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mrschroeder08 partyvancaptain pee_callus25 Tags 2010 Preview 5 Million Dollar Black Hole AAAA Aaron Heilman Aaron Miles Alfonso Soriano Andres Blanco Angel Guzman Aramis Ramirez Arizona Diamondbacks Atlanta Braves B.J. 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This year looks increasingly lost, but it looks like some change up front may be on the horizon. What that means on the field is anyone's guess. The core of this team is in place for a while, but Hendry has wiggled out of bad contracts before with good results (Todd Hundley anyone?). I suppose Hendry may not be around long enough to do that though. Who's to say? This last game against the Dodgers was almost a chance to relive 2008 all over again. Dempster pitched like it was a contract year. Marmol was not as wild as Paris Hilton at a Las Vegas bachelorette party. (OK I give up on metaphors.) The Cubs even caught a couple of breaks. It was nice while it lasted, and with the Nationals coming into town, maybe it can last a little longer. The Tribune brings up an intersting point regarding Rich Harden, who is a free agent at the end of this year. That presents a sticky, sticky situation as talent-wise, Harden is probably the best pitcher the Cubs have. But there was another ridiculously talented pitcher with injury issues the Cubs had prior to this (heh heh) and that didn't work out all that well in the end. Honestly, I'm reluctant to say what to do. On one hand, we are sitting in a contract year, which has burned the Cubs many many times before. On the other hand, Harden is 27 unlike Dempster who is 32 or Soriano who was 31 when he signed. That tells me he is entering his prime. In a perfect world, the Cubs find someone to take Ryan Dempster. Maybe they can take on another bad contract in return, but one with less money due and in a place where even adequate would be an upgrade (second base for instance). You have a starting rotation of Z, Harden, Lilly, Wells and Gorz in 2010. Since I cannot think of a concrete example of how that could happen, and signs are doubtful Ricketts can open up the pocket book right away, you at least offer Harden arbitration. He will probably walk, but you get a nice draft pick in return, and with luck, the Cubs will have the personnel in place to actually make a good pick and develop it. Z, Lilly, Dempster, Wells and Gorz is still a respectible starting five. Still, 20-20 hindsight tells me (once again) that the Dempster contract was a bad idea, as the Cubs' hands may be tied in locking up a much more talented Canadian. So a story that I heard rehashed today, but was making the rounds this spring was the personnel the Ricketts family might place at the head of the organization lead by former A's GM and Padres' CEO Sandy Alderson. First of all, Alderson would be a GREAT hire. Alderson really helped bring statistical analysis into the front offices of baseball, and he had great results, including 3 AL titles and 1 World championship. His emphasis on on-base percentage was the basis which Oakland and Boston, among others, would build multiple playoff teams. The Cubs for too long have been drafting 'tools' guys, athletes with little strike-zone discipline, that almost never pan out. Alderson, and a new GM (potentially an assistant GM from Boston) could institute a top-to-bottom change in philosophy, from how they trade and sign free agents, to how they draft and develop players. The latter is the key, as a good farm system will circumvent any need to hand out overpriced contracts to marginal superstars like Soriano. Look at Boston (ugh). They have a payroll that is currently smaller than the Cubs. But they have homegrown talent all over: Pedroia, Youkilis, Ellsbury, Lester, Papelbon to name a few. They know what they are doing over there. They won't win the World Series every year, but with a healthy payroll, a farm system producing a constant flow of players, and a some know-how on where to spend when one needs to: those are the 3 keys to a perenially successful organization. The Cubs have 1, and sometimes they demonstrate 2 and 3, but not nearly enough. I think Sandy Alderson can really help the Cubs moving in the right direction. Worst case, the Cubs end up like the Padres. Oh wait, that would be pretty bad, wouldn't it? Posted in: Rich Harden, Ryan Dempster, Sandy Alderson | ||