This team was obviously not built for a postseason sprint after being swept out 2 years in a row. So what needs to change to improve this team's chances in the post season? A few questions loom:
1. Who will be the Cubs owner in 2009?
2. What to do with Fukudome?
3. Pending free agents: Wood, Dempster, Edmonds, Blanco (mutual option) Ward, Lieber, Howry, Harden (club option) Reed Johnson. Probably several of the young guys up for arbitration too.
4. Trade away any of the current players?
A few comments:
1. I hope Mark Cuban. I think he'd do whatever in his power to end the world series drought and by doing so would be an instant icon in Chicago.
2. He has a no-trade clause, may have to swallow hard and send him and his $11.5 mil contract to Iowa to start the season and get him to correct his bad habits at the plate.
3. You must resign Wood, Dempster, and Johnson and pick up the option on Harden and probably Blanco too. You way goodbye to Ward and Howry and Edmonds.
4. As much as I hate to say it but I'd almost think you have to look into trading Derek Lee. I think the lineup is too right hand dominant with he, Soriano, and Ramirez. Soriano's contract makes him hard to trade and you aren't going to find a suitable replacement at 3B for Ramirez so Lee is the most tradable guy I think. At all costs they need to bring in a power hitting lefty to throw in the middle of this lineup. CF, RF, and 1B are the most likely spots to do this at. Shoring up the bullpen with a couple middle relievers would go a long way too and you let Samardzija challenge Marquis for a rotation spot.
1. Who will be the Cubs owner in 2009?
2. What to do with Fukudome?
3. Pending free agents: Wood, Dempster, Edmonds, Blanco (mutual option) Ward, Lieber, Howry, Harden (club option) Reed Johnson. Probably several of the young guys up for arbitration too.
4. Trade away any of the current players?
A few comments:
1. I hope Mark Cuban. I think he'd do whatever in his power to end the world series drought and by doing so would be an instant icon in Chicago.
2. He has a no-trade clause, may have to swallow hard and send him and his $11.5 mil contract to Iowa to start the season and get him to correct his bad habits at the plate.
3. You must resign Wood, Dempster, and Johnson and pick up the option on Harden and probably Blanco too. You way goodbye to Ward and Howry and Edmonds.
4. As much as I hate to say it but I'd almost think you have to look into trading Derek Lee. I think the lineup is too right hand dominant with he, Soriano, and Ramirez. Soriano's contract makes him hard to trade and you aren't going to find a suitable replacement at 3B for Ramirez so Lee is the most tradable guy I think. At all costs they need to bring in a power hitting lefty to throw in the middle of this lineup. CF, RF, and 1B are the most likely spots to do this at. Shoring up the bullpen with a couple middle relievers would go a long way too and you let Samardzija challenge Marquis for a rotation spot.