Here is the latest tidbits with Bruce Levine. He was joined by Chet Coppock, Derrek Lee, and Len Kasper.
- Lee told Bruce that everyone could be ready for Opening Day in 2 weeks. He says ST is way too long especially with the WBC this year.
- Lee thinks Fukudome will bounce back this year because last season he put too much pressure on himself.
- He hopes and feels his numbers will come back this year. I hope they do because if not you might see Hoffpauir starting at 1st.
- Kasper said the has not paid much attention the the WBC. I think a lot of people have not.
- The Cubs need to keep everyone healthy to be successful. Especially Soriano and Aram.
- Len actually said that Fukudome could find himself on the bench early if Johnson and Gathright get off to a good start but if he hits well he could be the everyday CF guy.
- Kapser thinks the Cubs are good up the middle of the infield but could use a backup at 3rd. Koskie is an interesting option according to Len. I agree with him, they need to carry Koskie, Hoffpauir, and Gathright on the 25 man roster and cut the pitchers to 11.
- Len also said that if they add another back-up infielder, that it could affect Gathright's status on the roster. He is also out of options so he cannot be sent to minors without passing through waivers. He would probably not make it through waivers.
On other Cub news-
- Z will not have LASIK eye surgery before the season.
- Lou said he will increase the competition for backup catcher by giving Mark Johnson a chance to win a spot. He really does not have a chance against Hill or Bako. Plus he is pretty old for a catcher but hey, so is Bako.
- Cubs have dropped their 6th game in a row. They could rebound tomorrow against the Royals.
- Take a look at Alex Maestri!( Thanks to GROTA) He pitched well for Team Italy the other day, setting down guys like Miguel Cabrera, Magglio Ordonez, Jose Guillen, Cesar Izturis, and Endy Chavez.
Rumor Rumbling....
The Cubs, with their stack full bullpen depth, may trade some players for a right handed bat off the bench or a guy with more versatility or just a guy to stick in the minors. Some possible trade candidates are Angel Guzman( who is out of options) and Vizcaino( who has struggled some in ST and owed about 2 million from the Cubs). Keep an eye on the bullpen situation.
More to Come....
5 comments:
I'm pretty sure Gathright signed a minor league deal. So he would not have to clear wavers.
vizcaino will not make the roster!
I just looked into that Nick. It is a major league deal. A one year 800,000 deal with the parent club.
I hope the Cubs have scouts keepin an eye on the WBC. If we are still lookin for a lefty arm out of the pen, there are a couple Korean pitchers I would recommend.
Jong Bong, who some of you may remember spent time with the Braves and Reds, last pitched in MLB in 2004, just shut down Japan through 5 1/3. He started the game, but during his MLB stint was a reliever. Not over powering, but up to three good pitches that he can mix in. He wasn't that bad in his prior stint. Dont know why he went back to Korea considering leftys get nine lives in MLB (see Mike Stanton). Not sure if he just never got comfortable here, but if he is interested in coming back, Cubs should take a look.
The other kid is Hyun Jin Ryu. Shut down Cuba for 8 2/3 in the Olympic gold medal game as well as looking sharp in his other start during Korea's undefeated run to gold. Tops out at high 88-89 mph on his fastball, but has a nasty change up and a decent curveball. Young kid that I feel could be a great set up guy with the pitches he has and then maybe can be developed into a starter if needed. Build compares more to David Wells during Wells' more "fit" days.
I can be a little biased cause I'm Korean and I'm sure Japan has some lefty arms worth looking at, but Korea doesnt have a posting fee. Something to consider.
I hope Kosuke has worked on his speed this offseason. So he can break up all D Lees double play balls. LOL. If Lee is back to his old self, I like the idea...
3/10/2009 6:54:32 PM
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