Kuzul

When Gus Zernial of the Chicago White Sox and Roy Smalley of the Chicago Cubs won the inaugural Dave Kingman Award way back in 1950, the level of analysis that went into the award was pretty primitive. 

Did they guy hit a lot of home runs? If so, did he have a really low batting average and also a strangely low RBI total? 

Okay, good. Here’s your Dave Kingman Award. 

As baseball enjoyed its statistical revolution of the last 30 years, the Kingman analysis became greatly enhanced. To home runs and on-base percentage we were able to add runs created, OPS, OPS+, adjusted batting runs, WAR, and a host of other offensive statistics, to say nothing of the tacitly present defensive factor, measured by fielding runs, plus/minus, ultimate zone rating, and defensive WAR. 

Indeed, the statistical revolution has brought us into a new era of Dave Kingman analysis, which is really great, because there have certainly been season in which the Kingman candidates have abounded, and simple reference to home runs and on-base percentage haven’t given us the necessary information we’ve needed to parse the Pedro Felizes and the Chris Youngs. 

Where we’ve needed more, we’ve gotten it. 

And so it is, then, that we turn our attention to the 2010 Dave Kingman Award, with an eye towards determining, once again, who in Major League Baseball more than any other player was truly doing the least with the most. 

Let’s have a look: 

Mark Reynolds, Arizona Diamondbacks 

Reynolds will perpetually be a Kingman candidate because of his traditionally high home run and strikeout rates, combined with his traditionally low batting average. This season was no different for the Diamondbacks third baseman, as he hit 32 home runs, but managed only a .198 batting average with 211 strikeouts. 

After becoming the first player ever to strike out 200 times in 2008, he became the first player ever to do it twice in 2009, and in 2010 became the first player ever to do it three times. 

Reynolds was particularly bad in 2010, however. After driving in 102 RBI and scoring 98 runs in 2009, those numbers dropped to 85 and 79. He also had a 150 hits in 2009, and that number dropped to a shocking 99 hits in 596 plate appearances in 2010. The adage regarding strikeouts being just as detrimental to a player as any other out does not apply, it would seem, to Mark Reynolds. 

Brother needs to put some bat on some balls. 

Nevertheless, Reynolds remains just outside of being considered a Kingman clone for a simple reason: in 145 games, Reynolds took 83 walks in 2010, which raised his OBP a surprising 122 points above his batting average. 

There is value there, and while it is not great, it is enough to keep him out of the inner Kingman circle. 

Carlos Pena, Tampa Bay Rays 

Everything we just said about Mark Reynolds pretty much goes for Carlos Pena. He had the same curious combination of below .200 average and above .300 OBP, he hit a shocking number of home runs for a guy who doesn’t seem to make contact with the ball all that often, and he finished with fewer than 100 hits in 144 games. 

Pena is also a pretty bad defensive player, though this is not his reputation. Nevertheless, in this season, he is too good to win the Kingman. 

Adam Lind, Toronto Blue Jays 

It is simply unbelievable that Adam Lind could have consecutive seasons as disparate as the ones he had in 2009 and 2010. Lind went from 35 home runs, 114 RBI, and a .305/.370/.562 to 23 home runs, 72 RBI, and a .237/.287/.425 without even seeing a significant decrease in playing time. He scored almost 40 fewer runs in 2010 (93 vs. 57) and had 44 fewer base hits. 

I mean, what in the name of Jonny Gomes 2006 is going on here? 

In any other season, Lind would likely have walked away with the Dave Kingman Award handily with 23 home runs and a .287 on-base percentage. Throw in his -8.65 adjusted batting runs (second worst for any major leaguer with over 20 home runs) and his 0.1 WAR (wow), and he’d be a shoo-in. 

As it is, he isn’t even the best Kingman candidate in the American League, nor is he the best candidate (spoiler alert) on his own team…

Ty Wigginton, Baltimore Orioles 

There are certain things that baseball fans never understand, certain pieces of conventional wisdom that all baseball insiders follow but baseball outsiders can’t comprehend. 

