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40 players are on the MLB RESERVE LIST (roster is full) 

28 players on MLB RESERVE LIST are ACTIVE, and twelve players are on OPTIONAL ASSIGNMENT to minors. 

Last updated 3-26-2024
 
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# bats both

PITCHERS: 15
Yency Almonte
Adbert Alzolay 
Javier Assad
Jose Cuas
Kyle Hendricks
* Shota Imanaga
Caleb Kilian
Mark Leiter Jr
* Luke Little
Julian Merryweather
Hector Neris 
* Drew Smyly
* Justin Steele
Jameson Taillon
* Jordan Wicks

CATCHERS: 2
Miguel Amaya
Yan Gomes

INFIELDERS: 7
* Michael Busch 
Nico Hoerner
Nick Madrigal
* Miles Mastrobuoni
Christopher Morel
Dansby Swanson
Patrick Wisdom

OUTFIELDERS: 4
* Cody Bellinger 
Alexander Canario
# Ian Happ
Seiya Suzuki
* Mike Tauchman 

OPTIONED: 12 
Kevin Alcantara, OF 
Michael Arias, P 
Ben Brown, P 
Alexander Canario, OF 
Pete Crow-Armstrong, OF 
Brennen Davis, OF 
Porter Hodge, P 
* Matt Mervis, 1B 
Daniel Palencia, P 
Keegan Thompson, P 
Luis Vazquez, INF 
Hayden Wesneski, P 

 



 

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Game 21 Thread / Brewers @ Cubs (3 of 3)

Game Chat Ben Sheets vs. Ted Lilly Lineups:
Weeks 2b Theriot SS
Hardy SS Floyd LF
Fielder 1B Lee 1B
Hall CF Ramirez 3B
Estrada C Barrett C
Mench LF Jones RF
Hart RF Derosa 2B
Graffanino 3B Pie CF
Sheets P Lilly P
We've got a RUMORED radio report from reader WPZ that he heard Bruce Levine on ESPN 1000 saying that Mark Prior will announce that's he's going to be out 12-18 months following yesterday's surgery. UPDATE: Len just read a Cubs press statement on Prior, but my MLB.tv decided to freak out just as he read it. So here's what I heard...
Prior underwent.........debridement of the labrum.....also a capsular...lab????....won't pitch this year.
Thanks to MLB.tv for that thorough update. UPDATE #2: Cubs.com has the press statement up now and some readers heard a clearer version if you want to trudge through the comments.
During the arthroscopy, Dr. Andrews performed a debridement of Mark's right rotator cuff as well as repair of labral and capsular injuries in his right shoulder.
The tarp is off and game time has been set at 2:30 pm CST.

Comments

And to reiterate what Manny said in the last thread: Cut him already. Goodbye. Maybe it's time to take the W & P out of WPZ. ZHL?

gee, I never even noticed that....ZHL works though. Seems like there might be some union grievances and such if they just cut him, I don't know. Since they have to pay him as is, might as well wait until they have to decide on arbitration in December and see how he's progressing. I know, I know....he's done, blah, blah, blah.

Glad to see Theriot in the line up, glad to see him leading off, and GLAD to see him a SS.

Cliff Floyd. Yippee. Everyday I tell myself I'm not watching, and everyday I find myself yelling at the TV. Sigh. I can't even think about Mark Prior. I want his job. He hasn't had to really work now for what seems like forever!

Doug Rau, 1979 tore his rotator cuff and was then released by the Dodgers. Picked up by the Angels, then cut in 198. That's about the only instance I can think of. If Prior cannot play next season, and is not under a long term deal, why should the Cubs have to pay him to rehab? If they do, it should be for a very, very low base salary, and then bonuses.

I know this isn't an everyday lineup w/Alfonzo out, but we are so close to something reasonable... 1. Soriano 2. Floyd 3. Lee 4. Ramirez 5. Barrett 7. DeRosa 8. Pie We're almost there...let's hope that the Cubs can get on the trolley.

I am not sure if this has been discussed but i need to ask. Has anyone seen Theriot play SS? I know that he played that postion at LSU and some (little) in teh minors but I am curious.

I still say they need to move Alfonso down to 5th or so. That is the only change I would make, SJS. I would also probably try an have someone batting 6th...

Rory - I think he played there once or twice in ST, and I know that he played SS in the minors.

I say trade Prior to Minnesota for Liriano...one blown-up arm for another.

Rob said it. All you accomplish by cutting Prior right now is pissing off a lot of people. You still have to pay him for the rest of this season, and if he's stashed on the 60 day he isn't eating roster space. Sit him on the DL, let him get paid and rack up some pension/benefit time, and then let him go with a pat on the back when it comes time to tender a new contract.

Dusty, I think you mean oil and water. Oil and vinegar goes very well together and I enjoy it on italian bread or salad. Or perhaps vinegar and water. That's probably more apropos.

I am waiting for an apology from mark prior. Its bad enough the that he has been on the DL longer than Bush has been president but he had the balls to whine when the Cubs left him off the opening day roster. Suddenly he can't pitch and he opts for exploritary surgery. He had no problem signing that one year contrcat for $3.5M, he had no problem collecting all that money in his previous stints on the DL or rehabing.

Rob G.: "seems like there might be some union grievances and such if they just cut him, I don’t know." You might be right, but they did cut Rusch after they knew about the blood clot. Worse case scenario they need to activate him and then out him on the 60 Day DL, then not offer him arbitration.

I've never liked the 6th spot Jace :) Soriano is out due to the wet grass....we don't want him ending up getting hurt on a play like Mench's from last night.

Um...like cheese and crackers...no, I mean beer and pizza...wait...I got it... Like The Cubs and winning!!!

well, they waited until the offseason when they realized he wasn't going to pitch this year and he was wasting a 40-man spot. http://mvn.com/mlb-cubs/?comments_popup=674#comment-54945 I will be curious if they do put him on the 60 day DL though. If they do so before Aug. 20th if I read AZ Phil's comment correctly they lose a year of his service time that they gained by sending him to Iowa. Since they'll probably non-tender him as is, it's probably a moot point.

I can confirm the radio report from Levine regarding Prior. They said they are hoping that Prior will be back next year at this time.

DB, I put that in there for your benefit earlier. You correctly took me to the mat over it. It was for humor purposes. Now, End O' Subject!

Or perhaps vinegar and water. That’s probably more apropos. __________________________________________ Funniest thing I've read in a while.

"Its bad enough the that he has been on the DL longer than Bush has been president but he had the balls to whine when the Cubs left him off the opening day roster." That little hissy fit he threw was the final straw for Prior from my perspective. What a little sissy. Like he was in any position to carry on or make any demands. All of his "just an employee" crap. I also thought it was really cool how he took the maximum amount of time allowable to report back to camp.

well, at least lou wants to see how theriot does at SS. barring disaster in the field from the riot, on days when it's not wet, i think we'll see this against righties: soriano theriot SS lee ramirez barrett jones RF derosa 2B pie not necessarily what i would do, but i won't complain. i know lou said the lineup yesterday would be his "permanent" one but things change if you can get theriot in instead of cedturis.

Chad says: April 25th, 2007 at 11:58 am Dusty, I think you mean oil and water. Oil and vinegar goes very well together and I enjoy it on italian bread or salad. Or perhaps vinegar and water. That’s probably more apropos. ................................................................................. Comedy Gold Jerry!!!!!

The Cubs can't lose when they're not playing. Yay. Wrigley is wet. End o' subject.

