Many thought Alfonso Soriano was a quiet diva in the clubhouse. He argued with his manager about not being told the day before he would not be in the lineup (so he could party more the night before). He seemed indifferent about defense; afraid of the Wrigley outfield walls. He seems only to want to lead off so he could see more fastballs to pad his personal stats. He landed a fat contract with the Cubs with a full no trade clause. He had no pressure to win in Chicago, so he enjoyed the country club atmosphere in the locker room.
But apparently, at some point, the constant losing got to Soriano. In the Tribune during the Yankees twin bill, Soriano was quoted as saying:
"I just want to play baseball and win, and that was not happening with
the Cubs,” he said. "I was happy mostly when I played for them. But when I saw they weren’t putting out a team to win, I was like, ‘Man, this is kind of like a job now.’ I’d go to the ballpark, work, do my job and go back home.
“I didn’t enjoy it. Here it’s different. Now I’m having fun.”
This is the most damning quote I have read coming from the Cub locker room.
Major league players have been playing baseball their entire lives. As soon as they could pick up a bat or throw a ball, they were hooked on the game. Their love of the game and desire to become the best made them into major leaguers. Soriano was greatly rewarded for his talents, but deep down he still has the childhood love (and respect) for the game. When he found his Cub situation becoming "a job," an assembly line monotony of losing, Soriano had enough - - - he waived his no trade clause to be traded to the Yankees, a team that is built to be competitive year after year.
And this puts Samardzija's situation on the same path. Samardzija has been vocally unhappy with the front office trading away most of the starting rotation in the past few seasons (Garza, Dempster, Maholm, Feldman) for prospects, leaving the team to struggle with a new pitching staff for the second half of the seasons. If you add young pitchers like Archer and Cashner to the mix, no wonder the Cubs pitching corps is depleted.
Samardzija is pacing the halls until the day he can leave like Soriano's exit. He sees that the the Cubs are not going out to put a team with a chance to win this season. And that has to grind on a competitive athlete from Notre Dame who was drilled to play the game to win. It is not that Samardzija's attitude is a cancer in the clubhouse (since he has performed to expectations). It is the constant annual losing that is the cancer.
Showing posts with label Soriano. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Soriano. Show all posts
April 25, 2014
August 22, 2013
IS CASTRO BROKEN?
New National David DeJesus was asked about Starlin Castro's recent problems. He told reporters that Castro needs to become a club house leader, "on and off the field." The "off the field" comment was quite puzzling, especially from a recent teammate.
Castro came to the big leagues out of necessity. He has a quick free swinging bat that could handle major league pitching. The Cubs were about to blow up the team, but needed someone to give fans a reason to come to games. Like a zoo or a circus, the big top banner was that the Cubs finally had a "home grown" superstar in the making in Castro.
After a stunning debut, Castro racked up 390 hits in his first two professional seasons. He was a two time All Star. His fielding was below par, but we were told he was still young. He would improve in all facets of his game.
Now in his fourth season, Castro looks broken. He does not like hitting 8th in the lineup. He told his manager so. But afterward, he went 0-4 with a strikeout and a massively spastic error on a routine double play throw to first. He has 15 errors so far this season. That does not include mental errors or lapses in the field, including allowing a runner from third to score on an infield fly out.
Castro is batting a career low .240, with 7 HR and 32 RBI. He has only 3 RBI total in the second half of the season. He has only 8 stolen bases (Soriano had 10 when he was traded). Castro has a negative 0.7 WAR, which means he is playing below a AAA player value.
Why such a huge tailspin? There are several things, factual and speculation, that are cited as reasons. First, the Cubs front office has a philosophy that players should have a high OBP which means that walks are just as important as hits. Castro, as free swinger, rarely walked. The Cubs wanted him to take more pitches. They wanted him to wait for a pitch that he could drive for a home run. They wanted more power production from him. Well, there are some players who do not fit the high OBP, power to the alley mode.
Second, there are too many voices in his head. He has gone through a handful of batting coaches, including three this season (Rowson, Deer and Sveum). Maybe Castro cannot process so much information or guidance. Castro could be confused by mixed signals. Or maybe, Castro has tuned them all out. In any case, he should have been able to revert to his old hitting ways but this year he has been unable to do so.
Third, Sveum said that at some point Castro needs to figure things out for himself. When a manager washes his hands of the issue and puts everything on the player to fix himself, that is not quite the role of a manager. A manager is supposed to be the one in charge of getting the team to play its best by putting players in the best opportunity to succeed. By Sveum calling out Castro and demoting him in the lineup is like letting Castro hang out to dry. Perhaps, Castro needs to be coddled and not criticized by his manager. Positive reinforcement instead of negative actions.
