The NL and AL Manager of the Year honors were handed out on Wednesday ... with Mike Scioscia and former Chicago Cub, Jim Tracy winning the awards. The NL Cy Young will be announced on Thursday with one of two Redbirds expected finish in the top spots in the voting.
The Cubs announced their 2010 Spring Training schedule on Wednesday ... so start up the countdown clock. Cactus League action begins for the Cubs on March 4 at HoHoKam Park against the Oakland A's. The Cubs will face the White Sox during the first weekend of games. Single-game tickets go on sale January 5 for the Cubs' 35-game spring schedule.
Is this the calm before the Hot Stove kicks into gear on Friday? Here's the latest on the eve of the free-agent frenzy and the deadline all clubs must file their reserve lists ...
Spring Training 2010
For those counting ... 105 days until Lou Piniella's crew takes the field in the 2010 Cactus League opener against the A's. The Cubs will play the Reds for the first time Arizona this spring ... Cincinnati moved their Spring Training home from Florida to Arizona and will share the new facilities in Goodyear with the Cleveland Indians.
The Cubs will face-off against the White Sox in Las Vegas once again next year. Split squads will play the Sox on Friday, March 12 and Saturday, March 13 as a part of the annual 'Big League Weekend' at Cashman Field ... while the 'rest' of the roster will play the Brewers in Maryvale (March 12) and the Reds in Mesa (March 13).
The Cubs final games of the exhibition season will take place at Chase Field with two against the Arizona Diamondbacks on April 2 and April 3 ... Opening Day of the 2010 Season for the Cubs is April 5 in Atlanta.
Cubs 2010 Cactus League Schedule from Cubs.com
John Grabow
The Cubs are expected to announce a new two-year deal for John Grabow on Thursday. The deal is rumored to be worth around $7.5 million.
Will post an update as soon as the signing is made official.
The Cubs 40-man Roster
The Cubs have until Friday to set their 40-man roster in preparation of the Rule 5 draft in December ... the 40-man roster currently stands at 38 players. Teams must have their reserve lists filed for both the major league and minor league levels. Eligible players not on the 40-man roster can be selected in the Major League portion of the Rule 5 draft on December 10 ... the final day of the winter meetings.
Rule 5 Draft
The Rule 5 draft is held each December at the Winter Meetings, and it consists of a Major League portion and a minor league portion. By November 20, each club must set its 40-man roster and submit reserve lists for all major and minor-league levels (See Minor League Rosters). Between November 20 and the Rule 5 draft, a club may add Major League free agents to its 40-man roster but may not add any player from its minor league reserve lists.After 4 or 5 years as a professional, a player must be added to his club's 40-man roster or exposed to the 29 other clubs in the Rule 5 draft. (Under the new CBA, a club has 5 years to evaluate a player who signs his first pro contract at 18 years old or younger, but only 4 years to decide on a player who signs at age 19.) For purposes of calculating years as a pro, the counting begins the day a player signs his first pro contract, not the season he begins to play.
Clubs draft in reverse order of their won-loss records in the previous season, and only clubs with less than 40 players on their rosters may take part. To select an eligible player, a drafting club pays $50,000 to the player's original club. The drafting club must keep the player on its 25-man active roster for all of the next season or put him on waivers. If a third club claims the player on waivers, the third club also must keep him in the majors all season. If the player clears waivers, he must be offered back to his original club for $25,000. A drafting club may work out a trade with the player's original club so that the drafting club can keep him and send him to the minor leagues.
If, because of injury, a player selected in the Rule 5 draft spends less than 90 days on the active Major League roster, he also must remain on the Major League roster the next season until he earns 90 days of service. Otherwise, he must be put on waivers and offered back to his original club.
The Rule 5 draft also includes two minor-league phases. In the AAA phase, a player not protected on his club's 40-man roster or 38-man AAA reserve list may be selected for $12,000. In the AA phase, a player not protected on his club's 40-man roster, 38-man AAA reserve list or 37-man AA reserve list may be selected for $4,000. A player selected in the minor-league phase of the Rule 5 draft is not required to play the next season with his drafting club at the higher organizational level.
