Speedy center-fielder (and car-jumper, as seen on YouTube) Joey Gathright, formerly of Lou Piniella's Devil Rays, has rejoined his former manager in a one-year, $800K deal. Gathright essentially offers what the Cubs need out of Felix Pie's roster spot in 2009.
The Cubs are still shopping for left-handed pop for the outfield, and with Pie out of options they'll lose him unless he stays on the roster all season with veterans Alfonso Soriano, Kosuke Fukudome, Reed Johnson, Mark DeRosa, Gathright and Outfield Candidate 6 ahead of him in line for playing time.
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Friday, December 05, 2008
Maddux to call it a career
The word is out that Greg Maddux will announce his retirement Monday at the Winter Meetings.
I hate to see him go, it would have been nice to see him climb into the top five in wins, but admittedly since his return to the Cubs I've been increasingly interested in what he's going to do after his playing days are over.
If I was Jim Hendry, I'd be first in line after he walks away from the podium to talk about working in the Cubs system. If he wants to chill out for awhile, start him as a special instructor in Mesa next spring with an offer to join Ryne Sandberg in Peoria after he spends a little time with his family. Maybe throw him a cookie like running #31 up the flagpole with Fergie Jenkins. Even for a team that's been hesitant to retire uniform numbers, it's hard to argue against it. Maddux locks himself down with Jenkins as the only two pitchers in history to retire with over 3,000 strikeouts and fewer than 1,000 walks (Maddux winds up with 999 - I wonder if that affected his decision...).
There's no question as to whether Maddux will be a first-ballot Hall of Famer. What remains to be seen is how many BBWAA voters have a policy of not voting for first-ballot players and if Tom Seaver's record voting percentage will hold up.
Speaking of Cub pitchers who wore #31, I was saddened to hear about the recent passing of Kevin Foster at the far too young age of 40. Our paths crossed a few times in the late '90s and he always seemed like one of the good guys. He's the third member of the 1998 Wild Card winners to leave us, following Rod Beck and Geremi Gonzalez.
As a side note, yeah, it's been awhile. I didn't really feel like talking about the playoffs (though I should note it feels good that back-to-back division titles is now considered disappointing in Cubbie Nation), and we're still waiting on changes apart from the bullpen. Kerry Wood's performance as a closer priced him out of a Cub uniform if Carlos Marmol's going to keep looking like the Next Big Thing, but the inexpensive addition of Kevin Gregg as insurance leaves more money to fill the innings vacated by Scott Eyre and now Bob Howry.
Hopefully letting go of a hot prospect in José Ceda for Gregg won't backfire, but considering the Cubs got Ceda one-for-one for Todd Walker, Jim Hendry essentially got a mid-level closer for a utility man who had 62 games left in his career. If the Cubs can wrangle a lefty who can take the mound 70 or 75 times, I won't be too worried about the 2009 bullpen, at least not for now. There are bigger roles to fill in the outfield.
I think two factors are being overlooked in the outfield as far as offense is concerned, first that regardless of his lineup position we still haven't seen a full season of what Alfonso Soriano can do, spending a good amount of time on the shelf in 2008 while still leading the Cubs in home runs, and second that Kosuke Fukudome was a rookie living in a new country last year. Even when they signed him, they had to be expecting more out of Year 2 than Year 1 in that contract, and if they want to add a left-handed boomer I'd like to see him starting in center field.
Jake Peavy's name has also been thrown around, but I'd be hesitant to drop that much money and talent on a starting pitcher whose numbers are distorted by a pitcher-friendly ballpark. I'd be more interested in Randy Johnson even at 45. You may not be able to count on 200 innings (like Rich Harden), but he's one of the most intimidating pitchers in history, he's undefeated at Wrigley and there will still be days where he'll go out and dominate.
We'll see what happens. Just over two months to Mesa...
I hate to see him go, it would have been nice to see him climb into the top five in wins, but admittedly since his return to the Cubs I've been increasingly interested in what he's going to do after his playing days are over.
If I was Jim Hendry, I'd be first in line after he walks away from the podium to talk about working in the Cubs system. If he wants to chill out for awhile, start him as a special instructor in Mesa next spring with an offer to join Ryne Sandberg in Peoria after he spends a little time with his family. Maybe throw him a cookie like running #31 up the flagpole with Fergie Jenkins. Even for a team that's been hesitant to retire uniform numbers, it's hard to argue against it. Maddux locks himself down with Jenkins as the only two pitchers in history to retire with over 3,000 strikeouts and fewer than 1,000 walks (Maddux winds up with 999 - I wonder if that affected his decision...).
There's no question as to whether Maddux will be a first-ballot Hall of Famer. What remains to be seen is how many BBWAA voters have a policy of not voting for first-ballot players and if Tom Seaver's record voting percentage will hold up.
Speaking of Cub pitchers who wore #31, I was saddened to hear about the recent passing of Kevin Foster at the far too young age of 40. Our paths crossed a few times in the late '90s and he always seemed like one of the good guys. He's the third member of the 1998 Wild Card winners to leave us, following Rod Beck and Geremi Gonzalez.
As a side note, yeah, it's been awhile. I didn't really feel like talking about the playoffs (though I should note it feels good that back-to-back division titles is now considered disappointing in Cubbie Nation), and we're still waiting on changes apart from the bullpen. Kerry Wood's performance as a closer priced him out of a Cub uniform if Carlos Marmol's going to keep looking like the Next Big Thing, but the inexpensive addition of Kevin Gregg as insurance leaves more money to fill the innings vacated by Scott Eyre and now Bob Howry.
Hopefully letting go of a hot prospect in José Ceda for Gregg won't backfire, but considering the Cubs got Ceda one-for-one for Todd Walker, Jim Hendry essentially got a mid-level closer for a utility man who had 62 games left in his career. If the Cubs can wrangle a lefty who can take the mound 70 or 75 times, I won't be too worried about the 2009 bullpen, at least not for now. There are bigger roles to fill in the outfield.
I think two factors are being overlooked in the outfield as far as offense is concerned, first that regardless of his lineup position we still haven't seen a full season of what Alfonso Soriano can do, spending a good amount of time on the shelf in 2008 while still leading the Cubs in home runs, and second that Kosuke Fukudome was a rookie living in a new country last year. Even when they signed him, they had to be expecting more out of Year 2 than Year 1 in that contract, and if they want to add a left-handed boomer I'd like to see him starting in center field.
Jake Peavy's name has also been thrown around, but I'd be hesitant to drop that much money and talent on a starting pitcher whose numbers are distorted by a pitcher-friendly ballpark. I'd be more interested in Randy Johnson even at 45. You may not be able to count on 200 innings (like Rich Harden), but he's one of the most intimidating pitchers in history, he's undefeated at Wrigley and there will still be days where he'll go out and dominate.
We'll see what happens. Just over two months to Mesa...
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