- Cubs officials said today that there is "no truth" the rumors circulation around the Padres' Greene. So rest assure that Greene will not be a Cub anytime soon.
- Soriano said he will be ready to return to the Chicago Cubs by the Flordia series which is July 24th. That is depending on how batting practice goes in Houston, if all goes well he could be with Iowa by Monday, and in the North side lineup on the 24th. This is good news for the Cubbies!
- The Cubs really want to land a reliever and a bat off the bench. Brian Fuentes is on top of a short list of relievers the Cubs really like. As far as the a bench player, I could see them looking at Casey Blake. Blake is batting .282 with 9 homers and 52 RBI in 301 ABs. He can play 3b, RF, LF, and 1st base. Basically another Derosa, which would be very valuable off the bench!
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Monday, July 14, 2008
Cubs check in on Greene?? Hendry working the phones again?
According to Tom Krasovic of the San Diego Union Tribune, the Cubs have recently inquired on Khalil Greene. They have expressed interest in Greene earlier this year and the Padres wanted Pie but he was "untouchable" at the time. Greene is in the first year of a 2 year 11 million dollar deal. Greene is batting an awful .216 avg. with an .264 OBP, he does have 8 homers though.
I do not understand why the Cubs have interest in the shortstop unless they are planning on trading Cedeno or Mike Fontenot the Cubs will not trade Theriot or Derosa because how valuable they both are to the team right now. I could see the Cubs trading Cedeno along with some minor leaguers to the Blue Jays for Burnett and then trading for Greene. They could also try to work a three way trade with both the Jays and Padres. Other than that I do not see Greene as an upgrade at all.
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It seems Hendry is really working the phone again, this time his target is some relievers. The Cubs have kept tabs on Brian Fuentes, Ron Mahay, Damaso Marte, Jon Rauch, and Jack Taschner. I really like Marte, Fuentes, and Mahay out of the group but Fuentes want to go somewhere he can close, Marte is in the same division, and Mahay will cost a lot considering the Royals do not want to trade him.
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The Cubs are one of many teams that have been monitoring Freddy Garcia. I have also heard grumbling that the Cubs have contacted the Mariners about the availability of Erik Bedard. This is from Geoff Baker, the Mariners beat writer-
Both Bedard and the Mariners favor a trade. However, Baker believes Bedard will have to take the mound at least one more time and maybe twice before the deadline to satisfy a suitor. Bedard is said to be 50/50 to make his July 22nd start.
What a nasty rotation that would be for the 2nd half!
Zambrano
Harden
Bedard
Dempster
Lilly
Marquis- 6th pitcher
I do not understand why the Cubs have interest in the shortstop unless they are planning on trading Cedeno or Mike Fontenot the Cubs will not trade Theriot or Derosa because how valuable they both are to the team right now. I could see the Cubs trading Cedeno along with some minor leaguers to the Blue Jays for Burnett and then trading for Greene. They could also try to work a three way trade with both the Jays and Padres. Other than that I do not see Greene as an upgrade at all.
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It seems Hendry is really working the phone again, this time his target is some relievers. The Cubs have kept tabs on Brian Fuentes, Ron Mahay, Damaso Marte, Jon Rauch, and Jack Taschner. I really like Marte, Fuentes, and Mahay out of the group but Fuentes want to go somewhere he can close, Marte is in the same division, and Mahay will cost a lot considering the Royals do not want to trade him.
-------------------------------------------------------------
The Cubs are one of many teams that have been monitoring Freddy Garcia. I have also heard grumbling that the Cubs have contacted the Mariners about the availability of Erik Bedard. This is from Geoff Baker, the Mariners beat writer-
Both Bedard and the Mariners favor a trade. However, Baker believes Bedard will have to take the mound at least one more time and maybe twice before the deadline to satisfy a suitor. Bedard is said to be 50/50 to make his July 22nd start.
What a nasty rotation that would be for the 2nd half!
Zambrano
Harden
Bedard
Dempster
Lilly
Marquis- 6th pitcher
Saturday, July 12, 2008
Trade looking good for both teams!
Yeah, I know it has only been less than a week since the Harden trade but the players involved are already contributing to their new ball clubs.
