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Friday, June 15, 2012

Levine: Timing, roster space key to Rizzo’s debut

The Baltimore Orioles had one of their top talent evaluators watching Cubs starting pitchers and Soriano on Wednesday night. Toronto, which is also watching the Cubs this week, could be looking for a bundle deal that might include pitchers and hitters.

The major league clock will begin ticking again for Rizzo sometime after June 23 – the date after which he would not accrue a season of service toward arbitration. But the team would benefit from having a clean slate—without any disgruntled veterans to deal with—when it comes to promoting blue-chip prospects like Rizzo. Plugging in the right players, at the right time, in the right atmosphere is an essential piece of the plan set going forward.

You had me at hello. At hello.

McCoy Wilfong for Money Posted: June 15, 2012 at 11:06 AM | 34 comment(s) Login to Bookmark
Tags: cubs, orioles

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1. McCoy Wilfong for Money Posted: June 15, 2012 at 02:48 PM (#4157943)

Seems like a likely place for Soriano.

2. KT's Pot Arb Posted: June 15, 2012 at 02:52 PM (#4157950)

That's a clown post, bro!

3. Rants Mulliniks (formerly Cold Prosimian) Posted: June 15, 2012 at 02:57 PM (#4157958)

I really hope the Blue Jays don't go for Garza. I realize they need pitching help right now, but Garza isn't going to get them anywhere this year.

4. McCoy Wilfong for Money Posted: June 15, 2012 at 03:00 PM (#4157965)

BRef has Endy Chavez and his wonderful 11 OPS+ as the Orioles LF'er. Avery was catching up but he was putting up a nice .615 OPS so he wasn't the answer. With Markakis and Reimold down the Orioles could really use an OF bat.

5. McCoy Wilfong for Money Posted: June 15, 2012 at 03:01 PM (#4157967)

I really hope the Blue Jays don't go for Garza. I realize they need pitching help right now, but Garza isn't going to get them anywhere this year.

But what about Dempster and Garza?

6. Tripon Posted: June 15, 2012 at 03:02 PM (#4157968)

Dodgers can trade Juan Rivera. Come on, Rivera is only making $5 million. Soriano is making $56 million, which is the better buy here?

7. Rants Mulliniks (formerly Cold Prosimian) Posted: June 15, 2012 at 03:06 PM (#4157982)

I'd love to see the Jays get Dempster, but isn't he an FA at the end of the year? If Chicago did a sign and trade I'd probably like that. There just seems to be a perception of Garza as an ace, but I don't buy it. As for both of them, the price would be way too high, and even with both of them they wouldn't be a lock for a playoff berth.

8. Nasty Nate Posted: June 15, 2012 at 03:08 PM (#4157986)

It's only the second inning today and Matsuzaka has already given up 3 BB's, a HBP, and a triple hit by the other pitcher .... the Red Sox could really use Dempster or Garza.

9. McCoy Wilfong for Money Posted: June 15, 2012 at 03:17 PM (#4158004)

Well, if they had Dempster then Matsuzaka wouldn't have given up the triple. Don't worry, as long as the Red Sox can hold the Cubs to 3 runs for awhile the Sox will be able to come back. If he does give up some runs then you just have to pray the Cubs get to 7 wins. If they do the Sox are practically guaranteed to win.

Plus Campana already has 2 SB today.

10. Tripon Posted: June 15, 2012 at 03:17 PM (#4158008)

I thought sign and trades were banned in the current CBA?

11. Walt Davis Posted: June 15, 2012 at 03:36 PM (#4158058)

With Markakis and Reimold down the Orioles could really use an OF bat.

Ryan Dempster is available.

12. Rants Mulliniks (formerly Cold Prosimian) Posted: June 15, 2012 at 03:43 PM (#4158068)

I thought sign and trades were banned in the current CBA?

Maybe they are, I wouldn't know. If they are, forget Dempster.

13. Nasty Nate Posted: June 15, 2012 at 03:57 PM (#4158089)

Maybe they are, I wouldn't know. If they are, forget Dempster.

I think they could arrange a trade pending Dempster signing an extension, if he was so inclined. He has no-trade rights, and sometimes players in his situation won't waive the rights without such and arrangement.

14. McCoy Wilfong for Money Posted: June 15, 2012 at 03:58 PM (#4158092)

Castro has his 11th error today so now he is at 16/11.

15. SouthSideRyan Posted: June 15, 2012 at 04:13 PM (#4158128)

Also, his defense is grading out as above average across the board.

16. formerly dp Posted: June 15, 2012 at 04:19 PM (#4158149)

There just seems to be a perception of Garza as an ace, but I don't buy it. As for both of them, the price would be way too high, and even with both of them they wouldn't be a lock for a playoff berth.

I guess I just don't see this as the year the Jays have to make their push-- not with a young/cheap lineup and a lot of elite-level talent down on the farm. The team's future success is in its minor league depth-- I'm OK with using that to buy help when the opportunity arises, but I don't think this is that time.

Cecil's coming back up to take Drabek's spot. Kyle was having a nice bounce-back but still allowing way too many baserunners to be successful.

17. Joey B. has ignited his October #Natitude Posted: June 15, 2012 at 04:32 PM (#4158173)

Dempster's trade value feels like it's going up by the minute. If I'm the Cubs, I sell high now as fast as I possibly can.

18. Petunia inquires about ponies Posted: June 15, 2012 at 04:45 PM (#4158204)

19. McCoy Wilfong for Money Posted: June 15, 2012 at 04:46 PM (#4158209)

If Dempster was on a good team he would be having a Cy Young season right now. As it is he is on a crappy team and his season is largely forgettable.

