Weekend Quick Hits: Quade Leads the Pack, Wedge to Seattle, Roster Moves, & More

• Bruce Levine wrote today that the Cubs are getting closer and closer to naming their new manager. He said that Mike Quade is the leading candidate. Levine says that the announcement could come as early as next week prior to the start of the World Series. Major League Baseball does not allow managerial announcements during the Fall Classic.
• Bruce added the Ryne Sandberg is a candidate for the Toronto Blue Jays managerial position.
• Bobby Scales and Blake Parker have been outrighted to Triple-A Iowa, reducing the Cubs 40-man roster to 38.
• Josh Vitters has started for the Mesa Solar Sox twice so far this fall, once at first base and once at third base.
• The Mesa Cubs finished up the Arizona Instructional League with a mark of 7-9-4.
• There was an Internet rumor going around that Mike Quade was set to be named the manager with Ryne Sandberg as his bench coach, but several Chicago media members were quick to shoot down the report.
• Eric Wedge has been named the new manager of the Seattle Mariners, reducing the list of possible Cubs skippers even further. The Sun Times reports that the Tom Ricketts will not lose any sleep over Wedge going elsewhere.
• Gordon Wittenmyer reports that Joe Girardi continues to have interest in the gig.

That's it for now, but if news breaks on the Cubs managerial search we'll let you know!

Catching Up Quick Hits: Call-ups, Injuries, Benchings, & More

• The Cubs activated Carlos Silva from the disabled list and he returned to the rotation on Tuesday. Silva was decent in his first game back but the Cubs fell to the Astros.
• Tuesday was a special day for Hall of Fame slugger Billy Williams. A statue was unveiled outside of Wrigley in his honor. He became the second Cubs player to be honored with a statue.
• The Cubs are 9-6 under Mike Quade so far.
• The Triple-A Iowa Cubs lost back-to-back games on Sunday and Monday to Memphis to miss the playoffs. They finished with the same record as the Redbirds but Memphis took the tie-breaker (record within division).
• Reports earlier this week said that Iowa manager Ryne Sandberg would receive an interview from Jim Hendry for the open big league job within the next ten days, but Carrie Muskat reports that team officials denied these reports.
• Tyler Colvin was presented with the "Heart and Hustle" award for the Cubs this week. The final MLB winner will be announced on November 5.
• Starlin Castro was bench for a couple of days to think about some of the mental errors he has made at shortstop. Castro returned to the lineup on Wednesday, his swing as sharp as ever.
• The Cubs made a slew of September call-ups as soon as the Triple-A team's season ended. Veteran infielder Bobby Scales, Notre Dame grad Jeff Samardzija, right handed pitcher Justin Berg, slugging outfielder Brad Snyder, and spark-plug Sam Fuld have all been added to the 25-man roster.
• John Grabow and Esmalin Caridad were moved to the 60-day DL to make room for Snyder and Scales on the 40-man roster.
• Tom Gorzelanny, out with a thumb injury, threw on the side but is not ready to return to the rotation.
• Aramis Ramirez is still listed as day-to-day with a sore right quad.

That's it for now, but I'll keep you posted!

Breaking News: The Pitching Staff is Set, Roster Cuts

Today, the Chicago Cubs announced the 12 man pitching staff and 5 man starting rotation that they will use to start the season.

Gordon Wittenmyer tweets that lefty James Russell will take the final spot in the bullpen unless the Cubs make a trade next week.

Gordon also tells us that Carlos Silva and Tom Gorzelanny have won the final two spots in the starting rotation. They will round out a starting five that already includes Carlos Zambrano, Ryan Dempster, and Randy Wells. Despite pitching great this spring, Sean Marshall will head to the bullpen where he will add depth. Jeff Samardzija, who lost out on the rotation because of some poor outings during Spring Training, will be used in middle to late relief to start the year. Russell, Marshall, and Samardzija are joined in the bullpen by Carlos Marmol, Esmalin Caridad, Justin Berg, and John Grabow.

The Cubs also made 7 roster cuts today. Pitchers Jeff Gray, Marcos Mateo, and John Gaub were optioned to AAA-Iowa, as was outfielder Jim Adduci. Jim made it tough on the Cubs with a three hit game yesterday to cap off a great spring, but it turns out there is no room for him on the roster. Gray was aquired from Oakland this offseason and was expected to be a big part of the bullpen. However, Jeff suffered a groin injury in an early February workout at Fitch Park which caused him to miss most of Spring Training. He could be a part of the pen at some point this year.

Darwin Barney, Bobby Scales, and Robinson Chirinos were also assigned to minor league camp. There are no major surprises among this group. Barney could help the Cubs as a utility infielder at some point this season.

Russell will have to be added to the 40-man roster since he came to camp as a Non-Roster Invite. Rule 5 Pick Mike Parisi is the "odd man out" and it appears that he will be offered back to the Cardinals.