For me, this is that thing: why is it that from time to time a team with no hope of making the playoffs will have a veteran player drastically over-achieve their career performance during the first half of the season and not immediately sell high on that player. 

This year we saw that with two players: when Carlos Silva came out of the gate lights out for the Chicago Cubs, winning his first eight games, the Cubs sat idly by patting themselves on the back for having found such a diamond in the rough. 

Even when it became clear that the Cubs season was going to be a train-wreck (I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt and say mid-May even though, for me, it was mid-March) and they were going to be dealing some players, they held on to Carlos Silva like he was found money. 

Had it been me, as soon as he got to 5-0 and I would have been on the horn with every general manager in baseball offering to give him up to any team willing to take his salary off my hands. When a guy like Silva (career WHIP: 1.397) comes out and looks like the next Derek Lowe for two months, you Sell Sell Sell!!! 

The other player we saw that with in 2010 was Ty Wigginton. Hey look, what do I know? There is a chance that when the 30 year old Wigginton came out and hit .288 with a .934 OPS over the first two months of the season with 13 home runs, 32 RBI, and 23 runs scored on the worst offensive team in baseball, it meant that he had finally figured things out. 

Had it been me, though, again I would have been on the horn with every team in baseball that needed a corner infielder for the fourth, fifth, or sixth spot in their lineup. If you think the Orioles couldn’t have gotten a tasty Double-A pitching prospect, or even a middle infield defensive specialist, in return for the hot hitting Wigginton from a desperate playoff-cusp team, you’re crazy. 

And what, possibly, were the Orioles holding him for? Was the 2011 season going to be built around this guy? 

As it was, the Orioles held on to Wigginton, and enjoyed the business end of a four month stretch from June 1st to the end of the season in which he hit .231 with a .640 OPS and nine home runs the rest of the way. Well play, Mr. Angelos, well played. 

Not only did the Orioles not get anything in return for two months of Wigginton hotness, they also found themselves in possession of a Kingman candidate. 

Aramis Ramirez, Chicago Cubs 

The 2010 National League Dave Kingman Award, and 2010 Major League Baseball Kingman Finalist, must be Aramis Ramirez of the Chicago Cubs. 

Not only did this guy suck on both sides of the ball, but he also $16.75 million to do it. 

As they say in melodramatic action movies when either an infectious disease or an object from space threatens to kill everyone on the planet: 

My. God. 

That Aramis Ramirez didn’t suffer one of the worst full seasons of all time is a testament to his second half. We here at BaseballEvolution.com have an Alex Gonzalez of the Marlins Award for the player who tails off the most after a great first half; in 2010, Ramirez was the bizarro Alex Gonzalez. 

On July 8 of this season, just days before the All Star Break, Ramirez had a .195 batting average with a .254 OBP and a .350 slugging percentage. To that point, through 59 games, A-Ram had nine home runs, 30 RBI, 18 walks and 52 strikeouts. 

Aramis was downright respectable in the second half, though, hitting 16 home runs, 13 doubles, and a triple while batting .285 with an .880 OPS the rest of the way. 

Imagine: despite that performance, he was still our Dave Kingman Award Finalist for the National League. The reason why is simple enough: on the season as a whole, Ramirez finished with the third fewest adjusted batting runs of any player with over 20 home runs in baseball, and fewest in the National League, with -7.93. He enjoyed (or didn’t enjoy) a negative WAR at -0.7, and his .294 on-base percentage was still terrible. 

Indeed, it was a year of which Dave Kingman would have been proud. 

Aaron Hill, Toronto Blue Jays 

Ah, Aaron Hill. I hate to dog an LSU Tiger like this, but Aaron Hill’s 2010 season was a historic one from a “doing the least with the most perspective.” 

Hill’s conventional stats are bad enough on their own to justify giving him the 2010 Kingman Award. Combined with his 26 home runs, Hill had 70 runs, 68 RBI, 22 doubles, 108 hits, and 41 walks. His batting average was a ridiculous .205, and his on-base percentage followed suit at .271. His OPS was a terrible .665, good for a 79 OPS+. 

