The Chicago National League Ball Club

An objective look at the love of my life--the Chicago Cubs.

2.08.2005

Maggs Signs With Tigers

The offseason is fastly coming to an end and the Cubs did not sign any big name outfielder.

This, I dont like.

Going into early November I figured we'd get one of the big 3...Carlos Beltran, J.D. Drew, or Magglio Ordonez.

And here we are, a week into February and we're left with nothing.

The thing is, I understand the Cubs' hesitation to throw a ton of money at any of these guys.

Carlos Beltran, an extremely gifted player, saw his stock soar because he had one of the best postseasons of recent memory. If he doesn't jack 8 playoff HR, I really don't think he gets the 7yr/$120 million that the Mets gave him. He's a great player, but there is such a thing as overspending. And overspending was the hallmark of the Mets offseason.

J.D. Drew was the first of the big three to sign, inking a 5 year/$55 million contract with the LA Dodgers. The problem with signing Drew to a 5 year contract is that he's been injury prone since he came into the league. 2004 was the first season that he played over 140 games...and he's 29 years old. No one has doubted his talent, but his knack for finding the disabled list makes him a risky signing. I would love to have him, but I can see why the Cubs didn't break the bank.

Then there's Maggs. After seeing Terrell Owen's Super Bowl performance I'm having visions of Ordonez chasing down fly balls, breaking up double plays, and launching 460 ft. home runs. 5 years for $75 million is a lot of coin to spend on a player who waited this long before he even worked out for a team. Detroit overspent for Ordonez simply because there were no other legitimate offers on the table. To offer $15 million when you're the only serious bidder doesn't seem prudent. But, they have their guy so we'll see how he performs.

What's even more fun is that all 3 of the guys are represented by uberagent Scott Boras.

So, Beltran is a Met, Drew is a Dodger, and Maggs is a Tiger.

Instead, we got Jeromy Burnitz.

KONG NOT HAPPY.

1 Comments:

  • At 3/12/2005 1:41 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    I'm gonna go ahead and argue that Mark Prior is not the Cubs best player, he is not the key to success this year, and I'll even argue that he is not the Cubs best pitcher!-Yeah I said it. First of all, the Cubs best player is hands down, Nomahhhh! I think the only explanation for you not stating this could be maybe you forgot he was on the team?? Nomar is one of the most versatile players in all of baseball. The man is a catalyst for offensive explosion! He hits for average and power, runs the bases very well, and holds a steady, somewhat underrated glove in the toughest position on the field. Nomar has the capability of taking the Cubs runs scored averaged up a solid notch or two while batting from just about anywhere in the lineup. He will be the key to a Cubby postseason; his being healthy takes the Cubs from legitimate playoff contenders to legitimate World Series champions. The Cubs nearly made the playoffs last season with next to no help from Mark Prior. His individual performance this season will not be a significant factor for a playoff birth. One should not analyze the Cubs pitching on an individual basis. The success or failure of any one player from that staff will not immensely affect a season's outcome. Finally, Carlos Zambrano is the best pitcher in the rotation. The man really is a bull. Carlos Zambrano simply dominated National League hitters last season. His stats have vastly improved consistently from season to season and at the mere age of 23, we should expect to see more growth for years to come. When Zambrano took the mound last season there was little to worry about. And if the game happened to be at Wrigley, where he posted an era of under 2.00 for much of the season, the game was basically a shoo-in. He is also undoubtedly the most reliable and consistent pitcher in the rotation. He could easily be a 20 game winner this season.

     

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