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

42 players are at MLB Spring Training 

31 players on MLB RESERVE LIST are ACTIVE at MLB Spring Training, and nine players are on OPTIONAL ASSIGNMENT to minors. 
11 players are MLB Spring Training NON-ROSTER INVITEES (NRI) 

Last updated 3-17-2024
 
* bats or throws left
# bats both

PITCHERS: 17
Yency Almonte
Adbert Alzolay 
Javier Assad
Jose Cuas
Kyle Hendricks
* Shota Imanaga
Caleb Kilian
Mark Leiter Jr
* Luke Little
Julian Merryweather
Hector Neris 
Daniel Palencia
* Drew Smyly
* Justin Steele
Jameson Taillon
Hayden Wesneski 
* Jordan Wicks

NRI PITCHERS: 5 
Colten Brewer 
Carl Edwards Jr 
* Edwin Escobar 
* Richard Lovelady 
* Thomas Pannone 

CATCHERS: 2
Miguel Amaya
Yan Gomes

NRI CATCHERS: 2  
Jorge Alfaro 
Joe Hudson 

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

NRI INFIELDERS: 3 
David Bote 
Garrett Cooper
* Dominic Smith

OUTFIELDERS: 5
* Cody Bellinger 
Alexander Canario
# Ian Happ
Seiya Suzuki
* Mike Tauchman 

NRI OUTFIELDERS: 1 
* David Peralta

OPTIONED:
Kevin Alcantara, OF 
Michael Arias, P 
Ben Brown, RHP 
Pete Crow-Armstrong, OF 
Brennen Davis, OF 
Porter Hodge, RHP 
* Matt Mervis, 1B 
Keegan Thompson, P 
Luis Vazquez, INF 

 



Minor League Rosters
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Our Long National Nightmare Is Over

The Cubs have traded Corey Patterson to the Orioles for two minor leaguers. ESPN Radio reports that the players are shortstop Nate Spears and lefthanded pitcher Carlos Perez. We'll gather as much info on these guys as we can find and post it here. * Spears is 21 years old. He was a 5th round pick in the 2003 draft. At High A Frederick last year he hit 294/349/429. From the Orioles Hangout prospect list, where Spears is ranked #14:
20-year old who hits .294 with 42 extra base hits in the Carolina League is something, but what is the real question. Only average defensively and not a speedster on the bases. His 36-82 BB-K ratio is a bit of concern as well. A little guy who doesn't have a projectable frame. If he turns those doubles into homers at a higher level he may become a better prospect, but right now it's hard to project him as more than a lower Division second baseman. He's a baseball rat who continues to beat the odds, so don't bet against him.
* Perez is 24 years old. He was signed as a 17-year-old out of the Dominican in 1999 and has started throughout his time in the minors, which means he has logged nearly 400 professional innings. Lat year at Delmarva (A) he went 11-8, 4.28. In 151 1/3 innings he struck out 146 (8.7 K/9) and walked 61 (3.6 BB/9). He's #36 at Orioles Hangout:
Started off the year like gangbusters. Went 4-4 with a decent 3.08 ERA with 72 strikeouts and 26 walks in 70 innings pitched through his first 13 starts. Lost his command a bit after that stretch and even worse, started to get hit like Mike Timlin in a save situation. Ended up with career highs in just about every category but allowed Sally League batters to hit .280 off him. With less then overwhelming stuff, and at 23-years old, Perez will need to prove more next year at Frederick.
At this point I would have been happy with a bag of used baseballs and a cheeseburger (As long as it was from In N' Out) in exchange for Patterson. Yes, he had five tools, but he misplaced his toolbox in 2003 and even a trip to Iowa last year couldn't help him find it. David Appleman at Hardball Times put into graphic terms what we all knew, which was that Patterson had a really bad year last year. Can he bounce back? Maybe. But it's not like he's a green youngster who is still learning how to play baseball. He's 26 years old, an age at which most players have figured out what works for them and what doesn't. Even more damning is the fact that he has over 2,300 major league plate appearances. That's nearly four full seasons, and it's more than (for example) Mark Bellhorn, Luis Rivas or Robert Fick. Again, he's not someone who has spent only a little bit of time in the majors and it still feeling his way. He's a guy who came up, got established, had some success, and has now settled into a specific style of play that leads to occasional power, guesswork swings, and very low on-base percentage. I didn't want the Cubs to even tender Patterson, so the fact that they're going to not only avoid paying him the millions of dollars he'd get in arbitration (or a new contract), but also get someone (anyone) in exchange for him, makes me happy. Vaya con Dios, Coreylito. May you rediscover the joy of occasionally taking a pitch. If you end up turning things around in Baltimore, I'll be in the front row cheering for you, but I haven't bought any tickets to Camden Yards yet. PS - Bonus points to whoever remembers the last time I used this headline (no peeking in the archives).