I know this is probably an unpopular opinion but I don't see the point in non-tendering Prior. The Cubs have the option of cutting his salary by 70% next season which is $2.3 million. Considering....... -Zambrano's future is in doubt -Donnie Veal getting rocked in AA and most likely going to go back down to A ball. -Samardzija being a 2 pitch pitcher With the exception of Guzman (who might be better suited for relief work) there doesn't seem to be anyone ready to make that jump. I think it would be pretty stupid to just throw Prior away without seeing how he recovers from this.

With a new owner on the horizon, I can't imagine them seeing value in spending the money on Mark Prior.

The Joe: That's certainly a Chicago-esque line...I remember years back that the line on the Bears bye weeks were Chi +3 1/2

Rob G, while we are on rain delay, it seems like a good time for me to do something about my damn password for the chat room. How do I change it again? I am looking for it, and I don't see anything that would let me change it.

Badguy: "With a new owner on the horizon, I can’t imagine them seeing value in spending the money on Mark Prior." If we have the same GM, sadly, I can see him seeing the value in it.

go find the posts with the link to register your username and to the lower right should be a link saying "log-in to change your settings" then look for something like edit your password or profile or something like that...

Yeah, my optimism when south pretty quickly this year. I'm not exactly pessimistic so far, but I've been a bit apathetic in the early goings here. I love the Cubs, but they've been emotionally draining to watch thus far.

skip

if the selling timetable stays the course, a new owner and a mountain of bills probably won't be too interested in paying 2 GM's. My guess is Hendry rides out his contract no matter what happens this year.

I'm a little puzzled by all of the venom aimed toward Mark Prior. True, the guy is constantly hurt, but I have a hard time blaming him for that. When he was healthy (2003), he was a horse. As for the "I'm just an employee" comment, I thought that was said as a joke. At least that's how I read it. The one thing that did bother me was when Prior requested a raise after the abysmal year he had last year. I know that is the way things are done now, but I thought it showed a lack of character.

Prior confirmation on WGN by Len....out for the year....labia surgery ysterday to clean out his...ready for this.....canal.....I'm here all week folks.

Rotator Cuff, Labral and capsular injuries. WSCR reports... Will not pitch this year..

SMACK TO HEAD...LABRAL.....Labral.....gotta remember that one. He's dead to me. Prior is gone. The next Wade Miller

We need cubster to weigh in on this, but how could this stuff not be detectable with all the other tests they've done on him? I don't understand how this has gone on like this for two years.

The hatred toward Prior baffles me as well. We're all frustrated to varying degrees about how hurt/ineffective he's been since '03, but the nasty comments are just wrong. As if he'd rather not pitch and just sit around. And it's not like he hasn't been trying to get back. Having said that, I'm all for saying goodbye. I was ready before this year, and he was without a doubt my favorite Cub since he was brought up.

Brenly kind of throwing Prior under the Labia bus...saying " if you look at any MLB pitcher's shoulder you'll find debris in there...like Mark's...but he knows his body better than anyone."

Tito...I'm not very smart...nor well read....I just think SOME if not MOST of Prior's stuff in his head....not in his arm. If I'm wrong...I'll be the first one on his bandwagon.... Besides....saying Labia is a lot more fun than saying Labrum. End O' story. Joey

There are worse places to be than under the labia bus, I would guess. It doesn't sound so bad to me...

well shit Bob Brenly, obviously he was throwing 88mph because everything was fine. He should have willed himself to 93-95 mph.

All this labia talk has me as distracted from work as i am when there is actually a ballgame going on...

GOOD GAWWDD--is that Len Kaspar singing FOLSOM PRISON??? That's bloody awful.

ROB G....funny stuff right there.....The Labia is the part(s).....ahem......Cubster, wanna weigh on on this?????

If we have the same GM, sadly, I can see him seeing the value in it. Manny, do you find it just a little bit funny that you are now bashing Hendry for holding onto Prior when just over a year ago you were bashing Hendry allowing a rumor to exist that Prior might be traded for Tejada? BTW, can the Cubs give Prior the "Todd Walker" treatment? Offer him arbitration again next year, and then cut him just before the season starts. No real reason to do it other than to jerk him around, not that he has done that to Cub fans at all during his career.

I can't vouch for whether Prior's a head case or not...but wouldn't the fact that they just had to repair his shoulder indicate that he was hurt to some degree?

Since when is Bobby an expert on Prior's debris? Besides, Brenly looks kinda greasy, so he can't be that credible. I don't take any sort of advice from greasy guys. How can this be in his head? What, does he have munchausen syndrome? It's not debris in his head...it's debris all over his body. It sucks for him and it sucks for the Cubs, but it certainly not his fault. Teams capitalize on players who work out for them and suffer when playes don't, but that's how the game works.

Christ, a debridement plus repairing labral and capsular injuries? I hope Dr. Andrews didn't have an afternoon tee time.

Tito...sure you can argue that. I can also argue that a lot of pitchers throw with just as serious of injuries and adjust......who's the guy from Minnesota that threw very effectively the past two years but just retired...Oh crap...what's his name???? We'll never know for sure....but I would guess we'll never see Prior pitch again for the Cubs.

Rob G.: "if the selling timetable stays the course, a new owner and a mountain of bills probably won’t be too interested in paying 2 GM’s. My guess is Hendry rides out his contract no matter what happens this year." I am hoping the new GM isn't that stupid. He should clean house and get his own guy in there. Also if he is willing to spend almost $1 billion on the Cubs (which is about what it is going to take), I don't think eating the minuscule fraction that is Hendry's contract would be an issue.

Labia is latin for 'lips'. Why are we getting all bent out of shape over lips? Is Prior going to kiss someone? What, I don't get it...

ask your gynecologist as to where the labia is especially the majora...puts new meaning into mlb.

A DEBRIDEMENT???? Oh wow...the comedic value is too great. I debrided my wife 23 years ago, and she can still throw a wicked right cross.

RIP: Mark “The Bird” Prior. --- This put me in mind of the newish character on 30 Rock - the woman with brittle bird bones. "Hello, I'm Mark Prior. We've met - I don't know if you remember me."

I am not bent out of shape over labia, and I am fully aware of what labia are. They are not necessarily what we should be talking about, but I don't mind.

what do they mean the surgery was "successful"? why, because the patient didn't die on the table? WE'LL be the judges, eventually, as to whether or not the surgery was successful...

Radke was also older and was nearing the end of his career. Don't see that as a fair comparison. The guy DID try to pitch and he ended up pitching terribly last year. Maybe he should've gotten this done sooner, but it wouldn't have mattered to the people who think he was jaking it.

Fair enough, Tito....just the first example I could come up with....And thanks for the name. I even watched him pitch in the gymnasium called the Metrodome.

Cripes, I haven't heard stuff like this since living in a frat house...that being said, still laughing... For real, let Prior go and do his rehab, non-tender him after this season then re-sign him with incentives. As long as the current leadership of this organization is able to function without ever expecting Prior back (thus making any comeback a pleasant surprise, rather than a return loaded with expectations), then why shouldn't we hold onto him and reap any benefits from a possible comeback? It doesn't make sense to completely let him go if we still think he could win the Cy Young for the Yankees in 2010.

Radke kind of sucked last year for the most part and didn't see the point in surgery when he just was planning on calling it quits. Please name an effective starter who's lost 6-8 mph off their fastball who didn't find a knuckleball.

