Hendry and Levine Talk Cubs....

- In a shocking move Larry Rothschild left the Cubs to become the Yankees new pitching coach. Larry wanted to be closer to his family and since his family lives in Florida and the Yankees have ST there it is a good fit. Larry is widely considered one of the best pitching coaches in the game but of course has been under fire for many years for what he has done with Carlos Zambrano, Rich Hill, and others. I wish him the best. The Cubs are expected to add a pitching coach over the Thanksgiving holiday. Mark Riggins, Mike Mason, Lester Strode, and Dennis Lewellyn are top candidates to replace Rothschild. Mark Riggins is the favorite.

- Greg Maddux does not want the pitching coach job or else he would be named it right now. Maddux wants to concentrate on this family an d learn more about baseball operations.

- The Cubs want Tyler Colvin to be an everyday player, even if that means him playing 1st everyday and acquiring a right fielder. I would like the idea of putting Colvin at first and signing Vlad to platoon with Fukudome in RF.

- Crane Kenney assured Hendry he would have flexibility to make a move or two and Hendry also said he would be discussing a trade or two with Randy Bush and Oneri Fleita.

- The Cubs are very interested in Chris Davis according to Levine.

- Javier Vazquez is on the Cubs radar. He could actually sign before Dec. 1st with all the teams interested in him.

- Chris Archer will likely start the year in Iowa but by May or June there rotation could be Zambrano, Dempster, Andrew Cashner, Casey Coleman, and Chris Archer. Shark and Wells could be traded from now until then.

- The Cubs re-signed Bryan LaHair to a minor league deal.

Until Next Time...

Updating the Meetings..

Updates for the meetings-

- It is uncertain that Blake DeWitt will be the Cubs starting 2nd baseman next season. Darwin Barney could replace him if he has a good ST and the surprise candidate is Hak-Ju Lee, although the rumor is if he breaks camp with the Cubs he will play SS and Castro will play 2nd base. Lee has better fielding tools, speed, range, and arm than Castro. I cannot wait to see both playing together in ST.

- The Cubs believe they have a future ace in the making in Chris Carpenter.

- Carlos Zambrano will not be traded. He will not waive his no-trade and the Cubs will not ask him to do so. The Cubs also may hold onto Fukudome as their 4th outfielder. He did well under Quade and Kosuke does better when he has limited ABs. He is not an everyday player and does not have the stamina to play 150+ games either.

- Marmol will get a nice raise this year. He will likely make 4-5 million for 2010.

- The Cubs have not talked to Adam Dunn’s agent and are instead looking for an above average defensive 1st baseman for next season. Rumor has it that Pena is at the top of the Free Agent list.

- Jim Hendry meant with a lot of agents during the meetings and also a lot of teams. He meant with the Rangers to see if they could match in a potential trade. The Rangers want a young up and coming catcher and the Cubs are looking for a young left-handed 1st baseman. It is rumored the Cubs could offer Wellington Castillo or Robinson Chirinos for 25 year old first baseman Chris Davis.

- The Cubs are meant with agents for Javier Vazquez, Aaron Harang and Vicente Padilla.

- Micah Hoffpauir signed a one-year deal to play in Japan.

- Jim Hendry had talked trades with the Royals, Rangers, Rockies, Yankees, and Red Sox over the past two days but nothing is imminent according to sources.

- The Cubs would love to bring Kerry Wood back to Chicago.

Until Next Time….

Latest Cub Rumors from the Meetings

- The Cubs are very interested in James Loney if the Dodgers officially make him available. The Dodgers are looking for a power hitting first baseman and could look to trade Loney and sign someone like Carlos Pena or Adam Dunn. The rumored asking price for Loney is really not that bad. The Cubs could obtain him for a good prospect and a mid-level prospect.

- The Cubs have no interest in Justin Upton or Stephen Drew according to sources. The Cubs like the outfield they have and are likely to go into next season with Blake DeWitt at 2nd and of course Starlin Castro at SS.

- Westbrook signed with the Cards, leaving the Cubs with rumored interest in Garland, Millwood, and Vazquez. Why is there no love for Brandon Webb?

- Bruce Levine cannot confirm or deny interest in Jacoby Ellsbury. I can see them going after Ellsbury if they trade Marlon Byrd.

- Levine said the Cubs could trade Marlon Byrd if they find a run producing outfielder. I think trading Byrd would be a mistake because he brings more to the table than just baseball skills.

- Levine says these meetings are a precursor to the deals that will be completed within the coming weeks. The Cubs are rumored to be ready to make a "huge push" toward Adrian Gonzalez. Even if that means trading Andrew Cashner or another one of their stud prospects.

- The Cubs are evaluating the trade front for 1st baseman and have interest in Billy Butler, Todd Helton, Kila Ka'aihue, Nick Swisher, and Luke Scott

- Hendry is encouraged by recent talks with other GMs and said he has been talking more trades this year than in years past.

- The Cubs signed Scott Moore to a minor league deal.

Until Next Time...

Trying to Deal...

- GM meetings run Tuesday and Weds. but most GMs stay there the whole week.