Comments

I'll just post it over here... ---- http://www.orioleshangout.com/2005/farm/Top10_200511-25.htm They have Britton listed at #17 on their list, reliever and here's their scouting report.. No one in the organization had a more dominate season then this 22-year old did at Frederick this year. Amazingly ended up tenth in the Carolina League in strikeouts despite not starting one game all year. A strike thrower who varies the speed on his fastball between 90 and 94 MPH and compliments it with a tight late breaking curveball and a developing changeup. Held Carolina batters to a .175 average. Broke the Keys single season strikeout record for a reliever. Listed by BA. com as having the best control of any Orioles pitcher Bass didn't make the Orioles Hangout Top 40 list but BA.com has him ranked as the best infield arm in the organization. http://www.thebaseballcube.com/players/B/bryan-bass.shtml Looks pretty awful with the bat, Britton looks pretty good though http://www.thebaseballcube.com/players/B/chris-britton.shtml Who knows if that site is correct, but they did claim 2 O's prospects while the major newspapers sounded like it was only one, so maybe they know something over there. If it turns out to be correct, it's my new favorite site. :) http://www.mlbgminsider.blogspot.com/

If it does turn out to be those 2 guys, I'll move that info up to the post and see what else I can scour.

I'm going to go with the canning of Baylor.

From ESPN: The Baltimore Orioles acquired outfielder Corey Patterson from the Chicago Cubs on Monday for shortstop Nate Spears and left-hander Carlos Perez.

ESPN says the guys are Nate Spears and left-hander Carlos Perez

Baltimore radio is reporting it to be Nate Spears, 2B, and Carlos Perez. Spears is a genuine player, about 2 years from a productive career as a utility IF with decent pop. I don't know about Carlos Perez, a pitcher.

Someone on BCB says they heard Nate Spears and Carlos Perez on WSCR. Can anyone confirm? http://www.thebaseballcube.com/players/S/nate-spears.shtml http://www.thebaseballcube.com/players/P/carlos-perez-1.shtml Spears is ranked 14th on Orioles Hangout list 20-year old who hits .294 with 42 extra base hits in the Carolina League is something, but what is the real question. Only average defensively and not a speedster on the bases. His 36-82 BB-K ratio is a bit of concern as well. A little guy who doesn't have a projectable frame. If he turns those doubles into homers at a higher level he may become a better prospect, but right now it's hard to project him as more than a lower Division second baseman. He's a baseball rat who continues to beat the odds, so don't bet against him. Perez is 36th Started off the year like gangbusters. Went 4-4 with a decent 3.08 ERA with 72 strikeouts and 26 walks in 70 innings pitched through his first 13 starts. Lost his command a bit after that stretch and even worse, started to get hit like Mike Timlin in a save situation. Ended up with career highs in just about every category but allowed Sally League batters to hit .280 off him. With less then overwhelming stuff, and at 23-years old, Perez will need to prove more next year at Frederick. Neither show up in BA.com's last report

last headline i would guess was DFAing macias, but that's too recent/too easy trading todd hundley? that's probably not recent enough. baylor's a good pick.

Yes, the AP logs are also reporting that it's Spears and Carlos Perez.

My headline guess is the trading of Sammy Sosa.

Sosa seems too recent, but thats all I got on the headline guess.

I did, in fact, use it after Hundley was traded, but not as the headline.

I don't know when you last used the headline. Thought it might come in handy this weekend but apparently Cheney checked out of the hospital and returned to his secret home six miles beneath the earth's surface. Sorry. Was that too political? Even Republican friends I know think he's a little like Kurtz in 'Heart of Darkness'.

This is sickening. They gave him away for nothing. I can't believe there wasn't a better trade out there. We received more when we were dumping crap guys like Fassero and others at trade dealines. To trade a potential 5 tool guy ( I know all his problems)for junk is stupid.

actually I rescind my guess...Hawkins?

That's a good one Rob. I think you could be right with Hawkins.

That is the best trade they could get for Patterson TJ. No one wants to give up anything of value for a $3 million .215 hitter.

With my entry in, I peeked... This is a tough one...

the cubs gave 3.5m of corey away...that's not exactly nothing. looks like some multi-year deals should be coming for some cubs pitchers soon.

This was not a trade, this was a salary dump of a position player the Cubs had planned to build championship teams around. An unmitigated disaster and a testimony to what some would call lovably inept management unrivaled in the history of sports. But lately it ain't loveable.

*hint to question - He was the harbinger of things to come......

We were going to build a championship team around Corey? Where, in little league?

its not fair or feasable to lump a cause/effect on a 25-man team involving just 2 players...nonetheless... patterson's "savings" just made up nearly 100% (if not 100%, itself) into m.prior's expected raise vs. staying with his contract. its not a fair way to look at it, but its a realistic look at it. along with the other money sitting around more than 1 multi-year could be coming down the pipe...prior/zambrano...maybe lee.

"An unmitigated disaster and a testimony to what some would call lovably inept management unrivaled in the history of sports." CWTP, I'm not sure of your point. Was it inept that the Cub brasss overvalued him or did the organization somehow turn a potential Willie Mays into the spent shell of a man we saw last year? Personally, I just don't think the guy was ever very good.

headline used at the end of the (8?9?multi)-game losing streak which included the atlanta trip in 2005. (ended in florida). my virtual 5 cents has been tossed into the virtual kitty.

This was not a trade, this was a salary dump of a position player the Cubs had planned to build championship teams around. Of course, if that was true the Cubs would have simply non-tendered him, dumping his salary, instead of offering arbitration and later trading him for 2 prospects.

"We were going to build a championship team around Corey? Posted by: MikeC" That was the plan, wasn't it? Obviously, like most Cubs plans it didn't work out as expected.

Yeah, true CubsWin. But don't the Cubs have to have a plan in the first place?

