Cubs MLB Roster

Cubs Organizational Depth Chart
40-Man Roster Info

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
 
* bats or throws left
# 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 

 



 

Minor League Rosters
Rule 5 Draft 
Minor League Free-Agents

Thank You, Doug Melvin

Who says the Milwaukee Brewers aren't nice guys? On behalf of Cubs fans everywhere, allow me to extend deepest thanks to Brewers GM Doug Melvin, who just couldn't wait until after December 1st to sign Cubs FA catcher Jason Kendall. Not that signing Kendall prior to December 1st will cost the Brewers a draft pick, but by the Brew Crew signing Kendall prior to December 1st, the Cubs automatically will receive a compensation pick in the Supplemental 1st Round (between the 1st and 2nd round) in next June's Rule 4 Draft. If the Brewers had waited to sign Kendall until after the December 1st deadline for clubs to offer salary arbitration to their Article XX free-gents, it's unlikely that the Cubs would have offered arbitration to Kendall, and thus they would not have received a compensation draft pick. The same thing happened a year ago, when Dodger GM Ned Colletti signed Type "B" FA Juan Pierre prior to December 1st, automatically giving the Cubs a pick in the Supplemental 1st round of this past June's draft, a pick the Cubs used to select catcher Josh Donaldson (Auburn), who is now considered to be one of the Cubs Top 10 Prospects (and I rate him #1). Just as with Kendall this year, it's extremely unlikely that the Cubs would have offered salary arbitration to Pierre on 12-1-06. This Saturday (December 1st) is the deadline for MLB clubs to offer salary arbitration to their unsigned Article XX Type "A" and Type "B" free-agents in order to be eligible to receive a Rule 4 Draft (First-Year Player Draft) compensation draft pick or draft picks. (If a Type "A" or Type "B" FA signs with a new club prior to December 1st, the player's former club does not need to offer salary arbitration to the player in order to get a compensation pick, it's automatic). Type "A" and Type "B" free-agents who are offered salary arbitration by their old clubs have until December 7th to accept the offer. The 20% maximum permissible salary cut that normally applies to salary arbitration offers does NOT apply to salary arbitation offered to Type "A" or Type "B" free-agents. Under the previous CBA, if a club did not offer salary arbitration to one of its own Article XX free-agents by the deadline, the club could not re-sign the player until May 1st of the following year. But that is no longer the case. Under the new CBA, if an Article XX free-agent is not offered salary arbitration by the deadline (12/1), the club can continue to negotiate with the player and can re-sign the player at any time. Of course, the problem with offering salary arbitration to a Type "A" or a Type "B" free-agent on December 1st just to get a Rule 4 draft pick (or picks) is that the player might pull a fast one and (egads!) actually accept the offer, and the club might not really want the player back. Last year, Tony Graffanino (MIL) and Todd Walker (SD) were the only two Type "A" or Type "B" free-agents to accept 12/1 salary arbitration offers (Walker subsequently won in a hearing), but then the Padres ended up releasing Walker during Spring Training, creating an ugly situation where Walk threatened to file a grievance (but he backed-down and signed with OAK instead). For Type "A" free-agents, a club eligible to receive compensation for losing an Article XX FA gets the new club's 1st or 2nd round draft pick (the new club's 1st round pick if the player's new club is ranked 16-30 in the draft order, or the new club's 2nd round pick if the player's new club is ranked 1-15 in the draft order) as well as a pick in the Supplemental 1st Round (sometimes called a "sandwich pick") between the 1st and 2nd round. (For clubs selecting 1-15 in the draft order who sign a Type "A" FA where the player's former club is eligible to receive compensation, their 1st round pick is always "protected"). If a club signs more than one Type "A" FA where more than one of the former clubs are eligible to receive compensation, the new club would surrender its 2nd Round, 3rd Round, 4th Round, et al picks (as many rounds as Type "A" FAs signed where compensation is required) to the players' former clubs. In this case, which club gets which pick (in which round) is determined by ranking the FA players involved according to their statistical numerical rating as determined by the Elias Sports Bureau, with the former club of the higher statistically-ranked player getting the higher pick and so on down the line. For Type "B" free-agents, a club eligible to receive compensation receives only a selection in the Supplemental 1st Round. The picks in the Supplemental 1st round (the "sandwich picks") are allocated this way: All Type "A" picks get assigned first, and they are allocated in the same draft order as the rest of the draft. In other words, teams eligible to receive a compensation pick for losing a Type "A" FA select in the exact same order they would pick in any other round of the draft. If a club gets more than one Type "A" compensation pick in the Supplemental 1st round, additional picks are allocated only after all teams eligible to select a player in the Type "A" section of the Supplemental 1st Round have made a selection (in draft order). After all Type "A" compensation picks are allocated, the Type "B" compensation picks are assigned, and (as is the case with the Type "A" compensation picks), they are allocated in draft order. And if a club gets more than one Type "B" compensation pick, the additional pick or picks are made only after all teams eligible to receive a Type "B" compensation pick make their initial selection (which are made in draft order). Right now, the following Article XX free-agents are rated as Type "A" or Type "B," and the players' former clubs could be eligible to receive compensation picks if the Type "A" or Type "B" player signs with a new club prior to December 1st, or if the player signs with a new team after December 1st where the FA is offered salary arbitration by his former club on December 1st. * bats or throws left # bats both STARTING PITCHERS TYPE "A": * Tom Glavine (NYM) - signed with ATL * Andy Pettitte (NYY) TYPE B: Livan Hernandez (AZ) Freddy Garcia (PHI) RELIEF PITCHERS TYPE "A": Francisco Cordero (MIL) - signed with CIN Scott Linebrink (MIL) - signed with CHW Mariano Rivera (NYY) TYPE "B": Doug Brocail (SD) - signed with HOU Eric Gagne (BOS) Jorge Julio (COL) * Ron Mahay (ATL) * Trever Miller (HOU) Troy Percival (STL) - signed with TB David Riske (KC) Mike Timlin (BOS) Luis Vizcaino (NYY) CATCHERS TYPE "A": Michael Barrett (SD) TYPE "B": Paul LoDuca (NYM) Jason Kendall (CUBS) - signed with MIL Mike Piazza (OAK) FIRST-BASEMEN TYPE A: NONE TYPE "B": NONE SECOND-BASEMEN TYPE "A" Tadahito Iguchi (PHI) TYPE "B": Tony Graffanino (MIL) Mark Loretta (HOU) THIRD-BASEMEN TYPE "A": Alex Rodriguez (NYY) TYPE B: Pedro Feliz (SF) SHORTSTOPS TYPE "A": NONE TYPE "B": David Eckstein (STL) OUTFIELDERS TYPE "A": * Barry Bonds (SF) # Milton Bradley (SD) Torii Hunter (MIN) - signed with LAA Aaron Rowand (PHI) TYPE "B": Mike Cameron (SD) * Luis Gonzalez (LAD) * Shawn Green (NYM) Jose Guillen (SEA) Andruw Jones (ATL) * Kenny Lofton (CLE) Shannon Stewart (OAK) ========================================== So at present (and this is subject to change if additional Type "A" and Type "B" free-agents sign with new clubs prior to December 1st, or are offered salary arbitration by their old club on 12/1), the Cubs will get three picks in the first 56 (overall) in next June's Rule 4 Draft, selecting at #19, #37, and #56. The Braves and Red Sox get compensation picks for failing to sign 2nd round picks last year, but because the Braves were picking at #69 and the Red Sox were picking at #84 when they made the selections, at present their 2008 Rule 4 compensation picks will be 3rd round selections (even though the unsigned players were selected in the 2nd round), because clubs have to select one slot below (overall) where the selected the player they failed to sign in the previous draft was picked, and pending additional FA Type "A" and Type "B" compensation picks being allocated, as of right now, those slots (after #69 and after #84) will be 3rd round slots. 2008 RULE 4 DRAFT ORDER(as of 11/29/07) 1st ROUND 1. TB 2. PIT 3. KC 4. BAL 5. SF 6. FLA 7. CIN 8. CHW 9. WAS 10. HOU 11. TEX 12. OAK 13. STL 14. MIN 15. LAD 16. MIL 17. TOR 18. NYM (from ATL - Tom Glavine) 19. CUBS 20. SEA 21. DET 22. NYM 23. SD 24. PHI 25. COL 26. AZ 27. MIN (from LAA - Torii Hunter) 28. NYY 29. CLE 30. BOS SUPPLEMENTAL 1st ROUND 31. MIN (TYPE "A" - Torii Hunter) 32. MIL (TYPE "A" - Francisco Cordero) 33. NYM (TYPE "A" - Tom Glavine) 34. MIL (TYPE "A" - Scott Linebrink) 35. STL (TYPE "B" - Troy Percival) 36. CUBS (TYPE "B" - Jason Kendall) 37. SD (TYPE "B" - Doug Brocail) 2ND ROUND 38. TB 39. PIT 40. KC 41. BAL 42. SF 43. FLA 44. MIL (from CIN - Francisco Cordero) 45. MIL (from CHW - Scott Linebrink) 46. WAS 47. HOU 48. TEX 49. OAK 50. STL 51. MIN 52. LAD 53. MIL 54. TOR 55. ATL 56. CUBS 57. SEA 58. DET 59. NYM 60. SD 61. PHI 62. COL 63. AZ 64. LAA 65. NYY 66. CLE 67. BOS