- Most teams lay out the frame work for trades this week and complete or revisit them by the Winter Meetings in December.

- Hendry is looking to make two or three solid additions rather than one big splash.

- The Cubs top target is to trade for Adrian Gonzalez, there 2nd choice is Carlos Pena if he comes at a better price (cheaper than Dunn).

- If the Cubs fail to get one of the two they will turn there attention to stop gaps like Adam LaRoche, Aubrey Huff, Nick Johnson, Lance Berkman, and Lyle Overbay.

- Westbrook, Millwood, and Vazquez have made the Cubs watch list.

- Jim will try desperately to unload Fukudome, even for another bad contract. Luis Castillo for Fukudome or Oliver Perez for Fukudome deals has been rumored. Along with Fukudome for Gil Meche.



Until Next time…..

Cubs Rumors....

- The Cubs could have some interest in trading for Gordon Beckham if the White Sox decide to trade him.

- The Cubs are are keeping tabs on B.J. Upton since the Rays are believed to be shopping him and the asking price is reasonable.

- The Cubs and Red Sox do not have interest in trading Fukudome for Dice-K according to sources.

- Carlos Beltran would be open to playing RF and waiving his no-trade clause. How about Fukudome and Silva for Carlos Beltran. The money would be almost even and he could play RF for the Cubs with Colvin playing first.

- Ryne Sandberg might land a job with the Phillies.

That is all for now, until next time....

Levine Latest and More...

The latest from Levine and others-

- The Cubs have no interest in trading for Dan Uggla.

- Zambrano and Soriano have untradeable contracts.

- Aramis Ramirez could be traded and I have heard the Cubs have already received calls from the Red Sox and Angels about Aramis.

- The Cubs first choice to play first for them is Adrian Gonzalez followed by Carlos Pena then Adam Dunn.

- Levine backs up what we have been hearing which is Hak-Ju Lee will be one of the players involved in A-Gone trade talk along with Jay Jackson and Chris Archer.

- Levine says Starlin Castro and Brett Jackson will not be involved in trade talk. Carlos Marmol will not be involved with a potential Padres trade.

- The Cubs think Josh Vitters and Brett Jackson will be impact players at the ML level.

- Hendry has not received the 2011 payroll numbers but the Cubs are not expected to spend big on free agents this winter.

- Sean Marshall is enjoying being a reliever.

- Add Jake Westbrook to the list of pitchers the Cubs like. Brandon Webb is still my pick.

- Levine says it is still a possibility that Tyler Colvin is the Cubs starting 1st baseman next season.

- Brandon Guyer needs another year in the minors.

- The Cubs are talking to teams about Fukudome.

- The Cubs have interest in bring Bill Hall in as a utility player much like the role DeRosa filled for them a couple years back. He would likely fill in for Jeff Baker, who is expected to be non-tendered.



Until Next Time….

Gonzalez to Cubs Looking Better and Better!

Adrian Gonzalez could be the 2011 first baseman and beyond, Levine stated yesterday that the Cubs would “love to add Gonzalez.” Levine said the Cubs are one of many teams that have an eye on A-Gone and that if the Cubs did trade for him the Cubs would give up three to four top young prospects.

The Cubs are not going to have a lot of money to spend on free agents unless they trade away some of there large contracts so they may be more involved in the trade market. There are many reasons Adrian Gonzalez is so appealing to the Cubs 1) He is only owed 5.8 million next season 2) If the Cubs traded for him they will likely work out a long term deal with him before the deal is completed, giving them stability and production at 1st base for many years to come 3) Adrian has stated he likes Chicago and loves playing in Wrigley 4) He has posted 30+ homers and 99+ RBI in the past 4 season in a pitcher friendly park and division 5) He is only 29 years old 6) The big money owed to him will not effect the Cubs until the start the 2012 season which is when 38 million dollars will come off the books (Adrian will likely get 23 million a season) 7) The Cubs have a nice quanity and quality of prospects to land Gonzalez. All these reasons make the Cubs chances better than most teams.

The big question is what talent do the Cubs have to part with? Don’t worry Cub fans Starlin Castro is staying put but the same cannot be said for Andrew Cashner. According to my source the Cubs would have to give up Castro or Cashner in any deal for Adrian Gonzalez. The Cubs will not give up Castro in “any deal” because SS like him are hard to come by. The Cubs are more willing to give Cashner because of past experiences with Mark Prior, Kerry Wood, and other pitchers that have had promise but failed to live up to expectations. The Padres are looking to fill numerous voids with the players they acquire via A-Gone trade. They are looking at starting pitching, CF, and middle infield. The players the Cubs could look to trade and the Padres may have interest in are Brett Jackson, Hak-Ju Lee, Josh Vitters, Jay Jackson, Chris Archer, Andrew Cashner, Ryan Flaherty, Chris Carpenter, Tyler Colvin, and Brandon Guyer. Any three to five of those prospects could be apart of a potential Gonzalez deal. I think Josh Vitters, Andrew Cashner, Tyler Colvin, and Hak-Ju Lee would get Gonzalez on the Nothside. Only time will tell.

