Paul Sullivan on WGN Sports Night

Cubs beat writer Paul Sullivan joined David Kaplan, Brian Noonan and Andrea Darlas tonight on WGN Sports Night. Sully is in Arizona covering Cubs camp.

• It's too soon to tell if there is a different vibe coming from Dale Sveum.
• The Cubs are doing more video and pitchers fielding drills so far.
• "Spring Training is what it is, you can't change it too much," Sullivan said.
• The Cubs Way manuals are only for the staff so far. They will eventually be handed out to the players.
• Kerry Wood or Ryan Dempster usually hosts a team party during camp.
• Sullivan thinks that the pitching staff should be noticeably better than 2011. Dempster had a rough first month and Casey Coleman and James Russell both spent time in the rotation.
• Carlos Marmol is expected to have a much better year.
• Alfonso Soriano is the guy that most people will be looking at most to see if Dale Sveum holds true to his word about holding players accountable for not hustling.
• Sveum said today that he is going to try some different lineups in Spring Training and base his Opening Day batting order on how different guys perform during camp.
• Sullivan guesses that David DeJesus is going to lead-off, Starlin Castro may hit third and Darwin Barney will be down in the eight spot.
• Theo Epstein does not believe in giving out many no-trade clauses. There is no rush in signing Matt Garza long term right now, but if he does reach a deal Sullivan does not expect it to include a no-trade clause.

Other notes from today-

• According to Carrie Muskat, Trey McNutt could be sent to Boston to complete the Theo Epstein compensation.
• Bruce Miles tweeted that the Cubs are having a pitchers bunting tournament this Spring Training. Kerry Wood is the early favorite.
• Blake DeWitt has accepted his assignment with Triple-A Iowa and will be in camp as a non-roster invite.

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

News and Notes from Day 2 in Mesa

Today was the first official workout for Cubs pitchers and catchers! Here's the latest-

• ESPN Chicago.com reports that Matt Garza never had a doubt he would return to the Cubs. Garza is fine with being the staff ace, but he listed Ryan Dempster and Kerry Wood as the clubhouse leaders.
• Carrie Muskat tweets that John Gaub was the only player who didn't take part in practice today. He sat out with back spasms.
• Dale Sveum said that Jeff Samardzija will be stretched out. "He might wow us, you never know."
  
• Carlos Marmol has lost about 15 pounds and tweaked his delivery, according to ESPN Chicago.
• Sveum told Marmol to dump the cut fastball.
  
• According to Carrie Muskat, Dale Sveum mentioned today that three spots in the rotation are set. The first two are obviously Ryan Dempster and Matt Garza and Muskat speculated that the third is most likely Paul Maholm.
• Bruce Levine tweets that the Cubs have the inside corners of bases painted blue so that runners can hit the inside part of the bag.
• Matt Garza said today that he thinks Carlos Zambrano will be a Cy Young contender.

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

Slight Changes to Everything Cubs Blog

Today I've made a few tweaks to the layout of Everything Cubs Blog! The color scheme is slightly different to incorporate more of the Cubs colors into the site. The list of Cubs links on the right sidebar has been updated, be sure to check it out. In addition, the five most popular Everything Cubs blog posts of all time are now displayed on the right sidebar. Please be sure to check out some of our most read articles! We are also looking to add a few new features, if you have any ideas of what you what like to see on the site in the coming weeks please feel free to put them in the comments of this post.

A new poll is up on the right sidebar! Which are you more excited about?
a) Carlos Zambrano being traded
b) Kerry Wood returning
Be sure to cast your vote!

A big thanks to everyone who voted on the last poll regarding the Sean Marshall trade. Thanks for reading as always, look for more Cubs coverage later this week.

Cubs Convention Day 1: Woody Returns

The 2012 Cubs Convention kicked off early this evening at the Hilton Chicago! It is my fourth year attending the Convention and with each one comes new story lines a lots of entertainment. The Convention officially started with the Opening Ceremonies in the Grand Ballroom at 5:00 today.

