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!

Cubbie Quick Hits While the City Waits for the Kick-off

The Chicago Bears and the Green Bay Packers will meet today in a NFC Championship matchup for the ages. The Fanfest of another Chicago baseball team is taking place this weekend. The defending Stanley Cup Champions are red-hot in January, while the city's NBA team is in first place.

But soon the Cubbies will take center stage once again. Pitchers and catchers report three weeks from tomorrow! The first game of Spring Training is exactly five weeks from today. Let's catch up on the latest news and notes on the North Side Ballclub:

• The ESPN family of networks has set its Spring Training schedule. The Cubs games on March 24 (against Texas) and March 26 (against the Sox) will both be on ESPN2.
• The big news of the week was the minor league outfielder and Villanova wide receiver Matt Szczur has committed to playing baseball. He will skip the NFL Draft and instead sign a deal that has a signing bonus of $1.4 million.
• Justin Havens of ESPN.com wonders if the Cubs should have traded Tom Gorzelanny. His 2010 stats were pretty close to Matt Garza's.
• According to Bruce Miles, Andrea Soriano passed away this week. Andrea is the mother of Cubs outfielder Alfonso Soriano. I would like sent my condolences to the family.
• The Cubs signed outfielder Lou Montanez to a minor league deal with an invite to big league Spring Training. Montanez was originally drafted by the Cubs in the first round of the 2000 draft and never panned out. He hit .223 in 26 games for Baltimore last season.
• The Chicago White Sox have invited former Cub Jeff Gray to Spring Training. He spent one year with the Cubs (2010) after coming over in the Fox/Miles trade with the A's. Gray's season was derailed by a groin injury.
• Check out the new poll on our right sidebar!

Here is the list of non-roster invitees so far for Spring Training-

• Angel Guzman, RHP
• Scott Rice, LHP
• Scott Moore, INF
• Bobby Scales, UTL
• Jim Adduci, OF
• Reed Johnson, OF
• Bryan LaHair, 1B/OF
• Lou Montanez, OF

A lot of names will be added to this list over the next three weeks.

I know, many of my readers will hate me for this. However...

"I don't care who wins as long as it's THE PACK!"

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?

Breaking Down the Gorzelanny Trade

Before we talk about the trade, the Cubs avoided arbitration with Sean Marshall and Matt Garza today. Marshall received a two year worth $4.7 million, while Garza got $5.95 million for one year. Last week the Cubs avoided arbitration with Geovany Soto by inking him to a one year, $3 million deal. With Gorzelanny traded and the other three locked up, the only arbitration eligible player left in Carlos Marmol. The two sides are working on a multiyear contract and it is not expected to go to a hearing.

The Cubs acquired three prospects yesterday in a deal that sent left handed starter Tom Gorzelanny to Washington D.C. Here is some information about each of the players that will join the Cubs' farm system.

Michael Burgress

• Position: Outfielder
• B/T: Left
• Height/Weight: 5'1'', 195 lbs
• Age: 22
• Birthday: Oct. 20
• Drafted: by the Nationals in the first round (49th overall) in 2007
• 2010 Teams: 101 games at Class-A Advanced Potomac, 21 games at AA-Harrisburg
• 2010 Stats: Combined .265 AVG, .357 OBP, 18 HR and 85 RBIs in 122 games
• Career Stats: .257 batting average over four seasons

A.J. Morris

• Position: Pitcher
• B/T: Right
• Height/Weight: 6'2'', 185 lbs
• Age: 24
• Birthday: Dec. 1
• Drafted: by the Nationals in the 4th round in 2009
• 2010 teams: 23 games at Class-A Advanced Potomac, 4 games with Rookie Bal
• 2010 Stats: 5-3 with a 3.77 ERA in 27 games (16 starts)
• Career Stats: 5-7 with a 3.64 ERA in 37 games (26 starts) over 2 seasons

Graham Hicks

• Position: Pitcher
• B/T: Left
• Height/Weight: 6'5'', 170 lbs
• Age: 20
• Birthday: Feb. 9
• Drafted: by the Nationals in the 4th round in 2008
• 2010 teams: 1 game at low-A Vermont, 15 games at Class-A Hagerstown
• 2010 stats: 2-6 with a 5.02 ERA in 16 starts
• Career Stats: 7-12 with a 5.33 ERA in 31 starts

Let's hope this deal turns out to be a good one for the Chicago Cubs.

