Starlin Castro Called up to the Big Leagues

Starlin Castro is now a Chicago Cub. The story was first reported via twitter this morning, and now it is official. Castro is the Cubs' top prospect in the organization. The 20-year hold short stop was hitting .376 with 20 RBIs at AA-Tennessee this year. He will make the jump from double-A to the big leagues without making a pit stop in Iowa.

Ryan Theriot will shift to second base so that Castro can take over everyday duties at short. Both middle infielders were working on the field in Cincinnati today at 2:00 with coaches Alan Trammell and Ivan DeJesus.

To make room for Castro on the roster, the Cubs sent Chad Tracy to AAA-Iowa. Chad had been struggling in his pinch hitting and backup role. Jeff Baker and Mike Fontenot are effected by this move as well, because both will see less playing time.

Starlin will become the youngest Cubs short stop ever and the youngest player to make his Cubs debut since Oscar Game (19 years, 250 days) in 1969. Castro is in the starting lineup for tonight's game. Here's the rest of the starting 9:

1. Ryan Theriot, 2B
2. Kosuke, RF
3. Derrek Lee, 1B
4. Marlon Byrd, CF
5. Aramis Ramirez, 3B
6. Alfonso Soriano, LF
7. Geovany Soto, C
8. Starlin Castro, SS
9. Carlos Silva, P

The Castro callup lead to a string of roster moves in the Cubs' organization:

• Andrew Cashner promoted to AAA-Iowa.
• Josh Vitters promoted to AA-Tennessee.
• Marwin Gonzalez promoted to AA-Tennessee.
• Mike Parisi optioned to AA-Tennessee.
• Ryan Flaherty optioned to Class-A Daytona.

Our new short stop will sport jersey number 13. The last Cub to wear that "unlucky" number was Andres Blanco last season. Before that, it was last seen on Nefi Perez's back in 2006.

If nothing else, this gives Cubs' fans a reason to tune in! I'll keep you posted.

Former Cub Updates: May 1, 2010

For the first time in 2010, let's take a look at how our ex-Cubbies are fairing! For this post, we will focus only on players that were members of the Cubs in 2009.

• Kevin Gregg, Blue Jays: 0.82 ERA, 6 SV, 11 IP
• Reed Johnson, Dodgers: .282 AVG, 3 RBIs, 19 games
• Rich Harden, Rangers: 1-1, 4.56 ERA, 23.2 IP
• Milton Bradley, Seattle: .211 AVG, 2 HR, 11 RBIs, 18 Games
• Jake Fox, Oakland: .182 AVG, 1 HR, 8 RBIs, 16 Games
• Aaron Heilman, Arizona: 0-1, 5.59 ERA, 9.2 IP
• Kevin Hart, Pirates: Has torn labrum, could have season ending surgery.
• Aaron Miles, Cardinals: The Cubs traded Miles to Oakland, then they shipped him to Cincinnati. Then, he was released on April 14 after being DFA out of Spring Training. This week, he signed a minor league deal to return to St. Louis.
• Neal Cotts, Pirates: Has not pitched yet this season after signing with Pittsburgh on January 4. He is not listed on the Pirates 40-man roster.
• Luis Vizcaino: Free agent
• Chad Fox: Free Agent
• So Taguchi: Playing for Orix BlueWaves in Japan
• Ryan Freel: Signed with Somerset Patriots, an independent club
• Andres Blanco, Texas: .214 AVG, 1 RBI, 14 Games
• Jason Waddell: Pitching in the Tigers' system

That covers them all!

Sunday Evening Quick Hits: Castro Cut, The Roster, and More

• Yesterday the Cubs made two more cuts from big league Spring Training. Top Prospect Starlin Castro and outfielder Brad Snyder were sent to minor league camp. I'm a little surprised that Castro didn't stay with the team a little longer, but in the end it's probably the right decision to send him down for a little more seasoning.
• The Cubs now have 40 guys left in camp, which means there's 15 more cuts to make. The first few will be to move some guys to the DL and to send down guys like Chris Robinson and Robinson Chirinos, but then there will be about eight or nine hard decisions on guys.
• Mike Fontenot got the start at short stop today in the spring game against the Reds. Kevin Millar was given a chance to play left field. Both these guys will be much more valuable if they can play multiple positions.
• Andres Blanco played short in minor league camp today.
• Most of the Cubs' regulars stayed back at HoHoKam Park to work with Rudy Jaramillo instead of going to today's away spring game. Fontenot was the only regular in the lineup.
• There is still no timetable set on Aramis Ramirez.
• Carlos Silva left after two innings today with a tight quad, but he appears to be OK.

