Is Pie ready?

I don't like this trade. Jones is currently the best center fielder on the roster. Pie has not shown that he is ready to hit in the majors. In fact, he looked lost at the plate last year. He had no answer for being pitched inside especially near the hands. Granted, Jones had a lousy first half and his arm was a liability in right field, but I thought he had a solid second half and provided nice defense in center and constant hustle. His bat can be tolerated in the 7 hole. Thus, I hope it's not going to be Pie or bust in 2008. Furthermore, why does Hendry consistantly covet players with lousy OBP? It's maddening. Jones has more worth than Infante. I think the team just got worse. This is not a pro-Jones response as his stay here will be largely forgettable, but I don't think this improved the club.

Gimme a break until after the New Year will yah?

Well I guess the news never sleeps.

I think you give him a chance. He is young. He still has to learn to hit the big league curve ball. It will be obvious if he is never going to be able to hit it (if he plays everyday) in a month or so, after that if he cant get it, sit him. The outfield you purpose sounds great how is Pies arm?. The thing I have a problem with is if he can't hit let him play. I say get someone out there who can. Give up a bat for a outstanding infielder, not for a dime a dozen fast outfielder... unless he can walk all the time... or become a expert hit batsmen and then steal every time... or he can throw people out at first from the outfield on a regular basis. Leave him in then.

I have mixed feeling about the Jacque Jones trade.

I think it's good for Jacque to get a fresh start in another city. He'll be back in the AL and maybe he'll be more comfortable and able to put together a first half of the season in the same mold as his last 2 second halfs with the Cubs. The fans in Detroit are pretty rough and expect to win so if he has another slow first half next year he may find himself run out of town by the trade deadline.

I think it's bad for the Cubs because when I look at Pie I see Corey Patterson, part 2. He is a tremendous talent, who was once compared to Carlos Beltran. Unfortunately for the kid the Cubs haven't won the World Series in almost 100 years so the learning curve for young players is greatly diminished on the north side. That's bad for their development as players and people and bad for the future success of the team.

I don't know how far along in negotiations the Cubs are with Kosuke and, even if they are the front runners, will the new Cubs ownership want to take on more salary walking in the door?

I think Jacque Jones would've been a solid option in centerfield for 1 more year to give Pie another year to show that he is Major League ready (or not).

In the end, however, as the Rockies, Indians, and D-Backs showed this past season, championships are not won in free agency. They are won by fearless ownership, competent front office support,and tenacious minor league development.

Pie is certainly ready to play the outfield. He hits in AAA. Defense in center is what I really care about. Once he makes a few spectacular diving catches, he'll get relaxed and start hitting. Yeah, Jones had a nice second half average-wise and hit a bunch of doubles, but he only hit 5 dongs all year. It's not like Pie has enormous shoes to fill. Yes, he's ready.

Now we need to suck it up and get A-Rod at short. Theriot, sorry buddy, you're not arguably the best hitter in history.

Then we need Jeff Samardzijia to magically become a legit ace to go with Big Z, and maybe we'll have a chance. 100 years? This is depressing.

Jones had to go. He clearly wasn't happy here & any smart Cubs fan could tell if they paid any attention to his interviews.
I like to cheer for who is on the Cubs as well as have them contribute. Jacque was a roller coaster of productivity.

Realistically Hendry would have signed him to 2 years, but 3 years is what Jones & Juan Encarnacion were going for when the market was bad for outfielders. It was a mistake that thankfully is finally rectified here.

Felix needs to play. Plain & simple. Would you rather see him get better with some other team or have him play & develop for the Cubs. Unless you get a Carl Crawford or Tori Hunter, then I want Felix to succeed as our CFer of the future. He needs to play for that to happen. Hopefully with Perry & Pinella watching him & helping him over the Winter, he can finally break through.

As for Jacque, good bye. May you enjoy Detroit. I'm happy he is gone. Thank you, Jim Hendry.

Hopefully with Infante, we can stop pursuing Kaz Matsui, too.
We don't need Kaz to sign Fukodome. MONEY will sign Fukodome.
If he needs a friend, sign an interpreter to sit in the dugout with him in between innings. Don't waste money on Matsui.