The Cubs are expected to add John Gaub, Welington Castillo and Blake Parker to their 40-man roster by Friday. However, a report from the unreliable Phil Rogers indicated the Cubs might not add Blake Parker or Steve Clevenger before the deadline ... which would leave them exposed in the Rule 5 Draft.
Minor League Free Agents
Click here for a complete list of Six-Year Minor League Free Agents from Baseball America.
While the Cubs should re-sign Brad Snyder and will likely re-sign Bobby Scales, Baseball Prospectus thinks Ruben Gotay could be a fit with the Cubs ... as well as the Astros and Tigers.
How many middle infielders do the Cubs need on the active roster?
Mark DeRosa
According to a report from the Los Angeles Times (via the Chicago Tribune), the Cubs are not one of a dozen teams interested in signing Mark DeRosa this winter. DeRosa is coming off of wrist surgery and is seeking a multi-year contract.
From the Hot Stove
- ESPN.com mentioned the Cubs as one of the teams that could be interested in Felipe Lopez. Lopez, a Type-B free agent, is not expected to be offered arbitration from the Milwaukee Brewers
- Could the A's be interested in Milton Bradley? There is a trade history between Jim Hendry and Billy Beane. ESPN.com asked the question on Wednesday ... "Any chance the A's bring back Milton Bradley if the Cubs agree to pickup some of the salary?"
- Jon Heyman reiterated the Rays, Rangers and Giants as the likely destinations for Milton Bradley.
- Dave Kaplan reported the Cubs are in serious discussions with the Rangers about a deal that would send Milton Bradley back to Texas.
Florida or Bust?
Tom Ricketts will meet with officials in Florida following the Thanksgiving holiday about moving the Cubs from the Cactus League to the Grapefruit League.
Ryne Sandberg
Ryne Sandberg appears headed back to the Tennessee Smokies next season for his fourth year managing in minor league ball. Sandberg did not mix words on Wednesday and told Waddle & Silvy he is hoping to be a candidate for the Cubs' managerial job once Lou Piniella steps down ... presumably following the 2010 season.
Click Here for the Full Report from ESPN.com and a Link to the Podcast
When asked about Milton Bradley, Ryne Sandberg said:
"A player can bring focus and attention to himself where now if he goes through a stretch that isn't so well or he goes through a stretch where he's not doing what he should be doing, then it opens the door for the fans to jump all over that. There's just some talking to that can take place there and just reassure the player and re-iterate what it means to be a Chicago Cub, what it means to put on the uniform and what should be demanded.""I think you do treat the players somewhat different. Whatever clicks with those players. I've found in the minor leagues, I have the guys for one year and they're gone. I think it's a little bit more of a luxury at the major-league level to really get to know these guys on a yearly basis. Some of the players you might have for five to 10 years. Those are the core guys you want to get on board and get what is happening and what you expect."
Follow the CCO on Twitter ...
A quick reminder to check the CCO's Community Blog ... excellent posts and different opinions from the Faithful.
If you don't have an account on the CCO ... sign-up for one to share your thoughts and interact with the rest of the Faithful.
Well, that's the latest ... and I'm sticking to it!
So neil if we are planning to add all these players who is going to come off the 40 man roster.
I was wondering the same thing? And I'll agree with you Neil, I really don't think we need Rueben Gotay.. We could almost field a team comprised of middle infielders.. Good God.
There are two open spots right now and Friday all of the players that has filed for free agency will be removed ... plus Marcos Mateo should be removed as well.
I would think 3-4 additions, 5 tops.
I know you guys asked Neil...but incase he isn't on until much later....
The Cubs have not done the house-cleaning yet on the roster.
For instance any of their 5 free-agents
NOT signed come off....Harden/Gregg/
Johnson/Chad Fox.
