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Okay, first off, I need to clarify my headline. The Cubs didn't actually stand pat as they did trade right fielder Kosuke Fukudome to the Cleveland Indians. While the trade originally seemed to be the first of what could have been many, it turned out to be the only move the team made. The first question that comes to mind when you look at the Cubs roster and see just one move being made is, "Why?"The Cubs went from sellers to ... nothing in a matter of days, and what makes that all the more perplexing is the numerous reports ...
The latest news on the trade rumor front is that Aramis Ramirez has apparently reversed his position on waiving his no-trade rights and has come back to the position he held before: he won’t do so. Actually, it is probable his remarks were misinterpreted when it appeared he was open to a deal. In a way, this is a shame for the Cubs. Right now he is producing for the Cubs after a slow start. If he played like that all the time, retaining him would be a no-brainer, but the fact is he has been inconsistent and sometimes just ...
With roughly $60 million and just over three years remaining on his contract, Alfonso Soriano is a difficult piece to move.Add in the fact that he’s batting just .249 with an OPS of .736 and it’s even more difficult for the Cubs to entice teams to take him off their hands.That’s probably why the Cubs announced that they would be willing to eat a significant portion of his salary if a trade were possible (Bruce Levine, ESPN Chicago). The 35-year-old outfielder also has infield experience from his time with the Yankees. Although defense was never his strongest attribute, he was a prolific ...
Finally, after a dismal first season as the Chicago Cubs manager Mike Quade is getting some criticism in the media, but it's always prefaced by saying what a nice guy he is. The former Cub and current Cincinnati Reds manager was a nice guy too, but the Chicago media ran him out of town. Why? Was it because of race? The media never failed to jump on him and make fun of comments he made such as him saying he thought Latin or African-American athletes performed better in the heat of summer than Caucasian players. Hearing a manager say that may ...
Jim Hendry has apparently quashed any rumors he will consider trading anyone who is signed through next season, or that is what he appears to say in this note from Tom Dierkes at MLBTradeRumors.com (there is a little more detail here in an article from the Des Moines Register). Of course, you can always assume he was just speaking gibberish or some sort of strange tautological mishmash, saying he will not trade anyone who will be with the team next year, which, of course, is true if they are traded and means, well, nothing, I suppose. In any case, Big ...
Cubs manager Mike Quade announced today that he is going to move Rodrigo Lopez to the bullpen in order to have Randy Wells start this weekend against the Astros. Randy Wells has been one of the worst starters for this Cubs team since coming off the disabled list on May 28. Since coming off the DL, Wells has zero wins with three losses and an ERA well over 7.00. Hitters are averaging well over .300 against Wells in the span. Now I understand getting Wells back on schedule and having him try to find his groove. But on multiple occasions, ...
The Cubs' 2011 campaign continues to sink deeper and deeper into obscurity.Cubs starting pitcher Ryan Dempster gave up a laughable six earned runs in three innings of work, Carlos Pena made two embarrassing errors on one play and the team struck out a collective seven times, left 12 runners on base and lost 9-1 to the Phillies.But what was the only thing Mike Quade seemed to be upset about after the game? Starlin Castro letting a pop fly fall for a hit because he was temporarily blinded by the sun."The sun's been in the same spot for however long Wrigley Field's ...
Chicago Cubs third baseman Aramis Ramirez is having a good season after an awful start, no question. But it's fool's gold, with the gold going to Ramirez and Cubs GM Jim Hendry the fool. For if Ramirez's season leads Hendry to either pick up his club option at $16 million for 2012, or motivates him to sign an extension, then this otherwise solid season by Ramirez will actually be a negative for the Cubs in the long run. Look, I know that Ramirez has been the best Cubs third baseman since Ron Santo, at least offensively. While that certainly isn't saying ...
If Thursday night's Chicago Cubs game against the Florida Marlins was any indication of what we have to look forward to in the final 67 games of the season, their games should be on Comedy Central instead of Comcast SportsNet. Embattled manager Mike Quade kept up his mantra after the All-Star break when asked what the Cubs need to do moving forward, "Play better, execute better, pitch better, hit better. We just have to be better," he told the Chicago SunTImes. How about managing better? That's the mantra of everyone in town, from the fans, beat writers and columnists, Cubs' TV color analyst Bob ...
Pat Gillick, the longtime baseball executive, will be inducted into the Hall of Fame next weekend. He turns 74 next month. But he says he would consider becoming a club president again in the right situation.
That opens the door for Cubs owner, the clueless Tom Ricketts, to get a clue. And that clue could come in the form of a former GM who understands what it takes to build a winning organization.
Gillick has been the GM for four teams and guided the Toronto Blue Jays and the Philadelphia Phillies to World Series titles.
He has said that he is not interested ...
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