Countdown to the Deadline: 5 Days

The Chicago Cubs have less than 5 days to dump players that are not going to be a part of the team in the future. The click is ticking on Jim Hendry, who has yet to make a move. With little activity, there is no shortage of rumors!

• Jim Hendry told Comcast Sports Net that he expects a turnaround by 2012.


• The Sun Times and Jon Heyman have contradicting reports on Carlos Pena. Heyman says that Pena is on his way out, but the Sun Times thinks they might hang on to him and could even bring him back next year.


• Heyman tells us that the Cubs are looking to deal John Grabow, but that will not be easy.


• The Red Sox and Indians have interest in Kosuke.


• Sean Marshall, Ryan Dempster, Aramiz Ramirez, Kerry Wood and Matt Garza are all staying with the Cubs the rest of the season.


• Jim Bowden tells us (via the CCO) that there are a great deal of teams interested in Marlon Byrd.


• Jayson Stark of ESPN reports that Kosuke Fukudome could be the one Cub dealt at the deadline.


• Stark believe that Carlos Pena would clear waivers for an August deal.


• A Pittsburgh newspaper lists Pena as one of three bats that the Buccos are interested in!

Click here for my full deadline update from Sunday.

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

Intrasquad Day in Mesa

The Cubs minor league team knocked off the "big league" team 8-6 at HoHoKam Park on Wednesday afternoon, although both teams were filled with minor leaguers by the time the game concluded.

For the major league team, it was a final tune-up for the regular season, which starts at Wrigley Field on Friday. The cost of a ticket was $10 and all proceeds benefited Cubs charities. For all of the prospects that were invited to take part in the game, it was a chance to open the eyes of the Cubs coaching staff.

Randy Wells worked three innings in his tune-up for his first start of the season, which will come against the D'backs on Monday. Wells allowed one run to cross but looked sharp overall.

Marlon Byrd, who is day-to-day with some soreness, sat out for the third straight day. Geovany Soto and Aramis Ramirez also missed the intrasquad contest. Alfonso Soriano and Carlos Pena received one at-bat each, serving as designated hitters.

Blake DeWitt got the start at third base, where he is expected to backup Ramirez this season. Jeff Baker started at first base, where he and Tyler Colvin will serve as backups to Pena. Baker delivered an RBI for the Cubs first run of the game, on a play where Steve Clevenger dropped the ball on what would have been a close play at the plate.

Second baseman Darwin Barney delivered a two-run homer in the bottom of the fourth inning, which was the highlight of the game. Barney is expected to see regular playing time this season. All of the regulars on the Major League team left the game after the fourth inning, except for Koyie Hill.

Hill stayed in the game to catch the remaining big league pitchers that needed to work. John Grabow retired the side in order in the fourth, before James Russell put another zero on the board in the fifth. Marcos Mateo, who was surprised last week when he found out that he had made the Cubs bullpen, was a little wobbly in the sixth. He surrendered two runs on three hits in the frame. Hill, who slumped at the plate all spring, went 1-for-3 with a single and a strikeout against the farmhands. Hill was the final Cub to depart when Michael Brenly took his spot behind the plate in the seventh. Bob Brenly was in attendance to watch his son play.

Left hander J.R. Mathes got the nod for the minor league team, managed by Iowa skipper Bill Dancy. Mathes worked five inning, allowing five runs on ten hits. J.R., a longtime minor leaguer, will start the season at Triple-A Iowa. Trey McNutt, rated the top pitching prospect in the organization, was the only other hurler to work for the minor league team. He went four innings, surrendering only one run on three hits.

Justin Bour (grounder), Ryan Flaherty (single) and Marquez Smith (double) all drove in runs for the Major League team to extend the lead. The minors chipped away as Tony Campana scored on a double play bouncer and Sergio Durrell rapped a run scoring single in the sixth. Josh Vitters, who started at third base and then moved across the infield to first, cranked a triple to drive in a run in the eighth.

In the top of the ninth, Evan Crawford delivered an RBI triple to tie the game at six. Then Campana put the minor squad in front with a single and DJ LeMahieu tacked on an insurance tally with a double. Frank Batista was the pitcher who allow the minors team to grab the lead. He was charged with four runs in 0.2 innings. Mike Quade came to the mound to make a pitching change, bringing in RHP Justin Berg to notch the final out. McNutt sent the "big league" team down quickly in the bottom of the ninth to secure the victory.

The final totals-
Minor League Cubs: 8 runs, 16 hits, 3 error
Chicago Cubs: 6 runs, 13 hits, 2 errors
Winning Pitcher: Trey McNutt
Losing Pitcher: Frank Batista

After the game, Mike Quade's squad got on the bus to head to the airport, where they will fly to Chicago!

Catching Up Quick Hits: Santo's Day, Levine's Latest, and More

It is Ron Santo day in Mesa, Arizona today as the Cubs take on the Indians!

A lot of news and notes to catch up on from this week in Cubs camp, so let's jump right in.

• According to Carrie Muskat, John Grabow has not pitched in a Cactus League game since the opener on Feb. 27 due to some shoulder tightness.
• Mike Quade has not decided who will get the bulk of the playing time at first base.
• Todd Wellemyer has a soar right hip.
• Bruce Levine reports that the Cubs will have to eat a lot of Carlos Silva's $12M contract in order to trade him.
• Levine is not worried about Matt Garza despite his early struggles.
• Bruce says that Jeff Samardzija is "on the team." There is very little chance that he will not make the roster since he has a big contract and is out of options.
• Carlos Marmol has impressed Levine the most so far this year. He has continued to look unhittable.
• Mike Quade has locked Starlin Castro into the two hole and Aramis Ramirez into the cleanup spot. The rest of the batting order has yet to be determined.
• Geovany Soto could move up to No. 5 or No. 6 in the lineup, but most likely he will not hit as high as three.
• The Cubs like Koyie Hill because of his defense and relationship with pitchers.
• Levine believes that the Cubs can win 80-85 games.
• Bruce expects Brett Jackson to be the biggest surprise this season.

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

Cubs Convention Recap: Off the Field, Off the Cuff

This year, John Williams and Nick Digillio hosted the popular session that gets personal with Cubs players. The victims were former Cubs Mike Bielecki and Todd Walker as well as current relievers Sean Marshall and John Grabow.

