Breaking News: Ryan Dempster to Start on Opening Day

Updated 3:20pm CT with Spring Training Rotation Info

Today, Mike Quade named Ryan Dempster his Opening Day starter. Demp will take the ball against the Pirates on April 1 at Wrigley Field. This choice is very popular among Cubs fans.

Carlos Zambrano got the nod for six straight years as the Cubs Opening Day guy. The last time he didn't start on Opening Day was when Kerry Wood took the ball for Dusty Baker in 2004. Matt Garza was also in the mix to start the opener.

Quade made the decision this early on because he want to be able to set up the Spring Training rotation accordingly. Zambrano will essentially be the Cubs No. 2, starting the second game of the season. Garza will pitch the final game of the series with the Pirates on April 3.

Update: The Cubs also announced today that Matt Garza and Carlos Zambrano will both pitch in the Spring Training opener against the A's on Sunday. The first pitch is at 2:05 with Cubs Central Pregame on WGN Radio starting at 1:30. It is almost here!

Mike cited Zambrano's hot finish as a reason why this decision was so tough. Dempster status in the clubhouse was not a factor in the decision.

Shifting gears, the MLB Network has released its full 83 game Spring Training broadcast schedule. The first game will be on Saturday at Noon CT as the Phillies take on the Yankees. They will air a tape delayed version of the Rockies/D'backs game on Saturday night at 10:00. Next Sunday, the Angels and Dodgers will battle on the network at 2:00.

The Cubs will play on MLBN on March 11 against the White Sox, March 21 against the Angels, March 22 against the Dodgers and March 25 against the Mariners. The channel will air its "30 Clubs in 30 Days" series for the third straight year. The Cubbies will be featured on March 11 at 6:00 (after the air the Cubs/Sox game).

More to come...

What are Cubs Fans Thankful For?

It was a tough year, but there are still some things for Cubs fans to be thankful for!

• We can get our baseball fix this holiday weekend as a Cubs Classic airs on Comcast Sports Net at 11am today.
• The minor league system is full of bright young stars.
• Only two months until the Cubs Convention.
• Only three months until Spring Training.
• The MLB Network has great baseball coverage all year around.
• Site like Bleed Cubbie Blue, Chicago Cubs Online, and The Cub Reporter where Cubs fans can come together to discus their favorite team.
• Larry Rothschild is gone!
• The Cubs play the Pirates on Opening Day at Wrigley... sounds like a W!
• The Cubs get to play the Red Sox and Yankees next season, which will make for some fun series.
• Our roster includes talented players like Marlon Byrd, Carlos Marmol, Tyler Colvin, and Starlin Castro.
• We have the greatest fan base in all of professional sports. Someday we're going to go all the way.

Go Cubs Go!!! Have a happy Thanksgiving!

30 Clubs in 30 Days Recaps: Chicago Cubs

Happy Easter Sunday Cubs fans! Opening Day is tomorrow! Carlos Zambrano will take the hill as the Cubs take on the Braves with the first pitch at 3:10 CT. Tonight, don't miss WGN-TV's special "What it Means to be a Cub" show which starts at 8:00.

For now, we'll conclude our preview of the National League Central by recapping the Cubs episode of MLB Network's "30 Clubs in 30 Days".

Here are the links to the other recaps:

• Brewers
• Astros
• Cardinals
• Pirates

We do not have the Reds preview at this time, but maybe we can get that up by the time the Cubs play the Reds next weekend.

Now let's jump into the Cubs "30 in 30".

Host Greg Amsinger was joined by Dan Plesac and John Hart. Hart said that whatever could have went wrong did go wrong for this club last year. The Milton Bradley situation was a snap shot of their season. John thinks this team is built to win again. If they don't win, they'll be disappointed. Dan pointed out that last year they were in the race until they lost the one guy they coudn't (and still can't) afford to lose, Aramis Ramirez.

Additions:

• Carlos Silva, SP
• Chad Tracy, 1B
• Marlon Byrd, OF
• Xavier Nady, OF

Subtractions:

• Rich Harden, SP
• Neal Cotts, RP
• Kevin Gregg, RP
• Aaron Heilman, RP
• Milton Bradley, OF
• Reed Johnson, OF

Plesac thinks that Bradley was a bad fit for the Cubs. It just wasn't meant to be. The other subtraction that could help is Kevin Gregg. He didn't have the kind of year he needed to in 2009. Hart says that Carlos Silva is a veteran guy who could help this ballclub. John called Marlon Byrd "the exact opposite of Milton Bradley." He's a solid defender and a good baseball player.

Hazel Mae joined the guys from Mesa with interviews and reports. First, she was joined by Derrek Lee, the clubhouse leader:

• Lee likes to lead by example.
• He thinks that something just clicked in for him last year.
• Derrek was able to drive some balls over the fence in 2009.
• The Cubs have the team to get into the postseason.
• He doesn't see it as pressure, Lee just likes to go out there and play the games.
• D-Lee likes the way everyone is hungry and guys came into camp ready to go.

Dan thinks that Lee has some gas left in the tank. He's a guy who is hard to root against. Hart pointed out that Derrek does a lot of the little things, he doesn't just make a living off of slugging the ball out of the ballpark.

2009 Offensive Ranks

• Runs: 707 (10th in NL)
• Average: .255 (12th)
• HR: 161 (5th)
• OBP: .332 (9th)
• SB: 56 (16th)
• SLG%: .407 (8th)

Lou Piniella joined the guys:

• Soriano will not be hitting lead-off this year. The Cubs have found a home for him in the six hole. Sori's been working hard with hitting coach Rudy Jaramillo.
• The Cubs have a healthy Aramis Ramirez and they need him to swing the bat.
• Lou is happy with the good arms in the bullpen, but they are having to rely on a lot of young arms.
• Last year the Cubs scored 148 runs less than they did in 2008. They are hoping to get 3/4 of those runs back.
• Lou is hoping that Marmol will be successful as the Cubs full time closer.
• Piniella thinks he's calmed down a heck of a lot. He has had a lot of managerial experience.
• He is going to do the best job he can do for this organization and we'll see what happens.

Projected Lineup:

• 1. Theriot, SS
• 2. Kosuke, RF
• 3. Lee, 1B
• 4. Ramirez, 3B
• 5. Byrd, CF
• 6. Soriano, LF
• 7. Fontenot, 2B
• 8. Soto, C

Dan likes Ryan Theriot at the top of the lineup. He's not flashy, he makes all the plays, and he puts the ball in play. Fukudome hasn't lived up to what the Cubs thought they were getting. Ramirez is an "RBI machine" who hits good pitching. They need him in the lineup 150 days a year. Hart thinks Marlon can do a lot of things with the bat. John says that Soriano is the key guy with this club. Sori has a speed/power combo that is rare in the game today. Geovany Soto is better than he was last year.

Marlon Byrd talked with Hazel:

• Milton told Marlon to just enjoy his time in Chicago.
• Right now Byrd feels like Chicago is a great fit for him.
• Rudy has made the transition to a new club easier.
• Marlon doesn't feel like he has anything to prove. He knows he can hit, even outside of Texas.

Hart thinks that players believe in Rudy. He has a very good philosophy.

2009 Pitching Ranks:

• Wins: 62 (6th in NL)
• ERA: 3.71 (5th)
• Opp. Avg: .252 (3rd)
• Quality Starts: 94 (2nd)
• Strikeouts: 839 (2nd)

Carlos Zambrano joined Hazel:

• Cubs fans will see a new look Big Z in 2010. The biggest change is that he will keep his emotions in check.
• Now that his daughter in 9 years old, he does not want her to see him do crazy things.
• Zambrano has gone back to the basics of pitching. He will keep throwing his four pitches.

Projected Rotation:

• Zambrano
• Dempster
• Wells
• Gorzelanny
• Silva

Looking at the top two, Z and Demp are a pretty good one, two punch. Plesac thinks that Ryan flies under the radar. He has great location of his fastball and does a good job commanding his split finger pitch. Randy Wells is built for innings and really emerged as a nice middle of the rotation starter last year. When the Cubs get Ted Lilly back they'll have a good lefty in the rotation.

