Winter Meetings Update
Here's the deal, I'll post updates at the top as I have time, since most are Twitter stories, just look at the Twitter box for the link if you must.
3:08 PM CST: Nick Cafardo says Red Sox offered 3/38 for Victorino, don't see the Cubs getting near that.
Dale Sveum had a press conference, said Matt Garza ready to start pitching by end of month and was impressed by Javier Baez's bat speed using the Gary Sheffield comp that's been thrown out a lot.
1:18 PM CST: Muskat scares the Cubs' world by tweeting that Cubs are looking at Yunielsky Betancourt for third base.
12:00 PM CST: Jerry Crasnick says Cubs checking in on Shane Victorino, Red Sox and Yankees as well. Indians seem to have the most interest though at the moment. Says Reds and Braves not so much with the interest and calls Phillies interest "tepid". Shane looking for a 3 to 4 year deal after seeing Upton and Pagan sign.
...and away we go.
- The big rumor this morning came from Jayson Stark where he mentioned the Cubs among one of four suitors for the recently traded Yunel Escobar (Rays, A's and Yankees were the other teams mentioned). I imagine the Cubs see him as a possible option at third base. Regardless of his past and potential future performance, he's the jack-ass that advertised homophobic slurs on his eye black, so hoping the Cubs just pass on this one.
The rest of the news is from yesterday.
- Jim Deshaies will be the new color guy for television, replacing Bob Brenly. The Internet seems to be cheering the move. The neanderthals seem to dislike it because he doesn't have any Cubs' ties. Good grief.
- Ian Stewart has received a clean bill of health on his wrist. I imagine he'll have a few suitors for around $2M a year.
- Some continued Cubs' interest in Brandon McCarthy.
- Dan Haren ends up going to the Nationals on a one year/$13M deal. Danny Knobler yesterday had an article confirming that the medicals were why the Cubs balked at the Haren/Marmol trade. Cubs apparently were still willing to do the deal, but wanted the Angels to chip in more cash and the teams couldn't hash out a deal before the deadline.
- Theo said the Cubs are looking for a right fielder because of the market and DeJesus will play center field. He's not opposed to a platoon in right or third base either.






brendan harris (LAA) breaks an 0-24 slide with a single vs SEA.
in other news...brendan harris is still playing baseball.
h.rodriguez...5 pitches...0 outs...men on 2nd and 3rd.
welcome to the cubs, guy.
hbp, single, soriano fielding error allowing runners to advance, sac fly, ground out to SS, popout at the wall in CF.
1ip 1h 0bb 0k..1r/0er
Jim Callis@jimcallisBA
#Cubs sign 2nd-rder Rob Zastryzny for $1.1 mil. Missouri LHP, adds & subtracts from 86-95 mph FB, flashes plus changeup.
Slot value was $1,361,900.
Reyburn's been terrible all night. What an asshat.
EPIC cubbery in the bottom 7th...holy crap...wow.
swaimy's busy trying to get tossed...
he gets his wish.
just wow.
w.castillo picks up his 8th walk of the season tonight...
it's his 7th walk since May 23rd.
I would be doing the same.....in the stands. St. Louis is swampy.
game on...
10 pitches in and s.miller is POURING sweat...he looks like a glazed doughnut.
tarp off the field...
"Carrie Muskat @CarrieMuskat
#Cubs vs #STLCards hope to start at 8 pm CT"
wow...a desipio article that doesn't turn into frat boy chest bumping or a series of profanities before 3-4 paragraphs end...someone's going to get fired.
This morning I got wind of a new Al Yellon article so poorly thought out, so unreasonably daffy and so incompetent that I cursed the Twitter Gods for suspending my account because I wanted to share some good old Steve Stone motherboy flesh with the world. http://www.desipio.com/?p=4452
rain delay...tarp on field...not heavy, but they're not going to be playing baseball for 30-60 minutes, minimum.
I managed to read it all. I'll summarize: "I want the Cubs to win".
Dude is really going out on a limb.
BA says Cubs are going after OF Eloy Jimenez out of the Dominican
http://www.baseballamerica.com/international/eloy-jimenez-stands-out-amo...
and MLB.com article says Cubs are 1 of 7 teams with serious interest in RHP Miguel Gonzalez out of Cuba
Like base coaches, they'll probably end up with helmets on
Ben Badler@BenBadler
With minor league all-star games this week, expect a slew of prospect promotions very soon.