Weekend Update: The Latest on Bradley& More

Cubs Talk on CSN's Chicago Tribune Live yesterday:

• Phil Rodgers doesn't think there's a real landing place for Milton.
• Rodgers says that the Yankees got a great player in Granderson.
• White Sox writer Mark Gonzales feels that Curtis Granderson is the good player, but he has an astrick because he can't hit lefties.
• Gonzales says the Cubs have bigger problems than needing a center fielder.

Dave Van Dyck talked Cubs on the Mully and Hanley show on 670 the score yesterday:

• Van Dyck and the guys joked about the lack of a Bradley trade.
• Dave thinks that at some point the Cubs have to give him away.
• If the Cubs eat everything, the Rays will take him.
• Right now the Cubs are trying wait and see where other outfielder like Bay and Holliday end up, and then a team may be left out once the dominoes for outfielders have started to fall.
• The later you wait, the worse off it is, because if the Cubs can't dump Burrell after getting him from Tampa, the Cubs could end up $21 million.
• Dave said "yes and no" when he was asked if it's fair to rip the Ricketts family's tenure so far.
• There's teams out there that would take him. He will not be released or return to the team.

More Notes:

• Ryan Dempster is trying to sell his Lake View mansion according to the Tribune.
• Paul Sullivan says that the Cubs may have lost their best possible trade partner for Bradley, because the Rays have signed Rafael Soriano for $7.25 million.
• The Cubs may be forced to pay the "bulk" of Bradley's $13M salary in 2011.
• Right now, Sully says, the Ricketts Family is more focused on remodeling Wrigley Field. Ryan Dempster said that an improvement to the trophy room for a World Series trophy would be number 1 on his list in remodeling the ballpark.
• Thanks to Phil Rodgers for this quote: "You really don't have to follow him all that closely to know what a dominant upper-rotation starter he has the ability to be and has been in his career. Hopefully not just this year but a majority of his career is spent in Texas. ... We know what he's capable of. He can go in there and flat shut down an opposing lineup." -- Rangers GM Jon Daniels on Rich Harden, the former Cub who signed for one year and an option.
• Nick Gandy, a communications director for the Florida Sports Foundation, thinks that teams in the Midwest and Northeast should train in Florida.
• MLB.com's Q&A with Sean Marshall.
• How eager do fans want to see Bradley go? Someone on Twitter urged people to send $3 to "No More Milton Bradley" to pay for his salary to help move him, and listed an address. That address was for Wrigley Field. No, it wasn't Jim Hendry who posted the tweet.

That's it for now, more later with the non-tender deadline tonight...

Day 2 in Indy

• Gordon Wittenmyer says the Cubs are close to a "two-team" deal that would send Bradley packing!! Wittenmyer says via twitter that the deal could be done tonight.
• Joel Sherman reports that the Rangers are no longer interested in Bradley.
• Tim Brown from Yahoo thinks that Milton could be going to Seattle for Carlos Silva.
• The Tribune is now also reporting that the Cubs could have interest in Melky Cabrera, but Curtis Granderson to the Cubs is not likely, as he is close to signing with New York.
• Rosenthal gives us this breakdown: if the Cubs save a large amount on Bradley, the will be interested in Cameron, if they save a modest amount Marlon Byrd is a better fit, and if they save a small amount, Scott Podsednik makes sense. It all depends on the Bradley deal.
• The Cubs, Mariners Red Sox, and Yankees are interested in Mike Cameron.
• The North Siders like Kevin Millwood, but the Rangers are not interested in a Millwood for Bradley trade, according to Ken Rosenthal.
• Jon Paul Morosi reports that the Cubs are one of many teams with "varying levels of interest" in J.J. Putz. The White Sox, D'back, Rangers, Nationals, and Tigers are some of the other clubs listed.
• There was talk of adding a post season award specifically for relief pitcher today at the BBWAA meetings according to Bruce Miles. Miles says one possible name is the Holtzman Award, in honor of the write who invented the save.
• Write Bill Madden was elected to the Hall of Fame today.
• The Brewers are interested in bringing Kevin Gregg back to the NL Central. (Yes, as a Brewer).
• Bruce Levine says that Jim Hendry has talked with the Rockies about their outfield depth.
• The Padres are willing to trade Heath Bell, but the Cubs might not have the prospects that the Padres would want.
• Brown now tweets that "nothing imminent, but the Cubs and M's are talking Bradley and Silva."
• The Rangers and Rays are not close on Bradley, and Blue Jays officials have no comment.