Hey, if Jim Hendry can honestly say that the money saved on Patterson will now be spent extending Z, I will stand and cheer. But this looks more like a give-up, a Juan Cruz-for-Andy Pratt trade. Shoot, I'd have rather they traded Corey to the Nats for Brendan Harris, which I am positive was considered and maybe even floated, but the Cubs apparently were not even thinking about receiving major-league level talent back. A shame.

Hey, if Jim Hendry can honestly say that the money saved on Patterson will now be spent extending Z, I will stand and cheer. But this looks more like a give-up, a Juan Cruz-for-Andy Pratt trade. Shoot, I'd have rather they traded Corey to the Nats for Brendan Harris, which I am positive was considered and maybe even floated, but the Cubs apparently were not even thinking about receiving major-league level talent back. A shame.

Better this than Patterson and Williams for Soriano.

"I'd have rather they traded Corey to the Nats for Brendan Harris, which I am positive was considered and maybe even floated" What do the Cubs want with Brendan Harris (again)? Last year was his third run through AAA and he put up the worst numbers of his minor-league career. Spears and Perez are unknown quantities. At first glance, they aren't future stars, but neither is Patterson. You can never have too many left-handed pitchers, and even if Spears ends up being nothing but an organizational guy, I'll be happy with this trade.

The harbinger of things to come.....Lenny F. Harris.

Of course it was a salary dump. Those who have eyes can see it. Those who are blind cannot. The Cubs offered CP arb and kept him around because they thought he could be packaged up as part of a trade for someone like Rafael Furcal or Miguel Tejada etcetera, etcetera. He was a trading chip. But nobody was interested and by the end of last week all that was history --- Now he's history. The two "prospects" we got in return don't look like names anyone will need to remember. But of course, maybe Hendry is merely setting up the notoriously reticent owner of the Orioles for a future Tejada deal by letting him think he got the better of the Cubs in this one.

Gee Ruz, just guessing, but maybe the last time you used the headline was when Sammy was traded to BALT?

Someone who really thinks the Korey could have helped fetched a player like Tejada (or furcal, who can't be traded) and thinks the Cubs should or could have gotten more than 2 mid level for him is calling someone else "blind." That's rich.

So that's what....three Cub outfielders becoming Orioles in two years? If I were Juan Pierre, Matt Murton, or Jacque Jones, I'd be looking up real estate prices in Baltimore....

What the HELL do we need a shortstop for? Unless we are about to make another trade with the Orioles and send Ronny to them for Miggy (other considerations involved as well) JUST DAY DREAMING HERE. By no means was this post meant to be a real prediction.

Ruz, et. al.: Thank you for your up-to-date postings. I am trusting that you will keep us posted to all the goings-on with respect to the Q & A sessions with Cubs Management? E

well if you're a middle infielder in Baltimore, start scoping out property in Chicago, or at the very least Iowa. Paging Brian Roberts and Miggy!!!

TBone What a pleasnt suprise! I didnt expect to find a Joseph Conrad quote when I logged onto TCR today. Can you imagine Brando as the VP?

Aren’t these the same guys we got for Sosa? Mike Fontenot (2B) #7 prospect in Orioles system Dave Crouthers (SS) #10 prospect in Orioles system Nate Spears (SS) #14 prospect in Orioles system Carlos Perez (LP) #36 prospect in Orioles system The O’s system stinks.

Did anyone check to see if Spears or Perez is actually retired from baseball (speaking of Crouthers)?

Correction, Crouthers is a right handed pitcher. Can someone give me some insight on Mike Fontenot. Is he going to be in spring training, and if not, why did he fall so far off the radar?

The rankings for Spears and Perez are not from BA.com, so it's not a direct comparision, fwiw. But neither new guy was in BA's top 10.

I assume neither of these guys were on their 40-man roster, right, just like the PTBNL from BOST? So at least that opens up another 40-man spot for Hendry to fill it with Grissom. WOO!!!! As long as eating any salary wasn't invloved, I can live with this deal. Korey has worn out his welcome and the fans would of booed him from his first AB. Just add Korey to the long recent list of flame out position prospects the Cubs have churned out (Hill, Choi, Dubois). Unfortunately Korey was looked at as the can't miss of the group...

TBone "What a pleasnt suprise! I didnt expect to find a Joseph Conrad quote when I logged onto TCR today. Can you imagine Brando as the VP?" Da Krone After this guy, anything's possible. As for Conrad: If we were to look at "The Heart of Darkness" as a metaphor for our team, might the image from the book of the ships firing their cannons futily into the jungle represent the impossibility of our quest for a trip to the World Series? And what does 'The Secret Agent' tell us about Cub failures in the free agent market?

actually, the equally important news is: Indians signed outfielder Todd Hollandsworth to a minor league contract and invited him to spring training. hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahah..........................

Even if you think there was no way Patterson could ever appear in a Cubs uniform again, it is ridiculous that this is all the Cubs could get for him. How could the guy who got Williams for Hawkins and Grudz./Karros for Hundley manage to get only two non-prospects for Patterson? I think Hendry is worrying too much about appearing active and feeling like he has to dump guys the media and fans have turned on. If this was all the Cubs could get, they would have been better off platooning Patterson in right with a lefty-masher, which could have avoided the ridiculous Jacque Jones contract and would have given Patterson a chance to improve a little and get some trade value. Next will be dumping Walker for a similar non-return.