His more advanced stats were also terrible: 0.8 WAR, -17.5 adjusted batting runs, and 56 runs created. 

But when you go deeper, you realize how terrible these numbers truly are for two reasons. 

First, in 2010 Hill became the sixth player ever to hit more than 25 home runs and have less than -15 batting runs (Hill went 26/-17.5). The other five were Tony Armas (1983), Vinny Castilla (1999), Tony Batista (2003 and 2004), and Jeff Francoeur (2006). 

Important, Armas and Bastista (twice) both won the Kingman Award in their respective years, while Francoeur was the runner-up, to Pedro Feliz, in the controversial 2006 voting. 

But wait… there’s more. 

In 2010, Aaron Hill also became the second player in the history of baseball to hit more than 25 home runs and have an OPS+ under 80, joining only Batista in 2003 (who somehow managed to go 26/73 in 670 plate appearances). 

And there it is: the essence of what it means to win the Dave Kingman Award. A rare combination of home run power and overall valuelessness. At least by this standard, Aaron Hill had the second best Kingman-clone season of all time. 

And for this reason, Aaron Hill is the 2010 Major League Baseball Dave Kingman Award Winner.

Asher B. Chancey lives in Philadelphia and is a co-founder of BaseballEvolution.com.

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Mark Reynolds and the Arizona Diamondbacks looked like the perfect match last season, when Reynolds finished fourth in the National League with 44 home runs. He also led the league in strikeouts for a second consecutive season, but the Diamondbacks seemed unfazed by that: Reynolds seemed to do everything else well at the plate, getting on base with lots of walks and stealing enough bases (24) to lead the league in power-speed number for the season.

Arizona eagerly signed Reynolds to a three-year extension worth $13.5 million with a fourth-year club option. The deal bought out Reynolds’ final pre-arbitration season at a rate of slightly under $1 million, then promised to pay him handsomely for 2011-12.

The contract now looks like a colossal mistake, or at least that is how the Diamondbacks themselves see it. Reynolds fell short of the Mendoza line in 2010, hitting a meager .198/.320/.433. He struck out in over 40 percent of his at-bats. He had an awful .257 batting average on balls in play, roughly 65 points off his career BABIP of .323.

Reynolds ended up swatting 32 home runs but also led the league in strikeouts for the third straight season–and it was only his third full MLB season. Reynolds’ name has red flags next to it in front offices around the league.

That’s why it is the perfect time for Chicago Cubs GM Jim Hendry to make Arizona GM Kevin Towers an offer. The Cubs enter the off-season knowing they need a corner infielder to fill out their lineup for next season. Towers, meanwhile, has promised to move some of the more whiff-prone members of a lineup that struck out 150 more times than any other team in baseball last season.

If the Cubs dedicate themselves to finding a solid pitcher (reliever Kerry Wood and starter Jorge de la Rosa are two good fits) on the free agent market, Hendry could go to Towers with an offer of (for instance) Jeff Baker and Randy Wells for Reynolds. Wells would be made expendable by the acquisition of the aforesaid pitcher, while Baker looks to be on the outside of the team’s infield picture given the late-season emergence of Darwin Barney and Bobby Scales.

Reynolds would bat either third or sixth in a reasonable Cubs lineup next season, starting at third base and pushing defensively untenable Aramis Ramirez across the diamond to first. One huge positive this season won the substantial improvement in Reynolds’ glove work at the hot corner, which adds to his underrated value.

If the guidance of brilliant hitting coach Rudy Jaramillo can help Reynolds do more on balls in play and perhaps even help him strike out less, the Arizona third baseman could add much-needed punch to the Cubs’ lineup in 2011.

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The Chicago Cubs are having fun on the road.

They scored a total of eight runs in the first four innings on Saturday night as they beat the Houston Astros 8-3 in the second game of the final series of the 2010 season.

