[Indianplaya17]

Well, the Cubs dropped the season and series finally. 5-2.

Finish the season, 83-78 with one game not being made up.

It was a disappointing season. A lot of ups and downs, injuries, made decisions with management and so on and so forth.

What are your guys' thoughts and opinions.

Btw, this is the official offseason thread!

[Indianplaya17]

Hendry ready to get to work on 2010

CHICAGO -- Cubs general manager Jim Hendry called the 2009 season "disappointing" but not "disastrous," and will head into the offseason once again trying to figure out a way to improve the outfield's offensive production.

The Cubs fell short in their quest to three-peat in the National League Central and closed the regular season on Sunday against the Arizona Diamondbacks in second place. Chicago will finish with a winning record, but the only games they played in October were the final four of the regular season.

This offseason, the biggest transaction will be the sale of the team, which has taken more than 2 1/2 years to complete. Hendry said being in flux has not hampered his efforts.

"We don't make excuses," Hendry said on Sunday. "We had a high payroll for a couple years. The last eight, nine months [with the parent Tribune Co. in bankruptcy] have been a little different than the first couple years. ... We're just glad to have an end to it. [New owner] Tom Ricketts and his family seem like wonderful people. I know they have a tremendous desire to be the owners for a long time. That's all positive."

Hendry will meet with some of the top scouts the week of Oct. 12 in Arizona to start forming a game plan for the offseason. They won't get a final budget until the Ricketts family is confirmed as owners, which is expected later this month.

"We'll make the club better, that we feel confident about," Hendry said. "Who goes, who stays and who comes in obviously is yet to be determined."

The Cubs will finish far short of the 855 runs scored in 2008, which led the National League and ranked second in the Majors. Part of the problem was the dropoff in offense by outfielders Milton Bradley (.257, 12 homers, 40 RBIs entering Sunday) and Alfonso Soriano (.241, 20 homers, 55 RBIs going into Sunday's finale). Reed Johnson hit .255 in an injury-shortened year, Kosuke Fukudome was batting .259 with 11 homers and 54 RBIs as the Cubs faced off against the D-backs on Sunday.

Bradley is the wild card. Hendry suspended the outfielder for the final 15 games of the season, and the outfielder has two years remaining on his contract. Will he be back in 2010?

"You deal with the cards you have now," Hendry said. "Right now, he's still a member of the Cubs. It'll be a long process trying to get a roster we think is better, obviously, than what we did in the standings this year. Until people come or go, you have to play the cards you have now."

Hendry was expected to try to move Bradley, who is owed $21 million on his contract. Manager Lou Piniella has indicated he'd like another RBI producer as well as some speed. Hendry didn't tip his hand.

"We'll just see how it goes," Hendry said. "Maybe we make trades more than [sign] free agents. First and foremost, we're not here to be critical of our own guys, but we all know we have four, five guys who are used to having better years than they had. The main requirement would be for those guys to be themselves, and I think they'd be the first to admit that."

Beside the outfielders mentioned, catcher Geovany Soto (.220, 11 homers, 47 RBIs entering Sunday) experienced a terrible sophomore slump. Aramis Ramirez missed two months because of a shoulder injury, and will rank second on the Cubs in RBIs.

Then, there's Carlos Zambrano, who was 9-7 with a 3.77 ERA in 28 starts, and was on the disabled list twice.

"He'd be the first to tell you he didn't have the kind of year he wanted," Hendry said.

The rotation is fairly set. Returning are Zambrano, Ryan Dempster, Ted Lilly, Randy Wells and Tom Gorzelanny. Carlos Marmol has secured the closer's job. The team has four free agents to be in John Grabow, Rich Harden, Kevin Gregg and Reed Johnson, and Grabow's agent already has talked to the Cubs about staying in Chicago.

"Nobody likes coming in second," Hendry said, "but it's a disappointing year, it's not a disastrous year."

The expectations were a lot higher, especially after winning 97 games in 2008. The Cubs have won two division titles since Piniella was named manager for the '07 season, but have gone 0-6 in the postseason. Hendry felt he tried to address the team's needs by adding more balance with the switch-hitting Bradley. It didn't work.