I'll keep you posted on the Bradley front and more as the night moves on!

Granderson, Bradley, Bell, and More

Update 3- Bruce Levine Chat Info

• The Royals are only in the exploring stages with the Cubs. As of this morning, the Royals GM Dayton Moore had not talked to Jim Hendry. However, there we plenty of conversations between the teams scouts last night
• Lou Piniella thinks Castro needs more seasoning.
• The Yankees are now the front runner for Granderson.
• The Cubs have other areas that they will address before second base, but they are still interested in Orlando Hudson, or they could end up with Luis Castillo.
• The Angels and Cubs have talked about a Bradley for Gary Matthews Jr. swap.
• When the Cubs refurbish Wrigley Field, their goal is that they will not have to play anywhere else during that time.
• Pat Burrell cannot play right field.
• Kyler Burke is going to need at least two more years in the minors, but he's on the fast track.
• Soriano's main goal this offseason is to strengthen his lower body and work on his core muscles. The Cubs have been monitoring his work and they will send some of their people over to the Domican Republic, where he is training, to check his progress.
• The Cubs are concerned about Reed Johnson's back problems.
• The Cubs would only trade Carlos Zambrano is they could get a better pitcher in the deal.
• Ryne Sandberg "could be on the fast track for Wrigley, depending on how the 2010 season turns out for Lou Piniella.
• Some front office people like Gil Meche, while other think he's "a little weak-minded". Levine wouldn't "call that a real hot rumor at this time".
• The M's got to Chone Figgins so fast that there was no time for the Cubs to get involved.
• Some media reports have overstated the Cubs' interest in Mike Cameron.
• Bruce thinks Cameron's days as an impact starting center fielder are behind him.
• The Cubs have not talked to the Giants about a Roward for Bradley trade.
• The Cubs may look at signing guys like Ben Sheets and J.J. Putz, who would be rehab projects.
• Levine would take the White Sox pitching staff over the Cubs. The only thing wrong with the Cubs staff is that they are coming off an injury-plagued season.

Update 2- Info from Chicago Tribune Live @7:05 CT

• David Kaplan talked to Phil Rogers from the Tribune on the CTL on CSN Chicago today. They talked about the winter meetings and more.
• Lou Piniella says that Jim would like to make a deal for Milton Bradley in the next few days. Lou thinks that Bradley "could have a nice bounce back year" for somebody.
• Rogers doesn't think that the trade will get done by the close of the Meetings on Thursday.
• Phil says the KC is in the picture.
• The center field pursuit and Milton Bradley are not related.
• Curits Granderson is still on the table for the Cubs.
• Kaplan thinks the Cubs are "an arm short in the rotation".
• Rodgers says that the Cubs don't feel like they have to add a quality arm, but they know they could use it. Phil likes Gil Meche from the Royals calling him an interesting name.
• Phil reports that Heath Bell is on the radar, but we have heard that that rumor is untrue.
• The Cardinals have "a ton more issues than the Cubs".

Updated 6:30 CT- Peter Gammons said on Baseball Tonight on ESPN2 that he thinks the Bradley for Burrell trade will work. Gammons thinks Bradley will make a terrific DH for the Rays. Then the Cubs would try to find a team who would take Burrell.

Also, Phil Rodgers said earlier today that Juan Pierre could end up back with the Cubbies.

A few tidbits:

• Ryan Theriot told David Kaplan on Sports Central last week that he would be willing to move to second base if it helps the team.
• The asking price on Curtis Granderson is very high. Buster Olney said on Baseball Tonight that the Tigers are asking for Starlin Castro and 2 pitching prospects in return for Granderson.
• The Cubs have spent the 4th most money of any MLB team in free agency since 1998 at $598.4 million. They are behind only the Yankees, Mets, and Boston.
• Gordon Wittenmyer heard that the Tigers may not be trying to move Granderson this week.
• Jim Hendry laughed off a rumor that the Cubs are interested in Heath Bell.
• Hideki Matsui will not come to the Cubs.

