Radio Recap: Jed Hoyer on ESPN 1000

Believe it or not, the report date for pitchers and catchers in Mesa, Arizona is just a week away. Baseball and summer time is right around the corner. In the mean time, the Cubs have been fairly quiet as of late. Let's jump into a radio recap from GM Jed Hoyer on ESPN Radio on Friday.

• The Cubs organizational meetings will take place on Wednesday and Thursday in advance of the start of Spring Training. Physicals will take place on Friday. The first workout on the field will take place on Saturday, a week from today.
• Jed Hoyer joined Carmen, Jurko and Harry on ESPN 1000 on Friday. Hoyer currently driving to Arizona.
• Hoyer said that it is unlikely for Alfonso Soriano to start the year with a different club.
• Jed and Theo learned that they could not keep Carlos Zambrano by talking to people within the organization.
• Hoyer said that the Cubs need more guys like Matt Garza and will certainly talk to him about being a part of the team's future.
• Last year "was not Carlos Marmol's best year" but the Cubs are confident that he can get back to what he was before.
• Hoyer thinks that Anthony Rizzo is close to being ready to be a productive player at the big league level. Jed admits that he rushed Rizzo into the big leagues in San Diego. "Bryan LaHair has earned the right to start the year at first base. Anthony is not far away, but he's not a finished product."
• It's hard to have a time frame and target date for winning the World Series. Every year you try to put together a good draft and sign the right players. "When exactly that all comes together I'm not quit sure."
  
• The Cubs have scouted Yoenis Cespedes, but Hoyer feels that a lot of teams are in on Cespedes.

That's it for now, but I'll keep you posted all week as we count down to Cubs camp!

Breaking News: Cubs Send Cashner to San Diego

The Cubs made another trade today, sending Andrew Cashner to San Diego in an unexpected move that netted the team first base prospect Anthony Rizzo and minor league pitcher Zach Cates. Double-A outfielder Kyung-Min Na was also sent to the Padres.

Jed Hoyer said today that he saw Cashner as a solid relief pitcher, but a future everyday first baseman was more important to the team at this time. Rizzo is expected to start 2012 at Triple-A with Bryan LaHair set to man first base at the big league level. Hoyer also said today that the Cubs are willing to go through an adjustment period with a young team. The team is still having conversations with Kerry Wood and Hoyer is hopeful that the veteran right hander will return to the Cubs.

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

Breaking News: Sveum Named Cubs Manager

A busy offseason for the Chicago Cubs continued today with the announcement of a new manager. Dale Sveum has become the 52nd manager of the team, signing a three year contract with an option for 2015. Sveum (pronounced Swaim) will be introduced by Jed Hoyer and Theo Esptein at a press conference tomorrow morning at 9:00.

Sveum was a big league infielder for seven different teams from 1986 to 1999, spending the 1992 season in Chicago playing for the White Sox. He coached on the Boston Red Sox staff during 2004 and 2005 seasons before spending 2006 to 2011 with the Brewers. His only big league managerial experience was in September of 2008 when he was named the interim manager for the final two weeks of the season after the firing of Ned Yost. Sveum served as a third base coach, bench coach and hitting coach during his time as a coach.

That's it for now, but we'll have much more on the Cubs new skipper.

Updating the Cubs Managerial Search

According to those of you who voted on our recent poll, Cubs fans are excited about welcoming Theo Epstein as the President of Baseball Operations. (Thanks to everyone who voted on the poll, by the way.) Epstein's first order of business as the Cubs President is to name a new manager... which leads us to our new poll question- who is the best Cubs managerial candidate? Four options of guys that are in the mix are listed on the right sidebar, please vote.

Now let's catch you up on the latest regarding the search for the next skipper.

• Mike Maddux interviewed with Theo Epstein, Jed Hoyer, Jason McLeod and Randy Bush. According to all report, the interview went very well and Maddux could even be the leader to land the gig.


• Maddux did not rule out the idea of his younger brother Greg joining his staff if he is hired by the Cubs.


• Mike withdrew his name from the Red Sox managerial search last week.


• Dale Sveum also interviewed for the job this week. He told the media that it does not sound as if Epstein and the Cubs plan to enter a rebuilding phase.