Pat Hughes once again served as the master of ceremonies. He introduced Tom Ricketts, who spoke on behalf of his family and the entire organization. Then Wayne Messmer performed the National Anthem.

After that, Pat introduced Cubs players of yesteryear, minor leaguers, front office personal, coaches, broadcasters and current players one-by-one. There was a warm reception for most. Crane Kenney received the loudest boos. Tom Ricketts and Starlin Castro both received mostly cheers with some boos mixed in, while Alfonso Soriano received about half and half.

After Hughes introduced Randy Wells he waited a moment and then said the words, "We have some breaking news." At that instant 90% of the fans in the room new what was about to happen. They erupted into loud applause and started chanting "Kerry! Kerry!"

"I'd like to introduce the Cubs newest acquisition... and the name does sound familiar. Welcome back Kerry Wood!" Pat finished. The fan favorite signed a one year deal to remain with the North Siders today. Woody's introduction was a very special moment.

This year's ceremonial first pitches of the Convention were tossed out by new Cubs skipper Dale Sveum and president Theo Epstein. After the Convention wrapped up, Cubs fans went on the Autograph Treasure Hunt. Among the people signing autographs were Milt Pappas, Randy Hundley, Eric Young, Milt Pappas, Rick Monday and Jose Cardenal.

WGN Sports Night live from the Convention started at 7:00 and ran until about 9:15. Theo Epstein, Jed Hoyer and Tom Ricketts spent the first hour of the show chatting with David Kaplan, Brian Noonan and Andrea Darlas. The trio was very informative and all three will appear during various sessions tomorrow. Dale Sveum, Chris Bosio and Rudy Jaramillo joined the guys for a half an hour, followed by Bob Brenly and Todd Hollandswoth. The remote was rounded out by Bill Buckner from 9-9:15.

Theo Epstein supporters were all over the place today. The Cubs fans are rallying behind their new leader and are excited about his approach. Various t-shirts and signs with Theo slogans were on display today.

This year's Convention is a sell out. The event has been sold out 26 of its 27 years... the only year it did not sell out was last year.

Tomorrow will be a full day of sessions! I'll have a recap tomorrow night!

Monday Quick Hits: Rumors, HOF Results, Convention News and More

A lot of Cubs news has been circulating as of late! Here's the latest.

• Carrie Muskat reports that Kerry Wood is expected to announce his future plans on Friday. Since that is the first day of the Cubs Convention and the day of Wood's charity event, most expect him to announce that he is returning to the Cubs. However, Bruce Levine wrote today that the Cubs and Wood are not yet close.
• Ken Rosenthal tweeted that the Cubs a close to signing former Pirate pitcher Paul Maholm.
  
• David Kaplan heard today that the Cubs and Tigers and "down the road" on a trade that would send Matt Garza to Detroit.
• Lee Smith received just over 50% of the vote in this year's Hall of Fame tally, well shy of the 75% needed for induction. Barry Larkin was the only player inducted by the writers, joining Ron Santo as the Hall of Fame Class of 2012.
  
• WGN Radio has announced its full schedule for the Cubs Convention. Garry Meier will broadcast live on Friday afternoon. Theo Epstein, Jed Hoyer, Dale Sveum, Chris Bosio, Rudy Jaramillo, Bob Brenly, Todd Hollasworth and Bill Madlock will join WGN Sports Night on Friday. The show lasts from 7-9. On Saturday's Sports Central from 4-6, Koz and Memolo will be joined by David DeJesus, Ian Stewart, Travis Wood, Chris Volstad, Welington Castillo, Steve Clevenger, Casey Coleman, James Russell, Mike Bielecki, Vance Law, Scott Sanderson and Dwight Smith.

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

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.

Cubs Caravan Week Events

Yesterday we took our first look at the 2012 Cubs Convention here on Everything Cubs Blog. We will continue to have full coverage as we lead up to next weekend. We can start to piece together the list of attendees for the Convention based on those that will be attending the Cubs Caravan next week.

On a side note, be sure to vote on our new poll up on the right sidebar. We ask what the biggest need is for the 2012 Chicago Cubs. Feel free to add your thoughts to our comments section as well.