Bruce Levine was on Waddle and Silvy from the Meetings today:

• The Meetings are a lot like the 10, 20, 30 year reunion.
• Levine says the Cubs talked to the Royals last night, but nothing was intense. The names Bradley and Meche did come up.
• The Cubs had interest in Gil Meche the last time he was a free agent.
• Levine says that the likelihood that Bradley will be moved by the end of the meetings is much better.
• Hendry has been talking about all kinds of teams about the players that they want to move to try to work out a Bradley swap.
• The Pat Burrell thing doesn't really work out for the Cubs because they would have to have a trade lined up to turn around and trade Burrell, who is not a fit for the Northsiders.
• Most teams feel that Milton Bradley in the right scenario will be fine. Smaller market teams' GMs "feel very comfortable bringing in Bradley" because there is not as much coverage their.
• Levine once again mentioned the idea of Rick Ankiel in the Cubs outfield in 2010.
• Jim Hendry has "talked at length" with Toronto about Roy Halladay, but those talks were about 6-7 weeks ago. The Halladay scenario is tough because you have to make sure you can get him to a long term deal.

More soon...

Breaking News: Fox & Miles Traded

Jake Fox and Aaron Miles have been traded to the Oakland A's! Many Cubs fans were big fans of Fox, but he will be a better fit as a DH. The Cubs are happy to be rid of Miles. Now they can use Miles's roster spot for Andres Blanco, a new infielder, Mike Fontenot, or even Starlin Castro.

In return, the Cubs get pitcher Jeff Gray along with prospects Ronny Morla and Matt Spencer. In addition to Fox and Miles, the Cubs send $1 million to Oakland.

Jeff Gray

• Full Name: Jeffrey Michael Gray
• Age: 28
• Position: Pitcher
• B/T: Right/Right
• Teams: Oakland (2008-2009)
• MLB Debut: Sept. 8, 2008
• Drafted: by Oakland in 32nd round of the 2004 June amateur draft
• 0-1 with 4.35 ERA in 29 career MLB Games
• 21-20 with 3.38 ERA in 211 career minor league games

Ronny Morla

• Pitcher
• 21 years old
• B/T: Right/Right
• 3 years in minor league ball
• Low Class A Prospect
• 1-7 with a 4.86 ERA in 17 Games

Matt Spencer

• Outfielder
• Drafted by the Phillies in the 3rd round of the 2007 amateur draft
• Hit .294 with 9 homers and 62 RBIs in 93 games at AAA in 2009
• Hit .274 with 10 HR and 29 RBI in 30 games at AA in 2009
• Will be 22 years old in Jan.

Nice to see some Cubs news out there today! I do like this deal, even though I was a big fan of Jake Fox. More notes for tonight:

• Baseball's Winter Meetings are Monday through Thursday next week. Expect maybe another move by the Cubs!
• Today I had a Question and Answer with Bruce Miles from the Daily Herald to talk Cubs. Click here to check it out!
• Yesterday I updated a lot of rumors. (link)
• The Cubs would love to have Curtis Graderson in center field in 2010, says Phil Rodgers.
• Edwin Jackson is another Tiger on the Cubs radar.
• Muskat reports that Rudy Jaramillo is preparing for Chicago by taking a look at some video tapes.
• Chicago's Tribunes Poll: Who will the Cubs miss most? A) Harden B) Gregg C) Johnson
• Speaking of polls don't forget to vote on ours on the right sidebar.
• According to Zach Links of MLB Trade Rumors, the Cubs and Cardinals are in the lead to sign free agent pitcher Vicente Padilla.

With a trade and a chat today, I'll probably save this week's Winter Ball Report for a a slower day this weekend.