Comments

I assume you're waiting for the official word on Rivera and Arod's deals before marking them as signed.

Rob G. — November 29, 2007 @ 1:50 pm I assume you’re waiting for the official word on Rivera and Arod’s deals before marking them as signed. ======================== ROB G: You are correct, sir. I remember what happened with Yorvit Torrealba a couple of weeks ago.

AZ Phil - Let me know if I have this right: The Brewers just signed Kendall to a deal (supposedly something like $4.2 million?), but the Cubs can still offer salary arbitration on 12/1? Kendall's deal last year was what, $13 million? And with arbitration, he can't get less than a 20% paycut? If that's correct, what would prevent Kendall from reneging on his deal with MIL and accepting arbitration from the Cubs? I could be totally off base here, but wouldn't he be guaranteed to get much more $ from the Cubs through arbitration than he is getting with the Brewers? Also, totally off topic, but what is your process for gathering such copious amounts of information? The veil of TCR secrecy must be lifted!

The 1st rule about the veil of TCR secrecy is that you dont talk about TCR secrecy vails. The 2nd rule..... see rule #1

deal is signed, he can't back out of it. and the 20% paycut only applies to players who were arbitration eligible the year before. BUT, previous salary is a huge factor in arbitration cases and he'd definitely get more than $4.2 in arbitation case.

The Brewers just signed Kendall to a deal (supposedly something like $4.2 million?), but the Cubs can still offer salary arbitration on 12/1? No... because Kendall signed a deal before 12/1, the Cubs don't have to offer arbitration but still get the draft pick.

It's really a quite brilliant strategy by Melvin... knowing that the Cubs will just throw a million dollars on some 2nd round pitcher who will never make it. DD, the Cubs don't have to offer arbitration to Kendall now. The most famous examples of the player accepting arbitration when they were FA's are probably Maddux and Bonds. How in the hell is Jones a type B free agent and Bradley a type A?

Has anyone mentioned this yet? As of Tuesday, all the Japanese teams except the Yomiuri Giants have dropped out of the FUKUDOME sweepstakes.

Doug Dascenzo — November 29, 2007 @ 2:56 pm AZ Phil - Let me know if I have this right: The Brewers just signed Kendall to a deal (supposedly something like $4.2 million?), but the Cubs can still offer salary arbitration on 12/1? Kendall’s deal last year was what, $13 million? And with arbitration, he can’t get less than a 20% paycut? If that’s correct, what would prevent Kendall from reneging on his deal with MIL and accepting arbitration from the Cubs? I could be totally off base here, but wouldn’t he be guaranteed to get much more $ from the Cubs through arbitration than he is getting with the Brewers? ===================== DOUG: As with Juan Pierre a year ago, it's extremely unlikely that the Cubs would have offered salary arbitration to Jason Kendall on 12/1, so if the Brewers had just waited until after December 1st to sign him, the Cubs wouldn't have received a compensatory draft pick. As it is, signing Kendall prior to 12/1 doesn't cost the Brewers a draft pick, but by doing so, they gave their N. L. Central rivals a Supplemental 1st rounder they otherwise would not have add. And so let me say again... Thanks you, Doug Melvin!

The Real Neal — November 29, 2007 @ 3:10 pm It’s really a quite brilliant strategy by Melvin… knowing that the Cubs will just throw a million dollars on some 2nd round pitcher who will never make it. ==================== REAL NEAL: Or perhaps the Cubs will use the pick to select another Josh Donaldson. I'd gladly take one of those.

yeah it was mentioned CWTP... I imagine his US agent will be at the Winter Meetings next week.

I am sure they'll make a pick you're happy with AZ Phil, but let's count that Donaldson egg after it's hatched.

The Real Neal — November 29, 2007 @ 3:15 pm I am sure they’ll make a pick you’re happy with AZ Phil, but let’s count that Donaldson egg after it’s hatched. ========================= REAL NEAL:I'm not saying I'm sure, it's just that I have more faith in Tim Wilken's drafting acumen that in his predessor (John Stockstill), who probably would have (as you suggested) selected some pitcher who would never make it.

latest Red Sox/Twins rumor from Olney: Johann for Lester, Crisp, Jed Lowrie and Michael Bowden. Like the Red Sox don't have enough pitching.

Texas is nice, no state tax, warm weather all year, go for it Kaz!!! Olney suggested the Cubs might try to trade for Christian Guzman if they can't land Kaz. Just speculation on his part but damn, wtf?