Breaking News: Gorzelanny Traded to Washington

Cubs left handed pitcher Tom Gorezelanny has been traded to the Washington Nationals. The Cubs will receive two pitchers and an outfielder in the deal, which is pending a physical. According to one report the outfielder is Michael Burgess.

Update 6:10 CT: Bruce Miles reports that the two pitchers are right hander A.J. Morris and southpaw Graham Hicks. I will post details about the prospects at some point.

I will update this post with more information soon.

Notes from Day 2 at the Winter Meetings

It's the second day of the 2010 MLB Winter Meetings in Florida. Although rumors and news surrounding the team itself will take a backburner this week because of the passing of Ron Santo, let's get caught up on what has happened at the meetings.

• Yesterday the Cubs named Mark Riggins their pitching coach. Riggins previously served as the Cubs minor league pitching coordinator and spent many years in the Cardinals organization. He spent two years on the Cards big league staff under Joe Torre in the '90s.
• Tennessee Smokies pitching coach Dennis Lewellyn will be promoted to fill the roving role that was held by Riggins in 2010.
• CBS Sports reports that the Cubs are targeting Adam LaRoche.
• Bruce Miles doubts their interest in LaRoche.
• Jon Heyman thinks that the Cubs would like to add Carlos Pena to fill their first base opening.
• Jerry Crasnik of ESPN tweeted today that Brandon Webb's representatives were to meet with the Cubs this afternoon. Webb has been connected to the Cubs over the past week or two.
• The Arizona Diamond Backs have interest in inking Xavier Nady.
• The White Sox signed a pair of former Cubs in Daryle Ward and Jeff Gray. Both men were given minor league deals.
• Thanks to BCB for this one- the Pittsburgh Post Gazette says that the Cubs are shopping Tom Gorzelanny. With Casey Coleman, Carlos Zambrano, Carlos Silva, Ryan Dempster and Randy Wells all in the rotation mix as well, this reports may be accurate.
• Ken Rosenthal has connected Kerry Wood to the White Sox, but it doesn't sound like that will happen.
• The Orioles will be in on Derrek Lee.
• Speaking of former Cubs, Kevin Gregg and Rich Harden both have offers on the table. Rich could come back as a reliever.
• Bruce Levine says that Kosuke is back on the trade block, but only if Hendry knows he can get another left handed bat to take his place.

I'll update with any other news that breaks tonight.

Weekend Quick Hits: No Position Change for Colvin, Six Men in the Rotation, The Smokies Must Win ,& More

The Chicago Cubs are red hot for the first time this year! They've one five in a row and have looked sharp ever since Mike Quade took over the team. They swept the Cardinals this week and won the first game in Florida last night behind a great outing from Ryan Dempster.

By the final week of the regular season, more frequent posting is expected to resume!

For now, let's catch up:

• Tom Gorzelanny will return to the rotation on Friday as the Cubs host the Cardinals.
• Moving Tyler Colvin to first base has been put on hold for now according to Cubs.com.
• Mike Quade mentioned yesterday that the younger players will see action in the final game of the series on Sunday. Sam Fuld, Brad Snyder, Jeff Samardzija, and Welington Castillo are all expected to be in the starting lineup tomorrow.
• Today is the 51st birthday of Ryne Sandberg!
• The Cubs Double-A affiliate in Tennessee will play Jacksonville tonight in game four of the Southern League Championship series. It is a must-win game for the Smokies, who trail the best-of-five series two games to one.
• Brandon Guyer was named the Cubs Minor League Player of the Year and Chris Archer the Minor League Pitcher of the Year.
• The Cubs are going with the six-man rotation for now.
• The schedule for 2011 was released this week. Click here to check it out. The Cubs open up at home against the Pirates.