Fourth, Castro is a highly paid professional. He should take it upon himself to be prepared to play every day. Which brings us back to the DeJesus "off the field" comment. We don't know what DeJesus meant but we can infer that Castro may be partying too much off the field which could affect his ability to play. Soriano, his mentor, liked to party and have a good time. He got angry when his manager would not tell him in advance if he would have a day off so he could party harder. Perhaps, some of Soriano's bad social habits have rubbed off on Castro.
Fifth, the lack of concentration and focus especially in the field has most fans worried that something is wrong with Castro. Speculation has run the gambit from having an attention deficit disorder to laziness to being hungover. Only his manager and teammates would know for sure, but those same potential demons were in play during his first All-Star years. Another rationale is that once Castro signed his big money contract extension, the incentive to perform well faded from his consciousness. Often times, players with big contracts underperform just as players who are in the last year of their contracts tend to overperform. A contract or a starting job is a key motivator for athletes. Part of the problem is that Castro has no current competition for his starting shortstop job. Such security could lead to a lax attitude toward his own game.
Can this tailspin be corrected? Only time will tell. But Castro has become Sveum's whipping boy when things go wrong. Anthony Rizzo is having a similar bad season, but Rizzo does not get the same attention or team scrutiny that Castro has received to date.
Castro came to the big leagues out of necessity. He has a quick free swinging bat that could handle major league pitching. The Cubs were about to blow up the team, but needed someone to give fans a reason to come to games. Like a zoo or a circus, the big top banner was that the Cubs finally had a "home grown" superstar in the making in Castro.
After a stunning debut, Castro racked up 390 hits in his first two professional seasons. He was a two time All Star. His fielding was below par, but we were told he was still young. He would improve in all facets of his game.
Now in his fourth season, Castro looks broken. He does not like hitting 8th in the lineup. He told his manager so. But afterward, he went 0-4 with a strikeout and a massively spastic error on a routine double play throw to first. He has 15 errors so far this season. That does not include mental errors or lapses in the field, including allowing a runner from third to score on an infield fly out.
Castro is batting a career low .240, with 7 HR and 32 RBI. He has only 3 RBI total in the second half of the season. He has only 8 stolen bases (Soriano had 10 when he was traded). Castro has a negative 0.7 WAR, which means he is playing below a AAA player value.
Why such a huge tailspin? There are several things, factual and speculation, that are cited as reasons. First, the Cubs front office has a philosophy that players should have a high OBP which means that walks are just as important as hits. Castro, as free swinger, rarely walked. The Cubs wanted him to take more pitches. They wanted him to wait for a pitch that he could drive for a home run. They wanted more power production from him. Well, there are some players who do not fit the high OBP, power to the alley mode.
Second, there are too many voices in his head. He has gone through a handful of batting coaches, including three this season (Rowson, Deer and Sveum). Maybe Castro cannot process so much information or guidance. Castro could be confused by mixed signals. Or maybe, Castro has tuned them all out. In any case, he should have been able to revert to his old hitting ways but this year he has been unable to do so.
Third, Sveum said that at some point Castro needs to figure things out for himself. When a manager washes his hands of the issue and puts everything on the player to fix himself, that is not quite the role of a manager. A manager is supposed to be the one in charge of getting the team to play its best by putting players in the best opportunity to succeed. By Sveum calling out Castro and demoting him in the lineup is like letting Castro hang out to dry. Perhaps, Castro needs to be coddled and not criticized by his manager. Positive reinforcement instead of negative actions.
Fourth, Castro is a highly paid professional. He should take it upon himself to be prepared to play every day. Which brings us back to the DeJesus "off the field" comment. We don't know what DeJesus meant but we can infer that Castro may be partying too much off the field which could affect his ability to play. Soriano, his mentor, liked to party and have a good time. He got angry when his manager would not tell him in advance if he would have a day off so he could party harder. Perhaps, some of Soriano's bad social habits have rubbed off on Castro.
Fifth, the lack of concentration and focus especially in the field has most fans worried that something is wrong with Castro. Speculation has run the gambit from having an attention deficit disorder to laziness to being hungover. Only his manager and teammates would know for sure, but those same potential demons were in play during his first All-Star years. Another rationale is that once Castro signed his big money contract extension, the incentive to perform well faded from his consciousness. Often times, players with big contracts underperform just as players who are in the last year of their contracts tend to overperform. A contract or a starting job is a key motivator for athletes. Part of the problem is that Castro has no current competition for his starting shortstop job. Such security could lead to a lax attitude toward his own game.
