Cubs Interested In Sheets & Dye

[TallTitan34]

Ben Sheets and the Cubs are reported to have mutual interest in each other.  He will throw for the Cubs and several other teams on Tuesday after having surgery last February.

I see Sheets as a Rich Harden who can go deeper into games.  You never know when either will get hurt.  I think Sheets would be a good pickup if his deal is one-year and heavily based on incentives.  With a short-term incentives based contract he would be relatively low risk.

The Cubs are also said to be interested in Jermaine Dye.  The Cubs already have a set outfield of Soriano, Fukudome, and Byrd, however Dye said he could play first base as well.

Dye has an ok bat and his defense sucks.  He is definately well past his prime.  The only way the Cubs should make this move is if Dye is very very very low cost bench guy.  He could give an outfielder or Derrek Lee an occasional day off.  Otherwise this move would be terrible.

Thoughts?

[copious1218]

Sheets supposedly wants a 2-year contract worth about $10-$12 PER YEAR.  If that's the cost - he's a definite NO.

I agree with you, if the Cubs can sign him to a one-year incentive-laden contract I would definitely add him (especially not knowing how long Lilly will be out and who the fifth man will be).

[NavinRJohnson]

Sheets' contract demands are ridiculous. Obviously if he was willing to sign a one year incentive heavy contract, every team in the league would be interested. He won't do that.

As for Dye...I don't see him as any kind of fit for the Cubs. Could you imagine an OF with Soriano in LF and Dye in RF. Holy bad! As for giving Derrik Lee a day off, he hasn't played 1B in his long baseball life.

[GOMU1104]

People in hell want ice water...

[Benny B]

As a Brewer fan, I sincerely hope the Cubs sign Ben Sheets.

[copious1218]

Obviously if he was willing to sign a one year incentive heavy contract, every team in the league would be interested. He won't do that.

touche

[LON]

As a Brewer fan, I sincerely hope the Cubs sign Ben Sheets.

I'll cosign on this as well.

[reinko]

Sheets supposedly wants a 2-year contract worth about $10-$12 PER YEAR.  If that's the cost - he's a definite NO.

I agree with you, if the Cubs can sign him to a one-year incentive-laden contract I would definitely add him (especially not knowing how long Lilly will be out and who the fifth man will be).

I find humor in fanbases of teams that have no financial limitations (Cubs, Red Sox, Yankees, Mets...), exclaim "OH NOT FOR THAT MONEY  HE ISN'T WORTH IT!!!!  Rabble rabble rabble!!!! 

Bleacher seats next year will still be $60 and Old Styles will be $7 if they sign Sheets or not.

[Hards Alumni]

If the Cubs sign him, I hope they are prepared to feel like Brewer's fans have.

Sheets has proven one thing in his career.  He has no durability.

[GGGG]

Jermaine Dye?  Does Jim Hendry think the Cubs are in the American League?

[copious1218]

I find humor in fanbases of teams that have no financial limitations (Cubs, Red Sox, Yankees, Mets...), exclaim "OH NOT FOR THAT MONEY  HE ISN'T WORTH IT!!!!  Rabble rabble rabble!!!! 

Bleacher seats next year will still be $60 and Old Styles will be $7 if they sign Sheets or not.

While the Cubs have a higher payroll than most teams  - they still have financial limits.  Sheets is not worth $10M/year for any team.

[LON]

While the Cubs have a higher payroll than most teams  - they still have financial limits.  Sheets is not worth $10M/year for any team.

Are you talking about the team that - until recently - owed $21 million to Milton effing Bradley?

[copious1218]

Are you talking about the team that - until recently - owed $21 million to Milton effing Bradley?

Yes.  Are you making the assumption that as a fan of the Cubs I am happy with every signing?  No, I was not happy with the Bradley signing now or then.  I'm also not happy with the amount Soriano makes (wasn't happy when he signed either), or Fukudome's cost for that matter.

However, the Cubs, just like every other team does not want to overpay a player to underperform.  To argue the Cubs, Yankees, or Red Sox should sign Sheets for $10M/year because they can "afford" to is a ridiculous argument.  Every team regardless of the amount of their payroll wants to get the best performances for the lowest cost.

[LON]

Yes.  Are you making the assumption that as a fan of the Cubs I am happy with every signing?  No, I was not happy with the Bradley signing now or then.  I'm also not happy with the amount Soriano makes (wasn't happy when he signed either), or Fukudome's cost for that matter.