"I think I did what people [and the media] would expect of me and the great Cubs fans we have [expect] -- I tried to find a solution to get us to the championship level," Hendry said of his moves prior to the '09 season. "Obviously, the things I thought would work better -- [that we'd] hit better than we would, we didn't. At the same time, the day I stop trying to go for the whole thing, I shouldn't be sitting here. In this case, it didn't work as planned."

And, after Sunday, Hendry will get to work on 2010.

[Indianplaya17]

Piniella: Sandberg would be "in mix"

CHICAGO -- Ryne Sandberg is expected to ride buses for at least another year before he has a chance to fulfill his ambition of succeeding Lou Piniella as manager of the Cubs.

Piniella, whose contract expires after the 2010 season, said managing in the Minor Leagues serves as helpful, but incomplete, preparation.

"One thing is, managing in the Minor Leagues gives you an insight into the game," Piniella said. "You don't really have six or seven coaches like you have up here. You've got to dwell in a lot of different areas, and at the same time, you get a chance to find out if you really like this or don't like it. But I'll tell you this: Handling young players at the Minor League level and handling players at the big league level, they're a little different."

Piniella started his managerial career with the Yankees in 1986 and said he had to learn as he went along. He had spent the previous two seasons as a coach with the team after retiring as a player in 1984.

Sandberg, a Hall of Fame second baseman who played 15 seasons with the Cubs, moved up from Class A Peoria to Double-A Tennessee this season. He led Tennessee to the Southern League finals, and general manager Jim Hendry said he expects Sandberg to be back there next season.

"I admire him for the way he's gone about his business," Hendry said. "Hard-working, good instructor who's done a very quality job with a team with a lot of good prospects that was the youngest team in the Southern League."

Sandberg, 50, has spoken about the importance of honing his craft in the Minors and working his way up, just as he did as a player. He said he felt more comfortable this year with two years of experience behind him.

Nothing is set in stone for 2011, especially with a new owner coming in, but Piniella acknowledged Sandberg likely will get consideration as the next Cubs skipper.

"Ryne had a Hall of Fame career here as a player," Piniella said. "I'm not the one who's going to be hiring the next manager here, but certainly, he'll be in the mix."

If he does take over, Sandberg not only will have to deal with a new group of players, but also with high expectations. For one thing, he is beloved by Cubs fans. For another, those fans have grown accustomed to winning during the tenures of Piniella and Dusty Baker.

"There are expectations here now," Piniella said. "And that's good. That's good for the organization."

[cubbiefan009]

I'm glad the off-season is finally here with our team...not a terrible season, but not what we were expecting.

[betroit02]

a 3rd straight winning season. we didn't make the playoffs but that has only happened 1 other time in the last 70 years.

[Indianplaya17]

I'll give my input and give my grade for this team a little later.

[wegotwood]

Considering all the major injuries that we had (and I think you include Soriano's bad year as a season long knee injury that effected his production) a lot of people would be surprised we still won 83 games. We fought hard and I like the fact that the team never gave up on the season. Players I want/expect to bring back:

Soto, Hill, Lee, Fox, Baker, Theriot, Blanco, Ramirez, Soriano, Fuld, Fukudome, Johnson.

Zambrano, Lilly, Dempster, Wells, Gorz/Samardzija, Marshall, Grabow, Berg/Caridad, Guzman, Marmol

Players that need to/probably will leave:

Fontenot, Hoffpauir, Miles, Bradley, Harden, Gregg

I think with Jake Fox there is no need for Micah Hoffpauir, and same for Jeff Baker and Mike Fontenot. Fox and Baker are just better than Hoffpauir and Fontenot, so I would expect those two to get traded for prospects. Miles hopefully will either be traded or just released. Bradley will probably be moved for another contract. Harden and Gregg will be gone. That leaves one position player (probably an infielder) and two guys for the bullpen maybe.