Dempster is 2-3 in 11 starts so far and he should be at something like 8-2 and be in line for his 9th win today.

20. jack the seal clubber (on the sidelines of life) Posted: June 15, 2012 at 04:53 PM (#4158230)

The Dodgers seem like the logical place. Lilly is hurt and they are all in to win for 2012.

21. Walt Davis Posted: June 15, 2012 at 06:59 PM (#4158319)

Castro has his 11th error today so now he is at 16/11.

Or 11 errors to 6 BB.

Disappointing as p-i won't let me do a search on errors>BB. But in the expansion era, there have been only 4 seasons with CS>BB:

Templeton 1977: 24/15 (with 18 triples! That's a bizarre season)
D Garcia 1980: 13/12
Ozzie G 1989: 17/15
Ozzie G 1991: 15/11

Castro's at 6/6 right now.

22. Chase Insteadman Wannabe Posted: June 16, 2012 at 12:15 AM (#4158426)

You know what would really depress me about the Soriano deal if I was a Cubs fan? Alfonso has actually played as well as could reasonably been expected when the contract was signed. In the three years before signing, his OPS+ was 115. Since joining the Cubs, it has been 110. Given that he was 31 for his first Cubs season, that's arguably less of a drop off than one would expect. You often see long term, huge money contacts turn into albatrosses, but has there ever been a contract with this combination of albatrossity with equal-to-or-greater-than expected production?

23. Brian C Posted: June 16, 2012 at 12:38 AM (#4158431)

You often see long term, huge money contacts turn into albatrosses, but has there ever been a contract with this combination of albatrossity with equal-to-or-greater-than expected production?

Remember how, when Soriano's contract was signed, there was talk about him being the Cubs' centerfielder? Indeed, he was even the actual CF for the first couple weeks of the season. It was like the front office realized it was a stupid contract even before the season started and were trying to justify it.

24. SouthSideRyan Posted: June 16, 2012 at 05:42 PM (#4158807)

He actually looked decent in CF, and I think it was a stupid panic move to move him to LF because he got hurt a few weeks into the season.

25. Brian C Posted: June 16, 2012 at 07:01 PM (#4158842)

I was all for continuing the experiment myself, but I don't think there's anything in Soriano's history as a baseball player that suggests that he could have handled CF full-time. And at any rate, he wouldn't be playing CF anymore, so they'd be in exactly the same position they're in now.

26. McCoy Wilfong for Money Posted: June 16, 2012 at 10:04 PM (#4159021)

He actually looked decent in CF, and I think it was a stupid panic move to move him to LF because he got hurt a few weeks into the season.

Has Soriano ever been healthy at any point in his Cubs' tenure? I think if Soriano didn't have bad wheels he could have played a decentish CF for a few years and probably cranked out a slightly better batting line than he did. Hendry just ended up signing a guy with bad wheels to a very very long contract.

27. McCoy Wilfong for Money Posted: June 16, 2012 at 10:37 PM (#4159050)

Is this team even going to crack 600 runs scored for the year?

The last time the Cubs didn't do that in a full season was in 1992 and before that you have to go back to 1963 to find another Cubs' team couldn't score more than 600 runs in a season.

28. rlc Posted: June 17, 2012 at 04:36 PM (#4159304)

So would Epstein give the O's Garza in exchange for the O's taking Soriano? Would Duquette be crazy to do that? I guess it depends on how attached Angelos is to his money...

29. AJM Posted: June 17, 2012 at 04:46 PM (#4159314)

You often see long term, huge money contacts turn into albatrosses, but has there ever been a contract with this combination of albatrossity with equal-to-or-greater-than expected production?

Carlos Lee?

30. Kiko Sakata

Posted: June 17, 2012 at 05:12 PM (#4159333)

So would Epstein give the O's Garza in exchange for the O's taking Soriano?

Is that legal (I know that's a meme, I mean the question sincerely here)? Can a team "trade" two (or even one) players for nothing?

Speaking as an old Orioles fan, I'd probably do that trade if I'm Duquette, but, of course, it's not my money. I'm actually less sure I'd do it if I'm Epstein/Hoyer; I feel like I'd want to get some talent back in exchange for Garza (and Soriano, for that matter), because, again, it's not my money the Cubs are paying Soriano, and given their revenues, there's really no reason why Soriano's salary should be preventing them from doing whatever else they need to do to build a perennial contender.

31. Brian C Posted: June 17, 2012 at 05:29 PM (#4159341)

Why would they be so eager to give up Soriano that they'd give away legitimate talent to do so? That doesn't make any sense. Not even McCoy is that eager to get rid of Soriano (I don't think).

32. McCoy Wilfong for Money Posted: June 17, 2012 at 05:56 PM (#4159346)

Well, the latest rumor is that Cubs are even willing to eat Dempster's contract to move him just to get some prospects back.

33. Kiko Sakata

Posted: June 17, 2012 at 06:59 PM (#4159370)

the latest rumor is that Cubs are even willing to eat Dempster's contract to move him just to get some prospects back.

As I said, it's not my money: given a choice between getting another team to eat some Cubs' payroll or getting prospects, I'd take the prospects every time.

34. rlc Posted: June 17, 2012 at 07:09 PM (#4159377)

Can a team "trade" two (or even one) players for nothing?

Well, it wouldn't have to be nothing - the O's could give the Cubs former #5 overall pick Matt Hobgood and former #9 overall Billy Rowell - how's that for prospects?

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Friday, June 15, 2012

Levine: Timing, roster space key to Rizzo’s debut

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