I can't imagine that anyone who had the talent to play major league baseball would decide to fake an injury to collect their money instead of actually playing the game. Joey, you might be right. Prior might be a head case. But I saw him get hurt when he collided with Marcus Giles and I saw him get hurt when the line drive hit him in the arm. The reports from his surgery leads me to believe that he has been injured for some time, but for whatever reason, the medical tests weren't finding the damage. I completely understand the frustration with Prior for being so injury prone. But to be angry with him and to question his toughness (or even his manhood) seems completely misplaced.

Regarding Labrum tears: This is what Angel Guzman, Kerry Wood and Wade Miller had fixed. It's the fibrous ring of tissue that surrounds and anchors the joint capsule to the glenoid (socket). It can tear or detach. The glenoid labrum is often difficult to see on a plain MRI. it is possible to see a tear on the arthrogram-MRI but even with the contrast it's difficult or often inconclusive. The issue in my mind is that MP never was told to have his shoulder scoped for his chronic symptoms, which last year qualified him as having chronic shoulder pain. Having an arthroscopy is the best way to see the actual anatomy (as opposed to MRI when the imaging doesn't show anything definitive). Of course there are big and small labral tears and they occur at different locations in relation to the glenoid (socket), described from 6 to 12 o'clock positions typically. Next up...capsular tightening

That is the biggest question to me, is how it is possible to undergo the number of doctor visits that he has in the past two years, and not have these injuries detected.

When I think about Prior I can only put myself in his shoes and think about how shitty I'd feel. I'm a heralded monster coming out of college, told by everyone that I was the next Sandy Koufax. I know that if I just go out every day and pitch, especially like I did in my first season in the majors, I'll make untold amounts of money. I'd be able to buy castles on the Seine, an island or two in the pacific, a minor league baseball team or three, the Kansas City Royals, and fund the public portion of the 49rs' new stadium in Santa Clara County. Instead, I'm ruined by injury, very possibly by Dusty's criminal overuse (which I never complained about) during a season where I hit the 120 pitch range more than a few times while helping Cubs' fans get closer to the world series than any of them had ever been before and, apparently, will be in awhile. I didn't bother reminding Dusty that it was essentially my first full year in the pros at any level. I just did my job, and I was frickin' good at it. Yeah, I got some money out of the deal. If I'm careful with it, and invest intelligently, I'll be in pretty good financial shape. But I'll never be known as the next Sandy Koufax, or the first Mark Prior, which is what I wanted to be, which is what anyone normal would want, too. And instead of appreciating my contributions to that one year that almost was, I'm reviled? Thank you, Philadelphia .... er, I mean, Chicago, for the support.

This is what Angel Guzman, Kerry Wood and Wade Miller had fixed. ----- Oh, I feel much better.

Sweet Lou--There has been discussion about this before on here. Honestly, my intent is not so much seriously to question Prior's manhood as it is to pas the time to see this game live...I faked sick today...and I'm bored. I've also told the story of my own shoulder problems taking me out of the game...not at the MLB level. It's nothing to fart around with..but honestly...2 years is plenty to figure this out!!!! With that said...I do wonder about Prior and his mentality at this point. Rob G.....Greg Maddux????

Joey--I was going to say Maddux, but I don't think he ever started out with a 96-MPH fastball (that would have declined Rob's 8-10 MPH to his current top velocity of, I believe, about 88...?).

My capsular just tightened. Oh wait......that's just the Mexican food I had for lunch. Okay...I'm done...the game is on...and I have to read about current liabilities so's I can learn my students good tonight in class....Later.

When Dr. Andrews last offseason said MP had a "loose" shoulder, it indicated his shoulder capsule was stretched more than what might be considered normal for a pitcher. This meant the shoulder had some instability issues where the humeral head and glenoid (ball and socket parts of the joint) shift on each to the point where the shoulder is starting to dislocate but not quite. Medically this is called subluxation of the joint, opposed to a full dislocation. The capsular tightening is done by using a thermal probe that shrinks the joint capsule in several locations thus helping the excessive laxity. The trick is not to make the shoulder too tight for a pitcher who needs alot of external rotation in the pitching motion...just not too much or instability can become a problem. So this part matches what was reported previously regarding his shoulder, just most of the time capsular laxity is typical in a pitcher and can be addressed with muscle strengthening.

Guzman is pitching in........let's see..>Des Moines...right down the street from me. When he;s in the bigs and dominating, then we can say he's BACK. Really..I'm out..Later.

yeah, well Maddux is about a league average pitcher these days and is a pitching genius. And his velocity loss didn't happen at age 25-26.

Maddux threw 92 MPH when he started....Rob G said name someone who lost 6-8 MPH and is still pitching without a knuckleball. Maddux fits the profile. He could pitch until he's 90 if he he learns the knuckleball.....he may already have it in his arsenal.

Losing 6-8 mph over the course of a 20 year career is quite a bit different than a 26 year old losing it suddenly. Also, its Greg f'ing Maddux.

Rob G...actually Maddux' velocity loss did happen in his late 20's.....I THINK..without research. How old was he when he was traded to the Braves?

Cubster -- With the work that was done on Prior, is being out 12-18 months normal?

well I did say "effective", but if Greg Maddux is your only example I think we can cleanse Prior of all his sins. :)

Last topic is the rotator cuff debridement. Debridement means to cut out/shave out abnormal/damaged tissue. This means they cleaned up shaggy worn tissue near the rotator cuff attachment either inside the joint or on the bursal side (outside near the AC joint or acromion, which often impinges on the cuff aka supraspinatus tendon). Apparently the cuff didn't have a full thickness tear or they would have done a formal repair to it with sutures and anchors that put the cuff tendon back where it attaches to bone. It's not clear as to if they shaved to acromion (acromionplasty) which can be the cause of impingement and cuff damage, but that is fairly standard if the work on the cuff was done on the bursal side of the cuff

well the fact that you think he was traded to the Braves makes me think your memory isn't very reliable on this one...

never mind... Debridement is a medical term referring to the removal of dead, damaged, or infected tissue to improve the healing potential of the remaining healthy tissue. Often this removal is surgical, but other methods exist: mechanical, chemical, autolytic (self-digestion), and even maggot therapy, where certain species of live maggots selectively eat only necrotic tissue. This treatment is usually done in gangrene cases and other serious bacterial infections, as well as frostbite. What...they were too cheap to use maggots?

Rob G...good point on"effective", at least lately. I'll stop arguing Maddux. If I pop a quiz on the kiddies tonight I may have time to take a glance at some history to see if I can come up a name or two. Joey out

With the work that was done on Prior, is being out 12-18 months normal? Yes. Probably closer to 12 months, but there are three areas worked on (labral tear, capsular tightening and cuff debridement) so comparing them to someone with just a labral tear alone is difficult to be sure on the time frame. Remember it has taken Angel Guzman over 2-3 years to get this far (wherever he is at this point).

What…they were too cheap to use maggots? I've seen maggots in wounds...don't get me started on that one. TCR readers will need emesis basins handy first.

Cubster--can a guy use that whatsis basin for a Mexican food malady as well??? We have flooding in Central Iowa today...I'm a little nervy to be flushing water. Rob G.....what'd I miss... did Maddux not join the Braves the first time he left the Cubs????? I was stoned most of the 80's and 90's.....okay I lied about that.

ESPN 1000 Chicago update guy said Cubs plan on Prior pitching "competively" a year from now. `~ahem~ HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!

Rob G…..what’d I miss… did Maddux not join the Braves the first time he left the Cubs????? I was stoned most of the 80’s and 90’s…..okay I lied about that. you said traded to the Braves, pretty much altering the entire course of Cubs history from that point going forward.