• Jeff Samardzija, RHP
• Sean Marshall, LHP
• Justin Berg, RHP
• Esmalin Caridad, RHP
• John Grabow, LHP
• James Russell, LHP
• Carlos Marmol, RHP- Closer

When Marmol is good, he's really good. When he's bad, he has a hard time finding the strike zone. In the first half of 2008, he was one of the best setup men in the league. This bullpen is revamped and very young. Hart says that Caridad has power stuff. Grabow is a veteran guy who can help the young guys. Samardzija came to Spring Training hoping to land a spot in the rotation, but he can still help the bullpen.

The farm system is solid, but they are a little thin at the top. They've traded guys away to get some big league talent, but they do a great job internationally. They do have some good young players. Here are the top ten:

• Chris Carpenter, RHP
• Andrew Cashner, RHP
• Starlin Castro, SS
• Tyler Colvin, OF
• Ryan Flahery, 2B
• Bradon Guyer, OF
• Brett Jackson, OF
• Jay Jackson, RHP
• Hak-Ju Lee, SS
• Josh Vitters, 3B

Lee is a guy that can do some things and looks like he could help this club at some point. Josh Vitters is a corner infielder with some pop. The guy that John Hart thinks will step up is Starlin Castro. He can do a lot of things.

Jeff Samardzija joined Hazel Mae:

• Samardzija is excited to end up with the big league club. This is a team that he watched for a long time growing up.
• He and Lou talked about the team situation and decided that Jeff fits best in the bullpen.
• The 2009 season didn't go the way Jeff wanted it to, so he went to Mexico where he ended the year on a positve note. He was able to work on a couple of things in winter ball.
• The MPL closed the gap from the offseason to Spring Training.

The Cubs All-Time Home Grown Team:

• 3B- Santo
• SS- Banks
• 2B- Herman
• 1B- Palmeiro
• C- Hartnett
• LF-Carter
• CF- Brock
• RF- Williams
• SP- Maddux
• RP- Lee Smith

Dan thinks this is a very impressive list. With this collection of players, it's hard to believe they haven't won the World Series. Plesac's argument is that Mark Grace should be on the All Time Home Grown club.

Billy Williams chatted with Hazel:

• Williams' role is to give "a little teaching about hitting" and about playing the game of baseball in Spring Training.
• He thinks he stays young by hanging around the young people in camp.
• Guys like to pick Billy's brain about hitting.
• It's refreshing to see a kid like Tyler Colvin on the verge of trying to make a ballclub. He is going to be a good player.

Baseball Prospectus Projection: 79-83, 8 GB, second in NL Central

Dan Plesac thinks the Cubs will finish 3rd because of the inexperience in the bullpen.

John Hart has St. Lou over Lou. He predicts that they'll finsh second.

Dan thanks Alfonso will have 30-35 homers. Hart agrees that he can bounce back with 35 dingers!

30 Clubs in 30 Days Recaps: Milwaukee Brewers

Today we continue recapping MLB Network's "30 in 30" series for all of the NL Central teams. Now we will use the recap to preview the Brewers, and then we'll finish up with the Cubs tomorrow.

Host Greg Amsinger was joined by Dan Plesac and John Hart to talk Brewers. If you like hitting, this is a club to go see. Dan says they are a National League team who are made up like an A.L. club.

Offseason additions:

• D. Davis, SP
• R. Wolf, SP
• L. Hawkins, RF
• G. Zaun, C
• C. Gomez, OF
• J. Edmonds, OF

Subtractions:

• J. Kendall, C
• J.J. Hardy, SS
• M. Cameron, OF

John thinks that the Hawkins signing was good to strengthen their bullpen. Doug Davis is a very solid back of the rotation signing who gives you innings. Jim Edmonds was a big part of the Cubs team in 2008, and Plesac thinks there is some good baseball left in him.

Matt Vasgersian joined the guys from Arizona with interviews and reports. He started off by talking to Randy Wolf:

• Wolf could tell that the Brewers really wanted him there.
• After he talked to the GM and owner, he realized that this team was in first place in July last year. They are in a position where they could win.
• Randy says that if he pitches well there could be a wolf pack in Milwaukee. He knows that fans there are very passionate.

Hart thinks that Wolf threw the ball very well last year. The Brewers had to do something to sure up the rotation. Dan thinks it's going to be the year of the wolf.

2009 Offensive Ranks

• Runs: 785 (3rd in NL)
• Average: .263 (4th)
• Home Runs: 182 (3rd)
• OBP: .341 (3rd)
• Steals: 68 (14th)

Ryan Braun joined the guys:

• Braun thinks batting average just comes out of consistency. He feels like he did a pretty good job of that last year.
• His goal is to be a well rounded player. The transition to the outfield was not easy, but he worked hard on it every day. He "feels great out there" now.
• Ryan feels like Milwaukee has a better team now than they did going into last season.

Projected Starting Lineup:

• R. Weeks, 2B
• C. Gomez, CF
• R. Braun, LF
• P. Fielder, 1B
• C. Hart, RF
• C. McGehee, 3B
• A. Escobar, SS
• G. Zaun, C

Having Weeks back from an injury is going to really help this offense. Before the injury, John thinks he was starting to come into his own. Gomez could be a real key to this ballclub because he needs to get on base in front of the middle of the order. Braun is a grinder who comes to play everyday. Plesac says that Fielder can do it all with the bat and doesn't get enough credit on defense. Prince can hit the ball out of any ballpark. Dan called Escobar "a special player." Corey Hart had a disappointing 2010 because they tried him at the top of the order.

Matt was joined by Gregg Zaun:

• Going into this offseason, Zaun wanted to find a home where they had a shot at a World Series and had an exciting young team. He feels like he got the best of both worlds.
• Zaun is excited about the young Milwaukee pitchers.
• He has the drive to continue to play year in and year out.

Hart thinks the Brewers will have a good club on defense. It won't be great, but they have an average defensive club. If their pitching steps up, Dan doesn't think the defense will hurt that much.

2009 Team Pitching Ranks

• Starter ERA: 5.37 (16th in NL)
• Bullpen ERA: 3.97 (10th in NL)
• Opp. Average: .268 (13th in NL)
• Quality Starts: 65 (15th in NL)
• Blown Saves: 22 (T-6th in NL)

Matt chatted with Trevor Hoffman:

• Hoffman doesn't come to camp fighting for a job, but he still likes the rituals of spring.
• Being a relief pitcher allows him to have lots of fun in Spring Training.
• Trevor is more than ready for 2010.

Projected Bullpen:

• LaTroy Hawkins, RHP
• Todd Coffey, LHP
• Claudio Vargas, RHP
• Mitch Stetter, LHP
• David Riske, RHP
• Carlos Villanueva, RHP
• Trevor Hoffman- Closer, RHP

The back end of the bullpen is pretty good. Hoffman is not the same guy he was ten years ago, but he still just knows how to do it according to John Hart. Trevor has a positive effect by just being around. Hawkins is in great shape himself. Dan likes the middle relief core. Stetter is a lefty that flies under the radar. He held left handed hitters to a .178 average last season. This is a must better bullpen than we saw last September.

Projected Rotation:

• Gallardo, RHP
• Wolf, LHP
• Davis, LHP
• Suppan, RHP
• 5 spot: Parra or Bush

Plesac thinks Gallardo is one of the guys on the brink of being an elite pitcher. He has good life on his fastball and good off speed stuff. He's really close to putting it all together. Randy will be missed by the Dodgers. Dan called him "sneaky fast". Doug Davis works so slow that he can put you to sleep sometimes. Davis is a good addition who has a good pick-off move. Suppan had a horrible year last year, but he is now going to have to nibble. It will rest on Jeff to have a better year. Manny Parra is the wildcard. He is the type of guy who has a world of ability, but still has to put it all together.

Top Prospects

• Eric Arnett, RHP
• Zack Braddock, LHP
• Lorenzo Cain, OF
• Kentrail Davis, OF
• Alcides Escobar, SS
• Kyle Heckathorn, RHP
• Brett Lawrie, 2B
• Jonathan Lucroy, C
• Jake Oddrizzi, RHP
• Angel Salome, C

Hart thinks the Brewers will focus on drafting pitching this June.

