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Category :: If The Ivy Could Talk - Cubs Rumors
The early off-season rumors surrounding the Cubs might have gone from pure speculation to the point of absurdity on Saturday afternoon. While the Rays and Phillies are in the middle of a very good World Series, Phil Rogers stepped way out on the proverbial limb by stating, "don't be surprised if Jim Hendry tries to put together a package that would include a swap of first basemen, Derrek Lee and Adrian Gonzalez, who is supposedly...
Former Arizona Diamondbacks' manager and current Cubs' color analyst Bob Brenly interviewed on Thursday for the vacated skipper's job in Milwaukee. Brenly is on a short-list of candidates that includes former managers Ken Macha and Willie Randolph. Brenly recently signed a contract extension to remain with Len Kasper in the Cubs' booth and some feel Brenly could be the best man for the job....especially with his knowledge of the team the Brewers have been trying...
The final installment of By the Numbers, the CCO's look at the 'Big Three', will resume later in the week in order to give time to the latest from the rumor mill....and of course the News from the Wire. The Sporting News named Geovany Soto the National League Rookie of the Year on Tuesday. Soto put together a tremendous year behind the plate for the Chicago Cubs and figures to be named the BBWAA Rookie...
According to a report from Phil Rogers in the Tribune on Thursday afternoon, the Cubs could be close to signing Jim Hendry to an extension. The Seattle Mariners asked for permission to interview Hendry for their general manager position and Crane Kenney "declined to give the Mariners permission to talk" to the Cubs current GM. Hendry has until December 30th to exercise his option for the 2009 season. The report from Rogers stated, "some within...
Kevin Towers and the San Diego Padres have made it no secret that they are shopping their ace and former Cy Young Award winner Jake Peavy. Peavy has a no-trade clause on a 3-year, $52 million dollar extension he signed in December of 2007, but Peavy's agent, Barry Axelrod, released a list of National League teams Peavy would be willing to lift his no-trade clause for....and according to a report in the San Diego Union-Tribune,...
The organizational meetings in Mesa begin in less than a week, October 19th, but the rumors continued to flow over the weekend in relation to possible moves the Cubs could make this off-season. The one reoccurring theme over the last week has been the Cubs' desire to add a left-handed bat or bats to a lineup dominated by right-handed hitters. Until the meetings get underway in Mesa next Sunday and the Cubs' brass determines not...
The off-season on the North Side has begun and while the organizational meetings are not until October 19th in Mesa, the Cubs made a little news this week....and the mainstream media lit the fire on the Hot Stove. The Cubs' payroll is expected to increase in 2009 from the $130 million dollars the organization spent to field the 2008 squad. While a specific number has not been reported, with the escalating salaries of the players...
According to a report in the Sun-Times, the "Cubs appear poised to offer manager Lou Piniella a contract season at the end of the season." The report stated the Cubs have already had talks with Piniella but the "issue was tabled until the off-season." Piniella has one year remaining on his contract after this season and the Cubs have an option for the 2010 season....
Updated - 11:58pm C.T. - Randy Wells to the Show? Jim Hendry was on Sports Central with Dave Kaplan on Monday night and said Felix Pie will be recalled and with the Cubs on Tuesday in St. Louis. The I-Cubs were eliminated from the PCL playoffs on Sunday. Hendry also stated another pitcher would be called up from the minors and the announcement would be made before Tuesday's game. Hendry did not mention the player...
Game One Hundred Fourteen: Cubs (67-46) vs. Astros (54-57) Game Time - 1:20pm C.T. Coverage - TV: Comcast SportsNet - Radio: 720 WGN, XM Radio Channel 183 Location - Wrigley Field, Chicago Rich Harden (6-2, 2.04/1.09, 1-1, 1.11/0.90) vs. Wandy Rodriguez (6-4, 3.61/1.31) Updated - 12:28pm C.T. - Scott Eyre Designated for Assignment - Kerry Wood Activated Lou Piniella's crew will try to figure out the riddle that has become the Astros' pitching staff today...
The Cubs will likely make a decision on Kerry Wood later today according to a report from Bruce Miles. Wood will see a hand specialist in Chicago on Thursday and Miles thought the Cubs would put Wood on the DL on Wednesday. If Wood ends up making his 12th trip to the disabled list, the Cubs could call-up Jeff Samardzija to take his place in the pen according to Miles....
Game Ninety-Six: Cubs (57-38) vs. Astros (44-51) Game Time - 7:05pm C.T. Coverage - TV: WGN - Radio: 720 WGN, XM Radio Channel 188 Location - Minute Maid Park, Houston Ted Lilly (9-6, 4.68/1.34) vs. Brian Moehler (5-4, 4.28/1.39) Updated - 5:16pm C.T. - Micah Hoffpauir Recalled - Jon Lieber Placed on 15-day DL Game On! The Chicago Cubs resume play tonight in Houston behind Ted Lilly. Lou Piniella's crew is 3-3 against the Astros...
With the non-waiver trade deadline just around the corner, the rumor mill should be in full swing over the next few weeks. Jim Hendry has already made a big splash with the acquisition of Rich Harden, but 'Trader Jim' has stated he is always looking at ways to improve his team. In the midst of the All-Star festivities, the San Diego Union Tribune ran a report that the Cubs "recently asked about" Khalil Greene. But...
Cue Bobby McFerrin and his classic little ditty from the late 80's. In case anyone missed the news, the baseball team that resides in Wisconsin officially added a southpaw with a little bit of skill on Monday. Like so many of the experts were guilty of when the Mets landed Johan Santana, the Brewers have been declared the winners of the central and will be playing ball in October. Lou Piniella might have a few...
According to several reports, the Brewers have acquired C.C. Sabathia from the Indians for a package of prospects centered around minor league slugger Matt LaPorta. Sabathia along with Ben Sheets gives Milwaukee the best one-two punch in the National League according to most of the experts, along with Brandon Webb and Dan Haren of the Diamondbacks. Peter Gammons reported during Sunday Night Baseball that the deal would be announced on Monday morning and many feel...
While the Faithful wait for the Cubs to take the field tonight in San Francisco....here is the latest news from the North Side. Also, feel free to discuss the latest rumors from Peter Gammons and Phil Rogers on pitchers the Cubs may or may not be interested in trading for.......
The Cubs begin a string of 13 straight on Tuesday night with the first of three against the Baltimore Orioles. The Cubs will make a roster move before the game to make room for Sean Marshall to replace Carlos Zambrano in the starting rotation. A report in the Tribune from Paul Sullivan on Monday night indicated the Cubs could place Reed Johnson on the DL instead of sending down Eric Patterson, Matt Murton or Micah...
As discussed in previous articles over the last few weeks, many of the experts think the Cubs will add a starting pitcher before the non-waiver trade deadline on July 31st. Several names have surfaced since the first of the month, and usually it is the player that no one knows about that ends up being involved in a trade. By now many have begin to dream about a Cubs' rotation that includes C.C. Sabathia. But...
The trading deadline is still 43 days away and everyday seems to bring another rumor. Most believe the Cubs are interested in adding a starting pitcher. Names such as A.J. Burnett, C.C. Sabathia, Randy Wolf, Greg Maddux and Gil Meche have been mentioned as possibilities. And with all of the changes taking place in Seattle, the Erik Bedard to the Cubs rumors resurfaced on Monday. Paul Sullivan reported in the Tribune on Tuesday night that...
The Cubs will enter play on Tuesday night against the Braves with the best record in baseball. The team is playing well in a surprisingly strong NL Central but most, including Lou Piniella, feels the team on the North Side needs to add a staring pitcher in order to keep up the pace. Several reports have indicated Jim Hendry is looking to add an arm to the rotation. Peter Gammons mentioned on Sunday night the...
Could the Cubs still be interested in Kenny Lofton? A month ago two separate writers, Buster Olney and Jon Heyman, mentioned Lofton would make sense for the Cubs. Lou Piniella wanted a left-handed hitting centerfielder and Felix Pie was not progressing the way the Cubs wanted him to. Those rumors were quieted when the Cubs signed Jim Edmonds a few weeks back. Reports have indicated Lou Piniella's patience with the lack of production from Jim...
Several reports on Tuesday night indicated once Jim Edmonds clears waivers on Wednesday he will sign with the Cubs. Felix Pie appears to be the odd man out and will likely be sent down to Iowa to continue to work on his swing. Reports also indicated that Reed Johnson and Edmonds be platooned in center while Pie patrols the outfields of the Pacific Coast League. If Edmonds is signed, could Pie be traded instead of...
Rumors began to surface over the weekend about the Cubs possible interest in Jim Edmonds. A report in the Tribune on Monday morning mentioned the Cubs were "exploring the possibility" of adding the former Cardinal to their roster. Multiple reports following Monday night's game against the Padres stated the Cubs "are poised to ink the lefty-hitting outfielder." Edmonds is likely to clear waivers on Wednesday according to the Tribune and while Jim Hendry did not...
According to a report in the Chicago Tribune on Monday morning the Cubs are "exploring the possibility" of signing Jim Edmonds "according to some in the know". The Padres designated Edmonds for assignment on Friday after a slow start to the season. Bruce Levine mentioned the possibility of the Cubs signing Jim Edmonds during his show on Saturday morning and described the team's interest as being "luke warm"....
According to a report in the Chicago Tribune on Sunday night, Sean Gallagher could make his second big league start against the Pirates next weekend. The Cubs will start Carlos Zambrano in the opener against the Padres on Monday. Jason Marquis will face Shawn Estes on Tuesday, Ted Lilly will go against Jake Peavy on Wednesday and Ryan Dempster will face his former teammate, Greg Maddux, in the finale on Thursday. The Tribune indicated Jon...
Lou Piniella is not happy and according to a report in the Tribune....neither was the rest of the clubhouse after being shutout by the Reds on Wednesday afternoon. The Cubs' skipper mentioned, on several occasions, earlier in the week that changes are on the way, but what can and should be done with a team, that despite it's recent struggles, is still 4 games over .500. Here is the latest news from the North Side,...
Over the weekend, Buster Olney mentioned the Cubs and Kenny Lofton in the same sentence in his blog. Olney said Lofton would make sense for the Cubs with the recent injury to Alfonso Soriano. The blurb from one of the most respected baseball writers around was buried half way down in his Saturday report....and with the last line reading, "But this doesn't appear to be a part of the Cubs' plans", it did not appear...
The definition of "unlikely" according to Merriam-Webster is: not likely, improbable, likely to fail....and that was the word Andy MacPhail used on Wednesday to update the media on the possibility of Brian Roberts being traded to the Cubs. Fitting, isn't it? While Brian Roberts appears to be staying in Baltimore, the Cubs made more roster moves and is Lou Piniella really thinking of inserting Kosuke Fukudome in the leadoff spot? Here is the latest from...
Lou Piniella's crew has only three games left in the desert before leaving for Las Vegas on Thursday afternoon. The Cubs' skipper announced his starting rotation on Monday and he still has a couple of spots on the bench and a possible vacancy in the bullpen up for grabs. But could there be a new name in the mix? According to several reports out of Chicago and from Ken Rosenthal, the answer is yes. The...
Spring Training Game Twenty-Six - Cubs 7 Padres 3 WP - Jason Marquis (1-1) LP - Greg Maddux (1-1) Save - None Lou Piniella's offense has finally started putting runs on the board. Over the past 4 games the Cubs have tallied a total of 26 runs, the same amount they scored in the 7 games prior dating back to March 13th. On Sunday afternoon the Cubs batted around in the 1st inning against Greg...
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...
Spring Training Game Twenty-Four - Cubs 3 Rockies 7 WP - Mark Redman (2-2) LP - Sean Marshall (0-1) Save - None Spring Training in Arizona is very convenient. The travel time from park to park is minimal even during traffic delays, except for one destination....Tucson. The Cubs made the long two-hour trip for the second time in the last six days on Friday afternoon and while the starting nine featured a few of the...
Spring Training Game Twenty-Two - Cubs (ss) 4 Giants 2 WP - Jon Lieber (2-0) LP - Kevin Correia (0-1) Save - Jose Ascanio (2) Jon Lieber followed the performances of Jason Marquis and Ryan Dempster with a solid outing of his own. He worked fast, threw strikes and kept the ball down. Lieber allowed a run on 7 hits with a walk and 4 strikeouts in 5 innings of work. The Giants put runners...
The next 12 days could be very busy around baseball and especially on the North Side of Chicago. According to several reports, Lou Piniella would like to have his roster, rotation and lineup set by Monday, which would give the Cubs a week before Opening Day to settle in. But there is always a trade or two that could shake things up in Cubs camp....so could the long rumored trade be on the verge of...
Happy St. Patrick's Day from all of the Irishmen here at the CCO.... It is the third week of March and the Cubs last full week in Arizona. Lou Piniella's crew has just 13 games left in the exhibition season and only 11 more in the desert....Opening Day is two weeks from today. The Cubs still have decisions to make on spots in the rotation, the bullpen, on the bench and then there is the...
Spring Training Game Eighteen: Cubs (6-11) vs. White Sox (8-10) Game Time - 3:05pm C.T. TV: WGN (White Sox) - Radio: 720 WGN, Gameday Audio on MLB.com, XM Radio Channel 177 Location - Tucson Electric Park, Tucson Rich Hill (0-1, 7.04) vs. Nick Masset (0-1, 3.00) The Crosstown Classic from the Desert.... The Cubs and White Sox face-off for the first time today in 2008, Spring Training or not, it is the Cubs vs. the...