Gallagher got his first start last night and had a familiar face in the outfield in Matt Murton. Gallagher went 7 strong innings, giving up just 2 hits with 2 earned runs. He walked 3 and struck out 7. He had some good offensive help from former Cub Matt Murton. Matt went 1 for 5 with 2 RBI. Nice to see Gallagher and Murton succeeding for their new team. I wish them all the luck in the world.
Now on to the new Cubs Harden and Gaudin. Harden pitched a gem today giving up 5 hits, 0 ER, walking 3, and striking out 10 in just 5.1 innings. The thing I like about Harden is that he does not over-think pitching and uses what is working. Today Harden featured his hard fastball between 92-98 MPH and a great change about 84-88 MPH. We only saw that slider occasionally but all he needed was two pitches today. He changed speeds with his fastball well along with that devastating change up. His control was almost Maddux like and I like how he does not give into hitters. It is just to bad the pen gave up the lead and could not give him a win!
As far as Gaudin goes, he is not filthy by any means but he has a nice fastball and good slider to complement it. He will be a very solid middle reliever for the Cubs. He pitched .2 innings and did not give up a hit.
Overall I think the trade was a fair one. I am glad to hear we are going to give Harden 6+ days of rest between starts because he is so much better when he gets extra rest and we have the depth to do that, so why not!?!?
Gallagher got his first start last night and had a familiar face in the outfield in Matt Murton. Gallagher went 7 strong innings, giving up just 2 hits with 2 earned runs. He walked 3 and struck out 7. He had some good offensive help from former Cub Matt Murton. Matt went 1 for 5 with 2 RBI. Nice to see Gallagher and Murton succeeding for their new team. I wish them all the luck in the world.
Now on to the new Cubs Harden and Gaudin. Harden pitched a gem today giving up 5 hits, 0 ER, walking 3, and striking out 10 in just 5.1 innings. The thing I like about Harden is that he does not over-think pitching and uses what is working. Today Harden featured his hard fastball between 92-98 MPH and a great change about 84-88 MPH. We only saw that slider occasionally but all he needed was two pitches today. He changed speeds with his fastball well along with that devastating change up. His control was almost Maddux like and I like how he does not give into hitters. It is just to bad the pen gave up the lead and could not give him a win!
As far as Gaudin goes, he is not filthy by any means but he has a nice fastball and good slider to complement it. He will be a very solid middle reliever for the Cubs. He pitched .2 innings and did not give up a hit.
Overall I think the trade was a fair one. I am glad to hear we are going to give Harden 6+ days of rest between starts because he is so much better when he gets extra rest and we have the depth to do that, so why not!?!?
Wednesday, July 09, 2008
Cubs Notes
-Soriano will skip the All Star Game to completely heal his hand and be back with the Cubs after the break.
- The Cubs signed first round pick Andrew Cashner, he was their first pick (19th overall) in the First-Year Player Draft.
- Rich Harden will make his Cubs debut Saturday against the Giants. Can't wait to see him pitch in Wrigley in Cubbie Blue!
- The Cubs still have interest in trading for another starter pitcher and reliever. They have interest in Brian Fuentes and Ron Mahay but their asking price maybe too high. As far as another starting pitcher, the Cubs are looking at guys like Randy Wolf, Greg Maddux, Kei Igawa, and Jarrod Washburn. Jayson Stark says it is not out of the question that the Cubs get Wolf. I think the Cubs want to add another decent pitcher just in case Harden has problems. To be honest I would take Wolf and Maddux over Marquis or Marshall but not Igawa or Washburn. How bout trading Marquis for Maddux or Wolf???
Tuesday, July 08, 2008
Cubs land Harden!
The Chicago Cubs have countered the move of the Brewers today by trading Gallagher, Murton, Patterson, and Josh Donaldson for the nasty righty Rich Harden and Chad Gaudin . This is a great move by the Cubs and the only players I would be hesitant to get rid of out of the group are Donaldson and Gallagher. Both will be solid ML players with Gallagher being the closest to being ML ready.
The Cubs in my mind only gave up two players that fit into the long term picture. Eric Patterson's defense, bat, and inexperience has made him expendable especially with guys like Theriot, Font, Derosa, and Cedeno in the infield and our outfield pretty well set for the next 3 to 5 years.