• Bielecki missed the Convention a couple of years because he had booked cruises. The Cubs were mad that he missed the '89 reunion, but he is back in the good graces.
• Sean Marshall said that you try not to pay attention to stats during the season.
• Todd Walker remembers seeing his batting average at .180 on the huge Yankee Stadium scoreboard.
• It is hard to hide from your stats when they are posted at the stadium in large print.
• A lot of times guys trying to pitch through injuries lead to poor stats.
• Marshall said that it is frustrating for a pitcher when your arm is sore and you are trying to battle through it, but people watching the game do not know that you are hurt.
• Mike says that the bullpen is a lot harder for a lot less glory. He talked about how warming up on days when you do not end up pitching can be taxing for a pitcher's arm.
• John has a set routine that he sticks with when he is pitching well.
• Walker had some silly things that he would do before he went up to the plate when thing were going well. One of his superstitions was putting one sunflower seed in his mouth.
• All of the guys agree that stepping on the chalk lines on the way on/off the field is a no-no.
• Walker said that if someone was pitching a no-hitter, players really do not talk to them.
• Starting pitchers do not want to be messed with on the days they are pitching.
• Players like to go to different cities to see the stadiums and try the restaurants.
• The guys talked about the game played after dinner where everyone tosses their credit card in the hat and the one pulled out had to pay for the huge meal.
• Bielecki said that when he played rookies never paid for dinner.
• Guys with huge paychecks usually pick up the meal.
• The team gives each player envelopes with spending money for each trip.
• Walker loves New York, but he hated travelling there to play baseball. It was a "tough deal" for him.
• Todd loved coming to Chicago even when he was not a Cub. "Chicago is the greatest city in the world. The fans here, they love you as they could tell last night (during the opening ceremonies," he said.
• Mike's favorite place to pitch was LA because the weather was always great, the field was always great and the mound was always perfect.
• He did not like pitching in Colorado because he could not escape without giving up 5-6 runs.
• Marshall's favorite place is San Diego because he has family out there and because the wind usually blows in. In addition, it is a great city with good people. Sean's last favorite is Colorado as well.
• Last year, the Rockies got 13 hits in a row against Marshall, Cashner and Schlitter. The next day, he gave up the walk-off cycle-completing home run.
• Grabow does not like going to New York either.
• Players usually cab themselves over to the ballpark. Guys usually get to the park at about 2:00 for a night game on the road. They get some work in before batting practice at 5:00.
• For day games at Wrigley, the players have to get up early to get to the park.
• A lot of guys will bring their PS3s or X-boxs on the road. Marshall likes to play NHL '11.
• Sean is a "gamer", he likes to play video games.
• When Mike was playing, most of the guys arrived at the ballpark early. The better the team is doing, the earlier the guys get there. The only people on the 5 o'clock bus were the starting pitcher and guys that went out the night before.
• Marshall does not see anyone tweeting or texting during the game.
• When Todd played, he would take a mental break during October, November and December. He would run and hit the streets, but he was not in the cage and throwing everyday until January.
• Mike signed 14 one year contracts, so he spent the entire offseason working to try to stay in shape.
• Usually Grabow would take about eight weeks off from throwing and then start throwing and hitting the weights in December.
• Sean usually takes about a month to get away from baseball and relax. Mid-November or so, he starts running and throwing again. Right now, Marshall is getting back into shape at throwing again.
• A lot of the Cubs played catch at Northwestern University on Thursday.
• Walker does not think that the day baseball is a massive deal, but it does make a little bit of a difference.
• When you play 81 games like that, it starts to take its toll. You have to be extremely disciplined to be a Chicago Cub. You have to be able to go "cut yourself off" and get to bed early on the nights before day games.
• "The best thing they got going this year is that baseball is all about pitching," Todd said.
• The pay is great, but the lifestyle of a big leaguer (being away from the family) is not easy.
• Last year was a big adjustment for John, who had his first child. Grabow has a boy named Nolan.
• Marshall got married about a month ago and has a little boy on the way. He is due at the end of April, so they will figure out how to adjust this season.
• Sean thinks the Cubs have a great group of Latin players. There is no barrier between the Spanish speakers and English speakers.
• Marshall thinks that this team really came together when Quade took over last August.
• Grabow thinks that guys were a little more prepared when Mike took over. Guys knew when they were going to pitch and when they were going to play.
• When Lou Piniella stepped down, it came as a huge surprise for the entire team.
• The guys were "pretty stoked" when Quade was named the interim manager. Marshall described Lou as "tough and stern", but he thinks that Q is more approachable.
• Marshall thinks that Lou was pretty rough on Andrew Cashner because he had so much good stuff but he walked too many guys.
• Mike remembers older Twins players making him wear bright red Reebok that looked like clown shoes for two weeks.
• A few rookies in the bullpen have to carry the Barbie backpack to the pen that is filled with snacks.
• Alcohol in the clubhouse has been cut out on travel days, but there are still beers there on some days but everybody knows to "be cool about it."
• Marshall has his mind set on throwing the pitch that he wants to throw no matter what the catcher calls for. He will shake off Soto or Hill until he gets what he wants.
• Most of last season, the catchers were on the same page with Sean. He did not have to shake them off as often because they knew what he wanted to throw.
• It is tough for players to face guys who they are friends with, especially ex-teammates.
• Mike hated facing Mark Grace.
• Sean Marshall loves when fans are on their feet screaming.
• Grabow doesn't think you can take anything away from what the Cubs did in September. They were still playing against big league clubs and it is something to build on.
• The Cubs had a tough September and they were able to ruin the seasons of a couple of teams.
• John Williams wants the Cubs to play the Pirates tough this year.
• Nick D. thinks that the hot end of the season will carry over into 2011.

That's it for now!