Spring Training Game Seventeen - Cubs 5 Angels 6 WP - Ervin Santana (1-0) LP - Ryan Dempster (2-1) Save - Rich Thompson (1) Ryan Dempster's fourth outing of the spring started much like the other three. He worked fast, was efficient and retired the Angels in order in the 1st inning. The Cubs' offense handed him a 3-run lead before he took the mound to start the 2nd inning but his own error led...
Installment 5 - Avoiding Pie's Problem. The CCO Radio returns for a Friday edition at the midway point of the exhibition season. Brian and Shaun discuss a variety of Cubs topics from Brian Roberts to Lou's lineup to Micah Hoffpauir with all of the dude references that can be packed into nearly a 38 minute show....plus a possible new nickname for one of the closer candidates. The CCO is excited to announce our podcast has...
Is Lou Piniella overreacting about his players' lack of production, or is there cause for concern? Piniella was not happy with his team's offensive output on Tuesday and said he is going to mix things up and play his regulars more. Counting today's game in Surprise against the Rangers, the Cubs have 18 more games to get on track before they count. Here is a catch all, if you will, of various bits of Cubs...
It is the never-ending rumor. For the last three plus months the Cubs have apparently had conversations about acquiring Brian Roberts from the Orioles....this much we think we know. Over the past several weeks as soon as one of the well-respected baseball journalists report talks are heating up again, one side will end up denying the report within 24 hours. Jayson Stark became the latest to chime in on the Brian Roberts to the Cubs...
After starting the exhibition season, 1-3, Lou Piniella's crew have won 4 of the last 7 and in the process have shown improvement over the past week. Mark DeRosa is expected back on the field on Monday in Maryville while this past week Aramis Ramirez, Alfonso Soriano and Daryle Ward all returned from various injuries. The Cubs still have 20 games left, 18 in Arizona and 2 in Las Vegas, before Opening Day against the...
According to a report on Friday night from Jeff Zrebiec, discussion between the Cubs and Orioles on the long-rumored deal for Brian Roberts "have cooled". Zrebiec stated the two teams cannot agree on a package that would benefit both teams...."pushing the deal toward Opening Day or beyond." According to the report in the Baltimore Sun, two sources have indicated the Cubs have offered a package that would include Ronny Cedeno, Sean Gallagher, Donald Veal and...
A report from the Detroit Free Press on Tuesday threw a proverbial curveball at the Cubs blogosphere. Of all the names mentioned this past off-season, not once was Jim Hendry rumored to be interested in trading for Brandon Inge of the Tigers. Injuries to the Tigers' bullpen coupled with the frustration voiced by Inge about being benched have apparently made their former third baseman available. The Detroit Free Press stated "the Tigers have had general...
A report from SI.com on Monday indicated the talks between the Cubs and the Orioles have heated up concerning, well....whom else but Brian Roberts. Jon Heyman's report mentioned the talks "were starting to get serious." Heyman reported one of the trade proposals could include Jay Payton and a deal was in place "a few weeks back but Orioles owner Peter Angelos didn't approve it immediately." The speculation continued throughout Monday with various rumors from different...
Spring Training Game Four: Cubs (1-2) vs. Giants (1-3) Game Time - 2:05pm C.T. - TV: Comcast SportsNet, MLBTV - Radio: 720 WGN, XM Channel 179 Location - HoHoKam Park, Mesa Ted Lilly (0-0, -.--) vs. Matt Cain (0-0, -.--) A relatively non-eventful Spring Training, with the obvious exception of Mark DeRosa, changed on Saturday with statements by Jason Marquis following the Cubs loss in Tempe to the Angels. Marquis apparently would rather be traded...
Spring Training Game Three: Cubs (1-1) vs. Angels (1-0-1) Game Time - 2:05pm C.T. Comcast SportsNet - Radio N/A Location - Tempe Diablo Stadium Jason Marquis (0-0, -.--) vs. Jered Weaver (0-0, -.--) Game three of the exhibition season but the first televised game of the spring. Both teams will see a new opponent for the first time since their respective spring schedules began three days ago. Lou Piniella will send Jason Marquis to the...
The last weekend update before the exhibition season gets underway on Thursday. The Cubs lineup was the hot topic on Friday. Lou Piniella appeared on the Mike North show and confirmed reports from Thursday that he was considering hitting Kosuke Fukudome third in his lineup. Several reports brought up the number 125, as in the total number of lineups Piniella used in his first season on the North Side. Piniella will continue to tinker with...
In seven short days the 2008 version of the Chicago Cubs will take the field for the first time in Scottsdale against the San Francisco Giants....the baseball season is just around the corner. Many have predicted the Cubs will have a good season but some feel the Cubs still have areas they must address, mainly in centerfield and in the bullpen. A majority of the roster is set, barring injuries, but there is always at...
Brian Roberts reported to Orioles camp in Fort Lauderdale on Tuesday and fielded questions about his inclusion in the Mitchell Report and the rumors surrounding his possible exit from Baltimore. Roberts apologized again for using steroids back in 2003 but majority of his meeting with the media focused on the trade talk that have made headlines for the last three months....
There was one big surprise from Fitch Park on Day Three of Camp Lou. According to multiple reports, Piniella stated Rich Hill is currently slotted as the 4th starter in his rotation, not the third as has been assumed all winter. Piniella is undecided on which pitcher will occupy the 3rd and 5th spots in the Cubs starting rotation. Jason Marquis, Ryan Dempster and Jon Lieber are the leading candidates for the last two spots...
Day Two at Fitch Park saw the arrival of their big off-season signing. Kosuke Fukudome reported to camp early on Friday, greeted the media and spent time in the cages. Lou Piniella was one of 40 people that gathered to watch Fukudome take batting practice for the first time as a Cub. Piniella remarked after the session, "Very impressive. The ball jumps of his bat." Carlos Zambrano greeted the Cubs' new right fielder by wearing...
Time to play a little ball. Cubs' pitchers and catchers will have their first workout later today at Fitch Park. Another pitcher made a bold prediction for the upcoming season, but this time it was not Carlos Zambrano. Ryan Dempster told reporters on Wednesday the Cubs will win the World Series this year. Dempster said, "It's like anything, if you believe it you can achieve it." Reports on WGN Radio indicated Kosuke Fukudome will likely...
It is just three short days until pitchers and catchers report to Fitch Park. The countdown to Spring Training and Cactus League action has everyone thinking of warmer weather, regardless of the fact it is still winter, and all of the possibilities that lie ahead in the upcoming season. Hot Stove Game Day aired for the last time this winter on ESPN 1000 Saturday morning. Bruce Levine had plenty of Cubs topics to discuss, including...
Finally the long-rumored 6-player deal between the Orioles and Mariners was made official on Friday. Erik Bedard was shipped West for 5 players including one of the best prospects in the game, Adam Jones. Countless reports have indicated this winter that once Andy MacPhail dealt Bedard, Brian Roberts would be next on the trading block. Since the Winter Meetings rumors have suggested the Cubs are very interested in obtaining Brian Roberts. Many trade packages have...
The CCO Radio returns for a Friday edition with Brian and Shaun, for the first time, talking Cubs baseball. In the latest edition of the CCO Podcast, Brian and Shaun discuss the Cubs rotation, the National League Central, Kosuke Fukudome and Spring Training among other Cubs' topics, in their unique way. Click on the icon to download the podcast or subscribe through iTunes with the following link http://feeds.feedburner.com/Chicagocubsonlinecom to load into your iPod or iPhone....
The Hot Stove season is all but complete. Teams have handed out their non-roster invitations and are ready to start Spring Training as players will soon start making their way to Florida and Arizona, respectively. Cubs' pitchers and catchers report to Fitch Park next Wednesday. For the first time in recent memory, the Cubs will start Spring Training with a healthy staff, and Lou Piniella figures to have strong competition for the last two spots...
Welcome to Super Tuesday and Happy Fat Tuesday.... For the last nine days, updates from the mainstream media on the Erik Bedard deal have indicated a trade between the Mariners and Orioles was close to being completed. Depending on which outlet you read or which radio report you listen to, a deal will happen either tomorrow or in the next few days. While the Cubs appear out of the running for the talented southpaw, Jim...
Congratulations to the New York Football Giants and their fans, Super Bowl XLII Champions. While many basketball fans might disagree, all eyes will now turn to Major League Baseball and reporting dates for pitchers and catchers. Here is the latest from around the league, the new Under Armour commercial, a couple of rumors from Sunday and will this finally be the week Peter Angelos allows his past to give way to the future?...
First and foremost, thank you CCO readers for your continued patronage and commitment. Our website is growing and in order to keep up with the demands, we are adding a new element....PODCASTS. This will give you the chance to not only read the thoughts of our writers, but also to hear them, when you choose. We are very excited about this development and look forward to hearing your thoughts. We hope you find these entertaining...
It's Groundhog Day, where is Phil Connors? All of baseball is focused on the trade and contract extension of Johan Santana. The Mets and the 2-time Cy Young Award winner agreed in principal to a record-breaking contract on Friday night to complete the trade with the Minnesota Twins. Santana agreed to a 6-year extension with the Mets that will pay him $137.5 million starting in 2009....the total value of the package including his $13.25 million...
While various reports have indicated Jim Hendry is still trying to improve his roster leading up to Spring Training, the countdown to Mesa can officially begin. Pitchers and catchers report to Fitch Park in twelve days and there will be actual baseball to talk about before the end of the month. One of the strangest off-seasons in recent memory is slowly coming to an end....and for Major League Baseball, the games can probably not get...
The reports out of Baltimore concerning the future of Erik Bedard and Brian Roberts seemingly change by the minute. Several news sources stated on Wednesday morning the Orioles and Mariners were once again talking about sending Bedard to Seattle and the deal was close to being completed. Then reports began to surface that Andy MacPhail indicated other teams were back in the mix to land Bedard. A third different story surfaced on Wednesday night when...
More than six weeks after many thought he would be dealt, the New York Mets and Minnesota Twins agreed to a deal on Tuesday that would send four prospects to the Twin Cities for Johan Santana. Buster Olney reported the deal is pending a contract extension for the 2-time Cy Young Award winner. The Mets have 72 hours, 5:00pm ET on Friday, to work out a deal with Santana, who is reportedly seeking an extension...
This off-season is like no other in recent memory. With just over two weeks until pitchers and catchers report, several teams, including the Cubs, are still looking to improve their roster. There are several big names left on the trading block, including Johan Santana, Erik Bedard and Brian Roberts. One of those names looked to have a new home for the upcoming season, but several reports on Monday denied there was a deal in place...
According to a report in the Seattle Times, Erik Bedard will be traded to the Seattle Mariners for several prospects, including the Mariners' top prospect Adam Jones. The report by Geoff Baker stated Jones was told by Bill Bavasi he could not play in the fourth game of the finals in the Venezuelan Winter League. Jones told a local reporter that he will be flying to Baltimore on Monday to take a physical. Several reports...
When Matt Murton made his debut with the Chicago Cubs on July 8, 2005 he quickly became a fan favorite. Murton fit the profile of a gritty, hard-working, blue-collar ball player. He was not the prototypical power-hitter that most clubs insert in a corner outfield position but in only 51 games in 2005 he provided reason for hope that the future was once again bright for the Cubs. Murton showed patience at the plate, one...
The last weekend in January....only 18 days until pitchers and catchers report. The next couple of weeks could be very interesting around baseball. There are still a lot of big name free agents on the market and trades that could still happen. This off-season has been centered around Johan Santana and some of the experts still feel once he is dealt and sets the market, other teams will be able to fill their holes on...
O.K. it's that time again here at the CCO. Grab your GM hat, make sure it still fits and get ready to make a few moves that will improve the Cubs chances at making it to the promise land this season. You know the drill by now, or do you? The CCO asked the very same question, not once but twice two years ago and again last year. We even discussed Lou Piniella's options before...
With a little less than three weeks before pitchers and catchers report on February 13th, Jim Hendry told the Tribune he is not done with his roster. There are additions the Cubs would like to make before Spring Training according to statements made by Hendry over the last week. The same names continue to be mentioned on a daily basis without any movement. Could Hendry be on the verge of adding a couple of players...
Is Jim Hendry still interested in trading for Brian Roberts? Has he stepped up his pursuit and has also targeted Erik Bedard? Is Matt Murton heading to Texas or San Diego? Could Jason Marquis be involved in a deal with the Orioles? What about Marlon Byrd? So many questions and so many rumors. A day after the conclusion of the Convention the rumor mill kicked into high gear, fueled mostly by a report from Phil...
Only one day until the Cubs Convention.... Jim Hendry made news on Wednesday with the signing of Jon Lieber and at the same time increased the speculation on what else he may or may not have up his sleeve. Most reported the Cubs signing of Lieber as "you can never have enough pitching" and thought it was "a low-risk signing." Lieber's deal is worth $3.5 million dollars with incentives based on starts and innings pitched...
Only two more days before The Convention.... The Cubs announced their non-roster invitees to Spring Training on Tuesday. All in all the Cubs invited 19 players. Tyler Colvin and Jose Ceda headline the list of players. Along with Ceda, the Cubs invited 6 other pitchers: Chad Fox, Ed Campusano, Geoff Jones, Les Walrond, Mike Smith and Esmailin Caridad. The Cubs signed Caridad in December. He was 1-2 with a 4.02 ERA in 25 games with...
