Gomes Chicago Bound...

David Kaplan has the recent Cubs Talk...

- The Cubs are in negotiations with Jonny Gomes. He hit well against lefties last season and in his entire career so he is not that bad of an option for the money. I would rather have Dye though.

- The Cubs are only interested in Sheets for a one year deal with an option with a low base salary loaded with incentives. Nothing over that.

- Jayson Stark added Fernando Tatis and Chan Ho Park to the list of players that Cubs have kept in contact with.

- Mark Johnson and Scott McClain were signed to minor league deals without an invite to ST.

Until Next Time....

Players Flying Off Market...

- Free agents continue to find homes and many of them were targets for the Cubs. Rick Ankiel is a Royal and Jose Contreras is a Phillie.

- GROTA runs down what is left for the off season. The three areas they have the Cubs targeting are a backup outfield, reliever, and maybe an infielder. They pick Xavier Nady, Felipe Lopez, and Kiko Calero. They also mention a starter but I do not see that as that big of a deal. They of course label Ben Sheets as their pick.

Here is my targets-

Outfield Free Agents- My Pick- Gary Sheffield
Xavier Nady
Jermaine Dye
Eric Byrnes
Rocco Baldelli
Jonny Gomes
Randy Winn
Reed Johnson
Gary Sheffield

Outfield Trade Targets- My Pick- Rajai Davis
Ryan Spilborghs
Rajai Davis
Cody Ross
Ryan Raburn
Josh Willingham

Infield Free Agents- My Pick- Felipe Lopez
Felipe Lopez
Orlando Hudson
Adam Kennedy
Miguel Tejada
Orlando Cabrera

Infield Trade Targets= My Pick- Luis Castillo
Alberto Callaspo
Luis Castillo
Jose Lopez
Stephen Drew

Reliever Free Agents- My Pick- John Smoltz
Too many to list

Reliever Trade Targets- My Pick- Heath Bell
Too many to list

- Here is my trade scenario for the week. It is a three way trade-

Cubs get Luis Castillo, Gary Matthews Jr., and Brad Hawpe
Mets get Fukudome, Sean Marshall, Micah Hoffpauir, and cash from Cubs
Rockies get John Maine, Angel Guzman, and Marcos Mateo

Cubs get their top of the lineup guy that is a switch hitter and plays good defense at 2nd base. They also get their very versatile, good defensive fourth outfielder in Matthews (who should benefit from getting Jaramillo back as his hitting coach), and a starting RF with good defense and a better bat in Hawpe. He would fill the need for a left handed power bat the Cubs have been searching for the past three years.

The Mets would get a good defensive outfielder who could use a change of scenery in Fukudome. He could fill in at CF with Beltran recovering then go to a platoon partner with Francoeur when he returns. They also get another guy they can plug in at first in Hoffpauir in Murphy does not do well. Sean Marshall would be inserted into the rotation in John Maine's spot.

The Rockies would be getting pitching which they need. All they give up is Hawpe for three good arms. John Maine would be inserted in the already decent starting rotation. Then they can add two fireballers in Mateo and Guzman for the back end of their pen.

Here is the Cubs lineup with the trade-
Theriot SS
Castillo 2b
Lee 1st
Hawpe RF
Aram 3rd
Byrd CF
Soriano LF
Soto C

What a tough lineup with speed and power!

What you guys think????

Until Next Time....

More Cub Rumors....

- The Cubs will keep their Spring Training in Mesa.

- The Tribune is saying that the Cubs are courting free agent outfielder Jonny Gomes and Gomes even confirms this.

- The Cubs are also talking to Dye and Nady but according to Levine the Cubs have now looked beyond Dye because he must decide to retire or take a part-time job and a 60% paycut to stay playing baseball.

- Levine also add that the Cubs are talking to the Jays about Jason Frasor and the Padres about Luke Gregerson as well as Heath Bell.

- He did mention Reed Johnson and Rocco Baldelli are still in the mix for the fourth outfielder spot.

- The Cubs have had talks with Kiko Calero but have "no interest at this point" according to Levine.

- Although the Cubs are looking for a righty for the outfield they are still keeping tabs on Ankiel because his price and stock continue to drop. I would not mind if the Cubs added Baldelli and Ankiel? That would be too goo to be true though.

More Later....

Levine's Latest....

Bruce Levine had his chat over at ESPN.com yesterday. Here is a breakdown on what he had for us....

- Wells says he is working really hard so he does not have a sophomore jinx and Ryan Theriot say he has no problem moving to 2nd base for the Cubs.

- If Rick Ankiel's value continues to fall the Cubs will consider signing him. I would love to get Ankiel on a one year deal worth 3 million or less.

- The Cubs see Jermaine Dye as their fourth outfielder because of the power he brings. They view Reed Johnson as a small ball type player, which they have in Sam Fuld.

- The health of Angel Guzman scares the Cubs and he is getting a lot of interest from other teams so the Cubs could trade him for a reliever or maybe fourth outfielder.

- The Cubs view Spilborghs as a fourth or 5th outfielder but prefer Dye over him.

