Happy Easter from everyone here at the CCO.... The Weekend Update returns for the final Sunday in Arizona. Counting Sunday's game, Lou Piniella's crew has only 5 games left in the desert and 7 total in the exhibition season. The Cubs square off later today in Peoria against Greg Maddux and the Padres. Kerry Wood is expected to throw in back-to-back games for the first time and if everything goes as planned, will be named the Cubs' closer according to Bruce Levine.
The Cubs still have several decisions to make over the next week. Lou Piniella said he would announce his rotation and closer likely by Monday with decisions on the roster expected before the Cubs play in Las Vegas on Friday. Here is the latest from Arizona and more from the rumor mill.
News from Arizona
Lou Piniella is concerned the Cubs do not have a backup for centerfield on the current roster according to a report in the Chicago Sun-Times. Gordon Wittenmyer stated, "Piniella feels he needs an outfielder such as the Red Sox' Coco Crisp." The report also mentioned the Cubs still covet a certain second baseman and the excess pitching Jim Hendry acquired "remains like a logjam as decision time fast approaches."
The Sun-Times said the Opening Day rotation should be (not in order):
- Carlos Zambrano
- Ted Lilly
- Rich Hill
- Ryan Dempster
- Jon Lieber
Jason Marquis or Sean Marshall should be the long-man out of the pen, depending on what happens over the next week. Tim Lahey could be an option if Marquis is traded, but if not he will be traded to avoid sending him back to the Minnesota Twins.
Alex Cintron is hoping to be back on the field on Sunday according to the Chicago Tribune.
Lou Piniella said both Micah Hoffpauir and Casey McGehee will have "a tough time" making the team out of Spring Training according to a report in the Daily Herald. It looks like Ronny Cedeno and Mike Fontenot could make the team....of course, barring a trade.
Scott Eyre has to do a better job of mixing his pitches according to the Daily Herald. Eyre threw only one breaking ball in his outing on Saturday. On a side note, Carmen Pignatiello has yet to allow an earned run this spring. Maybe the Cubs should buy him a roundtrip ticket from Iowa when they option him down to start the season.
From the Rumor Mill
A report on Saturday morning in the Washington Post indicated the Cubs have had scouts in Florida watching the Nationals. The report speculated the Cubs are interested in Felipe Lopez based on the fact the Cubs scouts have been in attendance. Bruce Levine mentioned a week ago the Nationals had expressed interest in Jason Marquis but did not mention any players on the Nationals' roster the Cubs might be interested in. Could that be the connection? Not that the Cubs are interested in Lopez, but that the Cubs are trying to find a fit that would allow them to trade Marquis to the Nationals. Purely speculation and wondering out loud....
The Baltimore Sun reported on Sunday morning that Brian Roberts and his agent, Mark Pieper, met with Andy MacPhail on Saturday. The Sun did not mention any details of the meeting and their headline says it all.... Nothing New in Roberts Talks.
Speaking of Mr. Roberts.... The Chicago Tribune reported on Saturday night the names that have been "rumored in a potential deal" are Ronny Cedeno, Sean Gallagher, Sean Marshall, Micah Hoffpauir and Donald Veal. The Tribune stated the Cubs are "getting tired of waiting for Baltimore to make a decision and may have to go to Plan B."
The Cubs could still send Jason Marquis to the Red Sox for Coco Crisp according to the Denver Post because the Cubs have "clearly soured on Felix Pie." O.K., when did this happen? Jim Hendry is looking for a right-handed option to be a back up in center, but nothing has been said out of the offices at 1060 West Addison that the Cubs are not happy with Pie. Gotta love the speculation that the mainstream media can make and get away with....
The Detroit News mentioned the Tigers' interest in Michael Wuertz again on Sunday morning.
A majority of the mainstream media is expecting a lot of moves in the next week throughout Major League Baseball....so stay tuned.
Info from the CCO
A couple of quick site notes to pass along....
Look for the daily return of "Talkin' Cubs Live" this week. Starting on Wednesday the CCO will have game previews that allow readers to discuss the games as they happen....not after the fact.
