Pinella Agrees to 3-Year Deal With Cubs

[The Commish]

Report: Piniella agrees to manage Cubs


ESPN.com news services


CHICAGO -- Lou Piniella apparently will take his fiery brand of managing to "the Windy City."

Chicago radio station ESPN 1000 reported Monday that the Chicago Cubs have agreed to a three-year deal with Piniella.

Financial terms have not been finalized, but the radio station is reporting that Piniella will receive approximately $3 million annually. The Cubs officially will announce the hiring of Piniella on Tuesday at Wrigley Field.

Piniella, 63, faces a difficult task in turning around a Cubs franchise which posted a 66-96 record in 2006 and has reached the postseason just twice in the last 17 years.

The subject of numerous recent rumors, Piniella owns a career record of 1,519-1,420 in 19 seasons with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, the Seattle Mariners, the Cincinnati Reds and the New York York Yankees. He guided the Reds to a World Series championship in 1990 and twice was named American League Manager of the Year while with the Mariners.

On Friday, Piniella took himself out of the running for the San Francisco Giants' opening. He has also spoken to the Washington Nationals and Texas Rangers, although he said the Washington job is not an ideal fit.
Piniella, 63, has been working in television since parting ways with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays after the 2005 season following three difficult years as manager.

The Cubs chose not to bring back manager Dusty Baker when his contract expired.

Information from SportsTicker and The Associated Press was used in this report.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2628162




Joe Girardi anyone?

 

[Espo]

Good to know the Cubbies won't be competition in the NL for the next three years. I just don't see Pinella being able to fix this team and motivate them to being a winning team. I think that they should have went with Joe Girardi and let him help build the team from the ground up. I think next year they will be the same old cubbies with an overpriced manager.

 

[Mulli]

Can't wait to see Zambrano meltdown when Pinella looks at him wrong.

Pinella might win if if they overhaul the roster.

Actually, I see this move as yet another move to sell papers and not necessarily to win.

 

[PDXChris]

If they go after 2 top level pitcher(do those really exist any more on the open market) and Lee stays healthy and they go after Carlos Lee as reported in the Tribune, they might contend. BUT, Lou is not the answer, I really wanted Joe.

There hitting should be strong is they can land Lee

Juan Pierre CF
Ryan Theriot 2B
A. Ramirez 3B
Derrek Lee 1B
Carlos Lee LF
Jacque Jones RF
M. Barrett C
Cesar Izturis SS

Off the Bench
Ronny Cedeno
Matt Murton

That is not a bad lineup, and Lou only has to deal with one young kid in Theriot.

Pitching could be another story
C. Zambrano
Mark Prior(Man is this guy ever going to be healthy)
Rich Hill(I think he has finially got it)
Free Agnet
Free Agent


Free Agent
Free Agent
M. Wuertz
Bob Howry
Scott Eyre
Ryan Dempster Setup
Kerry Wood Closer(if he is used as a closer from the beginning, maybe his arm will hold up)


Who know how this can go, these are the Cubs afterall

 

[Mulli]

And if they don't get Carlos Lee that is the same lineup as last year.

 

[Louis]

Kerry Wood Closer(if he is used as a closer from the beginning, maybe his arm will hold up)


Who know how this can go, these are the Cubs afterall

I could see it working ala John Smoltz. Wood and Prior both need to have limited outings and being relegated to the bullpen could lengthen their careers and possibly get them back to where they are supposed to be.

Anybody see the 'wait til next year' documentary? Heart wrenching.

 

[PDXChris]

And if they don't get Carlos Lee that is the same lineup as last year.

Actually it wouldn't because that other guy named Lee who was a near triple crown winner the year before only played in 23 or so games and Barrett was suspended like 40 games and Izturis was shut down after the trade to make sure he was healthy for the coming year.

 

[Mulli]

What did Izturis do last year when he played? What was the Cubs record with Barrett in the line up? Why did the rest of the lineup completely shut down when Lee went down?