Players to look at for those spots (in order of preference):
Orlando Hudson, Mark DeRosa, Miguel Tejada, Placido Polanco
Chad Cordero, Chad Bradford, Brandon Lyon, Octavio Dotel

Prediction for 2010:
RF- Fukudome
SS- Theriot
1B- Lee
3B- Ramirez
CF- Rowand
LF- Soriano
2B- Hudson
C- Soto

Bench- Hill, Fox, Baker, Fuld, Johnson, Blanco
SP- Zambrano, Dempster, Lilly, Wells, Samardzija
Bullpen- Berg/Stevens/Gorz, Marshall, Grabow, Caridad, Bradford, Guzman, Marmol

I think they will only have enough money to sign one reliever and they will go with the steady Bradford (which is the right choice). Gorz will lose the starting spot to Samardzija in ST, and may lose his ML spot to Berg or Stevens. Caridad has impressive stuff and has shown as much in the majors this year, so I think he will get a spot next year. I think the Cubs will have a renewed interest in improving not only the offense but the defense. I'm gonna go out on a limb and say the Giants will bite at the thought that they could switch Bradley for Rowand and dump Rowand's contract. Rowand may thrive in a hitters park like Wrigley and could return to his old .280, 25 HR form from before. Lastly, I think Hudson is a perfect fit for 2B. This vastly improves the defense and gives us 3 potential Gold Glove players (Lee, Hudson, Rowand) and a few others that are VERY SOLID at their spot on defense (Soto, Fukudome in RF, Ramirez). Theriot is solid but unspectacular at short, and we all know Soriano is wearing oven mits in left.

**I know I listed 14 position players. I figure you factor in one injury at least to open the season. At any rate, I just don't see anyone of the position players that you can start the season without.

If all these are the moves made, I would feel pretty good about a solid offseason and if healthy I think this team could be back in the 90 win territory. Thoughts?

[cubbiefan009]

Your Rowand idea is very interesting, but I don't see that happening. I'd do it though.

[cubbiefan009]

Bradley could stay with Cubs?

Milton Bradley could be back with the Cubs in 2010, reports Carrie Muskat of MLB.com. In a session with reporters in which he characterized this season as "disappointing", GM Jim Hendry left open the possibility of the troubled outfielder staying put this winter:

"You deal with the cards you have now," Hendry said. "Right now, he's still a member of the Cubs...Until people come or go, you have to play the cards you have now."


Recently, it has been reported that the Padres could reunite with the 31-year-old. The Royals and Rangers, on the other hand, are not interested in dealing for Bradley. In a radio interview, Lou Piniella hinted that Bradley would don another uniform next season.

Bradley is owed $21M over the next two years and the Cubs would likely have to swallow a portion of his contract in a trade. Does it make more sense for the Cubs to try and iron things out with the right fielder who is only one year removed from back-to-back ~1.000 OPS seasons, or is he simply not worth the trouble? Let's hear your thoughts in the comments section.

[tripxcore]

If we are going to swap Bradley's bad contract for the bad contract of someone else and the players we have heard mentioned being Pat Burrell or Aaron Rowand then I would have to take Rowand simply for the fact that he would fulfill our need of a true centerfielder and do so at a Gold Glove-caliber level. Burrell would hit for more power but we don't have a position for him and he is a defensive liability in the OF. We have enough defensive liability in the OF with Soriano. Rowand is a decent hitter and moving from the Giants park, where HR's go to die, to Wrigley, would greatly improve his power.

[Cubsfan4life11]

That mother fucker better not be playing at Wrigley unless its for another team. Here i think the problem is going away and now it aint WTF? You wanna win or not Ricketts?

[cubbiefan009]

LOL, nice spouse!




Anyways, I'd be surprised if he came back...very.

[The Stache]

My bold prediction, Milton Bradley will be a Cub come spring training 2010.

[Indianplaya17]

Alright guys, im thinkin about starting up my column again...remember it? LOL. And i'll start by doing the Report Card for the 2009 season

CUBS 2009 REPORT CARD brought to you by: IndianPlaya17


Offense: C-. This offense was very inconsistent. How do you explain going from the 2nd most runs in the MLB (855) a year before to somewhere near the middle or bottom this year. Besides Derrek Lee i didn't see anything spectacular. Bradley was a bust; Soto started off very slow; Fontenot was a disappointment; Theriot had a sub-par season; Miles....i don't know what the Cubs were thinking! Fukudome had a better season than last year, but definitely not worth 4 years-40 million. Reed Johnson, Aramis Ramirez went down for a large portion of the season. And of course, Soriano has to have had possibly the worst season of his career.

