Monday, March 19, 2012

Trades Brewing with Roster Shaping....

  • The Royals are searching for catching help with Salvador Perez’s left need operation and could call the Cubs about Geovany Soto. Geo is slated to make $4.3M next season which fits what the Royals can handle money wise. One thing that the Royals are stated to look for is a short term plan to replace Perez which does not fit for the Cubs or Soto unless KC declined to offer Soto arbitration next season or traded him.

  • Bleacher Nation said the Phillies could target Jeff Baker or Blake DeWitt as a replacement for Chase Utley who has reached a plateau in his rehab.

  • The Chicago Cubs were really close to having both Maddux brothers on the north side instead of Sveum and Co. according to the Sun Times before Mike eventually pulled out; or did he???

  • It looks like Samardzija is a lock to the make rotation while Volstad and Wells battle for the 5th spot in the rotation.

  • Joe Mather’s surge in Spring Training could push the Cubs to trade Baker (maybe to the Phillies).

  • Ian Stewart is close to being back in the Cubs lineup everyday.

  • It sounds like Dolis is a favorite to land a spot in the pen which is expected since Shark will head to the rotation.

  • The Cubs are really happy with Rule 5 draft pick Lendy Castillo and he could even make the team out of Spring Training.

  • The Cubs really like Matt Harrison of the Rangers and tried to obtain him among others when the Rangers had interest in Garza. All that fell apart when Darvish signed with Texas but the Cubs interest in Harrison remains. Harrison is only 26 years and is not arbitration eligible until next Spring and will not become a free agent until 2015. See more on Harrison here.

  • Nothing like looking at my 25 man roster from March 5th and now realizing how off I was! Now on March 19th this is how I see the line-up, bench, rotation, and bullpen.
    Lineup-
    1. David DeJesus RF
    2. Marlon Byrd CF
    3. Starlin Castro SS
    4. Bryan LaHair 1st
    5. Alfonso Soriano LF
    6. Ian Stewart 3rd
    7. Geovany Soto C
    8. Darwin Barney 2b
    Bench-
    1. Steve Clevenger C
    2. Jeff Baker IF/OF
    3. Joe Mather IF/OF
    4. Reed Johnson OF
    5. Blake DeWitt IF/OF
    Rotation-
    1. Ryan Dempster
    2. Matt Garza
    3. Paul Maholm
    4. Jeff Samardzija
    5. Chris Volstad
    Bullpen-
    1. Carlos Marmol
    2. Kerry Wood
    3. Rafael Dolis
    4. Lendy Castillo
    5. James Russell
    6. Trever Miller
    7. Randy Wells
    Unless something drastic happens this looks like your Chicago Cubs 25 man roster for Opening Day.

    Until Next Time...

    2 comments:

    Anonymous said...

    why would it be DeWitt over Cardenas? The Cubs moved DeWitt off the 40-man roster to add Cardenas, and he is a more versatile player.

    Anonymous said...

    Trevor Miller released today, 3/26. So much for your prediction on that one. I don't know why you ever thought he would make the roster!