Deal to Keep Cubs at Wrigley

There is a deal in the works to keep the Cubs at Wrigley Field. This is good because most people, including me want to see the Cubs at Wrigley when they win the world series?? Oh well, also in other news, The Cubs non-tendered pitcher Mark Prior.

Free Agent pitcher Mark Prior is finally just that; a free agent. I have been waiting for this day since his atrocious, absolutely horrible 2006 campaign. Oh well, the salary is gone, and the Cubs never again have to worry about saving a spot in their rotation for Mark Prior come July. Good bye, and Good Riddence, Mark Prior!

Ryan

The Mitchell Report is Out

Today the Mitchell Report came out, with 89 past and present player names on it. The names were pretty much the suspected names for me. No current Cubs were on there but there were a few former Cubs that were on the list. Kent Mercker, Matt Karchner, Todd Hundley, and Jerry Hairston, Jr.

Some surprises for me, were that Sammy Sosa wasn't on the list of steroid users, and on the list of people that were users, Washington Nationals catcher, Paul Lo Duca. Well that's all for today, have a great one.

Ryan

The Reports are True, Unless we Read Two Different Reports

The Cubs got their man. Kosuke Fukudome is a Cub, pending a physical for 4 years, 48 million. I would put a link, but that's why I have the RSS Reader. Click on one of those links and you'll get the idea. I'd click the USA Today link if I was you, although it isn't the top link because USA Today foolishly covers all teams.

That was a joke. I do that sometimes. Now, cubs fans, just relax. We got the Ted Lilly of this offseason. (This year's Soriano was A-Rod)

Peace,

Ryan

Get Rid of Wrigley, I Want the Fuku (Fook-Yoo) Dome

Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times reports that Kosuke Fukudome, one of Japan's most elite hitters, is coming to play in the United States. The word at Yahoo! Sports is that the Cubs are frontrunners for the dome's services.



If the Cubs do get Fukudome, which it looks like they have a good chance, then that's 2/3 outfield spots locked up; Center Field remains open. Pie proved he can't hit major league level pitching everyday, so I hope for the sake of everyone that has any cubs spirit.


Well, we'll know soon enough if we get the dome.

Peace,

Ryan

Hey Guys, It's Been A While

Hey, readers, not that you exist, but I'm back from my extended break. To summarize what happened while I was gone, I will take merely 3 paragraphs reading of your time. This, counting as the first, is easy reading. Now comes the hard stuff.

Kaz Matsui signed with the Astros for 3 years, 16.5 million dollars. This isn't a relief to me as I wanted him for two reasons. Reason 1: He could help lure in Kosuke Fukudome as Ko-Fuku probably wants another japanese speaking player on the team if he joins. Number 2: I genuinely believe Kaz is on the rise and on to better things in his MLB career.

Fukudome has decided to play in the U.S., and the Cubbies now pursue Brian Roberts. A deal on the table already exists, which would send Thunder Matt Murton to Baltimore with some other trinkets for Roberts. Cross your fingers to keep thunder Matt here. Not that you will, you don't exist, therefore you have no fingers to cross.

That wasn't so hard, was it?

Thanks for the time,

Ryan

Kaz Meets Exclusively With the Cubs

Kaz Matsui met exclusively with the Cubs on Wednesday, the day before Thanksgiving, at a lunch date 1-on-1 with Jim Hendry. I like Hendry's dedication to getting Matsui. I still think it's a good idea to get Kazuo Matsui, who is coming off a career year.

Kaz rejected a 2 year, $7 million contract from the Rockies. To me this means the Rockies are out of the picture, and a previous report said that the Cubs and Rockies are ahead of the Astros. Well, if the Rockies are out of the picture, than it's down to the Cubs and Astros.

Either way, this is good news to me. Also, the Cubs are still interested in Kosuke Fukudome, who has recieved 2 offers from Japanese teams. He is now said to be turning his attention to U.S. teams, which is also in the sun-times report I have up above for Kaz Matsui's meeting.

That's all for today,

Ryan

John McDonough to the- Blackhawks?

The buzz is confirmed, president John McDonough has left the Cubs to become the president of the Chicago Blackhawks. So I'm thinking that this can only be another distraction in a very uneventful offseason-to-date.