I am intrigued that we are listed as possibly suitors for Mariano Rivera & Eric Gagne:
http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20071111&content_id=2298090&vkey=hotstove2007&fext=.jsp

I disagree with you Roman when you say the Cubs can live with Pie's offense. I hear that all the time about a young guy who can't hit but has good offense around him. Usually by the middle of May that young guy who can't hit is on the bench(Brian Anderson on the White Sox). So unless the Cubs get another Center fielder this trade could leave a gaping hole in center because Pie just looks like another guy who could run fast, but has no baseball skills.

You think Chicago would have learned when the Bears traded Jones. I can see this coming back to get them. Pie isn't ready to hit in the majors. Put a fast ball up by his eyes and he swings. It really doesn't make since. He is supposed to be a lead off hitter. He doesn't hit for power. Were do we put Soriano? He may be fast but he doesn't walk enough. Also why trade another left handed bat? Correct me if I am wrong but do we even have any left handed starters in the field? I thought they would try to improve there.

I think this is a good move. Jones clearly didn't fit into our long term plans while Pie should. We got a quality bench player in Infante who can play multiple positions. He'll be valuable in late inning and double switch situations and can fill in for a player in case of injury. Jones had a good second half at the plate but was miserable the first half last year. He's a defensive liability with no throwing arm and doesn't have great speed. Felix Pie is the top prospect in the Cubs system and Jones has been ripped throughout his tenure with the team. I honestly don't see why so many people are against this trade. While Pie did struggle at the plate during his rookie season, few players take off right away. He's putting in time this winter in the Dominican trying to shorten his swing and improve his pitch selection. He tore it up at triple A last year hitting over .350, so he can definitely hit and just needs some big league at bats. Plus he has a tremendous glove and great speed. The bottom line is that Pie has a huge upside with All Star potential, while Jones is an average outfielder at best. If we can add a left handed bat in RF (Fukodome?) then Pie can ease into the starting role batting 7th or 8th. My guess is that he'll do rather well next year and everyone will forget all about Jones.

Another certain failure for Hendry. Not that I love JONes, but, please, have someone available who can play cener field. What is an Infante?

Strawberry/Rhubarb I like Pie!!!!.....fun to say

Fukodome!!!.....really fun to say

Pie?.....Fukodome?.....lol, Soriano?

I'm gonna get kicked outta Wrigley....

I know Jacque Jones is glad to be leaving the Cubs. Just like some of the Cubs before him i.e Latroy Hawkins and Corey Paterson they grew tired of being called the "N" word and other racist names by some cub fans that attended the games. Jones may not have been the greatest outfielder but he sure wasnt the worst on the Cubs but for some reason got alot of criticism. Just to look at another over paid Cub who has done nothing but is beloved for what I dont know is KERRY WOOD. He has really been a bust but Cub fans love this guy and Jones has been far more productive than this guy will ever be. He looks like he will be a Cub for life and I guess that is how Cub fans like it...WHY I WILL NEVER KNOW.

Roman responds: Cubs fans fell in love with Wood during his amazing rookie season. I remember where I was listening to the 20-strikeout game. But he turned into a mope, just like Urlacher.
There's no doubt some black athletes in this town have to deal with incredible stupidity, but I hated seeing Jacque overthrow the cut-off man time and time again. He deserved boos, not the other stuff. Nobody does.

Pie?....you mean P-U?.....Cubs need to go after Rowand or Hunter

My question is not related to the current topic, but I am wondering why Fonso Soriano leaps whenever he catches a fly ball, even an easy one. It is like Sammy Sosa's home run leap. Several times I saw Sammy at a disadvantage because he delayed his running by jumping, in anticipation of a homer. Once, he almost got thrown out at second base.

I don't think unnecessary antics are cool. They may come back to haunt the player at some point.

Gordon Wittenmeyer in his Sun-Times story said the Cubs need more left handed hitter. Wow, was he right! Last year's lineup had as their best lefthander, Jones, who is now gone. The other lefty hitter, a homeown boy, was a flop.

Will Hendry, the latest GM moron, go beyond signing Fukudome, a lefty hitter? Or will he sign more right-handed hitters? That will be an indication of whether the Cubs want to win in the century year.

Hendry is the latest in a series of buffoons picked to be general manager of the Cubs, and you would think that in year 100 he wouldn't be satisfied with no-hit Pie in the lineup.