Quick Hits as the Winter Meetings Approach

Let's catch up on the latest from the Cubs from the past few days-

• The Cubs did not offer arbitration to Kevin Gregg, Rich Harden, Reed Johnson, or Chad Fox. If any of these guys sign with a different team, the Cubs will not receive any draft picks.
• The Cubs could still re-sign Reed Johnson, but if they offered him arbitration, they'd risk him getting a big raise.
• Each member of the Cub received $8,261.97 in compensation for finishing second place in the NL Central.
• Progress is slow on the Milton Bradley front. Jon Heyman has tossed out the Rays, Giants, Royals, and Padres as "still possible" places for Milton.
• Talks of the Milton Bradley for Pat Burrel swap are still alive. According to the New York Post the trade is a "strong possibility". (Thanks to MLBTR for this one).
• According to Jon Paul Morosi, The Cubs are serious about Curtis Granderson, but they have made it known that they won't give up Marmol or Castro. Andrew Cashner and Josh Vitter could be sent to the Tigers in return for Curtis.
• Danny Rodrigez, who is pitching in winter ball, is expected to sign with the Cubs soon.
• Bruce Miles doesn't think that Milton Bradley will be traded by the Winter Meetings, but maybe at the meetings, which start next Monday.
• The Cubs are one team interested in Rafael Betancourt. He was offered arbitration yesterday, so now if the Cubs were to sign him it would cost them their #49 pick.
• The Cubs may look at Vicente Padilla or Jarrod Washburn as options for the rotation according to ESPN via Chicago Cubs Online.
• Ricketts met with the governor of Florida to talk about Spring Training in Naples.
• If the Cubs do move to Florida, Crane Kenney says that the Cubs would likely move their Class A Daytona team to the new Spring Training stadium.
• MLB Players would like to see 7 game division series.
• Carrie Muskat says trading Milton Bradley, and finding a center fielder are the priorities for the Cubs, who will focus on trades (not FA signings) at the Baseball's Winter Meetings next week.
• MLB.com's Q&A with Jeff Stevens

The stove is started to heat up, and with the Winter Meetings Mon.-Wed. next week, it is just going to get more fun! So, that's it for now, but I'll keep you posted!

Rumor Roundup: Arbitration, Saito, the Stove, and More!

No Arab Offers for Cubbies
Tomorrow is the deadline to offer arbitration to free agent players. The Cubs are not expected to offer arbitration to Kevin Gregg, Rich Harden, Reed Johnson, or Chad Fox. Gregg is a Type A free agent, and Harden is a Type B, so if the Cubs offer them arbitration and they reject it, the Cubs would receive a draft pick or two. However, if the player were to accept the arbitration offer the team would be stuck with signing them to at least a one year deal at market value.

Teams that do not offer salary arbitration to free agents get nothing in return if the players sign elsewhere. It does make sense that Hendry will not offer arab to Gregg, because if he would likely accept. However Harden, a "type B", would most likely not take the offer, especially if you told him that he would be used in long relief.

Are the Cubs making a mistake by letting these guys leave without receiving any draft compensation for them?

Cubs Interested in Saito?
The Cubs are one of 8 teams interested in right-handed reliever Takashi Saito, according to MLB Trade Rumors. The White Sox, Braves, and Mets are three of the other teams interested. Saito had a 2.43 ERA in 55.2 innings of work for the Boston Red Sox in 2009.

Hot Stove Notes
The Hot Stove on the MLB Network listed the Cubs as one of multiple teams interested in Rick Ankiel and Chone Figgins. MLB Network insider Jon Heymon mentioned that there is still a chance that Curtis Granderson will stay in Detriot.

Perry Finds New Job
Former Cubs hitting coach Gerald Perry has been named the hitting coach of the Pawtucket Red Sox. The Paw Sox are the AAA affiliate of the Boston Red Sox. In addition, Torey Lovullo was named the Pawtucket manager.

Caray Out at TBS
In other former Cub related news, Chip Caray will part ways with TBS after coming under fire for inaccurate calls during the 2009 postseason. When Chip broadcast for the Cubs, he and Steve Stone left the team after some controversy with players.

Naples Update
Cubs owner Tom Ricketts and president Crane Kenney are scheduled to meet with Naples officials tomorrow to discuss the possibility of moving Cubs Spring Training. "We take it seriously and we'll react accordingly," Mesa mayor Scott Smith said. Smith is not going to part ways with the Cubs without a fight.