Matt talked to manager Ken Macha:

• Camp has gone well. Macha thinks Doug Melvin took care of the short comings that they had last year.
• The Brewers needs to find guys who toss quality starts.
• Milwaukee has had a very positive and upbeat spring. Their team feels like they can go out there and win every day.

Then he chatted with GM Doug Melvin:

• The Brewers have recrafted their pitching staff. They had to improve their starters because they got so few innings from the rotation last year.
• They were aggressive in going after Wolf then Davis.
• Having Rickie Weeks healthy will help because everyone in the clubhouse admires him.
• Matt says that Doug has picked up a Wisconsin accent.

Baseball Prospectus 2010 Brewers Projection: 77-85, 4th in NL Central, 11 GB

Plesac thinks the Brewers will win the Wild Card and return to the playoffs. He thinks they will be a surprise team in the NL this year.

John Hart predicts that the Crew will end up 3rd in the Central.

Up Next: Cubs 30 in 30

30 Clubs in 30 Days Recaps: Houston Astros

Today we continue our series previewing the 2010 season for the Cubs' NL Central foes. We have been recapping MLB Network's "30 Clubs in 30 Days", and today we will focus on the Astros' addition of 30 in 30.

Kissimmee, Florida is the Spring Training home of the Houston Astros.

Host Matt Vasgersian was joined by John Hart and Mitch Williams for this episode.

The Astros finished 2009 in fifth place with a 74-88 record. They were 17 games back of the first place Cardinals.

Additions:

• Pedro Feliz, 3B
• Brett Myers, SP
• Matt Lindstrom, RP
• Brandon Lyon, RP

Subtractions:

• Chris Coste, C
• Miguel Tejada, SS
• Aaron Boone, IF
• Darin Erstad, UT
• Mike Hampton, SP
• Jose Valverde, RP
• LaTroy Hawkins, RP
• Doug Brocail, RP

John Hart thinks that the Feliz signing was a good one because of the issues they've had at third base. Mitch thinks that Lindstrom needs to slow his delivery down.

The biggest change is that Brad Mills will take over as the Astros manager. The 52 year old Mills will be making his big league managerial debut, but he has managed at the minor league level including some time with the Cubs organization. Mills also spent 6 years as the Red Sox bench coach. Hazel Mae talked with Brad Mills:

• Brad thinks the Astros are on their way to becoming a winning environment.
• Consistancy is a key.
• Any time you have some solid veterans, the young talented guys are able to see how professionals act.
• Sitting next to Terry Francona and watching him manage for six years was "all the mentoring he could ever ask for."

Hart is not concerned about Lance Berkman's health because he thinks Lance can bounce back quickly. Mitch says that this knee cleanup will not take Berkman that long to come back from. Williams had a cleanup and was pitching 2 days later during his career.

2009 Team Pitching Stats:

• Starter ERA: 4.79 (14th in NL)
• Bullpen ERA: 4.13 (12th)
• Opp. Average: .275 (14th)
• Strikeouts: 1,144 (10th)
• Blown Saves: 26 (15th, tied with the Dodgers for NL's most)

Roy Oswalt joined the guys:

• He feels great. It's the first time in awhile that he has felt as healthy as he does now.
• The ball is coming out of Roy's hand really well.
• Oswalt likes to have a pitching coach who will correct one thing instead of throwing 4-5 things at you at one time. He doesn't like guys who harp on mechanics.
• It's tough to have a bullpen that blows a lot of games because your team never really gets on a roll.
• Some of the younger Astros' pitchers ask Roy questions. Oswalt thinks that Bud Norris will be a front line starter in the big leagues at some point. He says Bud has great stuff.
• Norris' biggest thing is location.

Projected Rotation:

• Roy Oswalt, RHP
• Wandy Rodriguez, LHP
• Brett Myers, RHP
• Bud Norris, RHP
• Brian Moeler, RHP

A lot of teams don't have a staff ace, but the Astros are one of the few NL clubs that do. If Oswalt is healthy, Mitch thinks he'll win 15-20 ballgames. Hart calls Rodriguez "filthy on left handers" and says he has one of the best curveballs in the National League. If Norris commands the ball, John thinks he'll take off. Brett Myers has great stuff when he's healthy and when his head is right.

Hazel chatted with Myers:

• Myers doesn't think that the change from the Phillies to the Astros was that big of a deal. "It's baseball," he said.
• It was an adjustment for Brett to come back from the bullpen to the rotation last year. Now that he has made that adjustment, he is looking forward for pitching with the guys in the Astros' rotation.

Projected Bullpen:

• Bradon Lyon, RHP
• Tim Byrdak, LHP
• Jeff Fulchino, RHP
• Chris Sampson, RHP
• Alberto Arias, RHP
• Closer: Matt Lindstrom, RHP

Lyon is waiting in the wings in case Lindstrom has any trouble. Williams said that Lyon is a pitch to contact guy. He does not strike out too many, but he doesn't walk guys and had a low ERA last year. Mitch prefers a power closer, so he gives Lindstrom the nod. Hart thinks the Astros setup core has yet to be settled. There are still some "lead-in" roles up for grabs.

2009 Team Hitting Stats:

• Runs: 643 (14th in NL)
• Average: .250 (8th in NL)
• Home Runs: 142 (12th in NL)
• Slugging %: .400 (11th)
• OBP: .319 (13th)
• Stolen Bases: 113 (4th)

Hazel Mae interviewed Lance Berkman:

• Berkman's health may decide the fate of the team this year.
• At the start of camp, Lance played through the knee discomfort, but the swelling continued so he went to see the team doctor.
• He decided to go under the knife now because he didn't want it to linger all year. It was better to get the situation taken care of now.
• Lance feels pretty good and is already walking on it. He plans to start swinging the bat in a week and a half or two weeks.
• He thinks Opening Day is a realistic goal, but he won't jeopardize an entire season over one game.

Projected Lineup:

• M. Bourn, CF
• K. Matsui, 2B
• C. Lee, LF
• L. Berkman, 1B
• H. Pence, RF
• P. Feliz, 3B
• T. Mounzello, SS
• H. Quintero, C

Mitch admits that two years ago he said that Bourn would never be an everyday player at the big league level because he could not hit left handed pitching. Now, he has worked his behind off and has Mitch eating his words. Matsui is a veteran guy who understands the game. He is a perfect 2 hole hitter. John says that Carlos Lee is not just a power guy, he's an all-around good hitter. Berkman is a run producer with a lot of good years left in him. Hunter Pence is a very unorthodox player but he has a bat, can run, and plays good defense. Pedro Feliz plays great defense at third base. He's one of the best guys at the hot corner in the league. Hart thinks they have a very good defensive club.

Top 10 Prospects:

• Jay Austin, OF
• Jason Castro, C
• Collin Delome, OF
• Jonathan Gaston, OF
• Chris Johnson, 3B
• Chia-Jen Lo, RHP
• Jordon Lyles, RHP
• Tommy Manzella, SS
• Jiovanni Mier, SS
• Ross Seaton, RHP

Hart's thinks that Mier has a lot of upside. Lyle was drafted in 2008 out of high school and has a lot of upside as well. John thinks that Jason Castro has all the things you want to see from a catcher. Castro could be at the big league level as soon as this year, and John thinks he'll be the catcher in Houston for a long time.

Hazel talked with Hunter Pence:

• Pence works hard and tries to win ball games.
• Being an All-Star is something you can't really put into words. Last year he felt like a young kid again playing in the All-Star game.
• The only way to get through soreness and get into game shape is to play 100% in Spring Training.

Mae also talked with radio voice Milo Hamilton:

• Milo called Hank Aaron's famous home run. Hamilton says that the homer barely made it out.
• This camp is fun because there are lots of battles for the roster.
• The coaching staff and new manager are working hard.

Baseball Prospectus predicts that Houston will finish with a 77-85 record, in 4th place in the NL Central. John Hart has the Stros at fifth, and Mitch Williams thinks they'll fall to last place. Williams points out that they lack that depth to hold up if there are any injuries.