Matt Murton is nothing but a AAAA player with the potential to be a decent 4th outfielder in the majors for many years to come. He was blocked in our outfield for at least the next 4 years by Soriano and Fukudome.
With Gallagher you are trading a projected #3 or #4 starter in the next two years or so. Right now he is a good number 5 starter. With Josh Donaldson you get a catcher with tons of potential. I am a big supporter of Josh and think in the next 3 years he will be a solid ML catcher for Oakland.
Now lets look at Harden! Harden is a really good pitcher, probably in the top 10 best pitchers in baseball when healthy. He has 2 years left on his contract. He is owed 4.5 million for this season and has a 7 million dollar club option for 09 which the Cubs will likely exercise or work on a new deal for the nasty righty. Rich Harden is a great 5-1 with a 2.34 ERA in just 13 starts. He has had some health issues but has been relatively durable this year. He has a career 36-19 record with a 3.42 ERA. Can you say nasty!!!!!
The "throw in guy" is not just a throw in guy! Chad Gaudin is a really good long reliever and can even start. He is 5-3 with 3.59 ERA. He has 26 appearances this year with 6 of them being starts so he could fill the long relief of spot start occasionally. He is making 1.7 million this year and has less than 4 years of ML service so he will be arbitration eligible next season.
REACTION-
I think this is a fair trade for both sides. The Cubs do not have to throw away many of their young players and the Cubs get a #1 pitcher to follow Z and they get a really good reliever. I like this move very much and feel we got a better pitcher and deal compared to the Brewers.
The Cubs in my mind only gave up two players that fit into the long term picture. Eric Patterson's defense, bat, and inexperience has made him expendable especially with guys like Theriot, Font, Derosa, and Cedeno in the infield and our outfield pretty well set for the next 3 to 5 years.
Matt Murton is nothing but a AAAA player with the potential to be a decent 4th outfielder in the majors for many years to come. He was blocked in our outfield for at least the next 4 years by Soriano and Fukudome.
With Gallagher you are trading a projected #3 or #4 starter in the next two years or so. Right now he is a good number 5 starter. With Josh Donaldson you get a catcher with tons of potential. I am a big supporter of Josh and think in the next 3 years he will be a solid ML catcher for Oakland.
Now lets look at Harden! Harden is a really good pitcher, probably in the top 10 best pitchers in baseball when healthy. He has 2 years left on his contract. He is owed 4.5 million for this season and has a 7 million dollar club option for 09 which the Cubs will likely exercise or work on a new deal for the nasty righty. Rich Harden is a great 5-1 with a 2.34 ERA in just 13 starts. He has had some health issues but has been relatively durable this year. He has a career 36-19 record with a 3.42 ERA. Can you say nasty!!!!!
The "throw in guy" is not just a throw in guy! Chad Gaudin is a really good long reliever and can even start. He is 5-3 with 3.59 ERA. He has 26 appearances this year with 6 of them being starts so he could fill the long relief of spot start occasionally. He is making 1.7 million this year and has less than 4 years of ML service so he will be arbitration eligible next season.
REACTION-
I think this is a fair trade for both sides. The Cubs do not have to throw away many of their young players and the Cubs get a #1 pitcher to follow Z and they get a really good reliever. I like this move very much and feel we got a better pitcher and deal compared to the Brewers.
Cubs after Harden???
Thanks to MLBTR for this-
Cubs Pursuing Harden In Wake Of Sabathia Deal
By Tim Dierkes [July 7 at 8:47am CST]
How will the Cubs counter the Brewers' C.C. Sabathia acquisition? They simply can't match it, but the next best thing might be Rich Harden. Harden is also a frontline starter, but he lacks Sabathia's durability.
According to Chris De Luca of the Chicago Sun-Times, "the Cubs have spent a lot of time on the phone recently with Oakland Athletics GM Billy Beane trying to pry away Harden." De Luca says they've been discussed a deal for at least a month. Plan C is apparently Randy Wolf. Will Carroll says the Cubs "think they match up well for A.J. Burnett."
Jayson Stark commented on the Harden situation on Thursday:
The A's will consider any offers that allow them to add and subtract at the same time. But any Harden deal would have to at least approach last winter's Dan Haren extravaganza.