Until Next Time..

Free Agency Starts and So does the Cubs Rumors...

- The Cubs payroll will be down this season but how much is still a mystery. But the rumor is Adam Dunn will likely sign elsewhere unless he takes a discount to come to Chicago.

- The Cubs may look at Victor Martinez or Aubrey Huff to fill their void at first base next season. V-Mart will likely command 10 million a season which to me does not make sense for the Cubs. They should have two lists, one that includes free agents like Carlos Pena and Adam Dunn and another that have one year rentals such as Lance Berkman and Nick Johnson.

- The Cubs might need to trade Fukudome before adding any significant free agents according to Bruce Levine. The same thing happened with Milton Bradley last season.

- John Garland might be on the Cubs wish list. Garland is a good competitor and has playoff experience but I think they should go after Brandon Webb.

- Adrian Gonzalas is available via trade and the Cubs are expected to give the Padres a call. Rumor says Cubs would want a 24-48 hour negotiating window with Adrian to lock him up, if a trade is reached. The Padres reportedly were scouting Jay Jackson, Brett Jackson, Brandon Guyer, Hak-Ju Lee, Josh Vitters, Tyler Colvin, Wellington Castillo, Geovany Soto, and others at the end of last season and in off-season baseball. The Cubs will not trade Starlin Castro though.

- Koyie Hill is likely out of the Cubs picture next season, they could look at veteran backup but are likely to go with with one in house.

Until Next Time..

Day 2 Rumors and Notes....

Here are some rumors and news from Day 2-

- The Cubs have an interest in former Nationals/Yankees/Marlins 1st baseman Nick Johnson. Johnson has a .401 OBP but has been plagued with injuries throughout this career. He has not complied over 140 games in a season since 2006 and is 33 years old. Having said that if Hendry goes cheap then Johnson would be a nice pickup. Although the Cubs might need to pick a platoon partner giving his injury woes.

- Jim Hendry and the Cubs are very interested in Kerry Wood at the right price. Rumors said Wood would like to come back to Chicago.

- Jim Hendry laid out the Cubs needs this off-season: Starting Pitcher, 1st baseman, and a reliever.

- Aram exercised his option as expected.

- Chris Archer will likely be added to the 40-man roster and may even break camp with the Cubs.

- Hendry and Quade view Colvin as an everyday player next season.

Until Next Time…

Day One in the Books...

UPDATE- According to Bruce Levine Ryne Sandberg will not be apart of the Cubs in any capacity. Jim says it is Ryno's decision but the door is always open here. Bob Nightengale twitted that Ryne Sandberg even turned down the bench coaching position on Quade's staff. I honestly do not believe he was ever offered the bench coaching job and I think this is spinning for Hendry. Good Luck Ryno!


Another long delay and more news and notes to update you on-

- The Cubs hired Pat Listach as there bench coach. He is a good pickup for Quade’s staff because he too has been through the Cubs system and can appreciate what he has in front of him.

- The Cubs will decrease their payroll from the 144 million they started with last season. How much is the real question and we do not have that answer yet.

- The Cubs have been recently linked to Jayson Werth but I do not see a fit.

- Aramis Ramirez is expected to exercise his option soon.

- CubbieCrib asked if Adam Dunn is worth it and throws out other names that could fill 1st base for the Cubs.

- The Cubs will entertain Kerry Wood coming back to Chicago but will not get in a bidding war for him.

- CCO.com runs down some important dates (at the bottom of the page).

- Free agency starts Sunday at midnight.

- Chris Carpenter is looking good in fall ball hitting 3 digits on the gun out of the bullpen.

The Cubs Organizational meetings started yesterday and they are going to discuss the payroll, if they the afford a left-handed hitter, starting pitcher, and bench help; also Carlos Zambrano’s future with the Cubs, how to trade Fukudome, Adam Dunn, Cashner’s future in the pen or rotation, could Jackson and Archer join the Cubs out of ST, and much more over the next 4 days. Here is the latest out of the meetings after day one is in the books.



- Brett Jackson’s fall ball season is over. He has a bacterial infection in his right shin.

- Nady is not expected to be with the Cubs next season.

- Aramis has until Midnight Thursday to exercise his option, which he is expected to do.

- Pat Listach said he would love Adam Dunn in Chicago. He also expresses the defensive concerns but says Dunn wants to get better defensively and will work very hard to do so.

- The Cubs may have to get creative this winter to acquire the things they need which includes trading Fukudome and maybe Carlos Silva.

- The Cubs do have interest in trading for Adrian Gonzales according to Bruce Levine.

- The Cubs have several options via free agency if Adam Dunn is too expensive. They also have Tyler Colvin who would be the most cost effective.

- The Cubs have 125 million committed to next season with arbitration raises which does not leave much flexibility.

- The Cubs have a lot of interest in Brandon Webb and Jorge De La Rosa.

- The Cubs may listen to offers for Carlos Marmol but will only trade him if they can get a “large package that fill a lot of holes.”



Until Next Time…