30 Clubs in 30 Days Recap: St. Louis Cardinals

Today we continue our NL Central season preview by recapping the St. Louis Cardinals edition of MLB Network's "30 Clubs in 30 Days". Earlier in the week we started this series of recaps with the Pirates.

John Hart and Mitch Williams joined host Greg Amsinger on the program.

Opening Notes:

• The Cardinals had a disappointing finish in 2009.
• John Hart likes what they did this offseason. He cites the front end of the rotation and the middle of the order as two reasons that this is a loaded ballclub.
• Williams pointed out that there is probably not an analyst with the Network that is not picking St. Louis to win the Central. "They are just that good," he said.
• 2009 record: 91-71, first in NL Central

Additions:

• Rich Hill, SP
• Brad Penny, SP
• Felipe Lopez, IF

Subtractions:

• Joel Pineiro, SP
• John Smoltz, SP
• Todd Wellemyer, SP
• Troy Glaus, IF
• Khalil Greene, IF
• Rick Ankiel, OF
• Mark DeRosa, UT

John thinks that bringing Tony LaRussa and Dave Duncan back was the biggest offseason move. Duncan has done a great job with special projects, and LaRussa is an old school guy who is very prepared and has great passion for the game. Mitch think resigning Matt Holliday was the biggest move of the winter.

Hazel Mae joined the broadcast from Jupiter, Florida to conduct some interviews. Her first guest was Matt Holliday:

• When he came over to St. Louis, Matt made some adjustments to his hitting.
• He enjoyed playing in front of big crowds in a pennant race for St. Louis.
• Getting a chance to be a part of the races gave him a boost.
• Holliday thinks Mark McGwire will do a great job as the Card's hitting coach.
• Albert Pujols is fun to watch from the on deck circle.
• No team really came close to signing him apart from St. Louis. He called the Cards contract offer "to good to pass up."

Cardinals 2009 team pitching stats:

• Starter ERA: 3.66 (4th in NL)
• Bullpen ERA: 3.67 (4th)
• Blown Saves: 14 (2nd fewest)
• HR Allowed: 123 (2nd)
• BB Allowed: 460 (1st)

Adam Wainwright joined the guys:

• Dave Duncan is a master game planner. He breaks hitters down and backs it up with stats.
• Wainwright has always been a starter apart from the one season as the closer. Moving back to the rotation was an easy transition.
• Adam thinks that the rotation is very good on paper. He mentioned they have to stay healthy, but said that "1-5 we'll be hard to beat."

Williams thinks that Adam could be a 20 game winner. Kyle Lohse will be a key and a very solid number 3 if he's healthy. Hart likes the Brad Penney signing. There are 3 guys vying for the 5 spot including former Cub Rich Hill. Mitch thinks that Hill could be another Dave Duncan project.

Chris Carpenter talked with Hazel:

• It's been great for Chris to finally have rehab-free Spring Training.
• Last year Carpenter was able to be consistent and take the ball every fifth day.
• The Cardinals staff enjoys competing against one another and following each other's starts.
• Dave Duncan is super prepared and makes it easy to just go out and pitch.

Projected Bullpen:

• Jason Motte, RHP
• Kyle McClellan, RHP
• Blake Hawksworth, RHP
• Mitchell Boggs, RHP
• Trever Miller, LHP
• Dennys Reyes, LHP
• Ryan Franklin, RHP- closer (4-3, 1.92 ERA, 38 saves in 2009).

There's no question that Franklin will start the season as the closer, but Mitch is worried because he is not a strike out closer. Jason Motte is the most likely backup plan as the closer. John says that Ryan Franklin has good makeup and has a starter's mix. Tony LaRussa and Dave Duncan will look at all the guys in camp for potential middle inning roles.

2009 Offensive Team Stats:

• Runs: 730 (7th)
• Average: .263 (4th)
• Home Runs: 160 (6th)
• Slugging %: .415 (6th)
• Stolen Bases: 75 (11th)

Hazel briefly talked with Tony LaRussa:

• Albert Pujols has an oustanding work ethic and is never satisfied. This helps him to improve every year.
• The team's offense looks very deep.

Projected Starting Lineup:

• S. Schumaker, 2B
• C. Rasmus, CF
• A. Pujols, 1B
• M. Holliday, LF
• R. Ludwick, RF
• Y. Molina, C
• D. Freese/J.Mather, 3B
• B. Ryan, SS

Mitch Williams thinks that Skip Schumaker and Colby Rasmus have to find a way to get on base. If the top of the order guys aren't getting on, then Pujols and Holliday will not get pitches to hit. Hart thinks the 1-4 in the order is pretty solid. Ryan Ludwick is a bit of a streaky player, but he has big time power. Molina has really come on, but his weakness is speed. John thinks David Freese will win the third base job. He's a solid defender with a plus arm, but the question is the bat. Felipe Lopez is a good move as a backup option.

Top Prospects:

• Bryan Anderson, C
• Allen Craig, 1B
• Daniel Descalso, 2B
• David Freese, 3B
• Jaime Garcia, LHP
• Daryl Jones, OF
• Pete Kozma, SS
• Lance Lynn, RHP
• Shelby Miller, RHP
• Robert Stock, C

Jaime Garcia stands out to John Hart because he is close and has a chance to impact the big league club this year. Shelby Miller is "as good an arm as they have drafted in along time." He has been throwing the ball well in camp.

Colby Rasmus joined Hazel Mae:

• Rasmus learned the ropes last year. He also found out how to handle himself.
• Late in 2009, he struggled a little bit, which could have been because he was wearing down.
• Rasmus feels much more comfortable knowing that he has earned a job going into the season. He feels like he has proved that he can make it through a full season.
• Holliday has been there to answer any questions from Colby.

Mark McGwire chatted with Hazel:

• The Cardinals are hungry and want to get better.
• The experience this spring has exceeded his expectation.
• All of the guys have impressed him. The big question is, "How good can you be."
• Albert Pujols and Matt Holiday could still get into slumps, so he will try to help them work through those.
• Mark thinks that Tony is easy to work for.

Mitch thinks McGwire will excel at teaching because he cannot get enough baseball. John points out that Mark knows that the big guys don't need too much instruction.

Baseball Prospectus projected record: 92-70, first in NL Central

Mitch and John both also have the Cardinals winning the division.

Catching Up on Cub Camp

First of all, sorry about the lack of everyday posting this week! It's been a busy one for me and for the Cubs, as we have lots of notes to get to!

• Yesterday was Ron Santo's 70th birthday! Ronny will start yet another season in the Cubs' organization when he joins Pat Hughes at the WGN Radio mic when the Cubs kick off Spring Training next Thursday!
• Carlos Zambrano is expected to be the Cubs Opening Day starter.
• Yesterday farm hand Rafael Dolis nailed Ryan Theriot with a fastball in live Batting Practice. There is no need for concern, because Ryan is OK.
• Alfonso Soriano has arrived in Mesa. He says that he did not run on his knee 100% this offseason, but he is surprised at how good it feels.
• Angel Guzman, who was already sidelined for the start of practices because of a knee surgery, now has complained of shoulder pain as well. He still could be ready for Opening Day, but if these injuries continue the Cubs definitely need a right handed setup man.
• Ted Lilly was absent from Cub camp the past few days because he is ill. According to Jim Hendy, his fever is at 102 or 103. Carrie Muskat reports that Lilly was back in camp today.
• Jeff Gray, who is out with a groin injury, should be ready to pitch sometime next week.
• Cubs manager Lou Piniella is expecting more from guys like Soto, Soriano, and Kosuke this year.
• Esmalin Caridad has secured a spot in Lou's bullpen. Piniella is showing the confidence is Caridad that he showed with Theriot when he told him he made the team early in the 2007 camp. Hopefully this confidence will help Esmalin!
• Starlin Castro has continued to impress Cubs' brass in practices and workouts. Lou says that he would not hesitate to call this kid up if need be.
• Ozzie Guillen, the manager of that other Chicago club, has been using Twitter. Piniella says that he would never consider tweeting.
• Check out this great video of a practice at Fitch Park from "Boys of Spring".
• The Cub pitchers have been sorted into an "A" team and a "B" team. The B squad is made up of Mitch Atkins Casey Coleman, Thomas Diamond, Jeff Kennard, Marcos Mateo, J.R. Mathes, Mike Parisi, Blake Parker, David Patton, Vince Perkins, James Russell, and Jeff Stevens. The rest of the guys (Dempster, Zambrano, Wells, Marmol, Silva, Gaub, Grabow, Marshall, Dolis, Berg, Gorzelanny, and Caridad) were on the "A" team. Jeff Samardzija and Andrew Cashner through BP separately from the rest of the guys.
• The Ricketts family showed up in camp for the first time on Tuesday. Tom's message was that the organization is now a family.
• Andres Blanco could make the team as a backup player, or the team could try to trade him before Opening Day.
• Kevin Millar has done a great job of keeping things loose out in the valley.
• Aramis Ramirez likes the additions of Marlon Byrd and Xavier Nady. Rami says he's 100% healthy.
• Mike Fontenot and Jeff Baker will compete for the starting second base job.
• Derrek Lee would love to return to the club for the 2011 season, but he does not want his contract situation to be a distraction to the team during this season.
• Jeff Samardzija has been pitching well so far this spring, but it's still early.
• The MLB Network will televise the Cub Spring Training games on March 23 VS KC and March 26 VS Oakland. In addition to this two games, which brings the Cubs ST TV total to 11, they will also carry the April 1 VS the Rockies game, which is also on CSN. All of these games start at 3 CT.

