It’s official. Hours after trading for Kevin Gregg, the Cubs have announced that they will cut ties with long time face of the franchise Kerry Wood. The reasoning behind this seems to be that the Cubs are loaded at the back-end of the bullpen with Marmol, that wide-receiver from Notre Dame, and now Kevin Gregg. That reasoning is flawed.

The reason that the Cubs bullpen has been so great the last two seasons is because of the flexibility of Carlos Marmol. Marmol has been able to come into the game in the 7^th or 8^th with 2 on and no out and succeeding in those situations. I don’t have the numbers with me but I know he only let a handful of inherited runners on base score. But now it seems the Cubs want to move Marmol in the closers role and in effect diminish his effectiveness and impact on a ballgame. Marmol was always the back-up plan if this went wrong in the late innings of a ballgame. Who fills his roll now? Samardzija is young and inexperienced and Gregg has a tendency to walk batters and blew 11 saves last year. If these guys struggle in the set-up role then there will be no game to save for Marmol.

On top of all this is the Cubs over paid to rent Kevin Gregg for one year. Jose Ceda was one of the best prospects in the Cubs farm system and to trade him away for likely mid-level reliever doesn’t make sense. Everything I’ve ever heard about Ceda painted the 21 year old as a potential star with Ace stuff. Even if you were to trade Ceda, why not save him for a Brian Roberts or Jake Peavy deal which would address one of the Cubs needs?

This leads me back to Kerry Wood. The Cubs are staying away from Wood because of the money and the years that he would most likely ask for. But I would much rather the Cubs spend money on Wood then spend it on Ryan Dempster. Why not commit money to a proven commodity (Wood) instead of a player whose chance to flop is incredibly high? The chances of Dempster coming close to a season like he had in ’08 is extremely low, yet Wood, when healthy, has dominant stuff that is perfect to close out a game. This trade just seems like a total loss for the Cubs and makes them weaker in the bullpen. Maybe more people would realize that if the trade was worded like this: “Cubs acquire Kevin Gregg, lose Jose Ceda and Kerry Wood.” Hopefully the Cubs make better moves than this during the remainder of the off-season.

The Chicago Cubs have once again proved to be the biggest losers in sports by going 0 for 100 in World Series Titles. The LA Dodgers completed dismantling the NL favorites by beating the Cubs 3-1 to complete a 3-0 sweep of epic proportions. As a Cubs fans myself, I took 15 minutes to yell curse words as loud as I could outside, then immediately sat down to capture my initial reactions.

15 Minutes After Sweep (AS)

One word: embarrassing. This was an absolute SHELL of what was supposed to be the best team in the National League. It is almost worst than last year because a few players actually decided to show up offensively (Lee and DeRosa) but they made up for it with lax defensive plays in a clutch situation. Alfonso Soriano’s approach at the plate works fine in the regular season, but when you scout him hard for three weeks he is the easiest out in the Cubs line-up (Sliders away anyone?) I’m pissed that this team of paid professionals continue to melt when the lights are brightest. Regular season accomplishments might cut it in most of the time, but THIS year with THIS team, the Cubs fan’s deserved better.

20 Minutes AS

My last post that I left on this blog had alot to do with Brian Roberts and what a potential line-up with Mr. Roberts would look like. My concessus was that Alfonso Soriano isn’t and should never be a lead off hitter, which became painfully evident during this Dodgers series. I could throw you some ugly looking stats (.071 BA in the 08′ postseason) but I’m not getting into that. Soriano in the lead off spot has been a nice experiment. I’m not sure about Texas, but he got away with it in Washington because the team was never in contention and he seemed like he would bug out if management would try to bat him somewhere else. Chicago isn’t Washington. If Alfonso Soriano wants to play ball for this team he has to bat anywhere BUT lead off. You have to put Soriano into a situation where he can succeed and the #1 spot isn’t it. You could call the pitches before the Dodgers staff would throw them. Slider low and away. Rinse and repeat. And he keeps swinging and swinging and swinging and swinging. Put him lower in the order when there are people on base and the pitcher is forced to throw him strikes. It so damn obvious that he has ZERO intention of working the count. The Cubs need to tell Soriano to swallow his pride and drop down… or they will continue to lose in the playoffs.

