Kuzul

The Cubs are 9.5 games out of first place in the National League Central as of Tuesday morning. That’s good for fourth place in the division behind the Reds, Cardinals, and Brewers.

One of the more concerning things about that picture is that the Brewers, who are considered by many to be out of contention altogether at this point, have inched their way past the Cubs. Yes, the difference between the two teams is only one game, but it’s simply one more sign that this season needs to turn around fast if the Cubs are going to have a shot at making the playoffs.

I’m not waving the white flag on this team right now, but it’s probably time to start focusing more on the organization’s long-term future than it’s playoff aspirations.

That’s not to say that moves can’t be made to help the Cubs’ 2010 iteration, but anything done needs to be at least as helpful, if not more, for the next few seasons as it is for the here and now.

Fortunately, the Cubs may have a bright future lurking. They just need to figure out how to get from where they are now to where they could be.

First Things First

The Cubs organization has four first basemen with major league experience: Derrek Lee, Xavier Nady, Micah Hoffpauir, and Bryan LaHair.

Lee’s lower-than-usual production has been well-covered; Nady has had a few good stretches, but hasn’t been setting the world on fire; Hoffpauir has been drawing his walks and hitting for some power in Triple-A Iowa, but is dragging a bit with a .239 batting average; and LaHair has maintained some power with a decent walk rate and batting average as Hoffpauir’s teammate.

LaHair is the youngest of the bunch at 27, Hoffpauir is 30, Nady is 31, and Lee is 34. Lee and Nady have expiring contracts, Hoffpauir will be out of options, and LaHair will most likely have a minor league contract if he returns.

Although someone currently playing another position may end up at first a few years down the road, there are no sure-fire major leaguers developing in the minor leagues.

Free agents might be an option with guys like Paul Konerko, Carlos Pena, Adam Dunn, Lance Berkman, Lyle Overbay, and Mike Lowell potentially hitting the market. Guys like Michael Cuddyer and Brad Hawpe might even be able to switch over full-time.

Derrek’s Future

Whatever the case, if Derrek Lee isn’t going to be coming back next season, it might very well be in the club’s best interest to trade the aging first baseman.

He has secured Type B status for the upcoming offseason and may be on the verge of reaching Type A status, both of which would land the Cubs compensation in next year’s draft if he were to be offered and refuse arbitration, but there is absolutely no guarantee that he wouldn’t accept it.

If he did, the Cubs would be stuck with Lee and whichever one-year contract (the Cubs’ offer or Lee’s) an arbitrator deemed acceptable.

If the risk that lies in offering him arbitration outweighs the potential reward, then it would be better for the organization to get something via a trade before the deadline than to get nothing by letting him walk into free agency without any strings.

Fallout

That would immediately make Nady the starting first baseman this year and open up a roster spot for either Brad Snyder, who is boasting a .293/.374/.527 slash line in Triple-A Iowa this season, or Sam Fuld, who’s getting on base at a decent rate despite not hitting for much in the way of average or power, in the outfield.

Although either player would likely see minimal playing time on the big league squad, they are old enough (both are 28) that development is less of a concern than their potential impact right now.

And both players could have a positive impact on this team: Snyder as a bat off the bench and decent defender or Fuld as a defensive replacement and speed threat.

Since Nady probably won’t demand too much money as a free agent this offseason, he might be an option to keep around as the starting first baseman for the next few years.

Assuming that his arm is back to normal by next year, if LaHair or Hoffpauir emerge as a legitimate starter at first base, Nady could still move back to the outfield.

Another Option

On the other hand, Aramis Ramirez isn’t the same defensive third baseman he used to be and he will almost certainly exercise his 2011 option. He could move over to first base, allowing Mike Fontenot and/or Jeff Baker to get more playing time over at third.

If that path seems likely and the Cubs are securely out of contention before the trading deadline, then the they could afford to also part ways with Nady and let either LaHair or Hoffpauir finish out the season.

Josh Vitters, who has been at Double-A Tennessee since May 7, would then be able to step in when he’s ready (whether that be late 2011, 2012, or beyond) with Ramirez’s transition already taken care of and a starting spot readily available.