Catching Up Quick Hits: Soto & Colvin Rest, Lou & Ronny Skip San Fran, The Next Manager, and More

Here's the latest from Wrigleyville:

• Geovany Soto sat out the final two games against the Reds because of a ligament sprain in his right shoulder. He is expected to return to the lineup on Monday night.
• Tyler Colvin was also given two straight days off, but Carrie Muskat reports that it was just a breather and not an injury for the Cubs rookie.
• The Cubs used four rookie pitchers on Sunday, the most they've tossed in one game since September 30, 2006. Thomas Diamond, Casey Coleman, James Russell, and Mitch Atkins all worked on Sunday. Five Cubs rookies pitched in that '06 game- Juan Mateo, Jae-Kuk Ryu, David Aardsma, Angel Guzman, and Les Walrond.
• Lou Piniella left for Tampa, FL to be with his mother after Sunday's game. Lou's mom has been hospitalized, so he'll miss the series with the Giants. If everything is well, Piniella will return in St. Louis. Alan Trammell will take over in Lou's absence. It's the second time in the past month that Sweet Lou has had to leave his club for a family reason.
• Carlos Silva, who's been out with a heart issue, has been doing some throwing. The Sun-Times reports that he will undergo another cardiac test on Monday.
• John Grabow, disabled with a sprained left knee, is headed for Mesa, where he is expected to pitch on Monday. He will continue his rehab at AAA-Iowa or AA-Tennessee and could return in time for the team's next homestand, which starts a week from Monday.
• The Cubs are expected to bring up some more prospects from Iowa soon, especially if waiver trades are made. "I think you'll see some other guys," Jim Hendry told the media.
• Bruce Miles reports that Tyler Colvin will stay in the outfield and Derrek Lee will remain the starting first baseman the rest of the season.
• Ron Santo if feeling fine, but he has been skipping many of the Cubs road trips lately in order to stay healthy. Ronny will not go on the trip to San Fransisco or St. Louis. Dave Otto will fill in on WGN Radio with Pat Hughes.
• The Cubs have played 39 one run game this season, the most in the bigs. They have a terrible 13-26 record in those contests.
• Bruce Levine reports that Jim Hendry will interview more than 15 candidates for the open managerial position.
• Ryne Sandberg, Pat Listach, Fredi Gonzalez, Joe Girardi, Bob Brenly, Ted Simmons, Alan Trammell, Joe Torre, Larry Rothschild, Bobby Valentine, Eric Wedge, and Chris Speier are all possible candidates.
• Carlos Zambrano is expected to throw 75-80 pitches in his return to the rotation tomorrow night against the Giants.
• The Tribune reports that the Cubs might make their first ever trip to Fenway Park for an interleague series May 20-22, 2011.

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

Catching Up Quick Hits: Ramirez back in '11, Kosuke for Sale, D-Lee to Stay, and More

Sorry for the lack of posting yesterday, but today we're back with all the latest from the rumor mill and more. The trade deadline is coming up on Saturday!

• Cubs catcher Geovany Soto left last night's game with a foot injury. He is not in the starting lineup for tonight's game against the Astros, but the Cubs hope he can return by Wednesday, Friday at the latest.
• The team has narrowed the list of potential Spring Training sites in Mesa to three locations.
• Carlos Zambrano is expected to rejoin the Cubs in Colorado on Friday. He cannot wait to apologize to his teammates in person. Z told Carrie Muskat that he knows that he made a mistake.
• Aramis Ramirez was named the NL Player of the Week for last week. He was the first Cubs position player to win the award since May of '08.
• Speaking of Ramirez, Gordon Wittenmyer reports he wants to stay in Chicago and will most likely exercise his player option for 2011.
• ESPN.com's Jayson Stark writes that Ryan Theriot is one of the players that has been linked to the Padres in recent rumors.
• Stark also reports that he heard before that Lilly would definitely be traded before July 31, but many teams have cooled off on the Cubs lefty.
• Bob Nightengale tweets that the Rangers are taking a close look at Derrek Lee.
• The Cubs will pay part of the $4M-plus left on Kosuke's deal this year, and quite of a bit of $13.5M salary next year if they can trade him.
• Stark tweeted that it is highly doubtful that Derrek Lee will waive his no-trade clause.
• Jon Heyman thinks the Yankees could go for Ted Lilly, who they had before and like.
• Chris De Luca chimes in and says that Lilly is not the only Cubs southpaw drawing interest.
• The Angels and Rangers both have some interest in D-Lee.
• Ryan Theriot could be "the first Cub to be traded" according to David Kaplan. Kap, who's a buddy of Ryan, says that the interest in the Cubs second baseman has gone up.
• Bruce Miles shot down a report that the Cubs were interested in Chone Figgins of Seattle.
• Ted Lilly is scheduled to take on the 'Stros tonight. Will this be his last start in a Cubs uniform? Or is it possible that he will be traded between now and the first pitch?
• John Grabow threw in the bullpen yesterday but will probably not be activated before the end of this trip.

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

Mid-Week Quick Hits: Piniella, Zambrano, Rumors, & More

• Former AAA-Iowa manager and current Nationals coach Pat Listach has interest in managing the Cubs next season according to Bill Ladson.
• Tom Ricketts announced during the press conference yesterday that Jim Hendry will be the Cubs GM going into the 2011 season.
• The USA Today tossed out a few new possible replacements in Ted Simmons and Bobby Valentine.
• Number 1 draft pick Hayden Simpson is not expected to play this summer. He's battling mononucleosis.
• Carlos Zambrano retired the side in order in a rehab inning with the Mesa Cubs. Jeff Gray, who is rehabbing from a groin injury, pitched the first inning of the game against the AZL Royals.
• Zambrano will pitch at AAA-Iowa tomorrow night and rejoin the team by the end of next week according to Carrie Muskat.
• Patrick Mooney of CSN Chicago reports that John Grabow, who is out with a knee injury, will begin throwing off the mound soon and will need a rehab assignment before being activated.
• Bruce Levine reports that Lou Piniella would like to stay in baseball as a consultant with either the Cubs or Yankees.
• Bruce's list of possible replacements includes the regulars plus Greg Maddux.
• Ryan Theriot wants to win, and he wants to do it in a Cubs uniform.
• ESPN says that the Tigers have some level of interest in Ted Lilly, who is available.
• Levine thinks that the Yankees could join the hunt for Lilly that already includes the Tigers, Twins, Mets, and Dodgers.

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

Series Preview: Cubs VS Reds

June is history! The Cubs will welcome in July today after going 10-16 last month. They've had their chances against last place teams, but they've lost to the likes of Pittsburgh and Seattle. Perhaps a good opponent is just was the doctor ordered.