What do I care, I am a Sox fan. Go Sox.

 

[Ryanwb]

Honestly the Cubs should bite the bullet and trade Prior and Wood. They do them no good by being on the DL for months at a time every season. I'm sure the Yankees would pony up for them

 

[PDXChris]

Honestly the Cubs should bite the bullet and trade Prior and Wood. They do them no good by being on the DL for months at a time every season. I'm sure the Yankees would pony up for them

I agree completely

 

[PDXChris]

What did Izturis do last year when he played? What was the Cubs record with Barrett in the line up? Why did the rest of the lineup completely shut down when Lee went down?

What do I care, I am a Sox fan. Go Sox.

They never got a chance to play together, if the Yankees lost Jeter in addition to the other injuries they had this year, that team would had crumbled, Lee brings more than a bat, he also brings leadership protection for Ramirez who then protects the next guy in the lineup and so on and so fourth.

 

[Mulli]

They never got a chance to play together, if the Yankees lost Jeter in addition to the other injuries they had this year, that team would had crumbled, Lee brings more than a bat, he also brings leadership protection for Ramirez who then protects the next guy in the lineup and so on and so fourth.

IIRC, Pierre, Ramirez, and Jones did nothing until the Cubs were out of it last year.

Also, even if you are right and the Cubs lineup somehow compares to the Yankees. Their pitching staff is in even worse shape than the White Sox.

 

[PDXChris]

IIRC, Pierre, Ramirez, and Jones did nothing until the Cubs were out of it last year.

Also, even if you are right and the Cubs lineup somehow compares to the Yankees. Their pitching staff is in even worse shape than the White Sox.

You are 100% correct with those 3 doing nothing until they were out of it, and I say that can fall on Lee's leadership and production not being there to protect them. I am not saying the lineup compares to the Yankees, I am saying Lee and Jeter mean the same to each respective lineup.

As far as the pitching staff, the rotation is in need of a overhaul. I agree 100% with that. Zambrano is the only prover pitcher.

As it stands right now the Sox are the better team in Chicago. They would have run away with the NL. I am just saying with a healthy D. Lee and the addidtion of Carlos Lee, the linup is good enough to compete with any NL team.

 

[Mulli]

You are 100% correct with those 3 doing nothing until they were out of it, and I say that can fall on Lee's leadership and production not being there to protect them. I am not saying the lineup compares to the Yankees, I am saying Lee and Jeter mean the same to each respective lineup.

As far as the pitching staff, the rotation is in need of a overhaul. I agree 100% with that. Zambrano is the only prover pitcher.

As it stands right now the Sox are the better team in Chicago. They would have run away with the NL. I am just saying with a healthy D. Lee and the addidtion of Carlos Lee, the linup is good enough to compete with any NL team.

I suppose you are right. The Cubs did sweep the Cards this year at least a couple of times right?

 

[boondockdrunk]

I don't think that Pinella is that good of a manager. He makes for good TV but that is about it. How many of his teams have been successful?

 

[AZCB34]

The Cubs have said their budget will increase by $25 million this year (naturally speculation is they will use that increase to trade for A-Rod )

I expect them to make a half hearted attempt at Zito and really pursue Schmidt. Pierre is a FA I believe so that may be an issue.

Prior and Wood have little trade value right now. Cannot stay healthy.

Sigh.

 

[mjb21aztd]

Welcome to another 3 seasons of losing Pinella

 

[Mulli]

Doing okay so far (or until I jinxed him with this post).

 

[Mulli]

And if they don't get Carlos Lee that is the same lineup as last year.

Soriano is a better alternative I guess.

 

[Mulli]

Can't wait to see Zambrano meltdown when Pinella looks at him wrong.

Pinella might win if if they overhaul the roster.

Actually, I see this move as yet another move to sell papers and not necessarily to win.

Bump!

 

[BC867]

Looks like Ryno is next in line. There's a real personality change.

Maybe he'd like Grace on his staff.