Otherwise, should Vitters be ready in late 2011, he would most likely be hung up in Triple-A or be forcing a veteran to the bench—an unenviable position for a young player, to say the least.

Barring a breakout season from Vitters next year, that scenario is unlikely to happen. After all, the Cubs’ third-best prospect this year according to Baseball America will only be 21 years old.

But in the event that it does happen, it would be better to not be handcuffed.

Of course, shoring up two positions doesn’t create a winning ballclub.

Fortunately, the Cubs farm system has been replenished with talent in recent years and, despite the criticisms of many, this roster will have the flexibility to make things happen before too long.

It might take some creativity due to unforeseen circumstances and complications that have popped up since the signing of some of the organization’s cornerstones, but it is completely possible.

Keep an eye out for the next part of this series, coming soon, that will delve deeper into what the future may hold for the North Siders.

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If you are a true Chicago Cubs fan, then by now you know that this team is quickly heading nowhere.

Although they are still within 10 games in the division, the chances of them making up any ground is highly unlikely.

So what are the next steps this franchise needs to take?

It is simply to try and move veterans with the high salaries, and to build from the minor league system.

Honestly, if you look at the guys on the Cubs’ 25-man roster, most of them were acquired from other teams, rather than brought up through the system. Maybe the Cubs should take a page from the Tampa Bay Rays’ playbook on building a winner.

So, who exactly should the Cubs get rid of?

Well, I would start by a hobbled Aramis Ramirez, but then who wants a beaten up third baseman that can’t hit anymore? Derrek Lee is also a candidate for being dealt with. He has had an off year so far, but he still could be a player for someone wanting to add a bat down the stretch.

Carlos Zambrano is my top choice to be sent packing, but who wants a guy that throws more temper tantrums than strikes?

Also you could add Kosuke Fukudome, Ryan Dempster, Ted Lilly, and Alfonso Soriano to the list of guys who could be dealt with if the right offer comes along.

Marlon Byrd, even though he leads the team in hitting and has been the lone bright spot, could be gone. He is unhappy with his current contract, and is trying to get the player’s union to help him void the deal. But, at least we’ll get something for him, right?

The big problem with unloading a group of guys that have not came through over the past several years is the massive salaries these guys carry.

Here is a breakdown of the top ten Cubs salaries in 2010, according to FOXSports.com .

In this bad economy, who wants to pay that for a group of guys that have barely won 30 games at this point in June?

The short answer is, nobody!

I will go out on a limb and say that the Cubs may be able to deal Lilly since he is a left handed starter and those can be a hot commodity coming down the stretch.

Zambrano will be dangled, along with Ramirez, and maybe Lee, but nobody will bite. I think Fukudome could end up out West with a playoff contender, as could Xavier Nady.

Dempster may be on the block too, but he is not a young gun anymore, and I doubt anyone will want to take on his contract.

The bottom line is that it is all about waiting until next year again.

But before next year begins, the organization needs to decide how it wants to prepare for the future. Will they stay with the same stale product out on the field, or bring up the future Cubs in guys like Starlin Castro and Tyler Colvin.

Finally, I think that Cubs manager Lou Pinella will step down by mid August. Sweet Lou can’t throw enough fits on the field to get these guys fired up. I think it would be wise to retire and move on to the next stage of his life before this club gives him a heart-attack.

As always, we hope that next season will be the year, but a lot of next season depends on who the Cubbies can unload by July 31. This core group simply did not get it done and their time is up.

It’s time to bring up the kids in Iowa City along with their manager for 2011.

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Sex and the City 2 and Jonah Hex have not been the only flops this summer. Fantasy baseball has had its fair share as well.  

We are more than two months into the 2010 baseball season, so its not too early to label certain superstars as busts. Sure, they could turn things around. They could play phenomenally from here on out and salvage their seasons, but right now they are giving their fantasy owners ulcers every time they go 0-for-4, blow a save, or get torched for seven runs in four innings.   

Here are the ten biggest busts in fantasy baseball!

