O.K., finally the subject that everyone wants to talk about; the pitching. There is no question that the Cubs had a horrible game plan going into 2006.  The Cubs were hoping that Mark Prior would be ready at the start of the season, and that Kerry Wood and Wade Miller would join the rotation in May.  This would have given the Cubs a rotation of Zambrano, Prior, Wood, Miller, Maddux, and Glendon Rusch.  The Cubs were hoping that Rusch and Jerome Williams would be able to be to eat up some inning until Miller and Wood were off the DL.  Well, we all knew how that turned out.  Kerry Wood and Mark Prior, combined to make 13 starts. Eight rookie pitchers started, and at the end of the season, of the five pitchers in the rotation on Opening Day, only Carlos Zambrano and Marshall finished there. 

Apperantly the Cubs have finally learned there lesson, and for the first time in a long time, they will not be counting on Wood or Prior to be in the rotation.  GM Jim Hendry’s goal is to make the rotation five-deep with proven options before getting to Prior.  This is going to be hard since the Cubs really have only two guys who they know will be in the rotation when the season starts, Zambrano and Rich Hill.  That leaves three spots that the Cubs have to fill.  Unfortunately, the free agent market is thin and the Cubs don’t have much to offer in the form of trade bait. 

Zito and Schmidt

The top two free agent pitchers on the market are Barry Zito and Jason Schmidt.  Zito wants to stay on the west coast or go to the Mets, to be reunited with his old pitching coach.  Zito has pitched over 200 innings every season since 2003.  He is always in double digits in victories, with 16 of them this season.  It would be nice to have that type of durability, but many people think that Rich Hill may evantually turn into a Zito-type starter.   The other big name that is still on the market is Jason Schmidt.  When he was on the top of his game, he was a great pitcher, but injuries have slowed him down some.  Still,he managed to pitch 200 inning this year and had 11 victories.  Before arm trouble limited him to 12 wins in 2005, Schmidt had 17 victories in 2003 and 18 victories in 2004.   Will Schmidt be able to get back up over 16 victories a  year? Sports Illustrated and the San Francisco Chronicle reported that the Cubs have made a 3 year 45 million dollar offer for Schmidt.  Hendry disputed the $45 million figure but didn’t deny that the club was pursuing Schmidt.  If Schmidt is going to make 15 million a year, and be a legitimate number 2 starter behind Zambrano, he better be able to. 

There are other pitcher that Hendry has had his eye on besides Zito and Schmidt, and I will take a look at those on Thursday.  Let’s see if Jason Schmidt is a Cub by Friday.

With the Cubs looking to put Alfonso Soriano in right field, and with Juan Pierre signing with the Dodgers, the Cubs are still in need of a center fielder.  I blogged about possible choices in center field before Thanksgiving, and a few things have changed.  The five free agent options we looked at were Gary Matthews Jr, Julio Lugo, Dave Roberts, Jay Payton, and Kenny Lofton.  Now you can take Gary Matthews Jr out of the mix.  He signed a five year 50 million dollar contract with the LA Angels.  That leaves Roberts, Payton, Lugo, and Lofton still in the mix.  The one X factor when discussing center field is Felix Pie.  Pie is the top rated minor league prospect in their farm system. The Cubs are very protective of him and do not want to rush him into the major leagues.  Some people feel that is what hurt Corey Patterson.  The belief is that Pie will be ready to debut as the Cubs full time center fielder in the 2008 season.  This is one of the reasons that the Cubs did not aggressively pursue Matthews Jr.  It is also preventing them from signing Dave Roberts, who is also looking for a multi-year deal.  This leaves Julio Lugo and Kenny Lofton as the two best free agents to fill the role.  Lofton is getting long in the tooth, but if Pie makes significant progress this year, he may be called up and could share time in center field with Lofton.  Lofton could help Pie learn the game and the position and it’s possible to sign Lofton to a one year deal.  Last year he batted .301 with 32 steals and 79 runs scored in 129 games and would be able to hit behind Soriano.  The other option is Julio Lugo.  Lugo is 31, has played with Pinella before, is extremely athletic, and could lead off.  When Pie is ready to come up from the minors, Lugo could then move back to short stop, since the Cubs have Cesar Izturis under contract until 2008.  The only trouble with signing Lugo is that he another right handed hitter, leaving Jacque Jones as the teams lone left handed hitter.  Still plenty of time.