30 Minutes AS

I just had a frightening revelation. The Cubs caught so many breaks:

1. A career year from Mark DeRosa

This guy played all over and constantly hit. Will he even be close to those numbers next year?

2. A healthy Rich Harden for the entire 2nd Half

The biggest question mark in the deal for Harden was whether he would be healthy for the rest of the regular season AND postseason. Mission accomplished. Can the Cubs even get 20 starts out of him next year with his checkered injury past?

3. Picking up two discarded pieces (Edmonds and Johnson) to turn a weakness (Pie) into a strength.

How many times do you sign to guys who have been released and they turn out to be A+ with the bat and the glove. Who knows if that spark will carry over into 09? Edmonds is getting old and Johnson may have had a flash in the sky kinda year.

4. Ryan Dempster winning 17 games when most people before the season would’ve considered 10 wins a stretch.

Who expected 17 wins from Dempster? If you say “I did!” then you are lying. Dempster made every Cubs fan cringe when he took the mound as a closer, and everyone expected the same when he was named a starter.

40 Minutes AS

Most of my anger is gone and now all I have is that terrible feeling knowing the next baseball game I will honestly care about is months away. The Cubs have a lot of decisions to make this off season, and not all of them are going to be well received. The Cubs might be entering a phase where they begin to see a difference between a winning team and a championship team. 100 years is a long time. My Grandfather and my Father have never seen the Cubs win a World Series. I’m sure when they were my age they thought “It’s gonna happen”. My Grandfather DIED without seeing his favorite sports team win a World Series. My Father, who at one time thought a World Series would be guaranteed in this life time, now begins to wonder if he will share the same fate as his Dad. That leaves me, who believes that certainly the Cubs will win before I leave this world…. just ask me that question again in 40 years…

1 Hour AS

There is no doubt that the Dodgers handed the Cubs their own rears on a platter. Instead of being all bitter, I will wish them luck. So Dodgers, fate may have been on your side in the NLDS, but you are going to have to make your own fate in the NLCS. Good Luck.

It has recently been reported that the Cubs will try batting Soriano in the 2 spot to try to keep his legs healthy for the regular season. If Lou is thinking of tinkering with the lineup, maybe he should try a few of these scenarios.

What Lou is doing on Friday:

1. Theriot
2. Soriano
3. Lee
4. Ramirez
5. Fukudome
6. DeRosa/Soto
7. Soto/DeRosa
8. Pie

The main reason I don’t like this lineup is mainly because Soriano doesn’t do the things a 2 hitter does. Soriano won’t move runners over by  bunting or by trying to drive the ball through a hole on the right side of the infield. Soriano was so good in the lead off spot because he could do whatever the hell he wanted and no one was going to argue with the amount of lead off home runs he hit. Soriano is also too impatient and wouldn’t work the count the way that Theriot or Fukudome could. Alfonso also wouldn’t benefit from having D-Lee batting behind him because most pitchers would consider Soriano a more dangerous hitter (aka they would be more prone to giving up a HR to Soriano than Lee).

Here are a few lineups that I will propose:

Lineup #1

1. Theriot
2. Lee (Lee is the best 2 hitter on the Cubs like it or not)
3. Fukudome
4. Ramirez
5. Soriano
6. DeRosa
7. Soto
8. Pie

Lineup #2

1. Soriano
2. Theriot
3. Lee
4. Ramirez
5. Fukudome
6. Soto
7. DeRosa
8. Pie

These lineups both have expose a weakness in the Cubs offense that could potentially leave them inconsistent through out the season: Lead Off. Soriano was a great lead off hitter with the Nationals and the Cubs because of the power numbers and his ability to steal bases. Well, if Lou is worried about his legs and doesn’t want him batting lead off, then the Cubs have to make a move. This is the most compelling case for a Brian Roberts trade:

