Farewell Felix
Some people think he wasn’t given enough time to prove himself, but the simple fact is that Felix Pie was out of options, and with the addition of Bradley and Gathright, the outfield is now too crowded. The Cubs couldn’t send him back to the minors for yet more development without potentially losing him on wires. Sorry for getting a little too technical, but it means that another team could grab him for nothing. At least Hendry got something for him.
What the Cubs got was two pitching prospects. Left-hander Garrett Olson was 9-10 over 26 starts with the Orioles last season, with an ERA of 6.65. Righty Henry Williamson comes from Class A. So after the DeRosa and Pie trades, the Cubs now have five new young pitchers. How soon until the Peavy trade talks rekindle? Olson was supposedly one of the pitchers that the Padres were coveting in earlier discussions…
I won’t miss Pie and I hope Soriano doesn’t miss him too much. Those two seemed to have a fun chemistry and enjoy playing together. Maybe Gathright and Soriano will bond. I’d love to see Gathright jump over Soriano in the outfield, just as he’s jumped over cars in the past, but I’m sure there’s something about no extreme jumping in Gathright’s contract.
Chad Said,
January 27, 2009 @ 11:30 pm
Was hoping the Cubs would trade Felix to the Reds, where he could have developed by playing every day. The Cubs never really gave him that chance. They should have traded him sooner to get more for him.
I enjoyed watching him in person playing against Kane County, in the Futures game at Comiskey Park before the All-Star game, and of course, at Wrigley Field.
Good luck, Felix. You deserved better.