2012 Free Agents: Who do the Cubs go after?

[Rice Cube]

Yeah, I'm sure Cubs fans hate Prince Fielder now but they'd feel differently with him in pinstripes. At least until he slumps and they boo him and stop coming to games again and ask for him to be traded....

 

[cubsneedmiracle]

Yeah, I'm sure Cubs fans hate Prince Fielder now but they'd feel differently with him in pinstripes. At least until he slumps and they boo him and stop coming to games again and ask for him to be traded....

:smoke:

 

[poodski]

Yeah, I'm sure Cubs fans hate Prince Fielder now but they'd feel differently with him in pinstripes. At least until he slumps and they boo him and stop coming to games again and ask for him to be traded....

Its all about how he starts.

Fukudome was beloved in 2008 despite being utterly awful after his first game.

But he hit a go ahead home run and that bought him about 5 months.

Jacque Jones on the other hand started off horribly here yet in 2006 he was one of the lone bright spots on the team, and was hated all year.

 

[Rice Cube]

Its all about how he starts.

Fukudome was beloved in 2008 despite being utterly awful after his first game.

But he hit a go ahead home run and that bought him about 5 months.

Jacque Jones on the other hand started off horribly here yet in 2006 he was one of the lone bright spots on the team, and was hated all year.

Yup...Cubs fans are a fickle lot.

 

[poodski]

Back to Sosa for a second, Sosa still hit 30+ HR's in both 2003 and 2004 with 103 RBI's in '03 and 80 RBI's in '04. Clearly not as dominating as his numbers from 1997-2002 but he had a better supporting cast in 2003 with Alou, Ramirez, Lofton, Grudzielanek and Karros. He had an even better cast in 2004 with Derrek Lee, Garciaparra, Michael Barrett and Todd Walker and no playoff appearance that year.

2004 was the second best Cubs team since 1945. It was definitely better than 1984, 2003, 2007, 1998, and 1989 all playoff teams. Only team that could be better is 1969, but its pretty close. Obviously 2008 is the best.

2004 was a DAMN good team, just had some bad luck (5 game below pyth) and of course there was the Cardinals who were well awesome.

 

[poodski]

and Sosa had a ton of RBI's in his heyday and the Cubs still sucked...

So because a bunch of scrubs around a player didn't win then a bunch of better players around a better player won't win?

Lets also not forget there are two sides to baseball.

ERA ranking: 1998 11th 1999 15th, 2000 14th, 2001 4th (though they won 89 games) 2002 12th.

Our pitching will be better when we don't have guys like Doug Davis, Casey Coleman, Rodrigo Lopez, and James Russell pitching this will be better.

 

[TheCubfather]

one superstar and a handful of average players does not make a title contender. or even a division contender for that matter. the Cubs need more help than just a Prince.

 

[Rice Cube]

one superstar and a handful of average players does not make a title contender. or even a division contender for that matter. the Cubs need more help than just a Prince.

I foresee that the Cubs will probably get into the ring to get Fielder to at least show that they are serious about trying to get back to contention. If they sign him that's probably the best case scenario and then they'd have to plug some holes quickly. I don't think that makes them legitimate contenders but they can still sell some tickets. Then they have to hope that their prospects develop as hoped and fill up the other holes throughout the season.

Worst case scenario, Prince Fielder tells the Cubs to **** off because he doesn't believe they are contenders (I don't either) and the Cubs say "oh well, we tried" and move on.

 

[poodski]

one superstar and a handful of average players does not make a title contender. or even a division contender for that matter. the Cubs need more help than just a Prince.

The 2006 Cardinals would disagree.

Prince isn't Pujols by any means but that team had 4 starters with OPS's below .695.

Though that was the worst WS winning team... possibly ever.

Hell even the 2005 White Sox only had one really good hitter (Konerko) one good one (Dye) and a bunch of average hitters. Though their pitching was better than ours.

 

[TheCubfather]

I foresee that the Cubs will probably get into the ring to get Fielder to at least show that they are serious about trying to get back to contention. If they sign him that's probably the best case scenario and then they'd have to plug some holes quickly. I don't think that makes them legitimate contenders but they can still sell some tickets. Then they have to hope that their prospects develop as hoped and fill up the other holes throughout the season.