They improve the record of their current season-ending road trip to 5-1 and they will get a chance to sweep their division arch-rivals Sunday afternoon.

Aramis Ramirez produced four runs with a grand slam in the fourth inning.  Marlon Byrd also had a three-RBI night.

The Cubs offense gave their starter Carlos Zambrano a two-run cushion in the first even before he (11-6) went onto the mound for his 20th start of the season.

The lead-off Jeff Baker received a walk from the Astros starting pitcher, J.A. Happ.  Starlin Castro followed with a double that advanced Baker to third.  Byrd drove in Baker on a groundout to shortstop. 

The inning continued; Ramirez received a walk.  After Xavier Nady’s strikeout, Alfonso Soriano doubled to left field to score Castro from second base.

The Cubs scored another pair of runs in the second to make it 4-0 in the following inning.  Both Zambrano and Baker tallied on Byrd’s left-field single. 

And in the fourth inning, the Cubs doubled their four-run lead.

Baker, who opened the inning, was save at first on Astros third baseman Chris Johnson’s throwing error.  Castro then singled a ground ball to Happ and Byrd’s base hit to center field loaded the bases with no out. 

The following batter, Ramirez, crushed Happ’s changeup and turned it into his 26th home run of the season which went over the left-field wall. 

Putting the Astros to an eight-run deficit, Happ (6-4) was forced to exit the game early right after Ramirez’s ninth grand slam of his career.  The southpaw gave up eight runs (seven earned) on eight hits in three-plus innings.  He walked five of the 22 batters he faced and struck out three.

The Astros tried hard from the beginning to overcome the deficit but they chose the wrong day to do so as the red hot Zambrano was starting for the Cubs. 

The right-hander, who was 7-0 in nine starts since the August 14, pitched another gem for his last start of the year.  He three-hit the home side in 6.1 innings giving up three runs (two earned).  He also struck out five and only walked three.  In the first sixth innings, he allowed three base runners only.

Houston scored all of their runs in the seventh inning off Zambrano.  But four Cubs relievers combined to blank the opponents for the rest of the game and preserved the Cubs victory. 

This article is also featured on www.sportshaze.com

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One minute, Cubs third baseman Aramis Ramirez is quoted as considering the possibility of not picking up his option for 2011. The next thing you know he’s telling the Sun-Times, ”I’m staying here, put it that way.”

This sounds to me like a guy who is working with the Cubs front office to restructure his contract.

Instead of paying Ramirez $14.6 million next year and then buying out his 2010 season for $2 million, perhaps the Cubs are going to extend the deal with more team-friendly, year-to-year salaries while giving Ramirez the longer-term extension he desires.

It had been suggested before that Ramirez was tired of playing on a losing ball club, and that his experience with Lou Piniella was less than helpful.

Meanwhile, Lou is no longer here, and money often speaks louder than any so-called desire to win, so Cubs fans can expect him to be in a Cubs uniform for awhile.

For some, this is good news. After all, when healthy, the man can hit.

But for the others who see a player who can’t stay healthy and will be turning 33 next season, this is unfortunate news.

The real kicker here is not just the injuries this season. Ramirez simply hasn’t performed well offensively. His .296 OBP is just awful, and is his lowest since 2002 with the Pirates.

Yet there is some glimmer of hope.

Post All-Star game, Ramirez has been much better. He is slugging at a .552 clip and his OBP is a weak, yet more career-like .333, thanks mainly to a higher average on balls in play.

When news that Ramirez might be considering rejecting his 2011 option became public, FanGraphs trumpeted a headline asking “Is Aramis Ramirez Insane?”

Well, apparently he found his medicine quickly, for he told Gordon Wittenmyer that he isn’t going anywhere.

And that is sound business logic since the man isn’t going to find an average annual salary of anywhere close to $14 million on the open market.

But he could get a longer-term deal, something he has to weigh the benefits of against the short-term payoff.

Unlike Adrian Beltre, who signed a one-year, “make good” contract with Boston and is now in line for a huge payday in free agency, maybe Ramirez isn’t that confident in his abilities or his health.