TBONE - Two More Words (X3): Bruce Keishnik, Brant Brown, Bobby Hill Lou Brock? HAH!! CWTP- Let's not forget that Cubs management/scouts were not the only ones who had C-Pat as a can't-miss prospect. ALL of the major scouting authorities, as far as I am aware, had him pegged as the "five-tool superhero". As Rob (I think) so elequently put - this was great 'til he lost his tool box. Personally, he seems nice enough and I wish him well. I really do wish him well in the AL. However, remembering the many times in 2004, & 2005 I had placed my head in my hands in the Upper Deck, because he struck out in a key situation, I'd now just say, "Don't let the door hit you on the way out." How much more potential is there in a stubborn 26 year old player? He refused to play Winter ball, as well! Good riddance...

"Even if you think there was no way Patterson could ever appear in a Cubs uniform again, it is ridiculous that this is all the Cubs could get for him." ordinarily you could play by these rules, but its not the case. corey's gonna make 3+m bucks...and that's a lot of money. this is a guy who the O's dont even have a place for...he's gonna have to fight for a starting role. at this point the cubs are trading away an "interesting" 3-4m bench OF'r who dont have a RF'r arm. you're just not gonna get much for him. its not much to get excited about. its situational as hell and its pretty much about a guy who's gonna get 2m more than he's worth this year. he just has no place on this club as long as hairston/mabry are here.

When I wasexcited about Corey a few years ago, a friend of mine said, "I have two words for you, Ty Griffin". I have already heard from him today and I am eating my hat.

I would guess that the original plan was to have corey clear waivers and play in Iowa this summer, after seemingly nobody was interested in him. However the interest in him over the last week forced Hendry into making the best possible deal he felt that he could. This spears kid could be ok, to me he sounds alot like a young Todd Walker. maybe we will get lucky and he will turn into a mute todd walker

patterson the player is worth more...but patterson the player making 3-4m bucks guarenteed just isnt that attractive of a gamble to a lot of team. that's pretty understandable. his risk/reward value breaks a million or 2 below what he'll make to a lotta clubs i'd imagine. if he has a great season this year he wont get any cheaper and has no real history to make any club feel comfortable dealing with him in 07.

and I am eating my hat. How appropriate if that hat is a golden sombrero (4K's). KKKKorey

RUZ made the line about the toolbox, credit where credit due. I think Korey easily has an average arm for right? Is this just me? I recall a number of amazing throws from the wall to nail guys at third without a cutoff man. I always thought his arm was a huge asset, strong and accurate. Maybe it was just me...

This spears kid could be ok, to me he sounds alot like a young Todd Walker. maybe we will get lucky and he will turn into a mute todd walker Hmmm. Reminds me of trading for Richard Lewis, not the comedian?

Rob I always thought that Corey had a very good arm for centerfield but adequate for right. He's no Hawk!

Hmmm. Reminds me of trading for Richard Lewis, not the comedian? Richard Lewis the comedian is doing great. He just recieved a kidney from Larry David.

received

yeah, corey's arm isnt dead...its not a real good RF'r arm...mostly outta accuracy's sake. he's got a better arm than pierre for what its worth.

I think my 7 month year old daughters have a better arm than pierre. :)

Yet another sign of the apocalypse, this organization has no direction and it just keeps getting worse. If Patterson is really this bad, why didn't Hendry trade him at the deadline, or last offseason, or the season before that? We got nothing for a great talent and we'll regret this move. Next will be the trade of Todd Walker...for nothing. Welcome back to the lineup Neifi. I liked last year's squad much better going into spring training. This one has even less to be excited about.

Patterson sealed his fate by not going to winter ball, at least that's my guess.

I think this is a great move for the Cubs! We finally rid ourselves of a "toolsy" outfielder who will never live up to his potential. And I'm not even going to bother talking about how bad he was in the clubhouse! From what I heard there were many Cub players and coaches who would have rather had Sammy in the clubhouse than K-K-Korey! Anyway we just signed the two best setup guys on the FA market as well as a stud outfielder in Jones and a solid player in Grissom. I guarantee Grissom, Pierre, and Jones will provide the Cubs with probably the top two or three productive outfields in the National League! As for the infield as soon as we shitcan Walker, we'll be set with Ramirez, Cedeno, Perez and Lee! You've got two power hitters on the corners and two scrappy players who know how to play the game and get on base! Believe me if we're healthy this year we'll win 95 games and run away with the division!

This trade is STUPID. Why didn't we just Non-tender him. Spears looks like a poor man's Dustin Pedoria and with Boston's problems we couldnt just have traded CP and Hill for Pedoria. Bos could have used Hill to to get Lugo. This Perez is crap he is just a roster filler Hendry could have gotten the MINLG version of the Rule 5 draft. Hendry has no creativity and that is his worst point and why he over values "one pitch" Hill is beyond me but in his defense alot of people do.

stupid would be nontendering a guy to lose him for nothing and not getting 2 guys in return. patterson knows he has no role on this club except off the bench...with hairston/mabry around he's just done here. its not like he'd be resigned by the club at a lower price. spears isnt exactly junk. he's hitting 30doubles/10hr sytle and he's not even filled out...dude is a stick. he's got another 15-20lbs. to put on his frame as he ages. along with his seemingly already decent eye, that's not a bad gamble for a middle IF'r.