For every report that says Brian Roberts will not be traded to the Cubs....there is one that claims there is still a possibility. So which is it? Lou Piniella apparently wants Roberts to be his second baseman or the Cubs were not be pursuing him. Piniella saw first hand, at least fifteen times a year, what kind of player Brian Roberts is and what he could give his team. If Jim Hendry and Andy MacPhail...
The Hot Stove Season is beginning to come to an end, the first workouts for pitchers and catchers at Fitch Park is exactly one month from today. The first sign of the new baseball season being just around the corner starts on Friday. The Cubs still have holes to fill and are rumored to be looking at adding a couple of pieces to Lou Piniella's puzzle. Will Jim Hendry make any moves before the Opening...
Is Brian Roberts coming to the Cubs? Could Jon Lieber be making a second appearance on the North Side? Are the Cubs interested in trading for Marlon Byrd? Bruce Levine discussed each of those topics with Chet Coppock on ESPN 1000 Saturday morning. Levine stated Peter Angelos is "laying down the law and will not trade Brian Roberts." Levine cited Buck Martinez from XM Radio as his source. Levine said the Indians offered a better...
Another week closer.... the Cubs announced on Friday pitchers and catchers will report to Fitch Park on February 13th, with the first workout on February 14th. Position players will report on February 18th with the first full team workout on February 19th. The Cubs made another minor move on Friday when they inked former Cub, Chad Fox to a 1-year minor league deal with an invitation to Spring Training. Fox pitched for the Cubs in...
As the Brian Roberts watch enters day four, could Jim Hendry be switching gears or are the Cubs still interested in acquiring the switch-hitting second baseman? The mainstream media in Chicago still feels the Cubs would like to add Roberts but a report from Ken Rosenthal on Thursday night mentioned two names that could signify a change of direction for 'Trader Jim'. According to Rosenthal, the Cubs could have interest in either Mike Cameron or...
Somewhere between truth and fiction lies the-would-be-deal that would send Brian Roberts to the Chicago Cubs. Several reports began to surface on Wednesday morning that Roberts had in fact been traded to the North Side for a package that included Ronny Cedeno, Sean Marshall and Sean Gallagher. Both parties quickly denied those reports as speculation continued throughout the day, from the mainstream media, on what Jim Hendry would have to surrender to Andy MacPhail for...
With the Cubs Convention approaching, will Jim Hendry make any deals before the annual gathering next week? The mainstream media began mentioning the name Brian Roberts again on Monday, as most of the baseball world concentrated on the latest from Roger Clemens. Internet rumors heated up on Sunday night about an impending deal with Baltimore. Those rumors continued on Monday but there has yet to be an official word from either Jim Hendry or Andy...
Jim Hendry made another minor move on Saturday when he traded Angel Pagan to the New York Mets for two minor league prospects, pitcher Ryan Meyers and outfielder Corey Coles. The trade opened up another roster spot as the Cubs 40-man roster currently stands at 38. Was the Pagan trade a prelude to a bigger deal? Only time will tell. For the second week in a row, Bruce Levine mentioned the Cubs possible interest in...
The first weekend update of the New Year.... The Hot Stove picked up a little steam toward the end of the week, there was not much movement, just more rumors and speculation. But at least the talk is heating back up again. The Cubs did announce another change to their front office and the official permission to make changes inside of Wrigley Field. The Cubs will add 70 bullpen box seats along the third base...
The last weekend of 2007....it is hard to believe the year is all but over. The Cubs Convention is less than three weeks away and Harry Caray always referred to the convention as the "unofficial opening day" and some refer to the Cubs annual gathering as the "kick-off to spring training"....whatever the case, the 2008 season is getting closer by the day. Bruce Levine talked baseball on Saturday morning with Chet Coppock. Levine talked about...
While Jim Hendry and Lou Piniella appear to be satisfied starting Spring Training with the pitchers they already have on the 40-man roster, the rumor mill is saying otherwise. Erik Bedard has been a target of Jim Hendry in the past but a new name has popped up that could be just as effective. If Spring Training started next week, Carlos Zambrano, Ted Lilly and Rich Hill would be the only locks in the rotation....
The talk on Friday was the sale of the Tribune Company to Sam Zell. The sale was expected but Zell also announced the Cubs would be sold by Opening Day, as well as possibly the naming rights to Wrigley Field. While the deal could mean millions to the Cubs annually, the old ballpark at 1060 West Addison will always be known as Wrigley Field....no matter what it says on the marquee. Ryan Dempster was on...
Kosuke Fukudome was introduced on Wednesday afternoon and finalized his 4-year, $48 million dollar deal. Fukudome was added to the Cubs 40-man roster and contrary to published reports, "Fukudome" donned the back of his Cubs jersey....along with the number "1". Fukudome has been on the Cubs radar for the last 3 years and made him their only off-season target to fill their need for a right fielder. Fukudome said during his press conference that the...
Kosuke Fukudome is scheduled to be introduced today to the Chicago media in an afternoon press conference at Wrigley Field. Reports have indicated Fukudome will wear number "1" and the back of his jersey will read "Kosuke", not "Fukudome" like his jersey for Team Japan in the WBC and for the Chunichi Dragons. Are the Cubs still interested in trading for Brian Roberts? Roberts admitted on Monday night to taking steroids once in 2003 but...
As the Christmas holiday quickly approaches, will Jim Hendry be able to deliver on his promise to Lou Piniella? The Cubs are rumored to still be interested in Brian Roberts and Erik Bedard, as well as Joe Nathan but has Hendry added his last piece of the puzzle this calendar year? The Cubs did make a minor signing this past week with the addition of pitcher Tanner Watson. Here is the latest from the mill,...
Jim Hendry landed his number one off-season target last week in Kosuke Fukudome, but reportedly he would still like to add speed to his lineup and another left-handed bat. According to the rumor mill, one player could fill both holes Hendry has on his roster. The mainstream media in Chicago has mentioned time and time again the Cubs have their eye on both Brian Roberts and Chone Figgins. Both players are switch hitters, both players...
What a week! First the Cubs land their number one off-season target in Kosuke Fukudome, less than 24 hours later Jim Hendry non-tendered Mark Prior and then the Mitchell Report was released. Fortunately there was not a current Cub mentioned in the report but several former Northsiders were on the list....and this could only be the beginning. Neal Cotts agreed to a 1-year deal worth $800,000 dollars on Thursday and avoided arbitration. The deal includes...
In between talking about the Kosuke Fukudome signing on Wednesday, Jim Hendry officially non tendered Mark Prior. The Cubs could resign Prior but from all indications the Cubs have cut ties with their former ace. Hendry promised Lou Piniella he would be happy by Christmas and according to several radio interviews, it appears Hendry is not done trying to improve the team. The Mitchell Report will be released today and Senator Mitchell has scheduled a...
Updated - 6:20am C.T. - It Appears Fukudome will play in the Majors The Cubs off-season plans appear to be on hold as they wait for the official word from the Fukudome Camp on whether or not the outfielder will make the move to Major League Baseball. Several reports over the weekend appeared to be official....how many times is the Associated Press actually wrong? Joe Urbon, Fukudome's agent, stated on Monday that all reports over...
While Kosuke Fukudome has yet to formally announce his decision, the report from the Associated Press early Sunday morning indicated he will leave Japan and play Major League Baseball. A report from Tokyo on JapanBall.com Sunday afternoon stated the Yomiuri Giants have withdrawn their offer to Fukudome, clearing the way for him to "pursue a career in the major leagues." The upcoming week could have a large impact on the Cubs upcoming season, as well...
Friday afternoon it appeared one of the steps in the process of Jim Hendry being able to sign Kosuke Fukudome had been completed....Ken Rosenthal reported that Fukudome had decided to leave Japan and play Major League Baseball. Within a couple of hours Fukudome's camp refuted the report but said his decision could be announced as early as Monday or Tuesday of next week. Joe Urbon, Fukudome's agent, said it was "likely" his client would play...
The Winter Meetings have come and gone....and the Cubs have plenty questions left to answer. Pitchers and catchers do not report to Fitch Park until February 14th....69 days if you're counting. Jim Hendry said on Thursday he thought this off-season would be much easier than last year, because he does not have as many holes to fill. But his biggest target of the winter has yet to make up his mind where he is going...
Day three of the Winter Meetings was extremely quiet, compared to day two, especially for the Chicago Cubs. Lou Piniella met with the media on Wednesday and when asked about his team's lack of activity at the meetings, Piniella said.... "I tell them to be patient. It takes a while. Jim's been working hard here talking to quite a few GMs. At the same time, talking to some agents. Things have to fall in place...
The Cubs made their first move of the Winter Meetings on Tuesday when they sent Will Ohman and Omar Infante to the Braves for right-handed flame-thrower, Jose Ascanio. The big news from the second day of the annual gathering was the mega-trade between the Florida Marlins and Detroit Tigers. The eight player deal sent Dontrelle Willis and Miguel Cabrera to the Tigers for Cameron Maybin, Andrew Miller, catcher Mike Rabelo and minor league pitchers Eulogio...
Day One at the Winter Meetings was filled with more talk and rumors than actual trades. There were only two deals on Monday, one that involved the South Side and one that involved the Nation's Capital. The rumor mill, however, filled the headlines and furthered the speculation on what could take place while the baseball world is under one gigantic roof at the Opryland Hotel. The biggest rumor surrounding the Cubs was the scheduled meeting...
The Winter Meetings get underway today at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel and most of the mainstream media feels this year's gathering will be filled with more trades than in previous years. The weak free agent class and the escalating cost of signing those players will force most teams to deal with one another instead of the agents of those players searching for a new job. Jim Hendry, Lou Piniella, Randy Bush and company have stated...
A large part of the baseball community will make their way to Nashville today for this year's Winter Meetings, which get underway on Monday at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel. Lou Piniella was on ESPN 1000 on Saturday morning discussing the upcoming meetings with Bruce Levine and Chet Coppock. Piniella said the Cubs have targeted 4 to 5 players they are interested in trading for. Piniella went on to say Jim Hendry has laid the groundwork...
It is December 1st....just two more days until the Winter Meetings begin and the Cubs will travel to Nashville with a couple of holes in their roster to fill. While there has not been an official announcement, from all indications Kaz Matsui has agreed to terms with the Astros on a 3-year, $15 million dollar deal....some outlets are reporting it could be a little more. Lou Piniella apparently talked with Matsui over the phone, through...
For the second time this off-season, reports have surfaced stating Kaz Masui has agreed to a contract with the Houston Astros. Reports began surfacing out of Chicago late on Thursday night that Matsui and the Astros have agreed to a 3-year, $15 million dollar contract. Reports earlier in the week stated Matsui would make his decision this week between the Rockies, Astros and Cubs. According to a report in the Denver Post, the Rockies raised...
Jim Hendry and company are preparing for the Winter Meetings next week in Nashville. Hendry reiterated he is "looking to add a left-handed power-hitting outfielder that can play right field and a left-handed bench player with versatility." Hendry said the Cubs could acquire either via free agency or trade. A report on Cubs.com confirmed the Cubs interest in Kosuke Fukudome. The Japanese outfielder is scheduled to meet with his U.S. agents at Octagon today. Another...
A day after resigning Kerry Wood, rumors began to surface the Cubs are willing to trade Mark Prior. The two pitchers that are constantly linked to one another, continue to make headlines together over four seasons since they were both dominating pitchers for the Cubs. The Cubs reportedly would like to sign Prior to a 2-year contract with incentives instead of allowing him to possibly walk away after 2008 and sign with another team for...
After the long weekend it was back to business for baseball on Monday. Jim Hendry completed one of his off-season goals by resigning Kerry Wood to a 1-year contract. The Cubs still have several more questions to answer this winter. With the Winter Meetings six days away, Jim Hendry was on WGN Radio Monday night with Dave Kaplan and discussed several of his team's needs and what they are looking to add this off-season. Here...
As the Winter Meetings approach Jim Hendry has a few questions surrounding his team. The Cubs have been relatively quiet so far this off-season with the only major move being the trade of Jacque Jones. Several reports out of Chicago have mentioned what the Cubs could be up to, but what does Jim Hendry have up his sleeve? How can he make Lou Piniella's crew better than the team that last took the field almost...
The Reds made the first big splash in the NL Central this off-season on Friday with the unprecedented signing of Francisco Cordero. Dusty Baker's new team reached a preliminary agreement on a 4-year, $46 million dollar deal with Cordero that includes a club option for the 5th year that could bring the contract's total value to $57 million dollars. It is the largest 4-year contract for a closer in the history of the game. With...
Happy Thanksgiving from everyone here at the CCO.... What are you thankful for today? The Cubs are looking at Kaz Matsui, a report in the Sun-Times confirmed a meeting between Jim Hendry and Matsui actually took place, but have the Cubs made an offer? Some are speculating the Cubs will offer Matsui a 3-year deal to play on the North Side, however there has not been an official word from the Cubs stating an offer...
Updated - 7:38am C.T. with more Information on Kerry Wood, Kaz Matsui and the Cubs' Payroll With the resignation of John McDonough on Tuesday the Faithful have plenty of questions. How the team will move forward this off-season and most importantly, how will the team improve this winter? Crane Kenney, Senior Vice-President/General Counsel and Secretary of the Tribune Company, said the Cubs will not name an interim president "because of the ownership transition." Kenny will...