FanGraphs puts his projected WAR at a 3.5-4.5 range going forward, which probably makes him worth keeping around despite below average defense.

But this is based on past performance and with this injuries and miserable offensive season in 2010, can he get maintain those levels?

Well, his BABIP is only .244 this season, well below his career average of .288, which suggests some bad luck has plagued Ramirez in 2010.

For Ramirez, it’s a fairly easy decision, or at least it should be. He’s hitting much better at home than on the road and he’s comfortable here. Plus, he would be leaving almost $17 million on the table, counting the buy-out for 2012.

It’s not as easy a decision for the Cubs to swallow, however. Sure, they don’t really have anyone in place to play third base next season if Ramirez leaves. Josh Vitters seems to be regressing down on the farm.

But the Cubs could use the payroll flexibility. They need to add at least one veteran starting pitcher and improve the bullpen, all while not raising the payroll.  

The team also needs to replace Derrek Lee at first base. While some may be hoping for Adam Dunn, it is far more likely that they will go for a cheaper alternative.

According to Cots Baseball Contracts, the Cubs have more than $103 million committed to payroll for 2011. They also will be facing big arbitration raises to players like Carlos Marmol, Geo Soto, and Sean Marshall.

In other words, desperate times call for desperate measures. But those desperate measures apparently do not include saying goodbye to their third baseman.

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Inconsistent.

To sum up the Chicago Cubs of 2010 in one word, that word is the clear choice. Until a seven-game skid from late July into early August, the team had not won or lost more than four games in a row all season. They have played 31 games decided by six or more runs, going 11-20. In their 47 one-run games, they are 17-30.

It is somewhat unfair, however, and certainly not constructive, to simply dismiss Chicago as having had a bad team. That is not the case.

In the first half of the season, Chicago could not score enough to win. Third baseman Aramis Ramirez, the team’s offensive superstar, stood at a miserable .178/.243/.296 at the end of play on July 5th.

First baseman Derrek Lee, a former batting champion and the team’s premier slugger in 2009, struggled to a .227/.326/.367 line through the games of that day. Despite strong (but largely unspectacular) starts by a handful of other position players, Chicago could not put runs on the board with its third and fourth hitters struggling so mightily.

It was a shame, too, because those difficulties held Chicago back during a time when their starting pitching was working wonders. Through July 6th, right-handed hurler Carlos Silva had thrown 100 1/3 innings, allowing just 16 walks against 70 strikeouts and posting a 2.96 ERA.

Yet the Cubs lost five of his 16 starts, scoring two or fewer times in three of those defeats. Ryan Dempster, the team’s co-ace, had fanned 129 batters and walked 46 through July 15th, but the Cubs had lost 11 times in his 19 starts. In nine of those 11 losses, the team scored three runs or fewer.

The team’s other ace, Ted Lilly, suffered a similar fate. Lilly pitched well through July, posting a 3.69 ERA and striking out over three times as many opposing hitters as he walked. Because of lacking run support, however, the team lost 11 times in his 18 starts, as well. Again, nine of the losses saw the team score three runs or fewer.

Suddenly, just shy of the All-Star break, everything changed. Ramirez began a torrid tear that has lasted through the summer. Since July 6th, he has mashed at rates of .315/.358/.612. Lee began bashing on July 10th, after which point he would hit .317/.358/.574 before being traded in mid-August.

Other players, too, stepped up. Outfielder Kosuke Fukudome, a notoriously slow finisher who had lost playing time throughout the middle part of the season, came alive August 3rd, and has hit a preposterous .406/.506/.719 in 21 games since. Xavier Nady, a reserve outfielder who gained regular playing time at first base after Lee’s departure, batted .320/.386/.467 for the month of August.

By that time, however, it was too late. Lilly had been traded to Los Angeles. Silva’s season had come off the tracks with shoulder fatigue and a heart condition contributing to bad starts and a stint on the disabled list. Dempster, to whom the team had constantly looked to rest a tired bullpen, grew weary under the weight of rising pitch counts and poor defense. His ERA since July 15th is 4.05, and he has walked 26 against only 43 strikeouts. In seven of his nine starts, the team has scored at least four times. Still, they have won only five games.