Now let's take a look at where the Cubs' 25-man roster stands!

Pitchers:

1. Carlos Zambrano

2. Ryan Dempster

3. Randy Wells

4. Tom Gorzelanny

5. Jeff Samardzija

6. Carlos Silva

7. Sean Marshall

8. Carlos Marmol

9. John Grabow

10. Justin Berg

11. Esmalin Caridad

12. Open (Mike Parisi, Marcos Mateo, John Gaub, and James Russell in the mix)

Position Players (Numbering cont.)

13. Derrek Lee

14. Mike Fontenot

15. Ryan Theriot

16. Aramis Ramirez

17. Geovany Soto

18. Marlon Byrd

19. Alfonso Soriano

20. Kosuke Fukudome

21. Xavier Nady

22. Koyie Hill (Robinson Chirinos and Chris Robinson are still in camp, but Hill has the backup catcher's job won)

23. Jeff Baker

24. Open (Tyler Colvin, Jim Adduci, and Sam Fuld still in camp for last outfield spot)

25. Open (Bobby Scales, Darwin Barney, Andres Blanco, Micah Hoffpauir, Kevin Millar, and Chad Tracy still in camp for last infielders spot)

Thoughts?

Weekend Roundup: Berg on the team, Decisions on the Way, & More

Sorting Out the Bullpen
Carrie Muskat reports that Justin Berg has earned a spot in the Cubs' bullpen. He had an 0.75 ERA in an 11 game September callup last season. Prior to that, he went 6-2 with a 2.47 ERA for the Iowa Cubs. Berg will join Esmalin Caridad, John Grabow, Carlos Marmol, and the two guys that lose out of the fifth starter's competition (Silva, Gorzelanny, Marshall, or Samardzija) on the relief core. This leaves one spot left on the Opening Day pitching staff, assumming the Cubs use 12 hurlers to start the year. Rule 5 pick Mike Parisi, NRI James Russell, lefty John Gaub, and Marcos Mateo are the four guys in the mix for this last spot on the staff.

Rotation Decision Nearing
Within the next week we should find out how the starting rotation will pan out. Sean Marshall, Carlos Silva, Jeff Samardzija, and Tom Gorzelanny are all vying for starting jobs. Lou Piniella has an idea of which way he's leaning, but at this point has revealed nothing. The coaching staff will meet to discuss the roster after Monday's game. It should be interesting to see how it turns out!

Sorting Out the Bench
The Cubs have confirmed that they would like to keep an outfielder who can play all three spots because of the fact that backup outfielder Xavier Nady will be limited defensively for the first half of the season. Tyler Colvin and Sam Fuld are the leading candidates for this bench position, with Brad Snyder and James Adduci also in the mix. Jeff Baker (or Mike Fontenot), Koyie Hill, and Nady are all already members of what figures to be an experienced bench. Another veteran bat will be added primarily for pinch hitting purposes. Kevin Millar and Chad Tracy are still battling for this spot. It would appear that Micah Hoffpauir has AAA in his near future.

Injury Updates
Aramis Ramirez will get some at bats in as a DH in today's minor league game at Fitch Park. Ted Lilly will toss a side session today and then his second live BP on Monday. Andres Blanco still can't run at full speed, but he has been able to do some hitting and fielding.

Cubs Idol Winners
Justin Berg got more good news today when he found out that he was the co-winner of the "Cubs Idol" competition. He and infielder Darwin Barney were chosen out of the 8 finalists as co-winners. NFL QB Steve Young was a guest judge today along with the usual panel of Derrek Lee, Aramis Ramiez, Ryan Dempster, and Kevin Millar. Other finalists included Jim Aducci, Starlin Castro, Tyler Colvin, James Russell, and Brad Snyder. Berg and Barney each got $10,000 to a charity of their choice.