According to a report on Rotoworld.com late Monday night, citing reports from the Rocky Mountain News and the Houston Chronicle, the Astros are close to signing Kaz Matsui. The Cubs were rumored to be close to a deal last week with the free-agent infielder. Other than the Cubs announcing their 2008 Spring Training schedule on Monday, all seems pretty quiet on the North Side of Chicago. The biggest news out of the 'Second City' on...
One year ago today the Faithful were pleasantly surprised when Alfonso Soriano agreed to terms on an 8-year, $136 million dollar contract to play in Chicago. Soriano ended up having a solid season with the Cubs after a slow start.... .299/.337/.560 with 33 home runs, 70 RBI's and 42 doubles in 135 games. The Cubs have several pieces in place and according to several reports will look to add a couple of pieces this winter....
Much of the talk over the past week has been the Cubs closing in on a deal with Kaz Matsui. The Cubs have made it no secret they are looking to add speed and a left-handed bat. Ken Rosenthal mentioned in 'Around the Horn' the Cubs "are considering free-agent second basemen Luis Castillo and Kaz Matsui." According to Rosenthal, the Astros and Mets are interested in Castillo while the Rockies are looking to resign Matsui....
The last weekend before Thanksgiving.... Jim Hendry did "tweak" his roster this past week with trading Jacque Jones to the Tigers for Omar Infante, plus trading Craig Monroe to the Twins....for hopefully, a player to be named later. The Cubs freed up a couple of roster spots, cut a few dollars off the payroll for next season now the question must be.... Which hat will Jim Hendry put on? Will he wear his 'Trader Jim'...
Thursday should have been a great day for baseball. Bud Selig announced baseball's revenue reached $6.075 billion dollars this year and the commissioner "sees a bright financial future" for America's Pastime. The BBWAA announced Jake Peavy was the unanimous winner for the NL Cy Young Award, only the 12th time in the history of the game a NL pitcher was the unanimous choice for the award....Carlos Zambrano finished 5th in the voting. Then came the...
What does taking a 66-win team to a Central Division Title with an 85-77 record in a year's time get you? If your name is Lou Piniella, a 4th place finish in the NL Manager of the Year voting. Piniella received two first place votes, three second place and six third place votes....a total of 25 points well behind Bob Melvin of the Diamondbacks, who won the award, with 19 first place votes and a...
The 'big' news on Tuesday was the minor trade, as XM Radio classified it, between the Cubs and the Twins that sent Craig Monroe to Minnesota for the infamous PTBNL. According to several reports, the Cubs planned to non-tender a contract to Monroe, which would have made him a free agent. The other news, or rumor, on Tuesday was the report by Bruce Levine stating the Cubs 'are putting together a package of young players...
The off-season free agent frenzy officially began at 12:00am eastern this morning, so the 148 players that filed for free agency are free to negotiate and sign new contracts with other teams. Jim Hendry was unable to resign Kerry Wood before he lost exclusive negotiating rights with the club's former ace. According to a late report in the Chicago Tribune, Hendry still thinks "a deal can be done." The first of the post seasons BBWAA...
According to a report on JapanBall.com on Sunday, Kosuke Fukudome is expected to file for free agency on Monday. Fukudome is scheduled to make a formal announcement at a Monday morning press conference. The Cubs are rumored to be very interested in signing Fukudome but the outfielder could decide to sign with another team in Japan. Fukudome figures to get a lot of attention by Major League clubs, especially the Cubs, but it is rumored...
The GM 'roundtable' that took place during the meetings in Orlando has the baseball world talking collusion. Theo Epstein and Larry Beinfest had the idea of putting all of the GM's together in the same room to talk about each of their teams needs and wants this off-season. Donald Fehr said the meeting was 'improper' and that the union will look into the 'actions' of the meetings. Stay tuned.... Jim Hendry still has until Tuesday...
On the day after the Cubs announced Ryan Dempster would not be closing games for Lou Piniella, but would be starting them instead next season, the weekend passes for the 23rd Annual Cubs Convention in January sold out in 10 minutes. Other than the news concerning Dempster, most of the conversation surrounding the Cubs centered around the possibility of Jim Hendry signing one of the free-agents coming over from Japan this winter.... There was finally...
The big news from day two at the General Managers meetings was the proposal to use instant replay was approved by a vote of 25-5 to "help umpires on boundary calls" to determine if home runs are fair or foul. The next step is for Bud Selig to give the approval for Jimmie Lee Solomon to draft a detailed replay proposal that the general managers would have to vote on again at the upcoming Winter...
According to a report on ESPN 1000 in Chicago from Bruce Levine, Ryan Dempster will be in Lou Piniella's starting rotation in 2008. Back in May, Piniella promised to 'shake up' his pitching staff and Dempster reportedly was close to returning to the starting rotation. The move never happened, Dempster remained the closer and the effectiveness of Carlos Marmol helped solidify the bullpen. Levine stated Bobby Howry, Carlos Marmol and Kerry Wood, if the Cubs...
The General Manager Meetings are underway but day one in Orlando was rather quiet, other than the talk of instant replay. Most of the experts are predicting teams will look to improve their roster via trades with this year's free-agent class being described as weak by most. There are a couple of names that have begun to be tied to the Cubs, most notably two players from Japan....Kosuke Fukudome and Hiroki Kuroda. Jim Hendry appears...
Ward to Return....Floyd and Trachsel Declined, A 40-Man Addition plus News and Rumors from Around the League Updated - 9:21am C.T. with Additions to the Rumor Mill The Cubs and Daryle Ward exercised their mutual option for $1.2 million dollars for the 2008 season. Ward proved to be a valuable weapon off of Lou Piniella's bench last season. The Cubs also declined the $5 million dollar option on Cliff Floyd and the $4.75 million dollar...
Kerry Wood's status with the Cubs for the 2008 season and beyond remains unknown but a report in the Chicago Sun-Times on Saturday morning indicated Wood could return to the North Side next year. A deal would likely need to get done in the next 9 days before Jim Hendry loses his exclusive negotiating rights with the club's former ace. According to Gordon Wittenmyer, Wood realizes his best chance for success at the Major Leagues...
If the first four days of the off-season are any indication this could be a very busy winter for Major League Baseball. The GM meetings start on Monday in Orlando and that little get together will generate talk between teams and more movement. But most importantly those meetings will set the stage for the Winter Meetings that begin a month from tomorrow in Nashville. Cliff Floyd and Steve Trachsel filed for free agency on Thursday....
Happy Halloween from everyone here at the CCO.... With the Cubs organizational meetings taking place in Arizona this week and the General Manager's meetings in Orlando starting on Monday the Hot Stove League is beginning to heat up. The Yankees officially hired Joe Girardi on Tuesday, Grady Little resigned and Joe Torre appears to be heading west along with Don Mattingly. Some are wondering if Torre's former third baseman will make the trip as well....
Kerry Wood was one of 57 players to file for free agency on Monday with the MLB front office. The Cubs are expected to try to resign their former ace. Wood has been mentioned as a possible closer for next season and is also rumored to be interested in competing for a spot as a starter. The other big name that will remain in the Cubs off-season discussion officially became a free agent on Monday...
According to a report on SI.com by Jon Heyman and a report by the Associated Press carried by several outlets, Alex Rodriguez has opted out of his current contract with the New York Yankees and will test the free agent market this off-season. Ken Rosenthal broke the news during the World Series telecast on Fox and the Cubs were one of the teams brought up as a possible destination for Rodriguez....
It's Travel Day before the World Series resumes on Saturday, while Major League Baseball does not like big announcements during the Fall Classic the rumor mill is starting to heat up as the season comes to a close....
It is hard to believe the Cubs' season ended 2 weeks ago today.... A Q & A with Jim Hendry on Cubs.com mentioned the Cubs will have their organizational meeting at the end of the month and a very interesting quote from the Cubs' GM: "I believe our payroll will go up [in 2008]. I don't know how much. If it stayed the same or close to the same, I wouldn't complain." Hendry talked about...
The Cubs Looking at Hiroki Kuroda According to a report in the Chicago Tribune from Paul Sullivan on Sunday night, the Cubs are one of two teams looking at Japanese right hander Hiroki Kuroda. The Cubs were interested in signing Kuroda last off-season according to Sullivan but he decided to remain in Japan and signed a 4-year, $10.4 million dollar deal. Kuroda has to decide soon if he is going to exercise an opt out...
What a difference a week makes.... On the day the NLCS started and the Rockies took Game One from those Diamondbacks, rumors have begun to surface and what would the off-season be without rumors, right? The first part of the week was very quiet for obvious reasons but as the Series gets closer, noise is once again being made at 1060 West Addison. The Cubs released a tentative schedule for next year. Relievers have been...
According to a report by Bruce Levine on ESPN 1000 in Chicago, the Cubs will make several roster moves in the next 24 hours in the wake on Monday's loss to the Cardinals. The Cubs are expected to designate Koyie Hill for assignment and option Ronny Cedeno back to Triple-A Iowa. Cliff Floyd is expected to be activated from the restricted list on Tuesday and Henry Blanco is expected to be activated from the 60-day...
Game One Hundred Twenty-Three: Cubs (63-59) vs. Cardinals (58-62) Game Time - 7:05pm C.T. ESPN Sunday Night Baseball, WGN Radio, XM Radio Channel 187 Location - Wrigley Field, Chicago Carlos Zambrano (14-9, 3.86/1.31) vs. Kip Wells (6-13, 5.24/1.53) Updated - 9:47pm C.T - After nearly a 1 hour and 50 minute rain delay, Sunday night's game between the Cubs and Cardinals has been postponed. There has not been a make-up date scheduled. As mentioned below,...
Updated - 12:29pm C.T. - Jake Fox to be Recalled According to a report in the Daily Southtown, the Cubs will call up Carmen Pignatiello before Tuesday night's game against the Reds. The report speculates Sean Gallagher would be optioned back to Iowa to make room for the lefty on the active roster. Pignatiello is not on the Cubs' 40-man roster and would require them to make another move before he can be activated....
Updated - 4:06pm C.T. - Angel Pagan to be placed on the 15-day DL with Colitis - Felix Pie was recalled from Triple-A according to a report on Cubs.com According to a report in the Chicago Tribune, the Cubs have recalled Felix Pie from the I-Cubs and he will be available for tonight's game against the Astros. The Cubs have not announced a corresponding roster move and the Tribune is speculating it could be either...
....What would you do? While the team enjoys a scheduled day off, a good baseball executive, especially the GM never gets time off during the season, and those long days have a tendency to get even longer as the July 31st non-waiver trade deadline approaches. There have been a couple of names mentioned in the same sentence as the Chicago Cubs in recent days but most think the crew Lou Piniella has will be the...
Game Ninety-Four: Cubs (49-44) vs. Giants (39-53) Game Time - 1:20pm C.T. Comcast SportsNet, WGN Radio, XM Radio Channel 185 Location - Wrigley Field, Chicago Ted Lilly (9-4, 3.51/1.06) vs. Matt Morris (7-5, 3.86/1.39) Updated - 11:44am C.T. - From the Wire....It's Official....Izturis Traded - Fox Selected According to a report on Cubs.com, the Cubs traded Cesar Izturis and cash to the Pirates for a player to be named later. Jake Fox was selected from...
Updated - 4:52pm C.T. with Information from Bruce Levine Updated - 6:04pm C.T. It's Official - Soto Recalled and Pie Optioned According to a report on ESPN 1000 by Bruce Levine, the Cubs will call-up Geovany Soto before Friday's game against the Astros. Geovany Soto has had a good first half at Triple-A Iowa and just played in the XM Futures Game last Sunday. The report did not mention a corresponding roster move. Bruce Levine...
According to a report on ESPN 1000 in Chicago, the Cubs will recall Rocky Cherry from Triple-A Iowa before today's match-up with the Brewers. The Cubs have not made the move official and ESPN is not reporting who will be sent down in order to make room for Cherry. Updated - 12:42pm C.T. - Billy Petrick will be optioned to make room for Rocky Cherry on the 25-man roster...
Game Sixty-One: Cubs (27-33) vs. Braves (34-29) Game Time - 7:05pm C.T. ESPN Sunday Night Baseball, WGN Radio, XM Radio Channel 184 Location - Turner Field, Atlanta Ted Lilly (4-4, 3.99/1.08) vs. Buddy Carlyle (1-1, 4.50/1.09) One week ago today, the Cubs began playing their best ball of the season. Not only did they start winning games against teams with over a .500 record but they were playing smart, fundamental baseball and received quality starts...
Wade Miller's days in the Cubs organization could be coming to an end according to a report late Monday night from the Chicago Tribune. Dave van Dyck mentioned, "With Wade Miller's minor-league rehab at an end, it appears his days with the Cubs could be numbered." The report goes on to mention Jim Hendry will meet with Wade Miller in the next few days to figure out what is next for him and the Cubs....
Game Twenty-Nine: Cubs (14-14) vs. Nationals (9-21) Game Time - 1:20pm C.T. WGN TV, WGN Radio, XM Radio Channel 185 Location - Wrigley Field, Chicago Angel Guzman (0-0, 2.45/1.23) vs. Shawn Hill (2-3, 3.00/1.08) Angel Guzman will make his first start of the season today in the series finale. A win today would give the Cubs the sweep, a season high 5-game winning streak and most importantly put them a game over .500 for the...