Recap of a Slow Weekend
Not much is going on as far as the Cubs are concerned right now, but things are expected to heat up at the Winter Meetings, which start a week from today. If you didn't check out the site this weekend, there's a lot of posts for you to catch up on:

• What are Cubs Fans Thankful for?
• Who's on the Cubs Shopping List?
• Cubs Roundup: Talkin' Baseball Recap HOF Ballot & More
• Numbers Breakdown: Cubs Second Base
• My Early Opening Day Roster Prediction
• Don't forget to vote on our poll on the right sidebar!

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

Who's On the Cubs Shopping List?

Since it's Black Friday, I thought it would be fitting to take a look at Jim Hendry's shopping list for this winter. Included with each name is my prediction of how likely it is that they will become a Cub.

• Curtis Granderson- Cubs have reportedly been pursuing the Tigers' outfielder most of the month. Could be one of the Cubs top choices, but they're not willing to give up Starlin Castro or any other top prospects, and the Tigers have a high asking price. 35%
• Roy Halladay- The Blue Jays have contacted the Cubs about Halladay, but the Cubs are most likely not going to add him unless Carlos Zambrano leaves. Also, the Cubs don't have the cash or prospects to get this deal done. 2%
• Pat Burrell- If the Cubs pull of a trade that sends Milton Bradley to the Rays, they most likely will end up taking Burrell. According to Bruce Levine, if the Cubs would then try to move Burrell. 45%
• Aroldis Chapman- Earlier in the offseason, the Cubs were included in the list of just about every MLB team that was interested in Cuban lefty Aroldis Chapman. Right now, he's most likely headed for either Boston or New York. 1%
• Mike Gonzalez- now that the Cubs have re-signed Grabow, they are unlikely to pursue a left handed reliever 4%
• Chone Figgins- The utility speedster would fit the Cubs needs, but they may not be able to afford him. The Mets, Phillies, and Angels are also in on him, but their is no front runner. Giggins will be 32 year old in Spring Training. 19%
• Mike Cameron- Has been listed as a backup plan for the Cubs if they are unable to land Granderson. The Padres, Braves, and Yankees also are in the mix. He will not return to Brewers. 60%
• Matt Holliday- Jon Heyman groups the Cubs as a possible fit for Holliday, but this is not very likely. 5%
• Luis Castillo- There were reports from FOX Sports that Castillo could end up with the Cubs in the 3-team trade that would send Bradley to the Rangers. Other media outlets shot down the report. Castillo is most likely not the answer for the Cubs middle infield. 10%
• Marlon Byrd- Byrd is anotheroption to replace Bradley in the Cubs outfield. T.R. Sullivan sees a 3-year deal worth 18-24MM for the former Rangers. Byrd wants to return to the Rangers, but they most likely will let him walk. 25%
• Mark DeRosa- According to most sources, DeRo is not coming back to the Chicago. They don't have the money for him, and feel that he is too old to make a long term commitment to.
• Orlando Hudson- Bruce Levine is a big fan of the O-Dog, and has mentioned that he would look good in blue. Hudson will seek a 2 year deal worth at least $15MM. Hudson could hit second and play second base, but the Cubs may not have the money. 40%

Let me know what you think in the comment or at cubsblogmailbag@aol.com

A few more Black Friday Cubs Notes:

• Bruce Miles doesn't see the Cubs as a player for Halladay.
• He adds that Starlin Castro is not going to be traded.
• Kosuke's Q&A with Carrie Muskat.
• Sammy Sosa has been sued for $203K in Domician court.
• Paul Sullivan says the Cubs aren't going to rush Starlin Castro. He will get an invite to Spring Training, and a chance to break camp with the Cubs if he has a great spring. However, it's a long shot.
• Ryan Theriot has been told that he may have to move to second base in the near future to make room for Castillo as short. He's fine with the idea. "Ryan feels like if he has to change positions and move to second base, he would have no problems," Hendry said. "He has made it no secret he loves the Cubs and wants to stay.
• Cubscast put together a great Thanksgiving All Music episode.
• The CCO Radio will return on Wednesday, December 2.
• Check out yesterday's post to find out what Cubs fans are thankful for.

