The Cubs should trade Derrek Lee.
This is in preparation for tomorrow's look at the first base position. So....
Anyone that has followed me on LOHO over the last year knows that last season I thought that the Cubs should trade away the fading star at first and let Hufflepuff (Micah Hoffpauir) get a shot at playing there everyday. I thought this was a good idea after the success that the Cubs had bringing in rookie Geovany Soto at catcher the year before.
Well, I was wrong on many fronts on that. Lee, of course, stayed and had the best offensive season of any of the Cubs players, and probably the second best season of his career. Hufflepuff seemed to struggle with the added playing time he got due to various Jenga problems and the Soriano injury problems as well as some time at first base when D-Lee's neck and back were bothering him. He struggled some much in-fact that he was pretty much replaced on the roster by Jake Fox.
So, now that 2009 is over, it's time for me to again say:
Let's trade Derrek Lee!
Now, first off, I know this isn't likely to happen. But, really, shouldn't it be considered?
Here is a list of reasons to trade the first baseman:
-Age: Lee's career is on the down side. While I think he will still be productive for at least another 3 years, his best seasons are likely behind him.
-Contract: Lee's contract runs out after this season. If he has another season close to 2009 numbers, he'll probably demand a lot as a free agent.
-Right handed: While Lee is a superb defensive first baseman, I have always felt his being right handed is a negative at that position. I prefer a left handed fielder at first base.
-Trade value: Lee's trade value is actually high right now. He was the 3rd best offensive first baseman in the league this past season, and no one had a better 2nd half than he did. Unlike many Cubs who have been traded in recent years, Lee has quite a high trade value right now.
-His position: First base, in my opinion, is probably one of the easiest positions to fill. And the Cubs could probably fill it easily...more on that a little later.
-Payroll: With the Cubs having to a rather bloated payroll, Lee's $13 million this coming year could be used to help fill the gaping holes they have in center field and at 2nd base.
So...there you have it. Really I don't think it is all the far fetched. So what would the Cubs do at first if they traded Lee? There are a number of possible options.
-Jake Fox: This kid looks like he can just whale away out there offensively. Defensively, he's really scary. So he either needs to go to the AL as a DH or play first base were he can do the least damage defensively.
-Micah Hoffpauir: I wanted him there last year. Is he eternally and AAAA player? He's a left handed bat and glove. I might be interesting to find out.
-Aramis Ramirez: Age is starting to creep up on him like Lee, but Ramirez has a longer history of injury problems. This year's shoulder dislocation was not completely unexpected. He's under contract for a little while longer than Lee...maybe moving him to first base will be easier on his body. Beside, the Cubs do have some minor leaguers that might be able to take his place at third soon too.
-Hideki Matsui: The World Series MVP is available...and a lefty bat, and I think he might be a bit cheeper than D-Lee's $13 million this year. And it might be a nice idea to bring him in for Kosuke.
Ok...so here is the stumbling block to my grand plan here...
Lee has a full no-trade clause and he very much likes it here in Chicago. But that is no reason not to try to trade him. You never know what will happen.
I've put that out there. I don't know who you would trade Lee to and for who...but why not put him out there and see what offers come in?
3 comments:
It's not insane. But I don't know that he'll ever waive his no-trade clause or that the Cubs' desire to trade him would ever reach the point where they would agree to terms before getting his approval. Adrian Gonzalez usually comes up in this discussion, but as long as we're in hypotheticals, I wonder at what point the Brewers weigh their options with Prince Fielder. An in-division trade seems highly unlikely, but he's eligible for arbitration after 2010 and they might not have a realistic shot at keeping him longterm. I dunno in what world the Cubs wind up with him, but hey, why not speculate?
It's quite interesting with Prince in the next few years...
The funny thing is about the Brewers is that their attendance has been great the last couple seasons, their revenues have increased, but I have to wonder about their commitment to increase their payroll. I think it's important for that franchise to show a real long term commitment, because I know, living in Wisconsin, the Brewer fans for the most part will stop going if they feel the team isn't going to amount to anything.
Another discussion could probably be had about how good Fielder will be in the future. Players of his build tend to fizzle out.
I agree, trade him now while we can get something for him! Angels might be looking for a DH since Vlad is gone. And Cali is where Lee is from, he would probably waive his no trade for a Southern California team. Ask for prospects and then the Cubs can be a player in the 2010, 2011 1st base frenzy.. FA available include Pujols, Prince, Howard and San Diego is still looking to possibly trade Gonzalez.
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