- Contreras is still on the Cubs radar. Smoltz is a better fit in my opinion.

- Levine thinks Ricketts will give Jim more money around the trade deadline to make an impact move or two. Maybe an upgrade at 2nd base?

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Other Things...

- It is curious that Levine would mention Rick Ankiel because we at Hot Stove Cubbies are hearing they could actually sign Dye and Ankiel both for under 8 million combined. This would make Micah Hoffpauir start in AAA or traded, it would also force Fuld to AAA. The move would really strengthen the bench but I think the Cubs would have to trade some players like Guzman, Shark, Fontenot, or players with a contract right around a million or above to make the Dye and Ankiel signing happen.

Until Next Time...

Cubs Sign.... Other Note....

- The Cubs signed 5 of their 8 arbitration eligible players today. Mike Fontenot will earn 1 million, Guzman will get 825,000, Baker will get 975,000, Hill will get 700,000, and Gorzelanny will get 800,000. Sean Marshall, Ryan Theriot, and Carlos Marmol all missed the deadline but can sign before arbitration starts in February. The Cubs have not gone to an arbitration hearing since Mark Grace in 1993. Here is a link on what the Cubs offered them and what they came back with.

- Jermaine Dye is the Cubs top prority right now and it is known that Derrek Lee is involved in the negotiations (who is a friend of Dye). The Cubs are saying he will get a lot of playing time with Soriano's injury woes and Fukudome's struggles. Many officials say the Cubs will sign Dye but if they do not they will turn their attention to Xavier Nady.

- The Cubs are keeping tabs on Mark Mulder but he will likely sign with the Brewers.

- The Cubs also like relievers Luke Gregerson and Jason Frasor for set up men.

- The Cubs watched Ben Sheets throw today. He hit 91 on his fastball and had a good curve ball. Sources have the Mets, Rangers, or Cubs potential landing spots.

Until Next Time...

Nady and Dye Outfield Options.. More....

Update @ 4:52 pm- Bruce Levine says the Cubs and Dye are very much interested in each other and have had preliminary talks.

- Xavier Nady is on schedule to be ready for Spring Training following his 2nd Tommy John surgery of his career. The Cubs are interested in Nady according to Foxsports.com. It is also reported that the Cubs are very much interested in Jermaine Dye according to the Tribune. Either one would be fine with me, both have positives and negatives. Dye's defensive abilities are lacking while his power is better than Nady. Hendry is suppose to acquire a fourth outfielder in less than two weeks.

- Do not believe the Ben Sheets is "poised to sign with the Cubs" rumors. We at Hot Stove Cubbies have many sources saying that is entirely untrue.

- Our friends at Cubbies Crib says the Cubs along with the Yankees have expressed interest in Rocco Baldelli. I am a big, big Baldelli guy! They also say Silva may resurrect his career in Chicago. Larry found a flaw in his mechanics which he changed. Now Silva is hitting 93 mph on his fastball and his sinker is a lot sharper. Wouldn't that be a nice surprise.

- There have been talks with the Cubs and Padres about Heath Bell but the Pads are asking too much!

Until Next Time....

Byrnes a fit... Other Tidbits.

- The D'Backs have designated Eric Byrnes for assignment and would love to trade him but unfortunately he has not trade protection so they will likely eat the 11 million he is owed and be released. The Cubs should have some interest in Eric Byrnes even though his numbers are not has good as Dye, Sheffield, or Nady. The good thing about Byrnes is he plays all out all the time and can play all three outfield spots very well. Keep an eye on Byrnes.

- No information on Jason Bourgeois yet so it is likely the Cubs will wait until he becomes a free agent to make their move. One thing is for sure they are very interested in the switch hitter.

- Kevine Kouzmanoff was traded to the A's so he will likely not be in cubbie blue anytime soon.

- The Cubs are waiting and being patient in their pursuit of an outfielder that can platoon with Fukudome. They are waiting to see how low the price will go on these veterans. Although Hendry did say at the Cubs Convention he was going to add two or three players in the next two weeks.

- ChicagoCubsOnline.com has great info on the Cubs Convention. I suggest you check hit out!
Day1
Day2
Here is some highlights-
## The Cubs will go into the season with either Fontenot or Baker at 2nd base.
## The Cubs are not actively pursing a starter but a right handed reliever.
## Hendry will add a couple of players in the next two weeks.
## Soto lost like 40lbs and looks great!
## Fukudome and Theriot will bat one and two or vice versa with Byrd batting 5th in the lineup.

Until Next Time....

New Names... New Rumors....

- The Cubs are one of 5 teams who like Jose Contereras. The others are the Cards, Rockies, Phillies, and Padres.

- The Cubs already have watch Ben Sheets throw some but they are going to get a closer look on Tuesday where he will throw for about 10 teams. Hard to see the Cubs signing him to an incentive laden deal with that many teams interested.

- Reed Johnson is still on the Cubs radar for the fourth outfielder spot.