Mark Prior expected to be placed on the DL according to a report in the Chicago Tribune On the same day the Cubs announced Kerry Wood would be placed on the DL for the 11th time in his career, a late report in the Tribune stated the Cubs "are expected to put Mark Prior on the disabled list for for the ninth time in his six-year career". Paul Sullivan goes on to mention if Prior...
Spring Training Game Nineteen - Cubs (ss) 16 Mariners (ss) 4 WP - Wade Miller (1-0) LP - Ryan Feierabend (0-1) Spring Training Game Twenty - Cubs (ss) 11 Brewers 7 WP - Sean Gallagher (1-0) LP - Yovani Gallardo (0-1) A day after managing just 2 hits against the Angels, the Cubs offense exploded for a combined 27 runs on 35 hits, 10 walks and 5 home runs. The split squad games featured the...
Spring Training Game Fourteen - Cubs 5 Diamondbacks 6 WP - Mike Schultz (1-0) LP - Rocky Cherry (0-1, BS 1) Wade Miller took the hill on Tuesday afternoon and was greeted by Eric Byrnes taking his first pitch of the game over the right field wall. Miller settled down and allowed just 2 runs over 4 innings on 5 hits. His two walks in the 4th cost him and the Cubs another run but...
Day 5 of Camp Lou was marred by rain and cool weather. With conditions being less than favorable, Lou Piniella gave his position players time off on Monday and cut the workouts short....Monday was the scheduled reporting day for all of the position players. The first full squad practice is scheduled for Tuesday and the forecast looks favorable. Pitchers and catchers were able to get their work in and most of the news of the...
On the eve of the Super Bowl, the city of Chicago is preparing for the biggest game for the franchise in 21 years. This past week there was a member of the mainstream media that used the word drought in reference to the just over two decades since the Bears had won the Super Bowl....drought? That amount of time is just a walk in the park. With all kidding aside, what if the Chicago was...
With the convention in the rear view mirror, do the Cubs have any moves left before pitchers and catchers report to Fitch Park in just 23 days. This year's camp should be more competitive than in seasons past with an apparent abundance of healthy ballplayers competing for the last few spots on the big league roster. Several reports on Sunday and Monday mentioned the Cubs are very close to signing Cliff Floyd to a 1-year...
According to a report from Paul Sullivan in the Chicago Tribune, "Carlos Zambrano may play out the season unless he gets a Zito-like contract." Zambrano is looking for a 6 to 7-year deal worth on the average of $18 million a year. Jim Hendry's position is not to be envied during these negotiations. If Hendry pays Zambrano what the market says he is worth....he will be criticized. If he lets Zambrano walk at the end...
Carlos Zambrano, Will Ohman and Mark Prior Filed for Arbitration at the Deadline.... Jacque Jones to the Pirates? Carlos Zambrano, Will Ohman and Mark Prior were among 106 players that filed for salary arbitration before the deadline on Friday. Wednesday is the date set for players and their teams to exchange salary figures. Players and teams can negotiate until a hearing date is set and the hearings are scheduled to take place February 1 -...
Deals are being signed all over baseball as the one-month mark nears to when pitchers and catchers report to Spring Training. Most of the contracts being signed however are more of the Minor League variety. The Cubs made a signing of their own on Friday by inking utility man Tomas Perez. Several reports have indicated that Perez signed a Minor League contract with an invitation to Spring Training to compete for a backup middle infielder...
The Cubs announced an addition to the front office staff on Thursday. Peter Chase was named the director of media relations according to a report on Cubs.com. Chase has been with the Red Sox organization for the past seven seasons. While the Cubs were in the news, most of the talk around baseball on Thursday was the story that surfaced about Barry Bonds testing positive for amphetamines last season....will this guy ever learn? A report...
Only 34 days until pitchers and catchers report.... All has been quiet for the most part on the North Side of Chicago the first 10 days of the New Year. There was an announcement on Tuesday about more non-roster invitees to Spring Training, but other than that....nothing much at all, not even the daily updates on Cliff Floyd. Some of the silence was broken on Wednesday from 1060 West Addison and around the league. So,...
The Cubs agreed to a 1-year contract with Neal Cotts on Wednesday and avoided arbitration. Cotts signed a $825,000....he made $400,000 in 2006 with the White Sox....deal that includes a $150,000 bonus if he is named MVP of the World Series. Carlos Zambrano, Mark Prior and Will Ohman are the remaining Cubs that are arbitration eligible this year. Tickets for the Cubs' Spring Training games at HoHoKam Park goes on sale at 10:00am C.T. on...
After a very forgettable 2006 season the Cubs have been in the headlines since October. The next few weeks leading up to the start of Spring Training in mid-February is when the Cubs will add and subtract pieces they feel will make a difference in 2007. Not much has surfaced of late out of the offices at 1060 West Addison, other than the weekly blurb about how close they are to signing Cliff Floyd. In...
With Christmas just right around the corner and today being the first day of Winter, most teams appear to be tying up loose ends at this point. The Cubs are no exception. They announced on Wednesday that pitchers and catchers will report to Fitch Park in Mesa on February 14th with the first full workout to take place on February 15th. Position players are scheduled to report on the 19th with the first full team...
With only 9 shopping days left before Christmas what could be left on Jim Hendry's shopping list....an assistant maybe? According to a report in the Chicago Tribune on Friday the Cubs are looking for an assistant GM. While there does not appear to be an official word on the want ad, according to the Tribune, John McDonough is not denying the rumors of a possible search. The Cubs also made a couple of deals official...
Tuesday is the last day for teams to tender contracts to arbitration eligible players. If a player is not offered arbitration by the Tuesday deadline that player becomes a free agent and can sign with any team he so desires. The Cubs have 4 players eligible for arbitration: Carlos Zambrano, Mark Prior, Neal Cotts and Will Ohman and all are expected to be tendered contracts for the 2007 season. Some have questioned if the Cubs...
The apparent announcement of the signing of Jason Marquis on Saturday divided the Faithful more than any other off-season move to this point. While the signing appears it will happen, several reports on Sunday stated that Marquis had not agreed to terms with the Cubs as reported here as well as countless other sites of the like. But the biggest part of the soon-to-be-acquisition was that Greg Maddux recommended to his friend, Jason Marquis, that...
Updated - 7:50am C.T. - Marquis Accepted Contract from Cubs? After the Meetings.... What is next for the Cubs? Great news came out of Orlando on Friday night when Jim Hendry was released from the hospital and according to a report on Cubs.com he is expected back in Chicago on Sunday. Gary Hughes had been spearheading the Cubs in Hendry's absence while several reports indicated he was still working the phones in order to improve...
Updated - 9:41am C.T. with Rule 5 Draft Results, Jim Hendry had an Angioplasty and Gil Meche Close to Signing with the Kansas City Royals Updated - 1:00pm C.T. - Gil Meche Agrees to terms with the Royals on a 5-year, $55 Million Dollar Contract and Cubs Nearing a Deal with Daryle Ward Updated - 5:09pm C.T. with Updated Info on the Rule 5 Draft, Ward Signs with the Cubs and the PTBNL from the...
Updated - 6:30am C.T. - Cubs Close to Meche and Lilly? Every off-season has its different storylines and this year is no different than any other. Clubs are over spending this year like no other since 2000 and the latest $70 million dollar contract proves that point. Major League Baseball is thriving, at least for the larger market teams, but those making little to no noise this off-season could prove to be the biggest thorns...
J.D. Drew Agreed to Terms with the Boston Red Sox on Tuesday and Greg Maddux Agreed to Terms with the Padres on Tuesday Updated 8:52pm C.T. / 8:59pm C.T.- Julio Lugo Close to Signing with the Red Sox according to XM Radio for 4 years, $36 million Updated - 9:02pm C.T. - Ken Rosenthal on FoxSports.com Reports Lugo Close to Deal with Red Sox for 4 years, $36 million - Updated 9:22pm C.T. - A...
Updated 9:34am C.T. with Info on a Possible 3-Team Deal Day one at the Winter Meetings in Orlando was rather slow until late in the day when free agents started coming off of the board. A report on CBS SportsLine indicated early on Monday the Cubs had agreed to a deal with Ted Lilly, the report turned out to be false and of this writing nothing official had been announced. A report later in the...
Vicente Padilla back to the Rangers - Maddux to the Padres? and Zito for a $100 million? According to reports on ESPN.com and FoxSports.com the Texas Rangers have reached agreement on a 3-year, $34 million dollar deal with Vicente Padilla....XM Radio has also picked up the report from ESPN. According to a report from Ken Rosenthal on FoxSports.com, former Cub and future Hall of Famer, Greg Maddux, is nearing a deal with the San Diego...
The much-anticipated Winter Meetings will get underway today and run through Thursday. The Cubs have plenty of holes to fill this week, mostly in the starting rotation and role players. Although they resigned Aramis Ramirez, Kerry Wood, Wade Miller and Henry Blanco and signed the biggest name of this off-season class in Alfonso Soriano they must add to the Mark DeRosa signing and the trade for Neal Cotts. Several names appear to be on the...
Updated - 9:46am C.T. with Info on Kenny Lofton, Cliff Floyd and Trot Nixon One more day until the Winter Meetings get underway but the unofficial conversations should start today. Players are signing rapidly with new clubs, there were a handful of deals on Saturday but more posturing by agents and players will take place over the next 24 hours leading up to what is believed to be a very exciting week for Major League...
Updated - 2:27pm C.T. with Arbitration Updates As all of baseball descends on Orlando with the Winter Meetings getting underway on Monday, the next week should have a huge impact on the Chicago Cubs for the foreseeable future. The Cubs are at a crossroad, if they continue what they have started Jim Hendry and Company could build a winner for the next several seasons on the Northside of Chicago but if they rest on what...
According to several reports the Cubs have an offer on the table for lefty Ted Lilly. The rumor started on Friday with a report in the Metro News in Toronto and gained more steam with a report in the Toronto Star. Such rumors are often just that this time of year but a late report Friday on Cubs.com has given the reports more credibility. According to the report in the Metro, Lilly is "on the...
A late report on Tuesday night by Dave van Dyck in the Chicago Tribune stated the "Cubs deny offering Schmidt huge deal". A quote from the report stated, "The Cubs are not believed to have made a solid offer, certainly not at those figures." According to the report the Cubs do have an interest in Schmidt and "have talked to his agents several times" and van Dyck went on to state, "knowing it might take...
While most Monday nights are spent watching football on the tube, these days the Faithful must have their eyes on the news wire. The Bears are playing well this season and for all of the Giants fans....two words....Vince Young. But with the Winter Meetings around the corner teams are preparing to make their moves and the Cubs still have a lot of voids to fill. A late report from the Chicago Tribune by Dave van...
The Cubs were quiet over the long Holiday weekend while the Astros and Brewers attempted to play a little catch-up in the roster department. The National League Central, on paper, is shaping up to be very competitive next season....unlike 2006. The Winter Meetings start one week from today and if the first two weeks of the free agent signing period are any indication it should be a very eventful couple of weeks for the Cubs....
The past two Sundays have been big days for Jim Hendry....two weeks ago Hendry resigned Aramis Ramirez and Kerry Wood, last Sunday he made the biggest off-season splash in recent history with the signing of Alfonso Soriano. Does Hendry have anything up his sleeve for today? The Cubs continue to force moves by other teams to get better within the National League Central. The Astros made noise on Friday with the signings of Carlos Lee...
Updated - 3:15pm C.T. - Soriano to Play Winter Ball? The Cubs signing Alfonso Soriano to the 8-year, $136 million dollar contract last week has had ripple effects throughout the league. Teams are actually concerned with what the Cubs are doing....how many times has that happened? The Dodgers, Angels and Astros all overpaid for big time talent, the same as the Cubs did just 6 days ago. The Astros’ signing of Carlos Lee could have...
Could a Cubs' fan actually own the Cubs? According to several reports from all over the country, it is a possibility. Chicago's own Jerry Colangelo is interested in buying the Cubs if the Tribune Company puts the team on the market. The speculation the Cubs were for sale has been floating around for many months now but what is interesting about Colangelo becoming a candidate is someone has actually put a time line on the...
According to a report on ESPN.com, Gary Matthews, Jr. has agreed to a 5-year, $50 million dollar contract with the Los Angeles Angels. The centerfielder is coming off a career year at the age of 32 with the Texas Rangers. Several reports have indicated the Cubs had interest in Matthews after the signing of Alfonso Soriano and other reports have indicated the Cubs are interested in Julio Lugo converting to centerfield which would push Soriano...
Juan Pierre and Nomar Garciaparra Signed with the Dodgers, Moises Alou Signed with the Mets, the Cubs Added Two to the 40-man Roster, Fallout from Around the League on the Alfonso Soriano Deal, Jason Schmidt in the Mix?, Carrie Muskat and Jim Hendry on XM Radio and Additions to the Rumor Mill Updated - 9:07pm C.T. and 11:01pm C.T. Updated - 11:32pm C.T. with Information on Julio Lugo from Ken Rosenthal Baseball is now a...
The annual ritual of Manny Ramirez being on the trading block has surfaced and again the Cubs have been mentioned as a possible destination for the incredibly talented left fielder of the Red Sox. According to a report on Saturday by Ken Rosenthal the Cubs are one of eight teams that may be interested in trading for Ramirez who has 2 years left on his current contract. Rosenthal thinks Ramirez would waive his no trade...