Jason Bay, New York Mets

The Mets needed to keep up with the Yankees in the big-ticket item department, plus they needed outfield pop because they knew Carlos Beltran was going to miss the first half of the season. So they inked Bay, who had hit 30-plus homers and driven in 100-plus runs in four of the last five seasons. Smart move, right?

Wrong. Even though Bay has dealt with intense media scrutiny before (in Boston) and hitting in a pitcher’s ballpark (in Pittsburgh) during his career, he has been swinging like a lost soul all season. 

With only four homers and 29 RBI at this point, his chances of another 30-HR, 100-RBI campaign are slimmer than a Slim Jim.  At least Bay has been kind enough to steal (10 SB) and walk (.378 OBP) in lieu of hitting homers.    

Aramis Ramirez, Chicago Cubs

The knock on Ramirez with fantasy owners has always been that he is injury-prone.  Getting 162 games out of him is harder than getting Mark Teixeira to take a day off. But at least when Ramirez was on the field he was as productive as any third baseman around, capable of hitting .300 with 30 homers and 100 RBI when 100 percent healthy.

Now Ramirez is injured AND hitting .162. He has actually increased his fantasy value by going on the disabled list. Here is a stat that should make you feel warm and fuzzy about him — in 47 games, Ramirez has been 0-for-3, 0-for-4, or 0-for-5 a grand total of 18 times. He also went 0-for-6 once, too. 

Trevor Hoffman, Milwaukee Brewers

Fantasy owners knew that sooner or later “Father Time” was going to throw Hoffman a curve of his own. What we didn’t know was that the curve was going to drop off the table like Barry Zito’s used to during his Oakland glory days.

Hoffman has gone from premier closer to premier failure in record time. After staving off old age with 37 saves and a 1.83 ERA in 2009, he has five saves, five blown saves, and a 9.00 ERA. He is now used in as many crucial late-game situations as Oliver Perez.

Chad Qualls, Arizona Diamondbacks

You know you are having trouble when Aaron Heilman is picked to save games over you.  Qualls made the transition from setup man to closer late last year and did quite well, but it looks like he was a one-hit wonder like The Baja Men.  

Qualls has an 8.87 ERA, a 2.27 WHIP, and more people after him than BP. He could very well get his closer job back eventually if he straightens out and Heilman falls to pieces, but for now it is nothing but non-save situations for him in the near future. 

Zack Greinke, Kansas City Royals

Greinke has gone from Cy Young to Anthony Young in less than one year. The poor guy had to post a 2.16 ERA last season just to win 16 games, so you knew there would be trouble for his win-loss record if he had the nerve to have a mortal 3.94 ERA.    

No run support, no defense, no miracles.  That has translated into a 2-8 record for Greinke, despite ERA, WHIP, and strikeouts numbers that should get him a winning record.  Figure this out — Chicago White Sox starter Freddy Garcia has a much worse ERA and WHIP, yet he is 8-3.

Prince Fielder, Milwaukee Brewers

Fantasy baseball’s largest vegetarian is eating more lettuce than driving in runs these days. His 27 RBI do not even rank him in the top 100 in the category as he trails lightweights like Yuniesky Betancourt, Juan Uribe, and Clint Barmes.  Jonny Gomes has almost driven in twice as many runs. 

Yes, Jonny Gomes.  

Is it that Corey Hart keeps knocking in all of the runners on base before Fielder comes to bat, leaving the porky power hitter with no RBI opportunities? No, Fielder has just not come up as huge as he did in 2009 when he racked up 141 ribbies. An RBI streak could be on the way knowing him, but for now Fielder is putting up the kind of stats Gaby Sanchez owners would be happy with, not Fielder owners.    

Gordon Beckham, Chicago White Sox

Changing positions can sometimes be a bigger distraction than having Lady Gaga sitting in the stands.  hat seems to be the case with Beckham, who looked destined to win several batting titles throughout his career, but now will be lucky to stay in the majors throughout the year.   

The former first-rounder has been sidelined by a sophomore slump that has kept him around the Mendoza line all season long. Moving from third base to second base seems like it has done more harm for his bat than good for his glove. Fantasy owners can only hope that a batting coach, family friend, or rotisserie god from above can solve the Beckham riddle and get him back pasting line drives again.   

