44 Days Until Pitchers and Catchers report to Fitch Park in Mesa.... The first Friday of the New Year and most of the Faithful are still discussing the Cubs trading Mark DeRosa and signing Aaron Miles on Wednesday.
Up next for the Cubs appears to be finalizing the Jason Marquis trade and the signings of Milton Bradley and Paul Bako. The hold up on the Marquis' deal appears to be physicals and the MLB front offices opening back up on Monday.
Here's the latest from the mill, a couple of news and notes, the launch of the MLB Network and a possible Opening Day lineup from the Tribune....
Jake Peavy
According to a report by Tim Brown on Yahoo Sports, Kevin Towers said it is "doubtful" that the recent moves by Jim Hendry to clear payroll and acquire prospects will allow the Padres and Cubs to reopen their talks for Jake Peavy.
The Tribune reported with the Cubs trading Mark DeRosa for three pitching prospects on Wednesday, a "combo platter" of Ronny Cedeno, Jeff Stevens, Felix Pie, Kevin Hart and Josh Vitters "could interest the Padres."
Milton Bradley
Tim Brown reported the same 3-year, $30 million dollar deal that rumors have suggested it would take to sign Milton Bradley. Brown indicated, "it is believed the Cubs will come close to that."
Jon Heyman reiterated the Cubs next move will be to sign their target for right field, Milton Bradley.
"The parameters of a multiyear deal are in place" for Milton Bradley according to the Sun-Times. Bradley apparently was willing to wait for the Cubs to free up the cash to sign him but the Washington Nationals have made a push to sign Bradley.
Replacing Marquis
According to the Sun-Times, Sean Marshall "is the top in-house candidate" and Jeff Samardzija is "next in line" to replace Jason Marquis in the Cubs' rotation.....that is if they do not trade for Jake Peavy.
Paul Bako
As mentioned, it appears to be just a matter of time before Paul Bako signs a 1-year, $500,000 deal to back-up Geovany Soto according to the Tribune.
Opening Day Lineup?
According to Paul Sullivan in the Tribune, Lou Piniella's lineup in Houston for the first game of 2009 could look like this:
- Aaron Miles - 2B
- Joey Gathright - CF
- Derrek Lee - 1B
- Aramis Ramirez - 3B
- Milton Bradley - RF
- Alfonso Soriano - LF
- Geovany Soto - C
- Ryan Theriot - SS
- Carlos Zambrano - P
Cubs Needs and What's Going On
According to NBC Sports, the Cubs need a left-handed-middle-of-the-order hitter, a right fielder, a reliever and a backup catcher. The report indicated the Cubs appear to "be a leading candidate to land Jake Peavy. A possible three-teamer also including Baltimore has been discussed, and Brian Roberts still is the leadoff hitter they need."
MLB Network
Our National Pastime went full time on New Year's Day. The much-anticipated launch of the 24-hour baseball channel did not disappoint. The first show centered on Baseball's Hot Stove Season and will air every night at 6:00pm C.T.
After the Hot Stove show, the network aired a replay of Don Larsen's Perfect Game, the only perfect game in the history of the World Series. Bob Costas hosted and spoke with Mr. Larsen and Yogi Berra as they watched Game 5 of the 1956 World Series from the second inning on.
The replay was very special to watch and to hear the stories from Mr. Berra and Mr. Larsen was priceless. Mr. Larsen admitted at the end that he did not know what a Perfect Game was at the time and did not find out until he was in the locker room after the game.
The MLB Network will air Ken Burns's Baseball every Tuesday at 7:00 C.T. throughout the off-season so for those that follow the history of the game, so Tuesday will become 'Must See TV'.
The new channel stepped up to the proverbial plate on the first night and hit one out.
2009 Baseball Calendar
January
- 1 - Launch of MLB Network
- 5 - 15 - Salary arbitration filing period
- 6 - Cubs 2009 Spring Training Single Game Tickets Go on Sale
- 12 - 2009 Hall of Fame results announced
- 16 - 18 - 24th Annual Cubs Convention
- 19 - Exchange of salary arbitration figures
February
- 1 - 21 - Salary arbitration hearings
- 14 - First date pitchers and catchers may report to Spring Training
- 15 - End of Waiver Period
- 16 - Beginning of New Waiver Period
- 17 - First date all players may report to Spring Training
- 22 - Mandatory Spring Training reporting date
- 25 - Cactus League Season Begins
- 25 - Opening Day of Cubs Cactus League Schedule - Cubs versus Dodgers at HoHoKam Park in Mesa
March
- 5 - Opening of 2009 World Baseball Classic
- 5 - 23 - 2009 World Baseball Classic
April
- 5 - MLB Opening Night
- 6 - Opening Day for Chicago Cubs in Houston
- 13 - Cubs Home Opener against the Colorado Rockies
Well, that's the latest....and I'm sticking to it!
A few thoughts...
* I hope Sullivan is wrong about that lineup. I assumed that Miles was going to be the supersub. Why would Gathright start over Fukudome?
* Hendry has to make a few more trades.
No way is this team complete.