They should remove Neil Cotts and perhaps Juan Mateo...and anyone else
not in their plans or under contract.
I just listed 6 spots that will open...
there may be more changes.
Sorry Neil.
Not a problem
Thank you Neil.How about our starting rotation I do not really have a lot of confidence in them. Zambrano is inconsistent and not a ace. Ted Lily is injured. Randy Wells is hit able and I expect the league to figure him out this year. Tom Gozelanny and Shark to fill the final two starting spots in the rotation. I am worried. How about you Neil what do you think.
Ronald, I am concerned about the starting rotation as well. Even with a healthy Ted Lilly, the Cubs had two question marks in the backend.
I like Randy Wells, but it is just one year ...
I would like to see Hendry address his rotation and build depth.
I really hope the Cubs resign Brad
Snyder...IMO he is ready to contribute
in the outfield as a platoon player.
He's left-handed...hits for average (.348) in Mexacali with some power.
...and plays good defense.
He would be a better choice then Colvin
just now.
Re: Colvin..."The Cub Reporter" had a nice blog on why we should sell high on
him just now...
Neil supplies the link on the left under
Cubs Blogosphere.
Do not rely on Mexican League stats. Steve Stone says is equivalent to A ball in the states.
Rip...you are right...but combined with a decent showing in Iowa coming off an injury...
it shows he's still progressing...even if the level of competition isn't high.
AGREED fully on Snyder. He is the poor man's Granderson, and we are the poor man at the moment.
Aaron, not pleased with your trade to Det. I also feel that Willis would not be a good addition and kills that deal, unless the minor leaguer we get back is on the Verlander level.
The trade with Texas for Milton can very easily include Mitchell Moreland or Chris Davis to offset the 5 mil additional to Millwood.
Then you are free to trade hoffpauir.
With Davis in the fold, and Snyder... Fox and Colvin also becomes expendable to an AL team for a middle reliever.
Leaving you Marshall, Heillman and Atkins to Col for Young.
It has been clearly stated that Hendry wants to build by dealing not buying. GOOD! Glad to hear it Jimbo. He also said something along the lines that he is not interested in trading high level prospects for a high salary guy.
JH on Cubs.com article"We're in a situation now, as we all know, we'll be mixing and matching this winter more than just trading prospects for a high-end salary guy. That doesn't seem to make much sense right now, where we're at."
To me, reading between the lines that says Granderson is a NO. Good job Jim.
Looks like the fun is about to begin, I say fun with a twinge of Sarcasm, because watching Hendry squirm out of this mess is like getting your teeth drilled with no novacaine.
Cloycub....OW.
You know, this is going to be a very different offseason then we are used to
in recent years.
If we get Davis and Moreland in the Millwood deal...that would soften the blow quite a bit...It would also show that Hendry still has a noggin on his head...and we havn't seen proof of that in awhile.
I do believe the pen can be a huge strenth this year...we do have valuable trading chips to play...IF we so choose.
If the Cubs do protect Blake Parker...
and Cashner is a given....both are projected to arrive sometime this season
on the parent club.
Many scouts project Cashner for the Pen...but the Cubs want to groom him as a starter...
The point I'm making is there ARE bright points on this team for the future.
The JH quote is actually hopeful.
Oh yeah one more thing. Every time Ryne Sandberg opens his mouth; he is clear, concise, and just GETS IT! He makes the case for himself every day, and it would be a real REAL shame if he is not Lou's replacement. His take on Milton is the best said I have seen.
Why does Ryno get it.... Because he has been through the wars with many different guys, personalities and circumstances. In reading his book, he is cerebral, knows the game of baseball, knows personelle, knows how to manage egos, and most importantly is a CUB through and through.
This phrase should be the header on his resume..."re-iterate what it means to be a Chicago Cub"! Right behind Hall of Famer, Lifetime Cub, 4 Years managerial experience, 2 AA Division Titles, 1 AA Championship.
