2 central division titles, no playoff wins, what do they do? A few things I know for sure.

1. Theriot is a 2nd baseman

2. Howry and Lee cannot be back in cub uniforms next year.

3. Wood or Marmol, time to let kerry go.

4. They need to go out and get a real leadoff hitter (Brian Roberts)

5. Jeff S. should be the 5th starter next year.

6. A-Ram needs should be the 3rd batter next year

7. They need to find a CF'er

8. Re-Sign Reed Johnson


Here is something the cubs need to do, next year after home wins, dont play go cubs go, save that for the playoffs, if they make the playoffs. Regualr season wins mean nothing to me. The one good thing, the team will have a new owner shortly, I just hope they are not pudwhacks.

1. Yes

2. Howry, bad. Lee, not sure. I don't think he needs to go

3. No. Keep both.

(4) (7) Same answer. CF becomes your leadoff hitter. Send Pie and a couple more prospects for a real CF and leadoff hitter. I wish I could be more specific, but I have not done my research yet.

5. Interesting, and Marshall has been good as well.

6. Yes

8. Yes

The Cubs new owner will be a "pudwach." Hopefully, they are a pudwach that thinks the Cubs winning the World Series will be the best thing for business. Man I cannot believe we are in this spot. I feel like Christopher from Sopranos sitting in the hospital after his intervention screaming to Tony "How did it get to this!"

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I'm not sure what people think a new owner will do? The team is spending a ton of money on salaries right now, and it's only going up. Some of it may be bad money (Fukedome has 30-40 million left?), but it's big money.

I'm one of the dumbasses that roots for both teams, although much more for the Sox. If the Sox lose today, this summer could go down as the biggest tease in history. 6 months of watching first place teams and no playoff wins.

The Farm System.

Over the past two years, we have seen a real talent evaluation, from down on the farm straight up to general management. They cleaned out a lot of the crap in that Harden deal. Also, over the past two years, they have had real, serviceable major league position players (pitching has not really been a problem over the past six years) come up and produce during the season. This includes Soto, who I think was tired out and injured down the stretch but still has a chance for ROY. This includes Theriot, who has a good location for his slap hits and likely deserves to play second all year. This includes Fontenot, who has showed through on a number of occasions with big hits, and is another decent slap hitter.

This trend needs to continue. Hoffpauir may be a good candidate. You guys may have a better grasp of who is down there, so suggest away. But thats what I see as a key to next year.

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Vann, dude, I can't believe you're bringing up Brian Roberts yet again. Let's not bring him up ever again, please.

You do make good points. I would also add that they should consider bringing back Jim Edmonds and giving Fukudome another year and see how he works out. They could get rid of Ward, replacing him with Houfpair (sp?), and have Pie start in CF, if they don't do the preferrable thing and get a starting CF.

They need to do some major work on upgrading the bullpen and getting another starter. What they need is a top shelf starter, not a "third or fourth" starter. Z could be the #2, Dempster #3, Harden and Lilly could be #4 and #5. In the bullpen only Smardzja (sp?) Wood and Marmol I would keep around. Cotts gotts to go, Howry can go.

Hoffy,

Absolutely agree that the farm system is finally getting better. The adddition of Tim Wilken hasn't even been seen on the field yet. Just my opinion. Keep in mind, Fontenot was originally an Orioles farm hand. The only good thing that came out of the Soriano, oh wait, I mean Sosa, trade. F you Soriano. F YOU.

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What I meant is a brian roberts type, a true leadoff guy with speed and the ability to steal a base. Soriano speed isnt as good as I thought it was going to be, so soriano needs to get use to batting 4th.

Certainly meed more lefties hitting.

Pinella will not move Soriano out of leadoff spot. Ill put money on that.

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If he doesn't he should be shitcanned. Soriano is not a leadoff hitter and I think all Cub Nation knows that.
If Lou is being stubborn just to show he's the man, that is crappy leadership and should not be tolerated.

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RFDC thinks I'm retarded.

the lead off position will continue to be an issue as long as soriano is sitting there; I had been saying it since the regular season, that he's going to cost them being there, and he proves it time and time again in the post season.

they won't win shit with soriano being in the lead off spot.

I thought it was generally accepted that Lou and Soriano made an agreement that he would be the lead-off guy...

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Soriano has to be leadoff because thats where he sees the most fastballs. He does not know how to lay off stuff that breaks on him, thus he is an easy out when he is lower in the lineup. The biggest problem with soriano is an Athlete who happens to be good at hitting baseballs. He is not a baseball player.

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With all this talk of Theriot playing second base, what do you do w/ DeRosa? The guy had a hell of a season.

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That is a tough one. I dont have an answer. I dont want him out in right all year.