- The Cubs invited 19 non-roster invites to Big League Camp. There are 3 guys on this list I can see making the Big Show to start the season, they are Bobby Scales, Andrew Cashner, and Brad Snyder. With Snyder being the most likely out of the three in my opinion.

- The Tribune says the Cubs are looking for a right-handed platoon player with Fukudome in RF and said they have interest in Nady and Dye. Nady has good numbers against lefties posting a .308 Avg, .383 OBP and has similar numbers at Wrigley. Dye on the other hand not as impressive hitting .287 with .366 OBP. One source says the Cubs interest in Dye is sincere but will not go about an one year deal worth 3-4 million.

I will ask this again why not Sheffield? A career .307 hitter against lefties, .405 OBP and .929 OPS. His lifetime stats are better than Dye and Nady, he can play both corner spots and first (better defensively than Dye but not Nady), and will cost a lot less than Dye or Nady. I understand he has "attitude" issues but he is not like Bradley, trust me on this! The Cubs should pick up Shef over both Nady and Dye.

- The Cubs like Kiko Calero but are worried about his shoulder issues.

- Jim Hendry is discussing potential deal with the Padres, Blue Jays, and Rockies according to Levine. The players I am speculation that could be involved is the Padres Kevine Kouzmanoff, the Blue Jays Frasor or Travis Snider, and the Rockies Ryan Spilborghs.

Until Next Time...

Latest From Levine.....

UPDATE- 11:30am- The Cubs are poised to acquire Jason Bourgeois from the Astros according to my sources. The Astros recently designated Bourgeois for assignment. The 28 year old hit .316 with .354 OBP while playing all three outfield positions in AAA. He is a switch hitter logged 541 games at 2b, 228 games in the outfield, 119 games at SS, and 6 at 3b in his minor league career. He can steal a base and plays really good defense. He should be a really good addition for the Cubs. Here is his stats.

Here is the latest from Bruce Levine who is in Phoenix for the owners meetings. They are expected to have all 30 GMs in attendance and the possibility of a mini Winter Meetings is expected. Lets check it out!-

- The Cubs have discussed trading Sean Marshall, Fontenot, Gorzelanny, and Guzman in possible deals that would get them a fourth outfielder or veteran relief pitcher. I am surprised they are dangling Guzman.

- Levine says Guzman is the most likely out of the bunch to bring back an outfielder or setup man. The Cubs are unsure about the stability of Guzman's arm.

- The Cubs should extend Derrek Lee's contract.

- Jim Hendry will have to be a bottom feeder this winter because Ricketts has frozen payroll.

- Ryan Theriot will be moved to 2nd base eventually with Starlin Castro at SS. Levine said he would not be shocked if he moves Ryan in ST if Castro gets off to a good start.

- The Cubs see Shark as a starter and he will have every opportunity to earn that spot. My guess is he will either be a starter for Chicago or sent to AAA as a starter.

- The Cubs have talked to "a few teams about trades" for a right handed reliever. He mentions Jason Frasor.

- Money is an issue. What is new?

- The Rox want a bullpen arm for Ryan Spilborghs.

- The Cubs have not interest in Felipe Lopez according to Bruce Levine's source. I may have to give up on them acquiring a 2nd baseman.

- The Cubs signed right-handed reliever Jeff Kennard who was 3-1 in 40 games for the AAA Reds team last season with a 2.83 ERA.

- There will be a lot of minor league signings with invites to ST in the next 10 days.

- Little FYI for all you out there. Derrek Lee and Ted Lilly will all be free agents after the end of 2010 with Aramis Ramirez having the opt-out clause after the 2010 season. Aram can opt out of his contract and become a free agent for the 2011 season. If all those players leave the Cubs would remove 40 million dollars off of their 2010 payroll with just those three players leaving (though I hope we retain all three for 2011, especially Aram). That would put their payroll around 100 million to start the 2011 off season if those three decided to leave. Something I found interesting.

Until Next Time....

Sheets in the Wind....

- According to the ChicagoTribune.com the Cubs are going to make a run at Ben Sheets. Sheets is wanting a two year deal around 10-12 million per year. The Cubs think they can land him with an incentive laden deal which to me is unlikely. His health is a concern so I do not see a fit for the Cubs in my opinion. Muskat tweets that Sheets contract demands do not fit the Cubs budget. I think the Cubs should target a guy like Doug Davis over Sheets. Davis will command less money, is a lefty, and has pitched 200+ innings 4 of the past 6 seasons. The Cubs need a durable pitcher a decent price not a fragile one for more money.

- Muskat also said the Cubs are still searching for a right handed reliever. John Smoltz is the answer. I still do not think a reliever is a priority with our good young relievers in AAA that could fill the Chicago pen.

- On a side note, I feel if the Cubs do not sign Gary Sheffield as their veteran bat, that can play the corner spots in the outfield, I will be very upset considering he fills all the needs for the Cubs laid out by Jim Hendry. Not to mention he kills lefties and hits great at Wrigley. Perfect platoon partner for Fukudome and valuable DH for inter league play! Check his stats here.

Until Next Time...