The Cubs aren't going to win anything next season so it's a good time to take a couple chances and try to find some diamonds in the rough. Players who were once highly regarded but for whatever reason isn't working out with their current teams. Players like Alex Gordon, Chris Davis, Brandon Wood, Daric Barton, Joba Chamberlian, Andrew Miller, Homer Bailey and Kyle Kendrick. These are all players who are 'buy low' candidates but are still young enough to have HUGE upsides.

Hendry has to stop trying to upgrade the team by signing free agents and start doing some serious scouting to find talented players in other organizations who can help the team when they are ready to win.

Some people are stars and some work backstage.

That's where you gotta hand it to Kenny. Thornton, Danks, Floyd, Rios, etc. He's built a team that can evaluate talent. Neither Hendry nor his team has shown any propensity for finding these "diamonds". I don't see any reason for them to be able to do it now.

Bully Hendry would have signed Harper for 2.5 Billion over 30 years

right...every signing or trade of Hendry's has been to send some kind of message of shock value...like he's trying to showboat "hey this is who I signed'

fuck him

Some people are stars and some work backstage.

There's going to be a bunch of smaller articles with players the Cubs will be interested in. Just wanted one place to organize the discussions:


According to the Chicago Sun-Times, Cubs general manager Jim Hendry is focusing "on the likes" of free agent first baseman Nick Johnson this winter.
In other words, don't look for a big splash like Adam Dunn, or even the return of Derrek Lee. Johnson, 32, was limited to just 72 at-bats with the Yankees this season and underwent two surgeries on his right wrist. According to the report, there are indications that the Cubs could be interested if Johnson's medicals look good enough. He's a pretty big gamble, even with a low guarantee. Johnson might fit best as a DH in the American League at this point.



According to the Chicago Sun-Times, Cubs general manager Jim Hendry is "keeping an eye on" Kerry Wood for his bullpen.
Bruce Levine of ESPNChicago.com reported similar information last week, though Hendry has refused to comment for now. "Everyone knows I have a wonderful relationship with Kerry, and that will be a life-lasting one,'' said Hendry. "But to get into specifics now ... would be foolish." Wood, 33, would be welcomed with open arms in Chicago, but he would have to take a back seat to Carlos Marmol as closer. He thrived in a set-up role with the Yankees down the stretch, but it's not known if he still has a preference to close.



Nick Johnson is a hell of a risk. Dude can't stay healthy. I feel like we are going to crazy overpay for him. Adam Dunn please. If the Cubs are looking into only a one year filler before the Adrian Gonzalez derby, I much rather look at a Carlos Pena or Lance Berkman.


Kerry would be a nice story. I wouldn't be completely against signing him as long as the contract was a 1 year deal with a team option for the 2nd at 1.5 or so per year max. Anything else is a huge overpayment.

I would still put my money on first base going to Casey Kotchman. I would also look for a few rule 5 draft additions. Someone will get traded out of the outfield to make room for Brett Jackson. Honesty, I like everything about Marlon Byrd but I think he should go because he is valuable an will bring a decent return. I would also look for the cubs to take a no risk chance on former can miss Angel prospect Brandon Wood as he is out of options and they are out of patience. If somehow the cubs can offer something to the Rays for current backup 2b sean rodriguez then I can see some great things happen both in the infield and at the plate for the cubs middle infielders.

We shall see if any of these things happen. The only things I have seen written so far were the rumors posted above. I can see Woody coming back but Nick Johnson and his bad body need not apply.

The only way I can see a Dunn bid is if they somehow dump Zambrano and Fukudome without eating the majority of the contracts. I don't think either, let alone both, is likely to occur. Even then, it would be a lateral move, as whether you like them or not, both players are still serviceable in their roles albeit vastly overpaid.

The only way I can see a Dunn bid is if they somehow dump Zambrano and Fukudome without eating the majority of the contracts. I don't think either, let alone both, is likely to occur. Even then, it would be a lateral move, as whether you like them or not, both players are still serviceable in their roles albeit vastly overpaid.

Some people are stars and some work backstage.

I was listening to Schuster on Saturday and he said that people like him who are "close to the team" (I take that with a grain of salt) hear that the payroll will be around $130M. With their current committments and arbitration signings, they will be around $125M, so his thing was that they couldn't make a significant free agent signing. He also said that they are seriously looking to move Fuke, but how much of that salary will they have to eat?

Per Levine:

Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts stated last week that the team’s payroll will remain flat. Knowing that, the Cubs' front office will be targeting the trade market as a way to improve on a disappointing 2010 season.

Like many teams, the North Siders have had their eye on San Diego first baseman Adrian Gonzalez, who can become a free agent after the 2011 season.

rpb is wrong. Phil McCracken is useful.

RPB is right. You suck.

In Gonzalez' case there is a limited appeal in acquiring his services, even only on a rental basis. He only makes about $6m this year and would undoubtedly be returning Type A compensation even if he should sign elsewhere. I think San Diego holds onto him for the offseason, unless there is an overwhelming offer, and there is always someone who might overpay at the deadline.

Some people are stars and some work backstage.

The first line of this article directly contradicts the second one. Way to go Levineline

As a Cubs fan, this thread is VERY depressing. The team is positioned so poorly its hard to stomache right now.

I was just thinking the same thing. Dunn, Adrian, etc are a pipe dream. Which is sad, considering IMO, Dunn at $40Mill is a bargain. He's been a perfect fit for the Cubs for a long time, and once he becomes available, it's not realistic the Cubs can even consider him. Sucks.

I'm all for rebuilding, I just hope they do it right.

Brady Snyder has refused his minor league assignment and become a free agent. Don't jump off a building whistler. This guy is a AAAA lifer and but what I find most interesting is that he was a former first round pick of the Indians. There was a block of 7 or 8 years where the Indians first round draft picks were all huge busts with nearly all reaching AAA at most. That is some bad drafting. 1995-2003 http://espn.go.com/mlb/draft/history/_/team/cle

Our hotel smelled like dead hooker vagina (before you ask I had gotten a detailed description from beardown)

Brady Snyder has refused his minor league assignment and become a free agent. Don't jump off a building whistler. This guy is a AAAA lifer and but what I find most interesting is that he was a former first round pick of the Indians. There was a block of 7 or 8 years where the Indians first round draft picks were all huge busts with nearly all reaching AAA at most. That is some bad drafting. 1995-2003 http://espn.go.com/mlb/draft/history/_/team/cle

Bully Hendry would have signed Harper for 2.5 Billion over 30 years

i didnt hear of him until this year...i thought he was a young prospect

u mean he's another old 28 yr old prospect? this sucks

Our hotel smelled like dead hooker vagina (before you ask I had gotten a detailed description from beardown)

The Cubs aren't going to win anything next season so it's a good time to take a couple chances and try to find some diamonds in the rough. Players who were once highly regarded but for whatever reason isn't working out with their current teams. Players like Alex Gordon, Chris Davis, Brandon Wood, Daric Barton, Joba Chamberlian, Andrew Miller, Homer Bailey and Kyle Kendrick. These are all players who are 'buy low' candidates but are still young enough to have HUGE upsides.

Hendry has to stop trying to upgrade the team by signing free agents and start doing some serious scouting to find talented players in other organizations who can help the team when they are ready to win.

Some people are stars and some work backstage.

Jon Garland fits that description too. I wouldn't touch Millwood with a 10 ft pole.

Jim Hendry the other day:

Cubs GM John Hendry told Gordon Wittenmyer of The Chicago Sun Times that he's not worried about making a splash this offseason, but that it's "really imperative that we have two or three really good moves."