Today's Games
This afternoon it's a split squad Cubs team out in the valley of the sun. Half the team will host the Kansas City Royals for the first matchup of the spring between the two clubs. The other split squad takes on the Oakland A's in Phoenix. Carlos Zambrano will pitch at HoHoKam while Tom Gorzelanny tries to make his case for a spot in the rotation against Oakland.

The game against KC will be on WGN Radio. Here's the starting nine:

Theriot, SS
Barney, 2B
Lee, 1B
Byrd, CF
Baker, 3B
Soriano, LF
Soto, C
Snyder, RF
Zambrano, P

The game against the A's is on MLB.com's gameday audio if you have the package. Here's the lineup behind Gorzelanny:

Adduci, LF
Kosuke, RF
Colvin, CF
Nady, DH
Hoffpauir, 1B
Fontenot, SS
Tracy, 3B
Hill, C
Scales, 2B

A good chance to see a lot of Cubs play today! That's it for now, but I'll keep you posted!

Sunday Pregame Notes: Game Against the Sox Rained Out

Update 2:10 CT: The Cubs VS Dodgers game also rained out. Most of the Cactus League games today were cancelled. The Cubs play @Oakland tomorrow at 2:05 CT.

It's bad news for those of us hoping to see the Cubs and White Sox play on WGN-TV today. The game between the Cubs and Sox has been cancelled due to rain in Glendale. Today was supposed to be a split squad, and as of right now the game against the Dodgers in Mesa is still on.

Weather.com says that there is a rain shower in Mesa right now with a temp of 57.

The Cubs and Dodgers will start at 2:05 PM CT, but it will not be on Chicago TV or radio. However, you can get the game in Mesa on Gameday Audio on MLB.com if you have the package. Click here for the link. Tom Gorzelanny is the Cubs starting pitcher. He is competing with Samardzija, Silva, and Marshall for a spot in the starting rotation. Silva was hammered yesterday in a 15-3 loss at the hands of the White Sox. Carlos allowed 6 runs in his two innings of work. So far Marshall has taken the lead in the fifth starters' competition with his two scoreless frames in the Cactus League opener on Thursday against Oakland. Samardzija was scheduled to start the game in Glendale today that has been rained out.

Here is the starting lineup for the game against the Dodgers behind Gorzo:

Castro, SS
Kosuke, RF
Lee, 1B
Ramirez, 3B
Colvin, CF
Soriano, LF
Soto, DH
Hill, C
Fontenot, 2B

Just for fun, here's what would have been the starting 9 for the rained out game in Glendale:
Theriot, SS
Baker, 2B
Tracy, 3B
Millar, 1B
Hoffpauir, DH
Byrd, CF
Snyder, LF
Castillo, C
Jackson, RF

Guys that will pitch against the Dodgers today:
Thomas Diamond, Mike Parisi, Esmalin Caridad, Jay Jackson, and Brian Schlitter.

Guys that were scheduled to pitch against the Sox:
Mathes, Gaub, Stevens, and Parker

Hopefully they get the game in Mesa in. The Cubs will already are a little behind with getting guys work in because of the rain out in Glendale.

Other Cubs Notes:

• Short stop Andres Blanco suffered a sprain of his right knee during a play at second base in yesterday's game. Blanco says that it's nothing too serious, and he expects to be at 100% in about two weeks. He will sit out Spring games for the next 10-14 days.
• Starlin Castro will still start the year at AAA Iowa according to the Chicago Tribune.
• Angel Guzman is considering whether or not to have surgery on his shoulder.
• Xavier Nady has been held back once again. The Cubs feel he has plenty of time to get ready for the season, so he will not be used as a DH until later in the week. They will be careful with Nady because he missed most of last year because of Tommy John surgery.

That's it for now, but I'll keep you posted on whether or not the game against the Dodgers will be played!