How nice is it going to be to have a lifelong fan and intelligent business man at the top. Hopefully a young creative intelligent baseball person in the GM seat, and a lifelong Cub who bleeds blue, and understands what it is to be a member of one of the most storied franchises in all of sports at the helm on the field. Add in the best hitting coach in the game, and hopefully another HOF'er in Maddux as the pitching coach, and brighter days are ahead.
"At the end of the storm, there's a golden light" (You'll never walk alone).
This is the storm and it sucks thanks to Hendry, But better days are coming.
Go Cubs Go!
Agreed on Ryno's statement re: Milton! I also like the way he is handling himself; directly stating his intention and not mincing words. He has put himself on the candidate list, and because he is Ryno and because the new owner is an old Ryno fan - and a NEW owner - Ryno has forced the hand. And I like that. Aggressive and to the point.
Closing in on Grabow for $7.5M?? Couldn't we have signed Felipe Lopez for about that? Seems to me Lopez would be much more valuable, as he can play 2B,SS, and is a switch-hitter. He would be a solid starter on this Cubs team or provide some great depth off the bench. As for Grabow, there are many more less expensive options that would be at least as effective. Either that or we are better off giving our home-grown guys a shot like Gaub. But then again, we've had a "small problem" developing our own talent. In this regard, when Lou decides to hang em' up, I hope we get a manager who is more in favor of letting the kids play (if not Sandburg, someone along those lines) and a GM that shares the same vision. Hopefully these issues will become obvious to the Ricketts in the upcoming season.
So far, I haven't read any posts that have favored the Grabow signing......I really hope he comes out and proves us all wrong, but it doesn't seem like a smart decision to sign him for 2+years.
Reports are coming in ... Grabow has agreed to terms with the Cubs on a 2-year deal. Will post shortly when made official
Not to shoot the messenger but. BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!
Not a fan of this. Have not been from the beginning. However, This sends a signal to me that Marshall is a trade chip. I know he has been discussed out of the rotation until Lilly get's back, but is'nt that what Gorzelanny can do. To me we have 4 fairly equal parts in our bullpen.
Marshall=Gorzellanny
Grabow=Gaub
There is no way the Cubs are going into the season with 4 lefties in the pen. And with reports that the free agent lefty market is thin...Those pieces just became extra valuable.
Once again hoping one of Hendry's moves are a precursor to something else, other wise Grabow does not make sense. And I also agree that Lopez would have been the same price and solved a need.
Thank you! :)
I completely agree with you both....but I think Gaub will be better than Grabow.
Felipe Lopez could still be a target...It would not surprise me if he were still in the plans...
Remember...true free agency doesn;t really start until after Friday.
In Neil's post yesterday...he said Bruce Levine expected the Cubs to give DLee
and extension before trading him.
To me...that sounds like a sign and trade deal...which would make sense
if we got a really good return.
Id signing Grabow is part of a stratagy
to bring us solid return in other trades...then I'm ok with it.
But by itself doesn't look good.
If the season started today, here would be my opening day lineup:
Fuld-CF
Theriot-2B
Lee-1B
ARAM-3B
Snyder-RF
Soriano-LF
Soto-C
Castro-SS
bench: K Hill, Fukudome, Baker, Blanco, Matt Camp
SP: Z, Dempster, Wells, Gorzelanny, Samardzija (Lilly on DL)
pen: Gaub, Caridad, Parker, Berg, Grabow, Guzman, Marmol
*Bradley, Marshall, Heilman, Blanco, Fontenot, Atkins, Mateo, Patton, Stevens, Colvin, Hoffpauir, and Fox would all be trade targets that we could turn into bench players and/or starters.