Starting Pitching: A. The Starting pitching held together. They were the brightest spot on this team in '09. Even when some starters went down guys like Randy Wells, Kevin Hart, etc. stepped in. If it wasn't for the lack of run support some of these guys would have better records. Lilly was the most valuable starter on the Cubs this year and probably in the MLB. Since '07 he's been the best lefty starter in the MLB in a few categories. The biggest help came from Randy Wells who, earlier in the season, was in discussion for Rookie of the Year and Dempster, even with personal issues, went out there every 5 days and did what he had to. Harden at times looked filthy good and at a moments looked god awful but he was solid enough. And yes, finally Zambrano....well, we all know what we get from him.

Bullpen: C. Very erratic at times. Marmol was a K machine yet again but the BB's were way to high. Guzman was very solid and probably the biggest surprise. The addition of Grabow helped quite a bit. Marshall was what we thought he'd be. Heilman after a rough start settled in very nicely. The biggest BUST was Kevin Gregg. I mean this guy couldn't have done worse than any of us here. Too many blow saves at key moments. The turning point with this guy was in Florida where he blew back-to-back games. Some young guys that came up this year, seem to have tons of potential for the future...such as: Caridad, Stevens, Berg and maybe Patton.

Coaching: B. Coaching wasn't as bad as we thought. Lou Piniella did some good things and did some bad things; not bad enough to outweigh the good. However, the manager doesn't go out there and play the game...the players do. The hitting coach situation maybe be a problem in the long run, but again, it comes down to the players. Mostly veterans, they need to execute. Simple as that.

Management: D. Jim Hendry made some moves that raised eye brows around here. Getting rid of DeRosa and Wood to start. Then adding Miles and Gregg? To top it off, bringing the problematic Milton Bradley for a 3 year, 30 million dollar contract. You could have gotten Raul Ibanez for that same contract; who out performed Bradley by a long shot. We all know the ownership hindered the budget this year but money management was poor on Hendry's behalf. He could have allocated it much more wisely. As some of us say here around here, it was an "EPIC FAIL" But, we'll see if the Ricketts family allows Hendry the opportunity to redeem himself this year.

Overall: C. Overall i say this team needs to clean up a bit on their roster. They're overloaded with bad contracts but they are still contenders for next year, but as i said some things need to be done this offseason. Not only that but the PLAYERS NEED to EXECUTE in '10. They wayyyy underperformed in 2009 and hopefully get a fresh start and have another remarkable season in 2010. So until April....we wait and see what management does. So Cubs fans, we again utter the words "Wait 'til next year"

[The Stache]

Nick Friedell's grades for the 2009 Cubs
Source: ESPN Chicago

General Manager (F) - The Cubs finished the season with a winning record, but it doesn't matter. Jim Hendry dismantled a two-time division winner and wrecked the team's chemistry in the process. Pretty much every move he made in the offseason failed (Aaron Miles, Aaron Heilman, Kevin Gregg, trading Mark DeRosa, trading Jason Marquis, signing Joey Gathright, trading for Ryan Freel -- just to name a few). What made Hendry's season worse was that the long-term deals he made in years past came back to haunt him even more. There's really no other grade you can give him this season.

Manager (C) - The Cubs never quit on Lou Piniella, but they were inconsistent all year. They didn't always appear to be completely focused on the game, as evidenced by the mental gaffes that plagued the team all season. There's no doubt that the veteran manager still wants to win, but this season certainly took its toll on the 66-year-old baseball lifer. He looked totally worn out after most games and continually stated that he "didn't know" what else he could do to fix the problems of his underachieving club. Why did he continue to leave Alfonso Soriano in the leadoff spot, and for that matter the lineup, when he struggled so badly? (Yes, I know it was the money, but did he really give the Cubs the best chance to win?) Why did he stick with Kevin Gregg when it was clear that the right-hander simply couldn't get the job done as closer? These are all questions that will haunt Piniella throughout the winter.

Starting Pitchers (C) - Aside from Ted Lilly and Randy Wells, the Cubs' starters pitched just like the team played: Inconsistently. Carlos Zambrano, Ryan Dempster and Rich Harden would have great games and then would usually follow them up with a mediocre ones.

