Really, my main goal in life is to become one of those quasi-media people who people near the Cubs organization float rumors to. I may have actually met that goal!
Somebody who could concievably know e-mailed me to say that when the Cubs gathered in Arizona yesterday for the start of their organizational meetings that they were expected to spend a lot of time talking about how to “fix” a 97 win team by finding some guys who actually use the other batter’s box from time to time.
They are giving serious thought to turning Kosuke into a platoon centerfielder with Reed Johnson next year. (No shock there.)
But who would they go after to fill right field? It’s not a free agent. It’s a guy who has lit them up in the past, though. Yes, the 21st Century Jeff Blauser acqusition! Get excited.
According to this guy, the Cubs have already talked to the Florida Marlins about 24-year old rightfielder Jeremy Hermida. Hermida was the 11th player in the 2002 draft out of high school. (The Cubs had four first round picks in that draft and you don’t want to know any of those names, trust me.) He’s a lefthanded hitting, righthanded throwing right fielder who made his big league debut on August 31, 2005. He split time between the majors and minors again in 2006, and in 2007 looked like he was on his way. In 123 games he hit .296 with an .870 OPS and 18 homers.
But he only hit .249 in 142 games with the Fish last season and posted a woeful .406 slugging percentage for a corner outfielder.
One thing he did do, though, was light up the Cubs. He had a 1.206 OPS against the Cubs, and singlehandedly beat the Cubs with game-winning homers in back-to-back 3-2 Marlins wins at Wrigley July 25 and 26.
The Marlins are apparently willing to move Hermida because they think Cameron Maybin, one of the players they got in last winter’s Miguel Cabrera-Dontrelle Willis trade into the lineup.
What scares you is that Hendry has already made one terrible trade with the Marlins in recent years to acquire a lefthanded hitting outfielder. Let’s hope he doesn’t offer up three pitching prospects for Hermida. (Though at this point, do the Cubs have three left?)
The source says little discussion will be given at the organizational meetings to re-signing Ryan Dempster and Kerry Wood, because the Cubs long ago made those priorities. He also said should the Cubs pull off an unlikely Derrek Lee trade, that Lou Piniella does not see Micah Hoffpauir as a legitimate every day option at first base. (Thank god.)
He also said that while the Cubs will talk to the Orioles about Brian Roberts again, that he thought that the Orioles think keeping Roberts would make their bid to sign hometown boy Mark Teixeira mnore likely (sure, he’s going to the Orioles, whatever). And, just to depress me, he said he’s sure that Hendry thinks Ryan Theriot is a legit shortstop and unless Theriot was part of a big trade, that he wouldn’t be going anywhere.
Guh.
Take that for what it’s worth. Probably not much.
That would be buying a jersey of an unproven/overpaid Japanese player whose flailings at the plate did more to doom the Cubs than a SS who is in the top 10 in OBP and batting average. Of course, you and BC would rather get rid of a guy like that who makes less than half-a-mil and platoon CF with Fukndone and RJ. Brilliant.
According to my source in the SBox many moons ago, the Cubs acquired Roberts for Gallagher. Because, Gallagher was on his way to Baltimore. It’s true. I saw it on the cyberspace web.
Theriot’s on base average doesn’t make him a shortstop. It makes him a good hitter. I don’t necessarily want him off the team, I just want him to play a position he can actually field.
I had this guy on the gay…I mean radar at the end of this season. It would be a good buy-low acquistion for Hendry. His 2005 season in the minors is still making Sabremetrictians jizz in their slacks (.293/.457/.518 lines with 111 walks in 386 at bats!) He could be this year’s Carlos Quentin, albeit a poor man’s Quentin. If the Cubs aren’t able to shell out big bucks due to the ownership situation, then a guy like Hermida would be the way to go. My top option would still be to re-sign Edmonds and ink Milton Bradley.
I think Hermida’s going to be a good player, and it wouldn’t hurt the Cubs to have an outfielder under 30. If they could get him for roughly what the Sox traded for Quentin, all the better.
Other than Abreu’s there’s not much out there for lefty hitting right fielders, I can see why they’re after him.
If you talked to whom I think you talked to, then yes, he knows what’s going on.
Hermida sounds like the kind of deal Hendry would do, but who would we give back? It ain’t gonna be anyone who makes money. Does Ronny Cedeno make money? Certainly Hofpauir doesn’t.
But if we trade for Hermida he won’t get to hit against us.
Let’s trade Derrek Lee for Matt Cain. They have to accept because he’s old!
I did OPS .851 away from that abortion of a ballpark in Miami.
You don’t need to land a big fish, just ask me and ESPN!
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/playoffs2008/columns/story?columnist=stark_jayson&id=3650057&lpos=spotlight&lid=tab1pos1
Side note: Seeing a graphic labeling the acquisition of Scott Eyre as a genius move stings just about as much as another shitty thing that’s happened for the Cubs this month.
I cannot pronounce Hermida, so he’ll have to change his name to Hermidia.
Why is Andy listening to David Kaplan all of a sudden?
What was Theriot’s FRAA this year? I won’t pretend he’s actually a good shortstop, but I didn’t find him to be all that bad…not if he’s going to provide a .400 OBP. You have to find a spot for him in the lineup with that, don’t you?
How could you bag on the 2002 draft it got us a righty who didn’t throw hard (Brownlie), a lefty with a shoulder that was held together with chicken wire and silly putty (Hagerty), a righty with a shoulder that was held together with chicken wire and silly putty (Blasko), A guy who couldn’t stay out of trouble (Clanton). Don’t forget it also got us two NSBB favorites a lefty who pisses himself on a regular basis and moonlight graham 2: electric boogaloo.
No! Seriously!!! Derrick Lee for Matt Cain! And we need to sign Kevin Millar because he’s an “idiot” who keeps things loose and OBP’ed .323 last year and was allergic to leather! Things would all be white bread and baloney from then on!
It’s not Kaplan. But wait until Mike D. tells you who Kaplan hears the Cubs are trying to trade Soriano for. Let’s just say the Dodgers aren’t done beating them this month yet.
That Jayson Stark column was genius. You can sign a bunch of crappy guys like Eyre and Dobbs…as long as you have Ryan Howard, Jimmy Rollins, Chase Utley and Cole Hamels coming out of your farm system. Great insight.
Guh.
Give it up, your source is Lou Piniella biographer, George Castle.
I admit it, I’m Andy’s source.
Any chance I can convince the Padres to take Soriano and some prospects for Peavy? Probably not but what a dream rotation that would be, and then maybe I could be talked out of overpaying Dempster, which I’m certain to do.
Why not Lee, Pie, Marshall, and a young prospect or two for Jake Peavy and Adrian Gonzalez. The Padres want pitching and a young center fielder for Peavy, and the Cubs need a Left Handed power bat. Gonzalez was a really good hitter with absolutely no protection in the lineup, think about what would happen to his numbers if you sandwiched him between Ramierez in the 3 Hole and Soriano in the 5 Hole. I’m probably high on something right now, but that deal seems to be a fair trade considering what the Padres want for Peavy and that the rest of the league values DLee very highly.
You could still go out and trade for Hermida too, but if I were Hendry I would be at least making a phone call or two about the Peavy situation.