Image
Cubs News
Evening Wrap-up
Some of this has already been reported in the previous thread, but rumor has it that there are a few jerks out there who don't read every comment of every thread. I can't imagine who would be such a loser, it's just something I heard...
For those ignorant non-message board reading unwashed masses, I sadly report that Henry Blanco's brother has been murdured in Venezuela. Carlos Blanco had been kidnapped two weeks earlier and held for ransom. For several years now, Venezuelan players in MLB have had cause to worry about their families' safety back home. Before making news for his attempt to use a machette to, uh, creatively beat out the fire he had started by dousing five employees with gasoline, Ugueth Urbina had to cope with his mother's kidnapping. The personal security measures that Venezuelan players have felt compelled to take since then are eye-opening. Our sympathies are with the Blanco family.
Our sympathies are also with Dusty Baker, if he thinks Kerry Wood will sign with Cincinatti in order to serve as set-up guy to Francisco Cordero.
The latest rah-rah piece from Muskat informs us that the Cubs like their current roster as they enter the winter meetings. As well they should.
Finally, there's some phony-baloney corporate-sponsored baseball awards that the fans can vote on, and that carry about as much weight and meaning as your vote on ratemypoo.com (I didn't link to it, on the grounds that no good could possibly come of it.)
My votes:
- Read more about Evening Wrap-up
- 16 comments
- Log in or register to post comments
It's Just a Jump to The Left
The Cubs finished up their organizational meetings in Arizona and as expected, they'll attempt to find some left-handed bats.
''We're going to try to add some different wrinkles, offensively especially,'' Piniella told the Sun-Times. ''We are going to add left-handed hitting to this mix. From an offensive standpoint, that is definitely the No. 1 priority. And if we can get a little more athletic in the process, we're going to do that, too.''
- Read more about It's Just a Jump to The Left
- 59 comments
- Log in or register to post comments
News & Notes
- Crane Kenney says the Cubs will increase payroll next year regardless of an ownership change.
''And when it all works, this is what it looks like,'' he said, referring to back-to-back postseasons and a 97-win season. ''It's like the Braves. That's the model -- the Braves and the Red Sox and the Yankees. Play like a big market, flex your muscle like a big market and hopefully perform like one on the field.''
- Read more about News & Notes
- 66 comments
- Log in or register to post comments
Quick Cubs Hits
- Sean Marshall will start Tuesday and Rich Harden will start Thursday. Letting Marshall start Tuesday means he'll likely get the start for the likely season finale on Sunday as well. Lou also said he won't be lightening any workloads for Harden or Zambrano this series. Pushing Harden to Thursday also means Lilly will get moved to a Saturday start.
- Read more about Quick Cubs Hits
- 91 comments
- Log in or register to post comments
Samardzija May Get First Start
UPDATE: Looks like Lou made up his mind after the first game and it will be Sean Marshall getting the start on Sunday versus the Marlins.
- Read more about Samardzija May Get First Start
- 28 comments
- Log in or register to post comments
Cubs Headlines
/***********************************************
* gAjax RSS Ticker- (c) Dynamic Drive (www.dynamicdrive.com)
* Requires "gfeedfetcher.js" class
* This notice MUST stay intact for legal use
* Visit http://www.dynamicdrive.com/ for full source code
*****************
Cub Notes On A Snowy Tuesday
– Gordon Wittenmyer writes in today's Sun-Times that Mark DeRosa's cardiac issues are not a major concern to DeRo or Cub doctors, nor will they be the impetus for any personnel moves by Jim Hendry.
Wittenmyer also thinks the Cubs are more likely to add that proverbial, right-handed hitting, three-position outfielder before Opening Day than they are He Who Must Not Be Named.
– Baseball Musings sizes up a potential Cubs rotation of Zambrano, Lilly, Hill, Dempster, and Marquis (Where is your Lieber?) based on the Marcel the Monkey projections and foresees a cumulative 4.28 ERA for the fivesome. That's a few ticks above the 4.19 ERA Cub starters pitched to last season, when their ERA was second best in the NL, but still pretty solid.
One highly questionable element in the projection: Ryan Dempster's projected 4.50 ERA. Only once in his career as a starting pitcher--Dempster's All-Star season in 2000 down in pitcher-friendly Florida--has Dempster ever had an ERA at or below 4.50.
- Read more about Cub Notes On A Snowy Tuesday
- Log in or register to post comments
Recent comments
crunch (view)
masterboney is a luxury on a team that has multiple, capable options for 2nd, SS, and 3rd without him around. i don't hate the guy, but if madrigal is sticking around then masterboney is expendable.
TarzanJoeWallis (view)
I THINK I agree with that decision. They committed to Wicks as a starter and, while he hasn’t been stellar I don’t think he’s been bad enough to undo that commitment.
That said, Wesneski’s performance last night dictates he be the next righty up.
Quite the dilemma. They have many good options, particularly in relief, but not many great ones. And complicating the situation is that the pitchers being paid the most are by and large performing the worst - or in Taillon’s case, at least to this point, not at all.
Childersb3 (view)
Wesneski and Mastrobuoni to Iowa
Taillon and Wisdom up
Wesneski can't pitch for a couple of days after the 4 IP from last night. But Jed picked Wicks over Wesneski.
crunch (view)
booooooooooo
also, wisdom and taillon are both in chicago.
TarzanJoeWallis (view)
Tonight’s game postponed. Split games on Saturday.
crunch (view)
cubs getting crazy good at not having player moves leak.
taillon we 100% know is pitching tonight. who he's replacing and any additional moves are unknown as far as i can tell.
p.wisdom was not in today's lineup in iowa (rained out) and he was removed from the game last night mid-game, but not for injury. good bet he's with the team in the bigs, too.
Bill (view)
A good rule of thumb is that if you trade a near-ready high ceiling prospect, you should get at least two far-away high ceiling prospects in return. Like all rules-of-thumb, it depends upon the specific circumstances, but certainly, we weren't going to get Busch for either prospect alone.
Sonicwind75 (view)
Right on schedule, just read an article in Baseball America entitled "10 MLB Prospects Outside The Top 100 Who Have Our Attention". Zyhir Hope was one of the prospects featured. It stated that he's "one of the biggest arrow-up sleeper prospects in the lower levels right now."
Not sharing to be negative about the trade, getting a top 100 prospect who is MLB ready should carry a heavy prospect cost. But man, Dodger sure are good at identifying and developing young talent. Andrew Friedman seems to have successfully merged Ray's development with Yankees financial might to create a juggernaut of an organization.
Sonicwind75 (view)
I suspect Brown will spend some time in the bullpen due to inning restrictions. Pitched only 93 innings last year and career high is 104 innings in 2022. I would expect them to be cautious with a young player with his injury history.
Childersb3 (view)
I wanted Almonte gone last week, but that was before Merryweather went down and Little got demoted. Almonte in his last 5 appearances has gone 4.1 IP with no ER or Runs. NO hits, 3 BBs and 8 SO. He did hit 96 with his 2S FB in AZ on Tues.
I don't see Jed waiving him when we have injuries all over and guys with options that can be sent down.
I probably won't like the move Jed makes, but he can't play the "let's hope no one wants his 1.7mil remaining deal and we can hide him in Iowa" card.
That's why I think the current Bullpen stays as is and Wicks goes to Iowa.
I don't like that, but that's the fix I see.
We'll find out soon enough!!!