So there we have it. The tale of two seasons. During the first half, the Cubs were not offensively viable. During the second half, a combination of circumstances has depleted their pitching staff beyond repair. Because of a bad defense and a worse bullpen, the team could not overcome either shortcoming. The end result is a team that will feel fortunate if it reaches 70 wins.

How can general manager Jim Hendry avoid this problem next season? In part, that will take care of itself. The team suffered from a lack of organizational depth this season.

Next year, however, a number of strong pitchers will be ready to step up from the Minor Leagues and contribute if the need arises. Outfielder Brett Jackson could be ready for a mid-season call-up, and semi-prospects Marquez Smith and Brandon Guyer look able if the team needs an extra bat or two off the bench.

The entirely unstable managerial situation, which the team will presumably remedy by bringing aboard a new skipper this winter, may also have contributed to the team’s fractured personality, and that, too, will take care of itself.

Still, the Cubs will need outside help to contend in 2011, if indeed that is possible. Free agents Cliff Lee and Adrian Beltre have reputations as consistent, steady contributors. Either would be a sensible addition. Neither would be sufficient alone. At any rate, Hendry and company must find some way to fix the crucial flaw of this 2010 Chicago Cubs team: extraordinarily bad timing.

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There has been a lot of traffic over the question of what exactly the Cubs are going to do at the first base position since Derrek Lee left the team.  There has been a lot of fanfare regarding Tyler Colvin’s move to first, but Mike Quade seems to have squelched that idea. So what are the Cubs to do? Well there are many options, some more possible than others.

Sign a Free Agent

This appears to be, by far, the laziest of any possible solutions. I mean it’s easy, right? Let’s just throw some money at the problem, and bring in a proven bat that would be sure to duplicate his typical numbers.

Well, first off, the Cubs have been weighed down by several albatross contracts as it is, and adding another would seem to be counterproductive. The only upside of going after a proven commodity would be that they would not have to surrender a first-round draft pick in exchange for signing a Type-A free agent.

But who would they pursue?

Adam Dunn (30 years old) has been a popular name tossed around. His left-handed power presence would add some punch to a soft-hitting Cubs line-up. Forget about the strike-outs, Dunn can rake. He hasn’t hit below 25 home runs since 2001, and he makes up his far below-average contact percent with a consistently patient approach.

While Dunn is far above-average with the stick, he is flat out dreadful with the glove. There is no position you can put Dunn where he can be league-average. Nowhere. While Ultimate Zone Rating (UZR) has been kind to him this year at first, he is a career -15.7 fielder there. 

Simply put, he is a DH bat, relegated to the American League, and the Cubs should not be tempted by his bat. Think about the effects that his poor glove would be on the rest of the infield. Starlin Castro, who already has throwing issues, would surely suffer. Aramis Ramirez had a erratic throwing arm, until he came to the Cubs with Derrek Lee on first; do you think that just went away?

Similar issues exist with the other free-agent first basemen. Paul Konerko is a good enough overall player, but why sign a 34 year-old first baseman when your team is three years away from competing?  Carlos Pena offers a power left-handed bat with a good glove, but again, he will be 33 next season.

All options require a lot of money, and probably a minimum of a three year contract.

Trade For an Established Player

Trading for a very good option at first would require sending a lot of prospects to land a piece you can truly build around.

Any trade involving a name such as Prince Fielder, Adrian Gonzalez, or Joey Votto would begin with Starlin Castro and Brett Jackson, and probably include Andrew Cashner or Josh Vitters. Other options to go alongside Castro in a trade would be Randy Wells, Jay Jackson, or Tyler Colvin, among others.

Those three are superstars within their own right, and would certainly provide a high amount of value to the position, but in a time where the Cubs have more holes than just first base, one of the easier positions to fill on a team, it doesn’t make any sense to drain a farm system to add one player in the current state of the franchise.