It's been a fairly slow week on the Cubs front, but things are expected to heat up after the holiday weekend. We will continue with daily Cubs related posts!

Number Breakdown: Curtis Granderson VS Cubs OF

There have been a lot of rumors going around about a possible Curtis Granderson to the Cubs deal. Let's take a look at Granderson's 2009 numbers in comparison to Kosuke's, Bradley's, and Soriano's.

Batting Average
Kosuke- .259
Soriano- .241
Bradley- .257
Granderson- .249

OBP
Kosuke- .375
Soriano- .303
Bradley- .378
Granderson- .327

HR
Kosuke- 11
Soriano- 20
Bradley- 12
Granderson- 30

RBIs
Kosuke- 54
Soriano- 55
Bradly- 12
Granderson- 71

Fielding %
Kosuke-.994
Soriano- .950
Bradley- .985
Granderson- .993

SB
Kosuke- 6
Soriano- 9
Bradley- 2
Granderson- 20

So Curtis will bring speed and power, but he's not a great on base guy. He had a lower batting average and OBP then Bradley in 2009. Do you really want to give up top prospects for this guy?

Remember, the numbers don't lie!

Levine's Chat, Cubs Spring Training Schedule, and More

Bruce Levine had his weekly chat yesterday, so let's take a look at the Cub-related highlights:

• The Granderson situation is real, but the names haven't really been figured out.
• Texas and Tampa Bay are still the front runners for Milton Bradley.
• If the Cubs swap with Texas to get Bradley, it appears that they would receive Kevin Millwood. If they trade Bradley to the Rays, Pat Burrell would be coming back in the deal.
• Jim Hendry's top priority is "Bradley, Bradley, and Bradley." He should also sign John Grabow to a 2 year $7-7.5 M deal sometime before the Winter Meetings.
• Kevin Milwood would compete with Tom Gorzelanny, Sean Marshall, and Jeff Samardzija for spots in the rotation if he becomes a Cub.
• Levine hinted that Granderson may not be a part of a platoon if he comes to the Cubs. "I could live with Granderson hitting .200 against lefties and playing solid defense, letting someone else win the game that particular day or drive him in because of his speed on the bases."
• The Cubs like Sam Fuld, but they are concerned with making him the starting center fielder because of his lack of durability due to his diabetes.
• Carlos Marmol is the guy for the closer's role "for now".
• The Tigers are not interested in backup players like Fox, Hoffpauir, and Marshall in a Curtis Granderson trade. A package could include Vitters and 2-3 other prospects.
• Bradley's going to be moved, but it won't be an easy process.
• Don't expect Starlin Castro or Andrew Cashner to be included in any trades this offseason.
• Detriot is not interested in Milton Bradley.
• Levine thinks that the odds of Rich Harden returning to the Cubs are zero.
• Bruce likes the idea of the Cubs going after Ben Sheets.
• Grabow and Marmol are 1-2 at the back of the bullpen. The return of Heilman and/or Marshall to the bullpen is still up in the air.
• Esmailin Caridad and John Gaub will be given chances to make the pen in Spring Training.
• Levine has said many times that Orlando Hudson and Orlando Cabrera could be fits for the Cubs middle infield for a one year deal.
• Koyie Hill is the catching backup plan for now, but Bruce threw the name Pudge Rodrigez out there.
• They will not get both Marlon Byrd and Granderson and make Kosuke a 4th outfielder.
• Mark DeRosa is not a good fit for the Cubs.

