Heading into the weekend
I love 3 day weeks. It's awesome that just as you hit hump day, it basically becomes a Friday. And, since this is the equivalent of the longest vacation I've had since I graduated 1.5 years ago, I particularly enjoy Thanksgiving.
But since this has been kind of a slow week for rumors I thought I'd just post a few more rumors and then list what I think the Cubs should do. Kind of. So this is pretty much like every other post.
First, there is now a rumor floating around that the Cubs are considering bringing in Julio Lugo as soon as this weekend. This would be awesome for two reasons. First, Lugo is probably willing to move around to any position as long as he plays, which could help us until we either get players developed or long-term answers. Two, he's a very solid SS who would allow us to move that loser Cesar Izturis. Instant upgrade offensively, and I doubt we lose much defensively. Lugo probably doesn't win a gold glove, but Izturis is probably going to be too hurt to win one anyways.
Second, it sounds like the Cubs may really like Murton in left, and may move Jacque Jones. This could be good, since he is looking like a cheap alternative to many free agents this offseason, and he's coming off the second best year in his career. So it would seem like he has a pretty high value. If we could trade him, we could get some pitching or something that would be incredibly useful.
But we still have a hole in the outfield. And we still have players on our bench who I am positive can play (Theriot). So here are a few of my suggestions.
Try Theriot out in center. I would almost put him in the category of utility player since he's played all over the infield. It's not like center is THAT hard. Plus, whatever he lacks in an arm he makes up for at the plate. If that doesn't work, I still say bring in Lugo, let him play center, and either let DeRosa play short or Theriot. You'll lose some range up the middle, but you're still solid defensively and you're much better off offensively. And who knows what we'll need offensively since we still only have 2 starters. This would give Pie more time to develop (he's tearing up shit in the Dominican right now).
Try Pie out in center. Maybe he doesn't need time. We already know he's an outstanding defensive CF. The only thing that's in question is his offense. If he can hit then there's no reason we shouldn't just give him the ball. Plus, we've already shown that we're not rushing him through the system. At least give him a shot.
Also, we do have Eric Patterson in AAA, who may be able to come up and play some 2nd base. If he can play 2nd, we move DeRosa over to short, and maybe we can move Theriot. Of course, I doubt Patterson gets the call, since we've already got Theriot and DeRosa and Cedeno. There's really no need to rush him through, but, again, if he hits, we may be able to add him to the mix and get rid of some other young guys in return for some pitching.
I also saw a rumor that the Cubs made an offer to Jason Schmidt. He would be a solid addition to the staff, and the contract length probably wouldn't be too long, so I'd probably be ok with it. Plus, he's an older guy who throws strikes, which is important for a team with a lot of question marks. If we could get Z going 7 innings, then have Schmidt turn around and pitch 7 every 2 or 3 times out, that gives our bullpen some off days. Whether or not Schmidt stays healthy all season is a question, but a healthy Schmidt for a portion of the year is better than a AAA pitcher all year (in theory) .
It really feels weird to not be bogged down with shitloads of pessimism for the upcoming season.
But since this has been kind of a slow week for rumors I thought I'd just post a few more rumors and then list what I think the Cubs should do. Kind of. So this is pretty much like every other post.
First, there is now a rumor floating around that the Cubs are considering bringing in Julio Lugo as soon as this weekend. This would be awesome for two reasons. First, Lugo is probably willing to move around to any position as long as he plays, which could help us until we either get players developed or long-term answers. Two, he's a very solid SS who would allow us to move that loser Cesar Izturis. Instant upgrade offensively, and I doubt we lose much defensively. Lugo probably doesn't win a gold glove, but Izturis is probably going to be too hurt to win one anyways.
Second, it sounds like the Cubs may really like Murton in left, and may move Jacque Jones. This could be good, since he is looking like a cheap alternative to many free agents this offseason, and he's coming off the second best year in his career. So it would seem like he has a pretty high value. If we could trade him, we could get some pitching or something that would be incredibly useful.
But we still have a hole in the outfield. And we still have players on our bench who I am positive can play (Theriot). So here are a few of my suggestions.
Try Theriot out in center. I would almost put him in the category of utility player since he's played all over the infield. It's not like center is THAT hard. Plus, whatever he lacks in an arm he makes up for at the plate. If that doesn't work, I still say bring in Lugo, let him play center, and either let DeRosa play short or Theriot. You'll lose some range up the middle, but you're still solid defensively and you're much better off offensively. And who knows what we'll need offensively since we still only have 2 starters. This would give Pie more time to develop (he's tearing up shit in the Dominican right now).
Try Pie out in center. Maybe he doesn't need time. We already know he's an outstanding defensive CF. The only thing that's in question is his offense. If he can hit then there's no reason we shouldn't just give him the ball. Plus, we've already shown that we're not rushing him through the system. At least give him a shot.
Also, we do have Eric Patterson in AAA, who may be able to come up and play some 2nd base. If he can play 2nd, we move DeRosa over to short, and maybe we can move Theriot. Of course, I doubt Patterson gets the call, since we've already got Theriot and DeRosa and Cedeno. There's really no need to rush him through, but, again, if he hits, we may be able to add him to the mix and get rid of some other young guys in return for some pitching.
I also saw a rumor that the Cubs made an offer to Jason Schmidt. He would be a solid addition to the staff, and the contract length probably wouldn't be too long, so I'd probably be ok with it. Plus, he's an older guy who throws strikes, which is important for a team with a lot of question marks. If we could get Z going 7 innings, then have Schmidt turn around and pitch 7 every 2 or 3 times out, that gives our bullpen some off days. Whether or not Schmidt stays healthy all season is a question, but a healthy Schmidt for a portion of the year is better than a AAA pitcher all year (in theory) .
It really feels weird to not be bogged down with shitloads of pessimism for the upcoming season.
posted by Jtrouble at 8:27 AM
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