For instance, if we get Millwood in a trade, he'd be inserted instead of Samardzija or Gorzelanny into the rotation, and if we were able to package others, for, say a Upton, EY Jr., Chris Davis, or Moreland, then obviously that player would find himself in CF or RF, and we'd adjust the roster accordingly. This much is clear though....Hoffpauir and Fox might be everyday players in the AL as a DH, but certainly not on this team. Fuld is borderline. He had good splits against lefties/righties, high avg and OBP, but no RBI threat at all. Fukudome is CLEARLY not an everyday player either...more like a platoon player. Fontenot is CLEARLY not an everyday player, and I'd argue that even Baker might not be an everyday player. So, as I've said, we need to find starters at 2B, CF, and RF for sure. Any other upgrades are purely just icing on the cake, but those are the positions we need to focus on for sure.
Could we fill it internally? Absolutely!!!! In fact, I'd think you'd at least consider NRI to Spring Training for Flaherty, Burke, Brett Jackson, and LeMahieu, and just see how they do with elevated competition. Perhaps you do what the White Sox did with Beckham, and just elevate them to AA or AAA immediately, or even start the season with them at the MLB level if they do very well. Maybe I'm crazy...who knows, but it's definitely a problem we could potentially solve internally.
If they want to move THeriot to 2B as I suggested, or even move him outside of the organization entirely, it wouldn't necessarily be a step back for us with Castro, Barney, Camp, Tony Thomas, and even Flaherty possibly ready for MLB action.
For comparison, here are the following players and their ages (for next year), along with guys they'd replace with their ages at debut:
Castro-20
Brett Jackson-21
LeMahieu-21
Burke-22
Flaherty-23
Tony Thomas-23
Barney-24
Camp-26
(at debut..**initial call-up)
Soto-22
Baker-24
Fox-24
Fuld-25
Theriot-25
Fontenot-25
Hoffpauir-28
So, ask yourself out of all these players, who had the greatest success in his career? The answer would be Soto. Who can argue with a ROY winner? He saw action from 2005-2007, playing in 1,11,and 18 games respectively, until his full opportunity in 2008. It would appear that we need to rethink the way we're promoting our players. We have to give these guys a full shot, and they're all at ages where they'd benefit most from the call-up. You could argue that Castro, Burke, Jackson, and LeMahieu might be a little too young, but Gordon Beckham was 22 this year in his debut, and I've already discussed the top young players in this league and when they were called up (most were called up from age 21-24). If you look at our list, all you have is Soto and Fox in that age group (and Baker while he was with Colorado). How exactly has that worked for us, by the way?!? Exactly, if it's not broke, don't fix it....but it IS broke, and so we have to fix it, and it starts with this year.
Would Marlon Byrd be a good option for CF? Sure, he might...but would he be able to repeat 20 hr, 89 RBI (a career year for him.....how exactly has that worked for Hendry by the way...signing guys from career years?) Would Ankiel? Sure, he might be a good option too...but Byrd will be 32 yrs old, and Ankiel will be 30. Would Lopez be a good option at 2B? In my opinion, he ABSOLUTELY would...but he's going to be 30 next year. So why am I bringing this up?
Well, if we continue to sign guys like Byrd, Ankiel, or Lopez, they most likely will require 3 yr deals, which would mean guys like Jackson, Burke, Flaherty, etc. will ALSO be 3 years older, and you're robbing your players of further development, which is EXACTLY the theory that Hendry has subscribed to throughout the years. DuBois wasn't ready in his eyes, so he signed Hollandsworth, and it blocked him, and retarded his development because he couldn't get consistent at bats. When he thought Zuleta wasn't ready in their eyes, he and MacPhail went after McGriff, even though the season was pretty much a lost cause. Am I trying to say guys like DuBois, Zuleta, etc. would be stars? Absolutely NOT! But what I am saying, is that if they were given full opportunities, who really knows what might've happened? Maybe they'd still be playing today in the majors as solid back-ups, or role players.
Just like Muhsin Muhammed once said about receivers and the Chicago Bears, "quality receivers come to Chicago to die." Well, the same is true with the Cubs, only, "quality prospects get signed/drafted by the Cubs to die."
