually hit the open market, I’m guessing the answer is the same–29 other teams. Zambrano was clearly a ticking time bomb. I would agree that he had, and still has, some of the best stuff in baseball. But there is a reason why teams who are financially responsible do not offer 5 year contracts to pitchers….ANY pitchers…especially those that have never won 20 games, a CY Young, or a even a playoff series. And especially those that are wack jobs.
You reap what you sow. Enjoy it.
Geez, stop hating on Hendry.
I didn’t like some of his moves either. However, Silva has turned out pretty well, Reid Johnson was a good pickup, so was Jim Edmonds, so was Byrd, so was Lilly, so was DeRosa, and on and on.
All of us expected better from Soriano and Fukudome. However, Soriano has carried the team on his back at times and Fukudome isn’t exactly garbage by any estimation.
There are a lot of teams in the Major Leagues all with the same aspirations. It’s hard work making it to the playoffs, let alone the World Series. You can’t always build success with money alone.
Give the guy a break.
He did make one of the best trades of the decade. Ramirez and Lofton for Bruback and Hill. Oh and Choi for Lee.
That is so true. Jim Hendry has been far from a great GM, but that is not to say that all of his moves have been terrible. You’ve already covered many of the deals that he has made, and lets not forget that even with the bad moves he has made the club has had some success in recent years with back to back division titles in 07 and 08.
The Lilly move wasn’t really seen as a good idea at the time.
The Soriano contract was a retarded idea. No one thought Sori could be a 40-40 guy again. Heck, he’s now more in 25-10 territory for $18 million.
The Silva move was pure luck, plain and simple.
The guy ALSO gave up Nolasco to get Juan Pierre, no?
He held on to Pie when he could have gotten Brian Roberts, no?
He then flipped Pie for Garrett Olson, then put him with Cedeno for AARON HEILMAN!
Most of Hendry’s deals have been bad, and the good ones weren’t evaluated as good when he made them.
Oh, and let’s not forget Milton Bradley…
The moves hes made that were good, were pure salary dumps by the other team.
Pittsburgh shedding Aramis Ramirez’s contract
Florida Shedding Derrick Lee’s deal
Dodgers shedding Karros and Grudz’s deals.
These moves were less about Hendry being astute, than they were about the Cubs ability to take on payroll and other teams being desperate to save a few bucks.
So, again, Hendry is a bad GM, but his team’s pockets make him seem like less of a moron. Stick him on the Marlins or Pirates and those respective clubs are doomed for a decade.
I wouldn’t say nice things about a guy whose best deals are some role players, and totally messed up the franchise for the next half decade because of who he decided to build the team around.
Thats like saying, well you traded Strasburg for a bag of balls, but good pickup of Josh Willingham. Sorry, doesn’t get it done.
Who wouldn’t be a good GM with an extra 50-90 million to work with, over anyone else in the division?
Hendry deserves credit for making every single one of the bad financial calls and getting this team into this mess, but in no way, shape, or form do the fans deserve to be dragged into this mess. Nobody forced Hendry to give out idiotic contracts to Soriano, Zambrano, Lilly, Fukodome, Dempster, Lee, Ramirez and on and on. he did that on his own and hand cuffed this team. the sole blame now goes with ownership for not dumping him and moving on before he further handcuffs them with signings he continually makes, like Grabow this past off season when nobody was going to sign him.
Get some new blood in the front office. Kevin Towers even, someone that knows how to build from within.
That’s just not true. He had an owner right behind him, pushing him to turn the team into a contender immidiately in order to increase the value of the franchise. And I’d like to know how he was supposed to build from within. Around Felix Pie, Eric Patterson, Rich Hill, Mark Prior etc?
Hendry has saddled his team with massive debt. The Cubs have 7 players earning more than $10 million a year this year, and 5 of those players will still be around next year. Next year the Cubs already have $103 million committed, and have 9 players who will receive raises via arbitration. Even in 2012 the Cubs have $62.5 million committed to only 5 players.
Hendry seems to spend money to appease his fan base, and doesn’t appear to make logical decisions.
The Cubs should trade Alonso Sorriano and $36 million to the Atlanta Braves for Nate McLouth!