Bringing Sammy Sosa back doesn't sound like a bad idea, after all, based on his HR stats last year. Sammy needs a break and he'd go all-out for the Cubs.

I asked myself the same question when I heard about the trade and decided that Pie was decidedly not ready. He cannot hit. Angel would be a better bet, and I am sorry to see J.J. go. He cheerfully maintained strength under adversity time and again, showing more character than just about anyone else on the team.The Cubs might go after another center fielder, but I think the choice will be a step down from J.J.

Be patient, I have to free up some salary to sign a starting pitcher and a left handed bat, and maybe a left handed relief pitcher. It's only November folks.

Hey Michael Walker, you need to watch your mouth.

I've been a Cubs fan my entire life, been to Wrigley countless times, and have never heard the "N"-word used once inside the friendly confines. To claim we have a racist fanbase or that wrigley is a racist environment is absurd, ignorant, and irresponsible. Come to think of it, I'd be willing to bet the Cubs had more African-Americans in the clubhouse this year than any other team. Derrek Lee, Daryle Ward, Jacque Jones, Cliff Floyd, Craig Monroe. You're a baffoon. You damn near called Kerry Wood a cracker in your ridiculous comparison between a pitcher who holds all-time K records and almost led us to the World Series, and an average outfielder who played for us for two years. Like I said, watch your mouth you ignoramous.

Pie must step it up for 08 ! Jacque being traded opens the door for Pie. Jacque Jones got a rough treatment in Chicago in spite of it all handled himself with class & was one of the better bats in second half.I wish him well in Detroit. Hey Mr.Crack errrr Clack all it takes is for one knucklehead to use the N word from the stands. Cub fans aren't only ones guilty of it. I've heard it used in other parks in the league. NO place for racism regardless if at a ballpark or whatever.

Don't the cubs really need left handed power hitters not just a left handed bat??? Wheres the power if they get the Japanese dude? Cubs should get Crawford.

How many more second basemen can Jim Hendry bring to the cubs? Infante plays second doesn't he??? This has to stop if the cubs are ever going to get better. If he gets the colorado second baseman to be interpreter/bait/handholder so he can sign the light hitting Japanese outfielder, that will a record reason for bringing in second basemen. Just add him to infante, derossa, fontenot, theriot, cedeno, am I missing anyone else? Six second basemen must be enough even for Jim Hendry. How many more does he need? And more importantly, why?

To all you dobters who repeatFelix Pie isn't ready based soley on what you saw this past summer, I offer two words - Carlos Marmol - who among you would have imagined anything close to what Marmol accomplished this summer, based on what he did in 2006? Why is it Cub fans want to bury young players who struggle early in their careers? Pie has demonstrated two things his entire professional career - he is a winner and an outstanding defensive player. He's also shown at times he is a very productive hitter. If he needs to platoon vs. being a full-time player in 2008 fine, bur let's give the kid a break.

Clint Clack!
Have you been drinking? Just because you never heard the "N" word being used does that mean it wasnt said? Ask Jacque Jones, LaTroy Hawkins or Dusty Baker or some of the other Cubs who were ran out of Cubdom. Put the beer down and listen to some of the talk radio in this town and you can read between the lines. No one said you couldnt be critical but just be fair. It wasnt a ridiculous comparison to compare Wood to Jones. Kerry Wood was one of the highest paid Cubs for a long time and the only thing he did was stike out 20 batters in his rookie season. For all the press he got he never won over 15 games and couldnt pitch over five innings. If he had been in New York or Philidelphia he would have been gone a long time ago but NOT in Wrigleyville. Granted Jones was an average outfielder but he was the most hated Cub and I couldnt understand why when you had this overpaid pitcher who was always hurt and couldnt pitch but was always compared to Nolan Ryan for what I dont know. Clint stop going to Cub games to drink, just watch the game you might learn something.

"T" - That was perhaps the most informed and well-thought out thing I have read from a blog commenter here (other than stuff I've said, obviously). Well done. I totally agree.

"DeAngelo" - The Corey Patterson comparison definitely holds water. Corey Patterson is listed as one of Pie's top 4 PECOTA comparables. Nice one.

"Cubs Maniac" - Ummm...the fact that Omar Infante speaks better English than Kaz Matsui is about the only advantage to having him over Matsui.

