The Scores Report - The National Sports Blog » Derrek Lee

Cubs’ rebuilding plan takes a hit as Lee refuses to accept trade

Anthony Stalter — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 21:00:03 +0000

Things can’t get much worse for the Cubs right now. They’re currently nine games below .500, 9.5 games out of first place in a weak NL Central and I hear Lou Piniella also forgot to reorganize his Netflix queue and is now stuck with “Dear John” again after he just rented it from Blockbuster.

But much to the elation of the Cubs’ front office, Derrek Lee is hitting .292 this month after batting a crisp .237 in June. That’s good news for the soon-to-be-rebuilding Cubs because that makes Lee a little more attractive to potential trade suitors. He might still be hitting like Neifi Perez, but he isn’t Todd Hundley at the moment either.

I’m not around Cubs’ GM Jim Hendry enough (or at all for that matter) to know what his plans are at the trade deadline, but one can only assume that he’d like to unload Lee seeing as how the first baseman won’t be a part of the club’s future plans. His contract runs up at the end of the year, so if Hendry can acquire a couple of prospects in exchange for Lee, I’d have to imagine he’d pull the trigger.

That is, of course, unless Lee refuses to accept a trade, which according to ESPNChicago.com appears to be the case.

The Los Angeles Angels proposed a trade to the Cubs over the past 10 days for Lee, according to a major league source. But Lee turned down the deal as is his right because he has been in the league for 10 years and five with the same team. He then told the team he wants to play out the last year of his Cubs contract, Hendry said. The 34-year-old also has a no-trade clause.

At first glance, it’s surprising that Lee wouldn’t want to escape the Cubs and re-join the pennant race this year. He certainly has a better chance to play in the postseason if he leaves and it’s highly unlikely that he’ll return to Chicago next year, so why not accept a trade?

That said, look at the team he could have wound up with. The Angels are 8.5 games back of Texas in the AL West, so who’s to say that he stands a better chance with them than the Cubs this year? I’m certainly not suggesting that the Cubs are on the same level as the Halos, but it’s not like the Rangers are going to release the stranglehold they currently have on the West anytime soon. Plus, Lee would have to change leagues, which maybe he’s highly against.

Nobody outside of Lee and those close to him know for sure what his motives are for staying. But either way, this isn’t a good situation for the Cubs or their future. They need to rebuild and trading Lee could have been a step in the right direction.

Oh, well.

Lee willing to waive his no-trade clause?

Anthony Stalter — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 22:30:26 +0000

According to Jon Paul Morosi and Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports, Cubs’ first baseman Derrek Lee may be willing to waive his no-trade clause in the right deal.

Derrek Lee has remained noncommittal on the issue of his no-trade clause. But some friends of the Cubs first baseman said this week that they believe he would accept a deal to the right team.

And if the Cubs formally decide to sell, it’s hard to imagine a better fit than the Angels.

The Angels, 4.5 games back in the American League West, are still looking for an upgrade at first base because of Kendry Morales’ season-ending injury. And they prefer someone who isn’t under contract for next season.

Why? They plan to pursue Carl Crawford as a free agent and would like to have the flexibility of sliding Bobby Abreu into a DH role once Morales returns to first.

The article notes that Lee lives in California during the off-season and would “probably be comfortable” playing in Anaheim. He’d also have the opportunity to play for a contender, which the Cubs are definitely, positively not.

Assuming he’s willing to waive his no-trade clause, then a trade to the Angels makes a lot of sense for all parties involved. The Halos need a replacement for Morales in order to try and keep up with the Rangers in the AL West, while the Cubs could take the opportunity to restock their farm system.

That said, it’s unknown if the two teams have even had trade discussions involving Lee yet, so we’ll have to see if this story develops.

Angels talking trade with Cubs for Lee?

Anthony Stalter — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 17:36:28 +0000

The Angels may have targeted their replacement for first baseman Kendry Morales, who broke his leg last weekend while celebrating a walk off home run.

According to the Chicago Tribune, the Halos may be in trade talks with the Cubs involving Derrek Lee.

Excellent baseball sources are telling us the Angels and the Cubs may be involved in trade talks that could send Derrek Lee to L.A. The Angels lost their starting first baseman, Kendry Morales, last weekend when he broke his leg in a celebration after he hit a walk-off grand slam. Lee was a late scratch from Wednesday’s lineup because of tightness in his right hamstring.

If the report is true, it’ll be interesting to see if the Angels pick up most of Lee’s current contract. He’s owed roughly $9 million over the remainder of the season and then becomes a free agent this winter. Considering he’s hitting just .232 this season and has never faced American League pitching on a consistent basis, L.A. may not be willing to fork over that much money, along with whatever compensation Chicago asks for.