I would go for that, perhaps, depending on McLouth’s salary. His defense in center blows, but he’d probably be better than Sori in left, and he could be a decent bench hitter as well (if his head stops being broken).
Still, it’s a sad day when you are considering a Nate McLouth trade a decent move for your respective team.
i would expect the angels to call regarding Lee or Ramirez possibly
If I were Jim Hendry1) I would not trade expiring salaries for 2010 unless I received more than the compensation I would get for offering arbritration.A) Trade Lilly only if return is above Type A compensation of 1st round pick and supplemental draft choice.B) Trade Derreck Lee only if return is above Type B compensation of supplemental draft choice. 2) I would look to move subpar players that could hold the Cubs future growth back as soon as possible.A) Trade Carlos Zambrano to the Mets or White Sox and eat up to 40% of the remainder of the contract and/or take on a bad contract like Jake Peavy (back injury) or Luis Castillo. Big Z takes up a roster spot that could be used by prospects like Jay Jackson, Thomas Diamond or Chris Carpenter. B) Trade our middling level middle infield players: Ryan Theriot, Mike Fontenot, or Jeff Baker to Phillies or Tigers. This frees up space for prospects like Tony Thomas or Bryan Camp.C) Trade Kosuke Fukudome to Red Sox or Braves and eat up to 40% of the remainder of the contract. Frees up space for prospects like Brett Jackson, Brad Snyder or Bryan LahairD) Trade Xavier Nady to Yankees, Red Sox or Braves and offer to eat the rest of his salary for a B level prospect. Frees up space for Micah Hoffpaur or Brad Snyder.E) Trade Sean Marshall for a Baseball America top 100 prospect. We have plenty of arms for the bullpen and Sean Marshall may start to get expensive due to arbitration.
to get the compensation you would have to offer arbitration..and there is a 100% chance that Lee would accept.
That is a good point, I am comfortable with that risk for both Lee and Lilly as it would mean they could function as 1 year stop gaps and I do not think the Cubs can compete for a world series in 2011.
No offense, but I doubt the Cubs could give Derrik lee away right now for the 6.2M he is owed for the rest of the season and to offer him arbitration is a 100% fact he is coming back next year and a feather in Hendry’s cap for bone headed moves/hand cuffing the Cubs financially when they can get out from underneath one of the large contracts finally. Nobody would probably be willing to offer lee 1/2 the 13M he made in 2010, just take David Ortiz for example that will almost certainly not have his 12.5M option picked up for 2011 and he is on pace for a 35HR 110RBI season.
Lee’s still a very good defensive first baseman, and as bad as his hitting has been, it’s not completely useless. He could very well end up hitting about .250-260 with 20-25 HR on an offensively anemic team like the Cubs.
He’s not going to bring a lot back, but there are teams like the Angels and Mariners who are in need of a 1B.
Teams are not going to give anything up for a very good defensive first baseman (whose defense has been much worse this year, by the way). I haven’t heard of too many teams whose fortunes turned around in August and September due to the great defensive first baseman they picked up.
Why not pick up Jermaine Dye then? He would put those kind of numbers and wouldn’t cost anything to get. I think a lot of people here are over-valuing the Cubs players here. And Lee has not been playing good defense this year . . .
He has a 7.5 UZR/150 and has a 3.3 UZR for the whole year. His range is actually the second highest it’s ever been. How is that “not been playing good defense this year?”
Look at the whole picture – he has 5 errors already this season. His fielding percentage is equal to Adam Dunn’s. Compare him to other 1st basemen in the league this season. I don’t think a team is going to give up anything of value for his “defense” – and that is the issue here.
Lee has a 19 year old shortstop learning major league fielding on the fly tossing him the ball, errors will happen in that situation. Anyone who has watched Cubs games this year can tell D Lee’s defense is still good, his bat has been the problem.
Jermaine Dye and David Ortiz are DH’s at this point in their careers while D Lee is a 1B, not good comparisons.
Castro is 20, and he is not the cause of Lee’s errors. I have watched plenty of Cubs games this year – Lee’s D is not as good as it used to be. I don’t know if it is because he is getting older, or he just doesn’t have much fire left – whatever it is he is clearly not the player he used to be.
