Truth & Rumors > MLB

Cubs looking to shop Pie

Views
7353
Comments
40

06:59 AM ET 12.17 | The Cubs just signed a guy who's so fast, he already has run past Felix Pie on the outfield depth chart and looks like he's about to run Pie right out of the organization. What's certain is this: Former Rays and Royals outfielder Joey Gathright is a left-handed hitter with more experience, at least as much defensive versatility and better baserunning ability and instincts than Pie, and he made a better impression on manager Lou Piniella with Tampa Bay than Pie has made in Chicago. With the Cubs pursuing free-agent outfielder Milton Bradley and with three other outfielders locked in, there's room for only one Gathright-Pie type. It's doubtful Pie -- who recently was considered the organization's top prospect -- will last the offseason without being traded, considering he's out of options and was a long shot to make the 25-man roster out of spring training even before Gathright was signed.

Chicago Sun Times

Felix Pie, Ron Vesely/Getty Images Felix Pie, Ron Vesely/Getty Images
Comment #1 has been removed
December 17, 2008  08:34 AM ET

What is wrong with you?

December 17, 2008  08:36 AM ET

They'll have to put him in the discount clearance aisle.

December 17, 2008  10:09 AM ET

Good riddens...Corey Patterson part 2

Comment #5 has been removed
December 17, 2008  11:26 AM ET
QUOTE(#5):

This guy sucks, but most Cubs prospects do.

thank you for that astute observation

December 17, 2008  11:44 AM ET
QUOTE(#6):

thank you for that astute observation

What about Ryan Theriot? Sean Marshall? Carlos Marmol? Carlos Zambrano?

December 17, 2008  12:13 PM ET
QUOTE(#3):

They'll have to put him in the discount clearance aisle.

We call that the Cardinals Organization.

Pie hasn't done much for the Cubs, so if they can get something in return for him that would be great. Maybe Felix just needs a change of scenery to boost his career.

December 17, 2008  12:50 PM ET

Does the name Lou Brock ring any bells ? The Cubs obviously gave up on the internal development strategy when they ran Andy McPhail out of town. Now they don't have the money to be the Yankees-West.

Looking Forward to Another 100 years of futility.

December 17, 2008  01:02 PM ET
QUOTE(#9):

Does the name Lou Brock ring any bells ? The Cubs obviously gave up on the internal development strategy when they ran Andy McPhail out of town. Now they don't have the money to be the Yankees-West. Looking Forward to Another 100 years of futility.

Lou Brock has even said that he would have made the same trade the way he was playing.

The best part of living near Chicago is that everything we flush eventually ends up downstate!

December 17, 2008  01:14 PM ET

I would love to see Pie be given a fair shot. I mean a really fair shot. This guy has had only 260 at bats in the big leagues. Lou-P doesn't like the guy so he won't give him a fair shot. He wins the Job in centerfield out of spring training last season but winds up with only 83 at bats for the season. And gets stuck battin eigth where he will se no good pitches to hit. If I was a big league manager and my pitcher threw the opposing taems eigth place hitter anything near the plate I would yank his **** out of the game immediately. So the Cubs are going to give up on their top prospect after only 260 big league at bats. But that's not surprising and that is why the Cubs haven't won the World Series in over 100 years. It is frustrating as a die hard Cub fan when this **** keeps happening. Joey Gathright you give up on your top prospect for this guy what a joke. Outside of pitching the Cub organization hasn't developed any star talent form it's monor league system in the last 20 years. The Cubs give a guy Like Matt Murton 400 or 500 at bats but you trade your top prospect after only 260 at bats pathetic. Ryan Theriot has suceeded beacuse he was given 537 at bats in 2007 and 580 in 2008. That is why we have to give huge money to free agent position players which in turn handcuffs the organization when they have a chance at Guys like Jake Peavy thier is no money left. Well fellow Cub fans be prepared for another long wait before we even make it to a world series.

December 17, 2008  01:33 PM ET

I think Pie still has potential, but when you're positioning yourself for today (which the Cubs most assuredly are), not for tomorrow, you go with the proven quantity. Even though Gathright isn't a world beater, at least you know what you're going to get from him. Besides, the role Gathright will fill, basically a bench player, is not a good spot for someone as young as Pie. it's not fair to him and it's not beneficial to the club. Hopefully they can package Pie with a couple other players and get either a left-handed hitting outfielder (doubtful) or a passable starting pitcher. They'll need to unload Marquis to open up a starting role, but that's just another reason to do it.

