Are the Cubs Getting What They Paid For?

I said before that the Cubs payroll is around $126 million dollars and this is a major problem for the Cubs now and in the future because they have a lot of bad long-term contracts. The highest paid player on the Cubs is Alfonso Soriano. In 2007, he signed an eight-year contract worth around $136 million and this season he is due to make $19 million dollars. At age 35, the once superstar is now on the back end of his career and is more of a liability than he is an asset. He cannot run anymore, hit for average, field, and his on base percentage is below three because he never walks. Soriano is under contract until 2014 but with this kind of production, you may be better off at cutting your losses.

Other contract problems include: Aramis Ramirez, Kouske Fukudome, Carlos Pena, and Carlos Zambrano. Ramierz is still a productive player, not as good as he used to be, but still good. At almost $15 million dollars a year however, you would expect a little more than he has shown. He might be on of the laziest players in baseball; next time he hits a groundball watch him jog to first base. Pena signed a one-year $10 million dollar contract after the 2010 season, however after you see the numbers he put up last year, you tell me if he is worth the money. In 2010 Pena batted .196 with 28 homeruns, 84 runs batted in and 166 strikeout. Pena has a good glove in the field and a very good eye at the plate, but is he worth $10 million dollars, well Jim Hendry thought so.

Fukudome came over from Japan in 2008 and is a very decent player in the beginning of the season but usually tails off at the end of June. Will this year be any different, stay tuned. Zambrano the once Ace of the staff is a very good starting picther but should he get paid like an ace of the staff like King Felix, I am not to sure about that one either. Jim Hendry made some very good moves in the early 2000’s but after seeing all of these bad contracts the Cubs have now should he still be GM? Personally I think he might get his walking papers really soon if this season does not turn around for the Cubs.

Here is a list of the Cubs payroll