1. Roberts
2. Fukudome
3. Lee
4. Ramirez
5. Soriano
6. Soto
7. Theriot
8. Pie

With this lineup, you allow Fukudome to see a greater number of fastballs and his ability to use his plate vision to draw walks and get on base. That way, even if Fukudome struggles with the bat, he will still be productive by getting on base. Soriano at the 5 spots provides protection for Ramirez, something he wouldn’t necessarily have with Fukudome or DeRosa batting behind him. Also, with Soriano batting 5th, his 25+ home runs would be more valuable to the team as a whole. Everyone batting above Soriano has the potential to either bat .300 or have a higher than average OBP, which would leave Soriano with many RBI opportunities. Also, if Soriano were to be on 1st base with one or no outs, he would provide problems for the pitcher. Soriano’s speed would mean that the pitcher would be more inclined to throw fastballs to try to throw him out on a steal attempt. Soto, who would bat 6th, can kill a fastball, but has some problems with breaking stuff. Put two and two together, and we have a situation that helps both players.

DeRosa is a really nice player, but he doesn’t really provide protection to Ramirez and he struggled last year batting second. However, DeRosa can play all the infield positions and spent time in the outfield last year, meaning the Cubs would be able to rest players on a more regular basis and not lose much offensively. A Brian Roberts deal would mean a deeper bench and a much needed lead off hitter to set the table for a more than formidable 2 through 5.

….what are you DOING?

And yes, it was all I ever wanted. What to expect this week:

NL West, Central, and East Previews

Mitchell Report Musings

NFL Free Agency

In the 3rd of 7 MLB Season previews, the AL East is put under the microscope. The Red Sox and the Yanks are (surprise!) the class of the AL East again, but who will win the heavyweight fight to take the East crown?

New York Yankees Projected Finish: First

What went wrong last year: The starting pitching was in flux the entire season last year. Phil Hughes was injured early and wasn’t able to show off his true potential. Mo Rivera was not very effective in the beginning of year, and even when he was effective the Yanks couldn’t get the ball to him consistently. That was until Joba Chamberlain came to the big leagues and dominated in the setup role. Roger Clemens coming back to this team was a distraction and probably hurt this team rather than help it. Not to mention that the offense came up small in the post season again. Whether that can be attributed to the Indians pitching or a certain pressure/choke factor for the Yankees is for you to decide.

Did they fix it: The starting rotation should be much improved this year if they can stay healthy. Phil Hughes should have a solid year, and Ian Kennedy will surprise some people. I also expect 15+ wins from Wang and Andy Pettitte. I don’t buy the notion that Pettitte will be haunted by the HGH stories that went on this offseason. The last time I saw Pettitte pitch in the ALDS, he was flat out dominant. Joba sticking in the bullpen is a must this year, but if the rotation needs help, Joba can be plugged in there and the Yankees can hope that newly acquired LaTroy Hawkins will do what he did in Colorado and not what he did in Chicago. This offense will be one of the best in the league again.

2008 Best Case: Kennedy and Hughes have breakout years which keeps Joba in the bullpen to setup Mo Rivera. Hawkins provides a shut down 7th inning guy and the Yanks bullpen becomes a strong point again. Moose recovers from a terrible 2007 with 13 wins and an era around 4.15, which is all that is required of him. The offense continues to put up numbers with Giambi having a better year and Melky progressing at the plate. Speaking of Melky, he turns into one of the best center fielders in baseball and leads everyone in the AL in outfield assists. The Yankees ride a hot streak and overtake the Red Sox in the final week to get into first place, where the shed their post season demons and win World Series number 27.

2008 Worst Case: Kennedy and Hughes struggle in the rotation which brings Joba into the mix as a starter. With Joba out of the bullpen, Hawkins can’t handle the pressure of setting up for Mo Rivera and the bullpen becomes a problem again. Giambi’s power numbers continue to drop and Posada and Damon begin to look old. In hopes of staying in the race, the Yanks make some rash moves to get back into the playoff hunt that will hurt them in the coming years. They make an early September run, but the Red Sox outplay them in the final weeks of the season. The Yankees end up in second place and out of the playoffs.

