Roster Update...

The Cubs place Ryan Freel on the 15 day DL with a pulled left hamstring and called up Bobby Scales to take his place on the roster. The Cubs also expect Harden to be out for three weeks or more so the Cubs may need to make a move for a pitcher unless they feel comfortable with Wells in the rotation until Harden get better ( which I am).

Nationals Fire Sale Could Benefit Cubs.

Newsday's Ken Davidoff had this to say today on the trade front-

Nick Johnson, or (Josh) Willingham, or (Austin) Kearns, anyone on our roster, if we can make a good baseball trade and improve ourselves, not only for our present but also for our future -- a player that can impact us -- we have to make those kinds of trades."

He also stats that the Nationals are seeking young, athletic players with high ceilings in trades. So what this means for the Cubs is that with Milton Bradley's chances of getting injured, lack of offense until recently, and Aramis being out, the Cubs use another bat in the lineup. This also could effect positions if they acquire an outfielder. Lou talked earlier this week that the unlikely possibility of moving Soriano back to 2nd base (Wow!).

The players listed above do not really help the Cubs anymore than what we really have besides the veteran bat of Nick Johnson. But Ken does say "anyone on our roster" which means guys like Willie Harris, Christian Guzman, and even Adam Dunn could be available and all could interest the Cubs in some way or another.

I am personally in favor of acquiring Adam Dunn just like I was before we landed Milton Bradley this offseason. There are a lot of options for Lou if he gets Dunn and here they are-

1. Trade Lee put Dunn at 1st.
2. Move Soriano to 2b, put Dunn in LF.
3. Put Bradley in CF, put Dunn in RF.

I personally think the Cubs should sacrifice defense for offense for this. What a lineup with Dunn this would be!

1. Soriano LF
2. Theriot SS
3. Bradley CF
4. Dunn RF
5. Lee 1st
6. Soto C
7. Freel 3b
8. Fonty 2b

with Ram back-

1. Soriano LF
2. Theriot SS
3. Dunn RF
4. Aram 3b
5. Bradley CF
6. Lee 1st
7. Soto C
8. Fonty 2b

Wow! What a lineup that would be!

Keep an eye on the Nationals situation, because it could benefit the Cubs!

Cubs Make Some Much Needed Roster Moves...

The Cubs are finally shaking things up! They have made some good roster moves today. They put the struggling Aaron Miles on the DL with a "sore right shoulder" and called up backup infielder Andres Blanco who has been doing well in Iowa. The Cubs also called up the power hitting Jake Fox and lefty Jason Waddell. With that move they optioned Neal Cotts and Bobby Scales to AAA. Cotts has been struggling in Chicago while Scales has been doing well but the Cubs needed a backup at SS with Miles going on the DL.

These moves could also be a showcase of talent that the Cubs have. The Cubs have been linked to several infielders and showcasing guys like Waddell and Fox could peak other teams interest looking to build for the future.

Any way you look at these moves you have to agree the Cubs front office made some good decisions.

In case you missed it..............................

- Rich Harden was placed on the 15 day DL and has not pitched since being put there.

- Carlos Zambrano was ejected from todays game for bumping the umpire. He will not serve any time because after MLB looks at the replay they will see the ump actually bumped him.

- The Cubs will not rush around to get a Peavy deal done right now. They will wait to see if the asking price decreases and wait until the ownership situation is resolved.

- Cubs officials are drooling at the idea of the Cubs getting Adrian Gonzalez and Jake Peavy in the same deal. A third team would more than likely have to get involved with the Cubs trading some players like Derrek Lee, Jake Fox, Sean Marshall, Micah Hoffpauir, Vitters, etc in a three team deal to get a deal done.

That is it for now, Go Cubs!

Cubs Like Cantu?? Uggla?? Kouzmanoff??

The Cubs rumors are really flying in lately and three new names on the radar are Jorge Cantu, Dan Uggla and Kevin Kouzmanoff. According to Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times the Padres are dangling KK and the Cubs realize the potential for a fit even though they think Mike Fontenot is doing a good job. Kevin has not been good at home and only average on the road which makes me wonder if maybe Aramis will be out longer than the 4-6 week time frame. Maybe a change of scenery will help Kevin because he is just not hitting well this year and is just OK over his career as a Padre.

Some other players the Cubs are keeping tabs on are Jorge Cantu and Dan Uggla. The Marlins are said to be fielding offers on the two players. Both players would really interest the Cubs especially with the hitting slump they are in. Jorge Cantu would benefit the Cubs more because he can play 2b, 3rd, and 1st. Plus he is hitting .276 with 8 homers and 35 RBI and that is in a pitcher friendly park. Jorge is also owed only 3.5 million this season. Dan Uggla also caught the Cubs eye but has only played 2nd base in his short career. Not only would he provide the power the Cubs are looking for but he would do it from 2nd base. Uggla has not hit for average this season but the power numbers are still there. He is hitting at a .205 avg with 8 homers and 30 RBI. He is owed 5 million this season.