A reminder: Baseball America ranked Carlos Gonzalez as the game's #22 prospect, and Brett Anderson was #36. The Cubs don't have two players like that. Then add Greg Smith and Dana Eveland, who have combined for a 3.52 ERA in 207 innings this year. Oh, and toss in Chris Carter and Aaron Cunningham for good measure. That was a haul, even for an ace like Haren.
I do not feel Jim will just sit on his hands on this one. I think the Brewers acquiring Sabathia will put a lot of pressure on Hendry to make a deal and soon. Another pitcher the Cubs are hard after is Erik Bedard. He would not cost nearly as much as Harden but more than Wolf and Burnett.
Side Note-
Rich Hill is looking better. Yesterday he just allowed one hit, one BB, and 6 K's in 4 shutout innings in A ball. Good news for the Cubs and Rich Hill!
Cubs Pursuing Harden In Wake Of Sabathia Deal
By Tim Dierkes [July 7 at 8:47am CST]
How will the Cubs counter the Brewers' C.C. Sabathia acquisition? They simply can't match it, but the next best thing might be Rich Harden. Harden is also a frontline starter, but he lacks Sabathia's durability.
According to Chris De Luca of the Chicago Sun-Times, "the Cubs have spent a lot of time on the phone recently with Oakland Athletics GM Billy Beane trying to pry away Harden." De Luca says they've been discussed a deal for at least a month. Plan C is apparently Randy Wolf. Will Carroll says the Cubs "think they match up well for A.J. Burnett."
Jayson Stark commented on the Harden situation on Thursday:
The A's will consider any offers that allow them to add and subtract at the same time. But any Harden deal would have to at least approach last winter's Dan Haren extravaganza.
A reminder: Baseball America ranked Carlos Gonzalez as the game's #22 prospect, and Brett Anderson was #36. The Cubs don't have two players like that. Then add Greg Smith and Dana Eveland, who have combined for a 3.52 ERA in 207 innings this year. Oh, and toss in Chris Carter and Aaron Cunningham for good measure. That was a haul, even for an ace like Haren.
I do not feel Jim will just sit on his hands on this one. I think the Brewers acquiring Sabathia will put a lot of pressure on Hendry to make a deal and soon. Another pitcher the Cubs are hard after is Erik Bedard. He would not cost nearly as much as Harden but more than Wolf and Burnett.
Side Note-
Rich Hill is looking better. Yesterday he just allowed one hit, one BB, and 6 K's in 4 shutout innings in A ball. Good news for the Cubs and Rich Hill!
Saturday, July 05, 2008
Good and Bad News on the Cubs Front
Got some good and bad news today-
- The bad news is it seems that the Brewers will land C.C. Sabathia. According to Doug Melvin they have a package of players on the table for Sabathia and the Indians have been scouting the AA team of the Brew Crew. They have been rumored to offer Matt Laporta, Taylor Green, and Lorenzo Cain. That is quite a package and the Cubs I do not think have the goods to land him if the Brewers are indeed offering that package. That is quite a bounty for a 3 month rental.
- Some of the good news is Jim Hendry has been in constant contact with J.P. Ricciardi, Kevin Towers, and Billy Beane. The Cubs have Rich Harden, Justin Duscherer, AJ Burnett, Randy Wolf, and Greg Maddux all on their list of potential pitchers that could be pitching for the Cubs in the next 3 weeks or so. The Cubs have still kept in contact with Mark Shapiro but the Brewers are making a lot of progress to acquire the hard throwing lefty. It has also been rumored that the Jays want a young shortstop with upside in a deal for Burnett. I think Ronny Cedeno could be the center piece of a deal for A.J.
- Rich Hill maybe back in Chicago before we know it. The once project #2 starter for the Cubs lost his command and mind this year and last we heard was sent to AA ball and pitched awful, but now their is great news.
He no longer tilts his shoulder and head back to the exent he had been doing (a la Fernando Valenzuela), which allows him to keep his eyes on the catcher's target... [Hill] was absolutely unhittable today.
The curves literally buckled the knees of the young AZL Cubs hitters, and (probably more importantly) he was able to consistently throw his fastball for strikes And maybe most importantly, Hill looked relaxed and he even was able to crack a smile at one point. (One of the telltale symptoms of Steve Blass Disease is the inability to smile).