The Cubs Caravan is set for next weekend. Cubs players, front offices members, broadcasters and coaches will visit schools in the Chicagoland area once again this season. The full list of schools that the Caravan, which takes place on Wednesday and Thursday of next week, will be stopping at has not yet been announced.

However, we do know that the Caravan will include the fifth annual luncheon on Wednesday (Jan. 11) from 11am to 1pm at Harry Caray's Italian Steakhouse. Tickets for the event are available for $150. Theo Epstein, Jed Hoyer and Jason McLeod will all be a part of the luncheon, which will be hosted by Cubs TV broadcaster Len Kasper.

On Thursday night (Jan. 12), The Ryan and Jenny Dempster FAmily Foundation is hosting an event at D'Agostino's Pizza and Pub. The event will last from 6:00 to 10:00 with the price of adult tickets set at $100. Dempster continues his efforts to strike out 22q. Kerry Wood, Ted Lilly, Koyie Hill, Andrew Cashner and Justin Berg all attended last year.

Friday of next week will feature the Wood Family Foundation Winter Warm-up at Harry Caray's Tavern in Navy Pier. This event will last from 8:30 to 11:30, so many players will head there after the opening ceremonies of the Cubs Convention that evening. Theo Epstein, Ryan Dempster, Marlon Byrd, Matt Garza, Andrew Cashner, Geovany Soto, Starlin Castro, Randy Wells, Welington Castillo, Darwin Barney, James Russell, Ernie Banks and Rick Sutcliffe are all expected to attend Wood's charity event. I'd expect that full list to take part in the Convention as well.

The Cubs Caravan will also make its annual stop in Peoria, where Tony Campana, Chris Carpenter, Brett Jackson, Josh Vitters, Matt Szczur and Casey Colemen will all be featured. Again, expect all of those young players at the Convention next week. Chris Bosio (pitching coach), Dave McKay (first base coach) and Jamie Quirk will be at the Peoria Chiefs fan fest event as well. Tickets, which include autographs, photos and food, are $15 with doors opening at 3:30 next Thursday.

Brian Noonan and David Kaplan indicated at the end of their Cubs Corner broadcast today that they will be hosting their annual Friday night WGN Sports Night show from the Convention.

That's it for now, but I'll keep you posted as we countdown to Cubs Convention Weekend!

Weekend Roundup: Getting Set for the Busy Season

The Cubs should start making offseason moves some time in the near future! Here are the latest news, rumors and notes-

• According to several reports, Dale Sveum has asked Chris Bosio to be his pitching coach. No word on whether or not Bosio will accept the offer.
• Carlos Zambrano got hit in the face with a line drive while pitching in the Venezuelan Winter League last week. He will not pitch for Caribes again until December 6.
• If Craig Council decides to retire, there is talk of him joining Sveum's staff.
• Buster Olney tweeted this weekend that neither Albert Pujols or Prince Fielder are ideal long term targets for the Cubs.
• The Cubs offered arbitration to Aramis Ramirez and Carlos Pena, but not Kerry Wood. Wood is still expected to return, while Ramirez will most likely turn down the arbitration offer.
• Bruce Chen, a pitcher whom the Cubs had some level of interest in, re-signed with Kansas City last week.
• According to ESPN Chicago, Dale Sveum has the support of Yankees manager Joe Girardi.
• The Cubs are rumored to have interest in CJ Wilson.

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

Cubs Black Friday Shopping List

It's black Friday, which means it's almost time for some holiday shopping for Theo Esptein, Jed Hoyer and the Cubs. The Winter Meetings are just over a week away so some deals could get done shortly. Here is a list of the Cubs offseason needs!

Priority #1: Pitching Depth
The Cubs need to add to their starting rotation. Matt Garza is most likely going to be the ace of the staff with Ryan Dempster a solid middle of the rotation veteran. But after that there are three question marks. Randy Wells has never lived up to his potential, but he will likely be given a spot in the back of the rotation. Andrew Cashner and Casey Coleman will be in the mix once again. Carlos Zambrano's return is still up in the air. The Cubs need to add one proven arm to the mix.