That's it for now, but there's a lot more to come this weekend!

Remember, it's the final weekend before Cactus League play!

Andre Dawson to the Hall of Fame

Former Cubs outfielder Andre Dawson finally got the call from Cooperstown today. Everything Cubs blog would like to congratulate "The Hawk" for his well-deserved and long overdue honor.

Dawson received 77.9% of the vote, and was the only player to be elected today. Surprisingly, Bert Blyleven (72.2%) and Roberto Alomar (73.7%) fell just short.

Other former Cubs on the ballot who did not make the cut: Lee Smith (47.3%), Fred McGriff (21.5%), Eric Karros (0.4%), and Todd Zeile (0%). Also currently Cubs bench coach Alan Trammell came up short with 22.4%. Smith, McGriff, and Trammell reached the 5% mark that will put them on the ballot for next year.

Ron Santo was ranked #1 today on the MLB Network's "Prime 9" list of guys who should be in the HOF. Ronny will have another shot on the veterans committee in December.

Now, the question for Dawson is which hat to wear. Andre played for the Montreal Expos from 1976-1986, the Cubs from '87-'92, and then spent 2 seasons each with the Red Sox and Marlins to finish out his career. Carrie Muskat of MLB.com says Dawson hinted to her that it would be a Cub cap, but the only problem is that the decision does not belong to The Hawk. Since 2001, the National Baseball Hall of Fame has had control of what team each player goes in as. I really think they need to change this so the player can pick. It seems equally likely that Andre could go in as an Expo. We should find out in the next couple of days.

After the live announcement, Andre joined the guys on the MLB Network:

• Dawson was at home today when he got the call.
• He was optimistic that he might get the call this year.
• The announcement was at 2:00 (Eastern) so he was a little worried when he hadn't received a phone call yet at 1:40.
• Right now he really can't explain how good he feels.
• The process has taken awhile, but it's the greatest feeling an individual can have.
• He definitely thinks Tim Raines will be in the Hall someday. Raines deserves it.
• The Hawk didn't envision being in the HOF when he was playing the game. Towards the end of his career, which was a tough time for him, he felt like he had played long enough and gave it his all.
• When Bob Costas asked what cap he would wear, Andre said that it would be determined at a later date. Dawson will talk with the people from the Hall of make that decision.

Dawson was also on Waddle and Silvy on ESPN 1000 before the announcement was made:

• Andre slept like a baby last night.
• He would like to get in when he is as young as possible.
• Each year he "hopes that that is the year." Typical Cub.
• Dawson wasn't planning on sitting by the phone today.
• Last night he prayed and crossed his fingers.
• He is disappointed that it took this long for him to get in.
• Waiting for to get in "can get frustrating over the years".
• He listens to the "supposedly experts and critics" and some of it makes sense but a lot of it doesn't.
• Andre thinks one of his major cons is his low OBP. He says the on base percentage is just a small part of the big picture, pointing out that he didn't go up there looking for a walk.
• The only player he's played with that are in the Hall of Fame are Ryne Sandberg and Gary Carter.
• When Rice was elected, he did feel that his vote totalled might be boosted in the future.
• "Never in a million years" would Dawson have expected Sandberg to a manager.
• Andre wouldn't say whether or not he would be willing to be a part of Ryno's coaching staff when/if Sandberg becomes the manager of the Chicago Cubs.

Check out Hawk 4 The Hall blog that did a great job gaining support for Dawson.

More on this in the next few days!

Once again, Congratulations Andre Dawson.

Talk, Talk, & More Talk (Updated)

Cubs Looking at Guys Coming Off Injuries
Guys coming off of injuries in 2009 seem to make a lot of sense for the Cubs, who are looking to land some depth without spending too much money. Mitch Williams said on MLB Network Monday that team like the Cubs could be interested in Ben Sheets if he can prove he has the arm speed back in Spring Training. They should start Ben out slow, and then count on him when he's fully ready midseason. Joe MaGrane and Mitch think that Sheets is the guy they would like a chance on who's coming off an injury, while Harold Reynolds likes Chien-Ming Wang. Carlos Delgado, who will play in winter ball, was listed as the hitter that could come back from an injury and help a ball club.

Rogers on MLB Network
Chicago Tribune writer Phil Rogers (who is one of those guys that you hear "take this rumor with a grain of salt" every time someone uses him as a source) is now an MLB Network insider. He joined Greg Amsinger on Hot Stove Monday. The Cubs had Juan Pierre start all 162 games in center field in 2006, but in the 3 seasons since then they've played 16 different guys out there. Rogers thinks the guy who did the best job of those 16 was Jim Edmonds in 2008, and they let him retire without giving him an offer to come back. Phil mentioned the same two names we've being hearing about: Marlon Byrd and Scott Podsednik. Scott would fill the lead-off hole for the Cubs also. Right now, Ryan Theriot is the best lead-off guy the Cubs have. Rogers also talked about the wild rumor that he reporter earlier this week that the Cubs have the prospects and interest to try to pull of a trade for Jacoby Ellsbury. They are "closely monitoring the situation in Boston".

Levine's Chat
Bruce Levine chatted Chicago Baseball yesterday afternoon on ESPNChicago.com. Here's the Cub-related highlights:

• Bruce doesn't believe that Jacoby Ellsbury will be available, because he is a lead-off man and the Red Sox are not going to trust Mike Cameron in center field everyday.
• He continues to report that either Byrd, Podsednik, or Ankiel will be the opening day centerfielder for the Cubs. Bruce says all 3 have flaws, but Ankiel "might have the biggest upside".
• The Cubs "would and have" listened to offers for Zambrano. The Cubs would definitely do it, but the question is would they find and a trade partner and if so would Big Z waive his no trade clause.
• They have talked about Kiko Calero, but the concern with him is injury.
• Hendry only has x amount of dollars to spend. He's doing his best to negotiate 2-3 contracts at a time and look at trade options. The important thing isn't how fast the Cubs find a center fielder, it's to get it right.
• Carlos Silva won't be active if he's not productive.
• Geovany Soto was embarrassed by last season. Levine expects him to have better work ethic next year.
• Orlando Hudson is not on the Cubs list because he is a below-average on-base guy who has little speed.
• They are still in talks with the Mets about Luis Castillo.
• "Don't be surprised" if Jose Contreras is the 5th start who replaces Lilly to begin the season.
• Bruce hopes there is someone else besides Mike Fontenot to start at second base next year. Little Babe Ruth proved he is not an everyday player in 2009.
• Jeff Baker will get some time at second, but his main job is to be a backup for second an third. He will also play some outfield this year.
• If the season starter today, Bruce thinks the White Sox would have a better year than the Cubs.
• "What you see is what you get" with Kosuke. For some reason, the Cubs thinks that he might be a more productive player for them in right field.
• The Cubs plan is to bring Starlin Castro along in a quick fashion. He may start the year at AA and then move quickly to AAA. If he had success at those levels, Levine says he could be in the big leagues by June.
• If you're going to move Theriot to second base at some point this season, the best bet would be to get it done in Spring Training. If that's the case, a veteran like Orlando Cabrera could be signed by the Cubs so that he can play short until Castro is ready.
• The Cubs have yet to sign Reed Johnson because "there is no reason to think his back problems won't continue".
• Andrew Cashner needs "at least another year" in the minors.
• We should expect a Naples/Mesa decision sometime in January. Bruce is starting to hear more about Arizona fulfilling the Cubs' needs.
• Josh Vitters will not be in the majors this year unless he is a September call-up. The Cubs know he can hit, but they are still looking for what position he will be most successful at.
• Brett Gardner (New York outfielder) is not going anywhere.
• Bruce thinks the window of opportunity is getting close to closing on the Cubs.
• Soriano's struggles last season were a combination of the knee and a loss of confidence.
• Lou Piniella could use his bench and rest his vets more.
• The starting rotation is the biggest question mark going in to next season according to Levine.