Can this tailspin be corrected? Only time will tell. But Castro has become Sveum's whipping boy when things go wrong. Anthony Rizzo is having a similar bad season, but Rizzo does not get the same attention or team scrutiny that Castro has received to date.
July 26, 2013
SORI TO GO
MLBTR reports that The Yankees and Cubs are in agreement on a trade that will send Alfonso Soriano back to the Yankees, the team he started his professional career, pending approval from Major League Baseball commissioner Bud Selig. The Cubs will receive a Class-A pitching
prospect in exchange. ESPN's Buster Olney reports
that the Yankees will pay $6.8MM of the roughly $24.5MM remaining on
Soriano's contract -- $1.8MM in 2013 and $5MM in 2014.
Soriano's Cub teammates are bitter sweet about the move. Despite certain fan opinion, Soriano was well liked by his teammates and coaches. He was a professional. He handled the down times with class. Despite injuries, he continued to play left field.
But Soriano was the tarnished symbol of fan expectations. He was the big time free agent the Cubs needed to win the series. But his huge contract and poor post season statistics when the Cubs were swept twice in the first round of the playoffs, made Soriano a target.
He did do what he was supposed to do. Since 2007 as a Cub, he hit home runs and drove in runs. For his 6.5 years as a Cub, he hit .264 BA, 181 HR, 526 RBI and 70 SB. His defense was below average because he had a fear of running into the wall. Many line drives and deep flies fell over his head. But he continued to work on improving his defense.
He got tagged as a player who thrives in non-pressure situations, like playoff caliber teams. Soriano was a free swinger at the plate which also lead to a reputation of being a stats-first player. But during his entire Cub era, most of all his teammates were in the same role since the Cubs could not manufacture a run.
It is ironic that Soriano ends his career as the Cubs best current hitter and leading base stealer.
There has been much made about the concept of team chemistry. The attitude of team leaders will mold a team into a style of play. Soriano's laid back style and quiet speech may have given us the impression that there was little drive or passion. That the team would rather go through the motions than hustle for a victory. There is complacency in losing year after year. As a club house leader, Soriano has to take some of the blame for the team record of mediocrity.
The Cubs have tried for years to get rid of Soriano even though the team had no prospect ready to replace him. Junior Lake is on a debut tear, but scouts will figure out holes in his swing in a few weeks. Whether Lake can adjust to continue to make consistent contact will have to be seen.
The only thing the trade does for the Cubs is give them about $6 million in salary relief, or 1.2 percent of the redevelopment costs of Rickettsville. It would not be surprising that the marching orders to the trade deadline is to pare back more salary moving forward.
Soriano did what he was brought to Chicago to do: hit home runs. The Yankees are buying a hitter in the twilight of his career, but who is still productive at age 37 with 17 HRs and 51 RBI. Soriano gets one last chance for a World Series ring, even though New York has many teams to catch in the AL East. Soriano agreed to the deal (after passing on others) because he is a sentimentalist. His career goes first circle now; back to the club that gave him his first pro start.
Soriano's Cub teammates are bitter sweet about the move. Despite certain fan opinion, Soriano was well liked by his teammates and coaches. He was a professional. He handled the down times with class. Despite injuries, he continued to play left field.
But Soriano was the tarnished symbol of fan expectations. He was the big time free agent the Cubs needed to win the series. But his huge contract and poor post season statistics when the Cubs were swept twice in the first round of the playoffs, made Soriano a target.
He did do what he was supposed to do. Since 2007 as a Cub, he hit home runs and drove in runs. For his 6.5 years as a Cub, he hit .264 BA, 181 HR, 526 RBI and 70 SB. His defense was below average because he had a fear of running into the wall. Many line drives and deep flies fell over his head. But he continued to work on improving his defense.
He got tagged as a player who thrives in non-pressure situations, like playoff caliber teams. Soriano was a free swinger at the plate which also lead to a reputation of being a stats-first player. But during his entire Cub era, most of all his teammates were in the same role since the Cubs could not manufacture a run.
It is ironic that Soriano ends his career as the Cubs best current hitter and leading base stealer.
There has been much made about the concept of team chemistry. The attitude of team leaders will mold a team into a style of play. Soriano's laid back style and quiet speech may have given us the impression that there was little drive or passion. That the team would rather go through the motions than hustle for a victory. There is complacency in losing year after year. As a club house leader, Soriano has to take some of the blame for the team record of mediocrity.
The Cubs have tried for years to get rid of Soriano even though the team had no prospect ready to replace him. Junior Lake is on a debut tear, but scouts will figure out holes in his swing in a few weeks. Whether Lake can adjust to continue to make consistent contact will have to be seen.