Spring Training Preview: The Bench

Koyie Hill- C
A year ago, Hill quietly had a solid year as the Cubs' backup backstop. When Soto went down last summer, he got the chance to start an unprecedented 26 games in a row behind the dish. A typical backup catcher, he brings good defense and just enough offense to get by (.237 AVG in 2009). Koyie is also a good teammate, a good caller of the game, works well with the staff, and throws out a lot of baserunners. Last year, Hill had to earn his spot on the club in Spring Training, but this time around his job is secure.
My Prediction: Lock to make the Opening Day roster

Xavier Nady- OF
In January, the Cubs added to their outfield depth by bringing Xavier in via free agency. Nady started last year with the Yankees, but played only seven games before being shut down to have Tommy John surgery. Nady is not yet at full health, but has been working on his arm strength with pitching coach Larry Rothchild. He will be used as a DH some during Spring Training early on, so he can start out by getting his ABs in before playing defense in game situations. "X" plans to be ready to go by Opening Day. He will see most of his time in right field spelling Kosuke Fukudome from time to time.
My Prediction: Lock to make the Opening Day roster (unless placed on the DL)

Micah Hoffpauir- 1B
Last year was a weird one for Hoff. The left handed hitter started off the year with a great Spring Training and a good month of April, but then as the weather heated up Micah cooled off. At one point in the summer, he was sent back down to AAA Iowa for a few weeks to work on his hitting. He has to rake with the stick, because his defense is nothing spectacular. If Hoffpauir doesn't play well in Spring Training, he could find himself on a bus to Iowa because the Cubs signed several veteran bats this winter that will compete for bench roles, including Kevin Millar, Bryan LaHair, and Chad Tracy.
My Prediction: Will lose his roster spot to NRI Kevin Millar and find himself starting the year in AAA.

Andres Blanco- SS
The opposite of Hoffpauir, Blanco has a great glove, but doesn't bring much hitting wise. Last year, when the Cubs were hit by a rash of injuries and struggles, Blanco was called up and made the most of his limited duty. Andres' 2009 included several "Web Gem" defensive plays and even a clutch hit or two. However, Blanco's fate is mostly out of his own hands. With so much competition for roster spots, if Mike Fontenot can do a decent job at short stop, there will be no need for Blanco to start the year with the big squad. If Lou is not comfortable with Mike at SS, then Blanco will make the roster as Theriot's backup. Piniella has stressed that he would like to give his position players more rest this season, so a solid bench will be a key.
My Prediction: Starts the year at AAA

Sam Fuld- OF
This kid is really a "gamer". Last year, when Sam was called up, he brought a certain spark to the ballclub. Fuld can run, bunt, hit, and play great defense in the outfield. Last year he made several highlight real catches that were truly incredible! In my opinion, every good club needs a guy like Fuld. Sam's skill is not in question, but roster space is. Xavier Nady seems to have the 4th outfielder's spot locked up, and with 12 pitchers, 5 outfielders may not be possible. However, remember that the Cubs did break camp with 5 outfielders in 2009 (Kosuke, Soriano, Bradley, Gathright, and Johnson) plus Hoffpauir who also plays the corner spots.
My Prediction: Wins one of the two open spots on the Cub bench

Tyler Colvin- OF
This winter, the former #1 draft pick bulked up. According to sources in Mesa, Colvin has added about 25 pounds of muscle over the offseason. Reporting to camp in shape is also a good start, but with the crowded outfield chances are slim to none that Colvin starts the year in the majors. However, catching the eye of Piniella and his staff is always a good idea, because you never know when they'll be an injury during the year. It's good to see Ty working his way back after suffering several injuries that slowed his progress. Colvin was called up and got into a few games late in the 2009 season, making one great play in the outfield.
My Prediction: Will start the year at AAA

Welington Castillo- C
There is certainly a lot of depth at the catching position in the system, which is nice to have even though the Cubs seem set with Soto and Hill at the big league level. If something were to happen to one of the Cubs' backstops, Welington Castillo might be the first guy to get the call-up. His numbers at the plate were down last year, hitting just .232 in 95 games for the Smokies. He also played in the Futures Game in 2008 and in the Arizona Fall League last year.
My Prediction: Will start the year at AA

James Adduci
This winter, Adduci got the opportunity to be one of the minor leaguers to attend the Cubs Convention. James, along with Castillo, Brett Jackson, and Cashner, got to experience the mobs of Cub fans at the minor league Q&A hosted by Vineline. James was busy this winter, as he also played in the Caribbean Winter Leagues. He hit .300 in 131 games under Ryne Sandberg in AA a year ago. This left handed batter will not compete for a spot on the 25-man roster, but the organization has showed their faith in him by placing him on the 40-man roster.