Cubs Top 20 Prospects- John Sickels:

• 1. Starlin Castro: B+
• 2. Josh Vitters: B+
• 3. Brett Jackson: B
• 4. Jay Jackson: B
• 5. Andrew Cashner: B
• 6. Hak-Ju Lee: B
• 7. Chris Carpenter: B-
• 8. Kyler Burke: B-
• 9. Ryan Flaherty: B-
• 10. D.J. LeMahieu: C+
• 11. Brooks Raley: C+
• 12. Logan Watkins: C+
• 13. Esmalin Caridad: C+
• 14. Blaker Parker: C+
• 15. John Gaub: C+
• 16. Matt Spencer: C+
• 17. Dae-Eun Rhee: C+
• 18. Casey Coleman: C+
• 19. Tyler Colvin: C
• 20. Jeff Beliveau: C

Sickels past Cub top rated prospects: Brian Dopirak (2005), Mark Pawelek ('06), Felix Pie ('07), and Josh Vitters ('08-'09). Hopefully Castro and Vitters turn out better than the first three!!

Other Cubs Notes

• For Cub GM Ed Lynch has been hired by the Blue Jays as a scout.
• A rally to try to relocate the Cubs to Naples that was schedule for January 16 has been postponed because it conflicted with the Cubs Convention. Orginizers hope to reschedule the event for mid-January.
• Florida needs to Cubs because they want the Grapefruit League to again rule Spring Training according to the St. Petersburg Times.
• The New York Post reports that two American League officials say the Cubs are trying to trade Carlos Zambrano, but those same officials say that Z has no desire to waive his no trade clause.
• Jon Heyman says the Zambrano rumors are a "time waster" because his agent says he will no waive the no trade clause.
• Paul Sullivan reports that the Cubs continue to deny that he's available.

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

Monday AM Quick Hits

Let's start this Monday with some rumors:

• The Cubs are not leaning towards any one outfield candidate according to FOX Sports. Jim Hendry may trade to work out a trade with the Yankees for Brett Gardner or Melky Cabrera.
• Mike Puma of the New York Post tells us that the Yankees have inquired on Carlos Zambrano, but the Cubs' asking price was too high.
• Steven Henson thinks that the Mariners will regret the Bradley trade when it's all said and done.
• Jon Heyman tweets that the Cubs center field options are Byrd, Ankiel, Cabrera, and Podsednik.
• A center fielder and a set-up man are two of the Cubs main needs according to Gordon Wittenmyer. The Cubs could land Matt Capps and Marlon Byrd to fill both those needs.
• The Seattle Times has quoted a handful of Bradley's ex-teammates and coaches who said he's a great guy to work with. Same thing we heard when he came to Chicago.
• Ken Davidoff lists the Cubs, along with the Braves, Rays, and Mets, as possible destinations for Johnny Damon.
• Gordon Wittenmyer said on XM Radio that Marlon Byrd is very likely to sign with the Cubs. Byrd and Capps could be in a Cub uniform in the next couple of days!

Last Friday the guys talked about the Milton Bradley trade on MLB Network's Hot Stove:

• Herold Reynolds thinks this is an interesting move for the Mariners. The talent is there, and Herold, who is a former M, says that if Milton can't get along with the people in Seattle, he's not going to get along with anybody.
• "This is it for Milton Bradley," Reynolds said.
• Mitch Williams said that sooner or later Bradley will have to understand that it's his problem, not everybody else in baseball that has the problem.
• Bradley's batting average is much better in the American League.
• Tom Verducci says that the reason for his better play in the AL is that he has played for two big market teams in the NL and he doesn't fit there. Also, Bradley needs the DH spot to get more playing time because he can't play in the outfield every day.
• Jack Zduriencik, the Mariners General Manager, thinks that Seattle is a great place to be. Seattle was looking for a middle of the lineup fielder. Jack says, "This guy once to win."
• He talked to some of the guys in the M's organization and everyone said that this guy can play, this guy can hit. Just let him do his thing.
• Ken Griffey has a great personality, he's a leader, and he has great leadership skills. Griffey will lead the whole ball club in the right direction.

That's it for now, there's more to come!

Cotts Non-Tendered, Cubs on MLB Network, and Former Cubs returns

Update 10pm CT: There will be a Cubs special program tomorrow at 4:30 on CSN Chicago called "Island Dreaming With the Cubs". The special will be on the Cubs in the Dominican Republic including Carlos Marmol and Aramis Ramirez.

As expected, the Cubs have offered contacts to Carlos Marmol, Ryan Theriot, Jeff Baker, Angel Guzman, Sean Marshall, Koyie Hill, Tom Gorzelanny, and Mike Fontenot. The only player that they did not make an offer to is lefty Neal Cotts. Paul Sullivan points out that with John Grabow signed with the Cubs, it makes more sense for Cotts to go elsewhere. Cotts could still return to the Cubs, but he is a free agent.

The Marlins have non-tender pitcher Alfredo Amezaga, and the Cubs could be interested in adding him.

The A's non tendered Jack Cust, and his bat could be a fit for the Cubs.

On MLB Network's Hot Stove yesterday, the Cubs were listed as a "seller" this winter. Tom Verducci says "it's all about Milton Bradley". Mitch Williams said that "they've got to get that guy moved!"

Also on Hot Stove, the Cubs season was recapped in their "30 Clubs, 30 Recaps". Derrrek Lee says that the Cubs have a good team, and he expects the Cubs to make some good moves this winter.

The Cubs Shopping List from MLB Network:
1. Move Milton
2. Center Fielder
3. Bullpen Arm

Herold Reynolds says the Cubs have a long way to go still. He also describe them as "in trouble" pointing out that they are in a worse situation than they were last year at this time. Reynolds doesn't think the Cubs would have been good in 2009 even if they were healthy. Tom says that missing a center fielder is a pretty big thing for a team that hopes to contend. Verducci called the Cubs too right handed. Mitch said that when the main thing on your shopping list is a return (trading Bradley) there's something wrong. Williams says that the Cubs have two terrific set up guys in Marmol and Gregg, but neither one of them is a closer. Tom disagrees letting Mitch know that the Cubs are committed to Marmol. Mitch was critical of Carlos' mechanics and inconsistency, but The Wild Thing did admit that he was throwing stones from a glass house.

By the way, the Cubs will see some former Cubs in Spring Training and during the regular season-

• March 4 VS Oakland in Mesa, first game of Spring Training, Jake Fox and Aaron Miles
• March 5 VS Arizona in Mesa, Aaron Heilman
• March 8 @Oakland in Phoenix
• March 16 VS Texas in Mesa (Rich Harden)
• March 20 @Oakland in Phoenix
• March 24 @Texas in Surprise
• March 25 @Arizona in Tuscan
• March 26 VS Oakland in Mesa
• April 2 @Arizona Spring Training @Chase Field
• April 3 @ Arizona Spring Training @Chase Field

Regular season:

• VS Arizona (Aaron Heilman): April 29-May 2, @Arizona June 5-7
• VS Oakland, Interleague play (Jake Fox and Aaron Miles) June 15-17
• @Texas, Interleague play, (Rich Harden) May 21-23

We'll look forward to seeing the guys that we dumped so far this offseason when they play the Cubs next year!