One thing the Marlins players have going for them is there hitting with RISP. Uggla is posting a .263 avg with a .420 OBP, 2 homers, and 22 RBI with RISP. He also post a robust .273 avg with a .448 OBP, a homer, and 13 RBI with RISP with 2 outs! Jorge Cantu is hitting .294 with 5 homers and a .327 OBP with RISP.

With Kouzmanoff it is a different story. He is hitting a .231 avg. with 2 homers, .333 OBP, which is not very good with RISP.

It is not known what the Padres and Marlins would seek for a bounty on these players but the asking price for the Marlins studs will be a lot more than the price for Kevin Kouzmanoff.

That is it for now, more to come!

Cubs Could be Set to Land Peavy?? DeRosa? Figgins?

All was quite until Peavy to the White Sox came up. More Peavy talk today-


- Peavy is not going to close the door on the Sox saying right now the White Sox do not appeal to him. The White Sox will leave the deal on the table in case Peavy changes his mind.


- Peavy prefers to stay in the NL and if traded he would prefer the midwest. Brewers and Cubs will fight for him with the Cards not having the assets to land him.


- Buster Olney reports the Cubs still have interest in Peavy.


- Paul Sullivan says the Cubs could pursue Peavy once the ownership transition progresses before the last part of July.


- An interesting note is that Peavy praises the Cubs fans and the organization (You know he wants to be a Cub!)


More Cubs Chatter-


- The Cubs and Lou are getting really frustrated at the lack of offense and could make a move for more speed or power. The Cubs are currently eyeing Mark DeRosa, Chone Figgins, Cristian Guzman, and Felipe Lopez according to some scouts. The Cubs are growing tired of Mike Fontenot and Aaron Miles everyday so they are currently looking for guys who can play all around the infield and all four guys listed can with 3 of them being switch hitters. I would not be surprised for the Cubs to make a move on a middle infielder in the next 3 weeks if they do not start getting production from 2nd base.

That is it, for now!

Cubs Will Restart Talks for Peavy.... Lee's Comments

A lot of Peavy news has been circling around baseball. First Jake was going to be traded to the southside but he exercised his no trade clause. It was a wise idea for Jake considering if he waits a bit longer he can determine what team is in contention, if the location would then appeal to him, and if they are built to win in the years to come as well.

Some clubs that have come out and rumored to be interested since this and they are the Red Sox, Angels, and Brewers. The Red Sox already said they have enough pitching depth and may concentrate on offense at the deadline. The Angels are also considering offense and maybe a first baseman and the Brewers, well, are the Cubs biggest concern right now. The Brewers have money to spend right now and at the deadline so I see them as their only competition.

When Jim Hendry was asked about restarting talks about Peavy there was no comment. But it is said that once the Ricketts family finalizes the purchase of the Cubs they will pursue Peavy to add strength to their rotation. Some player that now could be involved are Bobby Scales, Jake Fox, Jeff Stevens, and numerous other young pitchers.

A good thing is that Ryan Theriot and Reed Johnson like the idea!

One thing is for sure, the Cubs will be players for Peavy again!

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Something stuck me the other day hearing Derrek Lee's comments on Cubs pre-game. He stated that the Cubs have been "playing good baseball" and that he is "not worried." I am sorry but Derrek you are wrong! I am really getting sick of this attitude that everything is just fine and the Cubs ignore the giant elephant in the room. The Cubs are not "playing good baseball." They are making baserunning and fielding mistakes, lack of hustle, and motivation. A lot of that comes from our Captain Derrek Lee who is hitting a poor .239 with 4 homers, and a .305 OBP. It is not early anymore and a corner man hitting like that would not even be on the 25 man roster let alone starting.

It is time Derrek starts hitting and shut his mouth because he does not have any idea what "playing good baseball" is right now. Considering he is "not worried" scares me because the Cubs are currently in 3rd place and 4 games out of first.

This whole situation bothers me and if Derrek does not pick it up then the Cubs need to start Hoffpauir at first because he is "playing good baseball!"

Cubs Updates.. I have been busy...

I first want to apologise to all my readers but I have been really occupied with work, family, and finding a house. So hang with me through this rough stretch in Hot Stove Cubbies history. Here is what we have for today-

- The Cubs sale could be done by July according to reports that began surfacing Monday morning. It stated that Tom Ricketts "has lined up three banks to complete the $450 million financing his group needs to finalize his purchase of the franchise."

This is a big step in the right direction and also towards the Cubs getting some of their mid season goals like adding more depth in the pen and upgrading some spots at the deadline. Tom Ricketts has contacted Bill Murray about investing in the Cubs as well as Jim Belushi and John Cusack about investing $25 million each. The meeting took some weeks ago and no one else is talking about this.

It should also be noted that Ricketts and the Cubs want to develop the Cubs Network for all Cubs games. So basically what the Yankees and Red Sox have. Didn't we have this before??? Oh yeah, WGN before Comcast came around!