One week ago it appeared inevitable the Cubs would lose their All-Star 3rd baseman, arguably the best at his position in the league and a key piece to the mandate from John McDonough that the Cubs would compete in 2007. The deadline came and went but Jim Hendry was able to resign Aramis Ramirez for less than the apparent market value. While many have viewed this signing as that of a non-move, keeping Ramirez and...
Does Jim Hendry have anything in store for the Faithful today? Whether you agree with the moves he has made this week or not, the bottom line is things-are-a-changing on the Northside of Chicago. The next addition should be to the pitching staff and possibly Alfonso Soriano or J.D. Drew. Teams are starting to make additions and the next few weeks leading up to the Winter Meetings should be very interesting. Here is the latest...
The Cubs have not been quiet to this point in the off-season....they have resigned four of their own and added a good utility player to the mix. Jim Hendry and company made a bid to land Daisuke Matsuzaka and are rumored to be involved in the bidding war for Alfonso Soriano. But what is their next step? Several reports from the GM Meetings have stated Gil Meche will be the newest member of the Yankees...
Henry Blanco resigns with the Cubs and Lou Piniella at the GM Meetings According to several reports out of Chicago, the Cubs have resigned Henry Blanco for a 2-year deal with a mutual option for 2009. Blanco will serve as the backup for Barrett and the deal is thought to be worth in the neighborhood of $5 million dollars....
Updated - 6:08am C.T. with Even More Rumors.... The Cubs have made more noise than any other team so far this off-season with the exception of the Boston Red Sox. The Red Sox willingness to spend $51.1 million dollars for the rights to negotiate with Matsuzaka came at the surprise and shock to most....the Red Sox paid double of what most experts thought the posting fee would be. The Cubs have signed 3 players since...
The Cubs made their fare share of headlines over the weekend. First it appeared Aramis Ramirez would be leaving Chicago and then to everyone's surprise, he stayed and left a lot of money on the table. The other signing....Kerry Wood was less of a surprise but again he left money on the table to stay in Chicago. Jim Hendry pulled off two signings that on Saturday night....did not look like they would happen. The Cubs...
The General Manager's meeting starts Monday in Florida and lasts until Friday, so the brain trusts of all 30 Major League teams will spend the week talking possible deals with other teams, and gearing up for the Winter Meetings that start on December 4th. But this year could and should be different for the Cubs. The Cubs are at a pivotal point where over spending seems more inevitable as everyday passes. There is still a...
Before getting into the Cubs news of the day, I would like to tip my hat and say "Thank You" to all of the Veterans out there....because of you we have the freedom to do whatever we want on a daily basis and I cannot imagine a world without what you have sacrificed for the rest of us. At 12:01am E.T. on Sunday morning the free agent signing period begins and as of this writing...
Open ended questions....anyone that is a salesman knows that is the best way to start a conversation with a perspective client. Let's hope Jim Hendry knows those five little words. Hendry has a tall task ahead of him as the free agent signing period approaches. He has to convince a top tier free agent in the prime of his career to play for a team that has not won on a consistent basis in over...
The speculation continues....who will go where, for how long and how much will it cost? Will any of this year's free agent class be a difference maker for their new team next season? Will the Cubs be big players in the free agent market or will they stand on the sidelines as other teams sign the big name free agent that their fan base desires? Starting on Sunday the bidding wars for such names as...
With just under a week left before the free agent signing period begins, 169 players have now filed for free agency and among the latest to file are Roger Clemens, Andy Pettitte and Brad Radke. All of the Cubs that were eligible for free agency have now filed....Juan Pierre, Kerry Wood, Aramis Ramirez, Henry Blanco, John Mabry and Wade Miller and on November 12th they can negotiate with any team they so desire. Merriam-Webster Online...
Updated - 3:34pm CT - Yankees Exercise Option on Sheffield Updated - 8:49pm CT - Sosa May Try a Comback - Not with the Cubs This week there should be some actual news come from the Northside of Chicago. The Cubs' organizational meetings start on Tuesday (November 7th) and last until Friday (November 10th). The free agent filing period ends on Saturday, November 11th and the free agent signing period begins one week from today....
Free agency.... Who would have thought when Curt Flood sued Major League Baseball it would have led to what is going on nearly 21 years later.... The amount of money that teams will be spending this off-season is unfathomable. Think about it, how many lifetimes will it take the average Cubs' fan to earn $119 million dollars? Now that figure is being thrown around like a $50 dollar bill. According to Peter Gammons....Aramis Ramirez, Alfonso...
The old cliche....pitching and defense wins championships. The lack of fundamentals in today's game has changed half of that. Of all the rumblings this off-season, the word defense has not been in any of the conversations. Pitching and offense is what all of the teams are focusing on....especially the Cubs. Aramis Ramirez is capable of fielding both offense and defense for the Cubs....if he decides to return. Ramirez showed how good he can be last...
To say the Hot Stove is in high gear would be an understatement. Aramis Ramirez and Alfonso Soriano are manipulating most of the headlines but there are other rumors and news worth mentioning. Barry Zito, Jeff Weaver and Greg Maddux, along with 21 other players (to bring the total to 143), filed for free agency on Tuesday. Daisuke Matsuzaka continued to make headlines and Aaron Heilman was added to the rumor mill. Here is the...
Happy Halloween from everyone here at the CCO!!! More from the Rumor Mill and Aramis Ramirez had a No-Trade Clause Updated - 7:41am C.T. - With Info on Alfonso Soriano When the 2005 season ended most thought the Cubs were entering the most important off-season in the club's storied history....well, little did anyone know that there would be so much change on the horizon just a year later. When Andy MacPhail resigned on October 1st...
Updated - 7:43pm C.T. - Juan Pierre Filed for Free Agency The free-agent filing period has begun and several names have already filed....among them Kerry Wood, Alfonso Soriano, Jason Schmidt, Gary Matthews, Jr. and Adam Eaton added their names to the list on Sunday night....all have been mentioned as a possibility to sign with the Cubs this off-season. With the off-season now in full swing, here is a list of upcoming dates for the Faithful...
Did everyone remember to fall back? Four weeks ago today the Cubs played their last game of the 2006 season against the Rockies and to say there as been a lot of change would be an understatement. There are a lot of holes still to fill and a lot of questions to answer before the Lou Piniella era takes the field in February at Fitch Park....including a new team president? Here is the latest from...
Updated - 6:45pm C.T. - Bonds, Garciaparra and Thomas Leads List of Free-Agent Filings and Jacque Jones Named to the All-Star Team Before the usual check around the rumor mill, the baseball world lost one of the good guys on Friday, former Major League pitcher Joe Niekro passed away at the age of 61. Niekro suffered a brain aneurysm on Thursday. Joe was the brother of Phil and father of Lance, who plays for the...
With the rain in St. Louis making most of the headlines on Wednesday there was little said about the boys on the Northside of Chicago. The Cubs did make a change in their front office on Wednesday and announced that Paul Weaver will be the new special assistant to the general manager. Weaver has been a Major League scout for the past 28 years. Weaver, 54, worked for the Arizona Diamondbacks for the past 2...
Updated 6:25am C.T. - Mike Quade could be made official on Wednesday The St. Louis Cardinals are just two wins away from the promise land and when the series is over, the clock for Jim Hendry will start ticking down. Players have 14 days after the conclusion of the World Series to declare free agency and as everyday passes it looks to be a lock that name of Aramis Ramirez will be on that list....
Updated 6:23am C.T. with News on Aramis Ramirez, Kerry Wood and Wade Miller While Major League Baseball does not like major announcements during the World Series apparently that memo stayed away from the front office. MLB is expected to announce a new collective bargaining agreement on Tuesday according to several sources. The tentative deal was apparently reached on Friday for a new 5-year contract. The current deal was set to expire on December 19th and...
With the Cubs coming to terms last Monday with Lou Piniella today starts the second full week under the new regime....the real work for Jim Hendry should have already begun. Hendry has apparently hired his man, the one he has coveted, reportedly, since it became very evident that Dusty Baker's contract would not be renewed. Hendry's mission now becomes to give Piniella the players to win with. The Tribune Company has apparently given Hendry the...
According to a report in the New York Daily News on Sunday morning former Detroit Tigers' manager Alan Trammell will join Lou Piniella's staff as his new bench coach. Piniella's long-time bench coach, John McLaren, decided to return to the Seattle Mariners and be the new bench coach for Mike Hargrove and his eventual successor. Phil Rogers brought up the price of pitching in his report in Sunday morning's Chicago Tribune. Rogers brought up the...
While the baseball world readies for a start of another Fall Classic, the Cubs have a lot of work to do before the end of the World Series when they can announce any deals or changes to the team. The first step will be locking up Aramis Ramirez, or will it? Ramirez is gaining more and more press on a daily basis in the Chicago area and in other Major League cities that is not...
The National League Championship Series is almost over, only 1-game left, and with the Cubs announcing Lou Piniella on Tuesday there is going to be a lot of speculation until after the World Series. The only actual news that could possibly surface would be the Cubs agreeing to a new contract with Aramis Ramirez, so as this site continues to report reliable rumors, and to speculate on the speculation, with the hiring of Piniella came...
Notes from Jim Hendry on XM Radio with a surprise - Scott Boras on Alex Rodriguez - Scott Miller on Mark Prior - Rumors and Other News and Notes, Including 40-man Roster Moves After Lou Piniella was officially announced on Tuesday the reaction from the Cubs Faithful varied from very excited to cautiously optimistic. Whatever the result may be at the end of his 3 years in Chicago (with a 4th year option), most of...
ESPN Report - Piniella Expects the Cubs to go "hard" after Alex Rodriguez Updated - 6:27am CT - Soriano and Schmidt On List Along with Carlos Lee According to a late/early report on ESPN.com by Gene Wojciechowski, Lou Piniella's presence is already being felt in Chicago before the official announcement is even made. Wojciechowski states in his report that Piniella wants to acquire Alex Rodriguez from the New York Yankees....
Lou Piniella Could Be Named Manager In the Next Few Days According to Paul Sullivan in a late report in the Chicago Tribune on Sunday night, the announcement of Lou Piniella becoming the 48th manager of the Cubs could come as early as today. Sullivan stated that the decision could come either Monday or Tuesday unless the two sides "hit a snag". Joe Girardi is likely to take the Washington Nationals job but former Atlanta...
The upcoming week could prove to be the week that the Faithful look back on for many years as a turning point for this organization....good or bad. Several sources are reporting that Lou Piniella will be named the Cubs new manager before the Fall Classic starts on Saturday in Detroit. With Piniella's responsibilities with Fox ending with Magglio Ordonez walk-off home run on Saturday night all roads are pointing to Piniella being announced at some...
As soon as Lou Piniella removed his name from the managerial pool with the San Francisco Giants, stating geographical reasons, it was apparent that the rumors would start to fly about Sweet Lou taking over in the dugout for the Chicago Cubs. Piniella, earlier in the week, stated that the Washington Nationals job was not for him and according to an article by Chris De Luca in Saturday morning's Sun-Times, Piniella is "expected to be...
Bruce Bochy Given Permission, Trey Hillman to the Japanese World Series, Soriano Rejects Nationals Offer, former Cub Hairston DFA'd by the Rangers and More A-Rod Talk Many of the names that have hit the rumor mill for the Cubs already this off-season made a few headlines on Thursday afternoon. According to a report on FoxSports.com by Ken Rosenthal the Padres have given Bruce Bochy permission to talk to other teams about their managerial vacancy. Rosenthal...
Before the latest on the Boys in Blue, everyone here at the CCO was shocked to hear of the tragic death of Cory Lidle on Wednesday afternoon. All of our thoughts and prayers go out to the Lidle Family during this time. Life is precious and we all have to live it to the fullest extent on a daily basis. The Cubs made their first signing of the off-season on Tuesday, Joe Girardi named The...
Managerial and Player Rumors Galore With the Boss stating on Tuesday that Joe Torre will return as the manager of the Yankees for 2007 all of the talk about Lou Piniella and Joe Girardi possibly replacing him were quieted....for now. Piniella was in the booth on Tuesday night in Oakland broadcasting the ALCS for Fox and according to several reports he interviewed for the San Francisco job on Monday. Piniella reportedly said he is not...
Are the Faithful being impatient or is Jim Hendry's patience the right course of action? Some may say that Jim Hendry is just being thorough....but is he taking too much time in deciding on who will lead the Cubs next season and beyond, largely due to the events unfolding around Major League Baseball? The Cubs have taken their time under Hendry's leadership deciding on what moves they should make and while some have worked out,...
With the MLB playoff picture taking full shape over the weekend, the player rumors are beginning to flow and although the Cubs have yet to name a manager, or by several reports not even conducted a formal interview, the rumors have begun to fly about possible coming and goings this off-season. While the speculation about the soon-to-be managerial vacancy in New York grabbed most of the headlines on Sunday, here are the latest player rumblings...
The rumor mill is in overdrive....with the elimination of the Yankees on Saturday by the Tigers several reports out of New York are indicating that George Steinbrenner will soon fire Joe Torre, who has 1-year left on his contract, and replace him with Lou Piniella. The New York Daily news broke the story and has been picked up by ESPN TV and Radio as well as XM Radio. Several are speculating that if Piniella does...
