Another CF Trade Proposal

by jscape2000 on Jan 22, 2009 6:00 AM EST in Analysis Comment 14 comments

With Alfonso Soriano signed through 2014 at roughly $18M per, Kosuke Fukudome through 2011 for $13M, and the ink not dry yet on Milton Bradley's 3 years and $30M, the Cubs have three expensive starters on the roster. And that could be a problem for Joey Gathright and Reed Johnson.

The MLB.com depth charts list Fukudome as the starting CF, with Johnson and Gathright below him.

The Cubs just signed Gathright, and even then speculation was that Felix Pie would be traded, Bradley would be signed, and Fukudome would play center.

So that leaves Reed Johnson making a very reasonable $3M.

You might remember Johnson from his days with the Jays. The 32 year-old righty is a powerful platoon player. He slugged .333/.399/.449 against southpaws last season; he still managed a respectable (compared to our other options) .280/.323/.398 line. His 2007 splits were even more pronounced: .325/.381/.532 vs. .202/.275/.237.

The question is, as always, what would the Cubs want in return? Obviously, their outfield depth at the corners is equal to the Yanks, so swapping Nady for Johnson is out.

In the 'pen, righties Kevin Gregg and Carlos Marmol will duke it out for the 8th and 9th innings, so our power arms aren't a match. Maybe a lefty like Chase Wright or Phil Coke would be appealing?

As an added wrinkle, the Cubs have a budding All-Star behind the plate in ROY Geovany Soto. He, obviously, is untouchable. But that means that tops prospects like AA catcher Welington Castillo. John Sickles calls Castillo a strong defender who might project as a Miguel Olivo.

Would it be easier or harder to build a match with the Cubbies for the MLB CF and the MiLB C?

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Do we really ...

need another outfielder?
Last year I pushed for Aaron Rowand and got pasted (perhaps rightly so). Proposing Reed Johnson when we already have a crowded outfield seems just as crazy. Are we giving up on AJax? Cabrera? Gardner? We’ve got enough guys to cover cf for a season, and if we get through the year and decide Ajax isn’t ready, or all that good, I’d prefer we go after someone more dynamic and youthful.

"Baseball is the background music of my life." -George Will

by Ronster22 on Jan 22, 2009 9:20 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

Who's proposal? yours? Is this for fantasyland?

R Johnson was a steal last year as the Cubs got him off the DFA list for the league minimum and teamed him with another scrap heap retread Jimmy Edmonds to make up one of the better CF platoons.

But the Cubs are not trading RJohnson even after they spent $3M on him this year, he is the insurance policy that Bradley will only play, 100 or 120 games. Go fishing somewhere else, for even if you covet some other team’s players you have to come up with player’s another team might covet.

The Cubs are but a couple players short of finishing their plan for the best roster in the NL by trading spare MLB ready parts and promising prospects to SD for Jake Peavy and fitting him in their budget now above $140M. They are rumored to be working out a couple other bench deals with Aurilia and Bako where they will have a WS roster.

Unless you offer something like your 2B why would the Cubs even consider dismantling their plan?

This is just NYC arrogance.

Piniella: "This is a tougher job than I thought it would be, I'm going to be honest with you."

by Ivy Walls on Jan 22, 2009 1:01 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Hey, it's just a suggestion

there’s no need to get personal.

Besides, if and when they assemble such a roster with Peavy – having a WS roster would require them to actually get to the World Series, which is something they haven’t done since 1945 and haven’t won in 101 years.

I was rooting for the Cubs in the postseason last year. I grew up watching Harry Caray and Steve Stone (with Milo Hamilton, Dewayne Staats, and Thom Brennaman doing the middle innings) on WGN. I hope they do win soon enough because it would be great for baseball.

But don’t come in here and start shit. We can’t have that.

by anaconda on Jan 22, 2009 1:56 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I didn't start anything, I responded to it.

but making trade proposals out of thin air because you want another player is ridiculous. A trade is made to benefit both teams, now sometimes it benefits the respective roster for better play on the field and sometimes done for business interests to better the profitability.

But simply saying R Johnson is there and the Cubs have three starting OF’ers is ridiculous, for Johnson was signed in the context of the Cubs roster either to platoon with Fukudome who’s offense failed the second half of the year as insurance or for insurance of a Bradley usual DL stint.

If you make a trade proposal outside of …

The question is, as always, what would the Cubs want in return?

…is not discussion. Now I found this from a google search that prompted me here to see what was going on. The other ideas of trying to unearth a good catching prospect is also an interesting self interested angle…..what would the Yanks offer that fits into the Cubs needs?

FYI, Cubs might need a SS and possibly a starting pitcher. But the problem is the same for the Yanks, how does this fit into their payroll?

Piniella: "This is a tougher job than I thought it would be, I'm going to be honest with you."

by Ivy Walls on Jan 22, 2009 2:08 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

They don't need a SS

A guy named Jeter plays there – you may have heard of him. And he’s not moving until after the 2010 season at the earliest when his contract expires. What they need now is a backup infielder and he may already be on the roster.

They do need a starting pitcher – but he’d be their fourth starter and Pettitte is still their best option out there. He’s probably not going anywhere else, so it’s either the Yanks or go home.

by anaconda on Jan 22, 2009 3:35 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Well

It’s the catcher that makes the wrinkle worth thinking about.
Here’s a proposal:
Alfredo Aceves (25, MLB ready RSP) + Chase Wright (25, AAA, LSP) for Johnson and Castillo.
Cubs get a cost controlled 5th starter for the rotation today and a lefty for the future in exchange for a 32 year-old insurance plan and a catching prospect.

"Have faith in the Yankees, my son. Think of the great DiMaggio."

by jscape2000 on Jan 22, 2009 4:43 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs