Little rumors and tidbits

Thanks to MLBTR-

Is Brian Roberts still on the Cubs' radar? Or did they back off a bit after the Mitchell Report? -

From what I can tell (and my best guess) is that the Mitchell Report did nothing to change the price to acquire Roberts or the Cubs' interest. The general consensus seems to be that Roberts got a raw deal being named in the report. As an aside, I'm not sure why the Cubs view second base as a need.

I see Roberts as an upgrade over Derosa. By acquiring Roberts brings speed and decent power with a high OBP. It also allows Derosa to go the the bench as a utility player and by that it strengthens the bench.

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Here is a little tidbit from MLBRUMORS-

Diamondbacks plan to shop Orlandon Hudson?:

Since the Diamondbacks acquired Dan Haren, they have two potential big contracts in their rotation that leaves little room for Hudson.

What does this have to do with the Cubs?

Well the Cub are looking to add OBP and speed to the lineup and have targeted Roberts but if Hudson becomes available then expect them to turn to him as another option. Orlando is a great defensive 2nd baseman with decent power. He hit .294 with 10 HR and 63 rbi. He had 10 stolen bases and an OBP of .376 last year. Not to mention he is one of the best defensive 2nd baseman in the league with a lifetime fielding percentage of .986. To give you an idea how good that is. Castillo fielding percentage is .984 and Polanco( who is the best defensive 2nd baseman) is .990.

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The Cubs signed pitcher Tanner Watson today. He did well in the frontier league, he was 11-3 with a 2.17 era in 15 appearances. Here is the link-

http://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/?id=3571396