Boston Red Sox Projected Finish: Second

What went wrong last year: It’s really hard to pick on a team that won the World Series. It’s also hard to say that they will finish in second place in the East with much of the same team.

Did they fix it: The Red Sox didn’t do much in terms of moves in the offseason, but they really didn’t have to. They have the young players coming up through their system (Buchholz and Ellsbury) where they could really just sit on their hands and still get better. Schilling’s injury may be career threatening, but you can’t trust anything that involves Curt Schilling because he is the MLBs drama queen as it is.

2008 Best Case: The Red Sox are a well oiled machine that plays with a ton of confidence and a good mix of veterans and youth. Buchholz shows flashes of brilliance in what is a little bit of an up and down season, while Lester is a reliable 4th or 5th starter that gives the Sox innings and victories to go along with it. Papelbon continues his dominance in the closers role, while Okajima has another great season setting up. Ellsbury is the second coming of Johnny Damon and energizes the entire line-up. That coupled with typical Ortiz and Manny years give the Red Sox a dangerous offense. They pull away from the Yanks in the final month and enjoy another first place season. Schilling makes another dramatic comeback in the playoffs and pitches them to back to back World Series Titles.

2008 Worst Case: The young players that showed promise last year come up short in their first full season in the big leagues. Injuries finally catch up to Big Papi who misses a few months with lower body ailments. Manny seems unhappy in the locker room which hurts the team chemistry. The offense still puts up numbers and the bullpen is still solid, but an inconstant starting rotation proves to be too big of an obstacle to over come as the Red Sox watch the Yankees grab first place and never let go. The Red Sox finish in 2nd place and miss the Wild Card.

Toronto Blue Jays Projected Finish: Third

What went wrong last year: The Blue Jays got a lot of disappointing performances from their marquis players last year. Vernon Wells didn’t live up to the contract he signed and AJ Burnett continued to be hounded by injuries. BJ Ryan was injured early on in the year and his presence was missed in the bullpen. It also doesn’t help that they continue to play in a division with the Yanks and Red Sox, who outspend them year after year.

Did they fix it: It’s hard to fix injuries and under performance. The Jays lost Troy Glaus but turned around an aquired Scott Rolen, which makes it a push. Eckstein will help with the offense at the top of the order. All in all, this team didn’t really change much in the offseason other than the left side of the infield. The Blue Jays just have to hope that everyone can stay healthy.

2008 Best Case: Burnett finally pitches an entire season healthy and begins to show signs of the pitcher they signed all those years ago. BJ Ryan is 100% and returns to his pre-injury form. Wells picks up the slack he left last year, and Alex Rios continues to get better and better at the plate. McGowan and Marcum bust out and have great years as starters and Doc Halladay puts up another Cy Young season. The Blue Jays stay attached to the hips of the Yankees and Red Sox the entire season, and eventually end up overtaking one of them and ending the season in 2nd place in the East where they miss the Wild Card.

2008 Worst Case: Burnett continues to be a disappointment with more injury problems. While Halladay pitches well, the back end of the rotation doesn’t step up to fill the void left by Burnett. Ryan doesn’t look the same coming off the injury, and has a bad year by his standards. Wells puts up another sub-par year and Rios takes a step back in his progression. Rolen struggles at the plate and beings to show his age in the field where he commits more errors than he ever has. The team struggles for most of the year and its shows in the standings, where they finish in 4th place.

Tampa Bay Devil Rays Projected Finish: Fourth

What went wrong last year: Things actually started to look up for the D-Rays (I can call them that because I’m talking about 07) last year with the emergence of James Shields and Carlos Pena. The offense was suspect at times, with Baldelli missing a large amount of the season. They traded away the once promising Jorge Cantu to the Reds and lost Delmon Young in a trade to the Twins.