We plan to have several posts during the week this coming week, including a Former Cub Update. A soon as the regular season ends, the best time of the year for blogging starts. Come to Everything Cubs everyday this winter as we help you though your offseason with features, news, and plenty of rumors.

Catching Up Quick Hits: Call-ups, Injuries, Benchings, & More

• The Cubs activated Carlos Silva from the disabled list and he returned to the rotation on Tuesday. Silva was decent in his first game back but the Cubs fell to the Astros.
• Tuesday was a special day for Hall of Fame slugger Billy Williams. A statue was unveiled outside of Wrigley in his honor. He became the second Cubs player to be honored with a statue.
• The Cubs are 9-6 under Mike Quade so far.
• The Triple-A Iowa Cubs lost back-to-back games on Sunday and Monday to Memphis to miss the playoffs. They finished with the same record as the Redbirds but Memphis took the tie-breaker (record within division).
• Reports earlier this week said that Iowa manager Ryne Sandberg would receive an interview from Jim Hendry for the open big league job within the next ten days, but Carrie Muskat reports that team officials denied these reports.
• Tyler Colvin was presented with the "Heart and Hustle" award for the Cubs this week. The final MLB winner will be announced on November 5.
• Starlin Castro was bench for a couple of days to think about some of the mental errors he has made at shortstop. Castro returned to the lineup on Wednesday, his swing as sharp as ever.
• The Cubs made a slew of September call-ups as soon as the Triple-A team's season ended. Veteran infielder Bobby Scales, Notre Dame grad Jeff Samardzija, right handed pitcher Justin Berg, slugging outfielder Brad Snyder, and spark-plug Sam Fuld have all been added to the 25-man roster.
• John Grabow and Esmalin Caridad were moved to the 60-day DL to make room for Snyder and Scales on the 40-man roster.
• Tom Gorzelanny, out with a thumb injury, threw on the side but is not ready to return to the rotation.
• Aramis Ramirez is still listed as day-to-day with a sore right quad.

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

St. Louis Weekend Recap

I was unable to post this weekend because a very busy schedule during my trip to St. Louis. For this post, let's go in a little bit of a different direction and recap my time in the Gateway City.

On Friday afternoon, I arrived at my hotel "The Hilton St. Louis at the Ballpark". The room had an amazing view of beautiful Busch Stadium from the window. The park was great... but there's nothing that can match Wrigley.

Next I walked across the street to the stadium and took a look at all of the statues of Cardinals legends. At 5:15, the gates opened and folks starting flooding into the park. Cardinals batting practice was about half way through and many of the Cubs were starting to get warmed up. At about 5:40, the Cubs starting taking some BP. During this session I ended up with a souvenir on a ball tossed into the crowd by Jeff Baker and an autograph from Tom Gorzelanny.

The seats were very good, great view from the second level. The game was not as good, as the Cubs scored twice in the first but then the bats went silent in the loss. Derrek Lee did blast a solo home run.

The next morning I got up and headed over to see the Saint Louis Arch. Because of the line, I opted not to go up into the arch but still got some great pictures.

D-Lee stayed hot with another dinger on Saturday. Aramis Ramirez also went deep and Carlos Marmol held on for a 3-2 W! Prior to Saturday's 3:15 contest, I arrived early once again in order to watch BP when the gates opened at about 1:15. Many of the Cubs chatted with fans and signed autographs, including Starlin Castro whose signature I nabbed just minutes before game time.

After the Cubs/Cards battle on Saturday, I walked down the street to the Edward Jones Dome where the Rams were opening up their preseason. They fell to the Vikings 28-7 but it was thrilling to see the pro debut of Sam Bradford. The dome, which was very nice, had a decent sized crowd that showed up with hopes of a better year for their team.

I did not catch the Sunday game, but I tuned in on the radio on the way home as the Lee homered twice and the Cubs took the series.

Off Day Notes Two Days Before the Deadline

Saturday is the Major League Baseball Trade Deadline, and the futures of many of the Cubs are still in the air. Let's get all the latest updates as the Cubs take a day off before starting a series with the Rockies tomorrow night.

