Early rumors flying out of the winter GM meetings in Chicago are all over the board concerning free agents, trades, and declining profits. But the most consistent noise on Monday was surrounding Chicago Cubs outfielder Milton Bradley.
Bradley? Consistent noise? Really?
The Hot Stove features one rumor being reported by a number of sources and it appears to have some legs to it. Three teams would be involved, with three players changing uniforms.
In Toronto, Lyle Overbay's contract has lasted longer than his welcome. The Blue Jays unloaded Alex Rios to the White Sox last summer, and are continuing to try their best ...
Reports out of Philadelphia Friday are that the National League Champion Phillies will not pursue an extension with Brett Myers.
Myers, once the top of the Philadelphia rotation, fell out of favor over the last couple years because of injuries and off-the-field issues. He spent some time as the Phillies closer before Brad Lidge was acquired as well.
Myers, 29, appeared in 18 games for the Phillies in 2009, starting 10 games and throwing 70.2 innings. He posted a 4-3 record with a 4.84 ERA and .272 batting average allowed. He struck out 50 batters, while 23 received a free pass.
The Chicago Cubs ...
On Friday morning, the Chicago White Sox continued moving their roster pieces around before free agency begins by buying out right fielder Jermaine Dye .
Should Chicago's other team consider adding the 2005 World Series MVP?
The Cubs are in an awkward situation with their outfield right now. They have Kosuke Fukduome, and Alfonso Soriano likely to be back, and Milton Bradley under contract but on the chopping block.
The Cubs are also under new ownership, and the Ricketts family's vision for the team has not been made public yet. Sure, they had a press conference and said they wanted to win a ...
A whisper leaked out of Arizona on Wednesday that Chicago Cubs' left-hander Ted Lilly underwent arthroscopic shoulder surgery on Tuesday and isn't expected to return until April.
Great. [Collective sigh from Chicago's North Side.]
Here we go again.
So how does the knowledge that Lilly's now expected to likely miss the first month of the season impact the Cubs as they approach this important winter?
Let's examine a few scenarios.
The first issue that arises is, obviously, Lilly missing starts. You can now assume Lilly's only going to be good for around 25 starts in 2010, which eliminates a lot of imagination from the Cubs ...
Reports are flying out of Arizona, where the Chicago Cubs are having their first winter management meetings with new owner Tom Ricketts, that apparently 2009 hasn't bottomed out just yet.
Apparently, the team's only All Star might be a question mark to begin the 2010 season.
That's right folks, it appears that Ted Lilly had arthroscopic surgery on his left (pitching) shoulder yesterday. The Cubs aren't releasing a lot of details, obviously, but they did say they hope Lilly's ready "within the month of April."
Hold up...the last time I checked, the season starts at the beginning of April.
Lilly is entering the final ...
On Friday morning, the Chicago Cubs introduced their new owners to the media and the world with a press conference from a rainy Wrigley Field. The 35 minutes of questions and answers was informative, humorous, and encouraging for not only Cubs fans, but any baseball fans.
Tom Ricketts, the leader of the Ricketts Family, gave a brief introduction statement in which he outlined three points for Cubs fans under which they will work moving forward:
1. "We're going to win a World Series"
2. They love Wrigley Field, and will do anything to preserve and improve the stadium.
3. They love the city of ...
First of all, here's a link that will help us establish a proper frame of reference. The sheet attached is from Cot's Baseball Contracts, a valuable source for contract information for baseball players. It breaks down the 2010 financial obligations of the Chicago Cubs.
According to this breakdown, the Cubs are already obligated to $119 million in 2010, a number that's down from the nearly $135 million it reached this past season.
There are a few glaring weaknesses that need to be addressed first and foremost. The biggest area of need for the Cubs is their bullpen. The team stands to lose ...
Reports out of Florida and Chicago are that investors in Naples, FL will propose to owner Tom Ricketts that the Cubs' Spring Training facilities move from Mesa, AZ to Naples as soon as 2013.
The Cubs' existing contract, a 25-year lease in Mesa, expires in 2016, but the Cubs can buy out of the deal after 2012 for a reported $4.2 million.
A move to Naples would put the Cubs in the neighborhood of teams such as the Yankees and Twins, who play their spring ball on Florida's west coast.Read more Chicago Cubs news on BleacherReport.com
ESPN's Buster Olney is reporting that, when Tony LaRussa returns to St. Louis to manage the Cardinals in 2010, he'll have a new hitting coach.
Mark McGwire.
That's right, the man once responsible for "saving baseball" with Sammy Sosa, and was later embarassed in front of Congress enough to disappear for a few years, will return to the game.
Which got me to thinking.... what are some things that a fly on the wall might hear in McGwire-led hitters meetings in St. Louis next year?Begin Slideshow
Two weeks ago, I begged other Cubs fans to watch John Lackey pitch this October.
After his performance both on the mound and leaving it Thursday night, I again step before Cubs Nation at large and submit that Lackey should be Cubs' GM Jim Hendry's top target in free agency this winter.
Lackey showed, yet again, that he's a big game pitcher. He came out dealing and battled through more miserable "work" from umpires to keep the Angels in the lead into the seventh inning.
In that seventh, after a fourth ball call for Jorge Posada that was (as least) questionable and then ...
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