The Chicago Cubs Will Sign Adam Dunn if Marlon Byrd Has His Way

With a gaping hole at first base, left vacated by Derrek Lee who was traded to the Atlanta Braves two weeks ago after manning the spot for almost seven seasons, speculation as to whom will be the next first baseman is bound to bandy about for the next few months. So I guess I’m saying prepare yourself – it could reach Obsessive Watch status.

Adam Dunn, a free agent after this season, will likely be a primary target, assuming he doesn’t sign the extension that the Nationals are so desperately trying to get him to sign. That is, at least, according to Cubs center fielder Marlon Byrd.

“Definitely. You know the guys we’ve lost this year,” Byrd said. “Quality guys like [Ted] Lilly [traded to the Dodgers] and [Derrek Lee [traded to the Braves]. You’re thinking you have to replace those guys. Our clubhouse is good, but we need some athletes out there. I have an idea who they should bring in, the type of players. I think I have an idea of who to bring in to help us win.”

I asked Byrd what impact Dunn would have on the Cubs.

“He’s a definite automatic. I think anyody wants a guy like that,” Byrd said. “Hopefully the team he is on doesn’t hold on to him so that we get a shot at him next year because thump from the left side like that just doesn’t come around often. You always want a guy hitting 30 to 40 home runs a year on your team. He’s certainly one of the guys I’ve been thinking about.” ESPN Chicago.

Dunn’s general lack of athleticism leads me to question Byrd’s successive comments that the Cubs need “some athletes” out there, and that the Cubs should go after Adam Dunn. Nevertheless, Dunn figures to be one of the better options available to the Cubs this winter.

Chicago Cubs Interview Eric Wedge for Managerial Opening

The Chicago Cubs have interviewed former Cleveland Indians manager Eric Wedge for their managerial vacancy. Wedge was not among the names rumored to be on the Cubs’ short list as recently as a week ago, so this is at least a moderate surprise.

Wedge managed the Indians from 2003-09, winning the American League Manager of the Year Award in 2007, when he guided the Indians to the ALCS, only to lose to the Boston Red Sox after going up 3-1.

Wedge, 42, won over 500 games with the Indians, including a first-place finish in 2007 and finishing second in 2005 behind the world champion Chicago White Sox.

Wedge, who resides in Richfield, Ohio, was fired by Cleveland after the 2009 season. The Indians are paying Wedge through this season.

The former major league catcher, originally from Ft. Wayne, Ind., was an All-American at Wichita State and was on the 1989 Shockers team that won the College World Series.

At that time, Hendry was the head coach of league rival Creighton University. That’s when Wedge first caught Hendry’s attention….

Wedge would have to be considered a top candidate for the Cubs job. Others to get interviewed will include Ryne Sandberg; former Florida Marlins manager Fredi Gonzalez and Washington Nationals coach and former Cubs minor league manager Pat Listach.

Mike Quade, the Cubs interim manager, also will get strong consideration. Friends of New York Yankees manager Joe Girardi have stated he would have strong interest in the Cubs job if he left the Yankees after the season. ESPN Chicago.

It remains a simple fact that, if Girardi does not re-sign with the Yankees, and his demands are reasonable, he will be the next manager of the Chicago Cubs. Here’s hoping that, by interviewing other available candidates long before Girardi is available, the Cubs do not box themselves into a corner – i.e., they’ve got a candidate like Wedge that they like, but he’s got another team like the Mariners breathing down his neck to make a decision. And yet, the Cubs are waiting to hear from Girardi. In that instance, interviewing Wedge so early could put them in an awkward position – and possibly even a position to be left out in the cold with respect to their preferred candidates.

Wedge was fired in 2009 after the Indians were incredibly disappointing for the second consecutive season. The team had a strong core built going into the 2007 season (in which they were very good), but that same core disintegrated over the next two years, leading to Wedge’s undoing.

Adam Dunn Loves the Chicago Cubs

After trading Derrek Lee, the Chicago Cubs opened up a substantial void at first base – a void, though, that was likely to be opened after the season anyway. Lee is a free agent after this season, and the Cubs, who’d rebuffed Lee’s attempts to discuss an extension, seemed eager to explore alternatives for 2011.