• Cubs first baseman Derrek Lee rejected a trade to the Angels yesterday. He used his 10 and 5 rights (10 years in MLB, 5 with the same team) to block the trade. Lee says this is a family decision and he plans to stay with the Cubs the rest of the season.
• Geovany Soto is expected to return to the lineup tomorrow night after missing Wednesday's game with a foot injury.
• Cubs No. 1 draft pick in 2007 Josh Vitters is out with a broken hand. He has been having a rough year at the plate with the Tennessee Smokies. Vitters could play in the Arizona Fall League in October.
• The Twins are unlikely to acquire Ted Lilly according a tweet from Jon Paul Morosi of FOX.
• The Mets are still in Lilly, but Ken Davidoff doesn't see it happening.
• The New York Post reports that you can "forget about the Mets dealing for Lilly".
• The Dodgers are one team that appear to still be in the mix for Teddy.
• Peoria Chiefs manager Casey Kopitzke will be at the helm for the Mesa Solar Sox of the AFL.
• Check out all of the minor league news in my Down on the Farm Report over on the CCO.
• Jon Heyman tweets that the Mets asked for Tom Gorzelanny, but the Cubs don't want to trade him.
• Ted Lilly says that it is evident that he would prefer to stay in Chicago for the future.
• Carlos Zambrano will rejoin the Cubs in Colorado tomorrow night. Brian Schlitter is expected to be sent down to make room on the roster, but Bobby Howry could be let go.

That's it for now, but I'll keep you posted as we approach the deadline.

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

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

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

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

Series Preview: Cubs VS Cardinals

When it's the Cubs and the Cardinals, the two teams step it up a notch. Usually, no matter where the teams are in the standings, competitive baseball is played! Let's hope that is the case this weekend when the 43-53 Cubs meet the 54-42 Cards at Wrigley Field.

St. Louis has the lead in the NL Central by 1.5 games over the Reds. They are 11 games in front of the 4th place Cubs. The Cards lost to the Phillies yesterday, but they're 8-2 in their last ten games! That loss snapped an eight game winning streak and ruined a perfect homestand. Today is the start of a six game road swing that will continue on to New York after Sunday.

This stretch of ten straight games at Wrigley started on a positive not when the Cubbies took three of four from the Phillies. However, they lost two of three at the hands of the woeful Astros. A winning homestand hinges on this set against the NL Central's top dog.

The Cubs and Cards have only met in one other series so far this year. The Cubs dropped two of three at Wrigley May 28-30. St. Lou got wins in blowout fashion, 7-1 in game one and 9-1 in game three. A lot of rivalry games will be played in the final two months, as these two teams meet 3 times in August and 6 in September. They play the next two of those series at Busch Stadium and the September 24-26 set will be back at The Friendly Confines.

Even though Tony La Russa has said that he will probably never manage the Cubs, he will still have to field a lot of questions from the Chicago media about the job opening. Tony's future is uncertain as 2010 is the final year of his contract. He has said that there are too many conflicts for him to take the Cubs job because of his relationships and history with both the Cardinals and White Sox.

General Manager John Mozeliak is much more comfortable after inking a three year extension last week. Cubs GM Jim Hendry also has job security after it was announced that he will lead the search for a new skipper. Hendry's main focus right now is the trade deadline that is only 8 days away. So far the Cubs have been silent and there have not been too many big moves around baseball.

Jayson Stark of ESPN.com says that Ted Lilly will almost certainly be traded. Tom Gorzelanny is on the market as well. With Carlos Zambrano rehabbing at Triple-A Iowa, it is possible that he could fill any opening in the rotation at some point. Z is expected to return to the bullpen next weekend in Colorado. He tossed a shutout inning for the I-Cubs last night and will make two more appearances there.

Carlos Silva will not pitch in this series because he is going to work with Larry Rothschild on the side after two straight bad outings. The Cubs say the issue is not injury related, but Silva has had hamstring problems this season.

Even though the three big stories this weekend seem to be the search for Lou's replacement, the trade deadline, and the HOF induction, there are still some big games to be played between the Cubs and Cardinals.