That said, they have to do something. The defending AL West champs are currently one game under .500 and resting in third place in the division. They’re only 2.5 games behind the first-place Rangers, but they can’t continue to lose ground. Lee isn’t hitting now, but the last time he finished with an average less than .270 was his third year in the league when he hit .206 with the Marlins. He’s a career .280-hitter, so history shows that his numbers should rise at some point.

For the Cubs, moving Lee would force them to address the dark cloud currently hovering over the 3-4 spots in the lineup. Of course, the bigger picture is that a trade could help them cut salary and move into rebuilding mode. They’re nothing but a .500 club overpaying for way too many players and it may be time for them to start purging their roster.

Photo from fOTOGLIF

Piniella on his way out? Not according to GM Hendry.

Anthony Stalter — Tue, 18 May 2010 19:20:36 +0000

For those Cubs fans that have been clamoring for Ryne Sandberg to replace Lou Piniella as the club’s skipper, you’re going to have to wait much longer, I’m afraid.

General manager Jim Hendry told the media on Monday that Piniella isn’t to blame for the team’s lackluster start (17-22 heading into Tuesday’s action, good for third place in the NL Central) and that the manager’s job is safe for the 2010 season.

“We’re certainly not here to play the blame game,” Hendry said Monday. “We’re not here to put all the blame on the players that haven’t done as well as we’d like either. It’s been a good, collective rough start, but there has not been one thought in my mind of Lou Piniella not managing the team this year.”

While many of the adjustments he has made with personnel certainly haven’t panned out this season, it’s hardly fair to blame all of the Cubs’ failures this season on Piniella. Two of his best hitters (Derrek Lee and Aramis Ramirez) have crapped the bed all season in RBI situations (and all situations for that matter) and he can’t find a reliable setup man to get to Carlos Marmol in the ninth. (He tried Carlos Zambrano there but much like his effort in 2010, Big Z was brutal in the role.) The bottom line is that the Cubs haven’t produced and a change in manager won’t magically remedy the situation.

The good news is that Lee has started showing signs that he’s ready to break out of his funk, Alfonso Soriano has actually thrived batting sixth in the lineup and young phenom Starlin Castro (who struggled defensively when he was first called up last week but appears to be settling down) is spanking the ball. If A-Ram (who hit a walk off homer to beat the Rockies Monday night) can shake out of his slump and start producing, then the Cubs can easily turn things around.

Things haven’t been pretty for the Cubs so far, but it’s early yet and the club’s issues aren’t un-fixable. Making a switch in managers would be premature and Hendry knows that. He just has to trust that Piniella can right the ship, just as Lou has to trust his players will snap out of it and start producing.

Photo from fOTOGLIF

Derrek Lee injured during Cubs’ celebration

Anthony Stalter — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 19:45:30 +0000

If this doesn’t sum up the Cubs’ 2009 season, I don’t know what will.

From ESPN.com:

While celebrating a come-from-behind, ninth-inning win over the San Francisco Giants on Thursday, the Chicago Cubs couldn’t avoid yet another “Cubby Occurrence.”

First baseman Derrek Lee scored the game-tying run ahead of Jeff Baker, whose two-out, two-strike home run off San Francisco closer Brian Wilson put the team in line for the win.

As Lee and Baker were mobbed by teammates in the dugout, relief pitcher Angel Guzman slapped the side of Lee’s helmet, causing Lee to experience neck spasms that forced him to come out of the game for defense in the bottom of the ninth.
Manager Lou Piniella coined the term “Cubby Occurrence” to explain strange happenings that may have factored into the organization going more than 100 years without winning a World Series.

Even when the Cubs win, they still find a way to lose.

While we’re somewhat on the subject, stick a fork in the Giants. They surprised a lot of people this year with the way they’ve played and their pitching staff is going to make them competitive every season.

But they had a golden opportunity last night to get within three games of the Rockies for the NL Wild Card lead and they couldn’t even muster more than two runs at home to the Cubs. Playoff-caliber teams take advantage of opportunities when they present themselves and the Giants couldn’t do that last night.

Ten Predictions for the MLB second half

Anthony Stalter — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 21:42:04 +0000

The second half of the 2009 MLB season has kicked off and with that, I’m going to make some predictions that are sure to be proved wrong in a couple months.

Feel free to whip out your crystal ball in the comments section but before you do, please do everyone a favor and take off your favorite team prescribed glasses and be objective for once in your life, will ya?