Saturday Night Live continues week after week to give their unique take on world news using this moniker so with all credit going to Lorne Michaels and company....here is the CCO's take on the latest from the wire. Before updating the latest from the Northside of Chicago....everyone here would like to take a moment to recognize the passing of a great ambassador of the game of baseball. Buck O'Neil passed away at the age of...
Think about that for a second, one week ago today the Cubs were preparing for their last series of the season against the Rockies. Carlos Zambrano was gearing up to win his 17th of the year and take a shot at the Cubs All-Time Home Run Record for a single season by a pitcher. Well, you all know the Cubs lost 2 out of 3 to the Rockies but right after Bobby Howry recorded the...
Change....m-w.com defines change as to make different in some particular, to make radically different and to give a different position, course or direction to....and that definition fits what is happening at 1060 West Addison just one day after the season ended. As been reported Andy MacPhail resigned on Sunday and the Cubs chose not to extend the contract of Dusty Baker on Monday....so where do the Cubs go from here? The rumor mill about Dusty's...
The Cubs are gearing up for an off-season like no other; change is inevitable, in the dugout and on the field. The CCO will do its best throughout the off-season to keep the Cubs Faithful informed on every trade, signing and rumor (from reliable sources). So while the season may end on October 1st, the Cubs and baseball is 365 days a year, just ask the guys on ESPN 1000 in Chicago. Here is the...
Game One Hundred Twenty-Three: Cubs (53-69) vs. Cardinals (65-57) Game Time - 1:20pm C.T. WGN TV, WGN Radio, XM Radio Channel 187 Location - Wrigley Field, Chicago Juan Mateo (1-0, 3.00) vs. Chris Carpenter (11-6, 3.09) The last game of the year for the Cardinals at Wrigley and only 3 games left next weekend in St. Louis between the two rivals. Today rookie Juan Mateo gets another start against a former Cy Young award winner....
Dusty Baker to Finish Season....Carlos Lee Rejects Brewers Offer....Greg Maddux to New York? With the second game of the Cubs-Cardinals series starting in a few hours and with the non-waiver trade deadline on Monday I thought it would be good to not have an article this morning but more of a free form "catch-all" if you will. There are several topics and situations that will effect this organization over the coming months and here are...
With the July 31st non-waiver trade deadline four days away the Cubs have made just one deal to this point. Are there any more deals on the horizon? Some of the teams that have expressed interest in current Cubs have either made deals or have started to fall out of contention. Does Jim Hendry have anything up his sleeve?...
Rumor Mill Updates on Greg Maddux, Todd Walker, Dusty Baker, Carlos Lee, Phil Nevin and Sammy Sosa With the trade deadline less than a week away the rumor mill is in full swing and a couple of Cubs could be changing hats before long. The latest on Greg Maddux has the San Diego Padres interested in him. According to a report in USA Today the Padres' GM Kevin Towers said on Monday they have engaged...
Game Ninety-Seven: Cubs (37-59) vs. Nationals (42-56) Game Time - 12:20pm C.T. WGN TV, WGN Radio, XM Radio Channel 184 Location - RFK Stadium, Washington D.C. Carlos Marmol (3-3, 3.86) vs. Tony Armas (6-5, 4.61) Sean Marshall Put on the 15-Day DL - Aardsma and Wuertz Recalled from Iowa, plus Trade Deadline Rumors and Game Discussion With the recent trade of Scott Williamson and all of the rumors surrounding the current crop of Cubs on...
The trading deadline is still 17 days away but there have been two significant trades in the past three days that are worth mentioning. The teams that are in contention are making changes, not only on the field but also in the dugout. So while the Cubs appear to be standing firm with their team and according to a report on Cubs.com they "will not dismantle the team with trades", other teams in the Central...
With the All-Star game over, the American League won 3-2, and the second half starting on Friday for the Cubs, what will the last 74 games of the season bring to the Northside of Chicago? The trade deadline is a short 19 days away and the rumors have begun to fly. Many feel that Dusty Baker is on his way out as manager of the Cubs but there are other questions that the Cubs must...
Possible Replacements for Dusty Baker and Could A-Rod Become A Cub? Updated - 7:00pm C.T. - Dusty Feels Comfortable According to the Associated Press While the Cubs do play the Astros in the series finale on Wednesday night in Houston, the hot topic among the Cubs Faithful on Wednesday is the possible firing of Dusty Baker. I thought this might be a topic that should have its own place to discuss. I also wanted to...
The Cubs Rumor Mill is already turning.... With the trade deadline 39 days away and the Cubs' plans for the post season put on hold for another year there are many changes that could take place over the next six weeks. While I do believe the Cubs should by buyers and not sellers the fact of the matter is that is not how baseball teams are usually run nowadays. Those of you that kept up...
While the Cubs are searching for a way to salvage their season and right the ship, there have been several interesting news reports to come out and some tidbits worth mentioning. First, the Cubs have not announced the roster move necessary to have Jae Kuk Ryu pitch on Sunday; the move should be announced soon. Will it be Roberto Novoa or Michael Wuertz optioned back to Iowa? Several reports out of Chicago on Saturday stated...
The Rumors Surrounding a Possible Replacement for Derrek Lee As soon as Derrek Lee was diagnosed with a fractured distal radius and a fractured distal ulna last Thursday, the rumors started flying with names the Cubs were going to replace him with. Kevin Kennedy during The Show on Monday afternoon said he did not expect to see Derrek Lee back on the field for at least 90 games....that would put the Cubs at game 104...
Game Notes from Monday, News from Mesa, the Cubs in the WBC, the Jon Leicester Trade is Complete, plus Cubs Trade Rumors are starting to fly again Game Twelve: Cubs 6 Rockies (ss) 10 There was more than just the game on Monday....The Cubs pounded out 14 hits in Monday's loss at HoHoKam against the Colorado Rockies. Glendon Rusch had another rough outing. Rusch allowed 3 runs, all earned, on 6 hits in 4 innings,...
Mark Prior's Latest Injury? Juan Gonzalez a Cub? More Spring Training Pictures The health of the Cubs pitching staff has been the biggest question on the minds of the Cubs Faithful for several years. The Cubs success over the past three seasons has depended heavily on the health and success of Mark Prior and Kerry Wood. While we know what is going on with Kerry Wood, the health of Mark Prior is now in question...
Sammy Sosa Contemplating Retirement Slammin' Sammy....The Dominican Daddy or just plain Sammy was some of the many names the Cubs Faithful called Sammy Sosa for the 13 seasons he patrolled right field at the Friendly Confines. While he departed Chicago on the worst of terms, he owned the town and much of Major League Baseball since 1998. After his departure from the Cubs before last season, his numbers declined and the once great Sammy Sosa...
Cubs Arbitration Updates....Tony Graffanino?....Bengie Molina?....and Interesting Cubs Reports from the Wire Welcome to Groundhog Day, 2006....I cannot believe it is February. Only 13 more days until those magical words....Pitchers and Catchers Report to Spring Training. I know the Super Bowl is Sunday, but March 2nd is the day I'm looking forward to. There have been a few Cubs related reports on the Internet and two names to discuss in the Cubs Rumor Mill, plus the...
Julio Lugo Updates and will Gary Hughes be the next GM for the Reds? According to a report in the Dayton Daily News on Tuesday, the new Cincinnati Reds Owner and CEO Bob Castellini is interested in Gary Hughes to fill the recently vacated GM position with the Reds after Castellini fired Dan O'Brien on Monday. Hughes is currently an Assistant General Manager for the Cubs and a close confidante to Jim Hendry. The name...
Todd Walker to Baltimore? For years we have all heard pitching and defense win ball games, so where does Todd Walker fit into that equation? With the latest news on Friday....apparently nowhere. Jayson Stark from ESPN.com reported in the 'Insider' section that the Cubs are talking to the Orioles about a trade that would send Walker to Baltimore. According to Stark the Orioles are concerned about Brain Roberts' recovery from a dislocated elbow. Stark did...
Cubs News and Rumors, Julio Lugo, Barry Zito, Wade Miller and Huff to Houston? 2006 Cubs Convention Coverage is here at Chicago Cubs Online - scroll down Most of the Cubs Faithful is all about the annual Cubs Convention this weekend. But apparently the rumors have not stopped flying even though the Cubs' brass has their hands full with the fans. The rumors continued to surround the departure of Todd Walker from the Cubbies, while...
Sammy Sosa to the Washington Nationals? According to reports on XM Radio and ESPN Deportes, former Cub Sammy Sosa is close to a deal with the Washington Nationals. The report from ESPN Deportes mentions a possible 1-year deal for Sosa. The report stated Sosa could play left field for the Nats and the signing of Sosa could make things worse with Alfonso Soriano, who the Nationals want to move to the outfield. The Nationals already...
January 8, 2006 - 10:30 pm C.S.T. According to a late report on Sunday night by Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune. Corey Patterson is expected to be traded within the next few days. The report mentions the Baltimore Orioles, Washington Nationals and two other teams that were not named in the report. Sullivan also mentions Todd Walker being on the trading the trading block. The article states, "The Cubs are hoping to get one...
More Cubs Rumors and Hot Stove Friday was supposed to be a slow day; this has been the wildest off-season I can remember. For the Cubs Faithful....Is it because the 'Wrongsiders' just won the World Series or is it just because we are all fascinated by baseball? I know baseball is at the height of its popularity. ABC Family is showing baseball movies tonight....on New Year's Eve, the day before the last day of the...
More Cubs Rumors The Major League Hot Stove made a lot of noise on Wednesday. Teams are not taking a break during the Holiday Season. The White Sox made a BIG signing on Wednesday by extending the contract of Jon Garland. The contract has been reported to be worth 3 years, $29 million. The Rangers inked Kevin Millwood and former Cub Jeromy Burnitz found a home in Baltimore. The White Sox continued to kick the...
More Cubs Rumors....More Tejada and Prior While Mark Prior and Miguel Tejada were on the minds of most of the Cubs Faithful during the Holidays, the Major League Hot Stove had several moves on Monday and Tuesday. Kevin Millwood signed with the Texas Rangers and the details of the contract varied, but the most reported was a 4-year, $48 million dollar contract with a club option for the 5th year that could make the contract...
Cubs Offer Mark Prior, Rich Hill and Corey Patterson to the Orioles for Miguel Tejada and Erik Bedard According to reports on ESPN 1000 in Chicago, Bruce Levine is reporting the trade that would send Mark Prior, Corey Patterson and Rich Hill to the Orioles for Miguel Tejada is on the table and the Cubs are waiting for a reply from the Orioles. Bruce Levine is supposed to be on ESPN 1000 this afternoon with...
Notes from an Interview with Jim Hendry on Baseball 365 - ESPN 1000 Jim Hendry was on Baseball 365 (ESPN - 1000 / Chicago) Christmas Eve morning with Bruce Levine and Bryan Dolgin. They started the interview by saying they cannot talk about other teams players because of tampering. Hendry started by saying the Cubs never feel like they are finished trying to improve the Cubs and they will continue to make improvements before Opening...
Tejada....Prior....Zambrano....and More Cubs Rumors The Friday before Christmas Eve the Cubs Faithful had visions of Miguel Tejada dancing in their head. All of the sports talk throughout the country was talking about the story that Ken Rosenthal broke on Thursday. Most of the CCO readers disagreed with the Cubs even thinking of trading Mark Prior for Miguel Tejada. The rumor was given more credibility when Bruce Levine (ESPN 1000 - Chicago) said the Cubs had...
The Cubs have offered Mark Prior, Rich Hill and Corey Patterson for Miguel Tejada and Erik Beddard 3:13pm C.D.T. ESPN 1000 in Chicago and Bruce Levine is reporting the Cubs have offered Mark Prior, Rich Hill and Corey Patterson to the Orioles for Miguel Tejada and Erik Bedard. ESPN 1000 led their 3:00pm show with this news. Check back for updates...
Some Cubs Rumors....Some Cubs News....plus a Little Bit of This and a Little Bit of That The biggest news on Thursday was Ken Rosenthal's article about Miguel Tejada and Mark Prior (scroll down). The CCO tries to report as much credible news as possible, just not 'what we hear'. Anything coming from Ken Rosenthal is credible. This story has legs, I just wonder how much of it will happen. There were other ex-Cubs in the...
Miguel Tejada to the Cubs for Mark Prior? For weeks there have been rumors of the Cubs pursuing a trade for shortstop Miguel Tejada. The CCO has stayed away from these rumors; largely because Tejada said his trade demands were based on frustration and wanted management to make moves to improve the Orioles. The Rumors quieted....except for in the minds of the Cubs Faithful. Well....today the rumors of the Cubs still pursuing Tejada became a...
More Cubs Rumors The Cubs Rumor Mill and Hot Stove were back in action on Tuesday. The major news out of Chicago was the signing of free-agent outfielder Jacque Jones to a 3-year, $16 million dollar contract (scroll down for the full report and a XM Radio interview with Jm Hendry). This signing had major effects on the Cubs Faithful and many doubt if this was the right signing for the Cubs. Jones said during...
More Cubs Rumors The Cubs Rumor Mill and Major League Hot Stove took a 3-day weekend with little action on Friday. The Kansas City Royals made the biggest noise on Friday signing 4 free agents including two former Cubs: Mark Grudzielanek and Paul Bako. The Royals are definitely taking steps to improve their team. The rest of the news came from Johnny Damon, Nomar Garciaparra, Jarrod Washburn, Kevin Millwood and an interesting report from ESPN...
