I’m sure there’s a lot of disappointment going around in Kingdom Cub this morning about the now dead Jake Peavy to the Cubs trade talks.  I would have liked to have seen Jake Peavy in Wrigley, and I think he would have been tremendous in Chicago.  With that said, I think we have to give Jim Hendry credit for having the courage to pull the plug on this deal.  I’m sure an eyebrow or two is going to be raised about calling Hendry courageous for ending the talks, so let me explain where I’m coming from. 

I think a lot of people, once serious talks at the Winter Meetings began, took a Jake Peavy trade for granted, and that Hendry would get it done somehow.  We heard so many specific rumors, and on Wednesday, we got the details on what seemed to be the final version of the trade.  Pie to the Orioles for prospects; DeRosa to the Phillies for prospects; Marquis, Vitters, maybe another piece or two, and all the Orioles/Phillies prospects for Jake Peavy.  If you boil it down, the Cubs would trade Felix Pie, Mark DeRosa, Josh Vitters, and Jason Marquis for Jake Peavy.  Also, the Cubs would take on Jake Peavy’s entire contract, and over half of Jason Marquis’ contract. 

Think about what the Cubs are giving up in that deal.  They give up their former prized 5 tool center field prospect in Pie.  His value is obviously diminished, but Pie still has some value.  He’s a great defender, he has good speed, and he could very well be a change of scenery away from stardom.  DeRosa was the Cubs most versatile player last year, and you could argue he was the most valuable as well.  Perhaps more importantly, Hendry saw what DeRosa could bring in a two team trade with all the clubs that became interested once DeRosa appeared to be on the market.  They also give up Josh Vitters, a former third pick in the draft, and the number one prospect in the organization, the future at third base.  Finally, they throw in Jason Marquis, and the Padres would be doing the Cubs a favor to take him.  I give Jim Hendry a lot of credit for looking at that deal (or whatever ridiculous “Herschel Walker” deal was on the table) and saying “That’s too much”.  He knew Cubs fans were expecting him to get a deal done, but this pressure did not affect his ultimate decision, and he made what he believed to be the best decision for this organization. 

The Cubs are not going all in next year.  Next year is not the only shot the Cubs have to win.  The organization makes way too much money and has way too many fans for the Lovable Losers tag to be acceptable anymore.  The Cubs need to be contending for the playoffs every year.  I think Jim Hendry kept us in position to do this by making the choice he did.

Part of this decision also had to do with the fact that the Cubs have more pressing issues this offseason, as they have maintained all along.  Objective number one has been and remains to get a right fielder that can hit lefty, and hit well.  Three names continue to surface: Milton Bradley, Raul Ibanez, and Bobby Abreu.  Thus far, Bradley and Ibanez seem more likely than Abreu, but I believe that Abreu is the best fit.  He fits perfectly with the patience at the plate that was the hallmark of last year’s team.  He’s always near the top of the league in walks and pitches per plate appearance (he and Kosuke both averaged 4.29 PPA last year, tied for fourth in the MLB).  Also, he’s the only one of the three who is a regular right fielder.  He may be slightly more expensive, but with Peavy out of picture, I say go for it.

UPDATE: Raul Ibanez has signed with the Philadelphia Phillies according to Ken Rosenthal.   We don’t have to watch him play right field…YAY!!!  Ibanez to the Phils

I would also not be surprised to see DeRosa dealt in a non-Peavy deal.  His value is not getting any higher than it is after the career year that was 2008, and Hendry got an idea of where his value on the open market really is when his name came out this week.  Dealing DeRosa might cause the Brian Roberts rumor mill to start churning again as well, even though I would like to see Fontenot get a shot next year.  He’s a lefty and he outslugged DeRosa, Lee, and Soto in 243 at bats.  That’s not a full season, but it is a pretty good sample size.

Another name that the Cubs will be in on is Randy Johnson.  Look for the Cubs to talk to him about a one year deal with an option for a second.  I would not mind seeing this happen at all.  Johnson is not the pitcher he once was (along with Pedro Martinez, the most dominant pitcher I have ever watched), but he still gets it done and is still intimidating and ugly.  It’s also a plus that the Cubs wouldn’t have to face him anymore what with his undefeated record in 14 starts against the Cubs.  I think this deal will get done if the Cubs can dump Marquis on the Mets as is most recently rumored.  If the Cubs get Johnson, they would have 6 guys that I would be comfortable with having in the rotation (Sean Marshall being the odd man out), including 3 lefties, a luxury that I like a lot.

I think you will see the Cubs involved in a lot of discussions over the coming weeks, and I’ll be back to discuss the more significant rumors, signings, and trades.