The Decision Part Twonaka
The “Decision Part II” finally came to an end Wednesday morning as prized international free agent pitcher Masahiro Tanaka decided to take his talents to the Bronx. Unfortunately the Cubs missed out on a great young prospect that can generate more revenue towards the organization than all the rooftop owners combined (I’ll get to them later).
The New York Yankees dished out a 7 year, $155 million deal which includes a full no-trade clause and an option to opt out of the contract after four years.
According to several reports, the Cubs may have finished second in the bidding, offering close to $150 million; though it hasn’t been confirmed. By now I’m sure we’re familiar with Tanaka’s numbers. He posted a 1.27 ERA in 212 innings while owning a WHIP of 0.943 and a K/9 rate of 7.8. Yawn. (I’m only saying that because I’m still quite bitter about Tanaka signing with the Yankees).
A number that is cause for concern, however, is the total number of innings Tanaka’s thrown throughout his career. The 25 year old has already pitched in 1,315 innings. Also, there were reports of Tanaka pitching every seventh day in Japan, compared to the much more rigorous five day schedule in MLB. Arm strength and stamina is something the Yankees definitely need to keep an eye on over the course of his contract. In last year’s Japanese baseball championship, Tanaka threw 160 pitches in game 6 and got the win. The very next day he came in and closed game 7 to win his team the title. Not to mention he also pitched heavily during the World Baseball Classic in Japan a few years back where many major league teams got a good look at the young star.
All in all I was disappointed the Cubs didn’t land Tanaka. With his contract and money aside, Tanaka still poses as a strong top of the rotation starter for any team. From the Cubs standpoint it made perfect sense to bring in the young prospect, especially during an offseason of epic lame-ness. With a rotation hypothetically consisting of Travis Wood, Jeff Samardzija, Tanaka, and Edwin Jackson, suddenly things don’t seem so bad. I guess if you’re a glass half full kind of person, the free agent pitching market of 2015 should make Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer drool over talent. Hey, there’s always next year Cubs fans.
What About Jeff?
Now that Tanaka’s out of the picture, what does this mean for Cubs’ ace Jeff Samardzija? In all likely hood Jeff will be moved by the July 31st trade deadline. He may have been dealt this offseason, but after the Tanaka deal fell through, the chances of Samardzija being dealt are slim to none. It would be a PR nightmare. The just-turned 29 year old has proven he has the stuff to be a successful middle of the rotation starter on a contending team. With a fastball reaching the mid to upper 90′s and a splitter that drops out of sight can be deadly.
Samardzija threw over 200 strike outs last season in 213.2 innings while adding another 180 K’s the year before in close to 40 less innings. It’ll be interesting to see what Epstein has up his sleeve when regarding Samardzija’s position with the organization. What cannot go unsaid is that the Cubs will sell high and look for, what I assume, a top pitching prospect and/or a draft pick to go along with it. With a strong farm system filled with position players, its almost time to start building that all important pitching staff. Jake Arrieta, Chris Rusin, Justin Grimm, and CJ Edwards round out the Cubs’ top pitching prospects. Its no secret that there are holes in the Cubs’ rotation so who can help fix this mess?
Who’s Left?
As baseball’s 2014 offseason starts to wind down, there are several pitchers left on the open market that can make a decent impact on a team that’s willing to invest. Most notable starting pitchers available include Bronson Arroyo, former Cub Paul Maholm, Ubaldo Jimenez, and Ervin Santana. Take your pick ’cause I don’t want any of them. Maybe the Cubs can sign Maholm again and deal him at the deadline for more low level prospects. Ervin Santana is coming off a good year with the Royals, posting a 3.24 ERA and throwing over 200 innings for the 6th time in his 9 year career. Santana may be expensive as he asked for close to $60 mil, however, former Cub Matt Garza was given a manageable 4 year, $52 million contract-physical pending-so you have to wonder how much more any of these free agents will take.
Jimenez is another interesting option as he had a nice bounce back year with Cleveland last season, hitting 194 strikeouts with a 3.30 in just over 180 innings. Bronson Arroyo is deemed by many as the nicest person in all of professional baseball. That’s great for what its worth, but I’m not sure Arroyo is the answer to this rocky pitching staff. Anything can happen. An interesting name still on the free agent market is 27 year old starter Tommy Hanson. In his first 3 years with the Braves posting ERAs of 2.89, 3.33, and 3.60 respectively while finishing 3rd in Rookie of the Year voting in 2009. Other than the names mentioned, there really isn’t anything attractive on the free agent market left for the Cubs to jump on a deal.
Wrigley Renovations Hit a Snag…Again.
Pictured is a proposed bit of signage in right field.
The long-running dispute between the Cubs and rooftop club owners standing in the way of a $500 million plan to renovate Wrigley Field and develop the land around it will be resolved in the courts — not at the bargaining table. In a recent Sun-Times article, columnist Marc Ganis was accused of making false statement towards Mayor Rahm Emanuel, urging him to remove the rooftop roadblock and side with the Cubs. Ganis went on to say, “the only reason this deal is not happening is because [local alderman] Tom Tunney is protecting the rooftop owners and a couple of bar owners. That has to be one of the most ludicrous situations in the history of sports facility development.”
I’m as frustrated as you are. This renovation process has come to a screaming holt and is already a year behind schedule. ‘Unfortunate’ isn’t the right word when describing the entire renovation process. Alderman Tom Tunney is making sure everyone knows his name while rooftop owners continue to come up with countless excuses as to why the Cubs shouldn’t do what needed to be done ten years ago.
But can you really blame the rooftop owners? Only 17% of revenue is given to the Cubs in return for a beautiful view and a lot of beer. This process will be ongoing for sometime and its too bad that anything done to Wrigley Field needs to become a federal court case, not a business plan.
Happy Ending
There’s a lot of depressing news in the Cubs world and in this article in particular, so I wanted to leave you with some happy stuff.
In Hall of Fame news, Gregg Maddux elected to enter the Hall with a blank cap, signifying his extreme gratitude to both organizations he’s been a part of. This should be considered a win for the Cubs because if he had to pick, it’d be a Braves logo engraved in Cooperstown.
Javier Baez got a rare ’8′ in the potential category in a recent scouting report. Baez may be ready to join the Cubs this season as early as June. That’s something to look forward to.
Pitchers and catchers report in a matter of weeks and it may not seem like it now, but warm weather and baseball will be here before you know it.