· The Cubs claimed Alex Hinshaw off of waivers from the Padres Sunday. You can see his stats here. In a corresponding move the Cubs transferred Arodys Vizcanio to the 60 day DL.
· The Cubs will call up lefty Chris Rusin to pitch tonight in his ML debut. A corresponding move has not been announced but Jeff Beliveau or Adrian Cardenas could be sent back down to Iowa.
· The Cubs deal with Starlin Castro will likely not be announced for another week or two but the meat of the deal has been leaked. A 7 year $60M deal with an option for an 8th year. Great deal for both sides.
· Is Darwin Barney a stopgap or long term guy. The boys at Cubs den give you that to chew on.
· BleacherNation looks at Theo’s possible impact on Boston’s issues.
· Four inexpensive veteran type free agent pitchers the Cubs are looking at next season are Scott Baker, Kevin Correia, Chien-Ming Wang, and Chris Young.
· The Cubs and Angels have been recently talking about Carlos Marmol a source tells me.
· The Cubs are relocating their A ball affiliate from Peoria to Kane County. The move will bring the Cubs lower level prospects closer to Chicago.
Bruce Levine Speaks-
· Soriano looks unlikely to be dealt even if the Cubs eat 28-30 million dollars of his contract.
· Any possible deals for Soriano were vetoed by Soriano. Back to the he said she said stuff again.
· The Cubs plan is to be a great organization for 12-15 years rather than being entertaining/competitive now. They have a short 5 year plan in place.
· Jamie Quirk is working extra time with Clevenger and Castillo.
· Dale Sveum job looks safe for next year and maybe a year after that but the coaching staff is not guaranteed and must prove they belong in the Cubs long-term plans.
· Castro extension is a good deal for both parties.
· The Mets could be a trading partner for Marmol.
· The Cubs will go out and get a couple of veteran starters next year to round out the rotation.
· It is possible the Cubs could start Jackson back in Iowa next season. Same goes with Vitters.
Until Next Time…