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

Lou Piniella on MLB Network and More

Lou Piniella and Bobby Cox joined Victor Rojas and Dan Plesac on the MLB Network earlier:

• Piniella joked that he was given orders by his GM that he had to mingle with other managers like Bobby at the meetings to try to get some info.
• Lou says that handling the media is a very important part of the manager's job today.
• The players are different now a days.
• Victor asked about Bradley. Piniella said that the biggest problem for the Cubs last year was not Milton Bradley, it was the injuries. He pointed out that he lost 12 players for 30 days or more, and 10 of those 12 were key people.
• Lou says he gets along with Milton, but the bigger market and clubhouse situation didn't work well for him.
• "We're trying to trade him, there's no question about that, and hopfully by the time the meetings are over or soon after that will happen."
• Carlos Marmol is the Cubs' closer. Piniella says Marmol likes the closers' role and he pitches better in the 9th inning. Marmol is hard to hit when he throws strikes. He takes it very serious and he wants to be out there.
• Piniella says that the players loved Bobby when Cox coached Lou in New York.

Some more updates:

• Jim Bowden says the Cubs and Phillies are chasing Bradon Lyon.
• Brendon Looper told Fox Sports that he is interested in pitching for the Cubs.
• Royals GM Dayton Moore was very surprised with the Bradley for Meche rumor, but he says that no player on the Royals is untouchable.
• Jayson Stark hears that the Rays haven't backed off on Bradley, but the 3-way trade with the Mets is dead.
• Two or three new teams are interested in Milton.
• The cash is still the biggest issue with Bradley to Tampa.
• Muskat reports that Carlos Zambrano has lost 15 pounds this winter and is sticking to his workouts. Big Z is in Guatemala helping to build a church and brining clothes to people there.
• Click for more on Lou's visit with the media earlier.

Don't forget to scroll down on the blog mainpage to read all of the reports from today! I will update this post with anything else I hear tonight, or I'll create a new post if something big comes out.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

What are Cubs Fans Thankful for?

Happy Thanksgiving Cubs fans! Today is a day for turkey, pie, family, and football... but let's talk a little Cubs.



What are Cubs fans thankful for this year?

• The sale is finally complete! We can finally move on to talking about the team again instead of a lot of rumors surrounding the sale. We're thankful to have Tom Ricketts!
• Only exactly 50 days until the Cubs Convention, and 100 days until Spring Training!
• The Hot Stove season is in full swing!
• Milton Bradley will not be back in 2010 (hopefully)!
• Starlin Castro is in the Cubs organization. He is developing well, and played great in the Arizona Fall League. Castro is the Cubs shortstop of the future.
• There's lots of great Cub related things you could add to your Christmas List! Check out Vineline magazine, MLB.com, DVDs of classic Cubs games, and many great Cubs books. I'll be reviewing these products over the next month.
• Derrek Lee, Randy Wells, Ted Lilly, and John Grabow in 2009.
• The MLB Network. They have great baseball programming all year around. Friday at 6 PM CT they will air the 1990 All Star Game, which was at Wrigley Field.
• There's no lack of Cubs Coverage in the offseason! You have this blog to be thankful for, as well as all the other great Cubs Blogs and sites out there. Check them out on our right sidebar!
• Oh... and Kevin Gregg will not return to the Cubs.

Also, today:
12:30pm on CSN Chicago- 2009 Cubs Classic- Cleveland Indians @ Chicago Cubs (June 19, 2009)

Again, everyone have a happy and safe Thanksgiving. More posts tomorrow, but for now let's enjoy some food, family, football, and fun!

MLB Network and a Few Cubs Notes

The MLB offseason is officially getting under way. Starting today is the GM Meetings, so it should be an interesting busy week for baseball. Let's start this Monday with taking a look at the MLB Network's schedule for the next few weeks. Those of you that have the Network should be sure to tune it to those shows, and for those that don't have it or if you miss some of the shows, I will post anything Cub related.

• Today at 3 CT: AFL Rising Stars game repeat
• Tonight from 6-8 CT: Prime 9 Repeats
• Tonight at 9: All Roads Lead to Baseball-MLB Players and Personnel Share Their Road Trip Stories
• Tues. 6:00, 7:00: Studio 42 Bob Costas sits down with Cal Ripkin Jr. then Bud Selig.
• Wed. 5:00: The season debut of Hot Stove!
• Thurs. 5:00: 2009 Silver Slugger Special
• Thurs. 6:00: Hot Stove
• Thurs. 8:00: 2009 Clutch Performer
• Monday Nov. 16 5:00: Hot Stove Rookies of the Year Special
• Nov. 17 5:00: Hot Stove- NL Cy Young
• Nov. 17 7:00, 8:00: Studio 42 w/ Bob Costas- Closers, Bruce Froemming
• And much more throughout the winter

Now let's get to a few Cub rumors as we get set to start a new work week, and the GM Meetings start in Chicago:

• The Cubs "might have interest" in Chone Figgins according to MLB Trade Rumors.
  Paul Sullivan says the Cubs are ready to let Rich Harden and Reed Johnson go.
• Phil Rodgers thinks the Cubs will attempt to add bullpen depth via trades.
  Rodgers also thinks that they could be looking for starting pitching with Lilly's healthy a question mark and Harden likely leaving. He notes that Samardzija has pitched well in Mexico.
• Thanks to Chicago Cubs Online for this one- according to Baseball Prospects there are some rumors floating around about the Cubs looking to move Geovany Soto. Interesting tidbit.
• Baseball Prospectus also notes that The Cubs might listen on ace Carlos Zambrano, but would need to be overwhelmed to deal him.
• Kerry Wood, Bobby Jenks, and Matt Capps are available, as are Renyel Pinto, Dan Wheeler, and Mike Wuerz. Will one of these relievers end up in a Cub uniform?

That's it for now, it should be another interesting week.

Yankees are the Champs

Congratulations to the New York Yankees, the champions of the baseball world for 2009. A special tip of the cap to former Cub Joe Girardi, the current Yanks' skipper. I also want to congratulate former Cubs Chad Gaudin and Jerry Hairston Jr. on their accomplishment, even though neither had outstanding Cub-careers.

Now that that's over with, let's get the off season started! What does the World Series being over mean for the Cubs?

The First 15 Days~
The first 15 days after the conclusion of the World Series is the window in which players can file for free agency. The Cubs would like to get John Grabow re-signed before he even hits the free agent waters. Other Cubs who will become free agents are Reed Johnson, Kevin Gregg, Rich Harden, and Chad Fox.

Next 4 Days
The Cubs, and all other MLB clubs, have 4 days left to add their own Rule 55 minor league free-agents to their 40-man roster. One Cub who is a candidate to be added to the 40-man roster is Brad Snyder. If they don't add him, they could try to re-sign him to a minor league deal with an invite to Spring Training, but Snyder will most likely try to sign with a team where he will have a better chance to play in the big leagues next year.

November 20
Deadline for adding minor league players who are eligible for selection in the Rule 5 draft to the 40-man roster. The Cubs could try to add guys like Welington Castillo, John Gaub, Blake Parker, and Matt Camp. Any of the 4 that are not added to the roster by the 20th will likely be lost in the December 10 Rule 5 Draft. Other candidates to the drafted include Rafael Dolis, James Adduci, Steve Clevenger, Chris Robinson, Jeremy Papelbon, and Alessandro Maestri. Last year the Cubs lost Donnie Veal.


December 12
Deadline for clubs to tender 2010 major league contracts to unsigned players on the 40-man. Neal Cotts could be non-tendered.

MLB Awards
The BBWAA Awards will be~
Nov. 16: Rookies of the Year
Nov. 17: AL Cy Young
Nov. 18: Managers of the Year
Nov. 19: NL Cy Young
Nov. 23 AL MVP
Nov. 24 NL MVP

Other important November Dates:
Nov. 9: MLB Network Offseason Shows Start
Nov. 9-11: GM Meetings in Chicago
Nov. 10: End of Waiver Period
Nov. 11: Start of New Waiver Period
Nov. 30-Dec. 4: Major League Baseball Players Association executive board meeting in Scottsdale, Arizona

It should be fun! I'll keep you posted on all the rumors & news all offseason long here at Everything Cubs.

