Cubs' lineup getting more dangerous
Japanese outfielder Kosuke Fokudome, who agreed to a four-year, free-agent contract Tuesday night, gives the Cubs a left-handed hitter to balance their predominantly right-handed lineup.
A speedy switch-hitter such as Roberts or Figgins at the top of the order would make the Cubs that much more dynamic, enabling them to drop Alfonso Soriano to the No. 5 spot where he belongs.
Here's how it might look:
Roberts/Figgins, 2B
Fukudome, RF
Derrek Lee, 1B
Aramis Ramirez, 3B
Soriano, LF
Ryan Theriot, SS
Geovany Soto, C
Felix Pie/Sam Fuld, CF
The Cubs also could hit Soriano first, Roberts or Figgins second and Fukudome third or fifth. Mark DeRosa would return to the super-utility role he plays best, filling in at second base, third and right field.
Of course, it is hardly guaranteed that the Cubs will land Roberts or Figgins — Orioles owner Peter Angelos could veto any deal involving Roberts, and the Angels will only trade Figgins if they acquire a replacement at third base.
But if Fukudome becomes, as scouts expect, another Raul Ibanez, the Cubs' lineup would feature four impact hitters: Fukudome, Soriano Lee and Ramirez, whose contracts will average — ahem — nearly $60 million per season.
Roberts or Figgins would pose another threat, and the upside of Soto and Pie/Fuld could make the lineup that much deeper. Without Roberts or Figgins, DeRosa would remain at second — hardly a bad thing, considering that he had a .791 OPS last season.
SANTANA: STILL AVAILABLE
Maybe after the fact we'll know why it took so long for the Red Sox to acquire Johan Santana, if they ever reach an agreement with the Twins.
As one rival executive said of the Sox, "It's like they're buying a brand new Gulfstream jet and trying to negotiate the monthly payment down 10 bucks."
The negotiations surely are more complex than that, and the Twins also could be waffling as they try to decide between a deal centered around Jacoby Ellsbury or Jon Lester.
Still, Santana remains the Sox's sole target, according to major-league sources. The team is not pursuing Dan Haren, and it's highly unlikely the Orioles would trade Erik Bedard to a division rival.
So, really, what is the problem?
If it's Ellsbury, who became a New England folk hero with his stellar performance in September and October, some baseball people believe the Sox might be overplaying their hand.
"Who cares if Ellsbury becomes good?" one exec says. "They know Santana is great."
Also, who's to say that the Sox can't find another Ellsbury or Lester in the draft or the international market?
They selected Ellsbury with the 23rd overall pick in 2005, Lester with the 57th pick in 2002. Right-hander Clay Buchholz, another of their top prospects, was the 42nd overall selection in '05.
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ALEX CABRERA: IMPORT EXTRAORDINAIRE?
For all the talk about Fukudome, there is an even better free-agent power hitter available from Japan — Alex Cabrera, who averaged 51 homers with the Seibu Lions from 2001 to '03 and 31 the past three seasons.
Cabrera, who turns 36 on Dec. 24, is a right-handed hitting first baseman from Venezuela. He last played in North America in 2000, hitting 44 home runs in 105 games at three levels, including five in 31 games with the Diamondbacks. Seibu purchased his contract from Arizona after that season.
The Nationals, already set at first with Dmitri Young and Nick Johnson, are among the teams showing interest in Cabrera, according to a major-league source. Several A.L. clubs also are interested in Cabrera as a designated hitter.
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