Priority #2 Re-sign Kerry Wood
At this point it appears to be a forgone conclusion that Kerry Wood return, but making it official has to be high on Theo Epstein's to-do list.

Priority #3 Find a Third baseman
It doesn't sound as if Aramis Ramirez is returning, so the Cubs have to have someone to take his place. The Cubs minor league system does not have much to offer at the hot corner and the free agent class is not strong, so a trade could be the best bet.

Priority #4 Make a Decision on Pena
Carlos Pena put up decent numbers in his first year as a Cub. He could be worst bringing back if the Cubs do not feel that they have a strong option on the minor league level. Pena could find himself in the middle of the Cubs order.

Priority #5 Add a Bullpen Arm
Assuming Kerry Wood returns, the Cubs still need another guy to help Carlos Marmol, Sean Marshall and Wood late in the game.

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

What are Cubs fans Thankful for?

Happy Thanksgiving Cubs fans! I hope everyone has a great day eating, giving thanks, watching football and being with their families.

Every year here on Everything Cubs Blog, we take a look at a list of things that Cubs fans have to be thankful for. Although the Boys in Blue are coming off back-to-back losing seasons, there are still a lot of factors that make it a good time to be a Cubs fan.

• Tom Ricketts was able to bring Theo Epstein to Chicago.


• The 2012 Cubs will feature a new president, general manager and manager.


• Dale Sveum does not sound like he will put up with guys like Starlin Castro, Alfonso Soriano and Carlos Zambrano slacking. Sveum wants to crack down on Castro's defense.


• Only two months until the Cubs Convention.


• Just three months until Spring Training.


• A week from Monday is the Ron Santo Hall of Fame announcement... maybe #10 will finally make it in.


• You cannot get your Cubs fix all winter long as CSN Chicago has added a Hot Stove show covering the Cubs and White Sox on Tuesday nights.


• Baseball's Winter Meetings are just over a week away and the Cubs are poised to make some moves.


• It sounds as if Kerry Wood will return next season.


• All baseball fans can be thankful that a new CBA has been reached and that the NBA is the only sport facing a lockout.


• The Cubs have some solid prospects at the minor league level, led by Brett Jackson.


• The Cubs have one of the best play-by-play men in all of baseball, Pat Hughes.


• Matt Garza, Starlin Castro and Darwin Barney.

Once again, have a happy Thanksgiving Cubs fans!!!

Sveum Introduced as Cubs Manager

This morning Dale Sveum was officially introduced as the manager of the Chicago Cubs during a press conference. Here are some of the most important news and notes.

• The Cubs will be talking to their current coaches today, but the staff will most likely not be announced until after Thanksgiving.


• Sveum is really excited about Starlin Castro's offense. He said that he is a tough guy to pitch to.


• Whoever Sveum brings in as the infield coach will start working with Castro right away.


• Mike Maddux called Sveum one of the best baseball guys he knows.


• Robin Yount is not in the running to be the new Cubs pitching coach. Sveum said that that role will take awhile to fill.


• Sveum is a big believer in playing the game hard. He wants to see all of his players work hard every single day.


• "Losing is not okay. Not running out a fly is not okay," he said.


• On an unrelated note- all indications are that Kerry Wood will return to the Cubs next season. Expect him to re-sign soon.

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

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.

Solving Carlos Marmol's Struggles

Carlos Marmol has failed to get the job done two straight days. Today, Mike Quade pulled his closer with two outs in the ninth to preserve a 2-1 win. Last night, Marmol blew the save allowing four walks and a double without retiring a man. This was Carlos' seventh blown save of the season.

So what should the Cubs do with him?

Option A) Trade Him
With his recent ineffectiveness, I don't think Marmol's value is very high. He will remain under the Cubs control for the next few years. I'd rather take a chance on keeping him than send him away while his stock is low.