Left Field

With Soriano in right, and a free agent in center, who plays left field?  Jacque Jones is the only left handed bat in the lineup and the Cubs gave him a three year 16 million dollar deal, so it is unlikely that he will sit on the bench.  I really hope they don’t think he can play center field.  With his weak throwing arm, he would be less of a defensive liability in left field.  Jones also can’t hit lefties.  His average against lefties was a measly .234, while his average against righties is .303.  If the Cubs go with Jones, then what happens to Murton?  He showed a lot of patience at the plate, and led the team in batting average.  Trouble with Murton is that he doesn’t have a lot of power, but do you need more power in a lineup that has Lee, Ramirez, and Soriano?    There is a lot of talk about platooning Jones and Murton in left field, with Jones hitting against righties and Murton hitting against lefties.  Murton is consistent, hitting .301 against lefties and .295 against righties.  Having either of these guy pinch hit or act as a DH against American league teams would be great.  It will be interesting to see what Pinella does.

With the big Winter GM meetings beginning in one week, I will try to address the issue that has so many Cubs fans so nervous.  Pitching.

GO Cubs!

Well, another Thanksgiving has come and gone, and as I laid down on the couch and had a few more glasses of wine, I thought about all the things that I have to be thankful for as a Cubs fan over the past year.  I have compiled a list of things that me as a Cubs fan has to be thankful for this last year.  Tomorrow I will continue to look at the out field situation and then on Sunday, I will write about the topic that is on everyones mind, the pitching.  Now to the Thanksgiving list.

Crawly’s Reasons Top 10 Reasons for A Cubs Fan to be Thankful

#10-The Cubs Freeze Season Ticket Prices

After years of climbing, the Cubs decided to freeze their season ticket prices.  Someone in the front office realized that after 2006, it would be a slap in the face to charge us even more after such a disastrous season.  The Cubs have the second highest ticket prices in all of baseball (behind the Red Sox), and it is becoming more and more difficult for true Cubs fans to be able to afford to go to a game.  Sure, corporations can still afford to buy blocks of tickets, but when things go bad, they won’t show up.  Lower the prices so that true Cubs fans have a chance to go to a game.  And about those beer prices……!

#9-The White Sox Didn’t Make It Back To The Playoffs

After having to hear every White Sox fan crow about winning the World Series in 2005, they looked destined to repeat after the Jim Thome signing.  Luckily, the pitching didn’t hold up, the hitting went cold, and the Sox finished in third.  If they would have made it to the playoffs back to back, we never would have heard the end of it.

#8-The Return Of Mark Grace

In an August 4th game versus Arizona, former Cubs first baseman Mark Grace sang the seventh inning stretch.  It made not have seemed like a big deal, but it was the first signs of a reconciliation between Grace and the Cubs since the bad split the Cubs had with Grace since not resigning him in 2000.  There is plenty of blame to go around on both sides, but it was nice to see Gracie back.  Grace also opened up the possibility of attending the Cubs Convention.  Let’s wait and see.

#7-Wait Till Next Year HBO Documentary

Cubs fans got a treat when HBO decided to do an HBO documentary on the history of the Chicago Cubs.  The documentary, produced by Joe Lavine, was a treat that showed the history of the Cubs as told by the players and fans.  There was great footage of different moments in Cubs history and gave people outside of Chicago a window of what it is like to be a Cubs fan.  Everyone is hoping for a follow up after the Cubs win it all this year.

#6-Aramis Ramirez Resigns as a Cub

After the deadline passed and Ramirez officially became a free agent, I had no hope that he was going to return as a Cub.  I have many issues about Aramis, but there is no denying that he has a lot of talent.  What was missing was good coaching, which the Cubs now have.  I am hoping the new coaching staff will help motivate him, that he stays healthy, and that he is finally able to turn the corner and start out the way he finishes.  He could have gone elsewhere for more money, but he chose to stay here. That counts for something.

#5-The Cubs sign Alfonso Soriano

As a Cubs fan, I have watched scores of big name free agents come and go, and the Cubs picking up mediocre free agents instead.  The signing of Soriano, the most coveted free agent on the market, shocked most baseball fans, especially Cubs fans.  Yes, Soriano also has things that he needs to work on, but how can you say that he is not that great of a player.  He is one of the few players to join the 40-40 club, is going to be a great lead off man, and can hopefully develop into a great right fielder.  This was an important and necessary move by the Cubs and will give the home opener plenty of electricity.