Other Spring Training Preview Posts

• Non Roster Pitchers
• Non Roster Catchers
• Non Roster Infielders
• The Starting Rotation
• The Bullpen
• The Starting Position Players

Now we're set to go for the Cactus League, which is just days away!

Catching Up on Cub Camp

First of all, sorry about the lack of everyday posting this week! It's been a busy one for me and for the Cubs, as we have lots of notes to get to!

• Yesterday was Ron Santo's 70th birthday! Ronny will start yet another season in the Cubs' organization when he joins Pat Hughes at the WGN Radio mic when the Cubs kick off Spring Training next Thursday!
• Carlos Zambrano is expected to be the Cubs Opening Day starter.
• Yesterday farm hand Rafael Dolis nailed Ryan Theriot with a fastball in live Batting Practice. There is no need for concern, because Ryan is OK.
• Alfonso Soriano has arrived in Mesa. He says that he did not run on his knee 100% this offseason, but he is surprised at how good it feels.
• Angel Guzman, who was already sidelined for the start of practices because of a knee surgery, now has complained of shoulder pain as well. He still could be ready for Opening Day, but if these injuries continue the Cubs definitely need a right handed setup man.
• Ted Lilly was absent from Cub camp the past few days because he is ill. According to Jim Hendy, his fever is at 102 or 103. Carrie Muskat reports that Lilly was back in camp today.
• Jeff Gray, who is out with a groin injury, should be ready to pitch sometime next week.
• Cubs manager Lou Piniella is expecting more from guys like Soto, Soriano, and Kosuke this year.
• Esmalin Caridad has secured a spot in Lou's bullpen. Piniella is showing the confidence is Caridad that he showed with Theriot when he told him he made the team early in the 2007 camp. Hopefully this confidence will help Esmalin!
• Starlin Castro has continued to impress Cubs' brass in practices and workouts. Lou says that he would not hesitate to call this kid up if need be.
• Ozzie Guillen, the manager of that other Chicago club, has been using Twitter. Piniella says that he would never consider tweeting.
• Check out this great video of a practice at Fitch Park from "Boys of Spring".
• The Cub pitchers have been sorted into an "A" team and a "B" team. The B squad is made up of Mitch Atkins Casey Coleman, Thomas Diamond, Jeff Kennard, Marcos Mateo, J.R. Mathes, Mike Parisi, Blake Parker, David Patton, Vince Perkins, James Russell, and Jeff Stevens. The rest of the guys (Dempster, Zambrano, Wells, Marmol, Silva, Gaub, Grabow, Marshall, Dolis, Berg, Gorzelanny, and Caridad) were on the "A" team. Jeff Samardzija and Andrew Cashner through BP separately from the rest of the guys.
• The Ricketts family showed up in camp for the first time on Tuesday. Tom's message was that the organization is now a family.
• Andres Blanco could make the team as a backup player, or the team could try to trade him before Opening Day.
• Kevin Millar has done a great job of keeping things loose out in the valley.
• Aramis Ramirez likes the additions of Marlon Byrd and Xavier Nady. Rami says he's 100% healthy.
• Mike Fontenot and Jeff Baker will compete for the starting second base job.
• Derrek Lee would love to return to the club for the 2011 season, but he does not want his contract situation to be a distraction to the team during this season.
• Jeff Samardzija has been pitching well so far this spring, but it's still early.
• The MLB Network will televise the Cub Spring Training games on March 23 VS KC and March 26 VS Oakland. In addition to this two games, which brings the Cubs ST TV total to 11, they will also carry the April 1 VS the Rockies game, which is also on CSN. All of these games start at 3 CT.