Bullpen (C-) - Kevin Gregg -- 4.72 ERA -- did not pitch very well. Same goes for Aaron Heilman, who pitched OK at times, but never provided the stabilizing force the team needed in the bullpen. Carlos Marmol also pitched well at times, and seemed to flourish once he was finally named the closer in August, but he certainly didn't look like the pitcher he became in 2008. The only bright spots in the 'pen came from Sean Marshall and Angel Guzman, but Marshall struggled down the stretch and Guzman has yet to prove he can stay healthy for an entire year. John Grabow was supposed to become a difference-maker for the team when he was acquired at the deadline, but he only appeared in 30 games and wasn't exactly "lights-out" at the end.

Catcher (D) - Geovany Soto followed up his rookie-of-the-year campaign in 2008 by hitting just .218 with 11 home runs in '09. The pudgy catcher, who tested positive for marijuana during the World Baseball Classic, never got on track during the year and is now one of the team's biggest question marks. Koyie Hill proved again that he is a solid backup -- but he just can't hit consistently enough to stay in the lineup for an entire year.

First Base (A) - Derrek Lee had one of his best seasons in years, pounding out 35 home runs and piling up 111 RBIs. He finally seems to have recovered from the wrist injury he suffered two years ago. Micah Hoffpauir is a serviceable backup who provided a big bat off the bench.

Second Base (D) - Aside from the Milton Bradley signing, Hendry's biggest mistake was trading away Mark DeRosa and believing that a combination of Mike Fontenot and Aaron Miles would work. Miles was absolutely awful and Fontenot wasn't much better -- proving that he can't handle being a full-time major league second baseman.

Shortstop (B) - Ryan Theriot had a solid season, hitting .284, but after his power barrage at the beginning of the year, you didn't seem to hear his name as much in the second half. His range at shortstop leaves a lot to be desired.

Third Base (B-) - When he was in the lineup, Aramis Ramirez was great. The veteran hit .317 with 15 home runs and 65 RBIs. The only problem is that he only played half of the season, due to a shoulder injury he suffered in May. Jake Fox also played well at the hot corner, but the coaching staff never seemed to trust his defense much at all.

Left Field (D) - Alfonso Soriano seems like a nice guy and a solid team leader, but that only counts for so much when you're being paid almost $20 million a year to be the team's star. Aside from a hot streak at the beginning of the year, the happy-go-lucky outfielder was dreadful. He struck out way too much and was atrocious defensively in the outfield. He knee bothered him throughout the year, which has to explain some of his struggles. Jake Fox played well in left at times, but again, the coaching staff seemed too afraid to put him out there because he wasn't great defensively and they wanted to give Soriano every chance to succeed because of his astronomical contract.

Right Field (D) - Bradley was supposed to help put the Cubs over the top, by providing the left-handed power bat that Hendry felt they desperately needed. Instead, he never really produced and was suspended at the end of the year for conduct detrimental to the team. He never really fit in with his teammates and seemed miserable during his time at Wrigley. Micah Hoffpauir got some time out there but never really produced.

Center Field (C) - Kosuke Fukudome performed better this year, but not like the team envisioned he would. On the bright side, at least he didn't completely fade down the stretch as he did last year. He just proved that he's a mediocre MLB player. Reed Johnson played OK in a backup role, but he battled injuries throughout the year and couldn't seem to stay healthy. Rookie Sam Fuld played well during his short time in the lineup and is definitely the best defensive outfielder on the team, but the organization hasn't given much of an indication that it thinks he is an everyday player.

[milnertime]

If Aaron Rowand is on this team next season you might as well expect a continuation of 2009.


Rowand is probably an upgrade over Fukudome defensively, but offensively he's been God awful, especially considering his contract. 3.1 batting runs below replacement level this season for Rowand vs 6 runs above replacement for Fukudome.

Fukudome is actually producing right in line with his compensation level relative to league average. He was worth 2.5 wins this season according to WAR...almost a full win better than Rowand.

I personally would like to go after Mike Cameron. He's a plus plus defensive CF with a good bat, especially for the position. He's 36, so that's sort of a risk, but he'd likely sign for ~ 10MM/year for a few years.

If the Cubs can pry BJ Upton away from the Rays, I'd be ecstatic about that. I'd even be willing to give up a top young spec for him, as well. Upton is still extremely young and has issues with management in TB. It could be a fit.

[tripxcore]

That mother fucker better not be playing at Wrigley unless its for another team. Here i think the problem is going away and now it aint WTF? You wanna win or not Ricketts?

