Bring Back Garciaparra
Nomar Garciaparra wants to wear blue pinstripes next year, reports the Chicago Tribune. The Cubs should make a concerted effort to bring him back.
This season has clearly not been what Garciaparra and the Cubs had hoped for. After a stellar spring training, Garciparra shot -- backward -- out of the gate this year, posting a 405 OPS before going down for three months with a groin injury. Since his return in August, Garciparra has put up an 866 OPS (.310/.343/.523). He has also shown an ability to play third base (though if Baseball Prospectus's numbers are to be believed -- insert small sample size caveat -- not too much of an ability).
So why re-sign a player who hasn't been able to log a full season in three of the past five seasons and will never approach his 1998-2000 performance levels? And what about Ronny Cedeno?
Re-sign Garciaparra because he is a high performance player with something to prove. Garciaparra will still just be 32 years old at the start of next season and thus has at least a few good years left. There are few players on the potential free agent market that can make the type of impact that Garciaparra can. While there are some troubling trends to Garciaparra's numbers -- lower Isolated Power and lower BB/K ratio -- Garciaparra still offers the Cubs the well founded hope of a very productive season. The Cubs -- and us, the fans -- just need to realize that we will not get the Garciaparra that became known simply as Nomar. The Cubs then need to value him accordingly.
So if the Cubs sign Garciaparra, what does that mean for Cedeno, who put up a 921 OPS for Iowa this year and a 731 OPS for the big league club in 80 at-bats and 5 walks (ahead of Neifi Perez's somewhat flukish 689)? What it means is that you still give Cedeno the chance to win the shortstop job. Cedeno's defense at short is likely to be much better than Garciaparra's.
There has been much speculation about whether the Cubs will pursue Rafael Furcal. There's no way to avoid this: Furcal is a very good player -- don't ignore his excellent defense -- who fits a need (leadoff hitter) for the Cubs. But someone else is bound to overpay for him. If Jim Hendry has shown anything as a general manager, it is that he will not overpay for you unless you are a middle reliever or your name is Jose Macias. If Furcal doesn't overprice himself, great, pursue him, letting Todd Walker walk (Walker won't pick up his option if he won't be starting) and move Cedeno to second. If someone does overpay for Furcal, let them do so. Pick up Walker's option and hope he picks up his player option. If Cedeno fails, put Garciaparra back at shortstop.
If Cedeno succeeds, which I anticipate, put Garciaparra in leftfield. The Trib quotes Garciaparra about playing left: "Whatever. If you're where you want to be and you want to be part of a great organization and a great team. . . . I have a hard time saying it's a sacrifice. It's just something you do because we're a team."
Whether chemistry is measurable and/or has an effect on team performance or not, it's just nice to root for guys like that. Garciaparra is certainly a good enough athlete to play a good leftfield.
So what about Matt Murton, who has been the Cubs' best hitting outfielder since being inserted as an everyday starter late in the season? Simple: rightfield.
The Cubs would simply need a backup lefthanded hitting corner outfielder, to spell Garciaparra when he needs the inevitable day off and to spell Murton against the espcially tough righties. The misused-this-year Ben Grieve fits the bill.
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Nice job
Very well thought out. I like the idea of Nomar in left and Cedeno at short. And I like even better the idea of having a manager around who would actually do that.
I think the only caveat I would offer is that it may be time to let Walker go. He's a guy who's about to embark on the downside of his career, and his injuries this year are not encouraging. He's already almost nonviable as a second basemen defensively, so any slip in his offense is really going to hurt.
I'm not dead set against bringing him back, and I'll readily admit that I don't really have any alternatives to offer at the moment. So, it's fair to say that I haven't really thought it through all the way. But there's an old adage that it's better to cut someone a year too early than a year too late, and I wonder if that doesn't apply here.
Yes, I'm not confident at all
Yes, I'm not confident at all that Baker would play both Cedeno and Murton every day.
Good points on Walker, though I would counter that the risk ($2.5M) is relatively small.
How about...
SS Furcal
2B Cedeno
LF Nomar
or
SS Nomar
2B Cedeno
LF Walker
The Cubs will have lots more room to sign a Furcal caliber free agent if they will not be picking up the option for Burnitz and also due to the salary they will NOT be paying Sammy Sosa.
Nomar in 2006
I'd like to see Nomar with the Cubs next year.
Does anyone remember his Spring training batting average?
http://www.thebaseballcube.com/players/n...
He was ready to play and could've had a Derrek Lee type season if he didn't have that "please don't show that video again" injury early in the season.
In '99 he was selected for the All Star Game Home Run Derby. (Burnitz was also in that event.) That tells me that Nomar has some home runs in his bat that we haven't seen yet. I want to watch those get hit by Nomar as a Cub.
http://mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/mlb/histor...
Diana
Photos from Ryno Day at Wrigley
Ponder this ...... for just a second!!
I also agree that Nomar deserves one last chance with the Cubs. I also think one of the catches should be that he accepts the role as a corner outfielder, and insurance at shortstop and third(if chipper can do it, so can Nomar), because Cedeno is ready for everyday play. Furthermore besides trying to only sign Furcal the cubs should also persue a trade to bring over Juan Pierre as well. He is another lefthanded bat, and another proven leadoff hitter. Worse case senario is if one of those two guys get hurt, we still have a leadoff hitter, and if both guys stay healthy we'd have lots of speed at the top of the lineup setting the table for my boys D.Lee & A.Ramirez (and hopefully Nomar & Walker)
With those two guys at the top, allot more things can happen instead of waiting for D-Lee or Ramirez to crank one over the wall!
In 2006 i think Dusty should give the youngsters a chance to play more. ( look at those guys in Atlanta,Texas and Oakland, enough said). We also have Felix Pie that should be ready to make the step up this season, let the kid platoon a outfield position workin his way in for a 2007 spot. Kevin Mench seems also to be on Hendry's radar, who is also young with some pop in the bat, that would definetly be a plus to the outfield corps.
As for Walker he too should be willing to wanna get some playing time in the outfield, he can still play some second and if needed first to give D-Lee a breather. This only gives Dusty more options. The Cubs should indeed persue a pinch hit specialist.
As for Corey i think he needs a fresh start somewhere else, he has lots of talent but it just didnt work out in chicago for him. He instead of walker could and should be bait for a trade. Or the Cubs could give him a last chance and if he doenst snap out of it, trade him during the season.If they choose to to keep him, he can be moved to right field also.
And last but not least another quality starting pitcher and a veteran reliever is a MUST! And Many of us would like to see A. Guzman, R. Hill (among others form within)contribute as well.