In a move that was slightly surprising, Derrek Lee was traded to the Braves on Wednesday.
It wasn't really a surprise that the Cubs wanted to trade him. After all, they did try to make a swap with the Angels involving the veteran first baseman not too long ago.
And it wasn't a shock that someone would want the former triple crown candidate. Not only has Derrek Lee put together some very good seasons in his career (not the least of which came just last season), but he's a great clubhouse presence that will serve a contending team such as the Braves ...
The Giants and Cubs had a little unfinished business to attend to before they matched up Wednesday night in San Francisco. With the owner's meetings getting underway in Minneapolis, Jim Hendry and Brian Sabean completed a trade that they reportedly began talking about as the trade deadline was approaching.
Mike Fontenot was sent from the visiting clubhouse to the home clubhouse in exchange for 22-year-old outfield prospect Evan Crawford. In a corresponding roster move, the Cubs called up 24-year-old middle infielder Darwin Barney from Triple-A Iowa.
But what does this mean for the North Siders going forward?
To begin with, it appears that ...
The Cubs placed Geovany Soto and Derrek Lee on the 15-day disabled list and the bereavement list, respectively, on Tuesday. In their stead will be 23-year-old Welington Castillo and 30-year-old Micah Hoffpauir from Triple-A Iowa. If you've been paying any attention to the North Siders these past few seasons, you're probably fairly familiar with Hoffpauir from his stellar stint with the Cubs in 2008, his less impressive 2009 season as Lee's backup, and a left-handed power bat off the bench. His recent play in Iowa suggests that he's getting back to his 2008 form, riding an 18-game hitting streak ...
This article is the final part of a series of articles looking at the Cubs not-so-distant future. To read part four, which takes a look at the pitchers, follow this link .
After taking three of four against the Phillies coming out of the All-Star break, the Cubs are tied for third place in the National League Central with the Brewers at 42-51. The Cardinals are 9.5 games ahead of them in first place and the Reds are only half a game behind in second (first in the Wild Card standings).
That's not much of a change in the two-and-a-half ...
This article is part four of a series of articles looking at the Cubs' not-so-distant future. To read part three, which takes a look at the middle infielders and catchers, follow this link.
The Cubs have pitching.
The rotation of Ted Lilly, Ryan Dempster, Carlos Silva, Tom Gorzelanny, and Randy Wells has been good enough to post a FIP of 3.87 (fourth in MLB), an xFIP of 3.99 (second in MLB), and a total of 55 quality starts (second in MLB). And that's all without removing Carlos Zambrano's less-than-stellar outings from the bunch.
Carlos Marmol and Sean Marshall have been great, James ...
This article is part three of a series of articles looking at the Cubs' not-so-distant future. To read part two, which takes a look at the outfield, follow this link.
Starlin Castro still has plenty of developing to do at the major league level, but he is under team control for the next five offseasons and has probably locked up a spot in the starting lineup until he proves he doesn't deserve it, which hopefully won't happen.
Geovany Soto was one of baseball's best offensive catchers during his rookie campaign and, after a disappointing 2009 season, has bounced back to ...
This article is part two of a series of articles looking at the Cubs' not-so-distant future. To read part one, which looks at first and third base, follow this link .
The Cubs have five outfielders on their 25-man roster that could start for just about any team in major league baseball: Marlon Byrd, Tyler Colvin, Kosuke Fukudome, Xavier Nady, and Alfonso Soriano.
Although having depth isn't a bad thing, and is often what most teams are seeking to build, this organization can afford to part with some of their depth. In fact, it might be in their best interest to do ...
The Cubs are 9.5 games out of first place in the National League Central as of Tuesday morning. That's good for fourth place in the division behind the Reds, Cardinals, and Brewers.
One of the more concerning things about that picture is that the Brewers, who are considered by many to be out of contention altogether at this point, have inched their way past the Cubs. Yes, the difference between the two teams is only one game, but it's simply one more sign that this season needs to turn around fast if the Cubs are going to have a shot at ...
Friday is Aramis Ramirez's 32nd birthday. It's also the day that he will be activated off of the disabled list.
In order to make room for the embattled third baseman, somebody needs to move off the 25-man roster. Since the team has only just started a stretch of 20 days without an off day, they can't afford to go with fewer than 12 pitchers.
That means, while Ramirez might have a very happy birthday tomorrow, one of the club's position players will be less than thrilled.
I think it's safe to say that Colvin has earned himself some job security in the ...
The first two games of the 2010 College World Series will be played this Saturday.
For Cubs fans, however, the first game of importance might come Sunday night when the Clemson Tigers face off against the Arizona State Sun Devils.
That game, which will be aired on ESPN at 7pm Eastern Time, will feature the Cubs' 29th round draft pick Casey Harman. The left-handed ace of the Clemson pitching staff this year, he put together a 7-2 record with an ERA of 3.95, a .239 opponent batting average, 7.71 K/9, and 2.78 BB/9.
According to CollegeSplits.com , his numbers are even a little ...
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