That's it for now, but there's a lot more to come this weekend!

Remember, it's the final weekend before Cactus League play!

The Cubs In Winter Ball

Brenly Joins AFL
Michael Brenly, son of Cubs broadcaster Bob Brenly, has joined the Mesa Solar Sox to do some catching in the Arizona Fall League. Brenly launched a 2-run homer yesterday to lead Mesa to an 8-5 win, and he has 2 hits so far in today's game against Peoria. Brenly is replacing catcher Welington Castillo on the team. He spent most of 2009 with the Peoria Chiefs.

Samardzija Done in Mexico
Cubs pitcher Jeff Samardzija has finished his assignment with the Mexicali team in the Mexican Pacific League. Jeff started 5 games, going 2-0 with a 2.25 ERA. "The Shark" is hoping to start for the Cubs next year, and the injury to Ted Lilly could give him a chance to start the year in the rotation.

Diamond to hit the Winter League Diamond
In early September the Cubs claimed right handed pitcher Thomas Diamond off of waivers from the Texas Rangers. Thomas was the Rangers' first pick in the 2004 First Year Player Draft. Tomorrow, Diamond will head to Mexico, where he will take Samardzija's spot on Mexicali's roster. He is just getting healthy from a Tommy John surgery he had in March of 2007. Diamond pitched in the Arizona Instructional League at Fitch Park earlier this fall. He is hoping to earn an invitation to Cubs Spring Training.

AFL Rising Stars
Saturday is the Arizona Fall League "Rising Stars" game. Starlin Castro and Josh Vitters are the two Cub farm hand position players who are on the AFL East roster. Andrew Cashner was named to the team, but will not be able to play in the game, so he will be replaced by fellow Cub minor leaguer Blake Parker. Parker, a left handed pitcher, played for Tennessee and Iowa in 2009. The game will be televised on the MLB Network Saturday night.

Castro Scares Cubs
Top prospect Starlin Castro jammed his finger diving into a base early in the week, but he was not badly injured and returned to the Solar Sox lineup today. STAR-lin is leading the league in hitting at .425.

Cubs Organization Looks at Future
The entire Cubs organization, in Mesa for their annual meetings, was in attendance today to watch some young Cubs play as the Mesa Solar Sox hosted Peoria at HoHoKam Park. The Solar Sox stomped on Peo Javelinas in the game by a score of 8-1. All 4 Cubs pitchers that are playing in the AFL got into the game. Andrew Cashner got the start, and ended up with the win. He worked 4 scoreless frames. James Russell pitched a 1, 2, 3 fifth inning. He was followed by John Gaub, he allowed 0 runs on a hit, and Blake Parker, who yielded 1 run on 2 hits. On the hitters side of things, Brenly and Castro each went 2-4, while Josh Vitters did not play.

Blanco Continues to Play Well
Cubs infielder Andres Blanco has had a great winter season so far for Magallanes, of the Venezualan Winter League. Andres has a .303 batting average in 18 games. The Cubs people are happy to see him hitting well, because they know he can play good defense. Blanco will go to Spring Training competing for infield jobs with Ryan Theriot, Jeff Baker, Mike Fontenot, Aaron Miles, and anyone else the Cubs add this winter. Robinson Chirinos, Cubs minor league catcher, is hitting .410 in 16 games for Magallanes.

Other Winter Ball Tidbits

• Nelson Perez is hitting .405 in the Domican Winter League for Toros. He has played in 12 games.
• Matt Camp is hitting .351 and Brad Snyder is batting .333 with 4 homers and 19 RBIs. Both are playing for Mexicalli.
• J.R. Mathes is 1-2 with a 5.40 ERA in the VWL.
• Welington Castillo is done in the AFL, he finished with a .357 batting average and 2 RBIs in his 4 games.

I will have a recap of the AFL Rising Stars game up on Sunday, and I will have my next full winter ball report next Thursday!

