Baseball Musings: Ramirez an Expensive Cub

November 12, 2006

Ramirez an Expensive Cub

The Chicago Cubs sign Aramis Ramirez, keeping him in the fold, according to FoxSports.com:

Rather than test free agency, third baseman Aramis Ramirez has decided to remain with the Chicago Cubs.
Ramirez, 28, has agreed to a five-year contract with a vesting option, FOXSports.com has learned. While exact terms of the deal were not immediately available, it was believed to be for at least $70 million.

I can't argue with the money. Ramirez is a very good hitter at an important defensive position. But as Rosenthal points out:

Think maybe now the Cubs regret giving Ramirez an escape clause rather than additional money in the four-year, $42 million extension he signed at the start of the 2005 season?
If the Cubs had increased the size of that contract, by, say, an additional $10 million, Ramirez likely would have dropped his demand for the out clause. The Cubs then would have had him signed through '08, at a far lesser salary than they will pay him in his new deal.

Talk about a hollow victory: Proud as the Cubs might be that first baseman Derrek Lee is signed through 2010 and Ramirez through 2011, they still must pursue two starting pitchers, an outfield slugger, a center fielder and maybe a second baseman this off-season.

It seems doubtful the Cubs would sign free agent Alfonso Soriano to a deal in the $100 million range when they've already got big money committed to Ramirez and Lee.

Of course, if the Cubs were developing good players of their own, they wouldn't need to be in a position to acquire all these players. They've invested a lot of money in two excellent players, but they don't have the supporting cast to back them up.

Posted by David Pinto at 03:11 PM | Free Agents | TrackBack (0)

Comments

hey pinto, how bout you stop bad-mouthin the cubs for once?

Posted by: chris at November 12, 2006 03:47 PM

Perhaps the Cubs have invested in a player whose skills will not deteriorate as rapidly as a player dependent on speed, but it seems the Cubs have bought high on a player that will be 33-34 at the end of his contract.

David, there's been quite a bit of talk about budgeting for wins instead of cash. Do you see the Cubs in a situation where they should have taken advantage of the World's Largest Beer Garden to take a step back and reload? Could they even consider doing so after today?

Posted by: Dennis at November 12, 2006 04:10 PM

I'm a cub fan living in Wrigleyville and i'm not a big fan of Ramirez. but this was a good signing. is investing big money in 2 players that big of a deal?
they can still conceivably invest big money in one more player, say JD Drew to play CF. that would give the cubs 6 players in the lineup that could post a .350 OBP (if theriot were to start, and that might be a stretch, but more bb's than k's in the minors is a good sign). and Drew and Lee could be .400 guys, putting lots of runners on for Aram.

Posted by: Boomer at November 12, 2006 05:19 PM

Dennis,

I think the Cubs are feeling pressure from the White Sox. For the first time in many years, the southsiders are the successful team in town. I would be worried that Cubs fans are getting tired of lovable losers, and if they did reload, the fans might not show up like they used to. Signing Ramirez signals to the fans the team is still trying to win, although you like to try to build a strong team up the middle, not at the corners.

Posted by: David Pinto at November 12, 2006 06:53 PM

Having taken a few hours to think about it, I also suppose Hendry is in no position to launch a rebuilding plan. Since Hendry survived the coup attempt, he has to create as much churn as possible to keep his job.

I can't help but feel the Cubs will not be truly competitive until 2010 because of Hendry's survival skills.

Posted by: Dennis at November 12, 2006 09:17 PM

I'd just like to point out that the Angels supposedly offered Ramirez a 6 year, $90 million deal. It seems he's staying in Chicago at quite a discount.

Maybe that still doesn't justify spending such a large amount of money on him, and the Cubs organization can still be criticized for its poor player development and whatnot. But Ramirez is a good hitter...and he has been signed at below market value. That should probably count for something.

Posted by: the other josh at November 12, 2006 10:28 PM

david,
I thought ''strong up the middle'' was talking about having strong defensive players at c, ss, 2b, and cf? Izturez at ss is a step in that direction, right? Besides, I know Ramirez isn't a gold glover, but DLee is.

Posted by: ron at November 13, 2006 12:30 AM

Strong up the middle is as much about offense as defense. Think the 1998 Yankees.

Posted by: David Pinto at November 13, 2006 07:35 AM

uh strong up the middle like molina - who hits worse than me, eckstein/ beliard and a 50% jim edmonds.

there is no one cliche that is automatic to build a winner.

Posted by: Tim at November 13, 2006 02:25 PM

obviously a team is better off if they have stong offensive players at defensive positions. That's my point, that good defense up the middle makes up for lumbering sluggers at the corners.

Posted by: ron at November 14, 2006 10:04 AM