One such alternative is playing on the other side of the diamond this week: National’s first baseman, Adam Dunn. Dunn, also a free agent after this season, has been discussing an extension with the Nationals with little progress to show for it. Would Dunn consider coming to the Cubs?

”It’s a great place to play,” said Dunn, who’s an old Cincinnati teammate and friend of Cubs clubhouse leader Ryan Dempster and who also has developed a rapport, if not a budding relationship, with Hendry.

”I know Jim from my Cincinnati days,” he said. ”We hit it off. He’s one of my favorites. And I hear nothing but great things about him.”

If nothing else, it sounds like a pretty good fit.

”Hopefully,” Dunn said, catching himself to reiterate his ongoing talks with the Nats. ”You never know.” CHICAGO SUN-TIMES.

Three quick thoughts:

1.) Obviously this is mega early. The Cubs wouldn’t actually be able to start pursuing Dunn until a couple weeks after the World Series.

2.) Dunn made some overtures toward the Cubs in 2008 regarding the team’s opening in right field before the Cubs chose, sigh, Milton Bradley. The Cubs were not interested at that time, though that could simply be because they didn’t feel he could handle right field. First base might be another story.

3.) Guys with Dunn’s skill set – big, hulking dudes, who are low on athleticism but big on power – do not generally tend to age well. Adam Dunn is not old, but he is now on the north side of 30.

Carlos Zambrano is Headed to Venezuela

Some sad news to report, as Chicago Cubs starter Carlos Zambrano, fresh off his best start of the season against the Nationals last night, is head to Venezuela to be with his family. Zambrano’s 11-year-old nephew is in the hospital with a life-threatening disease.

“I have a nephew that’s in bad condition,” he said. “He had a (bacterial) infection and is in a hospital in Venezuela.”

Zambrano will rejoin the team in Cincinnati this weekend, and make his next start on Monday against Pittsburgh at Wrigley Field.

Despite pitching with a heavy heart, Zambrano managed to strike out eight while allowing one run and five hits against the Nationals. He said it was hard to put the situation out of his mind, and kept telling himself “Don’t give up” in the first inning.

“But at the same time, I talked to my brother,” he said. “And he told me ‘Don’t worry about what happened there, just worry about what’s going on here and dedicate the game to his son.’ In the first inning I was thinking about him, throwing all the pitches saying ‘This is for my nephew.’ Chicago Breaking Sports.

The thoughts and prayers of the Cubs world no doubt go out to Zambrano’s nephew, Zambrano, and his family.

Tyler Colvin is Likely to Start Playing Games at First Base This Week

With Derrek Lee off to the Atlanta Braves, and without a clear replacement in the Chicago Cubs’ system, outfielder Tyler Colvin will start playing some games at first base starting this week. His debut at the position will likely come in the early week series against the Nationals.

Colvin has been working out at first base for more than a week now, even though he hasn’t played the position since his early college days.

“It’s going to be a few days,” Cubs manager Lou Piniella said of Colvin’s timetable [for starting at first base]. “He’s comfortable over there. When we do this we’re going to do it on the road. We’re not going to do it at home.

“He’s got good hands. It’s a question of game speed. But he’s done it before. It’ll give us a chance to park him over there from time to time and let him play. We’ll go from there.”

The Cubs hit the road Monday when they travel to Washington, and Piniella said to expect Colvin to make his debut in that series.

Derrek Lee, who has won three gold gloves, including two with the Cubs in 2005 and 2007, was asked if Colvin has the ability to excel as a first baseman.

“I’m sure he could,” said Lee, now with the Braves. “If he takes the time and puts in the effort, I’m sure he’ll figure it out over there.” Daily Herald.

Colvin is certainly athletic enough to man the position, and he’s clearly got the right body size. Again, though, I submit that the Cubs are looking at Colvin not necessarily as the long-term answer at first, but more likely to see if he’s an option they can consider if they’re unable to land a first baseman in the offseason.