Olney suggested the Cubs might try to trade for Christian Guzman if they can’t land Kaz. Just speculation on his part but damn, wtf? ........................................................................ Is Paul Noce not available?

Rob G. — November 29, 2007 @ 3:30 pm Texas is nice, no state tax, warm weather all year, go for it Kaz!!! Olney suggested the Cubs might try to trade for Christian Guzman if they can’t land Kaz. Just speculation on his part but damn, wtf? ====================== ROB G: So Olney is saying it could be worse. Has he suggested the Cubs real target is Neifi Perez? Watch. That one should be next.

He mentioned the following guys as good fits for the cubs Lou Collier Mike Brumley Jose Macias Juan Bell Chad Meyers Jose Nieves Clint Barmes Lenny Harris Manny Alexander

Az Phil - What are your projections for Geo Soto next year.....do you see him putting up .270, 15 HR's, 70 RBI w/ decent defense?

I think Melvin felt that he had to have Kendall in the fold a.s.a.p., especially since the Mets were probably shopping Mota. If Mota was gone, Estrada remains with the Brewers, and Kendall goes elsewhere.

Percival gets 2/8 from the Rays with incentives that could make it over $10 million. I would say the Kerry deal looks even better now.

AZ Phil, I have to assume Melvin actually scouted the Cubs last year, and knows baseball. Didn't he see that Jason Kendall is cooked? He's 33 going on 34, his career is on a decidedly downward tragectory. He isn't mobile behind the plate, and can't throw anyone out. He has no power at all. All he gives you is singles, and he didn't even give Oakland that last year. I guess he won't punch out Ned Yost like Estrada almost did, but WOW. Speaking of Estrada, I guess they got rid of him because he is a defensively-challenged catcher with a hot temper, but consistent offensive stroke. Sound like a catcher we know, Cub fans?

Kendall still gets on-base (if he can buy a hit), sees lots of pitches and is well respected for handling a pitching staff....all things Estrada was not good at. Brewers have plenty of offense and it'll just get better next year even with Kendall. Brewers are going to whoop our ass next year if we don't make some significant improvements.

Probably the only catcher they could get in the price range. And they even overpaid for that. Not sure they would want to lock up Torrealba for 3 years. Molina, Barrett, and LoDuca would both be considerably more pricey.

I love the Percival deal for the Devil Rays. You read well, Devil Rays. I won't drop the Devil from their name.

"Brewers are going to whoop our ass next year if we don’t make some significant improvements." This is patently untrue. While their core of Prince/Braun/Hart is great, their pitching (outside of Sheets) sucks.

Sheets/Gallardo do not suck, they're better than our top two (Z/Lilly) Suppan vs. Marquis - same thing. that leaves Parra, Villanueva, Bush, Capuano, Vargas vs Hill/Dempster/Hart/Marshall/Gallagher Hill tips the scale a bit on our side but not that much. Our defense makes our pitchers look a lot better than they are and their defense makes their pitchers a lot worse than they are. Prince/Braun/Hart/Weeks/Hardy/Hall all under 30, you can expect improvement in what was already a top 5 offense. (Okay braun will drop off a bit). Other than Aramis I wouldn't expect a whole lot of improvement from our offense except maybe at catcher and that's sketchy at best. Their young players have had a few years in the bigs, most of ours are still figuring it out. That leaves the bullpens, advantage us, small advantage that it is. if Hendry and Cubs think that small tweaks are enough to hold off the Brewers, we'll be fighting for a wild card next year.

"I wouldn’t expect a whole lot of improvement from our offense" You think Lee and Soriano won't do even better? I do. And Hart will remain a nice player but he won't keep that up either. Hall and Weeks scare me not at all. Sheets may be better than Z but he'll only start 25 games. And when I say pitching I'm talking pen too. Their pen sucks and got worse. The Crew blew their load last year and will finish under .500 yet again.

yet again meaning as with most of the seasons in recent history. They almost pulled it off last year too.

The Reds are scary and will finish second in the division. The Cubs will run away with it and win 95 - 98 games.

if Hendry and Cubs think that small tweaks are enough to hold off the Brewers, we’ll be fighting for a wild card next year. Remember? Hendry said he was going to significantly improve the Cubs this winter. Hope he didn't mean addition by subtraction (again)....Floyd, Monroe, and Jones.

I do hope Hendry has just succeeded in keeping his interest in Johann quiet at this point. How dumb to you have to be not realize how much the team could use Johann? RSox win the Series, are set at starting pitching if they want to be, BUT realize that when the best pitcher in the game is available, you make a run. Meh...

Unless he already knows there's no way the Trib will allow Johann to be signed to a $20+mil/yr contract extension, with the impending transfer of ownership and all...

You think Lee and Soriano won’t do even better? I do. There's no reason to expect it and to count on it would be, well dumb. They're both 32 next year, I would expect them to break down physically and their numbers to decline. It might not happen, they might have career years. But if you're in charge of a team, you should generally expect for your guys over 30 to get worse and plan accordingly. We were the #8 offense in the league last year, I haven't seen anything so far to think we'll be better.

Unless he already knows there’s no way the Trib will allow Johann to be signed to a $20+mil/yr contract extension, with the impending transfer of ownership and all… Yeah, there's that, which would suck. He seems to have the budget this year to do it and Trib wouldn't have to worry about it after this year. Take the plunge Trib....

Rob, come on. We don’t have the talent the Twins want. At all. Impossible. We don't? You might be right, but not sure where you're getting that from....

Go back and read what the Twins asked from the Dodgers in exchange for Santana. We don't even have one talent to match the Dodgers' quartet of potential trade returns.

well what they asked from the Yanks and Rsox so far are pretty comparable to what we could offer...I think. But a lot does depend on what the Twins think of these players as well, of course. Yeah, we couldn't match a Dodger offer, but are the Dodgers willing to give that up especially for a starting pitcher when they have a glaring and obvious need for a power bat or two. How the f*** they haven't pulled the trigger on a Cabrera deal is beyond me? Why sign Torre if you're not going to go for it now?

Rob G.: "Brewers are going to whoop our ass next year if we don’t make some significant improvements." Good point... These GM meetings next week are going to be very important towards how much we are going to improve next year. Hendry better be on his game!!

hey look, manny chimed in when there was something negative to be said about Hendry. so out of character...

We don't have a frontline definite ace-quality prospect in our system. No Buchholz, no Lester, no Hughes, no Kennedy.

I don't think I have ever agreed more with Rob G., than I have in this thread. I'm glad to see others are thinking the same I am about this offseason. Very good takes!!

Rob G.: "hey look, manny chimed in when there was something negative to be said about Hendry. so out of character…" There's almost always something negative to say about Hendry. But hey look Rob G. calling me out AGAIN about not liking Hendry, so out of character. Get over it...

