Manny to the Cubs???

Buster Onley says Cubs and Astros as possibilities. The Cubs have promising young players like Donald Veal, Felix Pie, Carlos Marmol, and Sean Gallagher to offer. The Astros might offer players such as Jason Hirsh, Brad Lidge, Chris Burke, Luke Scott, or Willy Taveras. Certainly seems like Houston could offer a better package.

If the cubs could land Manram that would be a huge boost in the offensive department.. his feilding is questionable but we delt with jones last year didnt we?? Wouldnt be bad but i dont wanna give up Pie or Veal in a deal like Buster states.

Red Sox offer Drew, Cubs match it

Tracy Ringolsby of the Rocky Mountain News has overheard a few possible offers to free agents.
He says that J.D. Drew is "expected to sign a two-year, $30 million deal with Boston." It makes sense for the Sox to pay an extra $2MM or so annually to keep the years down on this deal.

Meanwhile, in a separate article, Larry LaRue writes, "Boston has offered J.D. Drew a huge contract - and Lou Piniella's Cubs have matched it."

While i dont feel like Drew is a 15 mil guy.. he can do nothing but help the cubs. Hes a left handed bat with power, great outfield arm, and is a rbi machine!!!

I have a feeling here will be at least an announcement today that we signed a impact player, or at least traded for one.. Just a hunch tho.

Rumors

I have recieved many emails stating the same thing from different people(or so i assume) .Here's the unfound rumors i have been hearing.

-The cubs are set to complete the Westbrook trade with cleveland. It is said that the deal will involve bynum, marshall, and Ohman for Westbrook. (4 different emailers)

This would be huge for the Jim Win Now Campaign.. He has fithy stuff and will create alot of ground balls at Wrigley

- The cubs have made offers to Gil Meche and Jason Marquis. The numbers werent mentioned in the email i recieved but if this is true you gotta think prior wont be ready by spring time or a trade will come shortly after the signing.


- The cubs have met with Soraino's agent already this week and will meet with Soriano and his agent today to exchange numbers. The emailer also stated that the cubs will make an offer to the impact player.

Wow how big would this be if the cubs all did this before the weekend! we will have to see how things unfold in the coming hours and days!!

White Sox send Cotts to Cubs for Aardsma, Vasquez

The Chicago Cubs' search for relief pitching didn't leave the city limits.

The Cubs acquired left-handed reliever Neal Cotts from the Chicago White Sox on Thursday in exchange for relief pitcher David Aardsma and minor-league pitcher Carlos Vasquez.

Cotts made a career-high 70 appearances for the White Sox last season, going 1-2 with a 5.17 earned-run average. He was 4-0 with a 1.94 ERA in 2005 and earned a win in the White Sox's four-game sweep of the Houston Astros.

In four major-league seasons, all with the White Sox, Cotts is 10-7 with a 4.52 ERA and one save in 199 appearances. In 193 innings he has allowed 178 hits and 106 runs (97 earned) while striking out 169 and walking 100.

Aardsma was 3-0 with a 4.08 ERA in 45 appearances for the Cubs last season, while Vazquez has spent his entire career in the Cubs' minor-league system.

Aardsma made 45 appearances with the Cubs in 2006, going 3-0 with a 4.08 ERA. In two seasons with the Giants and Cubs he's 4-0 with a 4.52 ERA in 56 games.

It's the first trade between the Cubs and White Sox since the White Sox sent Matt Karchner to Wrigley Field in exchange for Jon Garland on July 29, 1998.

My 2007 Cubs Team

CF Julio Lugo (The Cubs are trying to sign him and move him to CF) 8 mil
2B Mark Derosa 3 mil
1B Derrek Lee 13 mil
3B Aramis Ramirez 14 mil
LF Alfonso Soriano (Soriano would fill a big hole in the 5th spot) 16 mil
RF Jacque Jones 5.3 mil
C Michael Barrett 4 mil
SS Caesar Izturis 3.3 mil

Bench:
Pagan .33 mil
Murton .34 mil
Theriot .33 mil
Cedeno .34 mil
Blanco 2.5 mil

Starting Rotation:
SP Carlos Zambrano 9 mil
SP Jason Jennings 3.5 mil or Jake Westbrook 3.75 mil ((Trade)Both eat up inngings and both are groundball sp)
SP Gil Meche 8 mil (Former Seattle starter still in his 20's and has potential)
SP Rich Hill .33 mil
SP Mark Prior 3.6 mil or Wade Miller 1 mil

