Sandy Alomar, Jr. Could Be Next Up for an Interview and Other Bullets

Maybe I don’t appreciate the beauty of defense, but a 9-6 game with a bunch of turnovers, missed field goals, and stupid plays is not the “biggest game ever.” Neither is it particularly interesting. Way to waste my Saturday night, Alabama and LSU.

  • The Cubs are getting their managerial ducks in a row. As noted yesterday, Brewers’ hitting coach Dale Sveum and Rangers’ pitching coach Mike Maddux are expected to interview Monday and (approximately) Wednesday of this week, respectively. And Dave Kaplan reports Indians’ bench coach Sandy Alomar, Jr., 45, is also expected to interview later in the week. You’ll note that all of Sveum, Maddux, and Alomar – as well as the Cubs’ first interviewee, Pete Mackanin – are also Red Sox interviewees.
  • Kaplan also says the Cubs are expected to speak to Red Sox bench coach DeMarlo Hale at some point in the near future.
  • Another source says an Epstein/Terry Francona reunion in Chicago is unlikely.
  • Grantland’s Jonah Keri offers five tips for Theo and Jed over the Winter. I don’t hate any of them, but neither do I entirely agree: (1) Sign Grady Sizemore (shrug, fine if cheap (but that’s what every team is thinking)); (2) long-term deal for Matt Garza (eh – Cubs can afford to take him through arbitration, and I’d just as soon see the Cubs shop him); (3) don’t sign Albert Pujols or Prince Fielder because there are too many red flags for the extreme cost (agree on the former, probably agree on the latter); (4) keep spending big in the draft (fo shizzle); (5) hire a manager who fits the philosophy, rather than a “name” (agreed, obviously, and it seems clear this is the direction the Cubs are going).
  • Comparing Theo Epstein to another executive pulled away from a successful organization in the hopes that he could revamp the Cubs. Namely, Dallas Green.
  • The half of the AFL on which the Cubs are represented got spanked in the Rising Stars Game yesterday, thanks primarily to a rough outing from top overall pick in this year’s draft, Pirates pitcher Gerrit Cole. Junior Lake had a double in three at bats and a throwing error. Chris Carpenter got a couple guys out, and Trey McNutt struck out the only batter he faced.
  • Speaking of the 21-year-old Lake, Baseball America’s Jim Callis is a fan: “He might have the best infield arm in the entire minors, he has above-average raw power and he’s suddenly running wild on the bases this year. He probably winds up moving to third base in the long run because he’s so big (6 foot 3, 215 pounds), but he has the tools to profile as an everyday guy there.”
  • Fluff on Lake.
  • Friends of the program over at North Side Baseball are running a free agent signing contest (for fun).
  • written by

    Brett Taylor is the Lead Cubs Writer at Bleacher Nation, and you can find him on Twitter at @BleacherNation and on LinkedIn here. Brett is also the founder of Bleacher Nation, which opened up shop in 2008 as an independent blog about the Chicago Cubs. Later growing to incorporate coverage of other Chicago sports, Bleacher Nation is now one of the largest regional sports blogs on the web.

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