Rumors and Notes

- The Cubs called up Matt "Thunder" Murton today and sent down Eric Patterson to Iowa. Murton provides a right handed bat against the tough lefties on the Rays. Lets keep in mind that he is only batting .298 in AAA with one homer. Should have called up Dubois or Torres instead, they have earned it more.

- The Cubs have 6 pitchers they are looking at via trade before the deadline ends next month. They are C.C. Sabathia, A.J. Burnett, Rich Harden, Randy Wolf, Greg Maddux, and Erik Bedard. I have a good feeling about Sabathia, Harden, or Burnett on this one!

- Soriano is hopeful to return by the all star game. In fact he is hoping to play in the all star game. Good news for the Cubs!

Rumors, Rumors, and more Rumors!!!!

Lots of rumors involving the Cubs today, lets get caught up!

- If the Cubs fall out of the Sabathia race then they may turn to Randy Wolf, Greg Maddux, or Erik Bedard. All are available via trade and the Padres and Mariners have been informed of the Cubs interest.

- The Cubs need a top tier starter and they prefer to land a nice lefty to complete the rotation of Z, Lilly, and Dempster. The Cubs number one choice is Sabathia but they have tough competition with the Yankees losing Wang. Their other alternative is Erik Bedard or Randy Wolf.

- Gary Hughes( Special Assistant to the GM) was scouting the A's and Giants game recently. The Cubs are not looking at position players but pitchers. Rich Harden maybe??

- Sabathia maybe traded sooner rather than later to maximize value in return. The Cubs, Rangers, Cardinals, Yankees, Mets, and Red Sox all are interested in acquiring the lefty.

- According to 1460 kxno out of Iowa, the Cubs maybe interested in Carlos Beltran. The Mets are an aging team with young players that could be ready for the ML next season. Carlos has fallen out of favor with the fans and staff and could delt if " the right deal came around". The Mets need young pitching and outfield so the Cubs maybe a good match. Jim Edmonds and Reed Johnson have done a good job in the outfield for the Cubs and by no means am I saying there better than Beltran but I think we need pitching more. Beltran is signed through the 2011 season. He is owed 18.5 million for each of the next 4 seasons.

Cubs would like Burnett to pitch in Cubbie Blue. Update: AJ would like to pitch for Cubs!

UPDATE- According to Gordon Wittenmeyer, AJ would love to go to the Cubs if he is traded. He said right now he is concentrating on winning games for the Jays but he said "Right now my focus is with this club, but if something like that were to happen, I'd accept it with open arms.'' Burnett has a lot of friends in the Cubs club house and I feel if C.C. is not attainable then they will move onto Burnett, which is not a bad second choice!

Thanks to MLBTR-

Via Buster Olney's latest, Gordon Wittenmeyer of the Chicago Sun Times writes that the Cubs might want to take a second look at A.J. Burnett as the Jays are expected to shop him all throughout the next few weeks until the non-waiver trade deadline.


Last night's Cubs-Jays game served as a bittersweet "scouting foray" as Burnett pitched 5 effective innings, striking out seven, helping his team earn a 3-2 Victory. Pitching for the Cubbies was Sean Gallagher, who according to Wittenmeyer, wasn't in anyone's radar to be the club's fifth starter in June.

But now that they're in first place in the NL Central with the best record in baseball, and after Rich Hill's struggles and demotion, the Cubs are increasingly being mentioned in trade speculation.


Burnett is slated to make $12MM in '09 and '10; and can opt-out of his contract at the end of the season.

I know AJ is a injury pron pitcher and his mechanics are lacking some but he has #1 or #2 stuff and would be a solid addition behind Z in the rotation. I must stress that I feel that the Cubs first pick is to get C.C. and if they can't land him because of the asking price or because he is not shopped, they should move onto Burnett.

One disadvantage of getting Burnett is that he can opt out of his contract at the end of the season, similar to the clause Aram has in his contact this year and last year. He is expected to do so, so basically he would be a rental. But maybe would could work out a window were we can convince him to not opt out or sign an extension with the Cubs. Either way he would be a good pick up. It also should be noted that Burnett has a limited no-trade clause allowing Burnett to block deals to 15 clubs and Sabathia does not.