1. The Blue Jays will trade Halladay…to the Phillies.
Toronto GM J.P. Ricciardi is reminding everyone who will listen that he doesn’t absolutely need to trade Roy Halladay – which he doesn’t. But the bottom line is that he’ll probably get more in return for the “Doc” this season than he would next when Halladay is set to become a free agent after the 2010 season. And despite Ricciardi stating that he’s open to trading Halladay within the division, he’s not stupid. He’s not going to trade Halladay to the Red Sox or Yankees and risk becoming public enemy No. 1 in the eyes of Jays fans for not only getting rid of their best and most popular player, but also trading him to a division rival in the process. In the end, I think Ricciardi will trade Halladay to an NL team and my guess is that it will be Philadelphia that will eventually puts a package together to acquire him. Although they might balk at the $7 million that’s remaining on Halladay’s contract, the Phillies are built to win now and need more starting pitching to make another run at a World Series. They also have enough appealing prospects to entice Ricciardi to make a deal.

2. The Dodgers won’t win the NL Pennant.
The Dodgers are the best team in baseball and I’m not afraid to put that in writing (which I did here). But something tells me that while they’re almost a shoe-in to in the NL West and probably go to the NLCS, they won’t be heading to the World Series. Chad Billingsley had a great first half, but he’s starting to look more human with every outing and while Clayton Kershaw is a phenomenal young pitcher, the back of L.A.’s starting rotation is very beatable. Of course, their lineup is outstanding and can certainly compete against anyone in the NL. But this team kind of reminds me of the 2008 Angels and Cubs. Neither team suffered any slumps throughout the season and essentially was on cruise control in the second half. When they got to the postseason and the games were all tight, neither team responded well. Will the same thing happen to the Dodgers? Again, this is more of a hunch than anything and I wouldn’t blame the Dodger faithful (or anyone for that matter) for eating my soul and preaching how wrong I’ll be. But I just think that this club could get overly content and even if they don’t, their pitching might still fail them in the end.

3. The Cubs will make a run in the second half.
Two things led to the Cubs’ lackluster first half: Injuries and a lack of offense – and one may have had an effect on the other. Losing Aramis Ramirez for a huge chunk of the first half due to a shoulder injury took a significant bat out of Chicago’s lineup. But now that he’s back and guys like Kosuke Fukudome and Alfonso Soriano are starting to heat up again, the Cubs should see a rise in run production. Derrek Lee has also been solid and young players like Jake Fox have contributed as well. If Geovany Soto (DL) can get his act together, the Cubs could put pressure on the Cardinals in the NL Central. I’m not saying that Chicago will win their division and make the postseason, but considering that their starting pitching was a major strength in the first half, I wouldn’t count this club out. Of course, the back end of the bullpen is still a serious question mark and Fukudome and Soriano could start slumping again at a moment’s notice, but keep an eye on this team.

4. Billy Beane will have to accept a lesser package to move Holliday.
Let’s call it like it is: Trading for Holliday last winter has proved to be a dud for the A’s. Not only has he not contributed much to Oakland’s offense, but the A’s are also currently 14 games back of the Angels in AL West and now GM Billy Beane has to find a trade suitor for the left fielder, who becomes a free agent at the end of the year. Holliday isn’t going to re-up with the A’s after the season and considering he’s hitting below .280 with only nine home runs, Beane probably won’t get the haul he normally does in trades. If Beane wants to move Holliday (and his contract) before the deadline, then he’s probably going to have to accept a deal that won’t net him a top prospect in return. Granted, the GM isn’t going to just give Holliday away, but if he thinks that he’s going to get two top prospects (and a couple of promising mid-round prospects) for the struggling left fielder, then he’s probably in for a wake up call.

5. The Cardinals will find their protection for Pujols…in Ryan Ludwick.
Many pundits feel as though St. Louis will eventually make a move for Matt Holliday to ensure that Albert Pujols gets the protection he deserves in the lineup. But if they wind up standing pat around the trade deadline, don’t look too far for who could eventually fill the role batting behind the phenomenal Pujols. Ryan Ludwick is only hitting .265 as of this writing, but he’s starting to heat up after slumping since coming off the DL with a hamstring injury in mid May. He hit two home runs on the last day of the first half (he now has 15 dingers on the year) and is hitting .409 (18 for 44) in his last 44 at bats. Acquiring Holliday would be great, but don’t discount Ludwick’s potential to bat cleanup for the Cardinals either.

6. Cliff Lee and Victor Martinez aren’t going anywhere.
The Indians have been one of the most disappointing teams in baseball this year, freefalling into last place in the AL Central despite many pundits predicting in spring training that they could win the division. But just because they’re 13.5 games back of the Tigers in the Central, it doesn’t mean that GM Mark Shapiro is going to have a fire sale as some have suggested. Ace Cliff Lee has a very manageable salary ($5.75 this season, $8 million club option with $1 mil buyout) through next season, as does catcher Victor Martinez ($5.7 million in ’09, $7 million club option with $250,000 buyout in 2010). So there’s no reason for Shapiro to feel as though he has to trade either player to acquire more talent. The fact is that Cleveland has talent, at least offensively. It’s their pitching that has been horrendous since trading CC Sabathia at the deadline last year. If Shapiro can get through this season and hang onto his core on offense, then maybe he can add an arm or two in the offseason in order to get the Tribe back into contention next year.