I'm guessing Prior is not going to do well with the pitching with discomfort thing which will plague him for the rest of his career

When can we start hiring players who are smart, fundamentally, non injury prone players? Another boneheaded baserunning error by the Cubs, Theriot again...

what's it called when you have more runs than the other team? what's it called when that is the case after the other team bats 9 times?

a little surprised ramirez could score on that one.....for that matter he was flying around second and would have been at third.....if he hadn't fallen down.

Ben Sheets Hurt? Nooooooooo!!!! If I were Kerry Wood I wouldn't get out of bed today.

That was a nice runhome. My favorite part is that he puts his head down immediately and starts running.

JUSTIN BERG got roughed up in his start today for Tennessee. Couldn't get anyone out in the 2nd. 1.0 IP, 6 H, 4 BB, 1 K, 10 R, 6 ER The Smokies were down 16-0 at one point.This game also featured JAKE FOX at 1B where he proved he can make errors just like behind the plate. However, he did hit a 3 run home run.

Repeat prediction from two days ago - Cubs go to 8-13 and then go on to have great season. The offense is just starting to pick up, and the pitching will be solid all year. Btw, isn't Theriot at SS kind of like our version of Eckstein?

Was there a person on the PLANET shocked that Prior won't pitch til at least next year? Sigh. This is the first day all week that I haven't been tempted to throw things at the TV. Much.

lee! theriot for SS.....izturis's D is overrated anyway, theriot looks at least competent, and the offense diff is huge. please theriot there 5-6 days a week.... pie is a little fast, don't you think?

I, and others have said this too. HOW has he looked today in the field guys? Throws to first? DP combos? I heard he had made another baserunning gaffe - any details there? Thanks.

Uh, could someone watching explain Pie's hit? How did he get a double on a groundball to Weeks?

Pie hit the ball down the RF line where it rattled around in the bullpen, picked up by Weeks.

honestly haven't seen theriot handle one defensive play baserunning gaffe he was on 1b after a bad sac bunt which should have been a DP. Floyd singled to RF but ball got away in the infield sort of up the LF line actually and the third basemen went to get it. Theriot ran to what he thought would be an empty 3b but apparently didn't notice that Sheets was backing up the play who covered 3b and he was out by a mile. it did knock Sheets of the game though, so we can give him that.

I don't mind the stretch...it's lame, but whatever...I'm just tired of them bringing in guys who aren't Cub fans.

I like Keaton, but he didn't know the words and he's a Pirates fan. So, um, what's the point?

I was just about to write that he didn't even know the words--that's what I don't get.

$

Did anyone notice whent the Bear players were singing last week they were reading the words? Robbie Gould has his chin in his chest the whole time. When they interviewed him after, Len asked being from PA who was his favorite baseball team. Robbie said "I really didn't follow baseball..." No sh!t.

Exactly. It's just marketing. Bring in any celebrity they can think of. I'd rather see Murray and Belushi than some jackass like Jeff Gordon or Ozzie Osbourne.

why don't they just let ron santo sing if (when he comes back). most of the fans love the guy, and it would make the most sense. the celebrities are getting old - and marketing? who the hell watches the cubs for the 7th inning stretch?

If there weren't people clogging up the bases, he probably would have gotten that triple.

They should just play a tape of Harry singing. I know he's dead, but so is Sinatra, I think the Ynakees still play "New York, New York". Hey! Offense! Cool! Also, good to see Wuertz get his cherry popped when it didn't matter.

1b 2 - 2b HR Great game DLee. But one home run does not a season. I say he owes us a Sammy Sosa like May by hitting 15 -20 homers. Deal?

Best thing about today's game? The Cubs getting a break (E6 in the 4th) and capitalizing on it to the tune of 4 runs. Not something we've seen much of this year.

Yeah. They took advantage of a few breaks today. Sheets getting hurt was a break. They jumped on Dessens pretty well...

If you didn't hear Lou Piniella after the game, he indicatated that Theriot was HIS SS, implying that Izzy iz Hendry's shortstop. And that he's been trying to find a way to play Theriot....apparently over Hendry's dead body. So, it looks like Lou wants PIE in center and Theriot at short and me in HEAVEN.

In the post game comments, Lou P said that Theriot is his new SS and will be batting the 2 hole behind Soriano.

Okay, so it appears that we finally have Theriot in the lineup... Now if only we can get Soriano moved out of the leadoff spot, I would be pretty much happy. At least he does seem to be going in the right direction...

If you didn’t hear Lou Piniella after the game, he indicatated that Theriot was HIS SS, implying that Izzy iz Hendry’s shortstop. And that he’s been trying to find a way to play Theriot….apparently over Hendry’s dead body. someone a little less bias care to confirm that interpretation? I imagine Hendry sneaking into Lou's office and erasing Theriot's name each day on the lineup card and penciling in Izturis. Lou wanders back in and wonders who's messin' with him? Finds a tape on his desk marked" Izturis' Greatest Moments: 2004". Since Hendry has been championing Theriot for 2 years now, that theory makes absolutely no freaking sense.

Soriano LF, Theriot SS, Lee 1b, Ramirez 3b, Jones RF, Barrett C, Derosa 2b, Pie CF bench of Floyd, Murton, Jones, Ward, suck, suck and suck (I mean Blanco, Izturis and Cedeno) and someone goes when Guzman gets called up May 1st. nice bench to have, hope Lou can make this work and keep everyone happy.

Floyd and Murton are going to really have a hard time with that. I am starting to think that they might need to trade Murton... This OF situation is a mess because of Jones and Floyds' contracts. If you have to trade someone to ease the tension, it seems like Murton would be the one to go.

Trading Murton would be a shame, too, because of the three players (Jones, Murton and Floyd), I like him the most.

Since Hendry has been championing Theriot for 2 years now, that theory makes absolutely no freaking sense. LOFL! Do you really believe that??!! How did you miss the story this winter about how Hendry and his staff didn't think Theriot would be able to come anywhere near his 2006 MLB numbers and that's why they promised Derosa the starting second base job.

IF Theriot is going to start everyday then having Ronnie and Izzy on the bench is redundant. Chadstrodomus says: Guz up the the big club and Ronnie to AAA.

Wow... the offense doesn't try to pull-yank outside pitches out for HRs, the pitchers don't walk 20 batters, the defense doesn't suck, Izzy the GIDP specialist is out and look what happens. An f*ing win.

Do you think he'll come close to his 2006 numbers? 328/412/522 Theriot's been getting called up just about everytime we needed someone called up the last 2 years. How did you miss 2006 when he got called up a few times but Dusty would never play him? anyway, glad it's happening, can't handle the Izturis suck much more. Hope Theriot goes back to taking pitches though and getting on-base. Everything's been singles to RF so far for him this year and a lot of first pitch swinging. Eventually the defense and pitching will adjust to that. The #2 spot though should be good for him as he'll take more pitches if Soriano is on-base. Hope Lou doesn't get to sac bunty with him though. I'm not sure what moving Murton will solve. Floyd and Jones are going to be the ones bitching about not getting playing time and you can't platoon two lefties. Even splitting time 50/50 between them will probably cause problems. Moving Murton also means our righty bench bats are Izturis, Cedeno and Blanco.

With DeRosa and Theriot, why do you need Izzy and Ronnie? If there is any injury and Aram has to sit, Izzy goes to short and Rosa or Riot to 3rd. Seems like an easy move to me.