Cubs Spring Training

The Cubs are one of the final Major League Baseball teams to announce their Spring Training Schedule, but now we have it! The Cubs will close Spring Training against the D'backs at Chase Field, they open March 4 VS Oakland, and they play the White Sox in Vegas March 12 & 13. The Cubs have 5 split squads and just 1 off day. They play 35 games. Here's the rest of the schedule:

• March 4 VS Oakland
• March 5 VS Arizona
• March 6 VS CWS
• March 7(ss) @CWS, VS LAD
• March 8 @Oak
• March 9 VS Mil
• March 10 VS SF
• March 11 @SD
• March 12 (ss) VS CWS in Las Vegas, @Mil in AZ
• March 13 (ss) VS CIN in AZ, VS CWS in Vegas
• March 14 @LAA
• March 15 @COL
• March 16 VS TEX
• March 17 Off Day
• March 18 @LAD
• March 19 @CWS
• March 20(ss) VS KC, @Oak
• March 21 VS CIN
• March 22 VS CLE
• March 23 @KC
• March 24 @TEX
• March 25 @Arizona
• March 26 VS OAK
• March 27 VS SD
• March 28 @SEA
• March 29 VS CIN
• March 30 VS SF
• March 31(ss) @MIL, VS LAA
• April 1 VS COL
• April 2/3 @Arizona (Chase Field)

Cubs Spring Training tickets go on sale Jan. 4.

Other Notes:

• Zack Greinke won the AL Cy Young.
• Mike Scioscia is the AL manager of the year, and Jim Tracy takes the award in the NL.
• The Cubs have donated $20K to the DR community.
• Tom Ricketts will have a chance to meet the other MLB owners at a private dinner tonight.
• The Ricketts family will meet with Florida officials after Thanksgiving weekend to discuss future Spring Training options for the Cubs.
• MLB.com's Q&A with Randy Wells.
• According to FOX Sports, the Cubs are one of 3 anonymous teams interested in Billy Wagner.
• The Cubs are reportedly a possible landing spot for Pedro Martinez.
• David Kaplan says the Cubs and Rangers are is serous talks about a trade that would ship Bradley to Texas.

That's it for now, I'll keep you posted as the Hot Stove season continues!

Hot Stove Quick Hits: Free Agents, Granderson, Lilly, & More

• John Grabow and Chad Fox filed for free agency today. All Cubs eligible have now filed. Friday is the deadline for teams to keep exclusive negotiating rights with their players before they hit the open market.
• Andrew Baily won the AL Rookie of the Year, while Chris Coghlan took home the NL honors. Obviously, this means that Cubs ROY candidate Randy Wells did not take home the award.
• Jim Hendry is in favor of instant reply in MLB according to Bruce Levine.
• Jeff Samardzija will not be used in the bullpen next year. He will compete for a spot in the starting rotation for the Cubs next year, and if he doesn't win that he will most likely be in Iowa's rotation.
• The Rangers, Mets, and Rays, are the front runners to land Milton Bradley.
• Marlon Byrd and Mike Cameron have become back-up plans to Curtis Granderson for the Cubs.
• Aaron Miles had to deal with personal problems throughout the season this year. Levine expects Aaron to have a bounce back year in 2010.
• Curtis Granderson is turning into this offseason's Roberts or Peavy.
• Bruce Levine shoots down the report that says the Cubs would be willing to trade Carlos Marmol or Starlin Castro in a Granderson trade.
• Ted Lilly will most likely not be back until late April or the start of May.
• Geovany Soto will go into the season as the Cubs starting catcher with Koyie Hill as his back-up.
• According to Phil Rogers, (not the best source but...) the Cubs have enough to get Granderson. He says that Jim Callis rates "the Cubs 1, Yankees 2, Angels 3".
• Rogers goes back on his previous reports saying that the Cubs don't want to part with Castro.