"This trade is STUPID. Why didn't we just Non-tender him." That makes no sense. If you wanted to non-tender him, why is it stupid to get two people in return for him? Two is better than none.

This just boggles my mind. People say Korey should be non-tendered - given up for nothing - and then complain that Hendry didn't get enough for him??? People who thought he should be non-tendered should be thrilled that Hendry was able to turn something worthless into 2 of anything.

That's not bait... Just an attempt to make my sad friend laugh a bit.

MR. OBP A delusional quote from Corey Patterson regarding today's trade....
(KKKorey Patterson) also hopes to provide speed at the top of the lineup, perhaps in the No. 2 spot ahead of Melvin Mora and Miguel Tejada. "I'm a guy who can get on base, and if I can steal bases and get into scoring position, that would really help the team," Patterson said.

People are all pissed off we couldn't turn our crap into gold. I am sorry we couldn't flip Patterson for Adam Dunn but this isn't fantasy land. Damn it Crunch, what happened to all the ADAM DUNN rumors!?!?!? ADAM DUNN ADAM DUNN ADAM DUNN!!!!

f'real..who's this tejada guy? adam dunn 4 ever. adam dunn 4 anyone on the cubs roster. adam dunn = pennants adam dunn will walk on water and turn grilled cheeses into hamburgers...the good ones...angus sirlon with onions all grilled in it. then he'll take that water he walked on and turn it into Old Style. adam dunn will walk your dog and clean you cat's litter box. he will feed your iguana freshly killed flies and change the newspaper in the birdhouse. he could probally be had for c.patterson and t.walker, probally.

Rafael Furcal will undergo arthroscopic surgery Wednesday to repair cartilage in his right knee and miss two to three weeks. Do not taunt happy fun ball... Prediction: A) Out for the season B) He just wanted the anesthesia C) Busted for driving under the influence of post-surgical drugs.

amusingly I was doing that same schtick with Tom Brady over the weekend after I heard Madden's verbal fellatio for 3 hours...

Cheer up, Charlie. Don't go Ryan Freel on us and start a fight at the pool hall. I think there is still another move to be made.

Ruz, thanks for injecting a welcome note of reality into the debate over Patterson. The groupthink over at Primer is to fawn over Patterson and how misunderstood and undervalued he is. The reality is he's a hole in any batting order. I wish him the best but he was terrible and the Cubs should continue to be impatient with subpar performers. Patterson's poor performance was not a result of boo-birds or batting coaches or a quick trip through the minors. The pitchers adjusted, he did not.

Chad: The deal was made to dump Patterson. The best deal that we could get happened to inclued a shortstop, who is also ranked as their 14th best prospect. He's not going to be seeing playing time with the Cubs this year, and probably not for a few years, if ever. Even so, maybe we can flip him as part of a deal to another team, or maybe he can cut down on the K's in the minors. Jody: Maybe because the organization was hoping to get through Corey's thick skull. The man has the raw talent, but his refusal to go the extra mile means that he would be a detriment to this team. They were smart to trade him now, seeing as how no other team seems to want him as part of a bigger deal (so much for our favorite site reporting the imminent trade with Boston and Seattle...), so that he doesn't have the chance to play again and lower his value further. Chifan: Gonna have to agree with everyone else here. We aren't taking on any of his salary, so we basically traded him for 2 class-A prospects, instead of losing him and getting nothing. Not bad on Hendry's part, IMO Crunch: You forgot to mention how, when Adam Dunn was in the Olympics skating for the gold, he did 2 sow-cows (sp?) and a triple-lutz while wearing a blindfold. And how when Adam Dunn was in the Alps, fighting grizzly bears, he used his magical fire-breath and saved the maidens fair. Cubster: I choose D, all of the above.

And to all the people who were lambasting Hendry for not grossly overpaying for Furcal...still quite as upset with JH?

H. Vaughn, 'Patterson's poor performance was not a result of boo-birds or batting coaches or a quick trip through the minors. The pitchers adjusted, he did not.' That makes sense. The entire national league group of pitchers takes 3 years to adjust to a player- or one player got his head in the wrong place. Which of those explanations is rational?

Will someone PLEASE confirm for me that the Cubs are NOT sending Baltimore any money in the Patterson dump trade? I haven't seen any mention of money in any of the stories, which could be because there is none being exchanged, or it could be from lack of information. Patterson will take a physical and then the trade is formally done, usually all details come out then. If it comes out that there is $$ involved, then this is a way bad move from Hendry, should have just non-tendered K-Patt. The two Baltimore prospects look like total zeroes, no chance of helping the big league club now or in the future.

TBone Maybe Hendry is Kurtz, gone mad collecting 'ivory' for The Company, which of course is the Trib.

I don't care for the move. Better to have held on to him and let him fight for playing time, increase his trade value and conceivably get his game turned around. Then again, his failure to agree to play winter ball doesn't show a lot of fight in his game. Too bad. The promise he showed in '03 and '04 doesn't seem that long ago despite a terrible '05. My choice would have been to keep him to open '06 given what we got for him.

i keep hearing a;fonso soriano has a good chance of comin to the cubs wats the deal?

I doubt that any money is being sent because Korey's salary hasn't officially been determined for 2006. Baltimore now must either go through arbitration or sign him to a deal. Plus, if any money was being sent, I imagine that would have been in the news reports by now.

he is right

Before anyone gets worked up one way or another about this deal, remember that Patterson still needs to take a physical and it is the Orioles. It wouldn't be the first time, or second or third time, an O's transaction fell apart because Angelos fixated on some minor point in the physical.