I dont think Murton gets traded - he is still too valuable to the Cubs. Jones, on the other hand, makes the most sense to be traded. He has a very affordable contract for the production that he provides. He would fit in well in left field for a lot of teams, or as a DH in the American League. I say Ronnie down to AAA, Guzman up, Jones traded for either prospects, a fifth starter, or a left handed relief pitcher who isn't named Error or Oh Man.

Take me out to the ball game, take me out to the... park...? Bob should have said his name 3 times really fast. Maybe he'd have disappeared.

legelsegel:
In the post game comments, Lou P said that Theriot is his new SS and will be batting the 2 hole behind Soriano.
So I take it Lou didn't like the rally killing Izturis did early in the game yesterday. lol, I didn't like it either, Lou. Theriot's bat is impressive. He has that natural line-drive swing and will go with the pitch inside & out.

dave:
I dont think Murton gets traded - he is still too valuable to the Cubs. Jones, on the other hand, makes the most sense to be traded.
I respectfully disagree. The lineup is severely right-handed and compared to the other RH batters in the lineup, Murt doesn't stand a chance. Jones is the *only* regular LH power threat in the lineup. Murt, I like him, but he's the guy that just doesn't fit.

If Prior had genetic looseness, did he have his genetics removed too? Would that have been through the scrotum? Was there anything left to remove? Interesting post from Old Blue, feeling sorry for the Mark-Prior-that-could-have-been, but abusing millions of fans (and taking millions of bucks) for four years has been a little bit much to expect any sympathy remaining, IMHO. good luck in your next career, MOVE ON.

Murt, I like him, but he’s the guy that just doesn’t fit. Then who are your right hand bats off of the bench?

Dave in Pittsburgh -- Care to elaborate on how Prior abused millions of fans for four years? The guy was hurt. How does that translate into fan abuse? Your quip questioning his manhood is witty, but can you actually point to anything he did during his six year MLB career that was emasculating?

Nate Silver at Baseball Prospectus proposed a Matt Murton for Joe Blanton trade. Would the A's go for something like that? I like Murton, but I'm afraid he does seem like the odd man out at the moment.

I thought Swisher was only d2d.... and do tell who's suppose to pinch-hit for Pie, Floyd or Jones when a lefty comes to the mound or who starts in there place when a lefty starts?

The concern over a right-handed bat off the bench is a good one, but Murton doesn't seem to do well in that role.

and why trade Murton? he's got options. Really think it's a guarantee that Floyd stays healthy and Pie hits well enough? I hope both happen, but no reason to screw up all your depth in one fell swoop by trading Murton. Swisher hurt his hamstring, but rotoworld blurb said he'd avoid the DL. Bradley's on the DL and Kotsay's on the 60-day DL.

The concern over a right-handed bat off the bench is a good one, but Murton doesn’t seem to do well in that role. I think Soriano won't hit any homers this year either. :)

I believe Dave's comment was a metaphor. The idea of the Cubs wasting someone's time or crushing their hope doesn't involve someone from the team actually locking them in a cage and jabbing them with a hot poker. Unless Dave had a run-in with Prior.

"I respectfully disagree. The lineup is severely right-handed and compared to the other RH batters in the lineup, Murt doesn’t stand a chance. Jones is the *only* regular LH power threat in the lineup." _______________________________________ Normally at this point, these problems would've worked themselves out with an injury or two. The season when the Cubs actually have depth will be the year when they don't need it. DeRosa takes a pitch off the wrist today and carries on... if Cedeno/Neifi/Womack are the backup, he's out for 8 weeks.

My bad, Rob. Geesh at the time it was all doom-and-gloom about Swisher. That's what I get for getting my information from ESPN. :(
and why trade Murton? he’s got options.
Because, now that Soriano is parking his ass in LF, the Cub's have 3 left fielders. And LF'ers start dropping then there's always Hoff. Sweet Lou:
Nate Silver at Baseball Prospectus proposed a Matt Murton for Joe Blanton trade. Would the A’s go for something like that?
Maybe, teams with multiple injuries like that get desperate.

So why pick on Prior? It's not like he's been single-handedly keeping the Cubs out of the WS. If that's what Dave meant, he could also point to the 98 years of fan abuse the Cubs have provided their fans, most of those years without Mark Prior. I guess the larger point I'm trying to make is that it seems somewhat fashionable at the moment to call into question Prior's manhood, but I just don't see how the guy deserves it. When he was healthy, the Cubs rode him hard and he responded. Unfortunately, he has been hurt for the better part of the past four years. I know that's frustrating, but I have a hard time blaming Prior for it.

oh yeah hoffpauir, another lefty...brilliant. seriously what don't people get about jones, floyd and pie having to hit against lefties?

Most lineups have a mixture of lefties and righties. The *entire* infield is righties, btw.

Dave in Pittsburgh is still really steamed about Prior's recent "Hey I Just Work Here" [read: "management abuses me"] comment intentionally voiced and directed to the press AND TO THE FANS, all the more galling if he had substantive reason to believe that his shoulder situation was going to hell. (doubtful, especially since he's been on the diagnostic runaround from hell for a couple years). But call me a jaded cynic, that's fine.

right, we were happy when Jones started in RF vs lefties last year, my bad. Brilliant. And Pie and Floyd are sure things as well. Right. TRADE MURTON!!! 9th inning, tough lefty on the mound, bases loaded and Jones is due up. Piniella's options: Izturis, Blanco, Cedeno, Zambrano or stick with Jones? Answer: Cubs lose, Cubs lose

Do we honestly think that Pie is ready for ML pitching? I'm not sure I do. He's strung together a couple decent games, but pitchers are going to start figuring him out. He was brought up for Soriano's injury. Fine. Now that Soriano is okay and is going to stay in LF, send Pie back down to get some more seasoning. Stick Murton/Floyd in right and Jones in center. If Jones is going to be traded, or hell even if it's Murton that's on the way out, experience in CF/RF will increase their trade value.

Dave -- Someone else might be able to provide a link, but I was under the impression that Prior was joking around when he made the infamous "I'm just an employee" comment. The thing Prior did that did annoy me is when he asked for a raise after his 2006 performance. In my mind, that showed a lack of character on his part.

im still kinda amazed by how universally adopted a free-swinging, no/low walking, no/low power developed, K-a-game guy is to this croud...especially to a team with a loaded OF that's actually producing.

sure... most lineups have a mixture. but pie and jones absolutely cannot hit lefties, and floyd is almost as bad against them. murton is needed on the cubs.

btw, yeah Pie's nice...if we had pie of **this** year in 06 or 05...yeah, i'd want him to stay up. i just dont see how he fits in the 07 plan as 07 stands when he's not even fully developed yet...he's got a power stroke, but he's not getting it yet. he did smack one to the wall not long ago...good to see....just not regular enough for my tastes. whatever they're doing in chicago i hope they know what theyre doing.

Rob -- I can't argue with what you are saying, but it seems to me that the OF logjam is going to have to be addressed at some point, and being right-handed and a LF-only guy makes Murton expendable now that Soriano is in LF. Having said that, I'm certainly not opposed to sending Pie back to Iowa to reduce the number of outfielders on the big team, but I'm not sure I see that happening at this point. I like Murton, but I don't see him having a long-term future with the Cubs, except perhaps as a 4th OF. If that is the case, I'd rather see the Cubs get a pitcher (like Joe Blanton) than keep Murton.

I can’t argue with what you are saying, but it seems to me that the OF logjam is going to have to be addressed at some point, and being right-handed and a LF-only guy makes Murton expendable now that Soriano is in LF. When did Floyd become a RF'er? and why does anyone have to move? unless murton is bitching about playing time which he hasn't yet and probably won't. Floyd/Jones are the problem right now. Floyd's a better hitter, Jones a better glove.