Can the Cubs step up their game against the first place Cincinnati Reds, who come into play today 0.5 game ahead of the Cardinals in the NL Central? The Reds are fighting for first, and they will do their best to take advantage of a meager Cubs offense. The Cubbies are ten games under at 33-43, which means they need a win today to avoid setting a new low water mark for the year. In fact, the Cubs have not been 11 under .500 in four years under Lou Piniella.

Speaking of managers, whenever these two teams meet it's a reunion of sorts. Sweet Lou spent three years in Cincinnati, including the World Series champion 1990 ballclub. Current Reds skipper Dusty Baker is returning to Wrigley Field, where he managed from 2003-2006. Piniella is in the final year of his contract and is in a situation similar to the one Dusty was in in '06. Chris Speier (bench coach, former Cubs third base coach) and Juan Lopez (former Cub and current Red bullpen coach) are still a part of Baker's staff.

The Cubs have fallen to forth place, 9.5 back of the Reds and 1 game behind the now third place Brewers. The Crew open a series with the Cardinals today. Cincinnati is in town for four straight day games that wraps up the seven game homestand at Wrigley.

The Cubs are coming off losing two of three to the Pirates to fall to 3-9 against the Bucs this year. In the three games, they scored a total of just four runs. The series finale, a 2-0 loss despite five shutout innings from ex-Pirate Tom Gorzelanny, was particularly frustrating. Andrew Cashner continued his recent struggles as he has gotten the loss in each of his last three appearances. The Cubs bats were silent, Aramis Ramirez made a costly error on defense, and Sean Marshall walked in a run.

The Reds just concluded a six game stretch at the Great American Ballpark where they went 4-2. The beat a good Phillies team 4-3 on Wednesday to take the series and finish the month 13-13. When the first place club had an average month and the Cubs had an "easy" schedule, you know Lou's crew missed a chance to make up some ground. From now on, they will have to do it against the good teams.

The Cubbies hope to finally put an end to their struggles in series openers today. They have dropped ten straight game ones and haven't started off a set with a win since May 25 against the Dodgers. Alfonso Soriano is a guy that needs to heat up. When he gets hot, he can carry the team on his back. Sori has showed some signs of getting hot with two solo-homers in Tuesday's win and a deep fly ball to the warning track that would have left the yard on most days on Wednesday.

John Grabow was placed on the DL with a knee injury during the last series. The Cubs now have four rookies in the bullpen in Andrew Cashner, Jeff Stevens, James Russell, and Brian Schlitter, but youth is not necessarily a bad thing. Grabow will wait for the swelling in his knee to lessen a may miss as long as a month.

Yesterday, Mike Fontenot got the start at second base and Ryan Theriot received the day off. According to FOX Sports, the Red Sox had talks about acquiring Little Mike before they settled on Eric Patterson. Could the Cubs be showcasing Fontenot for a possible trade? Will he see a few starts in this series?

On a quick note... the Major League Baseball All-Star voting ends tonight at 10:59 CT. Be sure to log on to MLB.com or Cubs.com and give the Cubs players your votes! You can cast your votes 25 times per email address.

After only winning one series in the month of June, the Cubs will look to get that first series of July out of the way right off the bat this weekend.

Game 1: Thursday at 1:20 CT
Cubs Starting Pitcher: Carlos Silva, RHP (8-2, 3.01 ERA)
Reds Starting Pitcher: Travis Wood, LHP (MLB Debut)
TV/Radio: CSN/WGN Radio 720

Games 2: Friday at 1:20 CT
Cubs Starting Pitcher: Ryan Dempster, RHP (6-6, 3.58 ERA)
Red Starting Pitcher: Bronson Arroyo, RHP (7-4, 4.49 ERA)
TV/Radio: WGN-TV/WGN Radio 720

Game 3: Saturday at 12:05 CT
Cubs Starting Pitcher: Randy Wells, RHP (3-6, 4.96 ERA)
Reds Starting Pitcher: Johnny Cueto, RHP (8-2, 3.74 ERA)
TV/Radio: CSN/WGN Radio 720

Game 4: Sunday at 1:20 CT
Cubs Starting Pitcher: Ted Lilly (3-6, 3.12 ERA)
Reds Starting Pitcher: TBA
TV/Radio: WGN-TV/WGN Radio 720

The Cubs will look to avoid giving guys their first big league debut on back-to-back days. Travis Wood was called up from AAA after Sam LeCure was sent down. Wood, a former second round pick, was 5-6 with a 3.12 ERA at Louisville before the callup.

The Chicago Cubs will finish up the first half on the West Coast against the D'backs and Dodgers. After this weekend, they will not return to Wrigley until July 15 after the All-Star break. Dusty's club will continue their road swing in New York, and then finish up the first half in Philly. They will return to the Windy City August 6-8 and the Cubs go to Great American the final weekend of August.

Midweek Quick Hits: A Big W, Simpson Close to Signing, Jaramillo is Trying, and More

• The Cubs had dropped five series in a row, but they won a thriller against Oakland today to take two of three.
• Also, the win today gave the Cubbies back-to-back W's for the first time this month.
• Randy Wells pitched a great this afternoon. He needed it after struggling (espicially in the first inning) in recent starts. Greg Maddux and Larry Rothschild helped Wells get mentally prepared for today's game.
• Today was Ryan Theriot bobblehead day at the ballpark. Usually bobbleheads feature players hitting or fielding, but The Riot was fishing!
• Aramis Ramirez will go on a minor league rehab assignment before rejoining the Cubs. Rami will play in Peoria on Saturday and Sunday to test his thumb.
• Carrie Muskat reports that the Cubs appear to be close to signing their first round draft pick Hayden Simpson.
• The L.A. Angels will make their first ever visit to Wrigley Field tomorrow in a game that starts at 1:20. The two clubs will play all day games this weekend as the Cubs finish out their nine game homestand. After tomorrow, all 30 MLB teams will have played at Wrigley Field.
• The fans appreciated Alfonso Soriano's sacrifice bunt the other day. It was Sori's first sac bunt in his Cubs career.
• John Grabow was activated off the DL earlier in the week and rejoined the Cubs bullpen. Mitch Atkins was sent back to Iowa after a brief big league stint.
• As Gordon Wittenmyer points out, if the Cubs are going to pick it up then Ramirez and Lee need to pick it up.
• The Cubs offense has not showing any signs of improvement over last year now that Rudy Jaramillo has taken over as hitting coach. Jaramillo says that he is not a miracle worker.