Rob I have every reason to believe that Soriano and Lee will do better. You're vauge 'in the 30's thing' doesn't hold much water. With non-performance enhancing suplements and modern training, these guys will stay at the top of their games longer. Took Manny til 35 to have an off year and I'll bet he hits 35+. Jim Thome is still going strong well into his thirties. We all know (think) that Lee's power outage was him still recuperating from his wrist injury. That home run stroke will come back and he'll hit more than 22. Soriano had a tough time (imo) adjusting to the new digs and the pressure of playing in Chicago. And before anyone throws New York at me, he wasn't the 147 million dollar player there. I don't expect too many more homers from him but a few. I would not be surprised to see him get to 40.

believe it all you want, but if Hendry is planning on it, he's dumb. With non-performance enhancing suplements and modern training, these guys will stay at the top of their games longer. and wtf is that? Thome's hurt every other year, guys decline after 30, their bodies break down. The peak years are 26-30. They might have better years, sure, but there's no reason anyone should ever COUNT on anyone over 30 getting better. They should count on them getting injured more often and their swings slowing down because that's what GENERALLY happens.

"With non-performance enhancing suplements and modern training, these guys will stay at the top of their games longer." Legit supplements. There are many. Also, modern weight and cardio training is far superior to what it was in years past. I would argue that peak years are until 32 or older now.

I would argue that peak years are until 32 or older now. of course you would, you'd be wrong, but that wouldn't stop you.

"of course you would, you’d be wrong, but that wouldn’t stop you." Well Arod just finished his overall best season at age 31. 1 year after "Rob's prime years". Lets not confuse two things. The first is when an athlete plays his best for his career (his prime) and then his best 1 or two years. Usually a players best years will be @age 28, 29, 30. But he will still play at a very high level more more years to come.

Now that Kaz is gone, I hope it doesnt mean Christian Guzman doesnt end up a Cub as the new rumormongering seems to indicate. Why not go after Iwmanura next he can play every where and he is Japanse also and can hit or Felipe Lopez. BTW I heard the Levine rumor so the report is legit.

Levine is on Hendry's good list and, I have found, is usually the first Chicago beat guy to get the scoop on any players the Cubs have serious interest in. He scooped Soriano and Lilly here last year... Also, he's been dealing with the same sources, many MLB senior scouts for 20+ years - he rarely blows hot air - until we know for certain, however, Matsui could still become a Cub. Let's hope Levine is right and the Astros will "grab" him.

i know its not good to rush nor does it matter when it gets done as long as it gets done...but...damn, i want RF settled.

crunch, what is wrong with Murton? Was it just me or is his defense not getting better? And doesn't defense tend to get better unless you are a total buffoon out there? My only complaint about Murton as a hitter, and this sounds Dusty Bakerish, I guess, is that I wish he'd take his bat off his shoulders a bit more.

Matt Suhey finds a hole! Touchdown, Cubs! Sorry, last one.

im just working under the impression the club is looking to add a bat in RF to play significant time...pretty much to start. i could live with a jenkins/murton platoon if it comest to that...i dunno what the RF market is looking like next year. as far as murton the everyday RF'r...i dunno...average-at-best arm and average glove. i don't see him striking fear in any runner on 2nd wanting to take 3rd or runners on 3rd looking to take home. i dont think he's inept, but not a longterm RF solution.

I think the current post title should be switched to: "Thank You, Ed Wade"

i am SO FIRED UP that the astros signed matsui. every time i've loaded up mlbtr.com for the last two weeks i've been petrified that i would see "cubs ink matsui" but now, no more. like we don't have enough middle infielders. plus i feel it would have blocked hendry's possibility of taking tejada (at least in his mind). i know he's older/slower/etc but i feel like you get him for pretty few players and he would be a huge upgrade over theriot esp. coming to the NL.... but basically, if the cubs sign fukudome they can call their offseason a day and not go over budget, leaving money to fix a hole (aka SS, maybe tejada then) at the trading deadline. soriano fukudome lee ramirez derosa soto pie theriot i'd be fine with....leaves a bench of murton/pagan/ward/blanco/cedeno....pretty good. i'll take that with the pitching staff we have, which is above average. SIGN THE FUK-U-DOME and take the rest of 2007 off, mr. hendry. please?

Agreed on all of those points regarding Murton, crunch. Not in the mood to start another Murton is the MVP/Murton iz suxx0rz argument, but If he wanted to hit 296/365/455 like his career line, that'd be good enough for me. If you told me for sure that's what we'd get, I probably wouldn't be all that interested in adding a piece. Even with the defense. But, as the first stint he had in '07 out of Mesa showed us, that's no guarantee.

Thusly, for that purpose, I think making an upgrade at the position is necessary. Suppose I left the conclusion out....

A baseball-loving Japanese friend of my mine told me tonight that according to the Tokyo papers, at least ten MLB clubs are after Fukudome, with the Cubs, Rangers, San Francisco and Padres thought to have the inside track. The lowest offer he has received so far is $33 million for 3 years. Speculation there is that he'll wind up with an annual salary of $13-$15 million.

I suppose I should be happy that we're not getting Kaz but it just means that Hendry will get another lefty middle infielder that probably sucks more. At least we'll be paying less for it in all likelihood. $5 mil a year for Kaz is a sick joke on Astros fans...

bruce miles now going with the matsui/houston story with a "reportedly" thrown in to describe it.

I am glad we have avoided another Macias / Nefi tool. I would like to suggest we target Grudzy. A Ohman, Dopirak and Fontenot package would get it done. Yes he is a righty but I think he would give us a gamer batting second.

15 mill a year for Fukudome is insane IMO. I would much rather start Murton out there or go out and sign Jones for that kind of money. I do like the idea of getting Tejeda at SS. I completely agree with Rob in regards to Santana, give up whatever it takes to get this guy in a Cubs Uniform.

I think Rob G has previously argued that Lee's power numbers would come up in 2008, based on his second half stats, so he may be talking out of the side of his mouth here. Given the lineup we have right now, it's likely we'll be better in RF and SS and Catcher than last year, worse in center and 2nd, and a push at 1B, 3B, LF. No great shakes. Fukudome isn't likely to out-hit Murton even if we sign him. He may add a win in the field,but he's not going to have higher than a .820 OPS. $13 million is a lot to pay for 1 win. Of the players rumored to be available, only Drew and Tejada are likely to make the offense better, and they both come with other issues.

The BoSox would part with Drew. The Giants would part with Winn. Are these viable options for right?

The Houston Chronicle just went with the story that Kaz is going to sign with the 'Stros. Still no sources named, though. In fact the only quotes are from Wade who denies they have a deal at this time. Nov. 30, 2007, 12:24AM Astros set to sign 2B Kaz Matsui By JOSE DE JESUS ORTIZ Barring some unforeseen developments, the Astros will beat out the Chicago Cubs and Colorado Rockies to sign free-agent second baseman Kazuo Matsui, a person with knowledge of the negotiations confirmed on Thursday night. Without addressing Matsui, Astros general manager Ed Wade stuck to his policy of not commenting on specific players until a contract is done. "We don't have a deal done with anyone," said Wade, who declined to talk about specific players.