However, the Cubs, just like every other team does not want to overpay a player to underperform.  To argue the Cubs, Yankees, or Red Sox should sign Sheets for $10M/year because they can "afford" to is a ridiculous argument.  Every team regardless of the amount of their payroll wants to get the best performances for the lowest cost.

Fair enough.  I should also point out that the Brewers were paying $10 million for an overrated over-the-hill CF in Mike Cameron

[Hards Alumni]

Fair enough.  I should also point out that the Brewers were paying $10 million for an overrated over-the-hill CF in Mike Cameron

The Brewers will probably always have to overpay for talent.

[muwarrior87]

The Brewers will probably always have to overpay for talent after the player's arbitration years.

fixed

[NavinRJohnson]

Fair enough.  I should also point out that the Brewers were paying $10 million for an overrated over-the-hill CF in Mike Cameron

Overrated and over the hill? What are you talking about. He may have been slightly over paid, but even at his advanced age, there was nothing overrated or over the hill about him. He is/was still one of the best defensive Cfers in the league, and put up numbers that were very much in line with what he has done his entire career.

As a Brewer fan, I would probably would not have been willing to give him 2/$16Million this year (second year was the problem) as the Red Sox did (But the Cubs sure should have. They could not have found a better fit), but all Brewer fans are going to find out just how not-overrated, and how not-over the hill he was when Carlos Gomez steps into the batters box this year.

[LON]

Misplayed balls and 5,000 k's a season

EDIT:  And the herpes sores on HD Brewers broadcasts

[Hards Alumni]

Overrated and over the hill? What are you talking about. He may have been slightly over paid, but even at his advanced age, there was nothing overrated or over the hill about him. He is/was still one of the best defensive Cfers in the league, and put up numbers that were very much in line with what he has done his entire career.

As a Brewer fan, I would probably would not have been willing to give him 2/$16Million this year (second year was the problem) as the Red Sox did (But the Cubs sure should have. They could not have found a better fit), but all Brewer fans are going to find out just how not-overrated, and how not-over the hill he was when Carlos Gomez steps into the batters box this year.

100% agree.

[akmarq]

Are you talking about the team that - until recently - owed $21 million to Milton effing Bradley?

Hey! They dumped him on the Mariners...now they pay that much to let pudgy, jolly Carlos Silva give up home runs and hug people in the dugout.  If you can get 21 million hugs out of him this year, then you're getting a good price.

[TallTitan34]

If the Cubs sign him, I hope they are prepared to feel like Brewer's fans have.

Sheets has proven one thing in his career.  He has no durability.

The difference is though that Sheets was considered a number 1 in Milwaukee leading to more disapointment. Knowing full well that he cant stay healthy I dont think the Cubs would treat him as a number 1 starter leading to less dissapointment.  If he stays healthy he can be a 1 but until then he shouldnt be thought of as anything more than a 2 or 3.

[NavinRJohnson]

There is no question he has always had Number 1 stuff, but those numbers, 1,2 3...are meaningless. You either pitch or you don't. You pitch well, or you don't. You're ERA is 3.00, or 4.00, or 4.50...At 2/$20 he would not be brought in as some sort of insurance policy. If the Cubs (or any other team) sign Sheets at that kind of money, they are doing so with the intention of him taking the ball every five days, and with a history of both shoulder and elbow problems, if he is unable to do that, it will necessarily create a hole in the rotation, regardless of the meaningless number you put behind his name.

Cut that contract in half in either dollars or years, and I would probably jump at it, but at what he is supposedly looking for, the risk of causing yourself roster issues down the line seems a bit too high.

[GGGG]

Didn't Sheets turn down a big contract from the Brewers just prior to 2008?

[reinko]

While the Cubs have a higher payroll than most teams  - they still have financial limits.  Sheets is not worth $10M/year for any team.

So, what is a more fair # $7 million a year?  That extra 3 million represents an overall 2.5% (last year Cubs payroll was $135 million) of the team payroll.  Chump change.  He may not be worth 10 million to any team, but only 3-5 teams have the ability to eat an extra 2 or 3 million dollars a year to get them on to their team.


http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20090408&content_id=4170640&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb

[Hards Alumni]

Didn't Sheets turn down a big contract from the Brewers just prior to 2008?

no