As much as I support keeping Murton on the team, if we could get Blanton for him, I'd definitely be in favor. I think finding a right-handed outfielder with some patience is a little easier than finding a young-ish #3-4 starter.

I don't want to go on and on about this, but I thought Murt was LF-only. If he'll play RF and be cool with a platoon with Jones, then fine, so long as he can run down those balls hit to RF. Personally, I don't think he adds a whole lot to the team.

Blanton would be an okay 5th starter, he's really nothing special. He's Jason Marquis redux in that he's a low K guy who eats up innings...few less homers, rely relies on his defense. League average ERA basically. I'd roll with Guzman and Marshall first, same thing without costing us Murton and Guzman has way higher upside. A's have a bit of a starter problem as is with Harden and Loiaza out as is..

BTW, Andrew, Sweet Lou said that trade is all speculation from BP, it's not even been given rumor status. =)

blanton/murton has as much validity as any of us in here just proposing a trade for the hell of it. this shouldnt get outta control like prior/tejada did...

I agree with Rob about rolling with Guzman and Marshall before worrying about trading for some guy who has probably just about reached his ceiling. The situation, whatever it is, hasn't become a problem as of yet, so there's really not much reason to change it.

Keep Murt as 4th OF and trade Jock, I hate that fucker. And release Izturis, what a piece of crap.

Rob is right. The Murton-for-Blanton speculation was one of five proposed trades made by Nate Silver. The other proposals were: 1. J.Jones to White Sox for RHP Mike MacDougal 2. Jones to Phillies for RHP Jon Lieber 3. Jones to angels for SS Erick Aybar 4. Floyd to Yankees for RHP Kyle Farnsworth or Scott Proctor I think Nate may have been kidding about Farnsworth.

The "problem" is that Floyd is hitting the ball really well right now. You almost have to find a place to play him. He is healthy and hitting. He stinks defensively, but if he is raking, and he is streaky when healthy, then you have to play him. The OF will shake itself out. Whoever is hitting will play in RF. Defense be damned. The bigger question is who has trade value in the IF? The Riot might, but he isnt proven yet, whatever that means. Cedeno doesnt have much value, other than he is young. Izturis was an all-star at one point before Tommy John surgery. I think he has the best chance of being traded. Somebody will need a solid defensive minded SS out there. The Cubs can make due with Cedeno and The Riot at SS. Izturis is the one to be traded. He doesnt have a long contract, not ridiculous money involved, and he has a "resume" to pimp. Who else? You could trade Floyd to the AL. Jones too, but Jones isnt as bad as some think. I still dont know what were doing with Daryl Ward on the club. Izturis and Floyd seem to have the most value of our bench players. Someone might want Murton to platoon. Thats about it.

Rob, #171 is exactly right. I would feel pretty good with that linuep on a daily basis. You simply cannot keep Pie and Izturis in this lineup together. That's too many outs to give up every game. Pie needs to anchor the OF and bat #8 to get some experience. He will eventually be a top of the order guy. I believe that is the new lineup - Soriano LF, Theriot SS, Lee 1B, ARam 3B, Jones RF, Barrett C, Pie CF. I agree with most here on Murton. I love him, but I don't see how he fits more than the occasional start in RF and the RH bat off the bench. The starting pitching has been mostly good. I believe more days like today are ahead.

1. J.Jones to White Sox for RHP Mike MacDougal No thanks... I really don't think we need him. 2. Jones to Phillies for RHP Jon Lieber Yes please, though I still would like to see our AAA guys, specifically Guzman, get a chance. 3. Jones to angels for SS Erick Aybar Yes please!!! 4. Floyd to Yankees for RHP Kyle Farnsworth or Scott Proctor See #1 - I still don't think we need help in the bullpen.

Sweet... Cubs.com says another Marquis-Reyes matchup Friday. I really want Marquis to do well this year. I like him and think he's a case of the stats not giving the full story.

Why does it seem that LH hitters have more problems with LH pitchers than RH hitters do against RH pitchers? You often see the JJ issue, where a LH guy simply can't hit lefties, but rarely do you hear it about a RH hitter vs. righties. No stats, just observation. Love the Theriot/Pie moves. After a couple of years in the doldrums, this team needs some spark, fire and enthusiasm (not to mention speed). Pie hitting #8 is an upgrade over Izzy, and he can learn MLB pitching. The lineup is better from top to bottom.

If Hendry somehow managed to find a way to get the Tigers to take Neifi off our hands AND pay his full salary, then he can find a way to trade Izturis. Murton should not be traded. He's cheap, he's under club control for awhile, and he's shown he can hit major league pitching. Floyd is an injury waiting to happen, and Jones will only be on the team for another year.

why do people hate Jones? hating Jones is about as bad hating prior for being hurt. Jones had a slow start last year, and everyone has hated him since then. yet they completely ignore that he was one of the best hitters on the team last year over the entire season. no reason to hate the guy - he has done what he was supposed to do here.

Why does it seem that LH hitters have more problems with LH pitchers than RH hitters do against RH pitchers? Because RH hitters grow up facing RH pitchers. The majority of people (including pitchers) are right handed, so RH hitters have the opportunity to get A LOT more practice against RHP.

what Dave said plus may I add that if a righty stinks to the tune that Jones stinks vs lefties, he's ends up being the bat boy since you face so many more righties. You just can't hide that in a lineup or as you progress through the sport. A lefty stinks that bad versus a lefty and you forgive him if he rakes righties because you only have to worry about around 25% of the time.

Dave & Rob G. - Aha! A lifetime mystery solved! And it all makes sense! Thanks -- I will be back tomorrow with another billybucks lifetime puzzler, this time more challenging (i.e. why do women value presents so much more than men?).

"Because RH hitters grow up facing RH pitchers. The majority of people (including pitchers) are right handed, so RH hitters have the opportunity to get A LOT more practice against RHP." I don't believe this. I don't think that righties for the most part throw the same way that lefties do. I think that a good lefty has different stuff than a right does. I mean when you think of great curve balls, you think of lefties and when you think of fastballs, righties. I think the mechanics are different.

Chad - That was my working theory, although I couldn't get it to make sense. Same throwing motion, just from the other side of the body. Maybe lefties have to develop better off-speed pitches, because RH batters can see their fastball so well? Darwinian theory, or natural differences?

I don’t believe this. I don’t think that righties for the most part throw the same way that lefties do. I think that a good lefty has different stuff than a right does. I mean when you think of great curve balls, you think of lefties and when you think of fastballs, righties. I think the mechanics are different. your theory is plain and simply wrong... Enjoy our home version of the TCR board game.

Sean Marshall's first start of the year for Hi-A Daytona got the win, 6 IP, 7 H, 1 BB, 4 K, 1 HR, 2 ER

Sorry if this has been debated ad nauseam, but why isn't Soriano going to RF? That would take care of the Murton issue, and Soriano's supposed to have the better arm. Is the sun that much of an issue for our $136m man? Is there something I'm not getting?

Is there something I’m not getting? yeah, I'm not getting it either, but instead of 3 LFers trying to play RF, you'd have 3 LFers trying to play LF. Doesn't really solve a lot as long as they're committed to Pie.

jones plays a perfectly competent CF and was a CF before some scrub named hunter forced him out of CF, so he'll continue to play RF...soriano has the best arm in the OF besides jones, so he'll be perfect in LF. there's 2 guys who dont have much of an arm nor are they known for their glovework, so they'll be perfect in RF. and hey, let's throw a 22 year old CF'r in the mix and have him play CF. at least the last part of the second part makes sense to me. hell, lou is not affraid to play everyone everywhere...maybe soriano will end up being the RF'r by next week...