Relievers:
Cl Kerry Wood 2 mil
S Ryan Dempster 5.17 mil
S Bob Howry 4 mil
RP Scott Eyre 3.67 mil
RP Octavio Dotel 2 mil (Dotel use to be great, he's coming back from an arm injury and is looking to succeed)
RP Glendon Rusch 3.25 mil

*Trade: Wuertz, Marshall, & Novoa for Westbrook or Jennings*

Total: $115,890,000

Cubs | Pitching help high on Piniella's wish list

The Chicago Tribune's Phil Rogers reports Chicago Cubs manager Lou Piniella wants to add two starting pitchers to his rotation, out of a list of about six to eight possible additions. That list is believed to be headed by free agents Ted Lilly (Blue Jays), Miguel Batista (Diamondbacks), Vicente Padilla (Rangers) and Japanese lefty Kei Igawa. Gil Meche (Mariners) is another possibility. "I was really impressed with the information we had on these guys at the organizational meetings," Piniella said. "Our guys in the scouting department have done a great job. … Now we just have to go out and get some players."

Cubs News & Notes

-The Cubs, the most aggressive club at the general managers' meetings, are just getting started.
-The team's ideal blueprint, according to new manager Lou Piniella, includes the addition of two more hitters and two starting pitchers.
-If they signed free agent Alfonso Soriano, their No. 1 target, to play center, they likely would add a lesser outfield bat to alternate with Jacque Jones and Matt Murton.
-Soriano figures to cost at least $90 million. A free-agent starting pitcher such as Ted Lilly or Gil Meche also will be expensive. The Cubs plan to trade for a second starter.
-Perhaps the most fascinating development in the aftermath of the DeRosa signing is that the Cubs continue to pursue free agent Julio Lugo, whom they envision batting leadoff and possibly moving to center field, according to major-league sources.
-Lugo, a shortstop for most of his career, probably would fit with the Cubs only if the team failed to land Soriano. He has played just one game in center, but he's a terrific athlete and high-energy player who was a favorite of Piniella's with the Devil Rays.
-The Cubs also could trade shortstop Cesar Izturis, perhaps to the Red Sox, to create a spot for Lugo. Izturis, however, is valued for his defense - he won a Gold Glove in 2004 and was an All-Star in '05.
-DeRosa will be the Cubs' regular at second and occasionally fill in at other positions; he turned down a chance to be the Giants' starting third baseman to sign with the Cubs, according to a source with knowledge of his offers.

Cub Sign Mark DeRosa

A report coming from cubs.com, the Cubs are close to signing Mark DeRosa to a three year, 13 million dollar deal. DeRosa batted .296 with 13 home runs and 74 RBIs while playing six positions for the Rangers last season. He is expected to be the regular second baseman for the Cubs. This is a great signing for the Cubs who are in need of an everyday second baseman while Ronny Cedeno and Ryan Theriot can mature.


Source: cubs.com

Also, the Cubs have talked with the Cleveland Indians about Cliff Lee and Jake Westbrook in exchange for a reliever.

Source: ESPN 1000

Jay Payton to Cubs?

According to KNBR radio in San Francisco the Cubs have made an offer to free agent outfielder Jay Payton, it is said to be a three yeardeal, no dollar figure was given.
This is from the espn boards. With Lou saying he wanted a strong bench, i find this one easy to believe. What do you think ?

Bruce Levine reports Cubs main pieces are Soriano, Schmidt

670-AM news reporter Bruce Levine said today during a segment that the Chicago Cubs would be major players in the Alfonso Soriano and Jason Schmidt sweepstakes...whether that happens or not we'll find out soon enough.

Cubs Contact LHP Ted Lilly

The Cubs still want to add two starting pitchers, and free-agent left-hander Ted Lilly appears to be one of their principal targets. The team has made early contact with Lilly's agent, Larry O'Brien, who describes the Cubs as an "intriguing" possibility.
O'Brien is familiar with new Cubs manager Lou Piniella; his brother, former major-league first baseman Pete O'Brien, played for Piniella with the Mariners in 1993.

Lilly, 30, also is drawing significant interest from NL West clubs, O'Brien said. Lilly might prefer a west-coast team; his wife, Tasha, will be a third-year veterinary student at the University of California at Davis next season.