Roman - I'd advise against comparing Kerry Wood to Brian Urlacher ever again. Urlacher was useful for a very long period of time.

Look everyone, it's not that Pie will definitely not be a good player long-term. The problem is that the Cubs are not in a "rebuilding" stage right now. They need to put the best guys they can on the field right now. And right now, Pie is a worse hitter than Jerry Owens (who, somehow, is a slightly better hitter than Omar Infante. Oh wait, I remember now, it's because he's Omar Infante, one of the most useless of baseball players).

To Pie's credit, he's a plus defender in the big leagues (Jerry Owens -11 FRAA, Pie +2 FRAA with limited playing time), but he was still only worth half of a win above replacement in 2007. Extrapolate his playing time to the entire season, and he's worth about 1.5 wins. Not good enough.

Future reference for Hendry making trades: get something of value when giving up something of value.

Jones was worth 3.0 wins in '07. Infante was worth .4, and will probably be in the same role on the Cubs this year (we'll assume he's displacing a replacement-level player). Replacing Jones's 3.0 wins with Pie's 1.5 wins and adding Infante's .4 wins, the result is that the Cubs lose about one win on that trade.

I hate Jerry Owens.

Felix Pie will bomb! Bad Trade across the board. Another "versatile infielder"... who cares?

Jacque made remarkable turn around for the Cubs and was a major player in the team's rise last season. I thought it was awful the way he was "dissed" by many so called Cub fans who never really appreciated him.

Do I think racism factored in how Jacque was treated? Well, not overtly anyways. But I do think it is part of "fabric" of the Cubs. Let's face it folks. Jacque was treated poorly in "Cubbie-dom" despite all his hustle, and we're still bothered with the likes of Kerry Wood and Mark Prior, two of the biggest flops in franchise history. Yeah, they were good, just for a little while, but what have you done for me lately?

I keep hearing that black players are being called the n word by fans. At first I thought this was just some St. Louis fan trying to make us look bad, but now I'm starting to think it's actually true. Dear god, why do the fans of my favorite team have to constantly embarass and disgust me? First Bartman gets martyred for no good reason at all (if you haven't seen a fan stupidly reach for a foul ball then you don't watch much baseball) and now this.

The black athletes for the Cubs should walk off the field whenever anyone calls one of them the n word, and refuse to come back on until the guilty fan or fans are ushered out of the stadium and banned from Wrigley for life. How can anyone get away with saying that kind of crap? Are our fans really so utterly white bread that they all agree it's o.k. to say n***er? Chicagoans are usually so proactive - how come no one is punching these racist idiot's teeth in?

BTW, I'm white. I can't imagine how much this crap pisses off black people.

Pie should be the starting centerfielder come opening day. He gives you defense in a postion where defense is needed. How many of you were blogging on the D-backs and how they built there team, and how good they'll be. You have to give these kids the chance to fail and succeed. You can help yourself in July if Pie fails miserably. I can think of having worst options in the eighth spot and in center. Use the extra money to get more pitching.

I pretty much agree with "T" and Noles, but steven thiltgen has a point.We do tend to be a bit impatient regarding younger players who quickly disappoint our unrealistic expectations of them. I still think other choices would be better than Pie though. When he got sent back to the minors last year to work on hitting curve balls and then returned, he started out like he had learned something. Unfortunately that did not last, and he reverted to missing curves by a foot or more. How many chances does one get before deciding to go in another direction. Injuries are a different issue, and leeway should be given there.

I'd like to see Pie flourish, I really would. I think he has the talent, but it seems that the Cubs have a fundamental organizational problem: that they cannot seem to develop talent in-house, or simply aren't interested in it. When was the last Cubs prospect that turned into a legitimate every-day player? Mark Grace?

It's embarrassing. Like the Red Sox have shown successfully, you need a balance between timely free agents, and a regular influx of players from the farm system. The Yankees were at their best when they had that, but since the crop of Jeter, Posada et al, they've had a hard time getting over the hump because all they've done is buy free agents. The Cubs have gotten some good free agents (Lee probably the best), and have a few pitchers in house, but no major position players from the farm system in a few decades.

Pie won't succeed unless Lou can live with some growing pains and stick with him. He needs a full season, not 50 or 100 at-bats after a call-up.