I think Rob G has previously argued that Lee’s power numbers would come up in 2008, based on his second half stats, so he may be talking out of the side of his mouth here. That was Dave, not me...

Gammons was just on ESPN radio. He thinks Scott Rolen almost definitely gets traded at the Meetings and the most likely suitor is Milwaukee, with Braun moving to left.

I think Rob G has previously argued that Lee’s power numbers would come up in 2008, based on his second half stats, so he may be talking out of the side of his mouth here. That was Dave, not me… Yea... that was me, and I still believe that Lee's power increases in 2008. Probably in the 30-35 hr range. The second half he showed an ability to hit for more power, and his hr/ab in the second half was actually higher than his career hr/ab, though not quite at his 2005 levels.

"That was Dave, not me…" OK, maybe I was basing that on your 120+ HR prediction for the power trio. Are you officially expecting Lee to be less productive in '08 than '07? "Neal are you an advocate?" I'm an advocate of getting Murton 680 PA's. His best position is Left. If Soriano is unmovable (a move back to center or right wouldn't bother me), then Murton's going to have to play right or play for someone else. He doesn't have the arm to play right, that's not arguable. He'll probably give up an extra 30 bases playing right field. I'm also an advocate of more 'handedness' variety in the lineup, which Murton doesn't help with either. All that being said, our true lineup black holes are Theriot and Pie. Both of them have a chance to be better than last year, but neither of them is going to out-hit Murton. If I were the GM, right now my #1 target would be Tejada, and I would trade either Cedeno or Theriot as part of that deal (preferably Cedeno, because he's less suited to be a backup). With Murton and Tejada in the lineup we would hit so well that the 'handedness' wouldn't be a factor. My #2 target would probably Andruw Jones, on a one year deal. He would upgrade the defense and in Wrigley, probably hit well enough to play right field, if Pie doesn't implode and need to be benched. My #3 target would be Fukudome, but I would then trade Murton for whatever you can get for him. Maybe package him with Dempster to pare a little payroll, and still have room to bring in Tejada as well. The thing that I wouldn't do is sign Fukudome, and not trade Murton, unless you're convinced he can play center if Pie flops. Even then Murton is going to languish on the bench, and he's not going to hit as a PH or spot starter, he needs to play.

I would rather slit my knees and wash the floor with soapy suds than watch Murton play RF with 680 PAs in 2008. He offends my baseball sensibilities profoundly (and I think Lou has a similar opinion). Dempster, Murton and (their choice) Cedeno / Fontenot for Ryan Church from the Nats.

Dempster, Murton and (their choice) Cedeno / Fontenot for Ryan Church from the Nats. Seriously? Murton: .296/.365/.455 Church: .271/.348/.462 So you would basically give up Dempster and Cedeno for a defensive upgrade? Wow...

Speaking of Kaz, has it been brought up here before that Matsui and Fukudome do, in fact, have a personal connection? They’re graduates of the same high school. Multiple times.

OK, maybe I was basing that on your 120+ HR prediction for the power trio. Are you officially expecting Lee to be less productive in ‘08 than ‘07? I'm nothing but optimistic in March... I, of course, have no idea what Lee will do in '08. But if I was running the team, I would certainly not COUNT or EXPECT Lee to hit better next year. As a fan, I think he'll hit 40 home runs and repeat his 2005 season.

Gammons was just on ESPN radio. He thinks Scott Rolen almost definitely gets traded at the Meetings and the most likely suitor is Milwaukee, with Braun moving to left. Well, we know he's not going to Milwaukee then...

Bruce Levine on ESPN 1000 also repeating that Matsui is signing with the Astros (Hou?). They're all piling on now. Getting pretty solid now after all the rumors...

Dave, you're the wizard of statdom. Nobody can pull out a AVG/OBA/SLG line or LH/RH split faster than you can. All baseball people (Mgrs, Coaches, GMs) do that......it's the big 2 1/2" three ring binder sitting on the top of the dugout bench with the current opponents team logo on it. There's not a stat for: takes dumbass routes to the ball, throws ball to the wrong base, throws ball 20 ft short of the cutoff man, runs into 1st or 3rd out on the bases, etc. Also, I would be looking at Church to play CF with Soriano in LF and Fukudome in RF. Or better yet, A. Jones instead of Fukudome. I don't see Pie as our savior in CF until someone teaches him to hit the inside fastball.

George - you didn't answer my question. Murton and Church have been very similar offensive players in terms of production. I acknowledged that Church would be a defensive upgrade, did I not? Though, with that said, I do think that Murton gets a undeservedly bad rap for his defense. My question though is this - is that defensive upgrade worth Ryan Dempster and Ronny Cedeno? I think a Murton/Dempster/Cedeno for Church trade would be awful, giving up WAY too much for a slight upgrade.

Levin'es the one that reported it in the first place last night....

I'm not sure that Milwaukee is too concerned about giving the Cubs an extra pick as they have 6 themselves before we will make our 3rd pick.

Christian Guzman day/night splits from last year: Day: .167/.211/.250. (11 games). Night: .370/.422/.522 (35 games)

"He offends my baseball sensibilities profoundly (and I think Lou has a similar opinion)." what the hell is that supposed to mean? murton has done nothing but hustle, mash lefties, and want a shot since he's been here. he had a tremendous second half in 2006, and never got a great shot in the first half of 07. his second half was actually pretty good. in fact he hit some big PH HRs in the second half last year that i would think your "baseball sensibilities" would appreciate. i'm not saying that he's a star in the making, but those kinds of comments are baffling to me. he doesn't have a great arm, i think everyone agrees, but that doesn't mean he's a piece of crap. i'm not convinced that he's a full time RF starter on a WS winner, but get him a good platoon partner and you're in good shape. i'm infinitely more concerned with SS or CF than i am with murton in RF.

My biggest worry is that we end up going to Opening Day with Murton in RF, Pie in CF and Theriot at SS. Keeping in mind a rookie C, I think that is a recipe for disaster. IMO, at least 2 of the 3 positions (RF, CF, SS) need to be upgraded, not necessarily add a perennial all-star, but some improvement. And I still agree with Santo, Murton is a 4th OF.

i'm not convinced that he's a full time RF starter on a WS winner, but get him a good platoon partner and you're in good shape. I was with you up to this point. Murton is not really a platoon candidate. I understand the sentiment that he is not an everyday RF for defensive reasons (though I disagree), but I do not understand the platoon idea. While Murton hits lhp better than rhp, he still hits rhp well, and only slightly worse than Ryan Church hits rhp.

IMO, at least 2 of the 3 positions (RF, CF, SS) need to be upgraded I would argue that Murton playing everyday in RF would be an upgrade. And I still agree with Santo, Murton is a 4th OF. How so? He hits like a starting OF, and can't play defense like a backup outfielder. I don't get the 4th OF sentiment.

