MADDUX to the CUBS after all

[D2bets]

Numerous sources say he and Boras will be in Mesa tomorrow when pitchers and catchers report to announce the signing.

I guess after last night we should wait to see the signature on the dotted line to believe anything, but I think this time it's actually true. Maddux back in blue.

Do the Cubs now have the best rotation?
Prior
Wood
Maddux
Zambrano
Clement

 

[NICKYTHEFISH]

Cubs already had best rotation without him imo.

 

[johndoe]

wood prior will be the best 1-2 for years to come. best staff in baseball without him. with him even better. still need protection for sammy though.

 

[D2bets]

john, you don't think Derek Lee can be protection for Sammy? And Aramis Ramirez. Alou wasn't the answer, but with Lee and Ramirez in there also, and Patterson too, I think there's enough thump.

 

[wilheim]

IMHO. Sammy needs to protect Sammy. All his numbers were off last year. I know he had some injuries and other problems, but he needs to have a big year for the Cubs to really be the team to beat in the NL. central. I think.

Sosa Stats

wil.

 

[D2bets]

wil, I agree, but I think he needs to know he has protection and know he doesn't need to do everything. That way he can go back to being the PATIENT Sammy and draw a lot of walks. That's when he , and the team, will have success. But he did, he got hit in the head twice last year and went into a tailspin following both, not to mention the cork thing which followed the first coconut cracking. I'm real excited to see what Derek Lee can do in Wrigley though. If he can hit 32 with Pro Player his home, there's no telling. The Sosa/Lee/Ramirez threesome I think will lead the NL in HR's for a trio. I can see 110-120 from them.

 

[pja101]

Regarding the Maddux pickup:

Despite the fact that he's nowhere near the pitcher he once was, his experience will be very helpful for the young staff. I wouldn't expect more than 15 wins(at most) and an ERA in the 4-4.50 range. With that being said, I'd still much rather him than Cruz(I wouldn't even know how to describe him? Inconsistent to the billionth power) or the rest of the junk out there.



D2, don't kid yourself with that lineup. No leadoff hitter, and no lefty/righty balance at all. They will struggle to score runs. They will almost certainly lead the league in Solo HRs this season, as well as strikeouts. Also, who knows how Patterson will be after that injury? I'd expect that we will be seeing A LOT of Walker and Hollandsworth by August, A LOT. Hollandsworth is one of the most underrated players in the league imo, and has seemed to always crush the ball at Wrigley. Though, lots of players seem to do that when visiting Wrigley, then seem to forget it once they put on a Cubs' uniform. We'll see....

 

[BornLoser+]

It's official

3 years 24 million

Best rotation in the game

I can't wait 'till April

 

[wilheim]

Just FYI - Greg Maddux and Pedro Martinez are the only two active pitchers with over 150 career victories, and career ERAs under 3.00.


wil.

 

[gambler1]

Kudos to the cubbies, they sign players and don't whine like the "BabelessSox".