Cubswin, There's nothing wrong with Corey saying "I'm a guy who can get on base, and if I can steal bases and get into scoring position, that would really help the team," It's not like he said 'On base frequently' or 'On base as well as an average MLB player'. He can in fact, get on base!

any1 heard about alfonso soriano he is a good baseball player and needs the cubs and the cubs need him

If Patterson is really this bad, why didn't Hendry trade him at the deadline, Ever since the fairyland season of 2003, the Cubs believe they are a real contender (evidently year in and year out anymore) and trading at the trade deadline is nothing but admission of failure. Making a move to improve yourself which involves reducing payroll by trading a slumping player is nothing but a sign of failure from the Cubs perspective and thus will not be done. They would rather lose....than admit defeat. If NOT trading someone at the deadline ultimately means defeat...then they'd rather lose than admit they are going to lose. They have no clue...reminds me of the former Soviet Union.

Adam Dunn is not the greatest player in the world. He's a tribute to the greatest player in the world. Whip, crack! went the heavy bat and the ball was gone. Rock!!

1) good trade. frankly, free hot dogs for everyone in the cubs offices was a good trade for patterson 2) lou brock? this is such a ridiculous stretch it's not even funny. corey patterson = adolfo phillips. said this in 2004. 3) good riddance to a man who would have to have a major upgrade to get to a 300 OBP. 4) please keep walker now that we've saved money on patterson. and ESPECIALLY not soriano. it just makes no sense. none. he's worse than walker when you take him out of "coors field south".

Green Lantern "4) please keep walker now that we've saved money on patterson. and ESPECIALLY not soriano. it just makes no sense. none. he's worse than walker when you take him out of "coors field south"." Wanna split a billboard on the Ryan with me?

Well the O's have a very good reason why they are stingy about physicals and not getting injury prone players. Albert Belle really burned that franchise. From a recent article on Baltimore Chop.... Itís difficult for this team to get insurance policies for players because of the exorbitant amount of money that had to be paid out on the policy that was taken out on Belle. One of the reason's the Burnitz deal fell through was because of this... According to the Times article, the deal that Burnitz signed talked of a full review of Burnitzís health record in addition to a physical for the Oís and a physical for the insurance policy that the Orioles would take out on him.

Why didn't we trade Patterson 2 years ago? Because he didn't suck that much yet, and was considered (by the Cubs and MLB) a legit 24 year old 5 tool guy with potential. Why didn't we trade him at the trade deadline in 2005? Because he SUCKED. Wasn't he in AAA at the time? No contending team would have had any use for him. His trade value was nil. This offseason was the first real window for trading the guy. His stock plummeted like a rock. These things happen; trading him before or during 2004 would have been irresponsible and premature; trading him during 2005 would have been impossible. To say anything else is to revise history.

#102, can't pass this one up. And he said "Be you Angels?" And we said "Nay; we are but Cubs." Rock?

from BA: Compiled by Aaron Fitt, Chris Kline and Matt Meyers August 5, 2005 At first glance, Orioles second baseman Nate Spears looks like he should be playing videogames at the mall or getting ready to pass a test for his driver's license--not anchoring the infield at high Class A Frederick. The fifth-round pick in 2003 out of Charlotte High in Port Charlotte, Fla., might have the boyish looks, but he's more than held his own against older players this season. "It feels good to be able to compete with players that are older than me at the same level they're competing at," Spears said. "I don't think about it too much and no one really give me a hard time about being so young though." Spears, 20, has batted leadoff for most of the year and leads the league in fielding percentage at a .977 clip in 387 total chances. Still, he wasn't named the best defensive second baseman in the CL by league managers. That honor went to Myrtle Beach's Martin Prado, who has a .974 fielding percentage in 351 chances. "The difference is in the range," a National League scout said. "They both get to balls a lot of guys wouldn't get to, but Prado has quicker feet, smoother actions and his pivot on the double play is much better. And he's better and faster moving to his left and right." "He's good, but not the best defensive second baseman," one CL manager said. "He's solid all the way around, but nothing really stands out at you and commands that attention the way Prado does. Prado's defense can save you runs, take away hits and is the difference in some games. "Spears is a guy who will make all the routine plays, he's more blue-collar. He's a reliable pick-up (truck) while Prado is more like a Corvette." While there might not be anything flashy about him, Spears garners comparisons to David Eckstein--a label that's just fine by him. He handles situational hitting well and excels at moving runners over. In short, he does all the little things the right way. "It's a great compliment," Spears said of the Eckstein comparison. "He's a great player and hopefully I'll be up there where he is some day. I don't really get to where I'm comparing myself against big leaguers. It's just always been a personal goal to get there." --CHRIS KLINE

Spears is a 50/50 guy to make the bigs and this Perez is a roster filler. Unless Epat or Spears is used in a big trade like Soriano or Zito this is just a trade to make a trade the net in the long term is only a little better than non-tendering him.