Bruce Levine on ESPN 1000 also repeating that Matsui is signing with the Astros ---- Levin’s the one that reported it in the first place last night Yeah, I stayed up way too late last night watching this story percolate. I think it went something like this: Levin breaks the story on the RADIO A BLOG (TCR) or two discuss it online Miles gets the news from the above mentioned sources Miles checks story out (leap of hope on my part) Miles scoops print media Rotoworld reports on Miles' story Houston Chronicle gets the news off the web (strong hunch.. I know those guys well...they mine the web) Chronicle goes with the story Everyone goes to bed, then sometime around dawn Mlb.com picks up Bruce Miles' web report as well and cites it FoxSports.com's Ken Rosenthal adds the following tidbits he got from " an industry source" ...whatever... that Matsui has been negotiating exclusively with the Astros this week (which explains why Hendry bailed and flew to the D.R.) although the Cubs had made Kaz a 3/14 offer. http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/7508100 And that, my friends, is the extent of the coverage so far.

Pepitone: "Bruce Levine on ESPN 1000 also repeating that Matsui is signing with the Astros..." Yeah, you're late to the party, man.

Has anyone seen Murton throwing to the wrong base? I remember him running into an out, once, last year (a typical week from Soriano or Jones). Maybe I just have selective memory. I should have also mentioned Luke Scott earlie. I really liked that idea, if he can be had for Marshall, go ahead and do it.

mannytrillo — November 30, 2007 @ 10:43 am My biggest worry is that we end up going to Opening Day with Murton in RF, Pie in CF and Theriot at SS. Keeping in mind a rookie C, I think that is a recipe for disaster. IMO, at least 2 of the 3 positions (RF, CF, SS) need to be upgraded, not necessarily add a perennial all-star, but some improvement. And I still agree with Santo, Murton is a 4th OF. =================== MANNY T: How can Murton be a"4th OF" if he can't play CF? The idea of a "4th OF" is that you go with three outfielders in your everyday lineup, with a 4th guy who can play all three OF positions.

Has anyone seen Murton throwing to the wrong base? I remember him running into an out, once, last year (a typical week from Soriano or Jones). Maybe I just have selective memory. Thanks Neal... I have been wondering the same thing. From my observations, Murton actually has fairly decent fundamentals, and plays hard. There is no question that he doesn't have the best arm, but it is also far from the worst, and tends to be pretty accurate. He also tends to be a pretty smart baserunner from my observations.

dave: "I would argue that Murton playing everyday in RF would be an upgrade.""He hits like a starting OF" He hits like a below average starting corner OF.

So my season tickets went up 20.5%. Thanks to the Trib for that last present on the way out the door. Hope the door doesn't hit you in the ass.

He hits like a below average starting corner OF. Is signing Fukudome is a guarantee that our rightfielder will hit above average?

dave — November 30, 2007 @ 10:45 am Murton is not really a platoon candidate. I understand the sentiment that he is not an everyday RF for defensive reasons (though I disagree), but I do not understand the platoon idea. While Murton hits lhp better than rhp, he still hits rhp well, and only slightly worse than Ryan Church hits rhp. =========================== DAVE: When Piniella talks about adding left-handed bats to the lineup, it's not because there aren't right-handed hitters (like Matt Murton) who can hit RHP. Like a lot of Old School managers and ex-hitting instructors, Piniella subscribes to the L-R-L-R-L-R theory of lineup construction, not just to help motivate the opposing manager to burn relievers in the 6th, 7th and 8th innings with L/R match-ups, but to give the opposing starting pitcher a different "look" with each AB (if possible) so that the starting pitcher can't get into a mental groove. You can disagree with the theory, but that's what Piniella believes, and that's why the Cubs are targeting a left-handed hitting RF, and want to add more lefty bats to the bench. That's also why the Cubs may end up turning to the Washingtin Nationals for one-stop shopping for that purpose, possibly going after Ryan Church to play RF (or CF), Felipe Lopez or Cristian Guzman to fill the role the Cubs hoped Kaz Matsui would accept (spot starts at 2B and SS and late-inning double-switches), and maybe even a left-handed hitting catcher like Brian Schneider to back-up Geovany Soto. I would think Sean Marshall and Ronny Cedeno would be two of the players the Nats might want back in such a deal, and also either Sam Fuld or Eric Patterson to hit lead-off and play CF. If the Cubs were to acquire Guzman and Schneider, that's $14M in guaranteed salary over the years 2008-09, and so the Cubs might expect the Nats to take back salary in the deal, too, like maybe Jason Marquis.

AZ Phil: "How can Murton be a”4th OF” if he can’t play CF? The idea of a “4th OF” is that you go with three outfielders in your everyday lineup, with a 4th guy who can play all three OF positions." What was Murton last year? 5th OF?? Whatever, he is just not a starting corner OF, IMO.

The Cubs' Japan strategy is looking like a pipe dream at the moment. Earlier this month Hendry said he was pursuing: OF Kosuke Fukudome - But what are our chances? The Yomiuri Giants have the best shot -- and as many as ten MLB clubs are interested. Meanwhile, Hendry is on a Caribbean vacation. RP Hitoki Iwase -- Forget it. He decided not to become a free agent. SP Hiroki Kuroda -- Kuroda made it official http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5juuXtQZpIFLEo4tI4tN2i3NGhBMQ that he will pursue a career in the United States. However, the Cubs are not mentioned in the article as serious suitors. The Mariners and Dodgers sent representatives to Japan to open talks. And the Royals, whose manager Trey Hillman knows Japan baseball well, are in the mix. The recent signing of Yasuhiko Yabuta can only help them land Kuroda. What's plan B?

Wes: "Is signing Fukudome is a guarantee that our rightfielder will hit above average?' Very good point, no he is not. And for $13-15 million per year that is a pretty risky signing.

mannytrillo — November 30, 2007 @ 11:17 am What was Murton last year? 5th OF?? Whatever, he is just not a starting corner OF, IMO. =========================== MANNY T: Matt Murton was a platoon corner OF for the Cubs in 2007. On some MLB teams (not the Cubs), he would be an everyday corner OF (with LF being his best position) Once the Cubs signed Alfonso Soriano and (eventually) decided he must play LF, that was the beginning of the end for Matt Murton. I doubt very much that he will be a member of the Cubs Opening Day 25-man roster in 2008. Likely Cubs '08 bench: Henry Blanco (or TBD - Cubs probably would prefer LH hitter), C Omar Infante, 2B-SS-3B-LF-CF-PR-RHPH Kaz Matsui (or TBD), 2B-SS-PR-LHPH #2 Daryle Ward, 1B-LHPH #1 4TH OF (Sam Fuld, Angel Pagan, Andres Torres, or ?), CF-LF-RF-PR

AZ Phil: "Matt Murton was a platoon corner OF for the Cubs in 2007." He was? Then how did he get 160 PA's vs RHP, yet only 101 PA's vs. LHP? It wasn't anything close to a straight platoon throughout the year, maybe at small stretches. He was mostly a backup corner OF. But if someother team thinks he is an everyday starting LF, there is no question we should trade him now while they think that and we can get something god for him then. Hendry should try and sell high every once in awhile.