More Cubs Rumors The Chicago Cubs Rumor Mill and Major League Hot Stove had a lot of action on Wednesday and Thursday, but most of the news....was NO news. I have been listening and reading ALL of the frustration of the Cubs Faithful over the inactivity since the Winter Meetings ended last week. Everyday I keep hoping Jim Hendry will add another piece to the puzzle that will be the 2006 Chicago Cubs....but nothing. I...
More Cubs Rumors The Cubs Rumor Mill and Hot Stove Report had a couple of moves on Tuesday. Late in the day, XM Radio and Fox Sports.com reported the trade of Milton Bradley to the Oakland A's along with second baseman Antonio Perez for Minor League outfielder Andre Ethier. I was so HAPPY to hear Bradley had gone to Oakland I raced to the computer to post the news. I am so glad this saga...
More Cubs Rumors The Cubs Rumor Mill and the Major League Hot Stove was filled on Monday with Miguel Tejada, Miguel Tejada and…....did I mention Miguel Tejada? Every team, every fan and just about every newspaper said Tejada will be playing for (insert team here) in 2006. Phil Rogers from the Chicago Tribune actually wrote the Cubs should send Carlos Zambrano to the Orioles for Tejada. It was unbelievable. I heard Tejada's name more on...
Juan Pierre is a Cub. What about Aubrey Huff and Julio Lugo? Miguel Tejada: The Cubs Wild Card? More Cubs Rumors As most of the Cubs Faithful were dreaming of Miguel Tejada playing on the Northside of Chicago in 2006, the possibility is there. Yes, I said it....the possibility is there. According to several Internet, newspaper and radio stations the Cubs have contacted the Orioles about Tejada. Bruce Miles from the Daily Herald mentioned the...
More Cubs Rumors Friday was a slow, cold day around baseball, the Cubs and most of the United States. Most of the noise on Friday concerned Alfonso Soriano and his new team. According to several reports and articles the newly acquired Soriano is already making waves on his new team. Jim Bowden (the Nationals GM) said he wants Soriano to play the outfield, Soriano said he is a second baseman. Soriano is already making waves...
Winter Meetings - The Final Day More Cubs Rumors The Major League Hot Stove saw a tremendous last day in Dallas. There were several major deals, including Edgar Renteria being traded to the Braves for Andy Marte and the Red Sox will pay $4 million dollars a year for the last 3 years of his contract (how do the Braves keep doing this). The Pirates, Brewers and Reds all got better and the Cubs held...
Winter Meetings - Day Three More Cubs Rumors Day three of the Winter Meetings brought the much-needed leadoff hitter, Juan Pierre, to the Northside of Chicago. Was Juan Pierre a good trade?....no one knows or will know until the season starts. I have seen and heard SO many reports that knocked the trade for Pierre. (I remember the same when the Cubs got Derrek Lee) I do not understand....the man does not even have a...
Winter Meetings - Day Two More Cubs Rumors Tuesday in Dallas was very active throughout Major League Baseball. The rumors were flying; the deals were being signed....everywhere but in Chicago. The Cubs Rumor Mill was quiet until late in the day when reports (or should I say rumors) started circulating that Jim Hendry had moved back his afternoon press conference due to trade negotiations. These reports were false and the CCO was right there waiting...
A Victim of the Cubs Rumor Mill I released a quick post earlier about the possibility of Breaking News happening tonight....well the CCO fell victim to the The Cubs Rumor Mill. There were several reports that Hendry had pushed back a press conference and there was going to be an announcement of a deal tonight...just remember I am a Cubs fan too, so it got the best of me. If something does actually break, I...
More Cubs Rumors As the entire baseball world descended on Dallas the biggest story out of Day One of the Winter Meetings was the announcement of the World Baseball Classic(WBC). 177 Major League players agreed to play in the WBC, including 6 of our Cubbies. Michael Barrett, Henry Blanco, Derrek Lee, Jose Macias, Neifi Perez and Carlos Zambrano. Scroll down to 'Cubs News from the Wire', click on the link and go directly to the...
More Cubs Rumors On the eve of the Winter Meetings all of the Cubs Faithful were up in arms over Rafael Furcal agreeing to terms with the Los Angeles Dodgers. I still see that as being good news for the Cubs. When was the last time a free agent actually worked out for the Cubs? Does anyone remember Todd Hundley? Time to regroup and go forward....remember Jim Hendry pulled the Derek Lee trade out of...
More Cubs Rumors To be perfectly honest with everyone, I had an entirely different post ready for Sunday. I went out to hear some music on Saturday night and to root for the Nashville Predators....when I came home that all changed!!! As you have noticed by now and if not scroll down....Rafael Furcal agreed to terms with the Dodgers late on Saturday according to the L.A. Times. I have been wondering for the past week,...
More Cubs Rumors The Cubs Rumor Mill and Hot Stove heated up on Friday. On the last weekday before the Winter Meetings two former Cub relievers signed HUGE contracts with new teams. Kyle Farnsworth inked his deal with the Yankees for 3 years, $17 million and Tom 'Flash' Gordon agreed to terms with the Phillies for 3 years, $18 million. Farnsworth actually turned down a 4-year deal from the Rangers for $21 million dollars (with...
More Cubs Rumors The Cubs Rumor Mill and Major League Hot Stove slowed down on Thursday. The Cubs did make one move, they traded RHP Jermaine Van Buren to the Boston Red Sox for a player to be named later. I like what I saw of Van Buren and I am surprised all Jim Hendry got was the infamous player to be named. I did not see him in the Cubs' plans out of Spring...
More Cubs Rumors The Cubs Rumor Mill and Major League Hot Stove were in full swing again on Wednesday. It is hard to believe there is this much excitement surrounding baseball on the last day of November. All of the 'Wrongsiders' must be happy with Paul Konerko signing his new 5-year, $60 million dollar deal on Wednesday. Also, late on Wednesday night the Padres reached agreement with Brian Giles on a new 3-year, $30 million...
More Cubs Rumors The Cubs Rumor Mill and Major League Hot Stove were going full steam on Tuesday. The Cubs inked the deal with Bobby Howry and there were confirmations on John Mabry agreeing to a one-year guaranteed deal. Mabry is expected to sign later in the week, physical depending. The report came out about Jim Hendry's visit last weekend with Rafael Furcal in Chicago. I said yesterday, I really like the addition of John...
More Cubs Rumors As predicted the Cubs Rumor Mill and the Major League Hot Stove was in full swing on Monday. With the formal announcement of B.J. Ryan with the Blue Jays, Carlos Delgado with the Mets and the late in the day announcement of Billy Wagner signing with the Mets as well, Monday was a sign of what the next 2 weeks could bring. The Cubs apparently signed free agent John Mabry late Monday...
More Cubs Rumors The Cubs Rumor Mill and Hot Stove were very quiet on Sunday. I guess Jim Hendry was watching football. Speaking of that, congratulations goes out to the Chicago Bears. 8-3, first place and the number one defense in football....not bad. No one is giving them a shot and they keep winning....I actually heard a comparison on Sunday to the '85 Bears. Also, the Tennessee Titans picked up a much needed win on...
More Cubs Rumors I hope all of you had a great Thanksgiving. The Cubs Rumor Mill and Hot Stove took a short break, but came back with a vengeance on Saturday with the report from scout.com (scroll down). I do not know how much of that to believe, but we will all find out soon. Don't forget to check back here at the CCO and in the 'Cubs News from the Wire', because if Furcal...
The BIGGEST Cubs Rumor I thought the Cubs Rumor Mill and Hot Stove would take a long weekend off, but boy was I wrong. There is a report in 'Cubs News From The Wire (scroll down) from scout.com and Yahoo Sports titled 'Hot Stove: The Greatest Infield Ever?' that is UNBELIEVABLE. This one is the BIGGEST RUMOR of them all. The report says the Cubs have all but finalized a deal the would bring Rafael...
More Cubs Rumors The Cubs Rumor Mill and Hot Stove started out Tuesday with a report the Cubs and reliever Bobby Howry were close to a deal and he could be signed before Thanksgiving (I do not have any new information on Howry at this time) and after that all of baseball started focusing on the situation in Miami. The Marlins held a press conference on Tuesday saying the team will search for a new...
Bobby Howry Could Become a Cub Before Thanksgiving According to reports Tuesday morning in the Daily Herald and Newark Star-Ledger, free agent right-handed reliever Bobby Howry, from the Cleveland Indians, is close to a deal with the Chicago Cubs. According to The Newark Star-Ledger, Howry was quoted on Monday to be nearing a deal with the Cubs. The deal would be in the 3-year range and worth more than the $11 million dollars the Cubs...
More Cubs Rumors The Cubs Rumor Mill and Hot Stove were back in full swing on Monday. What started off as a slow day turned out to be one of the biggest days of the off-season to this point. Although the announced trade of Josh Beckett and Mike Lowell to the Red Sox for 3 minor leaguers did not include the Cubs, I think it may affect them down the road. The Marlins fire sale...
More Cubs Rumors The Sunday before Thanksgiving was extremely slow for the Cubs Rumor Mill and Hot Stove. It seemed like most were paying attention to football and family on Sunday. I am really curious to see what the rest of the week will bring. The winter meetings in Dallas are just around the corner (December 5th - December 8th). December 7th is the deadline for teams to decide if they will offer salary arbitration...
More Cubs Rumors The Cubs Rumor Mill and Hot Stove were very slow on Saturday. The main rumor was about Josh Beckett and Mike Lowell going to the Texas Rangers. Josh Beckett going to the American League would be just fine with me. All of the Chicago papers seem to have 'all of the answers' to the questions we have all been asking. I have updates on Juan Pierre, Rafael Furcal, Nomar Garciaparra and Kevin...
More Cubs Rumors The Cubs Rumor Mill and Hot Stove slowed down a little on Friday. Most of the buzz around the Cubs was the signing of Scott Eyre. There was a new name added to the Cubs Rumor Mill, Cleveland Indians free agent reliever Bob Howry. I do have updates on Rafael Furcal, A.J. Burnett and Billy Wagner. I have read a lot in the last 24 hours about the reaction of the Cubs...
More Cubs Rumors On the last day of the Owner's Meeting in Milwaukee, the Cubs Rumor Mill and Hot Stove were in full swing and so was my crystal ball. I have updates on Jason Bay, Johnny Damon, Brian Giles, A.J. Burnett, Kevin Mench, Corey Patterson, Rafael Furcal and Juan Pierre. There were 2 different articles on Thursday about the 'player to be named later' in the Jon Leicester trade. Both the Chicago Tribune and...
There were 2 reports on Thursday that mentioned Dusty Baker and the vacant manager's job for the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Dodgers new GM Ned Colletti was a member of the San Francisco Giants organization while Dusty was the manager there. The first report I heard was on XM Radio. Ronnie 'Night Train' Lane was interviewing Steve Sax and the Dodgers' manager position came up and he mentioned he has 'heard Dusty Baker's name mentioned...
More Cubs Rumors As the owner's meetings got underway in Milwaukee on Wednesday, there was movement from the Cubs and names added to the Cubs Rumor Mill. The Cubs traded right-hander Jon Leicester to the Texas Rangers and Ichiro Suzuki has entered the rumor mill. I also have updates on Alex Gonzalez, Rafael Furcal, Juan Pierre, Jarrod Washburn, Brian Giles, A.J. Burnett and Jacque Jones. There was a very interesting article in the Chicago Sun...
More Cubs Rumors The Cubs Rumor Mill and the Hot Stove got back into full swing on Tuesday. There were a couple of new names thrown into the mix; Scott Eyre and Alex Gonzalez (not that one, the other one from the Marlins). I also have updates on Brian Giles, Manny Ramirez, B.J. Ryan, Hideki Matsui, Billy Wagner, A.J. Burnett, Kevin Millwood and Rafael Furcal. Before I pass on the Cubs rumors, I want to...
More Cubs Rumors Usually Sundays in November are full of football, but not this year. The Hot Stove and the rumor mills are in full swing. All of the Cubs Faithful want to know (and so do I), who will the Cubs sign? Who will the Cubs trade for? I have never seen an off-season like this before. Is it because the 'Wrongside' just won the World Series? Is it because we all love the...
More Cubs Rumors The Gossip papers are in full swing and there are more names on the Cubs rumor list for 2006. The Chicago Tribune mentioned on Saturday the Cubs have talked to the Texas Rangers about the possibility of trading for outfielder Kevin Mench and I was listening to XM Radio on Saturday to MLB Live and they brought up Kevin Millwood and Barry Zito as possible additions to the Cubs pitching staff. Also,...
More Cubs Rumors All Major League teams lost their exclusive rights to negotiate with their team's free agents on Thursday, November 10th. And with the General Manager's meeting ending on Friday, November 11th, the rumors are really starting to heat up. The Cubs have been mentioned in possible deals with Hideki Matsui, Nomar Garciaparra, A.J. Burnett and Juan Pierre. According to Miami Herald.com, the Cubs and Marlins have started talking about a multi-team trade and...
What 'They' Are Saying - Part 1 of 2 Hey guess what I heard? You'll never believe this....the centerfielder for the Cubs in 2006 is....O.K. now that I have your attention. There are a ton of rumors circulating about 'Who The Cubs Will Sign'. I really feel free agency is NOT the way to build a team. I really believe that trading for the player (the organization) wants is the way to go....see Derrek Lee....
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