Dreaming Is Free

After spending most of the winter fretting that mean ol’ Dusty Baker wouldn’t give deserving youngsters Matt Murton and Ronny Cedeno a fair shot at earning everyday gigs, our old friend Paul Sullivan presents this as the bestest possible Cubs lineup for 2007:

CF Gary Matthews Jr.
2B Ray Durham
1B Derrek Lee
RF Gary Sheffield
C Michael Barrett
3B Mike Lowell
LF Jacque Jones
SS Cesar Izturis
Starting Rotation: Carlos Zambrano, Mike Mussina, Ryan Dempster, Rich Hill, Mark Prior
Co-Closers: Bobby Howry, Scott Eyre

Sully’s premise is too silly to even try to sum up here. It reminds me of a bit Stephen Colbert did on Buy This Book – If You Have the Balls (where Colbert says to the audience, “Well, do you? Have the balls?”). You can read about Sully’s magical fantasy land here – if you have the balls…

Setting aside the snarkiness (as well as the fact that five of the players Sully lists are currently under contract to other teams), it did make me wonder how much of the roster the Cubs would have to jettison this off-season. Dipping into Cubs blogdom, the vibe I’m getting from other fans is that with few exceptions (Zambrano, Lee, and maybe Barrett), Hendry should put the rest of the team in a sack, throw the sack in a river, and then throw the river into space. Other fans aren’t nearly as forgiving, and say that the sack should have room for Baker, Hendry, and Andy MacPhail.

For the record, now that Neifi has moved on to bigger and better things, the only guy left on the roster that I feel deserves the sack treatment is Glendon Rusch.

Once again attempting to set aside the snarkiness, here are the big questions facing our heroes heading into the off-season:

Lead-off hitter. I think I’ve been saying this for eight or nine years. Juan Pierre hits free agency this winter. Rumor has it that Hendry is hoping to re-sign him, but Pierre’s strong second half might push his salary demands up a notch or two. If Pierre doesn’t come back, then the question is whether or not Felix Pie is ready not only for the Show, but also for a lead-off gig.

Middle infield. Cesar Izturis is Neifi Jr., and will always be a drag on the lineup, unless he manages to get to about 1,200 ground balls. Ronnie Cedeno has struggled in the second half. What’s disappoints me most about Cedeno is that I haven’t noticed him making any adjustments to his plate approach.

Alas, we’re stuck with Izturis for the time being. But who would replace Cedeno? Ryan Theriot is not an everyday player (although he has an outside chance of being an OK utility guy). Sully suggests Ray Durham, but he’s (a) old and (b) an injury risk. Back in the day (i.e., 2005), the idea that the Cubs would acquire such a player would be immediately followed by mocking Dusty’s love of them proven veterans. Things change, I guess.

Corner outfield. Matt Murton has come on strong in August. Has he earned another shot at an everyday gig? Or would he be best used in a platoon role (for the time being, at least?).

And what about Jacque Jones? There has been talk about moving him to left to help hide his awful throwing. There’s also gab he could be on the trade block.

Rotation: Lots to sort out here. First, of course, is Prior and Wood. Wood’s option will be bought out. Do we bring him back and hope for the best? Or is it time to part ways?

Prior won’t be a free agent for a few years. The question with him is how much we can count on him. I think Ken Rosenthal might be right – count on him as a “number six” starter until he proves otherwise. But I also find it amusing that Rosenthal thinks that adding Jason Schmidt and Jeff Suppan would be better (as if those guys don’t have issues of their own…).

Then there are the kids. We’ve had something like a bajillion rookies start games this year. OK, I may have exaggerated slightly. But it’s been a lot. Now the task is to separate the precious few grains of wheat from the roster-filling chaff. Rich Hill has been great his last two starts. Angel Guzman, Carlos Marmol, and Sean Marshall have had flashes of goodness, and should get another look in spring training.

Closer. Ryan Dempster must have caught something from Brad Lidge last month in Houston, because he’s been suck-tacular since then. After two years in the bullpen, would he be able to work back into a starting gig? John Smoltz did it, but how many people are John Smoltz?

Sorry I’m being so vague with this Q&A. We won’t know if there are any viable alternatives at any of these positions until after the World Series, when players file for free agency, and trade rumors add fuel to the Hot Stove rumor mill.

At this point, it’s easier to figure out who the Cubs should hang on to: Zambrano, Lee, Aramis Ramirez, Barrett, Murton, Pierre (for the right price, and if Pie isn’t ready), and Hill. What happens in September will determine if the rest of the roster gets on my list…

Late update: From the Goat Riders -- Paul Sullivan Back on Smack!