The only thing the trade does for the Cubs is give them about $6 million in salary relief, or 1.2 percent of the redevelopment costs of Rickettsville. It would not be surprising that the marching orders to the trade deadline is to pare back more salary moving forward.
Soriano did what he was brought to Chicago to do: hit home runs. The Yankees are buying a hitter in the twilight of his career, but who is still productive at age 37 with 17 HRs and 51 RBI. Soriano gets one last chance for a World Series ring, even though New York has many teams to catch in the AL East. Soriano agreed to the deal (after passing on others) because he is a sentimentalist. His career goes first circle now; back to the club that gave him his first pro start.
May 31, 2013
CRAZY STAT
The crazy stat floating around this morning's airwaves is the fact that the Cubs pitchers have driven in 19 RBIs in the month of May. Supposedly the record for a pitching staff for a month is 20.
Cubs pitchers, still buzzing over Travis Wood's grand slam, have hit 4 HRs and driven in 19 RBI. Starting left fielder Alfonso Soriano has hit 5 HR and driven in 20 RBI since the start of the season.
Modernists decry the National League for not having the designated hitter. The main reason they like the DH is because the 9th spot is usually a guaranteed out because that is where the pitcher's bat.
But the Cubs starters have made it clear that pitchers can also be hitters. It is sort of a backasswards Cub tradition: having good hitting pitchers like Carlos Zambrano or Jason Marquis.
Cubs pitchers, still buzzing over Travis Wood's grand slam, have hit 4 HRs and driven in 19 RBI. Starting left fielder Alfonso Soriano has hit 5 HR and driven in 20 RBI since the start of the season.
Modernists decry the National League for not having the designated hitter. The main reason they like the DH is because the 9th spot is usually a guaranteed out because that is where the pitcher's bat.
But the Cubs starters have made it clear that pitchers can also be hitters. It is sort of a backasswards Cub tradition: having good hitting pitchers like Carlos Zambrano or Jason Marquis.
| Age | G | PA | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | CS | BB | SO | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Travis Wood | 26 | 14 | 26 | 24 | 5 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 8 | .292 | .320 | .583 | .903 | |||||||||
| Scott Feldman* | 30 | 10 | 25 | 24 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | .167 | .167 | .375 | .542 | |||||||||
| Jeff Samardzija | 28 | 11 | 23 | 17 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 10 | .118 | .167 | .353 | .520 | |||||||||
| Carlos Villanueva | 29 | 11 | 19 | 17 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | .176 | .176 | .176 | .353 | |||||||||
| Edwin Jackson | 29 | 10 | 17 | 15 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | .067 | .067 | .133 | .200 | |||||||||
| Matt Garza | 29 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .333 | .333 | .667 | 1.000 |
April 17, 2013
A REAL PROBLEM
The Cubs futility in driving runners in scoring position continues this season. Last night, Barney lines out to centerfield with the bases loaded to end the game.
After 13 games (8 percent of the season), the Cubs clean-up hitter, Soriano has 0 HR and 0 RBI.
And many other team broadcasters have remarked that the Cubs line-up from the 5th hitter on is "not intimidating" or "weak."
The team only has three hitters batting over .300: W. Castillo, Castro and Schierholtz. That's two starters and a platoon outfielder.
The only hope at Triple AAA would be Ryan Sweeney, the ex-Red Sox player. He is batting .382 with 3 HR and 8 RBI. Brett Jackson continues to struggle with strike outs. He is batting .244 with 15 strikeouts in 41 AB. Ian Stewart has played in two games is 0-for-7 at the plate. Josh Vitters has played one game, one AB, no hit.
After 13 games (8 percent of the season), the Cubs clean-up hitter, Soriano has 0 HR and 0 RBI.
And many other team broadcasters have remarked that the Cubs line-up from the 5th hitter on is "not intimidating" or "weak."
The team only has three hitters batting over .300: W. Castillo, Castro and Schierholtz. That's two starters and a platoon outfielder.
The only hope at Triple AAA would be Ryan Sweeney, the ex-Red Sox player. He is batting .382 with 3 HR and 8 RBI. Brett Jackson continues to struggle with strike outs. He is batting .244 with 15 strikeouts in 41 AB. Ian Stewart has played in two games is 0-for-7 at the plate. Josh Vitters has played one game, one AB, no hit.
September 20, 2012
THE ENIGMA
Alfonso Soriano has been on winning teams, big money teams, pennant and playoff pressures . . . but his demeanor has always been hard to put into context.