This is great news and I suggest you all read the article on thecubreporter.com-
http://www.thecubreporter.com/2008/0...ll-turn-corner
This would be good news for a lot of reasons. He could be a trading chip for a top line pitcher or he could fill out the rotation in the #4 spot. Either way this is great news for all cubs fans!
IN OTHER NEW-
- Soriano is on the mend and ready to start swing the bat! He could make a couple of rehab starts in Iowa next week or he could jump in the lineup right before or after the all start break. I for one thinks he should see some live pitching down in the minors before he is inserted in the lineup in Chicago.
- The bad news is it seems that the Brewers will land C.C. Sabathia. According to Doug Melvin they have a package of players on the table for Sabathia and the Indians have been scouting the AA team of the Brew Crew. They have been rumored to offer Matt Laporta, Taylor Green, and Lorenzo Cain. That is quite a package and the Cubs I do not think have the goods to land him if the Brewers are indeed offering that package. That is quite a bounty for a 3 month rental.
- Some of the good news is Jim Hendry has been in constant contact with J.P. Ricciardi, Kevin Towers, and Billy Beane. The Cubs have Rich Harden, Justin Duscherer, AJ Burnett, Randy Wolf, and Greg Maddux all on their list of potential pitchers that could be pitching for the Cubs in the next 3 weeks or so. The Cubs have still kept in contact with Mark Shapiro but the Brewers are making a lot of progress to acquire the hard throwing lefty. It has also been rumored that the Jays want a young shortstop with upside in a deal for Burnett. I think Ronny Cedeno could be the center piece of a deal for A.J.
- Rich Hill maybe back in Chicago before we know it. The once project #2 starter for the Cubs lost his command and mind this year and last we heard was sent to AA ball and pitched awful, but now their is great news.
He no longer tilts his shoulder and head back to the exent he had been doing (a la Fernando Valenzuela), which allows him to keep his eyes on the catcher's target... [Hill] was absolutely unhittable today.
The curves literally buckled the knees of the young AZL Cubs hitters, and (probably more importantly) he was able to consistently throw his fastball for strikes And maybe most importantly, Hill looked relaxed and he even was able to crack a smile at one point. (One of the telltale symptoms of Steve Blass Disease is the inability to smile).
This is great news and I suggest you all read the article on thecubreporter.com-
http://www.thecubreporter.com/2008/0...ll-turn-corner
This would be good news for a lot of reasons. He could be a trading chip for a top line pitcher or he could fill out the rotation in the #4 spot. Either way this is great news for all cubs fans!
IN OTHER NEW-
- Soriano is on the mend and ready to start swing the bat! He could make a couple of rehab starts in Iowa next week or he could jump in the lineup right before or after the all start break. I for one thinks he should see some live pitching down in the minors before he is inserted in the lineup in Chicago.
Wednesday, July 02, 2008
A couple of quick hits
- Soriano will be reevaluated on Thursday and could take batting practice in St. Louis on Saturday. When Soriano returns he will be placed in the leadoff spot with Fukudome hitting 2nd and Edmonds hitting 5th.
- Marshall will get a start against the Cards either Saturday or Sunday. Z is expected to pitch Friday in his return from the DL.
- Marshall will get a start against the Cards either Saturday or Sunday. Z is expected to pitch Friday in his return from the DL.
Tuesday, July 01, 2008
A whole lot of Rumors!
Hot Stove is about hot, so lets get to it-
- The Cubs have renewed interest in Brian Fuentes, they have the Cards and Rays as competition for him.
- The Rays like Matt Murton a lot. Like one of my posters says, maybe we can trade for Edwin Jackson straight up??
- I thank Peter Gammons and MLBTR on this one. Lots of good information here-
ESPN's Peter Gammons has a new blog entry up, with the focus on the Cubs' desire to add a starting pitcher. Gammons talked to a Cubs official who said, "We almost certainly will do something. But we really don't want to give up Sean Gallagher at this point."
Here's a quick rundown of the candidates:
C.C. Sabathia - Cubs don't believe they have enough to get him.