Piniella Unveils Cubs Offseason Plans...

In an interview with USA Today, new manager Lou Piniella listed Alfonso Soriano, Gary Matthews Jr., Schmidt and Zito as the free agents the Cubs are pursuing this winter and conceded that Juan Pierre may be gone. Boston, the Los Angeles Angels, Arizona and the White Sox are expected to pursue Matthews as well. How he feels about his father being let go as the Cubs' first-base coach obviously will affect how Matthews feels about signing with the Cubs.

Report: Cubs Offer J.D. Drew 3 years 40 million

A report coming out of a L.A. radio station is saying that the Cubs have offered J.D. Drew a 3 year 40 million dollar deal. That is 13,300,000 a year. He batted .283 with 20 home runs and 100 RBI's with OBP of .393. In my views this would be a great signing for the cubs. Not only does it make our lineip better with Drew most likely hitting in the 5th spot but it would also make our defense better as Drew would probably be our best outfielder Defensively. This also takes some heat off Jim Hendry and allows him to pursue Free agent starting pitchers such as Barry Zito and Jason Scmidt.

Cubs re-sign Ramirez, Wood

In the end, Aramis Ramirez decided to stay put.

Coming off a career year at the plate, the third baseman gave up a chance to explore the free-agent market, agreeing Sunday to a $73 million, five-year contract with the Chicago Cubs.

On the first day free agents could negotiate money with all 30 teams, oft-injured pitcher Kerry Wood also opted to stay with the Cubs, agreeing to a $1.75 million, one-year deal that could be worth up to $6 million.

Ramirez, who initially joined the Cubs midway through the 2003 season in a trade with the Pirates, had opted out of the final two seasons of a $42 million, four-year contract and filed for free agency on Oct. 30. His new deal contains a mutual option for 2012.

"He proved to Chicago that when you leave $20 million or $30 million on the table, it's where you want to go," Cubs general manager Jim Hendry said. "Both sides gave a little bit at the end."

Ramirez set career highs last season for homers (38) and RBI (119) and batted .291, thanks to a strong finish.

After a slow start, when the Cubs were struggling with star first baseman Derrek Lee was on the disabled list, Ramirez went on to bat .328 with 22 homers and 67 RBI after the All-Star break. In his three-plus seasons with Chicago, Ramirez has hit .298 with 120 homers and 353 RBI.

"When we spoke at the end of the year, I felt like he wanted to be back here," Hendry said. "Not only does he like it here, he has the faith we will get better."

The Cubs, who finished 66-96 and in last place in the National League, already have underdone a major overhaul in the six weeks since the season ended. They didn't renew manager Dusty Baker's contract, chief executive officer Andy MacPhail resigned and then Hendry hired Lou Piniella as his new manager.

Chicago also might like to re-sign center fielder Juan Pierre and backup catcher Henry Blanco and could be interested in a big-name free agent like Alfonso Soriano.

Wood, the 1998 NL Rookie of the Year, has been bothered by arm problems throughout his career. He made just four starts last season and has been rehabbing a torn rotator cuff.

Chicago had declined a $13.5 million option on Wood, opting instead to pay a $3 million buyout.

He struck out 20 Houston Astros in his fifth major league start. Now 29, Wood has a 71-55 record in 178 starts but because of injuries has never reached the level many expected. He missed the entire 1999 season after elbow ligament replacement surgery.

He will be converted to a relief pitcher -- he pitched out of the bullpen briefly in 2005 -- and his performance bonuses are based on games pitched, games finished and time on the 25-man roster.

Hendry said there was a "lot of action" on Wood, and he also accepted less money to return.

"He threw last week. He's coming along very well. His arm is looking good," Hendry said. "It's a long way from spring training. But we're very encouraged on how he is throwing the ball."

Earlier in the week, the Cubs re-signed Wade Miller, agreeing to a $1.5 million, one-year deal that also includes incentives. Miller missed most of last season while recovering from shoulder surgery and made five starts. He will compete for a job in the rotation.

The three signings give the Cubs a jump-start headed into the general managers' meetings and a relief for Hendry, who doesn't have to fill what would been a major hole in the lineup if Ramirez had left.

"To go out and find someone who you know can hit 3-4-5 to take Aramis' place is no small task," Hendry said.


http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2659250