Option B) Stick it Out
The Cubs season is pretty much lost anyways. They could just run him out there game after game and hope he eventually pulls it all together. I doubt Quade does this because he's trying to win enough to save his own job, but perhaps this would be the best way for Marmol to get through his problems.

Option C) Demote Him to Setup/Middle Relief
The Cubs could give up on Marmol as a close and put him back in a setup role for the rest of the year, naming either Kerry Wood or Sean Marshall the closer. I am not ready to give up on Marmol despite his struggles. If Marmol can get back on track, he can actually be a strong closer for a winning team. Whenever the Cubs get back on track (2013?) having Marmol around could come in handy. Woody has not been much better of late.

Option D) Break Time
Carlos clearly has something wrong either mentally or mechanically... or both. Giving him a week or two off to work on the side with Mark Riggins and clear his head could be the best idea. I believe he should be given a full week off from pitching at all and then return in middle relief for a week before moving back to the closer's role. However, the week off would put a major strain on the rest of the Cubs pen.

It looks as if the Cubs are sort of going with option D. Carrie Muskat reports that Q does not expect to use Marmol as the closer for the time being. Wood and Marshall will share ninth inning duties.

Thoughts???

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

Grading the 2010-2011 Off Season

We've reached the All-Star Break of the 2011 season. Every year, about midway through and again at the end of the campaign, I like to grade the job that Jim Hendry did the prior offseason. Here is a list of each move and how they look now!

December 8: Cubs Sign Carlos Pena
Spending a good amount of cash on Carlos Pena did not make much sense to me at the time, and it still does not. He hit under .200 a year ago, so nobody should be surprised about his .225 batting average. Although he displays great defense, will hit the long ball and is a great guy, spending money on a first baseman for a one year contract was not smart. The Cubs could have given a guy like Bryan LaHair a look this year. Since they knew it was going to be a rebuilding year, they should have saved the cash and allowed for more playing time for a young guy.
Move Grade: C-

December 17: Cubs Sign Kerry Wood
The one good move made by the Cubs this past offseason was inking Kerry Wood for practically nothing. Woody gave Hendry a huge hometown discount after the two talked at Ron Santo's funeral. He has been a pretty serviceable setup man for the Cubs, posting a 2.48 ERA. Having him back in Chicago has been the feel good story of the year.
Move Grade: A

January 8: Matt Garza traded from Tampa Bay to the Cubs
I am surprised that this deal is not receiving more attention from Cubs fans right about now. I was confused when they pulled the trigger to acquire Garza, because the Cubs were sending mixed signals. Were they going for a division title this year of rebuilding for the future? As it turns out, dumping five farmhands for a middle of the rotation starter was not a good idea. The Cubs sent SS Hak-Ju Lee (.330 average at Class-A Advanced, playing the Futures Game), pitcher Chris Archer (4-4, 4.72 ERA at Double-A), catcher Robinson Chirinos (.268 average at AAA), outfielder Brandon Guyer (.318 average at Triple-A) and Sam Fuld (.238 average for big league team). The Cubs also received outfielder Fernando Perez, who was released last week, and Zach Rosscup, who's pitching well for the Daytona Cubs. Hendry is probably going to regret this move when several of the young stars (Lee, Archer and Guyer) pan out into qualility major league players. By the way- Garza is 4-7 with a 4.26 ERA. This could go down as one of the worst trades in Cubs history.
Move Grade: F

January 12: Cubs Ink Reed Johnson to Minor League Deal w/ S.T. Invite
This turned out to be another solid signing for the Cubs. Although they probably would have been better off giving younger guys (Campana, Snyder, Colvin, etc) his playing time, Reed is still a fan favorite in Chicago and does a great job. He's hitting a robust .328 to go along with his glovework.
Move Grade: B+