Korey, don't let the door hit your butt on the way out... I was an unabashed Patterson fan from the time he was at Lansing. It pains me to essentially give him away, but it would have pained me more to have a #5 outfielder making $3M a year.

that's the thing about patterson. if you take the money away, he's worth more in trade that what came in...a toss-away lefty with some upside, yet not much promise...a very young and very promising 2nd base prospect who doesnt project for power, but can handle a bat. but you can't take the money away...he's a guy who really hasnt had a good extended streak in a couple seasons with the bat. his young age and promise still can't make up for the fact he's gonna get 3+ bucks to prove he's worth being a mlb'r of any kind. at least 1 possible mlb-regular came over in the deal, even if it'll take 2-3 years to see the first taste of what the kid can do...if he gets that far.

Here's more than K-Pat was worth: Before finalizing the Tucker (Michael Tucker was signed by the Nats) deal, Bowden made a run at Chicago Cubs outfielder Corey Patterson. A club source, though, said that potential trade fell apart when the Cubs asked for two pitching prospects (including 2004 No. 1 pick Bill Bray) in return. http://www.washtimes.com/sports/20060110-124132-9282r.htm

Baggie to Join his Orthopod in Cardiac Rehab? Was his shoulder pain really referred pain from his heart? Orthopedic Fantasy Camp--Join famous Orthopods and rehabbing ballplayers while working out. Chew the fat, tell tall stories over Cybex rehab machines. Camp highlight includes actually assisting on a Tommy John (UCL reconstruction) procedure. --- http://mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/article.jsp?ymd=20060109&content_id=… In other news, Jeff Bagwell's trip to Birmingham later this week may be postponed. Dr. James Andrews suffered a heart attack over the weekend, and while he is reportedly doing well, it's likely Andrews' appointments have been put on hold until further notice. Bagwell had planned to visit the noted orthopedic surgeon in order to have his shoulder examined and find out if Dr. Andrews had any new ideas pertaining to Bagwell's ongoing rehab.

Hey, I think your going to start to see alot more WS fans in Chicago than Cubs fans. Reason #1- The White Sox won the World Series. Reason #2- The White Sox show that they want to win- not just make a profit. Reason #3- The Tribune Corp. will always reap the rewards from Wrigley Field and the Cubs national cash cow and never invest "Yankee" quality into it's team. I used to be a Cubs fan-but when they became The Tribsters-I had to go.... Cubs fans better get used to having a new boss in town- but maybe that might not be such a bad thing after all. Go White Sox!!!!!!!!!!!1

OUR NATIONAL NIGHTMARE WILL BE OVER WHEN THE TRIBUNE COMPANY SELLS THE TEAM!

On a side note sort of, does anyone else think that this may be a bit of a tense Cubs Convention? I mean even more so than any other year? With the other Chicago tema winning the WS, and the moves Kenny Williams has made vs. Cubs, I would think it will be an uncomfortable scene for Hendry and Baker and Co. Thoughts?

The Trib will never sell the Cubs unless one thing happens. If they go bankrupt, then they'll sell-off all their holdings. With the national outlets they own, I don't see them filing any 2 of the chapters anytime soon.

Dusty's not the only idiot manager on the planet, from rotoworld: "We need a No. 2 guy to move the ball around, hit and run and steal, and he seems like he has some of those qualities," Perlozzo said. "But we'll have to see in the spring. If he's not a good guy for that, he'll hit lower in the order." If only there were some sort of past evidence that could guide Perlozzo now. A statistical record maybe. Something that says Patterson is a career .241/.294/.360 hitter in 519 AB as a No. 2 hitter I'm still laughing.....

THe BA guys are sort of up on one of these prospects I see. How is it that Hendry always gets junky prospects for his guys? Ok, Murton seems to be pretty good. Maybe these guys were once good and the Cubs destroyed them? I'm sick of Hendry dumping guys (ok, they usually aren't that good) for these lousy minor leaguers. he trades good prospects and weakens our system. maybe I am completely wrong...Bo Flowers? Reminds me of the time we got Micah Bowie during Ed Lynch's time. I think it might be time to kiss Hendry goodbye. Those awesome trades are too far in the past. And Dusty and Neifi...what in God's name is up with that? The one game last July against the Cards (actually he made the play to win the Saturday game and the pivotal homerun in the Sunday game) does not career make. Prediction: Cubs finish behind the Brewers again and perhaps the Pirates. Bears anyone?

post 114 "Hey, I think your going to start to see alot more WS fans in Chicago than Cubs fans. Reason #1- The White Sox won the World Series. Reason #2- The White Sox show that they want to win- not just make a profit. Reason #3- The Tribune Corp. will always reap the rewards from Wrigley Field and the Cubs national cash cow and never invest "Yankee" quality into it's team. I used to be a Cubs fan-but when they became The Tribsters-I had to go.... Cubs fans better get used to having a new boss in town- but maybe that might not be such a bad thing after all. Go White Sox!!!!!!!!!!!1" Did everyone else know that Jay Marriotti is now posting??

Southside Irish, the White Sox World Series is like a fart in the wind. From what my friends in Chicago tell me no one cares, still. I will bet you anything that the Cubs out draw the White Sox this year.

Re: Badguy at #116: Last year at the White Sox convention (and at the close of Spring Training) the Conventional Wisdom was that Ken Williams left the Sox weaker by the Lee/Pod trade and by only acquiring some bullpen pitchers. Fans were pissed off. Now, he's the city's resident GM genius. Funny what some good years by your starting pitchers will do for a GM's IQ.