Bradley will not be back. The only reason Piniella is staying is because we are getting rid of Bradley. If Bradley stays then Piniella quits.

[Indianplaya17]

CHICAGO -- Major League Baseball owners on Tuesday unanimously approved the sale of the Chicago Cubs from the bankrupt Tribune Co. to the family of online brokerage billionaire and longtime fan Joe Ricketts.

The vote was made during a conference call. Tom Ricketts, who has headed the sale for his family, could take day-to-day control of the Cubs by the end of the month.

Commissioner Bud Selig says the Ricketts family will be "great owners and custodians" of the storied franchise perhaps best known for a World Series championship drought that now stands at 101 years. "We're extremely pleased that the sales process is drawing to a close," Selig added.

Chicago-based Tribune, which owns the Chicago Tribune, Los Angeles Times, other newspapers and TV properties, bought the Cubs in 1981 from candy maker Wm. Wrigley Jr. Co. for $20.5 million.

The Rickettses, whose wealth comes primarily from its stake in Omaha, Neb.-based TD Ameritrade Holding Corp., signed an agreement to buy a 95 percent stake in the team and in Wrigley Field, the second-oldest ballpark in the majors.

The $845 million deal also includes Tribune's approximately 25 percent share of regional cable TV network Comcast SportsNet Chicago.

"The Ricketts family is honored to have received the approval of Major League Baseball owners today. This is a major step forward, but the transaction is not yet complete," the family said in a statement.

A bankruptcy court still has to give final approval to the deal. And then a final financial closing must take place, though it is expected to be completed by the end of this month.

"We're pleased that Major League Baseball has approved the Cubs transaction and we look forward to concluding the transaction in the fourth quarter," Tribune Co. spokesman Gary Weitman said.

Tribune announced on Opening Day in 2007 that the marquee franchise and ballpark would be sold at the end of the season. But the process was slowed by CEO Sam Zell's efforts to maximize sale profits, the collapse of the credit markets and Tribune's 2008 bankruptcy filing.

The Ricketts family, tentatively selected as the winning bidder last January, had agreed to pay about $900 million for the package. The price was renegotiated to $845 million, with Tribune retaining a small stake for tax purposes.

The sale figure exceeds the record $660 million paid for the Boston Red Sox, its ballpark and its TV network in 2002.

After back-to-back division championships, the Cubs didn't make the playoffs this season, despite a payroll of $135 million.

http://sports.espn.go.com/chicago/mlb/n ... id=4537317

[cubbiefan009]

Both writers agree that unloading right fielder Milton Bradley (owed $21MM) is at the top of GM Jim Hendry's to-do list. Wittenmyer's sources suggest the Cubs might be able to move Bradley without eating 80% of his contract. Sullivan believes the Cubs could kill two birds with one stone by trading Bradley for their desired "RBI guy," one who carries an equally poor contract. Magglio Ordonez and Jose Guillen come to mind for me. However, the Tigers would have no motivation to make the swap and the Royals are not interested (it's a poor match on money and handedness anyway).

Sullivan says lefty reliever John Grabow wants a three-year deal, and the Cubs "are likely to give it to him." That'd be overpaying, based on last year's market for lefty relievers.

Sullivan believes Jake Fox and Mike Fontenot are trade candidates. Fox might be a good fit with an American League club.

Will the Cubs opt for a cheap backup outfielder in Sam Fuld, or will they re-sign Reed Johnson?

Neither writer expects the Cubs to trade Carlos Zambrano.

[tripxcore]

Cubs' Milton Bradley to Tampa Bay?

Sources say the Cubs have been pushing the Tampa Bay Rays for a quick deal. The Rays were one of Milton Bradley's top suitors last winter until the Cubs let the world know they had a three-year, $30 million offer on the table. The Rays loved Bradley's on-base magic and manager Joe Maddon is so self-assured -- to a fault -- he believed he could handle Bradley's unique personality as deftly as Texas Rangers manager Ron Washington did in 2008. The Rays emerged as potential trade partners because they are looking to shed their own deal gone bad. After losing out on Bradley last winter, the Rays signed outfielder Pat Burrell to a two-year, $16 million contract. -- Chicago Sun-Times