Ian Kinsler, Texas Rangers

This was supposed to be the season Kinsler challenged Chase Utley to be the most valuable second baseman in fantasy baseball. But while Utley has left the door open for Kinsler to take the title, Kinsler has fumbled it worse than Adrian Peterson would.

Kinsler, coming off a 31HR/31SB superstar season, has one homer and six steals so far.  Some of this has to do with his early season injuries and some of this has to do with him not hitting for power and not attempting to steal much. Kinsler might not still be 100 percent healthy, and he might be still shaking off some spring rust, but it certainly would be nice if his name started appearing more often in the HR and SB sections of the Texas boxscores.  

Aaron Hill, Toronto Blue Jays     

Here is another American League second baseman who went from being the next Jeff Kent to being the next Jeff Keppinger. Hill burst onto the fantasy scene last year with 35 homers, 108 RBI, and 103 runs. He was a feel good, Lifetime movie worthy story because of how he came back from a serious concussion that ruined his 2007 season.  

And now Hill is hitting .187.  

The power stroke is still kinda there (ten homers) and Hill has been kinda hitting better this month (.211 average in June). Still, .187 is .187. That will single handedly ruin a fantasy team’s batting average. You need a couple Joe Mauers in your lineup to even Hill’s average out. And you cannot rely on Hill’s track record to think he will bounce back because he has only had one great season in five-plus years.  

 

Nate McLouth, Atlanta Braves

Remember when Pittsburgh Pirates fans were rioting in the streets when McLouth was traded to Atlanta in the middle of last season?  You would have thought Sidney Crosby had been dealt to the Los Angeles Kings for a bunch of draft picks and pucks with the way people reacted.  

McLouth has hit like someone in serious need of glasses. He has a .176 batting average, and before he can turn things around and climb towards the .200 plateau, he first has to get off the disabled list. He is suffering from post-concussion symptoms after an outfield collision.  

McLouth is a 20-HR/20-SB guy when his mind and body are right.  The problem is we don’t know when both will be right again.  It may not be until 2011 (or ever) the way things are going.

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Later this week we will hopefully see the return of Aramis Ramirez . It’s been a rough year for fantasy owners, having to either drop the All-Star third baseman or painfully hold on and possibly waste a DL spot. Somehow I’ve ended up with Aramis two years in a row and I literally punch a wall overtime I see an article about how his poor thumb hurts him.

Get a freaking Band-Aid!

THE GOOD

Numbers don’t lie. Sports is analytical and looking at career numbers can tell you a lot. Aramis’s career average is 83 runs, 30 homers, 108 RBI’s, and a .282 average. These numbers aren’t inflated either—this isn’t a guy who who hits 50 homers one year and then 20 the next. From 2001-2008, Ramirez really was as cornerstone of the corner.

Last year was a huge test. A separated shoulder early on kept Ramirez out for two months and owners didn’t know what to expect when he returned.

Well, he returned with a passion and finished the season relatively strong with 46 runs, 15 homers and 65 RBI’s in only 306 AB. Owners in 2010 never saw this coming…

THE BAD

The season didn’t start with the finger injury—just really really poor hitting. So far, Ramirez has 17 runs, five homers and 22 RBI’s in 179 AB. Plus the dreaded .168 average—Ramirez is a career .282 hitter for God’s sake! Every time owners saw a sparse home run this year they thought, “yeah, this is the game he needed, he’ll turn it around now”, only to be hugely disappointed the game after.

Enter the thumb injury.

I joked earlier calling him a big baby. Honestly getting a good grip on the bat is almost as important as seeing the ball. Trainers have changed his grip and padding to relieve the discomfort and hopefully get him back on track. The hard part for Ramirez will be fully adjusting to the new specs after holding his bat the same way for 13 seasons.

I personally still have faith in the big boy. He’s been really good for a long time and this is just a hiccup that will hopefully be forgotten in a few months. He’s still only 31 and has a good five+ years left in him. For all you fantasy owners out there who have stuck it out – God bless you. If Ramirez is on the waiver wire in your league, now is a good time to make the pickup.

Brighter days lie ahead!