January 17: Tom Gorzelanny Traded to Washington
In order to make space in the rotation for Garza, the Cubs shipped Gorzelanny to DC. The Cubs took on money to acquire Garza and didn't get near the quality of prospects in the Gorzo trade that they lost in the Garza trade. In addition, the now Nats' left hander has a 3.94 earned run average, better than Garza's. I realize that this move trimmed salary and netted the Cubs some decent prospects (A.J. Morris, Graham Hicks and Michael Burgess) but the Cubs traded the wrong guy. They have searched for a veteran presents in the back end of the rotation all year, going through guys like Rodrigo Lopez, Doug Davis and Ramon Ortiz. The Cubs thought they had plenty of options for the back of the rotation, but instead they found themselves without a No. 5 guy after a strange turn of events that included an injury to Andrew Cashner.
Move Grade: D

Jim Hendry's Offseason Grade: D+
I'm going with the same grade that I gave Jim during July of 2009 after the Milton Bradley inking, but this one could have an even more detrimental effect on the future of the Chicago Cubs.

All Star coverage and more coming up the next few days!

Post #900- Still Going Strong

Today on Everything Cubs blog we reach another milestone post- the 900th to appear on this site. Just 100 away from four digits! Since 2008, I've been bringing you Cubs coverage. Thank you so much for reading, especially for sticking with me this year when posts have decreased in number and I've had several stretches where I was unable to post. I plan to continue blogging for the foreseeable future!

Be sure to vote on the poll on our right sidebar to grade Mike Quade's tenure with the Cubs! Also, tonight I will be posting a game recap of the Cubs/Pirates game on View From the Bleachers, so be sure to check out that great site. As always, if you have any questions or comments about this blog, email me at cubsblogmailbag@aol.com.

Now, let us jump into the latest in the world of Cubs baseball:

• Last night the Cubs pulled off an amazing comeback after being down 8-0 as late as the sixth inning to avoid being swept by the Nationals in a four game series. They eventually won the game 10-9 behind homers by Blake DeWitt and Carlos Pena. If you gave up and tuned out, you missed one of the most improbable Cubs victories in recent years.


• In fact, the last time the Cubs overcame an eight run defficet was one of my favorite Cubs games of all time. In May of 2008, the North Siders topped Colorado after being behind 8-0 and 9-1. Henry Blanco, Mark DeRosa and Jim Edmonds were the heroes of that game.


• Bob Brenly will be taking off the final series before the All-Star Break. Todd Hollandswoth will fill-in tonight with Len Kasper, while Dave Otto takes Holly's place alongside David Kaplan on the CSN postgame show.


• The Giants need a catcher, but they are not talking to the Cubs about Koyie Hill or Geovany Soto.


• Jon Heyman says that Mike Quade's job is safe, but Jim Hendry's is not.


• Kerry Wood does not plan on waiving his no-trade clause. He's staying in Chicago.


• Ryan Dempster missed his last start with a back issue, but Carrie Muskat reports that he plans on returning to the mound on Saturday night.


• Carlos Zambrano, who is disabled with a bad back of his own, will make a rehab start for Class-A Peoria tonight. He is elgible to come off the DL for the third game after the All-Star Break.


• According to Muskat, MRI results for Marcos Mateo are expected today.

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

Possible Roster Moves

The Cubs currently have three players that are close to coming off the disables list. Kerry Wood is trying to recover from his blister issue. He has begun to toss on the side. Marlon Byrd is set to begin his rehab assignment with Triple-A Iowa tomorrow, but no time table is in place for his return. Darwin Barney is already rehabbing and could return to the big league team on Wednesday.

When these players return, the Cubs will be forced to make several roster decision to make room on the club. Let us take a look at their options to make room for each player.

To Make Room for Kerry Wood
Option A) Send Chris Carpenter back to Iowa
Option B) Trade/DFA John Grabow
Option C) Trade/Release/Demote Rodrigo Lopez
My Take) The best option would probably be getting rid of John Grabow, but the Cubs are unlikely to dump is salary. Most likely Carpenter will be headed back to the minors, but I'd rather see more of him than Lopez.