Later in the Day:
-Updates from Organization Meetings
- Cubs in Winter Ball Updates


Stay tuned!

Cubs Rumors

• Fred Mitchell said that Hendry seems to be open to anything. "There are some GMs you deal with who are all paralyzed by their caution and analysis. Jim is willing to get out there and make things happen."
• Kevin Towers said that the proposal from the Cubs for Peavy would fill several holes for the Padres.
• Jim Hendry said that his product shouldn't be judged until opening day.
• The Sun Times says the Chone Figgins is available via trade.
• Bruce Miles doesn't think that the Cubs will try to land Derek Lowe, Andy Pettitte, Tim Redding, or Ben Sheets.
• Derek Lowe could end up with the Cubs according to the Daily Herald. His name has popped up a lot in the last 7-10 days.
• The Baltimore Sun says that Roberts and O's have discussed a contract extension, but the 2 sides are far apart.
• Ken Rosenthal reports that there is a growing possibility that Roberts will be traded.
• Hendry said, "You deal with what you have on the wall now until somebody else is added. We'll still look at some possibilities."

The MLB Network crew talked about the Bradley signing today:

• Harold Reynolds thinks that Lou will keep Bradley under control.
• Joe MaGrane thinks the Cubs would have been better off with Bobby Abreu.
• MaGrane thinks Milton will impress Lou with his competitiveness.
• Jon Heyman is a big fan of what Jim Hendry has been doing the past few years.
• Jon says there are 2 issues with Bradley; clubhouse issues and injuries.
• Heyman thinks the Chicago media will give Milton a chance.
• He thinks Bradley should be more positive not just say he wants to be positive.

Milton Bradley was on Boers and Bernstein on 670 The Score today. Here the recap:

• Bradley says it's an "honor" to be in Chicago.
• He felt the Cubs had everything in place. They are a team that wants a championship just as much as he does.
• Bradley feeds off the energy of the fan. He plays every game with a passion.
• Bradley looks forward to playing under Sweet Lou.
• He says that gelling with teammates is the easy part for him.
• There are people in the media that have a lot to say about how he is in the clubhouse. He says talk to any guy that he ever played with not media members.
• Milton said that he will go out on the field every day with a passion and give every thing he's got but would not give his word that no outbursts will happen in Chicago.

More post to come...

Cubs Carvan lists taking shape, The Hawks lose at Wrigley, MLB Network on the way

If you have tickets to the one of the stops during the Cubs caravan here is the list of players you can expect to see there:
Cubs caravan stop in Peoria on Jan. 15:

• Carlos Marmol
• Jeff Samardjiza
• Sean Marshall
• Kevin Hart
• Brandon Guyer (outfielder)
• Randy Bush (assistant GM)
• Oneri Fleita (VP of player personnel)
• Larry Rothschild (pitching coach)
• Alan Trammell (bench coach)
• Gerald Perry (hitting coach)
• Mike Quade (3rd base coach)
• Cory Provus (broadcaster)

The event in Rockford at the Boys and Girls Club list: (click for info. )

• Joey Gatright (OF)
• Kevin Greg (RP)
• Felix Pie (OF)
• Micah Hoffpauir (1B)
• Darwin Barney (SS)
• Ivan DeJesus (coach)
• Matt Sinatro (1B coach)
• Lester Strode (Bullpen Coach)
• Dave Otto (former Cub)
• Oneri Fleita (VP of player personnel)

And the Valpo High School event that I'm headed to:

• Len Kasper (Voice of the Cubs)
• Felix Pie (OF)
• Joey Gathright (OF)
• Jeff Samardzija (RP)

I should have full info on the Cubs Caravan and convention soon.

The Blackhawks have lost in the first non-baseball sporting event at Wrigley since 1984. The final score was Red Wings 6 Hawks 4. The best parts of watching the game were an interview with Ryan Dempster and when Fergie, Billy, Sandberg, and others sang a hockey version of Take Me Out to the Ballgame.

MLB Network launch only about an hour and a half away. I think it's about time that baseball gets its own 24/7 channel. My favorite part of this idea is that baseball will no longer go away in the offseason. 5:00 CT is the launch.

I'll update you if any new rumors get out or if news breaks.

MLB Network, January Important Dates

The MLB Network is set to launch on New Years Day (this Thursday) to over 50 million homes. The Network has put together a great lineup of shows. Here is the first 4 days schedule for the MLB Network (all times Central):

January 1- Network Launches at 5:00
5:00 Hot Stove Live
6:00 1956 World Series Game 5 Brooklyn VS NYY
8:30 Hot Stove (R)
9:30 Game 5 Repeat
schedule continues to alternate between the 2 shows all night

January 2
11:30 Baseball Heaven: The 2006 Cardinals Season
1:00 Inside the Moments: Aura of the Home Run
2:00 Inside the Moments: Icons of the Game
3:00 Inside the Moments: Unforgettable Feats
4:00 Inside the Moments: Magic on the Mound
5:00 Inside the Moments: Fall Classic Finales
6:00 Hot Stove Live
7:00 World Series Highlights: 2004 Red Sox VS Cardinals
7:30 Red Sox Memories Part 1
Hot Stove, WS Highlights, and Red Sox Memories rotate repeating all night

January 3
8:30 AM Red Sox Memories Part 2
9:00 2008 NLCS Game 5 Phi VS LAD
11:30 2008 ALCS Game 7 Red Sox VS Rays
3:00 2008 World Series Game 1
6:00 Hot Stove Live Special
7:00 '08 World Series Game 2
10:00 Hot Stove Repeat

January 4
5:30 AM '08 WS Game 1
8:30 '08 WS Game 2
11:30 '08 WS Game 3
3:00 '08 WS Game 4
6:00 Hot Stove Live Special
7:00 '08 WS Game 5
11:00 Hot Stove (Repeat)

So it's the second to last day of 2008. In my mind that means that it's time to move on and get ready for the 2009 season for the Chicago Cubs because it's right around the corner. Here's the important dates coming up this month.

Janury 1- MLB Network Launch, Winter Classic
January 12- HOF Balloting Results announced
Mid Jan.- WBC Roster will be announced
Jan. 14-15 Cubs Caravan
Jan. 14- Len and Bob Bash
Jan. 16-18 Cubs Convention 2009

We'll have full coverage of the Caravan and Convention in the weeks to come on this blog.
And Before you know it we'll be talking about the first game of Spring Training.

Coming Soon: MLB Network

The MLB Network will be launching in 50 million homes across the U.S. on January 1, 2009. Finally a channel will be dedicated to baseball 24 hours a day 365 days a year. It will go live at 5:00 PM CT on New Years Day. I'll have a full January schedule of the MLB Network soon, but for now here's some more info:
Off Season Shows:

• Hot Stove- Every weeknight at 6:00 the show has the experts break down the latest trades, rumors, and signings. Hot Stove is the signature show of the off season.
• All Time Games- Classic Games from MLB.
• Baseballs Seasons- Wednesday's at 7:00 relive some of baseball's most memorable seasons with MLB Network.
• Inside the Moment- I look at the moments that make baseball special such as the home run, magic on the mound, and unforgettable feats.
• Ken Burns' Baseball- Tuesday nights at 8:00 memories from the games come alive in each episode.
• Prime 9- Mondays at 7:00 this show will rank the top 9 of different baseball categories like center fielders, comebacks, records, and more.
• Rising Sons- A look at the influence of Japanese ballplayers into MLB.

On Air Personalities:

• Matt Vasgersian, studio host
• Victor Rojas, studio host
• Trenni Kusnierek, reporter
• Al Leiter, analyst
• Hazel Mae, reporter
• Joe Magrane, analyst
• Dan Plesac, analyst
• Herold Reynolds, analyst

I'll have more about the MLB Network as it gets closer.

Remember:

1 week until X-Mas

2 weeks until MLB Network launch

4 weeks until Cubs Convention

and Just 58 days until pitchers and catcher report