Did they fix it: I think the Rays might be one of the most improved teams in the American League outside of Detroit. I like their top 3 starters (Shields/Kazmir/Garza) and Troy Percival will pitch well for them. Rookie 3rd basemen Evan Longoria will have all eyes on him as the starting 3rd basemen. Signing Cliff Floyd and plugging him in the DH spot will help this team on the field and give the Rays some veteran leadership.

2008 Best Case: Kazmir get through the season injury free and reminds us why he is one of the best left handers in all of baseball. Shield and Garza both pitch very well and the back end of the rotation does its part. The offense is filled with stars in BJ Upton, Carl Crawford, Evan Longoria, and a resurgent Rocco Baldelli. Percival is an effective closer and helps seal up close games. This team surprises everyone by becoming the most improved team record wise and finish in 3rd place and over .500.

2008 Worst Case: Kazmir continues to struggle with injuries, and Shield can’t find the magic he had last year. Longoria struggles with the bat, Pena turns out to be a fluke, and Iwamura’s position change effects him at the plate. Percival just doesn’t have anything left in the tank and the Rays blow games in the late innings because of it. This team makes strides during the season, but just can’t turn the corner and take it to the next level. They ride a roller coaster the entire season and end up in 4th place.

Baltimore Orioles Projected Finish: LAST

What went wrong last year: The starting and middle relief pitching was a problem for the whole season, and Ray being injured and ineffective as the closer provided no stability anywhere. Corey Patterson continued to play far below his potential with a bat in his hands and the offense as a whole under preformed. Not to mention that they got beat 30-3 by the Rangers. *Cringe*

Did they fix it: An emphatic NO. They traded away their two best players in Bedard and Tejada in hopes of getting better in the future. If you read between the lines, that means that they have a potential to be atrocious this year. They did get back some nice pieces in the trades they made, namely Adam Jones and George Sherrill, but that won’t nearly be enough. The outfield has the potential to be a surprise, but that may be one of the few bright spots.

2008 Best Case: If you read the two segments above, you may already realize that this section may be a little bleak. Daniel Cabrera finds his control and beings to lower his WHIP and becomes one of the better pitchers in the MLB. The rest of the starters 2 through 5 go through growing pains, but they each do well enough to consider their season a success. The offense will likely be drained of any proven talent by the time the trading deadline comes around, but the young guys do well enough in their absence. Adam Jones turns out to be a super star in the making, and gives the Orioles some hope going into 2009. There are some positives in the season, but it ultimately ends with the O’s finishing in 4th place.

2008 Worst Case: The starting rotation is an absolute travesty and an abomination to all man kind. Daniel Cabrera continues to send more people walking than ever thought humanly possible, and 2 through 5 is an absolute crap shoot. All this over taxes an already weak bullpen and sends the Orioles on numerous losing streaks. The offense loses what constancy it had by the trading deadline where everyone with a resume is traded away, and the young players just can’t pick up the slack. The Orioles finish in last place in the East with the worst record in all of baseball.

Final Predictions for the AL East

Yankees (94-68)
Red Sox (92-70)
Blue Jays (86-76)
Rays (78-84)
Orioles (66-96)

Details are a little scarce right now, but here is what the trade looks like:

Cavs get:

Wally Szcerbiak (Seattle)
Ben Wallace (Bulls)
Delonte West (Seattle)
Joe Smith (Bulls)
2nd Round pick (Bulls)

Bulls get:

Drew Gooden (Cavs)
Larry Hughes (Cavs)
Cedric Simmons (Cavs)
Shannon Brown (Cavs)

Sonics get:

Ira Newble (Cavs)
Donyell Marshall (Cavs)
Adrian Griffin (Bulls)

I’ll be heading to my hometown for the weekend, so there probably won’t be a post on Saturday or Sunday. Luckily, I got the AL East Preview all ready to go, so you can expect that tomorrow. Also, don’t forget to check out the Point of Attack Netcast which will be broadcasting live today (Thursday) at 10:15pm EST. If you do miss out on the live show, check back on Friday and an archived version will be available to listen to.