All the major papers are reporting Jim Hendry is likely to receive an extension come Spring Training, I challenge you all to name people/players less deserving of a contract extension that eventually received one. My initital nomination is Tyson Chandler, but I still don't know if he is worse than Donut Jim.

i think its rediculous that Hendry traded Patterson for minimum in return. NOt that he traded him, but just that he traded a big time TALENT, at the rock bottom of his trade value. There is a thing called buy high, sell low. Getting 2 grade B prospects does not do the cubs justice for a guy who has the potential to hit 30 home runs or steal 40+ bases with corrections to his offensive approach. There have been plenty of guys who have turned their careers around with a new coaching staff.....see Sammy Sosa. I'm shocked at the low ball nature of this trade, and i'm also shocked that Hendry only does deals with 1) the Marlins 2) Pirates, and 3) the Orioles. LETS EXPAND YOUR ROLODEX! we were raped of a first class talent who needed a fresh start.

Recent comments

  • Dolorous Jon Lester (view)

    That’s a fantastic deal for SF

  • crunch (view)

    SF snags b.snell...2/62m

  • Cubster (view)

    AZ Phil: THAT is an awesome report worth multiple thanks. I’m sure it will be worth reposting in an “I told you so” in about 2-3 years.

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    The actual deadline to select a post-2023 Article XX-B MLB free agent signed to 2024 minor league contract (Cooper, Edwards, and Peralta) to the MLB 40-man roster is not MLB Opening Day, it is 12 PM (Eastern) this coming Sunday (3/24). 

    However, the Cubs could notify the player prior to the deadline that the player is not going to get added to the 40 on Sunday, which would allow the player to opt out early. Otherwise the player can opt out anytime after the Sunday deadline (if he was not added to the 40 by that time). 

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    Today is an off day for both the Cubs MLB players and the Cubs minor league players.  

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    For those of you keeping track, so far nine players have been called up to Mesa from the Cubs Dominican Academy for Minor League Camp and they will be playing in the ACL in 2024: 

    * bats or throws left 

    Angel Cepeda, INF 
    * Miguel Cruz, P
    Yidel Diaz, C 
    * Albert Gutierrez, 1B
    Fraiman Marte, P  
    Francis Reynoso, P (ex-1B) 
    Derniche Valdez, INF 
    Edward Vargas, OF 
    Jeral Vizcaino, P 

    And once again, despite what you might read at Baseball Reference and at milb.com, Albert Gutierrez is absolutely positively a left-handed hitter (only), NOT a right-handed hitter.

    Probably not too surprisingly, D. Valdez was the Cubs #1 prospect in the DSL last season, Cepeda was the DSL Cubs best all-around SS prospect not named Derniche Valdez, Gutierrez was the DSL Cubs top power hitting prospect not named Derniche Valdez, E. Vargas was the DSL Cubs top outfield prospect (and Cepeda and E. Vargas were also the DSL Cubs top two hitting prospects), Y. Diaz was the DSL Cubs top catching prospect, and M. Cruz was the DSL Cubs top pitching prospect. 

    F. Marte (ex-STL) and J. Vizcaino (ex-MIL) are older pitchers (both are 22) who were signed by the Cubs after being released by other organizations and then had really good years working out of the bullpen for the Cubs in the DSL last season. 

    The elephant in the room is 21-year old Francis Reynoso, a big dude (6'5) who was a position player (1B) at the Cardinals Dominican Academy for a couple of years, then was released by STL in 2022, and then signed by the Cubs and converted to a RHP at the Cubs Dominican Academy (and he projects as a high-velo "high-leverage" RP in the states). He had a monster year for the DSL Cubs last season (his first year as a pitcher). 

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    DJL: The only players who definitely have opt outs are Cooper, Edwards, and Peralta (Opening Day, 5/1, and 6/1), and that's because they are post-2023 Article XX-B MLB free agents who signed 2024 minor league contracts and (by rule) they get those opt outs automatically. 

    Otherwise, any player signed to a 2024 minor league contract - MIGHT or - MIGHT NOT - have an opt out in their contract, but it is an individual thing, and if there are contractual opt outs the opt out(s) might not necessarily be Opening Day. It could be 5/1, or 6/1, or 7/1 (TBD).

    Because of their extensive pro experience, the players who most-likely have contractual opt outs are Alfaro, Escobar, and D. Smith, but (again), not necessarily Opening Day. 

    Also, just because a player has the right to opt out doesn't mean he will. 

  • Dolorous Jon Lester (view)

    I love the idea that Madrigal heads to Iowa in case Morel can’t handle third.

    The one point that intrigues me here is Cooper over Smith. I feel like the Cubs really like Smith and don’t want to lose him. Could be wrong. He def seems like an opt out if he misses the opening day roster

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    Childersb3: Both Madrigal and Wisdom can be optioned without any restriction. Their consent is not required. 

    They both can be outrighted without restriction, too (presuming the player is not claimed off waivers), but if outrighted they can choose to elect free agency (immediately, or deferred until after the end of the MLB season).

    If the player is outrighted and elects free-agency immediately he forfeits what remains of his salary.

    If he accepts the assignment and defers free agency until after the conclusion of the season, he continues to get his salary, and he could be added back to the 40 anytime prior to becoming a free-agent (club option). 

  • Childersb3 (view)

    Phil, 
    Madrigal and Wisdom can or cannot refuse being optioned to the Minors?
    If they can refuse it, wouldn't they elect to leave the Cubs org?