I know Carlos Pena isn't really that big, but whenever I see him in my mind I see a Mike Lavalliere-type waddling to first base.
So we're going to pay $10 million for a first baseman that hit below the Mendoza line last year, huh? It's a little sad that I'm not even that mad about it. Mainly because what better option do we have? I wish we had a decent first baseman in the minors that could come up with Starlin Castro and Tyler Colvin. One thing us Cubs fans haven't been is patient, but I'd be fine with letting a rookie take his lumps this year if it meant we saw what we had down the line. But that player doesn't exist.
So, Carlos Pena. Last year's slash numbers: .196/.325/.407. 28 home runs, though. Also, he had plantar fasciitis all year, so hopefully we can see a little upswing in those numbers. They say he's a decent fielder, but those fielding numbers are definitely a drop-off from Derrek Lee. The good news is he walks a lot, something the Cubs as a whole very much need to work on, and also it's a 1 year deal, so if he completely flames out, it doesn't hurt us for years to come.
Now let's find some starting pitching, shall we?
Best option? Yes.
ReplyDelete10 Million? Too much for one year, but that may have just been a drive up in price due to other interests in Pena. Though I still wouldn't have taken him for more than a year anyway.
Do the Cubs have the kind of money to get starting pitching? Or is there going to be a trade?
They certainly have the money for a Brandon Webb. The question is more whether Webb is going to be worth signing, or be another Ben Sheets.
ReplyDeleteNobody expected them to be good next year anyway so giving a guy a 1 year deal to see if he has anything left sounds like a fine deal to me regardless of the price tag. Next year is when we have a bunch of big contracts coming off the books so any move that doesn't screw up our payroll before then is moot in my view.
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