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

Sunday Morning Quick Hits: Grabow's Injury, Gorzo's Help, and More

Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there! Let's hope the Cubs can go get a win for you against the Reds at 12:10!

Now, let's take a look at all of the latest Cubs news and notes:

• Esmalin Caridad has been activated from the DL. To make room for him on the roster, Jeff Gray was sent to AAA-Iowa.
• John Grabow went back to Chicago yesterday to have an MRI on his left knee. No damage was revealed. Piniella thinks the knee injury has contributed to John's recent struggles. Grabow will get a few more days of rest.
• Starlin Castro is the first player in history to drive in six runs in his MLB debut. Castro also became the sixth player in franchise history to hit a home run in his first career at bat.
• According to Cubs.com, Carlos Silva's neck was feeling better on Saturday afternoon. He complained of soreness prior to his start on Friday.
• Lou Piniella thinks that Jim Hendry made a good move by calling Castro up on the road. It is easier adjust to the big leagues when there's not 41,000 fans at Wrigley.
• Mike Fontenot hit his first career Grand Slam on Friday night. He will still be used as the Cubs' backup short stop, because Lou doesn't want to mess with moving Theriot back and forth between second and short.
• Mike was frustrated when he heard the news that he had been benched.
• There were reports that Aramis Ramiez will not listen to hitting coach Rudy Jaramillo, but Rudy told Paul Sullivan that the slugger has not resisted help in any way.
• David Kaplan and Fred Mitchell report that Tom Gorzelanny is having more success this year becuase he has become very close to Greg Maddux. The two talk regularly and text daily. After each start, they break down Gorzo's performance.

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

Numbers Breakdown: The Cubs Bullpen

Esmalin Caridad is on the road to recovery, which means one Cubs reliever will be sent to AAA. The Cubs have a lot of candidates who have been riddled by inconsistency, but let's take a look at the numbers and see who should be sent down.

2010 ERA
Carlos Marmol: 0.66
Sean Marshall: 2.40
Justin Berg: 3.27
James Russell: 3.86
Jeff Gray: 6.14
Carlos Zambrano: 6.29
John Grabow: 8.38
*Note: Caridad's ERA in 4 games before the injury was 18.90.

So there's no doubt that Grabow should be the one removed from the pen, but since he cannot be sent to AAA, Gray will most likely get sent down. James Russell has been nothing special, so he could be sent down as well if there is someone else to be called up.

Here are a list of candidates based on ERA in Iowa:
Blake Parker: 1.46
Thomas Diamond: 1.65
Jeff Samardzija: 2.08
Jay Jackson: 2.31
Mitch Atkins: 3.00

Either Diamond or Parker should be called up!

Remember, the number's don't lie!

Catching Up Quick Hits: Soriano, The 8th Inning, and More

Let's catch up on all the Cubs news and notes from this week!

• The Cubs lost today but won 2 of 3 against the Brewers in the first home series of the year.
• The 1-8 Astros will be in town starting tomorrow.
• Derrek Lee returned the the lineup today after missing some time with a thumb injury. He launched his 100th career home run at Wrigley Field before being thrown out of the game after a called third strike call in the 7th.
• Today was Jackie Robinson Day in Major League Baseball. All players, coaches, and umpires sported number 42.
• Yesterday the Cubs placed right handed pitcher Esmalin Caridad on the DL with a forearm strain. Jeff Gray was called up from AAA-Iowa and looked rocky in his Cubs debut.
• Ted Lilly's rehab starts in Iowa have gone well. He could return to the rotation sometime after April 23.
• The 8th inning has continued to haunt the Cubs. Carrie Muskat reports that Lou will continue to call on Marshall and Grabow for setup duty, and he may not use a right hander.
• Carlos Marmol says he's up for pitching 2 innings, but the Chicago Tribune reports that the most he will be called upon for is four outs.
• Bruce Miles reported that the Cubs have threatened to bench Soriano, but the Chicago Tribune says that Lou denied this. Today Soriano was on the bench and Tyler Colvin was in left field, but Piniella was just "rotating his outfielders".
• Phil Rogers likes what he's seen from Andrew Cashner.

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

Spring Training Preview: The Bullpen

We discussed the rotation earlier in the week, so now it's time to jump back into it by breaking down the state of the Cubs' bullpen.

Carlos Marmol
This year, Marmol knows his role. He doesn't have to try to beat anyone out for the closer's job in camp, as it is finally all his. This could work either way. Perhaps Carlos will be able to use the time in Spring Training to relax and prepare for the season rather than when a job. But depending on one guys without much of a plan B for the 9th inning may not be such a good thing. Marmol's has been like a roller coaster since he started his Cub career in 2006. There's not question that he has great stuff, with an electric breaking ball and a good fastball, but command of his pitchers could be an issue. Marmol has been know for putting gives on base via the base on balls and hit by pitch, so Cubs fans could be doing a lot of sweating during the 9th this year. If the Cubs are going to return to their title of top dog in the Central, the key very well could be this man's performance closing games.
Prediction: Lock to make the roster as the closer


John Grabow
Earlier in the offseason, the Cubs feel like they made a big move that got little attention when they locked up Grabow. Grabow is a left handed late inning pitcher who came over from the Pirates along with Tom Gorzelanny in the deal that sent Kevin Hart and Jose Ascaino the other way last July. He pitched well in middle relief down the stretch last season, and will strive to continue success in the late innings. Grabow is a key to the bullpen because he is one of the only veteran arms to lead the way. The Cubs would still like to sign one more late inning guy to help out from the right side.
Prediction: Lock to make the roster as a reliever


