Season Preview: 3B

Leading up to Opening Day, I'm going to break down the situation at all 8 positions plus starters, the bench, the bullpen, and whatever else I get around to "breaking down" (read: complaining about). Since I'm mostly pessimistic about the 2010 team as it stands right now, I'm starting with a position most likely to make me feel all warm and fuzzy when I write about it...

More than any other position on the Cubs roster, third base is solidified for this season. Ramirez, when healthy has been the Cub's most consistent player the past six years and, if healthy, should be good to put up .300/30/135 this season, if healthy. Did I mention he needs to stay healthy. When he went down for 50 games in the middle of the season last year, the Cubs offense (except D Lee) collectively wet themselves, and it didn't help that Lou's rallying cry during those 50 games was "Eh, Eh, well we'll just have to wait and see, how uh... wait what was the question? Oh yeah... eh we'll just have to see how things go when Ramirez gets back." What wasn't talked about enough is what happened when he did come back. Despite putting up decent numbers after his return at the beginning of August, the Cubs continued to play mediocre baseball the rest of the season. What this means is that a shitty Cubs lineup with Ramirez hitting 4th is still a pretty shitty... and this will be essentially the same lineup that couldn't produce runs in 2009, so, despite the small sample size, I think it's fair to ask how much value Ramirez truly has for the Cubs.

As it stands, Ramirez is the team's third-highest paid player at $15.75 mil this season. He has a player option for 2011 at around $14 mil, and a mutual option for $16 mil in 2012, and there is no way the Cubs will want in on that, as Ramirez will be 34 by then (which in Dominican years translates to somewhere around 49). Those are some large numbers for an injury-prone player on a team that, if things go south, may be looking to unload money either at the trade deadline, or after the season, and Ramirez probably has the highest value of any player on the roster. Like pretty much every other player Jim Hendry has ever signed to a deal, Ramirez does hold a no trade, so that may complicate any potential deal, but I'd guess that at age 32 and playing for a team probably looking to rebuild, he might be willing to approve a deal to a contender in the hopes of winning a ring before the end of his career.

Another thing to follow is the development of Josh Vitters,the former 3rd overall pick. Reports have him at a year or two away from being major league ready, and teams tend to make room for 3rd overall draft picks. When Ricketts gets sick of watching Hendry's overpaid roster play .500 ball and axes him at the end of the season, I expect a fire sale/youth movement, with a guy like Vitters getting a chance to start in 2011. Furthermore, if said fire sale were to occur, Ramirez would likely bring some decent talent in return

Do I think Ramirez will really be dealt during the 2010 season? Almost definitely not... at least not as long as Pinella is managing the team. Injury free, I think Ramirez will put up all star caliber numbers, and if Soriano, Soto and Byrd can provide some legitimate protection behind him in the lineup, he could have a huge season. My prediction for Ramirez: .290/34/117