Not only do the Cubs need players, they also need someone to buy the team, and they need a president. That could put a lot of stress on the team. But why would he leave forthe most pathetic of all Chicago teams, the blackhawks?

It just doesn't make sense. I guess if he likes the blackhawks more than the Cubs and can get into it more, which would be good for the hawks, I guess, so 1- blackhawks, 0- cubs. I just wish McPhail never would've left.

That's today's post, so until tomorrow,

Ryan

Luis Castillo Off The Market

Luis Castillo, a suspected cubs prospect free-agent, signed a 4 year pact with the New York Mets. This takes him off the market, but many still remain. Kaz Matsui, who I think would be a good pick-up, is still on the market, as well as outfielder Kosuke Fukudome.

The Cubs also have been said to be "taking a flyer" on Bartolo Colon. Colon would be a decent pickup, although the past two seasons his ERAs have been over 5, and in 2007 it was a staggering, Jason Marquis like, 6.34 ERA.

Well those are some things to think about.

(Tomorrow's story may have something to do with John McDonough, my sources tell me)

Ryan

That's Just Fantastic, 101 Years In The Coming

Not sarcastically either. Lou Piniella says that by the year 2009, the Cubs will be a World Series team. It's truly a great article.

Also, Goatriders.org in it's most recent post brings up a great point. The Cubs have approximately 28 million to spend, and they ask how you would spend it. I don't want to steal their idea, so I'm not going to tell you to answer that in a Cub-ment like on the poll. I'm just going to tell you my ideas.

First of all, I'd sign Kaz Matsui for that 3yr/14.4mm he was offered. That spends about 5 million/year, we'll say, so the Cubs have 23 million left. Then I'd pursue Japanese Chinichi Dragon OF Kosuke Fukudome. That would probably be 8-10 million/year. The Cubbies now have 13-15 million left to spend. I'd re-sign Kerry Wood for a 1 year contract for 2 mm/year with incentives for number of appearances. That leaves the Cubs probably 9-10 million left. I'd then trade one of my favorite Cubs, Matt Murton, and another Cub, Ryan Dempster, along with Rich Hill to relieve some salary for a well-to-do 4 or 5 starter. An example of this would be Cliff Lee. That would add most likely about 3 million to the Cubs payroll, and then I'd trade Marquis for a 5 starter like James Shields.

We'll then assume the Cubs have 15 million to spend. I'd then sign Bartolo Colon for 7 or 8 Million, as no-one in their right minds will ever give him 4 years/51 million again after 2 horrible years. That way, the Cubs have enough money to sign somebody if something doesn't work out, they have enough money to trade and pick up salary, and they have all of their immediate needs filled. That's just me though.

Also, I have to give a shoutout to my favorite quarterback in the NFL Rex Grossman and I want to wish him luck tomorrow, and GO BEARS. If they go 6-1 in their last 7 games, they have a great chance of making a wild card spot.

Until tomorrow,

Ryan

Kaz Matsui, Carl Crawford

Good news, the trade with the Tigers for Omar Infante DOES NOT mean that he will be the starter. Dave Kaplan of Chicago's WGN Radio says the Cubs will have a multi-year deal with free agent Kazuo Matsui later this week. Sources have suggested that the Cubs have offered the former Rockies 2nd baseman around 3 years, 14.4 mm.

Carl Crawford also doesn't seem to be out of the picture. Nick Cafardo says that the Cubs are making a push for Crawford in a deal that would give the Rays Rich Hill, Carlos Marmol, and who knows what else? It seems to me this may be slightly off the mark, especially after all the buzz of Marmol as a closer and the somewhat inconsistency of the bullpen even WITH Marmol. Rich Hill makes sense, as there are starting pitchers on the market, such as Matt Clement, Bartolo Colon. Besides, Rich pitched like me towards the end of the year. He had a little more zip on his fastball, though. Cafardo's theory backs Bruce Levine's theory from a few days ago, although Levine's theory was dismissed by Roger Mooney.

Most of this information comes from http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/chicago_cubs/index.html, the Cubs rumors from MLBTradeRumors.com, but I also have used other sources of information available to me. That's my post for the day, I'll be changing the poll soon, so have a nice day.

Until next time,

Ryan