Blow Up the Cubs

I’ve heard this from lots of people, but what you’re hoping for won’t happen, nor should it happen. When your franchise hasn’t won a world series in 100 years and your team is in good shape to make the playoffs, you don’t blow the team up. Add in that it’s nearly impossible to trade Lee, Soriano, or Bradley.

And I’m far from an optimist. Just look at the rest of the division and the gigantic difference in talent, there’s still no reason they shouldn’t win the division. Will they get destroyed in the playoffs? Probably. I’m not expecting to see another Cubs playoff win in my lifetime. It won’t be because they’re built worse than any of those teams though.

Or they could have been intelligent in their offseason moves, like I suggested: http://www.toptenchicagosports.com/2008/10/top-ten-cubs-off-season-stepsmoves.html

To be honest, you should never blow up a team with the amount of money the Cubs make each year. They should be in the 120-150MM payroll scale each year, which should put at least a winning ballclub on the field every year.

The problem lies in Hendry’s spending of that money. He is by FAR one of the best trading GM’s in MLB, however his free agent record is abysmal. Plus, he has trouble trading AWAY or EVALUATING veteran talent when it makes sense (ie it was rumored that SF was offering a young sick arm for Lee/trading away a guy who could play 5-6 positions that has some power, DeRosa).

For any team to be successful, you need a solid core of hitters. Lee is getting old and since his wrist injury he no longer enters the zone properly. Bradley is NOT a core type guy. He is another nice bat in the order that makes an already good team better. As opposed to a guy like Adam Dunn who will hit 40 hrs and have an OBP of .380 every year, is young and does not get hurt. Trusting a guy like Hoffpauir to replace Lee and trading Lee when he had at least some trade value would have been the right way to go. This offseason really pissed me off, if you haven’t noticed. This is all crap I already wrote about in October.

But to be fair, you could not predict Geo having such a shitty start or Bradley for that matter. Still I see that signing as next to retarded.

What I am trying to say, is there are ways to make this team good again in a year or two as so much money is tied up. The Cubs still have a chance to make the playoffs because the central is weak. that should be true for at least another year too. Here’s to a weak division!!!

Well of course I know none of that is going to happen.

But again, I don’t think they are “in good shape” to make the playoffs and I also don’t think the Cubs have a “huge difference” in talent either. It’s not last year anymore.

They don’t score enough and their bullpen sucks. They are a decent team, until proven otherwise.

I hope I’m wrong and they get hotter than a grease fire soon and very soon.

This is why you befuddle me at times. You respond to two different people by saying “of course I know none of that is going to happen”. HUH??? Dude, if you knew the Cubs weren’t going to trade Lee and Soriano etc., then why in the world did you write about it in your blog?
You can be quite confusing at times, Zoner.

i didnt see dubs comment when i replied to clapp.

i write about a lot of things i want but i know aren’t likely to happen. It was just a Cubs fan venting.

another stellar game tonihgt!

Okay, but it would help if you put a disclaimer in when you feel that way. Just sayin’.

Hey, when are we golfing this summer?

You tell me! I’m ready.

You know Hendry will add reinforcements by the deadline.

Not this year. No money left.

Dubs, Adam Dunn does not make this team any better.