03 « January « 2009 « The Diamond Cutter

GM for a Day: Chicago Cubs Edition

January 3, 2009

Wrigley Field needs to see a World Series and I think I know how (wallyg/Flickr).

In a new series entitled “GM for a Day” here on “The Diamond Cutter” I will take a look at what I would do if I could take over one of the major league clubs for a day and what moves I would make to get them on track. To start off I figured we’d attack a club who is not only high profile but also has been at the forefront of a lot of rumors this off season. The Chicago Cubs have a very strong team heading into 2009 but still have some major holes that need filling. This is my chance to give some free advice to Jim Hendry in hopes he can steer them in the right direction.

The Cubs have a very deep and talented roster heading into the upcoming season. But as strong as they are, they do have some very blatant holes that have plagued them for years. While many clubs have a lot of issues that need to be addressed, the Cubs really only have two main ones that I would fix. Here’s a look at the two that will really help out heading into ‘09:

Roberts is one of the best lead off hitters in baseball (Keith Allison/Flickr).

1.) Close the deal they couldn’t make happen last season and bring Brian Roberts to Chicago.

Can you imagine if this club actually had a legitimate lead off hitter like Brian Roberts? I swear if I see Alfonso Soriano and his career .329 OBP and over 20% K% in the lead off spot again I will request to have Sweet Lou’s managerial card taken away. As good of a ballplayer as Soriano is, he’s not a lead off guy. Never has been, never will be and the Cubs have been hurting for a legitimate one for years.

That’s why having a catalyst like Brian Roberts at the top of your order is so important. Roberts not only averaged an OBP of .378 over the past two seasons, he has also averaged 45 stolen bases over that span. Now that’s a lead off guy. Here’s a look at Roberts stats over the past four seasons:

+------+-----+----------+-----+-----------+----+-----+-----+----+
| YEAR | AGE | TEAM     | AB  |  AVG/OBP  | HR | RBI |  R  | SB |
+------+-----+----------+-----+-----------+----+-----+-----+----+
| 2005 |  27 | Orioles  | 561 | .314/.387 | 18 |  73 |  92 | 27 |
| 2006 |  28 | Orioles  | 563 | .286/.347 | 10 |  55 |  85 | 36 |
| 2007 |  29 | Orioles  | 621 | .290/.377 | 12 |  57 | 103 | 50 |
| 2008 |  30 | Orioles  | 611 | .296/.378 |  9 |  57 | 107 | 40 |
+------+-----+----------+-----+-----------+----+-----+-----+----+

In fact the Cubs need to pull the trigger on this one ASAP with reports that the Chicago White Sox are interested in acquiring Roberts for the sum of right handed pitcher Gavin Floyd. If this is all it would take to acquire Roberts, the Cubs should have no problem getting him. I’d offer up a Rich Hill or two of the three mediocre prospects they just received from the Indians in the Mark DeRosa ripoff. Whatever it may be, the Cubs need to acquire Roberts to energize the top of the Cubs order.

2.) Don’t sign the fragile Milton Bradley, instead offer up a 3-year contract to Bobby Abreu.

Any National League team that signs Milton Bradley is making a huge mistake. Bradley has averaged only 89.5 games per season over the last four years with only once (2008) playing over 100. If you don’t have a DH spot in your lineup you are just asking for trouble.

But Bobby Abreu on the other hand is just the type of player the Cubs need to slip into their lineup. Not only is he a legitimate number three hitter, but he will help fill the void that Kosuke Fukudome was supposed to fill. Here’s a look at Abreu’s stats over the past four seasons:

+------+-----+----------+-----+-----------+----+-----+-----+----+
| YEAR | AGE | TEAM     | AB  |  AVG/OBP  | HR | RBI |  R  | SB |
+------+-----+----------+-----+-----------+----+-----+-----+----+
| 2005 |  31 | Phillies | 588 | .286/.405 | 24 | 102 | 104 | 31 |
| 2006 |  32 | PHI/NYY  | 548 | .297/.424 | 15 | 107 |  98 | 30 |
| 2007 |  33 | Yankees  | 605 | .283/.369 | 16 | 101 | 123 | 25 |
| 2008 |  34 | Yankees  | 609 | .296/.371 | 20 | 100 | 100 | 22 |
+------+-----+----------+-----+-----------+----+-----+-----+----+

Sure his numbers have gradually declined over the past few seasons, but that is to be expected from someone in his mid-30’s. However he is still proving to have enough left in the tank to offer him a contract and is the type of leader the Cubs could use.

Abreu would help solidify the Cubs' lineup (Keith Allison/Flickr).

Looking at these two moves, here is what your lineup would now look like:

1.) Brian Roberts, 2B
2.) Ryan Theriot, SS
3.) Bobby Abreu, RF
4.) Aramis Ramirez, 3B
5.) Derrek Lee, 1B
6.) Alfonso Soriano, LF
7.) Geovany Soto, C
8.) Reed Johnson/Kosuke Fukodome, CF
9.) Pitcher

Now that is a lineup I would much rather go into battle with than the one they could alternatively trot out there. It is very balanced with good on base and speed guys at the top, good run producers and power in the middle and it finishes off strong which not too many NL teams can say.

I know a lot of people think that bringing Jake Peavy to the Cubs is critical. While this would definitely be a nice addition, I believe the Cubs rotation, if healthy, is one of the best in the game already. Adding Roberts to the team is a much bigger addition than Peavy is because the Cubs need a legitimate lead off hitter more than they need another ace.

Now its your turn to voice what you would do or if you agree or disagree with my assessment of the Cubs.