I never compared Lee to Ortiz – and I only compared him to Dye because you were talking about a guy hitting .250 with 20 HRs and I think Dye can still do that. I DID compare him to Adam Dunn – who is not a good fielding 1b – but whose fielding stats are very similar to D Lee’s this season.
yeah, this is a little ridiculous! Your basing his complete defensive abilities off of his 5 errors (which is pretty good really) and his fielding percentage (comparing it to Dunn’s who isnt even a full time 1b). Interesting. I’m not a big dlee fan but he’s is putting up similar numbers right now as what he was this time of year last year. He got super hot and put up some close to career numbers. He could be a huge suprise for somebody.
5 errors at this point of the season is not pretty good. If Lee continues at this pace, he will finish the season with the 2nd most errors that he ever has. Anyone who claims that he is as good as he used to be is just ignoring the facts.
I just don’t think he has much trade value right now. We shall see.
5 errors at this point of the season is not pretty good. If Lee continues at this pace, he will finish the season with the 2nd most errors that he ever has. Anyone who claims that he is as good as he used to be is just ignoring the facts.
I just don’t think he has much trade value right now. We shall see.
And Dunn is a full time 1b this year. Check your facts.
And Dunn is a full time 1b this year. Check your facts.
Agreed. if a team wanted to acquire a defensive 1st baseman, why not just get Casey kotchman from the mariners who is much better than Lee with the glove, younger and only making 3M this year and also a FA after the season?
Trade Fukudome to the Red Sox or Braves and eat up to 40% of the contract? If you did that and offered any other player on your 25 man roster free of charge all for a PTBNL, it still would be rejected outright.
As a Red Sox fan, I would rather have Theo play in the outfield than for him to trade for Fukudome.
Players in hand are much more valuable than draft picks because…
A. They’re closer to being Major League ready, and…
B. Their bonuses have already been paid.
The Cubs absolutely have to trade Ted Lilly, but the fact that he is projected to be a Type A free agent and one of the best pitchers on the market this offseason does increase his value.
Diamond, LaHair, Hoffpaur and Snyder aren’t prospects.
The white sox won’t be taking Big Z and the Cubs won’t be taking Peavy. Trading him to the Mets for Castillo only won’t happen becaus ethe money is so far out of whack.
Why would you trade Marshall for 1 prospect? He is becoming a top LH reliever. He will likely only make 1.5 milion next year through arbitration or negotiation. That is well worth paying him if he continues to be a quality late inning reliever.
I consider players that are excelling in the minor leagues, do not have significant experience in the major leagues, that can come up to the majors and play for the minimum salary prospects.
I mentioned the Cubs throwing in cash to move Z along in any trade, I think Z+ Cash for Luis Castillo could happen. The Z to White Sox rumor has had legs because of Ozzie and Z’s relationship, the immediate need of the White Sox and the uncertainty about Peavy’s injury.
I would only trade Marshall for a top 100 prospect and that is because I think he will be too expensive in 2012 and we have enough left handed pitching prospects that can take his role in the bullpen.
I cant agree with this. Marshall is on a clip to be one of the top lefty relievers in the game. He’s not going anywhere.
Marmol, Cashner, Marshall, Caridad (because of his huge upside) need to stay an anchor our pen for the culture change we are about to experience.
Trading Z and paying any portion of his contract would be a complete loser move, IMHO.
Worst case is that he can be an innings eater and fill the #4 spot in your rotation.
The guys we need to be moving are Lilly and Silva.
I think you are missing the point of trying to get out of big contracts that will hurt the Cubs past 2010.
I have said that Z is no longer a good fit with the Cubs before he signed his current contract. Z has too many innings on his arm and demons in his head to keep around. Silva is very affordable for next year and should not be moved unless someone overwhelms us with an offer, if you have watched him pitch this year he pitches like an ace.
No, I get it. My counter is that if you are paying 50% or more of Zs deal, he isn’t really off your books. It’s the ultimate sell low move.