• Ken Rosenthal reports that Sveum is going to get a second interview with the Red Sox, but he is high on the Cubs list as well.


• Pete Mackanin, who was the first to interview, is still be considered as well.


• Sandy Alomar Jr. is the final known candidate for the job. The Cubs brass has indicated that the first round of interviews could be complete, but it has not closed the door on adding another candidate or two to the mix. Alomar's interview reportedly went very well.


• Some think that an announcement of the new manager could come as early as this week.


• The Cardinals have named Mike Matheny their new manager.


• According to multiple sources, Terry Francona will not be considered for the Cubs job.

It is a busy time for the Cubs management with the General Managers' Meetings starting this week in Milwaukee. Both Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer will represent the Cubs.

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

Breaking News: Hoyer & McLeod Added to Front Office

Theo Epstein has made his first additions to his staff. Jed Hoyer and Jason McLeod have officially been announced as the Cubs Executive VP/General Manager and Senior VP of Scouting and Player Development. The Cubs will send a player to be named later to San Diego as compensation.

McLeod will be in charge of Oneri Fleita and Tim Wilken. His title will not be assistant GM, as originally reported. As of now Randy Bush remains the assistant to Hoyer.

On a side note- Bruce Levine tweeted today that Aramis Ramirez is open to returning to the Cubs now that Theo is in charge.

With the front office set, it's time to start talking about what moves it should make. We'll have breakdowns of managerial and free agent options this weekend.

Radio Recaps: Getting Set for the Epstein Annoucement

Bruce Levine joined Carmen, Jurko and Harry for the latest on the Theo Watch on Thursday-

• The Cubs were very close at that time to the deal with the Red Sox. One of the holdups may have been the medical situations of some of the deals that they agreed on.


• Levine called the situation a real tangled web, with Jed Hoyer moving to the Cubs. The front office will grow under Epstein and Hoyer.


• Theo will be the guy to call the shots. This is a lateral move for Hoyer.


• The media and fans are going to be talking to Jed Hoyer every day. Jed is going to be a very important part of the front office.


• Levine was told that there would not be any compensation need to San Diego, but some reports have said that there will be a low level prospect.


• Bruce was told that Trey McNutt and Brett Jackson are both staying in Chicago. Nobody is sure who the prospect going to Boston is.


• Bud Selig has not gotten involved much yet. He has allowed these teams to make the announcement during off days of the World Series so that the teams (San Diego, Boston and the Cubs) can be ready for free agency.


• Theo was probably the one who decided that he wanted a general manager under him. Esptein likes to have a lot of guys under him. At times, he has had three assistant general managers working under him.


• The Cubs going to add more people to the front office after Esptein and Hoyer. A few more guys from Boston and San Diego will become over.


• Levine shot down the possibility of John Lackey being sent to the Cubs. Starlin Castro and Matt Garza's names also came up during the compensation offers.


• Carem and Bruce agreed that the Red Sox have been set on dragging this thing out as long as possible. The Bo-Sox have made this as difficult as possible.

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

Breaking News: Epstein to the Cubs

It's official, Theo Epstein is the President of Baseball Operations of the Chicago Cubs. Check back tomorrow for all the details.

Update Saturday 10:30am
Theo Epstein has joined the Chicago Cubs on the team's President of Baseball Operations. The compensation to the Red Sox has not yet been announced, but the two sides have reached an agreement as to the process that will be taken. The compensation issue will be worked out soon. If the compensation process does not work, Bug Selig will make the final decision.

With the World Series going on, the official announcement will be made on Tuesday, an travel day for the Cardinals and Rangers. Neither club will have further comment until that time.

A few days after Epstein's press conference, several more announcements are expected to be made. Padres general manager Jed Hoyer and assistant GM Jason McLeod are expected to join the Cubs organization as the GM and assistant GM respectively. Hoyer is set to sign a five year deal with a Cubs. The compensation to San Diego is expected to be a low level minor leaguer.

Crane Kenney will remain with the Cubs organization, but his title will change to President of Business Operations.

That's it for now, but we'll have much coverage of this story this weekend and early next week.