Do you think Aramis will turn it around in 2010? 
Comment here or hit us up on Twitter:
Twitter.com/FantasyFix_Evan or
Twitter.com/TheFantasyFix

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It’s now June and the Cubs sit four games below .500 and six games behind the Cards and Reds.

With 52 games in the books, the season is getting dangerously close to one-third over. So all the cries not to worry because it’s early are starting to ring hollow.

Meanwhile, we know that Jim Hendry doesn’t have money to work with, and is stuck with expensive, long-term contracts that have no-trade clauses. So any suggestions must work within these limitations.

So while I’d love to suggest we go out and obtain Roy Oswalt, we need to be practical here.

So here is one man’s opinion on some quick, basic changes that can help begin to turn the season around in a positive manner, before Lou Piniella loses his cool.

(Actually, on second thought, that may not be a bad idea).

So, without further ado, as Pat Hughes would say, away we go…

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It’s one thing to be in a slump. It’s quite another thing entirely if a player is trying to play through an injury.

Today especially, Aramis Ramirez looked to be favoring his thumb and if so, he should be on the disabled list until he is healthy enough to play.

Look, he isn’t producing anyway, either in the field or at the plate. So if he is hurt, trying to play through it is the wrong thing to do.

I know to some it may seem admirable for a player to continue to play through an injury. But in reality it’s a rather selfish thing to do, for it only hurts the team in the long run.

Ramirez struck out four times tonight, the last time with the bases loaded. But his hitting has been terrible all season.

For a while, we suspected that it was his shoulder. Then it was his wrist. Now he has a bad thumb. Yet through all this, he insists he is healthy enough to play.

He also doesn’t really think he needs the help of hitting coach Rudy Jaramillo, since he is his own hitting coach.

But until he starts producing, I would push him down in the order or sit him on the bench. The same thing applies to Derrick Lee.

I don’t care what these guys have done in the past. I would risk hurting their pride by moving them out of the middle of the lineup, because it’s not fair to the rest of the team.

On the one hand, you can say that the Cubs won’t go anywhere unless they start producing.

Even so, you can’t have them batting together, especially in run-producing slots. Not right now.

Lou has been moving them around but watching Ramirez tonight really drove the point home. He shouldn’t be playing, plain and simple.

For Lou can’t put one or two players above the team. It’s not the Ramirez or Lee Cubs, it’s the Chicago Cubs.

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This article is also available at The Daily Cub.  Visit TheDailyCub.com for opinions, game recaps and more.

While watching the Cubs today, you got a great view of just how bad the Cubs supposed “stars” are, while also seeing how the less impressive players have stepped up to try to fix the situation.

The Cubs entered the day with four straight wins and were hoping to sweep a second straight two-game series, after taking the first game last night in convincing fashion.

This game was much closer, and was included multi-hit games by both historically-underwhelming Mike Fontenot, and rookie Starlin Castro.

In the ninth inning, the Cubs were down just one run and going up against former crosstown rival Jose Contreras, and they started off the inning with a bang.

Alfonso Soriano took somewhere near 500 pitches and broke two bats before getting hit by a pitch.  With some good timing, Soriano was able to make it to third thanks to a hit-and-run—the hit coming via blooper to center from Fontenot.

So the Cubs have had back-to-back solid at-bats, Contreras has already thrown more pitches than he was expecting to throw, and he has yet to record an out with the tying run on third and the go-ahead run on first.

After Starlin Castro strikes out, Aramis Ramirez comes up, only needing to put the ball in the outfield for the at-bat to be considered a success, and he strikes out while swinging at a ball that he couldn’t have connected with if he were standing on home plate.

Ramirez is just two nights removed from a game winning home run in the 11th against the Colorado Rockies, an event that had some Chicagoans proclaiming that his slump was over and he was ready to start performing again.

Little did those Chicagoans know that he would go 0-8 over the next three games, striking out three times and drawing one walk.

Ramirez has the second-worst batting average among hitters with at least 120 plate appearances, something that no player, just two seasons removed from an All Star game appearance, should have.

Having one player who is having a season this bad is something that a team can overcome, but when you throw in the fact that Derek Lee, star first baseman, is 28th on that list with a batting average of .226, then it is just too much.