To Make Room for Marlon Byrd
Option A) Send Tony Campana back to the minors
Option B) Send Lou Montanez back to the minors
Option C) Trade Kosuke Fukudome
My Take) There are probably no takers for Kosuke, so it looks as if one of the kids is going to Iowa. I would send Montanez back down so that the Cubs can receive a longer look at the younger and faster Tony Campana. However, if Campana is not going to play with Byrd, Johnson, Soriano and Kosuke all on the roster, it would make more sense to send him to AAA for some ABs. Montanez is right handed so he makes for a better platoon partner with Kosuke.

To Make Room For Darwin Barney
Option A) Send DJ LeMahieu to Triple-A
Option B) Send both Campana and Montanez to the minors, keep LeMahieu as a backup infielder, use Baker and DeWitt in the outfield if need be.
Option C) Trade Baker or DeWitt
My Take) DJ most likely needs to go back down. I would hate to see the Cubs waste a young player on the bench when he probably needs more seasoning at the minor league level.

Feel free to jump in with your take in the comments. How the Cubs handle these decisions will really indicate the direction that the team is going in. The injuries have actually allowed the Cubs to take a look at some of the younger players, now it is time to find out which younger players have earned a spot in the roster full time.

Today is the 51st anniversary of Ron Santo's big league debut! Check out my book review of Ron Santo A Perfect Ten on View From the Bleachers by clicking here.

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

The Good & The Bad From This Week in Cubs Baseball

Here is what has been going on lately with the Chicago Cubs, starting with the positives.

• They came from behind in the ninth inning on Saturday for their first dramatic victory of the season.


• The starting rotation looked solid all week long, with Casey Coleman, Matt Garza and Ryan Dempster all turning in strong pitching performances.


• Jeff Baker has continued to play a key role for this team.


• Carlos Pena has busted out of his power drought with three long balls.


• The Cubs homered their way to a series victory in Las Angeles.


• Kosuke Fukudome is red hot at the plate. It is crucial for him to continue to hit at least until Tyler Colvin gets his act together.


• Mike Quade has used his bench and rotated guys so that everyone gets some needed rest.


• Marcos Mateo and Jeff Samardzija have both continued to do a fantastic job in the bullpen. Mateo earned his first career victory on Saturday.


• Darwin Barney has stayed conistent.

On the negative side:

• The Cubs found a way to lose the series to the Reds today. They did not get any offense to support Ryan Dempster.


• Starlin Castro had the worst week of his young career, continuing a horrific slump after a torrid start.


• The Cubs still have not won a Sunday game all season.


• Kerry Wood could not get his job done on Saturday, although the Cubs eventually won the game.


• The Cubs left the bags loaded twice in Sunday's loss. They had the bases full with nobody out in Friday's defeat and failed to do any further scoring.


• Failure to drive guys in from third with less than two out continues to irk the Cubs.


• Marlon Byrd continues to hit third and continues to do very little.


• Aramis Ramirez has been at the plate in some key spots and failed to come up with needed base hits.

Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there! The Cubs have an off day tomorrow before they play the Cardinals for the first time this season starting Tuesday night at Wrigley Field. I will try to have several updates throughout the week as I plan to start daily blogging back up in less than a month!

January Cubs Updated Roster Predictions

Everyone winter, I predict who will make the Cubs Opening Day roster and update it about once a month as the offseason moves along. With the Cubs latest moves, here is the third update this winter. Changes from the last post, which was in mid-December, are in italics.

Starting Rotation
1. Ryan Dempster
2. Carlos Zambrano
3. Matt Garza
4. Andrew Cashner
5. Randy Wells

Others in the Rotation Mix in Spring Training
Casey Coleman
Jeff Samardzija
Andrew Cashner
Carlos Silva (moved out of rotation with recent moves)

Bullpen
Closer- Carlos Marmol
LH Setup Man- Sean Marshall
RH Setup Man- Kerry Wood (Move Cashner to rotation)
LH Middle Relief- John Grabow
RH Middle Relief- Jeff Samardzija
Long Relief- Casey Coleman
Long Relief-James Russell (with Gorzo being traded, he has a better shot)

Others in the Bullpen Mix in Spring Training
Justing Berg
Thomas Diamond
Scott Maine
John Gaub
Esmalin Caridad
Angel Guzman
Silva

Starting Position Players
Catcher- Geovany Soto
1B- Carlos Pena
2B- Blake DeWitt
SS- Starlin Castro
3B- Aramis Ramirez
LF- Alfonso Soriano
CF- Marlon Byrd
RF- Tyler Colvin

Bench
Koyie Hill
Jeff Baker
Darwin Barney
Reed Johnson (Replacing Sam Fuld, will have to compete with Perez)
Kosuke

Others in the Mix
Welington Castillo
Scott Moore
Bryan LaHair
Fernando Perez

Thoughts?