Last night, Soriano hit his 30th HR for the Cubs. At age 36, Soriano has surpassed pre-season expectations. For the third time in his career, he has reached the the 30 HR-100 RBI milestone. The last time he did that was 2005 with the Rangers. He is one RBI away from tying his career high in RBIs at 104 (also set in 2005).
In his 14 major league seasons, Soriano career stats are .273 BA, 370 HR, 1030 RBI, .317 OBP, 269 SB. He averaged 26.5 HR and 73.5 RBI per season.
Those are not Hall of Fame numbers. He is still overpaid at $18 million per season (with a contract through 2014). But he has been the most consistent and productive offensive player the Cubs have had since his arrival in 2007.
Maybe it was his selfish reputation that cooled some fans. He had a massive blow up with his manager in Washington when he refused to move from the infield to the outfield. He had bouts of being mopey when he did not lead off games. His view was that he would see more fastballs leading off, and therefore have more chances to hit home runs. But is low on-base percentage, free swinging style did not lend itself to being a traditional lead off man. But more often than not, Soriano got his way and was the lead off man. Whether that hurt his team or not is subject to debate. He also is a below par outfielder. Even casual observers of the game realized quickly that Soriano was afraid of the fences. He looked nonchalant patrolling the outfield, and a lot of "catchable" balls went over his head or into the gaps. It may have been due to the weakness of his legs, nagging injuries and age but fans wanted to see a complete ball player since he was being paid as a superstar.
Soriano's laid back attitude did not help the perception that he was only self-focused in his approach to the game. All his teammates say he is a great guy in the clubhouse. That he leads by example and not by words. But it is just as clear that he performs better with less pressure. That is why many believe he has blocked any trade to a contender. There is a huge comfort zone playing for the Cubs.
As such, Soriano will be the Cubs left fielder for the next two years. When he leaves his starting position as the Cubs LF, that event should signal the last piece of the rebuilding puzzle has been completed and the new Cubs organization is ready to compete for a title.
Last night, Soriano hit his 30th HR for the Cubs. At age 36, Soriano has surpassed pre-season expectations. For the third time in his career, he has reached the the 30 HR-100 RBI milestone. The last time he did that was 2005 with the Rangers. He is one RBI away from tying his career high in RBIs at 104 (also set in 2005).
In his 14 major league seasons, Soriano career stats are .273 BA, 370 HR, 1030 RBI, .317 OBP, 269 SB. He averaged 26.5 HR and 73.5 RBI per season.
Those are not Hall of Fame numbers. He is still overpaid at $18 million per season (with a contract through 2014). But he has been the most consistent and productive offensive player the Cubs have had since his arrival in 2007.
Maybe it was his selfish reputation that cooled some fans. He had a massive blow up with his manager in Washington when he refused to move from the infield to the outfield. He had bouts of being mopey when he did not lead off games. His view was that he would see more fastballs leading off, and therefore have more chances to hit home runs. But is low on-base percentage, free swinging style did not lend itself to being a traditional lead off man. But more often than not, Soriano got his way and was the lead off man. Whether that hurt his team or not is subject to debate. He also is a below par outfielder. Even casual observers of the game realized quickly that Soriano was afraid of the fences. He looked nonchalant patrolling the outfield, and a lot of "catchable" balls went over his head or into the gaps. It may have been due to the weakness of his legs, nagging injuries and age but fans wanted to see a complete ball player since he was being paid as a superstar.
Soriano's laid back attitude did not help the perception that he was only self-focused in his approach to the game. All his teammates say he is a great guy in the clubhouse. That he leads by example and not by words. But it is just as clear that he performs better with less pressure. That is why many believe he has blocked any trade to a contender. There is a huge comfort zone playing for the Cubs.
As such, Soriano will be the Cubs left fielder for the next two years. When he leaves his starting position as the Cubs LF, that event should signal the last piece of the rebuilding puzzle has been completed and the new Cubs organization is ready to compete for a title.
August 20, 2012
THE BOSTON WAY
When Tom Ricketts hired Theo Epstein, the Cubs clearly stated the team wanted to follow the Red Sox blueprint for success. Ricketts wants Wrigley transformed into the modern Fenway Park, with its sovereign outside the park revenue streams and loyal, overpaying fan base.
At least it was a plan.
But inside the core of this Boston romance lies the darkness of the Boston way of handling things.
The Boston Globe reported over the weekend Cubs personnel are disappointed that Alfonso Soriano won’t waive his 10-and-5 rights to go to the Giants. The report said that Soriano doesn't want to play in a colder climate that could adversely affect his hitting.
Well, Soriano has that veto right. And he told the Cubs before the trade deadline he would not go to the Giants. A snide little note that Soriano doesn't like the cold as a lame excuse for not accepting a trade is a childish maneuver to shift the focus of the bad roster away from management.