With the seven cuts today, there are still 33 players left in camp, but that list includes two guys (Lilly and Guzman) who will start the season on the DL. That means the Cubs have five position players that will be cut. Kevin Millar, Andres Blanco, Micah Hoffpauir, and Chad Tracy are battling for a spot on the bench while Tyler Colvin and Sam Fuld are hoping to earn the fifth outfield job. The fifth cut will be catcher Chris Robinson, who will stay with the big league club until the end so that Koyie Hill and Geovany Soto are not overworked in the final week and a half behind the plate. It should be an interesting conclusion to Spring Training!

Be sure to check out yesterday's Cubs Roundup for more.

That's it for now, but I'll keep you posted!

Spring Training Preview: Non Roster Outfielders

We took a look at the infielders on Tuesday, so today we handle what's going on with the Cubs outfield non roster invites to Spring Training. This will round out our preview of non roster guys, but our Spring Training Preview will continue when we move in to looking at the 40 man roster.

Matt Camp

• Plays mostly CF, also has played 2B, 3B, SS, LF, and RF all during the 2009 season
• B/T: Left/Right
• Drafted by the Cubs in the 13th round of the 2006 June Draft
• Was up for grabs in the Rule V Draft in December, but was not selected
• Hit .284 in 113 games last season mostly with AAA Iowa
• Hit .329 in 59 Mexican Pacific League games this winter
• My prediction: Will start the year at AAA

Brett Jackson

• Drafted by the Cubs in the first round of the 2009 June Draft
• Centerfielder
• B/T: Left/Right
• Played 1 game with the Mesa Cubs Rookie Ball team going 2-2, which was good enough to get him the call up to Boise where he hit .330 in 24 games, which got him moved up to Class A Peoria where he hit .295 in 26 games
• Rated #2 prospect in the organization by Jim Callis of Baseball America
• Rated "Best Power Hitter" and "Best Athlete" in the system by Baseball America
• Rated "Best Footwork" (tie) and "Best Competitiveness" (tie) in the organization by Vineline
• My prediction: Will start the year with Class A Daytona

Bryan LaHair

• Signed a minor league contract with the Cubs on Jan. 9
• B/T: Left/Right
• Plays LF, RF, and 1B
• Played with Tacoma (the Mariners AAA club) in 2009
• More info on Bryan in my January 9 post
• My Prediction: Will be DFA or start the year at AA

Bobby Scales

• Utility guy, plays LF, RF, 2B, 3B, SS, 1B, and CF
• B/T: Switch/Right
• Only non roster invitee who played with the Cubs big league team in 2009
• Hit .242 with 3 HR and 15 RBI in 51 big league games last season
• Drafted by the Padres in the 14th round of the 1999 draft
• Hit .278 in 91 games for AAA Iowa last season
• 32 years old
• My Prediction: Will start the year at AAA

Brad Snyder

• Plays CF and RF
• B/T: Left
• Last season was first year in the organization
• Drafted by the Indians in the first round of the 2003 June Draft
• Hit .269 in 69 games at AAA Iowa last season despite dealing with a wrist injury
• Was Camp's teammate in Mexico this winter; hit .379 with 9 homers and 48 RBIs over 55 games
• My Prediction: Will star the year at AAA

For all position players...

Guy to Watch for in the Future: Starlin Castro

Best Chance to make the Cubs: Kevin Millar

Most underrated: Brad Snyder

I'm looking forward to seeing these guys in Spring Training games starting on March 4!

Friday Afternoon Rumor Roundup

Let's Start with a few Radio Recaps

Rudy Jaramillo, the new Cubs hitting coach, was on Chicago Tribune Live with David Kaplan and company.

• Rudy says that the Cubs did the same thing as the Rangers this year as they went the other way after a great 2008 offensive season.
• He will be doing his homework this offseason about the players.
• When Sullivan said that Rudy is expected to turn this team around quickly, Rudy said, "That's my job."
• Jaramillo says this was the place he wanted to be, and he is blessed that it worked out.
• He came here to get it done, whatever it takes.
• Rudy says that Alfonso Soriano has always swung a big bat, and that is not the problem with him. He noticed that Alfonso's lower half needs some work.
• It depends on the situation whether the Cubs will be swinging at the first pitches a lot, or taking the ball.
• Texas led the league in seeing pitches last year.
• "I like to play the game... Moving the guys over, bunting, hit and run."

Next Todd Hollandsworth joined Kap, Sully, Casey Johnson, and Mark Carmen:

• Todd thinks Rudy is a great addition. Jaramillo is about bringing confidence, playing the mental game, and finding ways to build success. That's just what the Cubs need.
• Holly says Rudy is not a loud person, but he gets the job done.
• Paul asked if this guy could do something with Milton. Todd says that Rudy is fantastic at bringing confidence and changing swings. However, he doesn't think that Bradley is going to come back.
• Rudy is the best, but there is not a lot of attachment between him and Bradley.
• Jaramillo can't hit for these guys, but he can help.
• Todd thinks Alfonso Soriano will be helped the most by Rudy.
• Too many of the Cubs hitters fell into pot holes for a long period of time, and the hitting coach should have stepped in last year.