Soriano goes down and farm guys are up. Cubs sign Ben Broussard.

The Cubs put Soriano on the DL with a minimally displaced fracture of the fourth metacarpal on his left hand. He could be out up to 6 weeks but he hopes for a quick recovery and thinks he will be back before that.

Because the Cubs placed Sori on the DL they called up Micah Hoffpauir. They also sent down Kevin Hart and called up Eric Patterson. Both good call ups in my opinion.

Here is a lineup I would like to see against the right handed starters in the interleague series-

1. Theriot SS
2. Derosa LF
3. Lee 1st
4. Aram 3b
5. Fukudome RF
6. Edmonds CF
7. Soto C
8. Hoffpauier DH
9. Fontanoe 2b

against leftys

1. Johnson CF
2. Theriot SS
3. Lee 1st
4. Aram 3b
5. Soto C
6. Fukudome RF
7. Derosa LF
8. Hofpauier DH
9. Cedeno 2b


In minor note, the Cubs sign Bed Broussard to a minor league deal. Ben has only played 10 games in left field last year and has struggled this year. It looks like just to fill a roster spot in Iowa considering Hoffpauier deserves to be with the big club.

Broussard is a lefty with a career .263 avg., .324 OBP, and .450 slg%. Not that impressive, he would likely be in the minors for most of his Cubs career.

Cubs Rumors Rolling In!

Lots of Cubs rumors and news today. Lets check out the hot stove!

- Jon Heyman of SI.com says Meche is "expected to be shopped by the Royals at the trade deadline," Naming the Cubs as a strong possibility. Just yesterday they stated that Meche would not waive his no trade clause to go to Chicago.

-Buster Olney noted "some folks in the industry" believe the Cubs would push the hardest for Sabathia if he becomes available via trade.

- According to Ken Rosenthal the Cubs are very interested in Brian Fuentes. He also stats that Jim Hendry will pursue the best available pitcher at the deadline.

- The Cubs have made it know that they have backed off on the "untouchable status" of Felix Pie, Sean Gallagher, Rich Hill, and Jose Ceda. They are actively scouting teams for a top tier pitcher and had scouts at the Cleveland game yesterday.

My thoughts-

-It would indeed be grand if the Cubs got C.C. Lets just hope the Indians tank soon because if they don't then Sabathia will be in Cleveland the remained of the year. C.C. will cost a ton of prospects but it would be worth it for a number one starter behind Z for the 2nd half and hopefully the playoff run.

-As far as Meche goes, I do not think he wants to be a Cub. So I say throw that rumor out the window.

-Brian Fuentes would be a solid pick up for the Cubbies. He is 0-2 with a great 2.45 ERA. He is a tough lefty that has only walked 8 in 25 innings pitched. He also has 9 saves on the year so he would be great in late inning work. Can you imagine opposing teams facing Fuentes, Marmol, and then Wood in the late innings???!!! Tough!


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In other news-

Lou is planning to call up Micah Hoffpauir for inter league play this weekend. He also plans on having Lee, Aram, and Soriano DH and have Derosa and Micah play out in the field so the sluggers can have a break from the field.

Cubbie Notes

- Lou and Larry are considering taking advantage of these off days coming up before the allstar break. They are considering giving there top 3 pitchers ( Zambrano, Lilly, and Dempster) more starts. They could skip a start of Marquis and Gallagher to give each of the three pitchers 7 starts while giving Jason and Sean each 6. This is a good move by Cubs management. While Jason showed yesterday he pitched well, we all know he is very inconsistent. While it seems Sean Gallagher is getting hit a bit more and looking like the Scouting reports are catching up to him. I like this idea a lot.

- http://www.suntimes.com/sports/baseball/cubs/995235,CST-SPT-cuban09.article = Mr. Mark Cuban is looking like he will receive the "book" on what Sam Zell is selling. Other ownership group along with Mark Cuban is expected to receive the book as early as today. This will start taking shape very quickly now. Lets hope the Lords of Baseball pick the right man, and that man is Mark Cuban.

