Mark DeRosa of the Chicago Cubs was traded to the Cleveland Indians on New Years Eve for 3 minor league pitchers. Then the Cubs added Aaron Miles for a 2 year contract. He formerly played on the dreaded Cardinals Personally, I don't agree with the trade for a number of reasons. DeRosa is an extremely versatile player, a level headed and club house guy, a lucky #7, and a fan favorite among the ladies, because of his good looks.
But...
Baseball is a numbers game whether you look at the numbers as a bating average or salary. Mark DeRosa was going to make about $5 mil next year and they signed Miles to a much cheaper 2 year $4 mil contract. Maybe our economy is also hurting the Cubs and their payroll. Also, Miles had a .315 average last year with the hated Cards. Like DeRosa, he's also a versatile player and can play a few positions. Hopefully we're trading for a guy who plays like him, but just has a smaller salary. Maybe it will also regularly give little Mikey Fontenot a chance to play.
Although I absolutely do not like this trade, I have complete faith in Jim Hendry and know he has something else up his sleeve. Maybe he made this trade to make salary room for another big trade? Is he using the 3 minor league players as trade bait for Peavy? Milton Bradley? Who knows.
Only time will tell. As for now, I'm just sulking as how this was a sad end to 2008. I wish Mark DeRosa luck in the upcoming season and realize he will be reunited in Cleveland with another Cub favorite (and a pitcher who I grew up as a young girl watching ), Kerry Wood.
The Milton Bradley rumors:
I honestly don't know anything about Milton Bradley other than that he has a cool name and that he is a hot head...not someone the Cubs need in their club house. The Cubs need cool and collected players who are ready to wash away 100 years+ of misery...not someone who isn't level headed. From what I do know, he is a switch hitter. Something the Cubs absolutely need: a left handed bat. With the woes of Fukudome, the Cubs need a lefty with some pop to his bat and can also go yard.
Jason Marquis:
I think he is decent pitcher and an above average #5 pitcher.I think if his contract was smaller, he would be an above par pitcher to have in the rotation. Yet again, our slumping economy and the troubles of the Tribune company does not allow for his $10 mil contract. I've heard him in trade rumors for the Rox and Mets. The Rox want to trade Luis Vizcaino, the former W Sox, for Marquis. Although LV doesn't have good numbers with the Rox last year (1-2 5.29 ERA), he does have an 8-2 4.30 ERA with '07 Yankees.
The cold months of winter sometimes bring good news, other times bad news (like the trade of DeRo and loss of the free-agent Woody). As a die-hard Cub fan, I'm use to the worst of news and always optimistic for the future. If this Aaron Miles comes out and puts about DeRosa-esque stats, this will be a great signing and Hendry will yet again look like a genius and Mark DeRosa will be forgotten about forever. 'Till Spring all we can do is speculate about Hendry's decisions and for 100+ years again hope for a WS title.
1 comment:
Im sure there will be some other trade coming down the way. La Russa was a great player for the cubs - OF and IF and nearly 90 rbi. He'd be back except that something else is brewing.
Any trade -well, not all (Billy Koch, fex)- is hard when you lose a player whose been contributing to the team. But players gotta go eventually - as much as we'd like to still see Reggie Jackson playing still (even for Baltimore) he had to go eventually.
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