Silva has been awful for most of 9 MLB seasons. 3 hot months in a new league doesn’t make him an Ace. It makes him a prime sell high trade candidate
If there’s anywhere silva can be successful it is the NL central. I dont like moving him because you wont get anywhere near what you have in him in return. I would be more for selling high on him after the season was over. Give him a year to prove himself and if he continues then we’re talking some serious trade pieces in return. right now you’re not looking at getting much back
If there’s anywhere silva can be successful it is the NL central. I dont like moving him because you wont get anywhere near what you have in him in return. I would be more for selling high on him after the season was over. Give him a year to prove himself and if he continues then we’re talking some serious trade pieces in return. right now you’re not looking at getting much back
Z has got to go. I’ve heard from multiple sources that he has become a cancer in the club house, which is def not what we need at this time. I’ve heard that him and ARAM have started this little “latin american” click and have began influencing younger guys on the team (i.e. soto, castro). You know what? I can totally see this and completely believe it. These guys are the 12th graders at the back of the bus. They’re real big chit until they graduate from high school and move on to flipping burgers at Mickey D’s. This is what happens when ownership/man’t requires no accountability due to a guys star status or pay status. This carp would NEVER happen in the NYY club house. NEVER!……… Z’s gotta go!
Z has got to go. I’ve heard from multiple sources that he has become a cancer in the club house, which is def not what we need at this time. I’ve heard that him and ARAM have started this little “latin american” click and have began influencing younger guys on the team (i.e. soto, castro). You know what? I can totally see this and completely believe it. These guys are the 12th graders at the back of the bus. They’re real big chit until they graduate from high school and move on to flipping burgers at Mickey D’s. This is what happens when ownership/man’t requires no accountability due to a guys star status or pay status. This carp would NEVER happen in the NYY club house. NEVER!……… Z’s gotta go!
Lilly might return more than the Type A compensation. It depends who Hendry has dangling on the other phone line. I doubt Lee gets much of anything in return. I agree if they can’t get more than the arbitration placements they receive, then offering arbitration at the end of the year would make sense. Lilly will get a 2-3 year offer somewhere. Lee can’t do much worse production wise even if he accepted and came back for one year. However, I get the feeling Ricketts wants to get yonger and cheaper quicker. Hendry has not offered arbitration to several players in recent years knowing they would accept. Lilly’s a Type A, but they will try to get his salary moved and get something back now that Cliff Lee is off the table. Not that Lilly is Cliff Lee.
While I see where you are coming from and it makes sense, I am also thinking removing those salaries and others (if they can) would speed up the current mess. As it stands, 2011 will be a long year and maybe 2012. I would rather get new, cheaper stop gaps where possible. I have seen enough of this group.
“Lilly might return more than the Type A compensation. It depends who Hendry has dangling on the other phone line.”
I meant Lilly would get more in return than Type A. Especially if you can also move most or all of his remaining 6MM salary.
Lilly might return more than the Type A compensation. It depends who Hendry has dangling on the other phone line. I doubt Lee gets much of anything in return. I agree if they can’t get more than the arbitration placements they receive, then offering arbitration at the end of the year would make sense. Lilly will get a 2-3 year offer somewhere. Lee can’t do much worse production wise even if he accepted and came back for one year. However, I get the feeling Ricketts wants to get yonger and cheaper quicker. Hendry has not offered arbitration to several players in recent years knowing they would accept. Lilly’s a Type A, but they will try to get his salary moved and get something back now that Cliff Lee is off the table. Not that Lilly is Cliff Lee.
While I see where you are coming from and it makes sense, I am also thinking removing those salaries and others (if they can) would speed up the current mess. As it stands, 2011 will be a long year and maybe 2012. I would rather get new, cheaper stop gaps where possible. I have seen enough of this group.
soriano to giants for……..rowand
For Zito!
zito and rowand for soriano and silva.
Soriano actually has great numbers this year….the guys in front of him stink or his RBI total would better represent his AVG/OPS numbers…In fact, aside from a bad 2009 where he missed games, the dude has lived up to his contract I’d say.