- The Cubs will be looking to add a starting pitcher near the deadline and are currently happy with the lineup how it is. According to Peter Gammons and other baseball officials the Cubs have enough talent like Rich Hill, Sean Gallagher, Felix Pie, etc to add a top notch pitcher. Gammons rattled off Sabathia, Burnett, Meche, or Penny. Not sure how Meche is a top notch pitcher, career wise he is the same as Marquis. I will take the other 3 though!

Who did the Cubs Draft???

The Cubs picked Right handed relief pitcher Andrew Cashner and shorstop Ryan Flaherty in the MLB draft today. Cashner is a good right handed pitcher with a devastating curveball around 80 mph and a hard fastball that ranges anywhere from 96 to 98 mph. The Cubs tried to draft Andrew last year in the 29th round but he opted to go to TCU. He has closer stuff but the Cubs will likely make him a starter in the minors.



The Cubs also got a sandwich pick to compensate for Jason Kendall. They picked a 19 year old shortstop out of Vandy. He batted .324 with 14 homers and 63 RBI there. He is a good lefty with a lot of range.



For all the other guys the Cubs picked up go to this link-

http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/events/draft/y2008/drafttracker.jsp?p=0&s=100&sc=pick_number&so=ascending&st=number&ft=TM&fv=chc

Looks like the Cubs got some good kids. I really like the Cashner Kid!

Cubs could be in the market for a top tier pitcher???

The Cubs could entertain the idea of trading for a top tier pitcher before the trading deadline. As of right now the Cubs have Z, Lilly, Dempster, Marquis, and Gallagher filling out the rotation while Marshall rehabs and Hill continues to have setbacks. Right now the rotation is the weak point on this team( which is really not that weak). The Cubs in my opinion will have to get a top tier pitcher to really run away with the division the second half of the season.

Now as far as what pitchers are available currently, there are none. But if I know Hendry and Lou they will want a really strong rotation to take into the second half of the season and into the playoffs. I have no problem going into a series with Z, Lilly, and Dempster but the final two( Marquis and Gallagher) worry me some. Sean Gallagher has all the talent and heart in the world but how will he be once scouting catches up to him?? Marquis has been a typical 5th starter in the rotation, by no means is he a 4th starter. Then there is the issue with Marquis's attitude problem and constantly butting heads with upper management. Those are things I don't want to worry about the second half of the season.

So with that said who should the Cubs go after?? Who is rumored to be possibly shopped at the deadline?? And what would the cost be?? Lets have a look-

C.C. Sabathia- If the Indians continue to fall out of contention the will at least entertain offers for C.C.. He would come with a hefty price, probably at least Hill and Veal as starting points in negotiations for Sabathia to get in that Cubbie blue. One downfall is that his numbers are down from last year and he is in the final year of his contract.

Brad Penny- His numbers are also down but he is still a gamer and a number 1 on a lot of clubs. He has an option for next season that is worth 8.75 million which would be a steal considering pitchers his caliber are getting 12 million and higher. He would not cost as much as Sabathia but would take some decent talent to get him, they may be interested in Cedeno, Eric Patterson, or Micha Hoffpauir.

Derek Lowe- Gotta love the sinker in a hitter friendly park. He would not be considered top tier but he is better than Marquis by far. He is in the final year of his contract and would not cost as much as the two above. He is a great second half pitcher, he has 60 wins against 42 loses from July to October in his career so that would be a plus fo the Cubs.

Rich Harden- He has all the talent for a number one pitcher if he can stay healthy. The A's want a fortune for him and they should. He is 3-0 this year with a 2.60 ERA. He has a 7 million dollar option for 09 and is owed 4.5 million this year. I would love him if he stayed healthy and would cost us the farm but that is not guaranteed.

Aaron Harang- Another guy that should be available at the deadline. He is the aging expensive guy in the rotation that is blocking young cheap talent. He should be available but it is doubtful the Reds would trade him to the Cubs unless there blown away. Harang still has 3 years 36.25 million on this contract not including this year. He would look nice as a number two behind Z, not to mention you would have him locked up for the next 3 years.

These are some big names that the Cubs should look at the next month or so. To pick up one of them would be a big step to achieving their goal of winning a World Series.

If your wondering my pick, its Sabathia with Harang as a close 2nd.

Cubs make a deal and other notes.

