Talkin' Baseball & More

Updated at 9:15 with Jake Fox on Waddle and Silvy

Here's a recap of what Fox had to say on ESPN Radio in reaction to being traded:

• This is a very good move for Jake and his family.
• They are going to miss Chicago.
• Fox respects Jim Hendry a lot because he moved him to a place where he can play everyday. Hendry was thinking about Jake when he made the trade, not himself.
• The day after the season ended, Jim and Jake discussed his future.
• Hendry is always honest and open, but things have always not been smooth between he and Fox.
• He thinks it's disappointing that there's not a fit for him with the Cubs.
• Jim said that maybe someday the Cubs will have a chance to get him back to Chicago.
• The basis for Fox's disagreements with Jim was that he thought he should be higher than he was in the organization. Jake felt Jim underestimated him a little bit.
• He loves being out in the field, and he hopes that he gets a chance to play defense with the A's. The A's have told him that if he hits, he will play.
• He has gotten where he's at because of his bat.
• Milton Bradley was a great guy to him. He took Bradley under his wing and he was always under his wing.
• Jake was in the Dominican at his hotel room.

Talkin' Baseball was on ESPN 1000 today with Bruce Levine and Jonathan Hood

• Bruce Levine described Aaron Miles season as one of the worst seasons in baseball history.
• Levine likes the trade with the A's.
• Jeff Gray is going to compete in Spring Training. He's a power arm, but command is a key for him.
• The Cubs and White Sox could be looking at similar types of players at the Winter Meetings.
• Levine says the Cubs got a good young right hander and a solid minor league outfielder. He disagreed with a caller who said they got "nothing" for Fox.
• Jake Fox is nobody's starting position player in the National League.
• Jake's "a good solid backup in Major League Baseball". But he's nobody's "Derrek Lee".
• Lee could get an extension after next year from the Chicago Cubs.
• Mark DeRosa is not a fit on the Cubs team. He's not a second baseman any more range wise. He's being looked at as a first and third baseman. Mark is asking for 3 year around $25M. You can't have a utility guy making that kind of money.
• If Mike Fontenot is the everyday second basemen, it could be another long season for the Cubs according to Bruce and Jonathan.
• The Cubs are offering arbitration to all of their players including Fontenot.
• Jeff Baker is going to be the backup 3rd baseman and a part time 2nd baseman.
• Orlando Hudson is going to the Rockies according to one rumor, but he would be a good fit for the Cubs.
• Bruce says Starlin Castro has a 50% chance of making the Cubs opening day roster. He could use a few months at AA or AAA first, but he should be with the Cubs at some point during 2010.
• If the Cubs move Theriot to 2B, they could be interested in Orlando Cabrera.
• There are not too many exciting names out there as far as free agent middle infielders.
• Bruce thinks a 7 game division series will be bad for baseball.
• If the Cubs move to Florida, some of the rides will be about 2.5 hours to get to some of the other Spring sites.
• Either place (AZ or FL) is going to be a great place for the Cubs and their fans, but leaving Arizona will not go over well with folks who have winter homes in Arizona just to watch the Cubs.

Jim Hendry joined the guys to talk Cubs:

• The Cubs have done a few good things already.
• A lot of activity will go on around MLB well into January this year.
• The Cubs are prepared to try to add an outfielder somewhere along the line.
• They would also like to augment their bullpen.
• Hendry reiterated that this team only needs a few tweaks this winter.
• They need resurgence type years out of guys like "Sori, Soto, and Fontenot". Jim says that they need their own good players to come back and do better than last year.
• Carlos Zambrano needs to get back on track this year.
• Hendry doesn't think that you have to have a "prototypical lead-off man" to win.
• Anyone who gets on base a lot can lead off now a days.
• The Cubs struggled with men in scoring position with less than two outs.
• It's way too early to tell who the lead off man would be. "We could have two or three different guys here by then."
• When you're looking to trade or add someone, the Winter Meetings help to try to move things along.
• Deals never always go the way you script them up according to Hendry.
• The Cubs are going to Indy with a lot of things they want to talk to people about.

Cubs Needs

Carrie Muskat listed the Cubs needs as we get ready for the Winter Meetings:

• 1. Center Fielder
• 2. Right handed reliever
• 3. second basmean
• 4. Trade Bradley and maybe Hoffpauir
• Top Prospects: OF Tyler Colvin, SS Castro, RHP Andrew Cashner, RHP Casey Coleman, RHP Chris Carpenter, SS Darwin Barney, RHP Blake Parker, 3B Josh Vitters
• Arbitration-eligible: 2B Baker, LHP Neal Cotts, 2B Fontenot, LHP Tom Gorzelanny, RHP Angel Guzman, RHP Marmol, LHP Sean Marshall, C Koyie Hill, SS Theriot
• There will be a slight increase in payroll next season.

That's it for now, with the meetings starting Monday, I'll have lots of posts to come this weekend.