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I said this in another post, Adam Dunn or Mark Texiera should be on top of their list. Love him or hate him, it would be best for Lee to be traded, because he is going to be the main target if things dont go well out of the gate and for sure, Lee is a stats padding guy, he gets most of rbi's when the game is already decided. They also will need to find a CF'er, Pie isnt the answer, Edmonds I doubt will be back and at 40, its just not a smart move to expect him to bring him back. Mike Cameron is a free agent, now he isnt going to hit 300, but will hit 25 homers, play a good CF, I would target him also.

The starting pitching, Zambrano and Harden for sure, I think Hendry will sign Dempster and Jeff S. more then likely has a spot. So the cubs can either fill that 5th spot within or go after a free agent like Lowe or Lackey, I would prefer that.

The middle relief is so bad, I wouldnt even know where to start, but thats such a year to year thing, just roll the dice I guess.

I think they need to sign Wood because they dont have a setup guy with him, because marmol would have to be the closer if wood left.

Bench is solid, with what they have now and some of the young kids, I dont think they need to do much there.



Well Theriot has shown the last two years he starts to fade after about 120 games, his range at shot is not good. Yes I realize he hit 300, but in sept and the playoffs, he was nowhere to be found. Derosa in right does scare me, I agree.

Soriano needs to be moved out of the leadoff spot. They need to find a real leadoff hitter who can bunt to get on and steal a base, this team has no speed to produce a run. Need to find a spot for Michael H. to play, most likely Right Field. Fukudome has to go to the bench, maybe moved to Center and bat 8th, or go back to Japan. The bullpen needs to be blown up. Besides Marmol and Wood, they all suck. Need to find 2 lefties for the 'pen, Marshall is a starter, not a reliever. For a 2 time division champion, this team has alot of questions. You can't bring back this team, and tell fans to expect a championship, when you have been swept 2 straight years, and have scored 12 fucking runs in 6 games.

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Fuck Edwards and Zobrist

Fixed.

Get rid of Kerry Wood, really? He was pretty solid this year was he not?

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You could probably get rid of Lee in a trade, but I can't see Texeria signing here. He will want a lot of money and I think the Angels will shore him up. Losing Lee also drops your defense at that position.

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Fire Jim Hendry.

If you signed Texeria, your defense doesn't drop off much at all. Plus, we are talking about a guy who made a huge error in game 2, so who cares.

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Fuck Edwards and Zobrist

Maybe they'll take him straight up for A-Rod.

Dempster is a Free Agent, as is Kerry Wood. Do you think the new ownership is willing to pony up 25M a year for the pair? With his season, Dempster has thrust himself into the 12-15M a year and a 40 save closer isn't a cheap commodity, pricing Kerry around 10M a year after giving the Cubs a hometown discount this year.

Also salaries will increase for some key players. Here are some examples:

Z 15-> 17.75 M
ARam: 14->15.65M
Soriano 13-> 16M
Lilly: 8 -> 12M
Fuku: 6->11.5M
Marquis 6.375 -> 9.875M
DeRosa: 4.75 -> 5.5 M
Harden: 4.5 -> 7M (club option)

You also have arbitration or make new deals with the following guys: Theriot, Cedeno, Marmol, Hill, Fontenot, Pie, Soto, Marshall, etc.

Just on the basis of the top guys, the salary will bump up at least 24 Million for next year without the deals for Dempster or Wood.

They have so many contracts that are backloaded AND have no trade clauses. They are gonna be fucked for years to come with payroll issues.

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I half agree with you. Alot depends on the new ownership. If they get someone like Cuban who is willing to outspend other teams, then the backload doesn't matter as much. Get a true businessman and it's back to the early 80's and dumping players for youth and 70-92 baseball on the northside.

Lee was one of the few Cubs who SHOWED UP for the playoffs. You don't get rid of him. Ramierez is the one that didn't show up for the second year in a row. Make a play for C.C. obviously, move Fukudome to center and bring in a japenese hitting instructor for the offseason, move DeRosa to right permanently, get BRIAN ROBERTS, yes you need him and don't even consider bringing Edmonds back. As far as Soriano goes, if you have the 1-4 hitters getting on, then Soriano WILL see fastballs and nothing but them. Reed Johnson is a fourth outfielder, period. Use Micah as trade bait...his value will never be higher. If they do even 3/4 of these moves, they'll be in the WS next year. Oh, and re-sign Dempster.

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Ба́бушка гада́ла, да на́двое сказа́ла—то ли до́ждик, то ли снег, то ли бу́дет, то ли нет.

The kind of owner that will spend the money to buy the Cubs is not going to be concerned about turning a profit the first two years.

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Ба́бушка гада́ла, да на́двое сказа́ла—то ли до́ждик, то ли снег, то ли бу́дет, то ли нет.

You can't say that for sure. Thats probably going to be the case, but not for sure.

Even so, as guys get older and presumably play worse, they will still be making a boatload of money.

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There are no guarantees. A group buying the Cubs might be looking to make money off those 3M fans that come in the park every year and not necessarily give a rats ass about winning baseball. Plus if they don't get the park in the deal and have to rent it out, they are really going to be looking at the bottom line.