We shouldn't trade any OFs at this point, but if we were, my vote would be for Soriano. (lol) Dave Roberts anyone?

Murton, Jones, Floyd = 1 decent Corner OF'er and 2 strong bench guys on any given day. It's clear that at least Murton and Floyd don't view that as a problem, although I haven't heard much out of Jones on the issue. As long as the players don't view it as a problem, I don't care either. It's a strength many teams would not mind having.... and only Cub fans would turn into the downfall of the season.

it just rules that the cubs have this damn unique problem....OH NO, WHERE DO WE PUT ALL OUR QUALITY PLAYERS?!?!? i mean, hell, better than what's been around the past few years. no injury replacements worth mentioning and barely any capable of getting up there and smacking a double/homer/etc... if they wanna burn through pie's years before his power matures and they already got a capable CF'r in jones...whatever...not like pie is f'n inept...i just dont understand the need to have him here now when you can shake up the existing 4 starter-quality OF'rs to make a decent OF almost any night.

Chad---You're partially right on the LH vs RH pitching movements. Every hooker I ever faced (no not like that), caught or played behind had very different movement on the ball. Their fast balls always acted like screw balls, but away from a RH batter cuz the pitcher was a hooker.....and then they could bust that slider in on your forearms, which acted like a screw ball toa RH batter. As well, if you watch a lot of them, very few come over the top.....many have a 3/4's motion which flattens the ball out, but can cause sharper movement. I don't why...it just is. But I agree their ball acts differently.

make it 12 K's through 5 IP.... 89 pitches though already... would need 2 k in each of the next 4 innings if Padres keep the lead.

Well, I see I missed a busy day while I was at FREEZING ASS WRIGLEY. What a brutal day to be at the ballpark. At least there was a win involved.

we're still not winning, but its not sept... and etc etc etc. call me crazy, but i dont think the division is gonna fall mil/cin/hou/stl/pitt/chc soriano/dlee/aram/barrett/jones/floyd-murton...theriot...blah blah blah seriously, not much gloom there besides the fact some people cant get their power game going. its not even a buncha ob% guys without speed or power guys without speed or speed guys who cant hit etc etc...there's a good mix of multi-tool offense guys in that mix. the pitching...well, the starting isnt making many feel uncomfortable though the pen is making people worry...practically the exact opposite of where most of us were on that a month ago.

mannytrillo — April 25, 2007 @ 9:02 pm Yeah Crunch, except were still not winning… ---------------------------- We aren't winning because we can't get the damn job done in close games. Blame it on some questionable management, blame it on some questionable calls, blame it on some shitty performances out of the pen, or blame it on some seriously shitty late-inning offense. But our piss-poor record has nothing to do with this supposed "OF logjam problem." I'd sure like to have a few more "logjam problems" on our roster.... starting with left-handed relievers.

Peavy struck out the first 9. that's not what yahoo says... says there was a groundout and a guy thrown out at third in the first inning.

showing replays of the huge strike zone.... surprisingly not that Eddings character who did the Lohse game.

hou@pitt in the middle 15th...in other in-progress baseball weirdness

crunch: "we’re still not winning, but its not sept… and etc etc etc." Nope, it ain't September yet. But if the Cubs don't start winning more games in the next 3 weeks, winning games in September will be meaningless.

I've got in on mlb.tv... ask him how he's feeling, peavy's thrown some crazy pitch counts before I believe, so it's not unprecedented. the way this ump is calling the strikes, he could breaze through in 20 pitches. :) bottom of order is up too..

By the way, has anyone seen Adam LaRoche's line for this season? .092 BAVG, 6/65, 12 BB, 24 SO. Wow.

ouch for Laroche, not good when one of your two hitters is hitting worse than Izturis. on the other hand Mike Gonzalez had an MRI recently, so trade is about even.

In my opinion you can't trade Jones because A) He's the only viable centerfield candidate if Pie doesn't hit B) He's lefthanded Ideally you platoon him with Murton, knowing that Jones history against lhp is horrible. That said, if you could trade Murton and his $400,000 salary in a package with say Carlos Marmol and get Dontrelle Willis in return, I say you do it. Hendry screwed up. He needs to correct it by getting us a legitimate 4th outfielder who can play center... Floyd is just a misfit. He doesn't play good enough defense to deserve a spot but he doesn't think he's a bench player. As for Izturis, you have to keep him until Theriot proves he can handle the position. At least off the bench Izturis can run, bunt and play late inning defense. Send Cedeno down. So, after all that, I say you stick with Lee, DeRosa, Theriot, Ramirez, Barrett, Soriano, Pie and Jones/Murton. Stick to that lineup for a couple weeks and see where you're at. I think the constant tinkering needs to stop. Bring up Guzman and give 3-4 starts. By the end of May we should know what to do...

"on the other hand Mike Gonzalez had an MRI recently, so trade is about even." Except that the Braves also gave up a pretty good minor league SS to get Gonzalez. I think LaRoche has a better chance of hitting for a 800 OPS than Gonzalez of making it through a whole season healthy.

ERIC THE "GREAT": "Keep Murt as 4th OF and trade Jock, I hate that fucker." Whoa - Eric, chill on the hate, man. Hate the effort, or results, not the person.

Chavez called out on a terrible DP call to end a CG effort for Washburn. Would have given Piazza a chance as the tying run.

"LaRouche with Game winning RBI in 16th. Pitt wins 4-3." Bleh. Way to reverse-jinx it, Carlos.

day of the blown leads... Hoffman coughed up a 2-run dinger to Stephen Drew and the Dbacks end up winning. Ouch. Pirates almost blew their game as did the Indians, both came back though to win in extras. Braves weren't so lucky.

What's happening to Murton's playing time is exactly what I predicted would happen. His defensive limitations will keep him off the field at this time. There's $136 million reasons Soriano will be the LF for the next 6-7 years. Unless Pie completely tanks at the bat, he has to play CF. Somebody has to catch the ball out there. Jones again wins most of the playing time in RF because of his defense and LH power bat. Floyd fits as a 2 or 3 times/week at most starter (mostly night games at Wrigley in RF or on the road). Again, Hendry has given Lou a $4M/year SS who can't hit his weight or get on base 30% of the time, a LF who wants to but isn't going to play full time (Floyd), and $8 million in wasted pitcher's salary (Prior, Wood, Miller). It's hard to tell, but it looks like Jimbo didn't get this fact out of his interview process with Lou -- Lou comes from that manager's school that likes more complete and rounded ballplayers who can hit, move runners, and play a position at least solid ML average. That's why Pie and Theriot are now starters, Jones is the RF, and DeRosa plays 2B. His one defensive liability plays LF but his bat and feet should make up for any games he costs the team. Blanco, Izturis, Ward, Floyd, and Murton isn't the worst bench in baseball if they can all accept part-time roles.........my guess would be they can't and more deals are in the works.

shit I love Barrett, but talk about a defensive liability. I think Murton's right-handedness is keeping him down at the moment, plus we've faced all of two lefty starters.

Barrett is really impressing me with his RBI numbers so far, but I want to puke in a bucket when he catches games. He still looks like a 3rd baseman playing catcher.