- Bobby Scales is lighting it up! He is hitting at a .303 AVG., a homer, 5 RBI, a .407 OBP, all while playing really good defense. What a great story!

- Someone else making noise is power slugger Jake Fox. He is now hitting .429, .513 OBP, .968 SLG.. He has 17 homers, 55 RBI, and 13 doubles in 126 ABs. When are they going to call this guy up??? Fox's D is not very good but he can play behind the plate, 3rd, 1st, and in the corner spots in the outfield. Right now I would take him over Miles and Lee!

That is it for now!

Cubs Could be Looking Around...

The Chicago Cubs have been plagued by injuries so far this season which is unfortunate but not unexpected. The Cubs may in fact have to start to look at outside their own farm for some everyday help. The Cubs are said be be in need for both pitching and power hitting help. The Cubs do like their rotation but there is always upgrading to do, they like there lineup but with Aramis out for 6-8 weeks they will need either someone to step up or make a move. The Cubs did receive Ryan Freel for Joey Gathright late last week and should soften the blow of losing Aramis some but that will only last so long. The other concern/non-concern is Derrek Lee. He has been bothered with a bulging disk in his neck and has been sidelined for the better part of a week. The good news the Cubs have Hoffpauir and expected to get back on Tuesday or Wednesday.

The number 1 thing the Cubs need to do is revamp their bullpen and started doing that by calling up Jose Ascaino for the injured Chad Fox. They still have a lot of cutting to do though, guys like Neal Cotts, Angel Guzman, Patton, and Heilman that have all been very inconsistent. Out of the pen they should just keep Guzman, Heilman, Marmol, and Gregg in there. I think Cotts and Patton need to be traded or put though waivers. The Cubs have too much depth in AAA to put up with pitchers giving up the homerun ball and not throwing strikes. They should let players like Jason Waddell, Jose Ascaino (who is with the Cubs), Jeff Stevens, Greg Reinhard, Esmailin Caridad, and Mitch Atkins get a shot at winning a spot in the pen.

As far as the Cubs offensive situation they could either call up Jake Fox to add some pop or go outside the organization for a player that can either add tons of speed or power. If Aramis looks like he will be out past the 6 weeks the Cubs will need to make a move for a power bat or added speed to this lineup. Here are some players that could be available and that should interest the Cubs.

- Garrett Atkins- This guy has been on the block the past 2 seasons and still remains there. He could provide the Cubs will pop but will his power translate to Wrigley is the question.

- Adrian Beltre- In the last year of this contract he could be had for not too much. The Cubs could look past his not so good glove and hope the change of scenery helps his bat.

- Hank Blalock- Would look pretty good in Cubbie blue and has been shopped around some the past couple seasons, not to mention he is also in the last year of his contract. With Texas doing as good as they are look for them to be buyers not sellers.

- Mark DeRosa- His name already coming up in trade rumor and we are not even in June. The Cubs could bring him back because right now they really miss him!

- Chone Figgins- Love the player and his speed. He would provide the Cubs with depth and versatility even when Aram gets back. He is also in the last year of his contract.

- Brandon Inge- My number one guy they should pick up. Just think in March of 2008 the Cubs could have gotten Bradon Inge for Weurtz! He would provide the pop and defense for the injured Aramis. Even when Aramis comes back Inge could take the place of Soto if he continues to struggle or be a spot starter for a guy in the outfield. Either way the Cubs should jump at the thought of getting him!

- Mark Teahen- Maybe wishful thinking considering the Royals are doing so well and how good Teahen has been but you never know. He is 2nd on my list of guys that the Cubs should try to acquire.

The Cubs just need to make a move and one soon before the Cards or Brewers create distance with the rest of the division.

Wounded Cubs and Other Notes.

- A lot can happen in just a couple of days. Lee has missed another game and will not start tomorrow because of his neck. He will get some test done after that they will decide whether to DL him or not.

- Aramis was placed on the DL today with a dislocated left shoulder. The MRI he had today showed no major damage other than the dislocation. The Cubs should know after a month how when he will be back. They expect him to be out 6-8 weeks at least.

- The Cubs traded Joey Gathright to the O's for Ryan Freel. Freel will start at 3rd for Aramis and should do a decent job but will not produce like Aram of course.

- If injuries continue to mount and the pen continues to fail, Lou may do a complete overhaul of the pen and then try to acquire a guy like Chone Figgins or call up Jake Fox. Either way the Cubs need some consistency.

Some Good Cubs Updates....

Here is some news from today-

- Derrek Lee is out of the game tonight and maybe for the next couple of days with a stiff neck. The Cubs do not want to place him on the DL but it may be the right choice right now.

- According to the Tribune the Cubs will call up Randy Wells on Friday to start against the Brewers. It is likely that Scales will be sent back down to Iowa but he may stay with the team. I wonder who would be sent down?

- The Cubs called up Chad Fox and sent down Shark. Fox will provide some veteran leadership in the pen. The Cubs are also considering calling up Jeff Stevens among others if the pen can't throw strikes. I think Stevens and Waddell deserve to be with the Cubs!