Game 1: Friday at 1:20 CT
Cardinals Starting Pitcher: Jeff Suppan, RHP (0-3, 4.20 ERA)
Cubs Starting Pitcher: Randy Wells, RHP (4-7, 4.33 ERA)
TV/Radio: WGN/WGN Radio

Game 2: Saturday at 12:05 CT
Cardinals Starting Pitcher: Blake Hawksworth, RHP (4-5, 4.85 ERA)
Cubs Starting Pitcher: Tom Gorzelanny, LHP (5-5, 3.12 ERA)
TV/Radio: CSN/WGN Radio

Game 3: Sunday at 7:05 CT
Cardinals Starting Pitcher: Chris Carpenter, RHP (11-3, 3.05 ERA)
Cubs Starting Pitcher: Ryan Dempster, RHP (8-7, 3.70 ERA)
TV/Radio: ESPN/WGN Radio

The Cubs will travel to Houston after Sunday's game to start a trip that also will see a stop in Colorado. They will return to Wrigley on August 2.

Let's go get a series win!

Series Preview: Cubs VS Reds

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Series Preview: Cubs VS Pirates

Two divisional foes in the Chicago Cubs and Pittsburgh Pirates will meet in a three game series that kicks off tonight and runs through Wednesday. The Cubs dominated the season series in both 2008 (14-4) and 2009 (10-4), but this year it's been a different story. The Bucs have take all three series that the clubs have played against one another and lead the season set 7 games to 2. The last time the Pirates and Cubs met, the Cubbies took a one game makeup on June 7 for their first victory at PNC Park this season.

After Wednesday, these Central division opponents will not play each other again until August 30. Both teams have had frustrating seasons to date. The Pirates are accustomed to finishing at or near the cellar in the NL Central, but the Cubs had high expectations for 2010. They are at risk of suffering their first losing season under skipper Lou Piniella.

Pittsburgh is in last in the division with a record of 25-50, which is 16.5 out of first. The Cubs are eight games ahead of the Pirates, but still nine under .500 and 8.5 behind the Reds, who lead St. Louis by a half of a game going into play today.

The North Siders just finished losing two of three at U.S. Cellular Field against their Crosstown rivals. The weekend included another Carlos Zambrano blow-up, and this one got him suspended indefinitely. After a team meeting on Saturday, the Cubs seemed like a different club on both Saturday and Sunday. They still lost Saturday night's contest in a 3-2 heart breaker, but then they managed to salvage something beating the Sox 8-6 on Sunday. The Cubs were clicking on all cylinders during the final game of the weekend. Tyler Colvin put the Cubs in front with a three run homer early, and then they settled in and got more comfortable at the plate. The final score was closer than it should have been because of a circus ninth inning against Carlos Marmol. The Cubs closer did not have the intensity that he usually has in a tight game, and ended up allowing the Sox to bring the winning run to the plate even though the Cubs had a five run lead going to the final frame.

The Cubbies have made a habit of losing the first two games of a series before finally waking up and winning the finale. They've dropped the opener in each of their last eight sets, a string they hope to end tonight. With a last place team in town, Lou's crew has a chance to end a miserable month on a high note. They hold a 9-14 record in June going into these final three games.

The Bucs are concluding a nine game road swing at Wrigley. They are 0-6 to start the trip after being swept by both Texas and Oakland in interleague games. The Pirates have had an even tougher month than the Cubs, 4-19 in June entering play tonight. The next time the Cubs see this squad, they will probably be revamped. Pittsburgh, once again, will be selling at the deadline.

Ron Santo will be honored by the organization prior to the game tonight. Santo celebrated the 50th anniversary of his big league debut on Saturday. The Cubs played the Pirates in Ronny's first career game on June 26, 1960. They swept a double header in Pittsburgh 7-6 and 7-5. He started at thirdbase and had three hits and five RBIs on the day. Santo went on to become a fixture in the Cubs lineup until 1974, when his final year of pro ball was spent with the White Sox. The 9-time All-Star is now in his 21st year of broadcasting on WGN Radio. Flags will fly at Wrigley in his honor starting tonight. In addition, Ron will toss out the first pitch tonight and sing "Take Me Out the Ball Game" on Thursday.

