Doesn't it seem like a lot longer than just 144 days since Jed Hoyer's San Diego Padres beat the Chicago Cubs 9-2? Ryan Dempster took the loss on the final day of the 2011 season. Starlin Castro ran his hitting streak to 11 games in the loss and reached base for the 40th game in a row. The past four and a half months have been anything but boring for the Chicago Cubs. The hiring of Theo Epstein and then Jed Hoyer and Jason McLeod continue to make headlines and will well into the season. The … [Read more...]
Weekend Update … Non-Roster Invites, Rumors and Matt Garza
The week following the convention was a busy seven days for the Chicago Cubs. Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer avoided arbitration with six of the seven arbitration eligible players for the upcoming season ... only Matt Garza remains unsigned. The Cubs continued to sign free agents to minor league contracts. News surfaced Friday that the Cubs had signed utility outfielder Matt Tolbert. Bruce Levine confirmed the signing of Tolbert to a minor league contract that includes an invite to big league camp. … [Read more...]
Calculus, Sunk Cost … and Other Cubs News, Notes and Rumors
Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer continued shaping their roster for the upcoming season on Thursday when they officially shipped Carlos Zambrano to Miami for Chris Volstad. The Cubs received a starting pitcher they control for the next three seasons for a pitcher that would have had a difficult time walking back into the Cubs clubhouse. The seemingly daily drama that has surrounded Carlos Zambrano since May of 2007 overshadowed how good Zambrano actually was early on and for a majority of his Cubs' … [Read more...]
The High Cost of Matt Garza … and Other Cubs News, Notes and Rumors
The Cubs finally announced the one-year contract with Reed Johnson on Tuesday. The agreement between the Cubs and Johnson surfaced on December 21 and Johnson spoke about re-signing with the Cubs during an interview on MLB Network Radio/XM Radio shortly after the agreement was leaked. Johnson made $900,000 last year and will be paid $1.15 million for the upcoming season. Matt Garza and Prince Fielder continue to be main topics of conversation surrounding the Chicago Cubs. Theo Epstein and Jed … [Read more...]
Three is Not Enough for Fielder … and Other Cubs Rumors
The noise and rumors surrounding the Cubs continue to be louder than the actual news coming out of the offices at 1060 West Addison. The Cubs continue to be connected to Prince Fielder by the mainstream media and the Matt Garza trade rumors will not go away. Peter Gammons riled up Scott Boras late Tuesday night. Gammons reported that several general managers think Scott Boras could do a three-year deal for Prince Fielder worth $26 million per season. Gammons said Fielder would end up topping … [Read more...]
What’s Next for the Cubs?
The week between Christmas and New Year's Day was quite busy in recent years under the previous regime. Due to the fact that Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer have been playing catch-up since they took over, the final five days of 2011 could be busy for the Chicago Cubs. The Cubs announced a pair of minor signings on Monday and more figure to be on the horizon. The Cubs agreed to terms on a non-guaranteed split contract with right-hander Andy Sonnanstine. The former Ray figures to compete for a spot … [Read more...]
The Front Office, Fielder, Marshall, Compensation … and Other Cubs News, Notes and Rumors
The player moves the Cubs are rumored to be working on continued making noise on Tuesday. According to a report late Tuesday night from Ken Rosenthal, the Cubs and Reds are discussing a deal that could send Sean Marshall to Cincinnati for Travis Wood. It is unknown if there are other players involved in the talks. Marshall is under contract through the 2012 season and is one of the Cubs most valuable trading chips. Theo Epstein has hired two more front office personnel and another could be … [Read more...]
Weekend Update … Rumors, Rumors and More Cubs Rumors
Is the Cubs' new regime looking to tie up loose ends and possibly complete a few deals before the holidays? After the Winter Meetings Jed Hoyer indicated the Cubs pushed several things forward while they were in Dallas. As Jon Paul Morosi reported the next week could be very busy throughout baseball ... it always has been. But will the Cubs be in the middle of the action. The Cubs are rumored to have a lot of interest in Prince Fielder, despite what they are saying publicly. While Fielder would … [Read more...]
Is Garza Trade Bait or In Line for an Extension? … and Other Cubs News and Notes
The Cubs took care of a little business on Monday and created a roster spot in the process. Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer tendered contracts to six of the team's seven salary arbitration players (three-six years of service time). Geovany Soto, Ian Stewart, Blake DeWitt, Jeff Baker, Randy Wells and Matt Garza were all tendered contracts for 2012. Koyie Hill was the only player non-tendered a contract and has become a free agent. The Cubs 40-man roster now stands at 36 players. Instead of just a … [Read more...]
Aramis Ramirez Agrees to Three-Year Deal with Brewers
According to multiple reports, Aramis Ramirez has agreed to a three-year deal with the Brewers believed to be worth between $34-$37 million. The Cubs will receive a sandwich pick in the 2012 draft after offering salary arbitration to Aramis Ramirez. … [Read more...]