Jeff Samardzija Expected to Join Chicago Cubs Soon

On September 1, MLB teams can expand their active roster – usually limited to 25 players – to as many as 40 players; namely, the 40 guys on the 40-man roster. That makes September an interesting time, even for teams completely out of the playoff picture, as fans get to observe youngsters they’ll hopefully see contributing in the near future.

One such September call up is expected to be pitcher Jeff Samardzija. You remember Samardzija, right? He’s the guy who got a five-year, $10 million contract after the Cubs drafted him in the 5th round in 2006 – you know, $100k more than top pick and consensus stud Bryce Harper just got from the Nationals?

Samardzija, who opened the season in the major-league bullpen, has been pitching as a starter at Class AAA Iowa. On Monday, he improved to 10-2 with a 3.05 ERA as Iowa beat Fresno 5-3. He worked 6 innings, giving up 4 hits and 1 unearned run while walking one and striking out five.

The Cubs felt it was a solid outing, with Samardzija pitching at 95 mph and topping out at 98. He also has added a cutter to his repertoire.

“I would expect Jeff here soon,” manager Lou Piniella said. “I don’t make these decisions on who gets called up. But I would expect Jeff to be here. He’s had a really nice Triple-A season, and I’m sure he’s going to deserve this opportunity to come up here and pitch here.” Daily Herald.

Samardzija’s continued stay at AAA while guys like Thomas Diamond and Casey Coleman get shots in the rotation screams “doghouse,” as in, Samardzija is in Lou’s. Thus, color me unconvinced when Piniella says “I don’t make these decisions.” He certainly has plenty of input.

That’s not to say the decisions have been wrong – Samardzija has been tearing up AAA, but he proved last year and earlier this year that he simply did not have big league stuff. He had one decent pitch, and then a couple of crummy ones. Perhaps the Cubs wanted to let him start, and give him plenty of time to develop a truly effective second pitch – which, hopefully with this new cutter, he’s done.

Samardzija may not get a chance to start with the Cubs when he’s called up in September, but he’ll see some action. And then he’ll get a chance to crack the rotation in Spring Training again next year. Hopefully his arsenal, and his attitude, have improved by then.

Series Preview: Cubs v. Rockies, July 30 – August 1, 2010

The Chicago Cubs head out to Denver to take on a team nearly as disappointing (recently) as the Cubs, the Colorado Rockies. At least it’s really pretty out there. Shrug.

A refresher on the series preview here at Bleacher Nation:

The idea is to hook you up with the bare minimum of what you need to know about every series this year streaks, lineups, game times, broadcast schedule, etc. That way you can look like a genius, hardcore fan in front of all your friends, with minimum effort. Oh, and there will be pictures of beautiful women, too.

Check out the Rockies series preview, after the jump

The Cubs Should Dump Kosuke Fukudome

Although I’ve been saying it since late 2008 (after vociferously opposing his signing in the first place), others are jumping on the bandwagon that Kosuke Fukudome needs to go – not just because of his annual post-April/May swoon, but because he’s a continued, looming threat to giving Tyler Colvin a real chance to succeed as a starter.

If the Cubs have decided that the job should be Colvin’s, then he needs a month or two to settle into it. And that can be best accomplished without Fukudome playing the role of Mike Lowell.

Fukudome will be hard to trade — almost as difficult as Bradley last winter. He has roughly $21 million left on his contract between now and the end of next season, and sitting on the bench won’t do wonders for his trade value.

Hendry has to hope that an interested team is looking to unload a similarly overpaid player from the 2011 free agent class. Time for another swap of bad contracts.

One more thing to keep in mind: Fukudome has a no-trade clause that permits him to block a deal to 15 teams, according to a major-league source. Couple that with his salary, and it will be a challenge for the Cubs to trade Fukudome. FOX Sports on MSN.

The Washington Nationals are in the market for a lefty-hitting right fielder, but Washington is allegedly on Fukudome’s list of 15 teams to whom he can’t be traded without his permission.

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