Angel Guzman
Guzman has not thrown the baseball yet in camp after having arthroscopic surgery on his knee two weeks ago. He tore his meniscus during a workout in Venezuela last month. Jim Hendry says that Angel will be a couple of weeks behind the other pitchers, but will be ready to go for the start of Spring Training. The question with Guzman has never been a matter of stuff, it's a matter of staying healthy. He managed to still healthy most of 2009 with just one stint on the DL and a few minor injuries here and there. The one thing the is still unchecked on Hendy's offseason wish-list is a right handed setup man. Guzman could serve in this role for the Cubs if he is indeed ready to go before Opening Day.
Prediction: Will make the roster as a reliever


Jeff Stevens
This young right handed pitcher has already taken advantage of the experience in the organization, working with Greg Maddux at Fitch Park. Stevens pitched well last spring, and this year has his sites set on winning a spot in the Cubs bullpen. Jeff came to the Cubs in the unpopular trade among fans that shipped Mark DeRosa to Cleveland. Spent some time with the big league team during the season, but ended up with an unfairly bloated ERA in a handful of appearances.
Prediction: Will Start the year at AAA Iowa


Jeff Gray
One of three Jeffs on the pitcher staff and four on the 40-man roster, Gray is a new addition to the Cub relief core. He was traded to Chicago this winter in the deal that sent Aaron Miles and Jake Fox to Oakland. Jeff spent some time with the A's big league club last year posting a 3.76 ERA in 24 games. If he makes the roster, Gray will become the first Cub to wear number 34 since Kerry Wood sported in for ten years before his departure via free agency after the 2008 season.
Prediction: Will make the Cubs roster as a reliever


David Patton
After selecting him in the Rule 5 Draft in December of 2008, the Cubs were forced to keep Patton on the roster for all of the 2009 season. Had they sent him to the minors, he would have been returned to the Seattle organization. Apparently, the Cubs saw something they liked in this kid, as they kept him around despite a 6.83 ERA in 20 games. Before last season, David had never played high that Class A. He did spend a lot of time on the DL during the summer months of last year, before finally returning when roster expanded on September 1. Now it's time to find out of the struggle to keep Patton around was worth it. If the Cubs decide that he cannot help the bullpen, he can be sent down to the minors without the organization losing the red-headed prospect.
Prediction: Will star the year at AA Tennessee


Mike Parisi
What is it with the Cubs and these Rule 5 guys? Parisi was this year's selection, and so he must be kept on the big league roster or else he will be returned to St. Louis. Parasi is more experienced than Patton was a year ago, as he has spent a lot of time at AAA and even 12 games in the bigs in 2008. Over those 12 games Mike went 0-4 with a dreadful 8.22 ERA. He has been a starter in the past, but will likely fill a relief role if he pitches well enough in Cactus League play to make the roster. He is coming off of Tomm John surgery in August of 2008.
Prediction: Will be returned to St. Louis


Esmalin Caridad
The young Dominican right hander has electric stuff. Last season, when he got a chance to come up to the Cubs because of a string of injuries, he opened some eyes with a microscopic 1.40 ERA in 14 games. If the Cubs do not add another arm to the mix, Caridad could not only make the club, but also have a major impact. He will have to continue to prove himself in Arizona, as he is not a lock to get a spot on the team because of the crowded mix of relievers.
Prediction: Will make the roster as a reliever


John Gaub
Another arm netted in the DeRosa trade, Gaub had a solid year at AAA in 2009 earning a spot on the 40-man roster. Next on the agenda for Gaub is to try to earn a spot on the 25-man roster. The lefty has yet to make his big league debut. Gaub has talent, but the pitching staff already includes four left handers in Grabow, Marshall, Lilly, and Gorzelanny- at least two of which will be pitching out of the bullpen. Although a spot on the Opening Day roster is unlikely, when there is an injury or someone struggles, Gaub could be the first LHP to get to call up.
Prediction: Will start they year at AAA Iowa

Blake Parker
Although he has little or no chance of starting the year with the Cubs, Parker still has a good arm. He was drafted by the Cubs as a position in 2006, and then was converted to the hill after one year in the organization. He posted a 2.70 ERA last year, splitting the team between Iowa and Tennessee. Parker played for the Mesa Solar Sox in the Arizona Fall League this winter.
Prediction: Will start the year at AAA Iowa

Marcos Mateo
Brother of former Cub Juan Mateo, Marcos went 3-6 with a 4.07 ERA in 34 game with Tennessee last year. He came to the organization in 2008, playing for the Reds Class A squad prior to that time. He has quickly worked his was from Peoria to AA over the last two years, and plans to keep moving up that latter. Mateo could find himself in the big leagues within the next year or two.
Prediction: Will start the year at AA

Mitch Atkins
Don't count this 23 year old out of the Cubs bullpen mix just. Although last year was a down year for Mitch (8-12 with a 6.58 ERA at AAA), he did go 8-1 in ten games with the I-Cubs at the end of the '08 season. Atkins will need to bounce back with a good spring. He has been used mostly as a starting pitcher, but perhaps he will be added to the bullpen at some point this season if someone goes down.
Prediction: Will start the year at AAA

Rafael Dolis
This talented young hurler is still a few seasons away from the big leagues. He is on the 40 man roster because the Cubs wanted to protect him from being selected in the Rule V Draft in December. In 2009, Dolis put up a 3.79 ERA at Class A Daytona after missing all of '08 because of Tommy John surgery. Dolis is now back to full health, and will begin to make his climb to the big leagues. He was signed by the Cubs in 2006.
Prediction: Will start the year at Class A Daytona

So here is my prediction for the Cubs full 12 man pitching staff: Dempster, Zambrano, Gorzelanny, Wells, Samardzija, Marshall, Grabow, Guzman, Marmol, Gray, Caridad, and Stevens. DL: Lilly and Silva

We'll start our look at the hitters in a few days!

40 Players at Fitch Park?

As Jim Hendry reported yesterday, the Cubs already have 40 guys (major and minor leaguers) in spring camp and the required date for pitchers and catchers has yet to come! Workouts for the hurlers and receivers officially get underway next Thursday.

Carlos Zambrano, Tyler Colvin, John Grabow, Randy Wells, Sam Fuld, and Kevin Millar are some of the guys that have reported a week early to Mesa, Arizona, where it's in the 60s and 70s and sunny!