What makes Kosuke Fukudome more attractive than some RF candidates that have been mentioned as being possibly available in a trade is that not only would he not cost the Cubs a posting fee, he also would not cost the Cubs any players (especially young pitchers) or draft picks. Naturally, the big question with Ko-Skay is how he would "translate" to major league baseball as played in the U. S., and (unfortunately) this can't be known in advance.

mannytrillo — November 30, 2007 @ 11:37 am AZ Phil: “Matt Murton was a platoon corner OF for the Cubs in 2007.” He was? Then how did he get 160 PA’s vs RHP, yet only 101 PA’s vs. LHP? It wasn’t anything close to a straight platoon throughout the year, maybe at small stretches. He was mostly a backup corner OF. But if someother team thinks he is an everyday starting LF, there is no question we should trade him now while they think that and we can get something god for him then. Hendry should try and sell high every once in awhile. ============================= MANNY T: Maybe it wasn't a "straight-platoon," but when Murton did get a start in '07, he mainly alternated in RF with another player (Cliff Floyd) who hit left-handed, rather than mainly with another player who hit right-handed. But Murton definitely did not (does not) play CF and thus he is most defintely NOT a "4th OF." And as illustrated by his lack of PT and PA in 2007, it should be fairly obvious that Murton is not exactly one of Piniella's favorites. I believe he wiil almost certainly be traded prior to Opening Day 2008. Where he might end up and who the Cubs might get back for him, I have no idea.

Dave/Green Lantern, The answer to your question is YES, I would take Church over Murton. Their batting stats are essentially the same, Church bats LH, Church can play all 3 OF positions but primarily would play CF/RF, and is a better fielder/base runner. If the Cubs had an abundance of LH hitters in their lineup and needed a LF, then Murton would be more than OK. But they won't need a LF for possibly the next 7 years. As for as trade value, I truly have no idea what is too much/too little. I see way too many trades that make me shake my head all over baseball. One GM's treasure is another GM's trash, and vice-versa. A deal similar to what AZ Phil proposed -- Church, Guzman, Schneider for Marshall, Patterson, Cedeno and a salary dump pitcher (Marquis or Dempster) would work for me. I get there's a lot of Matt Murton love all over this board, but he hits RH, isn't a good RF, best position is LF, and doesn't fit a need the current Cubs brain-trust has in its plan.

The answer to your question is YES, I would take Church over Murton. That wasn't my question. My question was whether or not the upgrade of Church over Murton was worth Dempster and Cedeno.

My question was whether or not the upgrade of Church over Murton was worth Dempster and Cedeno. I'd say so. Does anyone here really wanna see Dempster starting next season? What production does he give you that Marshall doesn't? Cedeno, on the other hand, has some upside... just not enough to turn down the acquisition of Church, if indeed it's possible.

AZ Phil: "But Murton definitely did not (does not) play CF and thus he is most definitely NOT a “4th OF.”" He might not fit your personal description of what a 4th OF might be, but he was the best OF on the bench, so that is why I referred to him as a "4th OF". Maybe a better word to use as to not confuse you is "backup" OF. Either way I agree with you he does not fit on the Cubs, and should be traded while his stock is still somewhat high.

how is Ryan Church's throwing arm? He certainly doesn't have many career assists from the OF (total 11). Baserunning, 12 SB in 4 years. How much of an offensive upgrade is Church over JJones? Based on last yrs stats (except for JJ's loss of power and lower K rate which are reflected in the stats below, which was atypical for him)... they are similar enough. If they get Church it seems like a disappointing lateral move to me and I'm doubtful it's much of an upgrade. JJ 285/335/400, 5 HR, 34BB, 70K in 453 AB (but JJ's career HR avg at 21, career avg K at 119, career BB avg at 39) RC 272/348/462, 15 HR, 49BB, 107K in 470 AB

mannytrillo — November 30, 2007 @ 12:09 pm AZ Phil: “But Murton definitely did not (does not) play CF and thus he is most definitely NOT a “4th OF.”” He might not fit your personal description of what a 4th OF might be, but he was the best OF on the bench, so that is why I referred to him as a “4th OF”. Maybe a better word to use as to not confuse you is “backup” OF. Either way I agree with you he does not fit on the Cubs, and should be traded while his stock is still somewhat high. ====================== MANNY T: I wasn't "confused." I was just trying to explain that the term "4th OF" is normally used to describe a player who back-ups all three OF spots. Which Murton does not. That's all. "Part-time corner OF" probably best describes Murton's role on the Cubs in 2007.

Sabean not too happy with the Marlins either... ''I hate to speak to somebody else's business, but you wonder if they really want to trade the player or if they absolutely, positively have to win the deal in such a one-sided fashion,'' Sabean said. "Maybe they're not going to get something done. I don't know.''

Preemptive strikes. Looks like Hendry is throwing up goose-eggs, so far. IF Fukudome doesn't sign with us, or he cannot make something happen with a comparable player - esp. with the kind of dough he has to spend - he should fucking resign.

.241 what Felix Pie has raised his batting average up to with a six game hitting streak .321 the batting average that will inexplicably shrink 200 points when Ronny Cedeno faces major league pitching

It's not just the BA that's frustrating with Ronny. He walks in AAA and during winterball too.

Jace, yeah

I am not going out on a limb here in thinking that due to the very strong Asian-American presence on the West Coast, I would be shocked if FUKU signs here. I just do not see it happening. IF the player had been living here already, its one thing, but he's going to want to be in a comfortable place, imo.

Illinois has the 4th largest Japanese American population among states with professional basball teams, FWIW.

Ha!

Rosenthal said Mets offered Estrada to Nats free of charge in the trade and they said no thanks. He'll certainly be non-tendered now. I'd take him as a backup over Blanco.

i cannot believe a) the mets only got schneider and church for milledge or b) that they traded milledge (by far their top chip) and got NO STARTING PITCHING! when santana is on the market and the twins need a cheap starting CFer!!!! unreal. it was going to take more than milledge but he would have been the key part.....to trade him for not pitching right in the middle of these santana talks for a big market team is amazing. mets fans must be livid for many reasons.

wscr said Cubs good take a look at Joe Nathan. dont know if that is based on any reports or them just speculating. I would LOVE Cubs getting him.

Whispers were that Mets were pretty down on Milledge and his attitude and some say he can't handle center defensively. Fwiw....

That may be true Rob, but I'm sure glad we didn't trade our best prospect in that deal.

Wow... Izturis is quite a step down from Eckstein, if you ask me... Walt Jocketty has clearly left the building...

Color me unimpressed with Milledge. I think Mets got the better end of the deal. Still need lots of pitching. They're starting to look like the 2003 White Sox.

The Milledge idiot is what his name implies and Bowden suckers for another malcontent.