7. Pitching will sink the Rangers in the end.
Look, I’m all about the Rangers’ postseason run this year. I think they’re a fun team to watch and they certainly have the lineup to contend. But their pitching staff overachieved a bit in the first half and I just don’t trust Scott Feldman, Vicente Padilla or any of the other arms after Kevin Millwood. I think this club will hang with the Halos for a little while, but at some point they’re going to start slowly sliding out of contention because they just don’t have the horses in the starting rotation to match what they bring to the field offensively.

8. The Giants will stand (somewhat) pat at the trade deadline.
The Giants have some of the best pitching in the NL, but it’s no secret that their offense is incredibly suspect. That said, don’t expect GM Brian Sabean to make a huge move at the trade deadline. San Fran has a couple of budding minor league stars in pitchers Madison Bumgarner and Tim Alderson, as well as position players like Buster Posey and Angel Villalona. They’re set up for the future so don’t assume that just because the Giants are in contention this season, that they’re going to cough up any of their top prospects in order to get a bat. That means no Matt Holliday, no Jermaine Dye and probably no Freddy Sanchez, either. If they make a move, think more Scott Rolen than a big name, because Sabean will be more inclined to trust that Randy Winn and Bengie Molina will heat up in the second half than he would be to giving up a significant piece (or two) for Holliday, Dye or Sanchez. If he can get a big bat and not give up Bumgarner, Alderson, Posey or Villalona, then all bets are off. But it’s doubtful that he would be able to make move without throwing in one of his top prospects.

9. The NL Wild Card race will be the most exciting storyline of the second half.
The Giants, Rockies, Cubs, Brewers, Braves, Astros and Marlins are all within five games of each other in the NL Wild Card chase and each team brings a little something different to the party. San Fran has outstanding pitching, Colorado has played some of the best baseball in the league over the past two months, Chicago is getting healthy and Milwaukee has a potent lineup and will probably make a move at the trade deadline. I could see Atlanta, Houston and Florida eventually fading, but I also wouldn’t be surprised if they hung in there for the entire second half. The bottom line is that no team is going to run away with the NL Wild Card this season and I could see this race not being decided until the final couple days of the season.

10. The Phillies will play the Angels in the World Series.
Hey, what would a prediction piece be without a projected World Series finish? Philadelphia is starting to have that World Series glow about them again and even though their starting pitching is suspect, don’t forget that I’m also predicting that they’ll acquire Roy Halladay. Nobody seems to be talking about the Halos this season, which is exactly why I like them to upset whomever they play in the postseason. Right now, their pitching isn’t that great, but it could certainly be one of the better rotations in all of baseball once healthy. I wouldn’t count them out for making a move at the deadline either.

Oh yeah: Halos in 6.

Has Lou Piniella lost his fire?

Anthony Stalter — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 16:13:39 +0000

…that’s what some Cubs fans believe, although Sweet Lou says he’s just more in control now.

“I still have fire,” he said Thursday morning in an interview with the Tribune, hours before the Cubs’ 6-5 loss to the Detroit Tigers. “It’s more under control. The amazing thing is when I was younger and I showed it more, then I’d be criticized at times, ‘This guy is showing too much [fire].’

“I understand this business. I’ve been in it a long time, and the bottom line is you have to win. It doesn’t matter if you have fire, no fire, passion, no passion, stupidity, smartness … all of these things don’t even come into the equation. What comes into the equation — for the fans, for the organization, for the people watching — is you either win or you lose. It’s a simple thing.

“I’m doing the best I can. That’s all I can do. Last year we won 97 games and I was the manager of the year in the National League. And all of a sudden this year, I don’t have any fire? That’s why we’re not winning?

“I don’t buy that at all.”

Everyone do themselves a favor and re-read that second quote by Piniella – the one about winning and losing, because he hits the nail on the head. Fans want to see their teams win – period. If the team is losing, then the manager, general manager and hot dog vendors aren’t doing enough. If the team is winning, then the manager, general manager and hot dog vendors are the best manager, general manager and hot dog vendors this world has ever seen.

Fans who watch their teams on a nightly basis aren’t stupid – they know what’s going on and they have a good grasp of the strengths and weaknesses of their team. But in general, most fans are irrational and they lose site of the bigger picture when their team starts to lose.

Piniella hasn’t lost his fire – the Cubs simply can’t hit right now. Lou kicking dirt on an umpire isn’t going to make Aramis Ramirez healthy again and it’s not going to help Alfonso Soriano cut down on the strikeouts or Derrek Lee not hit into any double plays. If a team needs a fire lit under their ass, then Piniella is the one manager you’d pick to do that. But there’s not much he can do right now with the suckhole that the Cubs’ offense is currently in.