Barry Bonds, the greatest home run hitter in history and a guy with a high OBP, is still without a team with 2 month to go until the baseball season begins. Is this a sign that Barry Bonds is being blackballed by baseball, or does it just mean that no one is willing to take on the baggage?

It looks funny to people when the all time leader in homers is still without a job when Spring Training rolls around. I can understand the questions of whether or not Bonds is being blackballed, but the answer is really simple: No, he isn’t. Any team that decides to to sign Bonds to one year deal is signing all of Bonds’ baggage as well. Not only will this cause a huge distraction to most of his new teammates, but lest we forget the whole perjury thing. And while his homers and OBP may high above average, who is willing to pay the price in dollars and in distraction to bring him to your team? Outside of the Yankees, I can’t really see a team that has a use from him anyway. The Athletics aren’t going to contend so they won’t pay him enough, the Angels need the DH open to help their aging outfielders take days off, and the teams that aren’t contenders for the the post-season don’t want him either. A National League team would be hard pressed to sign him and make him play outfield, where his diminished range and threat of lower body injuries remain high. It’s not so much that Barry Bonds’ is being blackballed, but rather the game has started to pass him by. We saw this when Sammy Sosa left the Orioles and couldn’t find a team that would give him the money he was looking for. Could he play? Look what he did with Texas last year when he settled for less money and a lesser role. Maybe the problem isn’t that Bonds is getting blackballed… maybe Bonds is just asking for too much.

Lakers (37-17) – 130                          Suns (37-17) – 124

Shaq is back! He played 29 minutes and had 15 points and 9 rebounds, but the Suns still came up short. The real story in this game was the Lakers Big 3 (Kobe, Gasol, Odom) who scored 92 of the Lakers 130. This game was my first chance to see the new look Suns/Lakers in action, and I have to say that the Lakers were far more impressive. Maybe it’s because the Suns haven’t had Shaq all that long, but LA has clearly emerged as the team to beat in the West.

Cavaliers (30-24) – 106                               Pacers (31-33) – 97

Another triple double for the King (31 – 14 – 12) helped the Cavs pull away from the Pacers in the 4th Quarter. That makes it 2 triple doubles in a row for King James, who now has 16 career. This win is a little bitter sweet however, as Daniel Gibson’s ankle was crunched under an Pacer body. Gibson, who was 5-5 from the 3-point line before the injury, did not return to the game. The Cavs have to make some kind of move at the deadline, or this team may not be near healthy come playoff time.

Magic (34-22) – 110                          Raptors (29-23) – 127

What do you do if you beat the Pistons on the road? Go to Toronto and get smashed by the Raptors. Howard had 37 and 15 and the scoring was balanced for the Magic, but Chris Bosh’s 40 and the Raptors 3-point shooting set them apart.

Mavericks (35-19) – 93                       Hornets (37-15) – 104

Jason Kidd’s debut with the Mavs didn’t go exactly as planned (8 points, 5 assists, 6 turn overs) and the Mavs came up short to a little mentions Hornets team. I wish everyone would stop sleeping on the Hornets. While I do think that the Lakers have established themselves as the team to beat in the West, the Hornets aren’t exactly chopped liver. The Hornets posses the pieces to beat any team in the West in a series.

Pistons (39-15) – 98                            Bucks (20-34) – 103

WAKE UP DETROIT. The Pistons have lost 2 games in a row and appear to have shut it down until playoff time. The All-Star break has a visible impact on this team almost every season. I guess the Pistons shouldn’t be too worried, since they always turn it back on when the need it.

Celtics (41-11) – 117                              Warriors (33-21) – 119

So much for that 16-0 record against the West. The Celtics have lost their first 2 games of their West Coast swing, and it doesn’t get easier with Phoenix next on the list. Baron Davis hit a buzzer beater to stun the Celtics, who got good production out of KG. This road trip tells me a little about the Celtics as a team, but I still want to see them on their last West Coast trip where they play the Spurs, Rockets, Mavs, and Hornets in a 4 game stretch (March 17-22).