So why is the Cub front office bitching to the press (no less, the Boston paper)?
Because that is the sniping, backstabbing Red Sox culture that Ricketts has imported to his organization.
Look at the Valentine situation. Two weeks ago, most of the ESPN analysts (including former players) said that the players were out of line for their mini-mutiny against the manager; they were looking for excuses for underperforming on the field. But this weekend, the analysts have turned and said Valentine cannot come back next year; he had "lost" the team. No, Valentine was left out in the cold by management to take the blame for another bad season. Valentine's actions were not fully supported by the general manager, team president or ownership. In fact, management undercut Valentine's authority from the beginning by not diffusing negative player comments. Instead, management took the public tact of supporting the players in any clubhouse feud. Are Boston fans so spoiled and self centered to eat this garbage like gourmet cake?
Well, no one blames ownership for the Boston massacre. Ownership hired Valentine to be the anti-Francona, who allowed the beer battered chicken meltdown ruin last season. If you hire a disciplinarian and don't back him up when he tries to get the players accountable early on, then management set him up to fail by empowering the players to backstab their coach. Now, ownership meets with the players - - - further butchering any authority Valentine could have had to save his job. It is this type of dysfunctional management style with a "who do I blame" excuses of management and intervening ownership group mucking up the normal chain of command that Epstein is bringing to Chicago.
Epstein bullied Dempster out of town. Dempster really did not want to go to the Rangers, but he has several personal issues to deal with including no contract prospects with the Cubs next season. So he was pressured to be "a good teammate" and waive his no trade rights in order to seem more appealing on the free agent market after the season.
Well, Soriano has that veto right. And he told the Cubs before the trade deadline he would not go to the Giants. A snide little note that Soriano doesn't like the cold as a lame excuse for not accepting a trade is a childish maneuver to shift the focus of the bad roster away from management.
So why is the Cub front office bitching to the press (no less, the Boston paper)?
Because that is the sniping, backstabbing Red Sox culture that Ricketts has imported to his organization.
Look at the Valentine situation. Two weeks ago, most of the ESPN analysts (including former players) said that the players were out of line for their mini-mutiny against the manager; they were looking for excuses for underperforming on the field. But this weekend, the analysts have turned and said Valentine cannot come back next year; he had "lost" the team. No, Valentine was left out in the cold by management to take the blame for another bad season. Valentine's actions were not fully supported by the general manager, team president or ownership. In fact, management undercut Valentine's authority from the beginning by not diffusing negative player comments. Instead, management took the public tact of supporting the players in any clubhouse feud. Are Boston fans so spoiled and self centered to eat this garbage like gourmet cake?
Well, no one blames ownership for the Boston massacre. Ownership hired Valentine to be the anti-Francona, who allowed the beer battered chicken meltdown ruin last season. If you hire a disciplinarian and don't back him up when he tries to get the players accountable early on, then management set him up to fail by empowering the players to backstab their coach. Now, ownership meets with the players - - - further butchering any authority Valentine could have had to save his job. It is this type of dysfunctional management style with a "who do I blame" excuses of management and intervening ownership group mucking up the normal chain of command that Epstein is bringing to Chicago.
Epstein bullied Dempster out of town. Dempster really did not want to go to the Rangers, but he has several personal issues to deal with including no contract prospects with the Cubs next season. So he was pressured to be "a good teammate" and waive his no trade rights in order to seem more appealing on the free agent market after the season.
Soriano does not care. He has his last contract.
He plays in a party town. He does not have to perform great in order to
keep playing. By default, he is the best power hitter on the team.
Common sense dictates that he would never leave his comfort zone as a
Cub.
Given the fact he told the Cubs several times NO to trades, management should move on instead of leaking negative comments about a player who will be on the team another couple of years. There should have never been any story about the Cubs trying to move Soriano if management knew he was never going to be moved. By creating these contradictions and blame, Epstein's crew sows the seeds of anti-management in Soriano, who is a role model to some of the younger players, like Castro. This has the aspect of a train going off the rails as it approaches the old wooden bridge. The engineer does not care what happens to the train itself, because he could always blame the passengers for being too heavy when the bridge collapses underneath them.
Given the fact he told the Cubs several times NO to trades, management should move on instead of leaking negative comments about a player who will be on the team another couple of years. There should have never been any story about the Cubs trying to move Soriano if management knew he was never going to be moved. By creating these contradictions and blame, Epstein's crew sows the seeds of anti-management in Soriano, who is a role model to some of the younger players, like Castro. This has the aspect of a train going off the rails as it approaches the old wooden bridge. The engineer does not care what happens to the train itself, because he could always blame the passengers for being too heavy when the bridge collapses underneath them.
