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If ever the Chicago Cubs are going to be sellers, 2010 may be the year.
Aramis Ramirez can opt out of his contract - and most assuredly will. Derrek Lee's contract is expiring. Ted Lilly's contract is expiring. Kosuke Fukudome will have a year and a half left at the deadlin
All would be moderately to extremely useful to contenders, should the Cubs not be in the hunt at the deadline (which, let's face it, isn't out of the question).
With Lee, Ramirez and Lilly, that's nearly $41 million coming off the books going into 2011. Throw in Fukudome and it's nearly $54 million. (And it's probably a year early to put Carlos Zambrano on this list, as he's owed too much to bring back much value.)
Played right, the Cubs could turn those three or four players into a raft full of prospects to go with their newly robust farm system - while also freeing up money to go after 2011 free agents (Mauer, Crawford, Werth, Beckett, Lee, Vazquez, Heilman (!), Webb, among others).
Would Ricketts & Co. do it in their first full year? One wouldn't think so, but one would also think he would have wanted his first offseason to be more active than signing relief pitchers and getting rid of Rich Harden and Milton Bradley.
Here is the contract situation going forward for the Cubs:
2010: Alfonso Soriano, $18 million; Carlos Zambrano, $17.9 million; Aramis Ramirez, $15.75 million*; Kosuke Fukudome, $13 million; Ryan Dempster, $12.5 million; Derrek Lee, $13 million; Ted Lilly $12 million; Carlos Silva, $11.5 million (Mariners paying $5.5 million); John Grabow, $3.75 million; Jeff Samardzija, $2 million. Value of 2010 deals for Soto, Theriot, Marmol and co. has not yet been set.
2011: Soriano, $18 million; Zambrano, $17.9 million; Ramirez, $14.6 million player option*; Fukudome, $13.5 million; Dempster, $13.5 million; Silva, $11.5 million (Mariners paying $3.5 million); Grabow, $3.75 million; Samardzija, $2 million.
2012: Soriano, $18 million; Zambrano, $18 million; Ramirez, $16 million club option ($2 million buyout)*; Dempster, $14 million player option; Silva, $12 million mutual option ($2 million buyout).
2013: Soriano, $18 million; Zambrano, $19.25 vesting player option**.
2014: Soriano, $18 million.
Other tidbits:
Players with no-trade clauses: Zambrano, Lee, Lilly, Fukudome, Ramirez, Soriano, Samardzija.
Least tradeable players: Soriano, Silva.
Most egregious contract clause: Silva gets a suite on the road.
*Ramirez can opt out of his contract after 2010.
**Zambrano receives 2013 player option if he is first or second in 2011 Cy Young or if he finishes in top 4 in 2012 Cy Young and is healthy at end of season.
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