Friday, March 18, 2011
The news out of Mesa offers a terrible mix of excitement and frustration.
In Hohokam Park, Cubs fans enjoy a glimpse of their new firstbaseman, Carlos Peña.
MESA, Arizona -- The good news first: Aramis Ramirez hit 22 home runs over the course of Spring Training. He looked great with his swing and said he felt ready to play. Mike Quade feels confident Aramis can be the run producer in the 3-hole the Cubs need every day.
Now the bad news: Sean Marshall (LHP), Jeff Samardzija (RHP), and John Grabow (LHP) all found ways to land on the DL within their first mound appearances in the first week of Spring Training. The bad luck blast sent shockwaves through the organization as front office folks, scouts, development coaches and minor league managers worked quickly to figure out how best to handle the sudden demand for MLB-ready bullpen arms. In the final game of Spring Training, Jay Jackson (RHP) left in the 2nd inning after he "landed funny" reaching for a liner.
Sean Marshall (LHP) [60 day DL: Torn Elbow Cartilage] 110+ Days
The most devastating impact on the Cubs bullpen will be the loss of Marshall for 110+ days. The lefty had come off a strong season of middle relief in 2010 and was ready to build on that experience. He was Quade's planned go-to man for the 7-8 innings. The loss of Sean Marshall's arm was felt so heavily that the Cubs' front office immediately inked the one year, $951K deal with Joe Beimel to get a solid lefty back in the bullpen. With so many young arms in development, it was decided that it would be better to sign an experienced lefty than lose valuable pieces in a patch trade or rush someone up only to potentially suffer a more crippling injury to a young arm.
Jeff Samardzija (RHP) [60 day DL: Torn Knee Cartilage] 75+ Days
Samardzija was not pitching well before the injury and will likely have a slow recovery. Before the injury, there were some rumors floating around about a possible trade invovling Samardzija, but the rumors have been sufficiently quelled (for better or worse) as Samardzija sits on the 60 day DL. As one cynical Cubs fan put it after hearing the news: "I really hate [the injury] for the guy but this probably is better for the team."
John Grabow (LHP) [60 day DL: Torn Elbow Ligament] 75+ Days
Grabow was the lefty bullpen arm who was to try and step in for Marshall. His injury was shocking and became comically absurd when a rumor surfaced that the 32-year old Grabow had played "an intense game of hacky sack" with fans in the parking lot with A's fans after the March 15th game against Oakland. On March 16th he complained of sharp pain in his elbow. The rumors are unconfirmed but suspicions among fans linger.
Jay Jackson (RHP) [15 day DL: Ankle Ligament Rupture] 25+ Days
Although Jackson was not expected to reach the majors this season, trainers are worried his injury could slow his development as a potential major league starter in 2012. It is not a frightening injury for a pitcher, but the 22-year old did land awkwardly on his left leg after reaching for a hard liner up the middle. Expect team physicians and trainers to take it slow with Jackson's return as he regains his confidence both as a pitcher and a fielder.
Source: MLB Trade Bloomers
The Cubs made a few moves in the interim between the 2010 and 2011 seasons.
Major League Free Agent Signings:
Carlos Peña (1B), one year at $8.0M
Kerry Wood (RHP – Setup/Relief), one year at $1.2M
Carl Pavano (RHP – Starter), one year at $7.3M
Joe Beimel (LHP – Setup/Relief), one year at $951K
Minor League Free Agent Signings:
Kazuo Matsui (2B), one year Minor League contract for $608K
Scott Moore (2B), one year Minor League contract for $320K
Jesse English (LHP – Relief), one year Minor League contract for $62K
Acquired via Trade/Waivers:
Matt Garza (RHP – Starter), Fernando Perez (OF) and Zach Rosscup (RHP – Starter) from Rays for Chris Archer (RHP – Starter), Hak-Ju Lee (SS), Robinson Chirinos (C), Sam Fuld (OF) and Brandon Guyer (OF)
Max Ramirez (C) off waivers from Red Sox
Robert Coello (RHP – Relief) from Red Sox for Tony Thomas (2B)
Notable Losses from 2010 Cubs:
Derrek Lee (1B with Orioles)
Ted Lilly (LHP – Starter with Dodgers)
Ryan Theriot (IF with Cardinals)
Xavier Nady (1B/OF with D’Backs)
Micah Hoffpauir (OF – free agent)
Mike Fontenot (2B with Giants)
Bob Howry (RHP – Retired)
Chris Archer (RHP – Starter prospect in Rays system)