Time for some Quick Hits:

• Theriot and Kosuke will be 1 and 2 in the Cubs batting order, but which one of the two will hit first is still up in the air.
• Former Cubs short stop Nomar Garciapara is looking for a TV job.
• Cubs P.A. guy Tim Sheldon writes an amazing blog from Spring Training each year. He's started 2010 off with the pictures of the Cubs that are already in camp! Be sure to click the link and check out the pics and posts from yesterday and today!
• Wrigley Field will host Elton John, Billy Joel, and Dave Matthews this summer.
• Cubs.com reports that the Cubs are expecting Rudy Jaramillo to help get the hitters back on track.
• Cubbies Crib has posted some nice prospect videos.

We'll have our full "Spring Training Preview" series started this weekend!

Weekend Updates: The Halladay Season, Grabow on ESPN 1000, and More

• Carrie Muskat reports that the Cubs are one team that have been contacted by the Blue Jays about ace Roy Halladay. (Here we go again... it is the "Halladay" Season)
• Carlos Marmol is hoping that Pedro Martinez will join the Cubs, but the team shot his idea down. Paul Sullivan says the Cubs have "no plans" to pursue Pedro.
• 4-6 teams have expressed interest in acquiring Bradley.
• Both the Rangers and Cubs have denied a Chicago Tribune report that a 3-time trade that would send Bradley to the Rangers, Millwood to the Mets, and Castillo to the Cubs.
• Bruce Levine likes the John Grabow signing.
• Pat Burrell doesn't fit with the Chicago Cubs according to Levine.
• Jon Heyman listed the Cubs as possible suitors for Matt Holliday and Jason Bay on MLB Network.
• The Cubs think that Esmalin Caridad, Justin Berg, and Angel Guzman, gave them enough bullpen depth to trade Heilman.
• Hendry told Paul Sullivan that he may try to add more to the pen this winter.
• Other arbitration-eligible players may also be traded in the next couple months. This list includes Mike Fontenot, Carlos Marmol, Jeff Baker, Sean Marshall, Ryan Theriot, Koyie Hill, Angel Guzman, Tom Gorzelanny, and Neal Cotts. Out of this list, Marshall, Cotts, Gorzelanny, and Fontenot have the best chance of being moved in my opinion.
• Bruce Levine and Sean Marshall's agent are both unsure of what happens to Marshall next year. Maybe a trade would be the best thing for Sean at this point according to Bruce.

John Grabow joined Bruce Levine and Jonathan Hood today on ESPN Radio's Talkin' Baseball:

• Coming back to Chicago was the right place for John to go.
• The whole team, coaching staff, and training staff were great to him.
• "It's so much more fun pitching in a full house," he said of pitching at Wrigley instead of in Pittsburgh.
• Grabow think chemistry is huge. If your team gets along, that's probably going to put some good results on the field.
• He would like to cut his walks and wildness down next season.
• It's a tough situation for some of the smaller market teams like the Pirates.
• Repeating his delivery is the key for Marmol.
• Relievers have to stay consistent with their pregame work.

That's it for now...

Bullpen Moves: Heilman traded, Grabow re-signs

According to Jon Heyman, the Cubs have traded Aaron Heilman to the Arizona Diamondbacks! The first real move of the offseason for the Chicago Cubs. Heilman was traded from the Mets to the Mariners last offseason, then the M's shipped him to Chicago, and now the Cubs have sent him to AZ.

The Cubs were expected to non-tender Heilman, so they were happy to get a few prospects for him. They received pitcher Scott Maine and first baseman Ryan White in return for him.

Some Notes on Scott Maine:

• Left handed pitcher
• 24 years old
• Drafted by the D'backs in the 6th round of the 2007 amateur entry draft
• Pitched in 36 games at AA Mobile in 2009. He had an ERA of 2.66 and a 3-3 record as a relief pitcher.
• Made 12 appearances at AAA Reno going 1-2 with a 3.68 ERA.
• Scout.com page

Notes on Ryne White:

• Spells his name like Ryne Sandberg!
• First baseman
• Born and went to High School in Chicago
• Went to college at Purdue University in Indiana
• Bats: Left, Throws: Left
• Selected by the D'backs in the 4th round of the 2008 draft
• Played the entire 2009 season at High Class A Visalia.
• In 116 games he hit .266 with a OBP of .371, 6 HR, 52 RBIs, and 3 SB.
• Hit .275 over his 2 minor league seasons so far.

The Bullpen re-gained a key member today as well, lefty John Grabow.

The Cubs signed Grabow to a 2 year deal worth about $7.5 M according to Bruce Levine. The deal is not yet official, but it will be "no later than Friday".

Stay tuned, it's Thursday so later we'll have our Cub Minor League Coverage post later! And this is just the start of what should be an interesting winter for our Cubbies...

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!

The Latest as the GM Meetings Close

• The GM Meetings ended at noon today.
• Adrian Gonzalez won the NL Gold Glove for first base today. Derrek Lee did not get the award, so no Cubs received Gold Gloves.
• Tomorrow the Silver Sluggers will be announced.
• Rich Harden's agent, Arn Tellem, said today that he has not seem Jim Hendry at the GM Meetings, but they have talked. "I'm sure we'll be talking more in the next week or two," he told Bruce Miles.
• A report from Ken Rosenthal yesterday started the speculation that Marlon Byrd is on the Cubs radar. Byrd could be the Cubs new center fielder in 2010 once Bradley is traded, with Kosuke moving to right.
• Mike Cameron is another outfield option for the Cubs.
• Accoring to a Report from FoxSports.com the Cubs are nearing a deal with LHP John Grabow. The deal could be for 2 years.
• Jim Hendry would like to have a couple of deals done in the next few weeks before the winter meetings begin on December 7.
• The Cubs and Rangers continued talks yesterday on a deal that would send Milton Bradley back to his former team, according to the Chicago Tribune.
• The Giants are not willing to do a bad contract sway for Bradley.
• The Mets and Rays are also options for the Cubs to deal their right fielder.
• The Cubs are in no hurry to open up talks with Derrek Lee on a contract extension.
• The Cubs and White Sox will battle in Vegas again in Spring Training 2010. The Cubs will be returning to Cashman Field for the 6th straight year. The games will be March 12 and 13 this year, and they will be split-squads for both teams.
• The full White Sox Spring Training schedule is out. The Cubs and Sox have 3 other meetings: Saturday March 6 in Mesa, Sunday March 7 in Glendale, and Friday March 19 in Glendale.
• The Cleveland Indians also have their schedule out, so we know that the Cubs will play them on March 22 in Mesa.
• The South Siders start their Spring Training on March 5, so expect to the Cubs start around that date (a little later then last year). The full Cubs Spring Training Schedule has not yet been released.
• Bruce Miles notes that the Cubs have a lot of arbitration-eligible players this offseason.
• Carlos Marmol, Jeff Baker, Sean Marshall, Ryan Thriot, Koyie Hill, and Angel Guzman are all on the arb list.
• Jim Hendry is not looking for a short stop. He's very happy with Theriot and he expects Fontenot and Miles to have bounce back year. Also, Jim likes Andres Blanco's defense.
• There's been no talk with Carlos Zambrano about waiving his no trade clause.
• Mike Fontenot has earned "Super Two" status, which means he could get a big raise.

