If you needed any more evidence that the rumor-chasing business is a difficult one, look no further than the Chicago Cubs’ pursuit of free agent starter Brandon Webb. The team has been connected to the rehabilitating former Cy Young winner all offseason, but nothing concrete has ever materialized. And then, within the span of hours […]
There is no way to sugercoat the Zack Greinke trade and its effect on the NL Central – the Brewers are now formidable, in a division that was already looking like an uphill battle for the Chicago Cubs. If they are to be competitive next year, most believe they’ll have to add a frontline starter […]
Ron Santo may be gone, but Chicago Cubs fans will continue to hear one half of the duo they’ve come to love on WGN Radio for the past 15 years. Pat Hughes has been extended through the 2015 season. The 2011 season will be Hughes’ 16th with WGN Radio and the Cubs, and his 29th […]
Despite there being an ample trade market for his services, the Tampa Bay Rays are not as eager as once thought to move young starter Matt Garza. The Rays have no fewer than six ML-ready starting pitchers, but according to VP of Baseball Operations Andrew Friedman, the Rays are just fine with that. Rays VP […]
With all of the Chicago Cubs trade rumors flying around this time of year, it’s a good time to take a look at the prospects whose names fly right around with those rumors. An excellent prospect site, Baseball Prospectus has put together its 2011 list of the top Cubs prospects. The top 11 shake out […]
The Chicago Cubs weren’t going to acquire Zack Greinke, but we were hoping no other NL Central team would get him. Unfortunately, the Brewers just did. Former Cy Young Award winner Zack Greinke has been traded to the Milwaukee Brewers, sources told ESPN The Magazine’s Buster Olney on Sunday morning. In the deal, the Brewers […]
We’ve already speculated that, with Kerry Wood setting up Carlos Marmol from the right side, Andrew Cashner would get a chance to move from the pen to the rotation (where he could be vastly more valuable to the Cubs). And it sounds like that may very well be the case. But that might not even […]
In rumors that make no sense, Jerry Crasnick is reporting that he’s heard the Chicago Cubs and San Francisco Giants have discussed swapping outfielders Kosuke Fukudome and Aaron Rowand in a “classic bad-contract, change-of-scenery deal.” It’s almost impossible to see anything coming from this, as swapping a productive, left-handed outfielder for an unproductive, right-handed outfielder can’t […]
It’s a very lukewarm Friday, apparently. One of the Chicago Cubs’ few free agent targets this offseason, Brandon Webb, is set to make his decision in the next few days. Free-agent pitcher Brandon Webb is likely to pick a team within the next couple of days, a source told FanHouse. Multiple teams remain in the […]
With the Cubs remaining active in the pitching market (Matt Garza, Brandon Webb), and with Kerry Wood now in the bullpen (making a rotation move for Andrew Cashner possible), the theoretical glut of starting pitching is going to have to sort itself out at some point. To that end, the New York Mets are reportedly […]
While it remains unclear whether the Chicago Cubs would consider dealing starter Carlos Zambrano, and it remains unclear whether Zambrano would accept a trade should one be consummated, it’s becoming more clear that, right now, the New York Yankees aren’t interested. According to both Jon Heyman and Buster Olney, the Yankees are not presently interested […]
Kerry Wood is coming home. According to multiple reports, the Chicago Cubs have signed setup man Wood to a one-year, $1.5 million deal. There aren’t words to describe how excellent this news is, even for a relatively minor move. First, the contract is jaw-droppingly small. Wood was reported to be seeking a multi-year deal worth […]
The Chicago Cubs continue to pursue pitching options such as Tampa Bay starter Matt Garza, who is more likely to move now that Cliff Lee has signed. The question remains: for a team with a theoretical glut of starting pitching, what happens to the other starters if the Cubs add a guy like Garza? [The […]
It was rumored yesterday that the New York Yankees might turn to guys like Carlos Zambrano in the wake of being rebuffed by Cliff Lee, and indeed, more sources are coming forward saying that the Yankees are indeed considering talking to the Cubs about Zambrano. The New York Daily News goes so far as to […]
The Chicago Cubs’ non-roster invitee list has grown a bit since last check, and there are a couple more guys who will be vying for a bench or bullpen spot on the 2011 team. The Cubs have added first baseman Bryan LaHair and outfielder Brad Snyder to the list of non-roster invitees for Spring Training. […]
Well this would be a very pleasant (moderate) surprise. The Cubs, who have a major need for a veteran right handed reliever are moving towards finalizing a deal with free agent Kerry Wood. Wood, who spent the first 10 years of his major league career with the Cubs, spent 2010 with the Indians and Yankees […]
Sit down and grab a paper bag. We hear from very good baseball sources that the White Sox have made a two-year offer to free agent pitcher Kerry Wood. Wood played 10 years with the Cubs and pitched last season for the Yankees, who reportedly are interested in bringing him back. Wood has said he […]
In addition to the numerous other outgrowths of the Cliff Lee signing, the Phillies are looking to dump their current fifth starter, Joe Blanton. Would the Chicago Cubs be interested in picking up the scraps? The Phillies are shopping Joe Blanton, who is owed $17 million over the next two years. He has been the […]
As I predicted yesterday, Cliff Lee going to the Phillies is going to be the genesis of a great deal of action – and a great deal of gum-flappin’. Specifically, it has generated speculation about the Cubs once again trying to trade Carlos Zambrano. The big question that remains to be answered is whether Texas, […]