December 17, 2008  01:54 PM ET

How can the Cubs get rid of Pie? Remember, he's a "can't miss" prospect.

Cubs will regret getting rid of him.

December 17, 2008  01:56 PM ET

When were you going to give Pie a "fair shot" last year? You're in a tight playoff race and he's swinging at everything and missing almost everything....and you're going to run him out there instead of Edmonds and Reed Johnson? Look at the lineup -- this team wins in the next 2 years or you can forget about it for awhile. This is no time to be letting a rookie work out the bugs. And nothing against rookies....I still remember Jerome Walton and Dwight Smith. The difference is, they got their shot and they took advantage of it. Pie hasn't ever done that, and this organization doesn't have the time for him to figure it out.

December 17, 2008  01:57 PM ET
QUOTE(#13):

How can the Cubs get rid of Pie? Remember, he's a "can't miss" prospect. Cubs will regret getting rid of him.

What a surprise, coming from a Sox fan. Why don't you have your do-nothing GM make a trade offer, if you like Pie so much?

December 17, 2008  02:30 PM ET
QUOTE(#13):

How can the Cubs get rid of Pie? Remember, he's a "can't miss" prospect. Cubs will regret getting rid of him.

Just like we did Patterson....

December 17, 2008  02:39 PM ET
QUOTE(#15):

What a surprise, coming from a Sox fan. Why don't you have your do-nothing GM make a trade offer, if you like Pie so much?

No thanks. We don't need Pie. We have Jerry Owens.

December 17, 2008  02:41 PM ET
QUOTE(#13):

How can the Cubs get rid of Pie? Remember, he's a "can't miss" prospect. Cubs will regret getting rid of him.

No argument here. That's the problem when dealing with young players. You take the risk of them coming back and biting you in the rear when they go to another team. Fact is, sometimes you have to cut the strings because of lack of performance or just a simple trade when younger players and cheaper ones are in demand.

December 17, 2008  02:48 PM ET
QUOTE(#3):

They'll have to put him in the discount clearance aisle.

A clearance aisle for Pie, it must be way past its expiration date.

 
December 17, 2008  03:45 PM ET

Teams like the White Sox 2005, The 2003 Marlins, The Tampa Rays 2008, The Colorado Rockies of 2007 they got to be as good as they were by letting young talent develop. Those teams had and in the case of the rays still have great young core players. What would have happened if The Mariners gave up on Alex Rodriguez after 200 at bats beacause after 200 at bats in the big leagues A-Rod batting avg was 219, or if the Cleveland Indians gave up on Manny Ramirez after 200 at bats his avg was slightly above 200 also. I am not saying that Pie is in their class but I am saying that you have to give a guy more than 200 at bats before you call him a bust. In the case of the Cubs you are going to eventually have to have some of your prospects lead you to the World Series. If you keep trying to buy world series you wind up with guys like D-Lee who is past his prime or a stop gap player every season like Jim Edmonds or collosal bust like Soriano, Marquis,Fukudome.

Comment

Remember to keep your posts clean. Profanity will get filtered, and offensive comments will be removed.


The Si.com Cover Hub Go to the Cover Hub

Truth & Rumors

MOST POPULAR

  1. 1
    Inside Manning's walk off
    Views
    129080
    Comments
    3042
  2. 2
    Teams eyeing Eagles QBs?
    Views
    12907
    Comments
    2088
  3. 3
    Yankees GM: No new deals for Big Three
    Views
    17238
    Comments
    716
  4. 4
    Rays still have shot at Damon
    Views
    19095
    Comments
    471
  5. 5
    Kobe may miss All-Star Game
    Views
    9574
    Comments
    461

Most Active Users

Comments + Blog Posts + Throwdowns

  1. 1
    Chico 2.0
  2. 2
    BBK - Whitey
  3. 3
    rstowe
  4. 4
    gigi_iv
  5. 5
    Never NDing Struggle

Message Boards

  1. NCAAF > General NCAAF

    FSU vacates 12 football wins…
    Views
    341
    Replies
    34
  2. NFL > General NFL

    All Hail Joe Montana - The…
    Views
    257
    Replies
    38
  3. NCAAB > General NCAAB

    Duke vs North Carolina -- Do…
    Views
    227
    Replies
    3

Blogs

SI.com

Swimsuit

SI Photos