The combo of Lee and Ramirez, usually the meat of the Cubs lineup, have 61 hits this season with 70 strikeouts.

Meanwhile, six Chicago Cubs have batting averages over .300.  They have also struggled to knock in runs. Lee and Ramirez are fourth and fifth on the Cubs in RBI, a statistic where they generally fight it out for first place.

They wouldn’t even be that high if it weren’t for their position in the lineup for most of the season.

Lee and Ramirez have always been players with great power who only needed consistent production before them.  This season, they are getting just that with Kosuke Fukudome and Ryan Theriot batting 1-2 and each having batting averages of .310.

Theriot has even done a good job of becoming a decent base-running threat, stealing seven bases thus far, putting him at a tie for 22nd in the majors.

With the starting rotation, bullpen, and everybody around them getting their act together, Lee and Ramirez are the only two keeping the Cubs from taking charge of the mediocre NL Central.

At only five games out of the lead, a break out by these two players would catapult the Cubs into the drivers seat for a playoff spot.

I’m Joe W.

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It always hurts to see a batter struggling to hit at the plate. It is always annoying to see a batter swing at pitches they have no business swinging at. It is just as annoying for a hitter’s average to drop 100 points in a season.

These are the hitters who just cannot catch a break this season. They’ve hit in the past, but suddenly cannot find the ball. Some are struggling yet not doing terribly, others are just playing horrendously.

These are the 10 baseball players whose bat has, to be blunt, just went dead.

Begin Slideshow

Let’s start by being honest: the 2010 Chicago Cubs are awful.

The bullpen is thin, the bench is soft, and the bats are taking turns being stone cold. It’s bad enough that your Opening Day starter is being paid almost $18 million to throw two or three innings a week in the bullpen in early May, and Carlos Zambrano isn’t even doing that very well.

The national media is now picking fights for the Cubs to deal with internally. Fox’s Ken Rosenthal decided that Cubs GM Jim Hendry should fire Lou Piniella, and the Cubs have spent a long weekend telling people “everything’s going to be ok.”

Meanwhile, they’re dropping five of six to the Pittsburgh Pirates and are staring up at four teams in the Central Division.

It’s time to blow this thing up, people. Why prolong the pain of this ridiculously underwhelming roster when Hendry could, for once, be proactive in building a winning team?

Now for the million dollar question: if the Cubs are going to tear this thing down, who is, and more importantly, isn’t available?

The only thing Cubs fans have had to be excited about has been the promotion of 20-year-old super prospect Starlin Castro. And, other than a couple errors in his first home game, the kid’s been everything he was sold as being; he’s hit the ball to all fields, has shown better range than Ryan Theriot at short, and stole his first base of the season on Monday night.

Castro should be the future for the Cubs.

But…

And this is a big, Beyonce-sized but folks. There’s a huge “what if” on the horizon that must be discussed if you’re the Cubs, and now is the time to do it.

In Miami, all hell is breaking loose in the Marlins’ clubhouse. After fouling a ball off his shin last night, superstar shortstop Hanley Ramirez didn’t exactly hustle after booting a ball later. Marlins manager Fredi Gonzalez yanked Ramirez off the field, and a war of words began.

Gonzalez said anything less than 100 percent is not acceptable, and Wes Helms said he thinks Ramirez needs to apologize to his teammates for his lack of effort on Monday night.

Ramirez’s response to his manager?

“It’s his team. He does whatever he (expletive) wants,” Ramirez said. “There’s nothing I can do about it. It’s brutal.”

When asked about his ankle, Ramirez added, “That’s OK. [Gonzalez] doesn’t understand that. He never played in the big leagues.”

Them’s fightin’ words!

Ramirez is a 26-year-old shortstop who has already been an All-Star and won the 2009 National League batting crown. In his four-year major league career entering 2010, Ramirez hit 103 home runs, had 313 runs batted in and stole 164 bases.

The cliff notes of Ramirez’s scouting report is “second coming of A-Rod.”

