The Neifi signing hit a nerve. Despite the starting pitchers injuries and the bullpen issues, there’s no two bigger symbols of the 2004 season than Neifi Perez and Jose Macias. Bringing back Neifi – for a TWO year deal, as if he wasn’t going to be available in 2007 – as your first big move … Continue reading “Neifi = Furcal + 1”
The Neifi signing hit a nerve. Despite the starting pitchers injuries and the bullpen issues, there’s no two bigger symbols of the 2004 season than Neifi Perez and Jose Macias. Bringing back Neifi – for a TWO year deal, as if he wasn’t going to be available in 2007 – as your first big move isn’t the sign you’re hoping your team has learned from it’s mistakes.
Thinking about it more rationally, though, the problem really wasn’t Neifi (or his personal fault in known way.) The problem isn’t exactly Neifi’s bat, although the Cubs certainly could/should do better than it. The problem was how Neifi was used.
PA AVG OBP SLG
1st 114 254 263 333
2nd 268 280 300 414
7th 131 305 341 412
Asking Neifi to bat leadoff or second is unfair to Neifi; that’s not what he’s equipped to do, and it’s not what he’s capable of doing. (I tend to chalk up the better hitting in the 7th spot as fluke rather than meaningful, but it’s still neat.)
Getting rid of Neifi was considered a means of Dusty Proof-ing the teams; give him only access to players which won’t cause him harm. Now that he’s sticking around, he’ll unendingly steal at bats from Cedeno, either at second (if they sign Furcal) or short (if they don’t.)
Is that such a bad thing? I don’t hold high hopes for Cedeno’s bat…
2005 Iowa 355 403 518
2004 West Tenn 279 328 401
2003 Daytona 211 257 295
2002 Lansing 213 269 295
I know last year was good, but it was a short amount of bats, and everywhere else, he’s had a league average (or worse) season and advanced on his glove. He could grow into a good hitter and needs at bats to do it, but I don’t think it’s going to make a significant difference if Cedeno’s playing or if Neifi’s hitting on any given day.
The key thing is where the Neifi/Ronny combo is hitting. With all three OF spots and one IF place up in the air, it’s tough to project a lineup, much lesson one that could work. But, since everyone seems to be giving the Cubs Furcal, let’s assume him and work from there.
1) SS Furcal
2) CF TBA (Pierre? Crawford? Carl would be surreal)
3) 1B D-Lee
4) 3B A-RAM
5) RF TBA
6) CA Barrett
7) LF Murton
8) 2B Neifi/Ronny
9) P
Or however you want to do 6-7-8; they’re not as important as 1-4, and 2 is the question mark. Dusty’ll bat Neifi second if he’s not given a better choice, and I don’t think Murton is a better choice in Dusty’s mind. If the Cubs pick up two top of the order players (and Corner Outfielder Nomar works in this discussion) who are able to play there effectively for 150-some games (okay, maybe Nomar doesn’t work), Dusty can goof around with 5-8 to his heart’s content and we should still have at least a league average offense. Batting Neifi seventh won’t push me as close to death as batting him second did, even if Murton’s stuck eight.
On the other hand, if Furcal is the it as far as major hitting signings, then the Neifi signing will kill us. Without Neifi, you have the hope Cedeno will blossom if given lots of at bats. With him, we’re stuck with a empty .275 hitter.
If Jim Hendry gets Furcal and one outfielder, I’m forgetting Neifi’s signed till I see him in spring training. If not, I’m remembering at ticket buying time.