June 19, 2012
TRADE WATCH
The temperature in Chicago will remain in the mid 90s all week. That means a blast furnace of hot stove speculation is beginning for current Cub players.
The most tradable Cub, Ryan Dempster, is now on the disabled list with a lat muscle issue. It is unclear the nature or extent of the problem. Dempster said he has played through the pain before, but the team decided to rest him on the DL to preserve whatever trade value he has to the rebuilding process. A disabled player or one with an injury question will dramatically decrease the value in trade talks. Dempster will have to return from the DL and return to his excellent form in order to get any trade offers.
The complexity of trading Dempster is that he has full trade veto rights. If the Cubs want to trade Dempster, the team needs his permission. So Dempster will control where he winds up. In addition, Dempster is playing for another contract. His current deal expires at the end of this season. He is a "rent a player" for the rest of the year, or he may want an extension from his new team in order to complete a deal.
The Cubs have been showcasing Soriano to anyone with a set of eyeballs. The Cubs have made it clear that they will pick up a substantial amount of Soriano's remaining contract in order to cut a deal. Soriano is resigned to the fate of a possible trade, but wants to go to a contender. But most contenders already have a full outfield (and DH in the AL). Most contenders are looking for adding bench strength, bullpen help or temporary replacements until regulars get off the disabled list. Soriano really does not fit into those need categories. And even if the Cubs eat 95% of Soriano's contract, they may get nothing in return.
In the rumor mills, the Dodgers were interested in Dempster before his DL. It was reported that the Indians were scouting Soriano. The Indians find themselves in the hunt in the AL Central race, and need a power hitter to fill out their line up. The Dodgers are trying to make a statement under new ownership, and bringing in a front line pitcher would be a coup.
Matt Garza appears to be the new front line trade piece since Dempster is now on the DL. Several teams have indicated interest in Garza (Yankees, Tigers). Since being with the Cubs, Garza has been inconsistent in his starts. He has had good outings, followed by bad outings. But he has a track record of winning in the AL East, which is probably where he would wind up. Garza also has contract issues to deal with; he is arbitration eligible but wants to have a long term, guaranteed deal. That may turn off some teams. But some teams desperate for a starter at the trade deadline will pay the price for Garza.
Today, Ken Rosenthal writes that several teams have inquired about Darwin Barney. This is a little surprising, considering that Barney would really project as a bench player on a contender. But as we have said before, contenders are usually looking for scrappy utility players to upgrade their benches around trade time. These are not high profile, high value deals. If Barney is dealt, the Cubs will fill his position with one of Hoyer's AAA waiver claims that have been going back and forth from Iowa the last month.
When the Dodgers were scouting Dempster, the local press determined that LA was not interested in Bryan LaHair. LaHair was on the block because it is clear that the Cubs' future, Anthony Rizzo, would be called up soon to play first base. That would leave LaHair without a position. However, last night in a bold move in high winds on the South Side, manager Sveum put LaHair out in RF. The gamble paid off with a good first inning defensive play and a solid night at the plate (with a HR). So if LaHair can play RF, the need to trade him lessens. However, if he can play RF and 1B, some rival teams may consider him more valuable. The question for management is whether LaHair is a better long term solution in RF than David DeJesus (who played CF last night). It is a classic trade off of more offensive potential or less defensive tools with LaHair over DeJesus.
The most tradable Cub, Ryan Dempster, is now on the disabled list with a lat muscle issue. It is unclear the nature or extent of the problem. Dempster said he has played through the pain before, but the team decided to rest him on the DL to preserve whatever trade value he has to the rebuilding process. A disabled player or one with an injury question will dramatically decrease the value in trade talks. Dempster will have to return from the DL and return to his excellent form in order to get any trade offers.
The complexity of trading Dempster is that he has full trade veto rights. If the Cubs want to trade Dempster, the team needs his permission. So Dempster will control where he winds up. In addition, Dempster is playing for another contract. His current deal expires at the end of this season. He is a "rent a player" for the rest of the year, or he may want an extension from his new team in order to complete a deal.
The Cubs have been showcasing Soriano to anyone with a set of eyeballs. The Cubs have made it clear that they will pick up a substantial amount of Soriano's remaining contract in order to cut a deal. Soriano is resigned to the fate of a possible trade, but wants to go to a contender. But most contenders already have a full outfield (and DH in the AL). Most contenders are looking for adding bench strength, bullpen help or temporary replacements until regulars get off the disabled list. Soriano really does not fit into those need categories. And even if the Cubs eat 95% of Soriano's contract, they may get nothing in return.