Ramirez received the richest contract in the history of the Marlins organization in May of 2008, a six-year, $70 million deal (his annual salaries from 2010-2014 will be $7M, $11M, $15M, $15.5M and $16M). When his current contract expires, Ramirez will be 31.

To truly frame any consideration of the Cubs making a move for someone like Ramirez, we need to place Ramirez into some context. The Florida Marlins acquired Ramirez as the centerpiece of a trade that sent Josh Beckett and Mike Lowell to Boston. Indeed, if you examine the history of the Marlins, they have a great track record of trading players before they cost the franchise too much money and getting exceptional value in return.

Now let’s circle back to the question at-hand: if you’re Jim Hendry, and you’re trying to save your job during the 2010 season… and if you’re the Ricketts family, trying to turn 101-plus years of misery into something special… what expense is too great? And what players aren’t touchable?

Tom Ricketts has made his feelings very clear publicly that he wants to build the organization from the bottom up, using home-grown talent to supplement the stars (and concrete contracts Hendry couldn’t sell to his own parents) on the major league roster. One would have to think the poster child (and I mean “child”) for this philosophy would be Castro.

Here’s your Kardashian-sized but : but what if Starlin Castro could get Hanley Ramirez to Chicago?

The Marlins might be intrigued by some of the contracts the Cubs have on their roster, especially expiring contracts of veterans. The Cubs cherry-picked Derrek Lee away from the Marlins for Hee-Seop Choi in the winter following the epic disaster of 2003, and also acquired Juan Pierre, Matt Clement and Antonio Alfonseca from Florida in a series of moves that sent, among others, Dontrelle Willis and the Marlins current No. 2 starter, Ricky Nolasco, to Miami.

A history of dealing between Florida and Chicago exists in the recent past.

There’s one more point to consider when considering any move involving Castro. There’s another kid in the system named Hak-Ju Lee who also happens to play a very, very good shortstop. Some scouts have whispered that, when Lee is ready, Castro see a similar fate to Theriot and move to second base because Lee is a superior defensive shortstop.

However, Lee won’t turn 20 until November this year and is a couple years away. In those same few years, the Cubs could be turning third base over to Josh Vitters, another of their top prospects.

So the Cubs are an organization that has a future shortstop playing the position at Wrigley Field right now, but they have a player that might be better in the minors. What to do?

Consider the following offer: Castro and Aramis Ramirez to Florida for Hanley Ramirez.

There are some in baseball circles that believe Ramirez’s comparisons to Alex Rodriguez run deeper than his astounding production at a young age. Because of his size and power at the plate, many believe Ramirez will eventually make a permanent transition to third base.

So what would the progression be for the Chicago Cubs if this deal went down?

My proposal would be that Ramirez stays at shortstop and Theriot at second for the remainder of the 2010 season. This winter, however, Hanley Ramirez would replace Aramis Ramirez at third base and Theriot would move back to short for one more season, or until Hak-Ju Lee is ready. The Cubs would then move Vitters permanently to first base in Double-A; one of the biggest negatives about Vitters’s game has been his defense at third base, so moving him to first may have eventually happened anyway.

While some Cubs fans might scream that giving up on Aramis Ramirez makes no sense, there is no guarantee that he will be in Chicago next year. He has a player option for 2011 worth $14.6 million that, if Derrek Lee and Ted Lilly are gone, he wouldn’t necessarily have to exercise.

Ramirez will be 32 in late June, and the Marlins could put him at third base for the next two years at comparable cost ($30.6M) to Hanley Ramirez’s deal ($26M). Adding Aramis Ramirez in Florida would allow the Marlins to move Jorge Cantu to first base full-time, which would be an improvement for them as well.

If Aramis Ramirez doesn’t pick up his player option for 2011, then the Marlins save $26 million in the deal. What’s most important for the Marlins, though, is that replacing Hanley Ramirez with Castro at short falls in line with their historical pattern of turning a peaking young star into a younger, cheaper version of the player.

With the apparent chasm growing between Ramirez and his manager and teammates in Florida growing, the Marlins might be willing to make a deal soon. If the Cubs want to start rebuilding for the future, considering a deal that brings him to Chicago could be the right blockbuster to consider.

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