Let’s see, he’s owed $62 mill over the next 4.5 seasons…Rowand is owed about $30 mill for the next 2.5 seasons, if the cubs threw in $8 mill (to make Soriano’s true cost $54 mill over 4.5 seasons), then Soriano’s salary would equate to about $12 mill / yr.
While Soriano’s not worth $18 mill a year, he’s defenitely worth $12 mill / yr.
In your first paragraph you say “the dude has lived up to his contract” and in the last paragraph you say he’s “not worth $18 mill a year”. I think that is called talking out of both sides of your mouth.
Okay, let me go slow and spell it out for you…
“He has lived up to his contract.”
This means that his production –except for 2009 as I pointed out — has been in line with what the Cubs should’ve expected when they signed him. He’s put up all star numbers (take away 2009 and he’s got something around an .885 ops as a Cub).
“He’s not worth $18 mill a year.”
He’s not. When they made the contract he was, now he’s not. Time’s have changed, economics have changed. While he’s lived up to his contract so far, he’s not worth $18 mill going forward (for a new team), considering the economics and his increasing age.
I determined that if the salary was offset somehow and his average salary was in the $12 mill range, that is an acceptable number to trade for moving forward…meaning I think he’ll be worth that much for the next 3-4 years.
So no…it’s not talking out of both sides of my mouth, it’s just called thinking critically.
If I’m the Giants, I wouldn’t take that deal…Rowand is only on the hook for 2 more years, Soriano for 4 (after this year) – and SF’s OF is pretty expansive. Think Sori’s defense is shaky now? Wait until he has 30% more real estate to cover…
If you wouldn’t give these ridiculous contract in the first place you wouldn’t have to take on so much just to move the players. You owners areidiots.
Lilly, Fukodome(terrible contract)plus 5 million dollars to the Mets for Castillo(bad contract), Mike Antonini, Josh Stinson, Nick Evans/Lucas Duda.
I don’t think anyone would want Fukudome for more than the MLB minimum salary.
Fukudome has good a good batting eye, and can play all 3 OF positions competently.
Not worth 12 million per year. But he is a better than average 4th outfielder.
He’s useful to keep just to get 3 starts a week as the 4th man in the outfield rotation.
I agree with Herbert. Fukudome’s numbers are that of a very marginal starter/4th OF. You can get that for a lot less than he’s making and you likely wouldn’t have to give up anything.
Sure a team would trade an equally or worse contract for him but how would that accomplish anything for the Cubs?
Fukudome’s best spot is currently left bench and a spot start. The guy is actually productive in that role. Unfortunately, he is being paid like an every day player. I think he stays and the Cubs attempt to trade him in the off-season along with Zambrano. Lee, Nady and Lilly will all be gone this season. Lilly could be a very hot item if Cliff Lee goes pretty soon. I’d like to see the Cubs package him, taking on most of his salary, with Darwin Barney and send them to the Reds for Yonder Alonso. Orlando Cabrera does have a mutual option for next year, but Barney is ready and Alonso won’t be playing 1st base every day for the Reds, ever. Cabrera isn’t having the most stellar season and if they had a young guy who could take over short stop next year, it would be hard to imagine them picking up their side of the mutual option.
How about we first attempt to package Lilly with one of the contracts that we desperately want to rid ourselves of? Fuku, Z, Aram, soriano????? wishful thinking but worth the try none the less
FIRE HENDRY!! He is the common denominator. How are you gonna give Milton Bradley a 3 year deal coming out of Texas with inflated numbers? The guy has never played a full season and has a history of injuries and issues. That’s one of many examples of stupid moves…
I’m anxiously awaiting this “competitive” team Ricketts vowed to give fans
they need to trade Ramirez too.. they can eat up 80% of Sorianos Contract… 75% of Zambranos, trade Lee and Ramirez for Rookie A players, they won’t get any ML players for them Fukudome.. keep him so he can play Right, Colvin in Left and Byrd for Center.. Ramirez, Lee Zambrano, Soriano should be main priorities for the Cubs to trade.. the problem is no one wants them and they all have horrendous contracts …Hendry doesn want to eat up more then 15% he could just buy them all out. the 4 of them are worth 2mil total.. so they each would get 500k.. seems fair to me.. and 500k is way too much to be honest