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

Granderson Rumors Heating Up

• Cubs GM Jim Hendry is absolutely interested in offering a prospect heavy package to the Tigers for Granderson, according to Phil Rodgers.
• Hendry and Tigers GM Dave Dombrowki discussed Granderson and other Tigers players during the GM meetings earlier this week.
• The Angles and Yankees are also exploring a Granderson deal.
• The Cubs offer could be built around 19-year-old shortstop Starlin Castro, who is emerging as one of the top prospects in the minors.
• Rodgers tosses out other guys that could be included in the deal: Hak-Ju Lee, Josh Vitters, Andrew Cashner, Jay Jackson, and Chris Carpenter.
• Jake Fox, Aaron Miles, Micah Hoffpauir, Aaron Heilman, and Tom Gorzelanny could also be placed in the deal.
• The Tigers will not trade Granderson quickly, they could wait to stike a deal at the winter meetings.
• Keith Law says Curtis has become a platoon player because of his struggles against left handed pitching.
• The Detriot news disaggres with the Chicago Tribune by saying that the deal could happen soon.
• My take: The Cubs should not give up what the Tigers want for Curtis Granderson. I think trading for him would be a big mistake. I would not give up Josh Vitter, Starlin Castro, Jay Jackson, or Andrew Cashner for him, even if it was just a 1 for 1 trade. If they'll take say Hak-Ju Lee and that's it, then it would be an OK deal for the Cubs. However, I feel strongly that this would be another Kosukeish and Bradley-like mistake.
• Only non-Granderson related tidbit today is thanks to Bleacher Nation, and is from Mark Miller- It is rumored that Harden doesn't have much interest in returning to Chicago since he supposedly felt overused and suffered from some poor defensive play by Alfonso Soriano and Milton Bradley. Interesting.

That's all we have today! I would expect for things to be heating back up in the next week. The Rookies of the Year, MVPs, Cy Youngs, and Managers of the year; will be handed out in the next week and a half. Randy Wells in a candidate in a strong NL Rookie field. Tomorrow I'll have a number breakdown for you, Monday we should have some rumors and/or radio recaps, and Tuesday I'll get a Cubs Fun & Games post up, which will include some trivia.

Keep in mind, there's only 62 days until the Cubs Convention!

Friday Chatter: Zambrano, Sosa, and More

Carlos Zambrano has won his 3rd Silver Slugger Award! He was the only Cub to be honored, winning the NL Pitcher Silver Slugger for the second year in a row. Zambrano hit .217 this season with 4 homers and 11 RBIs. Here are the rest of the Silver Sluggers:

1B- Albert Pujols
2B- Chase Utley
3B- Ryan Zimmerman
SS- Hanley Ramirez
OF- Ryan Braun
OF- Andre Ethier
OF- Matt Kemp
C- Brian McCann

An odd story making Chicago headlines lately has been Sammy Sosa's change in skin color. At the Latin Grammys, Sosa appeared much lighter then he did when he was with the Cubs. Sosa says the cameras and lights made his skin look lighter then it really is, and he also mentioned a facial cream he's been using. Some bloggers, writers, and fans have speculated that the change in skin color could be steroid-related. Here's some pics:












Cubscast discussed an interesting topic on one of their recent shows. "The World's Thinnest Books", a thing being discussed on Twitter. Here are a few examples of Cubs related World's Thinnest Books from Twitter:

• Soriano's defensive strategy
• other teams interested in Aaron Miles
• Milton Bradley trade rumors that sound both encouraging and plausible.
• Improving the Cubs: 2008/2009 Offseason Edition by Jim Hendry
• Objectivity in Broadcasting by Ron Santo
• Top World Series Moment of the Last 100 years by the Chicago Cubs
• Yes, I Left Early, Yes I Corked My Bat on Purpose and Yes Something is Going On With My Face By Sammy Sosa
• Endearing Yourself to Cubs Fans for Dummies by Milton Bradley
• Aaron Miles Hall Of Fame Accomplishments
• Twitter Link
• If you have any email them to me at cubsblogmailbag@aol.com

There's been some Granderson to the Cubs rumors going on, so here's notes on that and more:

• Phil Rodgers says that the Cubs are not yet actively involved in trade talks for Curtis Graderson, but they will be once the Tigers are ready for offers.
• Jim Callis thinks the Cubs could trade SS Hak-Ju Lee in the Granderson deal, not Starlin Castro.
• Some sources are saying the Cubs would give up Carlos Marmol and a top prospect for the Tiger's center fielder.
• Dock of the Rays speculates that if the Rays toss Andy Sonnanstine into a Burrell for Bradley trade, the Cubs could pay more of Bradley's contract.
• Phil Rogers says Curtis fits the clubs need.
• CCO posted some You Tube Videos of Cubs prospects today.
• BCB takes a look a Millwood for Bradley trade.
• The Seattle Mariners may have some interest in Rich Harden.

That's it for now, let's hope the moves start soon!