"The Unofficial Opening Day" is a Day Away!

For the third straight year, Everything Cubs blog will have the Cubs Convention covered with posts live from the event all weekend long. It's by far the best weekend of the winter! Get ready Cubs fans, Cubs Convention 2011 is on the way!

For those of you not going to the Convention, in addition to checking back for updates each day right here on this site, you can get your Cubs fix on WGN Radio. Sports Night with Judd Sirott and Brian Noonan will be broadcasting live on Friday night. Sports Central with David Kaplan and Jim Memelo starts at at 4:00.

Here are some notes from day two of the Cubs Caravan and more:

• Today tour 1 of the Cubs Caravan stopped at Lincoln Library in Springfield and O'Brien Field for the Peoria Chiefs fanfest.
• Tour 2 went to Augustus H. Burley High School, St. Luke Academy, Harriet Beecher Stowe School and USO of Illinois.
• Carrie Muskat wrote about the Cubs lead-off situation. She expexts to see Blake DeWitt, Jeff Baker and Kosuke all get ABs there.
• Mike Quade said yesterday that he always views the previous year's division champs as the favorites going into the season. In this case, Mike thinks the Reds are the team to beat.
• Dave Otto, Gary Matthews, Keith Moreland and Doug Glanville are the four guys in the mix for the open spot in the Cubs' radio booth.
• Gordon Wittenmyer provided another update on the opening day starter's race. It is still between Garza, Zambrano and Dempster.
• Kerry Wood is still thinking about 2003. He also mentioned in his chat with Fred Mitchell that he is glad to be home.

That's it for now, but I'll keep you posted from the Convention all weekend long!

Midweek Quick Hits as the Cubs Caravan Gets Underway

There's a lot going on in the world of the Chicago Cubs. The Cubs Convention is just two days away! Let's catchup on the latest notes:

• The Cubs Caravan started today. Tour one stopped at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Harry Caray's Italian Steakhouse (Cubs Caravan Luncheon) and Cleveland Elementary School. Tour two also went to the luncheon as well as Lake View High School, Mt. Carmel Academy, Prospect High School and the Boys & Girls Club of Rockford.
• Mike Quade made his return to his Prospect High School, where he attended.
• Bruce Miles reports that Andrew Cashner wants to start. Add another name to the rotation mix, as James Russell is expected to get a shot to stretch out in the spring.
• Quade said that Matt Garza is in the mix for the opening day assignment along with Dempster and Zambrano.
• Miles also reports that the Cubs are not counting on Angel Guzman at all. They will see how he progresses in Spring Training but will not rush it.
• If you missed it earlier, the Cubs have signed Reed Johnson to a minor league contract and avoided arbitration with Koyie Hill.
• Johnson is expected to compete with Fernando Perez for the fifth outfield spot.
• Paul Sullivan writes that Quade hasn't committed to a lead-off man, but he has said that Blake DeWitt and Jeff Baker are in the mix.
• The report date for pitchers and catchers is set for February 13 with the first workout taking place the following day. The first full squad workout is set for February 19.
• There was a report from 670 the score today that Kerry Wood's contract has a clause to become the team's radio broadcaster after his retirement in it. The Cubs have denied the report and Wood told David Kaplan that he has no interest in broadcasting.
• According to multiple reports, the Cubs new radio broadcaster will not be named this weekend. The station and the team will wait to make the announcement until close to the first broadcast of the spring.
• The full schedule for the Cubs Convention has been released.
• Be sure to vote on our new poll up on the right sidebar!

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