Look For the Solution From Within The Organization

As mentioned above, many fans are fond of the idea of Colvin playing first, and why not? Well, contrary to popular opinion, he may not have the bat for the job. Sure, he has hit for power this year, but it remains to be seen if he is just a flash in the pan, as he never had the minor league track record that reflected his major league production.

Why not move Aramis Ramirez across the diamond? While he has lost his quick step over the years, but he definitely has the quickness and glove to be at least an above-average defender at first. He also has a proven bat, and will be in a contract season next year.

If Ramirez moves over, 3B prospect Marquez Smith has shown he can be a decent enough major leaguer. Smith has been a monster in 240 at-bats in Peoria, hitting for a .417 wOBA. Peoria is not the best place to gauge major-league talent though; just ask Micah Hoffpauir.

If Smith figures to fill in at third for the year, that will give Josh Vitters a chance to have a full season of Double-A ball under his belt, clearing the way for a 2012 debut if he performs well.

2012 is (coincidentally) the same season that Adrian Gonzalez and Prince Fielder (along with Aramis Ramirez) become free agents, if they do not get traded and/or sign extensions with their teams. 

With Ramirez’s money coming off the books, they could sign one of those two. This is very speculative, and probably not going to happen, but it happened with Soriano that way, so it’s not outside the realm of possibility. In this scenario, however, you wouldn’t have to drop the truckload of prospects you would have to in a trade.

It’s Now, Or Never For Jim Henry

This will be the definitive offseason for Cubs GM Jim Hendry, as this stands as the biggest immediate concern for the Cubs. The first base situation isn’t like the second base one, where you can simply wait for something to happen. Hendry needs a plan for what he is going to do immediately at both corner infield positions, as Ramirez is clearly on his way out.

Cubs fans, and the new ownership will not put up with the solution of just pumping money into the position, as we have learned from our trials and tribulations of Alfonso Soriano, Carlos Zambrano, and even Kosuke Fukudome.

Hendry needs a well-developed solution to the future of first base, or it could set the Cubs back even further.

It seems that the hole Derrek Lee left is bigger than we initially realized.

This article was also featured on TheUnfortunateCubsFan.com

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Here is a potential opportunity for Cubs GM Jim Hendry to take advantage of a first-place team by tempting them with an injury-prone and overpaid third baseman who may interest a team like the Braves, who are trying to win a World Series in manager Bobby Cox’ last season.

We all know that Hendry needs payroll flexibility and while Ramirez has had an awful season, his track record, assuming he’s healthy, could actually interest another team.

Chipper Jones is out for the season with a torn ACL, and if the Cubs place Ramirez on waivers, the Braves could have him if they take on his remaining salary — no players in return are necessary.

So who would play third base for the Cubs next season if this happens?

Who cares?

The team is not going to be a contender anyway so they might as well either promote Josh Vitters to join likely new manager Ryne Sandberg or they could sign someone like Adrian Beltre with the money they would be saving by moving the bloated contract of Ramirez. 

Ramirez has a $14.6 million player option that he is certain to pick up after the season, given his .228/.286/.423 slash this season. He will also be owed a $2 million buyout for 2012 and a one million assignment bonus if traded.

Will the Braves be stupid enough to do this?

Maybe not, but it’s worth a try since teams often do desperate things in a pennant race, especially when they are trying to win in Bobby Cox’ last season as a manager.

Perhaps being in the playoff hunt will rejuvenate Ramirez, who knows? Sure, it’s somewhat far-fetched, but with salaries owed to guys like Alfonso Soriano and Carlos Zambrano for a long time, Hendry needs to consider almost anything that will bring salary relief.

Meanwhile, the Braves could use Eric Hinske, the former Cub, at third, along with Martin Prado and Omar Infante. If they choose to go outside the organization for help at the hot corner, Chone Figgens and Brandon Inge could be available.

But the Cubs need to at least do their due diligence and kick the tires on the possibility of moving Ramirez.