The Latest From the Cubs in Winter Ball

Castro Tearing it Up
Cubs short stop prospect Starlin Castro has really opened some eyes in the Arizona Fall League. Posts all over the internet in the past week read headlines like Starlin a Future Star? or Castro looks Sharp in Arizona. The fact of the matter is that Castro has been doing this for some time now. He's hitting .522 with 4 RBIs for the Mesa Solar Sox in 7 games. This season, making the jump from Daytona to Class AA Tennessee proved to be no problem, as he hit .288 in 31 games for the Smokies after hitting .302 in 96 games with the D-Cubs. Next year, on March 24, this kid will turn 20 years old. He's earning himself an invite to Spring Training, and if he produces there we could see him at AAA and even become a part of the Cubs bench in 2010 or 2011.

Castillo the Next Cubs Catcher?
If Geovany Soto has another down season, I don't think the Cubs are going to be as patient with the young backstop this time around. If Geo is not hitting by June or July, Koyie Hill will get most of the catching duties the rest of the season. And if the Cubs decide to in a different direction in 2011, then Welington Castillo could be the answer. Castillo is hitting .455 in just 3 games with Mesa, and already has a home run in just 11 ABs. Welington spent the entire year at AA, and if this guy can get his bat going (hit just .232 in 95 games), we know he can catch at the big league level in the near future.

The Shark in Mexico
Jeff Samardzija was hit hard a little bit in his last outing as he allowed 4 runs on 4 hits. However, none of the runs were earned, so his ERA stays at 1.38 in 3 Games. He is not the lone Cub on Mexicalli, as he is joined by farmhands Brian Schlitter, Matt Camp, and Brad Snyder. Camp has done a lot of lead-off hitting and plays center field. He is hitting .378 with a homer, 7 RBIs, and 6 SB so far in 10 MPL games. Brad Snyder, another outfielder, has been hitting clean up and is batting .297, 2 HR, 7 RBI. He missed a lot of the 2009 season with a wrist injury, but after coming back he hit .278 with 14 HR and 44 RBIs in 69 games at AAA-Iowa.

Mesa Solar Sox
The Mesa Solar Sox team includes farm hands from the Cubs as well as the Angels, Marlins, Twins, and Red Sox this year. They have gotten off to a little bit of a slow start, as they are 3-5, in last place in the AFL East. Phoenix is 6-2 and second place Scottsdale is just ahead of Mesa at 4-4. Besides Castillo and Castro, there are a few other Cubs playing in the AFL:

• Josh Vitters: .400 AVG, 5 games, 2 RBIs.
• Andrew Cashner: 0-1, 13.50 ERA, 1 Games
• John Gaub: 1-0, 9.00 ERA, 2 Games
• Blake Parker: 3.60 ERA in 3 Games
• James Russell: 0-1, 3.60 ERA in 3 Games
• Brian Schlitter: 5.14 ERA, 3 Saves in 7 Games

Blanco Getting Some Work in

Cubs shortstop Andres Blanco has hopes of becoming a everyday player for the Cubs in the near future. He was a key piece to the bench for much of 2009, and could be right back in that role in 2010. If Fontenot, Baker, or Theriot have an injury or struggle, he will find himself getting a lot of playing time. Blanco is in Venezuela playing for Magallanes. In 8 games he's hitting .265 with 7 RBIs. He's been playing mostly second base, which makes me wonder if that is because that is the open spot on his team or if it is because the Cubs want to see if he can play second everyday. Will Blanco have a chance to win a starting job in Spring Training?

Other VWL Updates

• J.R. Mathes is 0-1 with a 5.27 ERA in 3 starts for Caracas.
• Jonathan Mota is hitting .350 in 7 games for Aragua.

Perez in DWL

The Dominican Winter League has gotten underway, and so far the only Cub to get into game action was Nelson Perez, who's hitting .500 in 3 ABs for Toros so far. This season, the left handed hitting outfielder hit .251 in 120 games for Peoria with 11 home runs and 65 RBIs. According to different DWL rosters, guys like Carlos Zambrano, Aramis Ramriez, Esmalin Caridad, Alfonso Soriano, and more are listed to play. However, we have not seen any of these guys in game action yet or heard about them playing from any other Cubs sources.

Remember, Cubs Farm Updates Twitter has daily updates. We will be posting every Thursday all offseason long to let you know what's up in Winter Ball.