-The Cubs made a small move today by acquiring RHP Jim Brower from the Reds for cash considerations. He has not shown he can handle the ML by posting a double digit ERA and his lack of time in the big leagues for a 36 year old. Here is a link to his stats-

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/players/6337

- Sweet Lou might have a tough decision to make on Micha Hoffpauir when Ward comes back from the DL, which sounds like he is still a couple of weeks away. Micha can play 1st, RF, and LF, all which are filled by superstars. He is not fast enough to play CF so there in lies the problem. Would Lou consider moving Fukudome in CF and putting Hoff in RF?? Not likely according to this link-

http://chicago.cubs.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20080529&content_id=2795166&vkey=news_chc&fext=.jsp&c_id=chc


- Here is some of Jim Edmonds post game comments-

After being down 9-1, the Cubs come back to win 10-9. Jimmy Edmonds was named player of the game. He had a single, double, HR, 3RBI, 3 runs scored. Edmonds said in the post game interview, quote: " Deep down inside i've always wanted to be a Cub. Wrigley field is electric. Cub fans are the greatest fans in baseball. They make me feel young again. It feels like home."

I am really starting to enjoy Jim Edmonds and everything he brings to the Cubs. Yes, this is one game and he even committed an error in the game on miscommunication but never less when you are part of the reason the Cubs come back from a 9 to 1 deficit then you are OK in my book. I really think his swing is coming back along with his batter eye. I noticed he has the sweet, smooth, loft to his swing that made him so effective in St. Louis all those years has come back. If the Cubs could get Jimmy Ballgame to hit near his career line, they just might have caught lightning in a bottle!

- What can you say about Carlos Marmol?! NASTY!!!!!!! I think he is the best reliever that is not a closer in MLB!

Rumors starting to heat up!

It seems it is time for rumors to really start getting hot again. So lets check some of them out.

- Lou maybe already growing impatient with Jim Edmonds. He is off to a slow start with the Cubs despite his good defense. He is 2 for 15 with the Cubs and looks rather lost a the plate. Lou has already said " He needs to start to hit" which means he could be released or traded if he does not turn it around. Not to meniton he was getting the same production from Felix Pie at this level.

-If the Cubs do release Edmonds they could call up Pie again to fill his void or call up Andres Torres. Torres is batting .324 with 4 HR, and 16 RBI in 44 games. The Cubs also could make a trade or put Fukudome in CF against righties, Hoffpauier in RF, and Soriano in LF. Nice to know the Cubs have some options.

- It is likely that Lou would prefer to get a CF via trade. Someone with power or speed, decent defense, and good OBP. He would be looking to bat the guy 2,5,6, or 7. Lets take a look at potential CFers that could be available.

1. Gary Matthews Jr.- A switch hitter that has been struggling lately but plays good defense, and has good power. Not to mention he would be cheap player wise because of the depth in the outfield and Matthews contract.

2. Reggie Willits- A favorite on HSC, he has great speed, good defense, and would be a great in the two hole. The Angels are hesitant trading him because of Matthews struggles.

3. David DeJesus- He is a good lefty bat, great defense, and could fill in the top or bottom of the order. He hits around .280, with a .356 OBP every year. He has decent power and is being shopped by the Royals.

4. Juan Pierre- We already had JP before and he has been a favorite of mine. He has a good glove, no arm, speed, good avg., and high OBP. The Dodgers are currently using him as a part time player. He is hitting .286 with 16 RBI and 18 SB. He could come cheap if the Cubs took on some of his contract.

5. Kenny Lofton- He is still out there. He would up typically Kenny Lofton numbers. He would cost the Cubs money not players.

6. Melky Cabrera- He plays really good defense, has a great arm but is losing playing time to Damon, Abreu, and Matsui. He is inexpensive in cost and would probably cost the Cubs a young pitcher or prospect.

7. CoCo Crisp- Switch hitter, great defense, and decent hitter. He would cost a bit considering the Red Sox do not want to give him up.

8. Shane Victorino- Here is my favorite. He is a switch hitter with blazing speed, great defense, and very clutch! He would be good as a platoon partner in CF with Johnson and would not cost to much.

There is not to many big names available out there at the moment but you should start to see the rumors really pick up. I honestly think the Cubs need to go after a good solid starter like Maddux to stabilize there rotation rather than upgrade there outfield.