The latest from Bruce Levine's chat yesterday:

• Right now, the teams most interested in Milton Bradley are Tampa, the Mets, Texas, and possibly the Angels. Hendry talked with Tampa Bay a lot this week.
• The Cubs will most likely pick up a player that another team wants to get rid of in the Bradley trade like Lyle Overbay, Luis Castillo, or Pat Burrell.
• The Cubs are counting on Rudy Jaramillo to get the very best out of guys that slumped in 2009.
• Jim Hendry has no money to spend on Free Agents at this point. If the Cubs add someone, it will most likely be via trade.
• Mike Cameron is the Cubs "Plan D out of A, B, C, and D according to Levine.
• The Bradley for Castillo trade talks are not strong.
• The Cubs are looking to get a better player, whether he is right handed or left handed.
• Sam Fuld is a diabetic, so the Cubs are hesitant to make him a full-time player because of his disease.
• An Orlando Cabrera type signing would be "difficult to fit in the budget right now".
• The Cubs are trying to project their own guys like Caridad for roles in the bullpen next year.
• They do have some interest in Mike Gonzalez, but they should be able to finish negotiations with John Grabow in the next 10 days.
• Jake Fox is a 24th or 25th player on a good team in Bruce's opinion.
• He thinks Bradley will end up on an AL team.
• Dan Uggla is not a good fit for the Cubs because of his lack of defensive skill.
• Levine gives it a 5% chance that Milton will be on the Cubs roster on Opening Day.
• The only way the Cubs will add a guy like Roy Halladay is if they trade Zambrano, and at this point that doesn't appear to be happening.
• His guess is that the Cubs will eat about $5 million of Bradley's salary.
• Rich Hill is not a good alternative for the Cubs. (Um Duh..)
• Alfonso Soriano is working hard in the Dominican right now.
• If the Cubs get Kevin Millwood in a Bradley, they could turn around and try to trade him again, or they could keep even though he's injury prone.
• Levine shoots down the idea of Mark DeRosa returning to the Cubs.
• The Cubs don't want Pat Burrell, but they want Milton Bradley a lot less.
• Bruce like Marlo0n Byrd.
• The Cubs could be interested in Ramon Troncosa, a power arm from the Dodgers.

Bruce's chats have a lot of great info. He does one every Tuesday, so each week I will try to get a recap up with Cubs related highlights.

That's it for now, I'll keep you posted as the hot stove continues to burn...

Monday Night Rumor Roundup

GM Meetings Getting Started
The Major League Baseball GM meetings at the O'Hare Hilton in Chicago. The meetings last until noon Wednesday. The Organizational Meetings went great according to Hendry:
"We had a chance to meet the Ricketts family, and we feel they are going to be tremendous owners for the city of Chicago."

Hendry's Priorities
After Milton Bradley is gone, Paul Sullivan lists the areas the Cubs would like to upgrade this winter as: leadoff batter, center field, and middle infielder. Chone Figgins may not be in the Cubs price range, and they'll probably stick with Kosuke Fukudome. Speaking of Kosuke, they could move him back to right field and add a center fielder such as Aaron Roward. Bruce Levine adds a relief pitcher to the Cubs wish list.

The Bradley Latest
Gordon Wittenyer reports that the Cubs have at least 3 teams interested in Milton Bradley that have contacted them in the last week or so. Hendry and Randy Bush hope to meet with 5 or 6 teams and figure to look more toward trades than free agents this winter. No deals are expected to be made this week by the Cubs. Bruce Levine says that the Cubs could kill two birds with one stone by dumping Bradley. They would improve both chemistry and talent.

Cubs Award Candidates
Carlos Zambrano could win another Silver Slugger award when they are announced on Thursday. Big Z won the award in 2006 and 2008. AL Gold Gloves will be announced tomorrow, and Wednesday is the National League. Derrek Lee has a good chance of adding another Gold Glove to his trophy case.

Cubs Free Agents
John Grabow and Kevin Gregg have been named type A free agents, and Rich Harden is a type "B". The Cubs will receive a first round draft pick from the team that signs Gregg or Grabow, or a second round pick if Harden signs elsewhere. The Cubs will get nothing if they lose Reed Johnson because he isn't a type A or B FA. According to Bruce Levine "Rich Harden and Kevin Gregg will not be back next season". The Cubs would like to sign Reed Johnson, but Reed is seeking a multi-year deal and the Cubs do not want to give him that.

300 Home Cubs
The Cubs could have 3 players reach the 300 homer mark in 2010. Lee has 293, Ramirez is at 264, and Soriano is just 10 homers shy of 300 career.

Roy Halladay for Bradley?
Bruce Miles from the Daily Herald writes that one scenario has the Cubs getting ace pitcher Roy Halladay for Milton Bradley and a package of prospects. To get Roy, the Cubs must move money. Roy would provide "an instant jolt in the Cubs' rotation."

10 Names
Here's the list of 10 guys that the Cubs are looking at according to different sources:

• Roy Halladay
• Jason Bay
• Miguel Tejada
• Marco Scutaro
• Chone Figgins
• Johnny Damon
• Mike Cameron
• Aaron Roward
• Mark DeRosa
• Pat Burrell

That's it for now, I'll keep you posted as the Hot Stove starts to sizzle.