Teflon Jim is going to have to pay big time to get FUKU, then. MArket is getting thinner and thinner. In looking at my new ST Invoice (see it MANNY?), he will have plenty of $$cash to get it done. DO IT, MAN!

Updating Post #113 A few more sportswires just picked up the Kaz Matsui will sign with the Astros super secret source scoop.... Sports Network -- cites Bruce Miles' story in the Herald as their source AFP -- cites the Houston Chronicle PA Sports Ticker (Canada) -- cites the Houston Chronicle as well If this doesn't come down there may not be enough eggs to go around.

E-Man: "In looking at my new ST Invoice (see it MANNY?), he will have plenty of $$cash to get it done." Oh I saw it. My tickets are up 20.5%. Doing rough calculations that means roughly the Cubs will make an additional $17-$20 million in ticket revenue next year. I expect the team to have close to a $125 million payroll (up from the $110 million this past year) and be really improved for those kind of increases. Wake up Teflon Jim!!

Recent comments

  • 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.

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    Here are the Cubs pitchers reports from Tuesday afternoon's Cardinals - Cubs game art Sloan Park in Mesa:

    SHOTA IMANAGA
    FB: 90-92 
    CUT: 87-89 
    SL: 82-83 
    SPLIT: 81-84
    CV: 73-74 
    COMMENT: Worked three innings plus two batters in the fourth... allowed four runs (three earned) on eight hits (six singles and two doubles) walked one, and struck out six (four swinging), with a 1/2 GO/AO... he threw 73 pitches (52 strikes - 10 swing & miss - 19 foul balls)... surrendered one run in the top of the 1st on a one-out double off Cody Bellinger's glove in deep straight-away CF followed one out later by two consecutive two-out bloop singles, allowed two runs (one earned) in the 2nd after retiring the first two hitters (first batter had a nine-pitch AB with four consecutive two-strike foul balls before being retired 3 -U) on a two-out infield single (weak throw on the run by Nico Hoerner), a hard-contact line drive RBI double down the RF line, and an E-1 (missed catch) by Imanaga on what should been an inning-ending 3-1 GO, gave up another run in the 3rd on a two-out walk on a 3-2 pitch and an RBI double to LF, and two consecutive singles leading off the top of the 4th before being relieved (runners were ultimately left stranded)... threw 18 pitches in the 1st inning (14 strikes - two swing & miss, one on FB and the other on a SL - four foul balls), 24 pitches in the 2nd inning (17 strikes - three swing & miss, one on FB, two SPLIT - six foul balls), 19 pitches in the 3rd inning (13 strikes - seven swing & miss, three on SL, two on SPLIT, one on FB - three foul balls), and 12 pitches without retiring a batter in the top of the 4th (8 strikes - no swing & miss - four foul balls)... Imanaga throws a lot of pitches per inning, but it's not because he doesn't throw strikes...  if anything, he throws too many strikes (he threw 70% strikes on Tuesday)... while he gets a ton of swing & miss (and strikeouts), he also induces a lot of foul balls because he doesn't try to make hitters chase his pitches by throwing them out of the strike zone... rather, he uses his very diverse pitch mix to get swing & miss (and lots of foul balls as well)... he also is a fly ball pitcher who will give up more than his share of HR during the course of the season...   
     
    JOE NAHAS
    FB: 90-92 
    SL: 83-85 
    CV: 80-81 
    COMMENT: Was called up from the Hi-A South Bend group at Minor League Camp for the day... relieved Imanaga with runners at first and second and no outs in the top of the 4th, and after an E-2 catcher's interference committed by Miguel Amaya loaded he bases, Nahas struck out the side (one swinging & two looking)... threw 16 pitches (11 strikes - two swinging)...   

    YENCY ALMONTE
    FB: 89-92 
    CH: 86 
    SL: 79 
    COMMENT: Threw an eight-pitch 5th (five strikes - no swing & miss), with a 5-3 GO for the first out and an inning-ending 4-6-3 DP after a one-out single... command was a bit off but he worked through it...   

    FRANKIE SCALZO JR
    FB: 94-95
    CH: 88 
    SL: 83
    COMMENT: Was called up from the AA Tennessee group at Minor League Camp for the day and worked the 6th inning... got the first outs easily (a P-5 and a 4-3 GO) on just three pitches, before allowing three consecutive two-out hard-contact hits (a double and two singles), with the third hit on pitch # 9 resulting in a runner being thrown out at the plate by RF Christian Franklin for the third out of the inning... 

    MICHAEL ARIAS
    FB: 94-96
    CH: 87-89
    SL: 82-83
    COMMENT: Was called up from the AA Tennessee group at Minor League Camp for the day and allowed a hard-contact double on the third pitch of the 7th inning (a 96 MPH FB), and the runner came around to score on a 4-3 GO and a WP... gave up two other loud contact outs (an L-7 and an F-9)... threw 18 pitches (only 10 strikes - only one swing & miss)... stuff is electric but still very raw and he continues to have difficulty commanding it, and while he has the repertoire of a SP, he throws too many pitches-per-inning to be a SP and not enough strikes to be a closer... he is most definitely still a work-in-progress...   

    ZAC LEIGH: 
    FB: 93-94 
    CH: 89 
    SL: 81-83 
    CV: 78
    COMMENT: Was called up from the AA Tennessee group at Minor League Camp for the day and tossed a 1-2-3 8th (4-3 GO, K-swinging on a sweeper, K-looking on another sweeper)... threw 14 pitches (11 strikes - one swing & miss - eight foul balls)... kept pumping pitches into the strike zone but had difficulty putting hitters away (ergo a ton of foul balls)... FB velo is nowhere near the 96-98 MPH it was a couple of years ago when he was a Top 30 prospect, but his secondaries are better...   

    JOSE ROMERO:  
    FB: 93-95
    SL: 82-84
    COMMENT: Was called up from the Hi-A South Bend group at Minor League Camp for the day and worked the 9th (14 pitches - only six strikes- no swing & miss) and allowed a solo HR after two near-HR fly outs to the warning track, before getting a 3-1 GO to end the inning... it was like batting practice when he wasn't throwing pitches out of the strike zone...

  • crunch (view)

    pablo sandoval played 3rd and got a couple ABs (strikeout, single!) in the OAK@SF "exhibition"

    mlb officially authenticated the ball of the single he hit.  nice.

    he's in surprisingly good shape considering his poor body condition in his last playing seasons.  he's not lean, but he looks healthier.  good for him.

  • crunch (view)

    dbacks are signing j.montgomery to a 1/25m with a vesting 20m player option.

    i dunno when the ink officially dries, but i believe if he signs once the season begins he can't be offered a QO...and i'm not sure if that thing with SD/LAD in korea was the season beginning, either.

  • crunch (view)

    sut says imanaga getting the home opener at wrigley (game 4 of the season).

  • crunch (view)

    cubs rolling out the who's who of "who the hell is this guy?" in the last spring game.