I am aware the pitchers predictions post on Friday did not go over all too well. The predications from Bill James and PECOTA were meant as a starting point, not an end all be all. Those same publications (websites) predicted a good season for the offense. It was pointed out early on that Baseball Prospectus was only predicting 85 wins based on pitchers stats....they actually predicted a 91-win season for the Cubs. So if you are still interested, go back and have a little fun and make your own predictions.
- A Look Ahead....Predicting the Pitching Staff for 2008
- A Look Ahead....Predicting the Offense for 2008
Finally.... Bruce Levine said it right on Saturday morning, Lou Piniella's new catch phrase, "Cubbie Occurrence", will become a part of the team's lore.
Happy Easter to everyone here at the CCO.
Tango Tiger's Clutch Challenge is here!
http://tangotiger.net/clutch/
Go vote for your favorite clutch hitter(s) in Cubbie Blue!
Impression-wise, Pie batting at Wrigley was embarrassing. everyone else is O.K. Soriano bats O.K. with so many at-bats available to him in first hole (2007). His clutch should improve if Piniella moves him down the line (more good hitters ahead of him and getting on base).
Soto in 2007 hit the longball in only a few PA, but he should regress with more PA in 2008 (but expect some improvement, too). Fukudome in WBC (2006) had a few PA and pinched-hit well, so was Ward. Both of them might show higher leverage hitting (clutch).
I 'll put in the bag with Soto. Nothing hard-facts, just out of my memory.
Roberts: 621 AB, 12 HR, 57 RBI, 50 SB, .290 AVG, .377 OBP.
Lopez: 603 AB, 9 HR, 50 RBI, 24 SB, .245 AVG, .308 OBP
That's a heck of a drop off from plan A to plan B.
God I hope they don't get Lopez
I am more and more convinced that Lou does not want to start Pie at all. Maybe as a late inning defensive replacement.
His tone and demeanor yesterday when he said his biggest concern in CF made me think that he wants a starter in CF, not just a RH platoon.
I think Crisp would be an every day player with Lou.
I don't agree with this at all, but he knows a hell of a lot more about baseball than I do...
LOPEZ PLAN B HAHAHAHA
ROBERTS OR NO ONE
LOPEZ PLAN B HAHAHAHA
ROBERTS OR NO ONE
As my daddy used to say before I became a first baseman, "You have to have a lot of balls to pitch the way you do." So now I'm pitching in to find possible left handers for our pen.
The most daring but probably doable: Howry and Petrick to the Dodgers for Beimel and Elbert. Saito, the D's aging righty all star receiver is really sucking this spring, and they are anxious. We can spare Howry, and Beimel age 31, last year got lefties out and went 4-2 3.88 ERA. He's walked 1 and struck out 5 in ST (and given up 11 hits in 7 innings). But Howry is getting hit too. Beimel and the recovering top prospect Elbert give us two shots at lefty relief. Elbert could possibly be ready in September, but more likely next year.
Option two: Convert Veal to relief and use Marshall out of the pen. Veal may have more potential as a two pitch reliever, but he is learning to consistently throw strikes and will have to be in AA for at least 3 months.
Option three: Believe that some of our righty relievers are also effective against lefties, believe Pignatiello will help, believe that Eyre will regain some effectivenes and not worry about it. I'm worried.
Today's lineup:
Patterson - 2B
Soriano - LF
Lee - 1B
Ramirez - 3B
Fukudome - CF
Hoffpauir - RF
Soto - C
Theriot - SS
Marquis - P
Barrett is behind the plate for the Padres and Eric Patterson already stole 2nd off of Maddux and Barrett.
What a start!!!!
6-0 in the 1st inning, all of Maddux. Ramirez with a pair of RBI's and Theriot with a 3-run, 2-out double that cleared the bases. Marquis drove in the 6th run with a single to right.
Soriano stole his first bag of the spring in the 1st inning.
Ronny Cedeno, Sean Gallagher, Sean Marshall, Micah Hoffpauir and Donald Veal
And I thought the earlier deal was absurd.