Ricketts Family's Wish List

David Kaplan noted last week on Chicago Tribune live that the Ricketts family will trade Bradley first, then possibly add another outfielder. Kap bets that the Cubs will be more family friendly once Tom takes over.

Second Base

When asked about the Cubs signing Mark DeRosa because he was such a popular player, Carrie Muskat of Cubs.com said, "If they signed players because they were popular, Mark Grace would still be starting at first. Never say never, but keep in mind, DeRosa will be 35, he'll be coming off wrist surgery and a .250 season in which he posted a .319 on-base percentage and struck out 121 times. DeRosa would love the chance to work again with new Cubs hitting coach Rudy Jaramillo again." Jeff Baker is the front runner to start at second next year according to Carrie.

Coaching Staff

The Cubs have signed Rudy Jaramillo to come in and help the Cubs hitting, and one other coach that is out that could really be a factor is pitching coach Dave Duncan. If any coach could really help this team, it would be Duncan. There has been lots of speculation on Duncan coming to the Cubs, but the team has already said that they will bring back to the rest of the coaching staff. Larry Rothschild is a good friend of Jim Hendry's and Lou's, so if the Cubs do part ways with him it will have to be ownership's decision.

Cubs Interested Chapman

Both the Cubs and White Sox are interested in Aroldis Chapman according to MLBTradeRumors.com. Chapman is a Cuban prospect who will arrive in New York to start a series of meetings with several GMs. He will likely demand a contract worth $40-$60MM.

Shocking Interest in Bradley

According to Ken Rosenthal, multiple teams are in contact with the Cubs about outfielder Milton Bradley. On source even said, "You would be shocked at the the level of interest." The Cubs are confident that they can pull of a trade for Milton. Jim Hendry says that the Rudy Jaramillo hiring has nothing to do with Milton Bradley.

Hawpe Not Being Shopped

Brad Hawpe may have been a fit for the Cubs, but the Rockies officials have denied that they are going to shop him.

Kelly Johnson a Fit?

Rob G. from the Cubs Reporter speculates that Kelly Johnson could be a Cub offseason target.

Rudy & Jim on Sports Central

Rudy Jaramillo and Jim Hendry joined David Kaplan on Sports Central last night for some Cubs talk. Rudy first:

• Jarmillo is still in town, enjoying himself.
• It was Rudy's choice to leave Texas.
• He has always been interested in the Cubs.
• Chicago is a great baseball town, the fans are great, and Rudy wanted to be a part of this organization.
• He is going to do everything he can to win these kids over quick.
• Jaramillo wants to get it done in a short amount of time.
• Rudy is happy to have this opportunity. Jim Hendry has been outstanding.

Then Jim Hendry:

• 30 different guys have called Rudy the best in the business according to Kaplan.
• Jim thinks that Jaramillo reputation is outstanding and speaks for itself.
• The players that have played under Rudy love him and respect him, as do his peers like coaches and managers.
• Other hitting coaches have called Jaramillo off the charts.
• The Cubs were having some meetings last week at Fitch Park to start the offseason plan, and during last Wednesdays' meeting it was announced that Jaramillo was not going back to Texas. The next morning, Jim got permission to talk to Rudy.
• This is Jim's life and job, so nobody gets more frustrated then him.
• The 2009 season never went how the Cubs expected it to.
• Last offseason, the Cubs felt they made the Cubs better. 95% of people picked the Cubs to win the division. However, the Cubs didn't factor in all the guys that wouldn't swing the bat well.
• August 7th the Cubs were tied for first place, but then things went south.
• Jim didn't feel gloom and doom until early September.
• It felt like the Cubs were 20 games out, even though it was just a few. Kap and Jim agree that the Cubs never really felt like they were going to the postseason this year.
• The expectations were so high in 2009, that when the Cubs weren't playing great the disappointment was great.
• Rudy and Jim didn't talk a lot of Milton Bradley on the telephone.
• Bradley seemed to be going on the upswing, but it just didn't work out last year.
• The Cubs knew there was some risk in signing Milton, but they took a calculated gamble. They thought the middle of the order was solid.
• The team is looking forward to having Tom Ricketts on board, and that is coming soon. It doesn't sound like they will start making moves until Ricketts takes over.
• Jim would like the Cubs to get a little better offensively. They would like to get a little faster, but they have a lot of in-house lead-off man candidates.
• Starlin Castro, "Is really good." Hendry is a big fan of the AFL and other instructional leagues.
• Castro is one of the premier guys in the industry, but the Cubs are not going to put a lot of pressure on the young man. Jim said, "Hopefully he'll be here sometime in 2010. Rudy will have a big hand in deciding when he's ready."
• Hendry thinks the Ricketts family wants to own the Cubs for a long time. Jim is looking forward to getting to know Tom.
• "I know we're going to be having a press conference here in the near future at Wrigley field. I think Tom is going to be a part of the organizational meetings in November," the Cubs GM said.

Scales to AAA

The Cubs have sent Bobby Scales to Iowa. The Cubs 40-man roster is now at 38. Is there a move on the way?

That's it for now, I'll keep you posted on Everything Cubs as always!