Hak-Ju Lee (SS prospect in Rays system)
Robinson Chirinos (C in Rays system)
Sam Fuld (OF in Rays system)
Brandon Guyer (OF in Rays system)
Tony Thomas (2B in Red Sox system)
Prospects Potentially Impacting Cubs in 2011:
Darwin Barney (SS/IF)
Brad Snyder (OF)
Fernando Perez (OF)
Welington Castillo (C)
Chris Carpenter (RHP)
Prospects to Watch in 2011 for 2012:
Brett Jackson (CF/OF)
Ryan Flaherty (SS)
Jay Jackson (RHP – Starter)
Jae-Hoon Ha (OF)
| 2011 Cubs: New Acquisitions OVERVIEW | |||||||
| # | PITCHERS | POS | B/T | AGE | HT | WT | SALARY |
| 50 | Carl Pavano (MLB) | SP | R/R | 35 | 1 year, $7.3M | ||
| 34 | Kerry Wood (MLB) | SU | R/R | 33 | 1 year, $1.2M | ||
| 17 | Joe Beimel (MLB) | SU | L/L | 33 | 1 year, $951K | ||
| 22 | Matt Garza (MLB) | SP | R/R | 27 | 3 years, $13.8M | ||
| 55 | Robert Coello (AAA) | RP | R/R | 26 | 4 years, $295K | ||
| 59 | Jesse English (AA) | RP | L/L | 26 | 1 year, $62K | ||
| 9 | Zach Rosscup (AA) | SP | R/L | 22 | 5 years, $362K | ||
| # | CATCHERS | POS | B/T | AGE | HT | WT | SALARY |
| 51 | Max Ramirez (AAA) | C | R/R | 26 | 5 years, $5.08M | ||
| # | INFIELDERS | POS | B/T | AGE | HT | WT | SALARY |
| 22 | Carlos Peña (MLB) | 1B | L/L | 32 | 1 year, $8.0M | ||
| 5 | Kazuo Matsui (AAA) | 2B | S/R | 35 | 1 year, $608K | ||
| 42 | Scott Moore (AA) | 2B | L/R | 27 | 1 year, $320K | ||
| # | OUTFIELDERS | POS | B/T | AGE | HT | WT | SALARY |
| 3 | Fernando Perez | OF | S/R | 27 | 3 years, $695K | ||
They were left for dead.
Maybe they were dead.
Maybe they were just sleeping.
Maybe this time it was personal.
Maybe this year…
CUBS WIN! CUBS WIN!
Not so fast.
In 2010 the Cubs proved not only that plenty of players do not live up to their potential but also that their front office has done a great job of finding these players and giving them regrettable contracts that keep them in a Cubs uniform for a long time. Despite the exciting emergence of young players Starlin Castro and Tyler Colvin, the Cubs only scored 685 runs, 18th in all of the MLB. The silver lining: the World Series Champion Giants were 17th.
But let’s not talk about the past, let’s talk about the future. The National League Central division is still weak overall. Some think the Reds played above their heads in 2010, some say the Cardinals can’t make their offense match their pitching despite having the greatest player in the game, some say the Brewers made some moves for the better but are still a second place ball club, some see optimism in the Astros second half record. Pittsburgh fans are still frustrated. Can the Cubs rise to the challenge and claim the top of a division riddled with such questions and doubts? Is it truly any team’s division for the taking? Could the Cubs even go further and break their proverbial drought?
There is no doubt the Cubs have as many questions as the rest of the division. Will Soto and Ramirez make it through the season in good health? Will Castro digress in OBP and Avg? Is Garza the staff ace? Can Carlos Silva put two halves of the season together to mimic his first half 2010 numbers (9-3, 101.2 IP, 72 K, 1.14 WHIP, 3.45 ERA)? Who is Carlos Zambrano and can we remember why he gets paid this much? Can Carlos Peña bat .200?
Whatever the answers to those questions, at the end of the season, there are only two numbers here that are going to be important. Team Wins-Team Losses.
In 2010: 75-87.
In 2011: 87-75?
Hopeful? Yes. Insane? Maybe. Exciting? I hope so.
Join me on a fantastical journey through the mythic landscape of the North Side. Using the Xbox 360’s MLB 2K11 and some custom sliders for enhanced realism and exciting gameplay, I will play a bunch of games in a Cubs franchise. I will sim some games. I will make trades. I will have fun. Hopefully, I will reverse the team’s record from last season. If so, I may be able to win the NL Central division. I will document some of what happens with as much flair and flourish as I can muster.
At this point, I can really only make four promises:
1) The Cubs will play every game they play.
2) The Cubs will win some of the games they play.
3) If the Cubs win enough games to win, they win; if they don’t win, they lose.
4) There’s always next year.
This will not be an exact representation of the 2011 season or even a solid case for a Cubs 2011 pennant. But it may be a blueprint for the future. And there is always next year.
life_boy
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