Baseball received a jolt on Wednesday when Derek Jeter announced on his Facebook page he would be retiring at the end of the 2014 season. 'The Captain' has decided to hang ‘em up. The Cubs play the Yankees twice this season. Rick Renteria’s team travels to the Bronx in April (April 15-April 16) for two games and the Derek Jeter Farwell Tour will stop at Wrigley Field in May (May 20-May 21) for a pair of games. On the Cubs’ front, the team held their annual organizational meetings at the new … [Read more...]
From the Wire: Reds Claim RHP Brett Marshall and Twins Claim LHP Brooks Raley Off Waivers from Cubs
The Cubs made two roster moves on Wednesday, and both were expected but not at the same time. In order to clear a spot on the 40-man roster, the Cubs placed RHP Brett Marshall on waivers and he was claimed by the Cincinnati Reds. To make room for Marshall on their roster, the Reds designated INF Henry Rodriguez for assignment. The Cubs claimed Marshall off waivers from the Yankees on Dec. 23. The attempt to send Marshall through waivers was expected in order to open a spot on the 40-man … [Read more...]
Cubs Pitching Search Continues
Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer are looking to add at least one veteran starting pitcher to the mix before Spring Training begins. And the Cubs and Blue Jays could be talking again about a deal that would send Jeff Samardzija to Florida for Spring Training. While the Cubs will not be signing Ervin Santana or Ubaldo Jimenez, the front office is believed to be interested in Paul Maholm and Jason Hammel. If the Cubs sign Maholm and he is effective again under Chris Bosio, the front office would be … [Read more...]
The Cubs Have Work To Do and Other News and Notes
Wednesday will not go down as a banner day in the history of the Chicago Cubs. While many felt the Yankees would end up with Masahiro Tanaka when the process began, there was a feeling of disappointment among the faithful that the Cubs were not able to keep him from signing with the Evil Empire. The last three seasons has been the worst stretch at the big league level in team history and even the most-patient fans that are behind the Cubs’ plan to build an organization with sustained success … [Read more...]
Minor League Ball’s Top Cubs Prospects for 2014
John Sickels released his list of the top prospects in the Cubs’ organization on Wednesday. Javier Baez and Kris Bryant topped Sickels’ ranking of the best players in what he labeled a "dramatically improved system." The Cubs’ front office has made improvements to the organization in a short amount of time. The Cubs have a rather deep system that remains light in the pitching department. Sickels thinks the Cubs have four potential All Stars in Javier Baez, Kris Bryant, Albert Almora and Jorge … [Read more...]
The Calm Before and Other Cubs News and Notes
The first Friday of the New Year is in the books and teams continue to work on their rosters with Spring Training just around the corner. And what ended up being a quiet week should change in the coming days. The Hall of Fame debate continued and with the announcement only four days away (Jan. 8), Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, Frank Thomas and Craig Biggio appear to be on their way to enshrinement in Cooperstown. Masahiro Tanaka stayed in the news along with which teams will end up signing the … [Read more...]
The Daily Tanaka and Other Cubs News, Notes and Rumors
Weekend Update It is the final Sunday of the year, 2014 is just around the corner. MLB teams will get back to work this week and it could be rather busy end of the year. The talk and focus around the game continues to be Masahiro Tanaka and where he will end up pitching in the upcoming season. A couple of new teams entered The Tanaka Sweepstakes on Saturday while the Toronto Blue Jays might not offer a six or seven-year deal that many feel it will take to sign him. The Twins will be part of … [Read more...]
Roster Moves, Rizzo on the Radio and Other Cubs News and Notes
The Cubs off-season roster shuffle continued on Monday when the front office basically swapped a young right-handed pitcher with upside for another young right-handed pitcher with upside. The Cubs claimed RHP Brett Marshall off waivers from the New York Yankees. Marshall was designated for assignment on Dec. 19 to make room on the 40-man roster for Carlos Beltran. The Cubs had room on the 40-man roster for Marshall after the Orioles claimed RHP Liam Hendriks off waivers from the … [Read more...]
From the Wire … Cubs Claim RHP Brett Marshall Off Waivers, Orioles Claim RHP Liam Hendriks
According to multiple reports, the Cubs claimed RHP Brett Marshall off waivers from the New York Yankees on Monday. The Cubs also lost a pitcher when Baltimore claimed RHP Liam Hendriks off waivers from the Cubs. With the two roster moves, the Cubs' 40-man roster technically stands at 39 players until the team announces the signing of Jose Veras. … [Read more...]