Hendry’s desire to win, to impress new owner Tom Ricketts, along with his irrational belief that his team is close to being a contender next season, will unfortunately prevent this from happening. That is yet another reason Hendry should have been fired already.

A new GM having Ricketts’ blessing to rebuild the club would be much more willing to make a bold move like this.

It may be a moot point given Atlanta’s reputation as sharp talent evaluators, but again, why not at least give this a try?

Oh yes, I forgot, Hendry is good friends with Ramirez. Never mind.

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Roy Halladay is having an amazing year, and he’s been pretty special over the last month or so as well. In six starts, he has gone 3-2 with a remarkable 1.91 ERA while holding his opponents scoreless three times. This streak includes a game where his opponent took a perfect game into the ninth inning, and Halladay threw nine shutout innings without getting a win, complete game, or shutout for his efforts.

But Halladay you know about. Here is a list of 10 other players who are currently lighting the major leagues on fire, but doing so quietly.

Begin Slideshow

And we’re back. Hopefully the short week didn’t treat you too badly. Good to see the NL finally win an All-Star game, couldn’t believe it has been 14 years since their last win.

But now we get move to one of the most fun parts of the baseball season: the trade deadline.

The waiver wire suddenly gets a big boost in activity as people jump on players who suddenly have value due to the transactions of playoff hopefuls and surrender monkeys.

The position of most impact is relief pitching, as two or three closers always get traded to a contender looking for bullpen help, paving the way for a young up-and-comer to take over ninth-inning duties.

This is a huge opportunity for you save chasers (myself included) to load your bullpens with saves.

We’ll start with four guys who could end up closers before the trade deadline ends then hit some other numbers.

1.50 – ERA for Indians’ set up man Chris Perez since June. We’re starting with him because you need to stop reading and go grab him now if he’s for some reason still available. I’ll explain when you get back.

Ready? Okay, current closer Kerry Wood (he of the 6.30 ERA) recently went to the DL with a blister on his right thumb, making Perez the closer.

Wood has already been on the trading block for quite some time now, and while this injury doesn’t exactly make him more attractive to potential buyers, he will be back from the DL before the deadline and will most likely be moved.

Thus, it can be speculated that Perez’s reign as closer will continue unabated the rest of the season. I dropped Chad Qualls for him without blinking, but that might not be saying much.

6 – Number of earned runs allowed for Evan Meek over 43 appearances this season.

I know I drooled all over him last week, but since we’re talking about set-up men with impending save opportunities, I’m reminding you again to grab him. He’s been fantastic all season and is probably the best guy in this foursome.

Unfortunately, he also plays for Pirates, so keep in mind save opportunities won’t come as frequently.

3.64 – ERA for Brandon League , the man next in line to receive saves in Sea-Town.

The Mariners are sellers once again, and David Aardsma’s name has been thrown around in more than a few scenarios.

There’s no one else in the Seattle pen worthy of taking over the closer’s role, and while the ERA may not look spectacular, but minus a few bad days (four worst outings: 2.2 innings, 13 runs allowed.

Rest of season: 44.1 innings, six runs allowed) League really has been great this season. Pounce as soon as Aardsma gets moved.

21 – Strikeouts for Drew Storen over his first 25 appearances.

This is the biggest long shot of the group, as current closer Matt Capps is still under contract until 2011 and with Tyler Clippard struggling lately the Nats may not want to throw their rookie phenom into fire right away.

But Washington is a seller and Storen’s peripherals along with his future role as dynasty closer means there is at least a slight chance we could see him take over his throne sooner rather than later.

Click and you shall receive more numbers.

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The All-Star break has come and gone, and with the trade deadline under two weeks away, we will soon see who the “buyers” and “sellers” will be this season.

However, with the current state of the economy and a number of teams losing money, teams could be looking to cheaper solutions to make their pennant run, as opposed to acquiring the big-name players available on the market.

So here are the ten players who would have already been with a different team five years ago, but instead will find themselves sticking with their current teams because of their hefty contracts.

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