I'm with Jim TP hoping that the Trib is wrong on the lineup. Maybe, with Dome missing, the Trib knows something we don't.
I would line up Riot, Fontenot or Dome, Bradley, ARam, Soriano, DLee, Soto and Dome or Fontenot. If Bradley is very successful in spring training and Lee is not, I would give Bradley the 3-hole. And, if Miles beats out Fontenot for 2B, I would bat Miles second.
My wife and I are now booked again for the week starting March 16th in Mesa at the Dobson Ranch Inn: Standard King Room ($155 a night plus taxes for 2). Yes there is a refrigerator too. You can get two queens for the same price and breakfast is included. There is a $5 per person charge per night for a 3rd or 4th person. We have Field Box seats (near the Cubs dugout) for the home games on Wednesday and Friday against the Giants and Padres. Those prices jumped $5 to $29, and tickets range downward from there to $7 for Lawn Seating. I recommend a visit or two to Fitch Park where its 4 diamonds are full of Cubs hopefuls and games nearly every day. Fitch Park is free.
Dobson has an informative web site as do other places mentioned on the Cubs web site. Most of them are more expensive, and they also offer tickets. Mary McCaffrey is the person to call or email, 800-528-1356, mmccaffrey@DobsonRanchInn.com.
It likely won't get you or me anything but you could mention that Jim K. from Indianapolis suggested you call. The sprawling courtyard around the pool at Dobson would be a great gathering spot for any Faithful also attending or in the area. We also will be at Sluggos, the sports bar in Mesa once owned by Harry Carey and Steve Stone--likely on Monday night. Lots of memorabelia.
As the monkey said when the train ran over his tail, "It won't be long now." Then the monkey got mad and tried to bite the train. The train ran over his head. The moral of the story is, "Don't lose your head over a little tail."
Sullivan is a tard.. no way Miles starts over Fontenot. Fonte's play down the stretch last season is the reason why JH & Lou felt they could trade DeRo, he's our 2nd baseman this coming season. 2 - Gathright won't start either, he's a pinch runner late coming in as a defensive sub after running, most likely for Soriano, I think Lou will be busting Soriano this offseason for 2 things.. to move down in the order and to come out late for the team. He's at the point where pissing Soriano off is behind him, Lou will do what he wants this season. Johnson/Fuku is the CF platoon, & if Fuk can't hit early, Johnson will play against a lot of RH's too. As most posts have mentioned, JH is not done. While I doubt we get BRob or Peavy, there is a trade that still is out there, he mentioned 1 or 2 more moves on XM radio, Bradley is one, the second ?. It's not the Bako signing I assure you.
A couple of things...1) I'll worry about the line-up when JH is done.
2)The Nats are making a big push for Bradley...and likely will offer more $$$ than J.H. does.
3)J.H. did say he might get his lefty bat
via trade rather than free agency.
So let's all hang onto our hats and see how the winds blow before we set lineups!!!
1) If Gathright is anything more than a pinch runner / late inning defensive sub this team is in trouble.
2) Aaron Miles should not be starting at 2B. Fontenot should be starting unless he is involved in a Brian Roberts trade, which probably won't happen.
3) Sean Marshall should be the 5th starter and Smardzija should stay in the pen until he has a legit 3rd pitch.
4) I would like to see Lee hit 2nd this season.
Yeah, I sort of felt like this lineup was written by someone who didn't know anything about the Cubs roster or Pinella.
Gathright and Miles are bench players... not opening day starters. Plus, Miles as a leadoff hitter is no more exciting then Soriano as a leadoff hitter. Shoot, it's like saying Gathright will be our leadoff guy.
Plus, don't forget, Soriano will have to be really protected in the lineup to get enough fastballs. If Soriano moves out of the no 1 spot, he's going to need Ramirez, Lee, or Bradley behind him.
How do guys like Paul Sullivan keep their job ? Does he really think Gaithright would start over RJ or Fuku ? Unreal. I could maybe see Miles getting more time than Fontenot (I hope not), but the Gaithright thing is so ridiculous, I wonder if this guy does it more for shock value vs. what he really thinks. It's so stupid. I am not totally sure that Gaithright even makes the team, for God's sake.
Plus, like many of you already said, JH ain't done yet....putting out possible lineups on Jan 2 is just dumb. Long, long way to go still before opening day.
If the Nats go higher than Hendry (offer more than 3yr/30 mil then I say let them have Bradley. 2yr/16mil is all I would do for him. Too much of an injury risk to go any higher. Hell, we don't even know if we'll get more than 100 games from him each year.
I have a question: Why can't the cubs foresee what's going to happen with Bradley ? as soon as this guy experiences a little adversity, the fans (especially bleacher bums) will be all over him. Why would you want to add a ticking time bomb like this guy to such a pressurized environment ? Did they not learn anything from Latroy Hawkins ? or look at Jacque Jones ? Or corey patterson ? Remember how much the fans were all over these guys, and the cubs finally decided they needed to dump them ? and keep in mind, these players are much much much more even-tempered than Milton "nutjob" Bradley. This will be a circus, mark my words. And they are going to plunk down 10M/yr for 3 years for this guy ?
boy o boy.