In the rumor mills, the Dodgers were interested in Dempster before his DL. It was reported that the Indians were scouting Soriano. The Indians find themselves in the hunt in the AL Central race, and need a power hitter to fill out their line up. The Dodgers are trying to make a statement under new ownership, and bringing in a front line pitcher would be a coup.
Matt Garza appears to be the new front line trade piece since Dempster is now on the DL. Several teams have indicated interest in Garza (Yankees, Tigers). Since being with the Cubs, Garza has been inconsistent in his starts. He has had good outings, followed by bad outings. But he has a track record of winning in the AL East, which is probably where he would wind up. Garza also has contract issues to deal with; he is arbitration eligible but wants to have a long term, guaranteed deal. That may turn off some teams. But some teams desperate for a starter at the trade deadline will pay the price for Garza.
Today, Ken Rosenthal writes that several teams have inquired about Darwin Barney. This is a little surprising, considering that Barney would really project as a bench player on a contender. But as we have said before, contenders are usually looking for scrappy utility players to upgrade their benches around trade time. These are not high profile, high value deals. If Barney is dealt, the Cubs will fill his position with one of Hoyer's AAA waiver claims that have been going back and forth from Iowa the last month.
When the Dodgers were scouting Dempster, the local press determined that LA was not interested in Bryan LaHair. LaHair was on the block because it is clear that the Cubs' future, Anthony Rizzo, would be called up soon to play first base. That would leave LaHair without a position. However, last night in a bold move in high winds on the South Side, manager Sveum put LaHair out in RF. The gamble paid off with a good first inning defensive play and a solid night at the plate (with a HR). So if LaHair can play RF, the need to trade him lessens. However, if he can play RF and 1B, some rival teams may consider him more valuable. The question for management is whether LaHair is a better long term solution in RF than David DeJesus (who played CF last night). It is a classic trade off of more offensive potential or less defensive tools with LaHair over DeJesus.
May 3, 2012
POO
Sometimes the best moves are the ones you don't make.
Cub fans dreamed of the possibility of stealing away Cardinals slugger Albert Pujols this off season.
The best hitter in baseball was a free agent looking for a long term, $25 million per season deal.
New Cub management played along with the fantasy, but had no real desire to tie up $250 million in one player. Instead, they made the trade for their first baseman of the future: Anthony Rizzo.
Some general managers have learned from the mistakes of others, especially giving veterans expensive long term contracts as the player's swansong contract. Soriano is still owed $53 million. He is unmoveable: as a trade candidate, at the plate, on the bases or in the outfield. The Cubs are stuck with an overpaid, underperforming player. It's called dead money.
The Angels made the move to sign Pujols to a huge, career concluding contract. Cue, Soriano theme song. For as the season moves into its second month, Pujols has been a huge disappointment.
Pujols is batting only .208. His on base percentage is a woeful .252. He has zero home runs, and only 5 RBIs. A rookie would have been optioned back to the minors.
In contrast, the Cubs one year stop gap at first, Bryan LaHair is batting around .380, a .429 OBP, with 7 HRs and 16 RBIs. He is literally the entire Cubs power so far this season. The Cubs have lucked out with their 29 year old career minor leaguer being paid the minimum salary.
On a cost benefit analysis on performance to date, the Cubs are clearly better off with LaHair than Pujols.
Cub fans dreamed of the possibility of stealing away Cardinals slugger Albert Pujols this off season.
The best hitter in baseball was a free agent looking for a long term, $25 million per season deal.
New Cub management played along with the fantasy, but had no real desire to tie up $250 million in one player. Instead, they made the trade for their first baseman of the future: Anthony Rizzo.
Some general managers have learned from the mistakes of others, especially giving veterans expensive long term contracts as the player's swansong contract. Soriano is still owed $53 million. He is unmoveable: as a trade candidate, at the plate, on the bases or in the outfield. The Cubs are stuck with an overpaid, underperforming player. It's called dead money.
The Angels made the move to sign Pujols to a huge, career concluding contract. Cue, Soriano theme song. For as the season moves into its second month, Pujols has been a huge disappointment.
Pujols is batting only .208. His on base percentage is a woeful .252. He has zero home runs, and only 5 RBIs. A rookie would have been optioned back to the minors.
In contrast, the Cubs one year stop gap at first, Bryan LaHair is batting around .380, a .429 OBP, with 7 HRs and 16 RBIs. He is literally the entire Cubs power so far this season. The Cubs have lucked out with their 29 year old career minor leaguer being paid the minimum salary.
On a cost benefit analysis on performance to date, the Cubs are clearly better off with LaHair than Pujols.
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