Rich Harden - Gammons doesn't specifically say the Cubs are interested, just that they're monitoring Oakland.
Randy Wolf - The Cubs have interest, and Gammons says Wolf would waive his no-trade to go to a contender. Plus, Wolf treated the Cubs well when they courted him in the 2006-07 offseason. Gammons adds that the Padres still like Matt Murton. History has shown that Jim Hendry and Kevin Towers work well together on trades.
A.J. Burnett - The Cubs "also keep looking" at him. Last Thursday, Gammons' colleague Jayson Stark hadn't found "any indication that the Cubs have even batted his name around."
Aaron Cook - Gammons says the Cubs would love him, but Rockies' GM Dan O'Dowd said earlier this month, "We're not doing anything with Cookie."
Bronson Arroyo, Kevin Millwood - Gammons says the Cubs have "kicked around" these names.
- The Cubs have renewed interest in Brian Fuentes, they have the Cards and Rays as competition for him.
- The Rays like Matt Murton a lot. Like one of my posters says, maybe we can trade for Edwin Jackson straight up??
- I thank Peter Gammons and MLBTR on this one. Lots of good information here-
ESPN's Peter Gammons has a new blog entry up, with the focus on the Cubs' desire to add a starting pitcher. Gammons talked to a Cubs official who said, "We almost certainly will do something. But we really don't want to give up Sean Gallagher at this point."
Here's a quick rundown of the candidates:
C.C. Sabathia - Cubs don't believe they have enough to get him.
Rich Harden - Gammons doesn't specifically say the Cubs are interested, just that they're monitoring Oakland.
Randy Wolf - The Cubs have interest, and Gammons says Wolf would waive his no-trade to go to a contender. Plus, Wolf treated the Cubs well when they courted him in the 2006-07 offseason. Gammons adds that the Padres still like Matt Murton. History has shown that Jim Hendry and Kevin Towers work well together on trades.
A.J. Burnett - The Cubs "also keep looking" at him. Last Thursday, Gammons' colleague Jayson Stark hadn't found "any indication that the Cubs have even batted his name around."
Aaron Cook - Gammons says the Cubs would love him, but Rockies' GM Dan O'Dowd said earlier this month, "We're not doing anything with Cookie."
Bronson Arroyo, Kevin Millwood - Gammons says the Cubs have "kicked around" these names.
We have all heard these names before except Millwood and Arroyo, which both guys have an ERA over 5. Another name that is really interesting is Aaron Cook, he is 10-5 with a 3.64 ERA. Has a great sinker and having that low of an ERA when half the games you pitch are at Coors, outstanding!
I disagree with Gammons about Sabathia. I do think the Cubs have the farm to get C.C... but it would be hard without including Gallagher.
I honestly think the Cubs are going to surprise everyone and get Rich Harden or Justin Duscherer. They have been scouting Oakland a lot lately and I have another "tip" that they are scouting them tonight with Harden on the mound.
Monday, June 30, 2008
Aram out for 3 or 4 days. Cubs could get Maddux back??
*Aramis Ramirez will miss most or all of the Giant series. Aram will be attending a family matter in Dominican Republic but should be back by the Cards/Cubs series. I hope everyting goes well with Aram and his family.
* The Padres are going to be sellers at the deadline and the Cubs have a lot of interest in Greg Maddux and Randy Wolf as their back up plan if they do not get Harden, Burnett, Sabathia, Bedard, or Duchscherer. Not bad backup plans. I just do not see why the Cubs trade for Maddux and a top tier pitcher like Harden, Sabathia, etc.. Maddux will not cost much as for prospects and he would wave his no trade clause to come back to Chicago I think. Especially if their in a pennant race! Murton and mid-level prospect for Maddog seems about right.
* The Padres are going to be sellers at the deadline and the Cubs have a lot of interest in Greg Maddux and Randy Wolf as their back up plan if they do not get Harden, Burnett, Sabathia, Bedard, or Duchscherer. Not bad backup plans. I just do not see why the Cubs trade for Maddux and a top tier pitcher like Harden, Sabathia, etc.. Maddux will not cost much as for prospects and he would wave his no trade clause to come back to Chicago I think. Especially if their in a pennant race! Murton and mid-level prospect for Maddog seems about right.
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