Game 1: Monday, 7:05 CT
Cubs Pitcher: Randy Wells, RHP (3-6, 5.21 ERA)
Pirates Pitcher: Paul Maholm, LHP (4-6, 4.24 ERA)
TV/Radio: CSN/WGN Radio 720

Game 2: Tuesday, 7:05 CT
Cubs Pitcher: Ted Lilly, LHP (2-6, 3.28 ERA)
Pirates Pitcher: Jeff Karstens, RHP (2-2, 4.60 ERA)
TV/Radio: WGN-TV/WGN Radio 720

Game 3: Wednesday at 1:20 CT
Cubs Pitcher: Tom Gorzelanny (2-5, 3.41 ERA)
Pirates Pitcher: Brad Lincoln (0-2, 6.00 ERA)
TV/Radio: WGN-TV/WGN Radio 720

One positive thing from the Zambrano incident is that Tom Gorzelanny is back in the rotation. Lou Piniella has said that if/when Z returns, he will head back to the bullpen and Gorzo will stay in the starting five. Tom pitched well during his stint of relief work. He earned his first career save in Seattle on Thursday and bailed Zambrano out to keep the Cubs in the game on Friday. Gorzelanny will work against his former team on Wednesday afternoon. Jose Ascaino, who went the other way in the Gorzo/Grabow trade, is on the 60 day DL. Kevin Hart, another produce of last July's swap, is in the minors, so the only former Cub we'll see in the series is shortstop Ronny Cedeno.

The Cubs are opening up their final homestand of the first half. The 7-gamer continues as the Reds come in for four starting on Thursday afternoon. The Cubs will spend the final week prior to the All-Star Break on the West Coast. The Pirates will come home for a four game series with the Phillies, but then they'll be right back on the road, where they've really struggled this season.

"I don't care who wins as long as it's the Cubs!"

Weekend Quick Hits: Zambrano & More

• The Cubs made a roster move yesterday calling up right hander Brian Schlitter from AAA-Iowa. Brian was the PTBNL in the trade that sent Scott Eyre to the Phillies during the '08 season.
• The Cubs needed the fresh arm the pen because of the short outing by Zambrano on Friday. Lou Piniella said that the Cubs were forced to send down a guy that didn't deserve to be sent down in Jeff Stevens.
• A team meeting was called before yesterday's game. The media was asked to leave and the guys spent sometime venting about the Z situation. Lou asked his players to give him some criticism as a manager, and it was decided that he needs to post the lineups sooner.
• The Cubs brass was not too thrilled that Zambrano was out to dinner with Ozzie Guillen Friday night. Assistant GM Randy Bush said that they would like too have seen Carlos spend time reflecting on his actions yesterday.
• If and when Zambrano returns to the Cubs, it will be out of the bullpen. Tom Gorzelanny will take his spot in the starting five, according to the Tribune.
• The Cubs are waiting to see what their options are with the suspension. They sent a letter to Major League Baseball and are waiting for feedback.
• Gordon Wittenmyer reports that Z is blaming Derrek Lee for turning this into a big deal. He said he was just trying to pump the team up. Team sources say that the rant, much of which was in Spanish, included Zambrano yelling "This team is horse (bleep)."
• Ken Rosenthal thinks that Z is tradeable, but only if the Cubs are willing to eat most of his $45MM contract.
• The A's have dumped another former Cub, sending Eric Patterson to the Red Sox.

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

Are the Cubs Selling?

With about a month and a half until the July 31 MLB Trade Deadline, the question that all teams are asking themselves is Do we have a chance to win this year or are we better off building for the future? For some teams, the answer to this question comes easily, if you're in first place or less than 5 games out of first, you're buying. If you are in 4th/5th place or more than ten games out of first, get out the For Sale sign. However, for the clubs like the Cubs that are stuck in the middle, it will be interesting to see what they decide to do.