Seriously, how many good prospects have we had, where they tear up the minors, get promoted slowly, tear up AAA, finally get a cup of coffee, and maybe they do well, or they might struggle a little, and they become just an afterthought a year later when a veteran free agent nearing the end of his career is signed to take the prospect's at bats?
It's absolutely ludicrous to me that huge market teams like the Yankees and Red Sox have grasped this concept, and many other teams have, and I have no idea what the Cubs are thinking.....hmmmmmmmm, do I sign Aaron Miles, an early 30's middle infielder to a multi-year deal, or do I take a chance on one of my own prospects (Tony Thomas, Barney, etc.) that are probably ready for action, at about 1/5 of the cost of Miles? hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm....that's a difficult proposition isn't it? To sign a marginal veteran talent to a multi-year, multi-million deal, or to go year to year with my own prospects until I find the one that sticks for just $400,000/year....hmmmmmmmmmmmmm....and if he sticks, BOOOM!!!!!! I just found a solid young player that can be an everyday player.
Am I losing my mind, or does anyone else feel this way?
Look, you have marginal talent in Hoffpauir, Fontenot, Blanco, and even Fox. But you have solid veterans already with the team in Fukudome, Theriot, and Baker that can play different positions that can step in if your young players struggle. Am I right? If Castro struggles, Theriot goes to SS, and Baker takes over at 2B. If Fuld or Burke, etc. struggle, then Fukudome steps in, and you'd sign a veteran to a one year deal to be another option, such as maybe a Scott Podsednik, or even an Ankiel if he'll sign a one-year deal.
Those are the types of moves we need to make
Re Fuld, I believe Fuld brings an intangible energy to the team that goes beyond his stats...It's quite possible he will be a manager or GM someday given his intelligence and passion.
I came across this Nov. 1rst interview with him...It's great reading...
especially if you are grounded in
statistics:
http:/www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=9719
Lopez is no spring chicken anymore, but I too would rather have spent the 2 years and 7.5M$ on him than Grabow.
Something else that troubles me is the assumption that Gorzelanny will make the rotation. Really? what did he do to prove that last year?
I'm with you re Gorzelanny...I do think the Cubs...either by trade or high incentive FA signing (Sheets?) will pick up another starter.
Aaron, While I agree with you in principle re the developement of Cubs prospects there's a couple of problems we have to deal with in reality.
1)Lou's the manager this year...and in my mind...not good for getting the best out od young players.
2)Both Fox and Hoffpauir would have higher trade value...if played correctly. ie...the knock on Fox is he can't hit the breaking ball...but guess what...that was the same book on him in AAA and he still tore the heck out of everything.
Hoffpauir if straightened out is a solid mid-level player that can get hot at times...But due to collecting splinters forever and ever...is now a suspect rather than a prospect.
Do you really want to entrust our best talent to Lou this year?...Or wait one more season when they truly might have an opportunity to blossom?
2) We are so lulled by Hendry's deals
that we forget...that if done right...a veteran contract CAN be just the thing to aid in the developement of a Prospect.
HENDRY ALWAYS OVERPAYS...thus making our
players untradeable....He has not adjusted to a down market YET...as evidenced by his Grabow signing....
But if Felipe Lopaz were signed to an equitable deal...you play him one year as a stopgap...and then trade him whenever the 2nd base prospect is ready.
What we are talking here is realistic talent evaluation...and knowing your farm system well....Casey McGehee proved Hendry does not have a handle on that.
With the exception of Bullpen pitchers..I have to agree that our prospects come here to fade away...
Hopefully Sandberg and Ricketts can befin to reverse that trand.
btw...just heard on the radio that the Cubs are looking at Pedro Martinez...
God, I do love this time of year...when the rumors fly all over the place...
Pedro of course would be a mistake for us (would put stress on the bullpen as a 5 inning pitcher). But aren't rumors fun?