Worst case scenario, Prince Fielder tells the Cubs to **** off because he doesn't believe they are contenders (I don't either) and the Cubs say "oh well, we tried" and move on.

i can't say i'd blame him were the second scenario to occur. but money makes the world go 'round and if the Cubs dangle enough in front of him, i'd say he comes here. it'd be a good start, but like you said there are more holes to fill. it'd hopefully be the first domino of many on the way to contention.

 

[Rice Cube]

The 2006 Cardinals would disagree.

Prince isn't Pujols by any means but that team had 4 starters with OPS's below .695.

Though that was the worst WS winning team... possibly ever.

They had to win a pretty crappy division to get to the playoffs, once they got there they just had to hope that everybody went nuts and kept each game close enough that they could go all the way It'd be amazing if the Cubs could repeat that kind of performance. I wouldn't bank on dumb luck and small samplings in a short series if I were a GM.

 

[TheCubfather]

The 2006 Cardinals would disagree.

Prince isn't Pujols by any means but that team had 4 starters with OPS's below .695.

Though that was the worst WS winning team... possibly ever.

their pitching wasn't too shabby. compared to the Cubs pitching this year, there is no comparison.

 

[poodski]

their pitching wasn't too shabby. compared to the Cubs pitching this year, there is no comparison.

It was basically Chris Carpenter and a bunch of garbage.

I would take this pitching staff over that one easily.

 

[TheCubfather]

It was basically Chris Carpenter and a bunch of garbage.

I would take this pitching staff over that one easily.

 

[Rice Cube]

Depending on how much money they have left over after signing the draft picks from this year that they should, and stocking up for next year's (probably) high draft pick, the Cubs will probably use that money to add some other free agents as Poodski has suggested. Looking at the 2012 free agent list, it's pretty meh, unless CC Sabathia decides to opt out and come to Chicago (kind of skeptical on both the opt-out and how good he will be going forward). The rest of the free agents are either old or they suck. If you don't get appreciably better production as projected from that free agent list you might as well save the cash and play the young guys.

Maybe try to convince Fielder that the team will be competitive in a couple years, like Washington did with Jayson Werth. That contract was pretty stupid, though.

 

[poodski]

Did you look at their pitching staff?

The only three pitchers to pitch over 95 innings were Carpenter, Marquis (6.02 ERA) and Jeff freaking Suppan.

Their other "starters" were Mark Mulder (7.14 ERA), Anthony Reyes (5.06) and Jeff Weaver (5.18) Sidney Ponson and his 5.24 ERA also got 13 starts.

That rotation has to be, if not the worst rotation, one of the worst to win a WS.

It was awful.

 

[poodski]

Maybe try to convince Fielder that the team will be competitive in a couple years, like Washington did with Jayson Werth. That contract was pretty stupid, though.

Yeah I hope we don't do something stupid like Werth. I would do something like 6/108 for Fielder, but probably not much more.

I just don't see anyone being able to offer that unless the Yankees just say **** it and make him their DH (which sadly could be possible).

 

[Rice Cube]

Yeah I hope we don't do something stupid like Werth. I would do something like 6/108 for Fielder, but probably not much more.

I just don't see anyone being able to offer that unless the Yankees just say **** it and make him their DH (which sadly could be possible).

Yup. They have more money

 

[CODE_BLUE56]

The 2006 Cardinals would disagree.

Prince isn't Pujols by any means but that team had 4 starters with OPS's below .695.

Though that was the worst WS winning team... possibly ever.

Hell even the 2005 White Sox only had one really good hitter (Konerko) one good one (Dye) and a bunch of average hitters. Though their pitching was better than ours.

they are an anomaly...but they did have some good pieces around pujols....like scott rolen, molina, and jim edmonds and one extremely dominant pitcher in carpenter

MOST of the time one super star and not much around him wont get it done

 

[Rice Cube]

they are an anomaly...but they did have some good pieces around pujols....like scott rolen, molina, and jim edmonds and one extremely dominant pitcher in carpenter

MOST of the time one super star and not much around him wont get it done

Considering that Rolen and Edmonds are just about HOF-worthy...