The Cubs have a record of 28-35 but they are in third place and just 7.5 back of first in the NL Central. The Wild Card will not help the Cubs this year, as they are in 9th place and eight games back.

So, the North Siders have three options-

A) Try to add some pieces that will help turn this thing around.
B) Dump some salary, add some prospects, and build for a brighter future.
C) Don't make any major moves and just finish out the season with the team we have.

Mostly likely, Hendry will wait and see what transpires on the field over the next two weeks. Then he will have a full month before the deadline to make some moves. Hopefully, no matter what happens, Jim will choose "C" because that will not help the Cubs this year or in the future.

Here are some names that could be on the market:

• Xavier Nady: Today is June 15, the first day free agents signed last offseason are allowed to be traded. Nady could be one of the first guys to go since the Cubs have too many outfielders in need of playing time. The Angels were connected to Xavier a few weeks ago.
• Ted Lilly: The Bulldog is a free agent at the end of the year, and in my opinion he should be re-signed. However, if the Cubs do not think Teddy fits into the team's plans beyond this season, it makes sense to try to get something in return. The Cubs do not want to let another pitcher leave for nothing when they could have had some value in a trade a few months prior like they did with Harden a year ago.
• Bobby Howry/John Grabow: These guys are taking up spots in the pen that could be used to get some young arms adjusted to the big leagues. If the Cubs continue to lose, I'd expect one or both to be released or traded.
• Soriano, Lee, Ramirez: The Cubs would love to trade all three of these guys, but the fact of the matter is that they all have big contracts and no-trade clauses. There is no doubt that Sori is untradeable, but there are some teams interested in D-Lee.
• Ryan Theriot: With Starlin Castro taking over at short stop, it makes sense for the Cubs to try to move Theriot. He is one of only a handful of guys on this team that the Cubs can get a good package of prospects in return for.
• Mike Fontenot: If they don't trade Theriot, either 'lil Mike or Jeff Baker has to go when Ramirez comes off the DL. There are a few teams that could be interested in Fontenot as a utility infielder.
• Tom Gorzelanny: Gorzo has shown improvement this season, and needs to be in the starting rotation somewhere. He could be a solid back of the rotation start. Most likely, either Tom will take Wells' spot in the rotation or be traded. He does has value on the market.
• Kosuke: The Cubs probably cannot get much in return, but it might be worth getting some younger outfielders more playing time. However, first they have to persuade Kosuke to waive his no-trade clause.
• Carlos Silva: A lot of teams need starting pitching, and flopping this guy again could make sense if the Cubs are waiving the white flag. However, I think they'd be best hanging onto him since there is still another year left on his contract.
• Randy Wells: Randy has lost much of his trade value with his poor performance on the hill this year. Trading Wells now would be like panicing and selling your stocks when their value is at the lowest instead of waiting until the stock market improves!

Will Jim Hendry overhaul this team, or will he stick with the same crew for the rest of the year???

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

Mid Week Roundup: The Rotation, Health Situations, Lilly Cheating?, and More

Zambrano in the Hospital
Carlos Zambrano spent Thursday afternoon in the hospital with appendicitis type symptoms. Tests for appendicitis were negative and Big Z is listed as day-to-day. Zambrano is expected to return to his role in the rotation soon after spending a shot time in the Cubs' bullpen.

Baker Also Has a Scare
Jeff Baker was playing third base today. He had a little scare when he could not see out of his right eye according to Lou Piniella. Jeff was removed in the eight inning after he didn't even make an attempt at fielding a ball hit to his left. He will be examined by an eye doctor.

Rotation Situation
Zambrano will re-enter the rotation on the next road trip, which starts next Monday. Lou Piniella has not announced which starter will exit the starting five to make room for Z. Piniella doesn't think anyone deserves to leave the rotation, but the Cubs will not go with a six man rotation. Tom Gorzelanny could be in jeopardy of a move to the bullpen.

Ramirez to Return
Aramis Ramirez could finally be back in the lineup this weekend against the Cardinals. A-Ram was available to pinch hit today but he was not used. He hit in the cage and on the side with Rudy Jaramillo. Ramirez has been nursing a thumb injury.