I guarantee he doesn't last the whole 3 years here. 2 years from now they will be a doing a "Jason Marquis". (i.e trying to dump the last $10M on someone)
Book it, danno.
Well mayb if these damn fans would try to pick him up when he has a rough at bat or something..you dont realize how much that would help our players if we didnt boo them. Now i get pissed off as much as the next guy but we just shouldnt boo, it will help us out
I do agree that sometimes the fans are too quick to boo. But i think for the most part our fans are smart. I think we understand slumps. But what we will not put up with is piss poor attitudes and hot doggin or show boating. Which is why Derosa was a fan fave and will be sorely missed. He had a great attitude and played his butt off.
I think the fans have been pretty patient with Sorianno. I think this year the honeymoon is over with Sori he better produce or he will have a tough time in left field.
Bradley's history of emotional explosions have been primarily because of two things... his desire to win and the perception other people have of him.
A guy like that just seems like he'd suffocate playing for the Nats. I can't see that as any more than agent posturing for a better deal.
They picked up all of that pitching for another trade. I don't think the Peavy deal is dead yet.
Doublep16, I don't disagree with you. I think the fans, at times, are over the top and unfair. I know that the expectations have been raised, and that's good, but I think the atmosphere around Wrigley has definitely changed over the last 5 years. It's just much more hostile, which I don't like. But unfortunately, it is what it is and guys like Bradley have to deal with it, and I just see an impending trainwreck coming with this guy.
We've seen it before with Hawkins, Cpat, and Jacque Jones, and to think it will be any diffferent with Bradley is just delusional on the cubs part. And $10M / yr is not chump change. I just think they will live to regret it, like they have so many other times.
ugh.
For the most part, I am a Hendry backer, but for the life of me, I cannot understand what he is doing. He has not made 1 move this winter that I have liked. Not one. And I know I'm not the only person that feels that way.
Most of the major parts are still intact, but overall, I think the team is weaker, especially bullpen. That's the area that no one talka about, but I think will be the achilles heal this year. Just watch.
Marmol is not proven closer, and Gregg will be worthless. What does that leave you ? Wuertz ? Cotts ? Smard ? Ouch.
I dont see how our bullpen is weaker this year than it was going into last year because last year we had an unproven closer. This year is much the same but i think Carlos Marmol wont have any trouble fitting into that role and i think he will be better than kerry. Also look at greggs numbers compared to any of our bullpen guys last year. Only carlos marmol would be better. an i think wurtz can do a solid job. As can shark. But for all of you gusy that hate the ceda for gregg deal, imagine our bullpen without him.
Marmol
Guadin
wuertz
shark
cotts
Marshall
Guzman?
Now that is unproven and would certainly be a problem if we didnt have greggg in thier
And dont forget visciano, hes not too bad discounting last year when he had arm problems
I agree, They dumped De-Ro for a bunch of minor league pitching. You don't dump your best player for prospects unless you're getting ready to make a trade. And I do know that San Diego was adament about getting pitching in return for Peavy.
That line-up would be horrific ... Miles and Gathright and 1,2? ... there will be nobody on base for Lee, ARam, and Soriano.
I'm surprised JH couldn't get more for one year of a cheap DeRosa.
It's not like Soriano was ever on base either....
It's only JH that ponies up "major league ready" prospects when we trade for someone. When the shoe's on the other foot (such as in the DeRosa trade) we get prospects not on anyone's radar screen. At best there is only one guy in the DeRosa trade that has any chance of making a major league roster. Just great!
1) Trading Ceda for another guy with nothing but a fastball working for him (Howry) is subtraction by addition...and subtraction. No matter how many times people say "give him a shot", you just know this guy's going to be the guy coming in in the 8th and serving up free homerun balls.
2) The fans have every right to boo players: it's been 100 years. The fans need to keep the players honest, and having a lack of that kind of fan vocality has been a factor as to why we've gone 100 years. I'd rather have a juggernaut of a team that mows through the regular season and postseason that boos a guy when he's 0 for his last 30 than a team that misses or makes quick exits from the playoffs every year with a fanbase that pats the players on the back for "good effort".
3) The more I think about it, the more I think Fontenot's getting traded...something tells me his value just went up since the Cubs think highly enough of him to get rid of DeRosa, and I just don't think that's a good thing.
Per MLBTradeRumors:
"Buster Olney does not like the Cubs' recent moves, particularly the Mark DeRosa trade."
Join the crowd Buster!
I dont think anyone likes this deal RIGHT NOW.
You just have to wait and see what happens
White Sox are discussing a trade for BR
The Sox would send gavin floyd and then would revieve BR
Here's the link to the Olney blog on the Cub moves thus far.
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/blog/index?entryID=3805324&name=olney_buster
To all of those ppl out thier that think that milton bradley will ruin our team chemistry. Dave Kaplan just said that he has talked to a source that has talked to many many teamates of milton bradley and NOT ONE did not like that guy. They actually said they loved playing with the guy!