"Again, Hendry has given Lou a $4M/year SS who can’t hit his weight or get on base 30% of the time, a LF who wants to but isn’t going to play full time (Floyd), and $8 million in wasted pitcher’s salary (Prior, Wood, Miller)." Well said. I just looked this up and as of tonight, Cedeno's OBP is .125! Iz-Turd-is' .251 OBP and Theriot is .362. As several have said already, if Ryan T can play the position adequetly, he's gotta be Lou's choice for the most starts there. In fact in tonight's Muskat recap on Cubs.com, he as much intimates this point. Also, Theriot was the starting SS in the minors, but 2 years ago. He as well was named to the "All-Tournament" CWS team when his LSU squad won the Natl. Champ. Along w/team mate Brad Hawpe (and Fontenot). So - really guys - he's gotta have some degree of skill at the position one would think.

there's not many that think theriot cant play SS. he may not be fluid and definately not as skillful as izturis at it, but that's what late inning replacements are for. can always let izturis play the games where marquis is gonna play to help marquis's groundball game out. you can move theriot out of SS at almost any point to give derosa/aram rest...blah blah blah izturis could have been a damn cheap 2-year option if he showed a glimmer of what he showed once given how nuts this market is...maybe he still can be that guy, but it seems he's hit another career roadblock for now.

Dave & Rob G... I've watch Joke Jones play in since 2000. Jones is a guy who takes until May to get going, and eventually will get some stats as the year progresses. He isn't that great of a fielder....and HIS ARM IS STILL AWFUL. Defense is a combination of the glove and the arm...he might have a nice glove, but his arm still sucks. Jones...if he is so great will bring in something..anything and then we can deal with Floyd and Murton. Get rid of Jones, the guy just can't come through ever at the plate, and his defensive skills are overrated when compared to Floyd.

Don't get me wrong - I never said that Jones was a savior or anything like that. I simply said it was foolish to hate the man. He has done everything that was expected of him, and then some. Even with his slow start, he came through with very good numbers, and after April he crushes right handed pitching. And "can't come through at the plate?" What are you referring to? As for his defense, his range is excellent, and far superior to Floyd's range. Yes, we all know his arm sucks, but overall he is at worst an average defender. Have you seen Floyd play defense? Maybe you are thinking of Floyd several years ago, but Floyd is just plain bad in the outfield. Again - I don't love Floyd, but I do believe that he is underrated, especially in terms of his production per dollar. There are very few veterans that will produce like Jones does for that price. With that said, I would be more than willing to trade the guy. I just think it would have to be a good deal and not a give-a-way. And there is absolutely no reason to "hate the fucker." He is a baseball player who struggles in April, not Saddam Hussein.

Outfielder Matt Murton, who has not started since Saturday, has been getting treatment for tightness in his back, but he said it's not serious and he's able to play.
Click here for the full story.

there’s not many that think theriot cant play SS. he may not be fluid and definately not as skillful... ------ Isn't that why the Angels unloaded David Eckstein?

from Rynox's Sun-Tiimes link... Theriot replaces light-hitting Cesar Izturis ------ Izzy's looking alot more like Neifi these days; switch-hitting former gold glover who can't obp over .300. Hopefully we won't see Izzy at 2B or 3B.

File this under "why we lost Sunday" and "why there will always be room for guys like Theriot and Murton." I haven't seen anything on TCR about these two displays of lack of hustle in the Sunday game against the Cardinals. I'll borrow Mike Nadel's description:
With Ryan Theriot on second in Sunday’s first inning, Cliff Floyd hit a grounder to Pujols at first base. Pujols faked a throw to third, pumped again and finally threw to shortstop Aaron Miles covering second base. Theriot was safe, but Miles threw to pitcher Adam Wainwright covering first base and easily got Floyd, who hadn’t been running. The next four Cubs reached, meaning Floyd’s lack of hustle cost the team dearly. In the ninth, Mark DeRosa’s pop-up down the right-field line eluded three Cardinals, driving in the tying runs. DeRosa, thinking the ball would be foul, jogged to first and made it only that far.

*That said, if you could trade Murton and his $400,000 salary in a package with say Carlos Marmol and get Dontrelle Willis in return, I say you do it. * You should do standup, because that is some funny feces right there.

"You should do standup, because that is some funny feces right there" ___________________________________________ My only question to you is have you ever owned a business? I bet you haven't. I do. If you don't think the Marlins would unload Willis for some young, cheap major league ready talent, you're smoking crack.

Isn’t that why the Angels unloaded David Eckstein? I think that's why the Red Sox unloaded him, the Angels just thought Cabrera was an upgrade. It seems to be a wash so far except for Eck's new WS ring. I don't feel like looking it up but Eck had a god-awful last season with the Angels I believe.

Recent comments

  • crunch (view)

    madrigal at 3rd...morel at DH.

    making room for madrigal or/and masterboney to get a significant amount of ABs is a misuse of the roster.  if it needed to get taken care of this offseason, they had tons of time to figure that out.

    morel played almost exclusively at 3rd in winter ball and they had him almost exclusively there all spring when he wasn't DH'ing.

    madrigal doing a good job with the glove for a bit over 2 chances per game...is that worth more than what he brings with the bat 4-5 PA a game?  it's 2024 and we got glenn beckert 2.0 manning 3rd base.

    this is a tauchman or cooper DH situation based on bat, alone.  cooper is 3/7 with a double off eovaldi if you want to play the most successful matchup.

    anyway, i hope this is a temporary thing, not business as usual for the rest of the season.

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    There are two clear "logjams" in the Cubs minor league pipeline at the present time, namely AA outfielders (K. Alcantara, C. Franklin, Roederer, Pagan, Pinango, Beesley, and Nwogu) and Hi-A infielders (J. Rojas, P. Ramirez, Howard, R. Morel, Pertuz, R. Garcia, and Spence, although Morel has been getting a lot of reps in the outfield in addition to infield). So it is possible that you might see a trade involving one of the extra outfielders at AA and/or one of the extra infielders at Hi-A in the next few days. 

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    18-year old SS Jefferson Rojas almost made the AA Tennessee Opening Day roster, and he is a legit shortstop, so I would expect him to be an MLB Top 100 prospect by mid-season. 

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    Among the relievers in the system, I expect RHRP Hunter Bigge at AAA Iowa and RHRP Ty Johnson at South Bend to have breakout seasons on 2024, and among the starters I see LHP Drew Gray and RHP Will Sanders at South Bend and RHP Naz Mule at ACL Cubs as the guys who will make the biggest splash. Also, Jaxon Wiggins is throwing bullpen sides, so once he is ready for game action he could be making an impact at Myrtle Beach by June.

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    I expect OF Christian Franklin to have a breakout season at AA Tennessee in 2024. In another organization that doesn't have PCA, Caissie, K. Alcantara, and Canario in their system, C. Franklin would be a Top 10 prospect. 

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    The Reds trading Joe Boyle for Sam Moll at last year's MLB Trade Deadline was like the Phillies trading Ben Brown to the Cubs for David Robertson at the MLB TD in 2022. 

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    Javier Assad started the Lo-A game (Myrtle Beach versus Stockton) on the Cubs backfields on Wednesday as his final Spring Training tune-up. He was supposed to throw five innings / 75 pitches. However, I was at the minor league road games at Fitch so I didn't see Assad pitch. 

  • crunch (view)

    cards put j.young on waivers.

    they really tried to make it happen this spring, but he put up a crazy bad slash of .081/.244/.108 in 45PA.

  • Childersb3 (view)

    Seconded!!!

  • crunch (view)

    another awesome spring of pitching reports.  thanks a lot, appreciated.