Top Pitching Prospects Preparing for Relief Roles
The Cubs could be ready to call-up either Jay Jackson or Andrew Cashner from AAA-Iowa. Both guys, who are usually starters, have been converted to the bullpen so that they can join the Cubs' pen at some point this season. Bruce Levine says that one of them could be in the bullpen as soon as next week.

Lineup Switching
Piniella has continue to move guys around in the order. Ryan Theriot has been moved down in the order because of his recent struggles. Starlin Castro has found a home in the two hole. The Cubs are now 8-0 when Starlin hits second.

The Bulldog a Cheater?
Dodgers' hitter Casey Blake accused Ted Lilly of cheating today. Blake said the Lilly was starting his windup for some pitches in front of the rubber. The umpiring crew did not see any violation.

Power Outage
Last night the lights went out at Wrigley Field as Ryan Dempster delivered ball four to Blake DeWitt. The game was delayed for 18 minutes before power was restored. The last time there was a power outage at Wrigley was in 2003.

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

Cubs Radio, Howry, Zambrano, and More

• Carlos Zambrano will return to the rotation against the Pirates next week. Tom Gorzelanny could be the odd starter out.
• The Cubs have agreed to move their radio broadcasts to accommodate the Chicago Blackhawks Stanley Cup Finals games. The Hawks games will be on the the WGN-720 flagship station while Pat and Ron will be moved to 560 WIND on conflicting dates. The days the Cubs will be on 560 will be June 2, 4, and possibly 9th (if Game 6 is needed in Stanley Cup).
• Speaking of the Hawks, some of their players were at Wrigley tonight to cheer on the Cubbies.
• Aramis Ramirez got another day off on Tuesday. He sat out with a thumb injury. A-ram is hitless in his last four games and is hitting just .160 this year.
• Phil Rogers reports that Aramis will most likely avoid the DL and could return to the lineup against the Cardinals this weekend.
• Bobby Howry believes he still has something to bring to the table. He will be used in middle relief.
• Jim Hendry wasn't sure how to react when he was told that Milton Bradley is taking his advice at looking in the mirror, according to Bruce Levine.
• Carlos Zambrano's 73 pitch simulated game went well yesterday. Jeff Baker and Tyler Colvin were among the batters.
• After a 3-0 win against the Dodgers tonight, the Cubs are 7-0 when Starlin Castro bats second in the lineup.

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

Weekend Quick Hits: Rami's Struggles, Sori's Fun, Lou's Fire, and More

• Carlos Zambrano is working his way back into the starting rotation. He is going to throw a simulated game on Monday at Wrigley Field and then see how he feels on Tuesday.
• The Cubs have not decided who will leave the rotation once Zambrano returns.
• Tom Gorzelanny is having no problems with his finger after being hit by a line drive in his last start.
• Greg Maddux is enjoying his role with the organization. He spent a week with the Class-A Daytona club and is now headed to Tennessee to visit the Smokies.
• Whenever Starlin Castro bats second in the lineup, the Cubs have won. Tonight's win improved the Cubs to 5-0 with Castro in the two hole.
• Lou Piniella does not feel the need to call a team meeting. Instead, he prefers dealing with players one on one.
• Aramis Ramirez returned to the Cubs' lineup as the DH tonight and went 0-5. His sore left thumb is now OK, but he's hitting just .160.
• Carlos Silva and Ryan Dempster are tied for the team lead in quality starts with 6 each. Dempster still only has a 1-3 record to show for his good work.
• Former Cub (Spring Training only) Kevin Millar has been busy since being released by the Cubs. He's on the St. Paul Saints' DL, he is a studio analyst for MLB Network, and now he has joined FOX Baseball coverage.
• Phil Rogers reports that the Cubs signing of Bob Howry was seen as a sign of desperation by rival scouts.
• Alfonso Soriano is still having fun playing the game of baseball, which is good to see.
• Piniella is finally start to show a little fire. He realizes that the Cubs need to start hitting with men on base.

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

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

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

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

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

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