#4-The Cubs Hire Lou Pinella

As many of you know, I was lobbing hard for the Cubs to sign Joe Girardi as manager of the Cubs, but after seeing the influence that Lou has had over the Cubs front office, I have to say that Lou was the right choice.  To get Lou, the Cubs had to make assurances that there would be some changes.  Girardi would never would have had that type of pull.  Players are excited to play for Lou, and he is attracting all sorts of players to the Cubs.  I believe that Lou will have the Cubs playing better fundamental baseball and that there will finally be some accountability for mistakes and behavior.

#3-Andy MacPhail resigns

Nothing against Andy, but it wasn’t happening.  He had his chance but he failed to get the Cubs to win a World Series.  As GM, he made many questionable move, and as president, he just didn’t do enough.  I am sure that one day MacPhail will become the commissioner of baseball and I hope he has success.  Watching the Trib get rid of him was the beginning of the shakeup that has been needed for a long time.

#2-The Cubs Do Not Renew Dusty Baker’s Contract

There was so much promise when he came, but he failed to deliver.  Dusty’s act got very old, and watching him mismanage the Cubs in the playoff in 2003 is something I will never forgive him for.  He was outcoached so many times it was embarrassing.  He ran Prior and Wood into the ground, he was too loyal to players, he allowed ridiculous club house behavior, there was no accountability, and the fundamentals were awful.  Thank God that Dusty is gone and I hope I don’t have to hear anymore of his stupid comments.

#1-The 2006 Season Is Over and Behind Us

Things could not have been more disappointing.  After sweeping the Cardinals in our first homestand, the season just went to pot.  Derek Lee’s injury, the worst month of May ever, whining, complaining, and finishing last, even behind Pittsburgh, in the NL Central and finishing with the worst record in the National League despite a 97 million dollar payroll.  It was tough, but it’s over.

Finally….

Finally, I would like to thank all of you Cubs fans for taking time out of your day to check out the lastest Cubs news here at Crawly’s Cub Kingdom.  Keep on reading and let’s win us a Word Series

Go Cubs!

With the signing of Alfonso Soriano, Juan Pierre packed his bags for L.A.  Juan was a good player with a great work ethic, but he was not worth the 5 year 45 million dollar deal the Dodgers are about to give him.  It still kills me that we gave the Marlins three pitchers for him, especially Ricky Nolasco.  So now that he is gone, the question is; what will the Cubs outfield look like?

Initial reports had Soriano playing first, but luckily the Cubs realized that might not be the best idea.  Sources said they may instead move Soriano to right field to take advantage of his strong arm. Soriano had 22 assists in his first year in left last year, and said he doesn’t care where he plays. 

With Soriano in right, that leaves center and left field.  Let’s look at center field today;

Option #1-Kenny Lofton

Lofton came along with Ramirez and brat basher Randell Simon.  Lofton was a clubhouse leader during the second half of 2003, when the Cubs made their run to the playoffs.  He is a little bit old (39), but the Cubs could use a smart player like him who still has speed and can move a runner over.  Last year he batted .301 with 32 steals and 79 runs scored in 129 games. Could he play the whole season in center at his age?  He bats left handed and the Cubs are in need of some left handed bats.

Option #2-Gary Matthews Jr

Could Gary Matthews Jr come back for a second tour of duty with the Cubs?  Well, he is coming off a career year, and he is going to attempt to cash in.  He hit .313 with 102 runs scored, 44 doubles, 19 home runs, 79 RBIs, 10 stolen bases and a .371 on-base percentage. He is also a switch hitter.  The Angels reportedly offered him a five year 55 million dollar deal.  Is he going to have another year like last year, or is he going to decline in production.  He can still flash the leather though.

Option # 3-Julio Lugo

Although Lugo is a short stop, many people believe he is athletic enough to play center field.  He played for Pinella in Tampa and might want to rejoin Uncle Lou.  Lugo hit .278 with 12 homers, 37 RBIs and 24 steals in 122 games in 2006, but struggled after being traded to the Dodgers. He is 31 and is seeking a four year 32 million dollar deal. He hits right handed.

Option #4- Dave Roberts

Dave Roberts played every position in the outfield for San Diego last year.  He was also one of the top lead off hitters and would be a great fit hitting behind Soriano.  Another guy who had a career year last season, he hit .293 with 49 stolen bases and 51 walks.  He also bats left handed.

Option #5-Jay Payton

Payton played all three outfield spots last year for the Oakland A’s and led the team with a .296 batting average, with 10 home runs and 59 RBI’s.  He will be 34 and made 4 million dollars last year.  He bats right handed.

Now there are more players available to play center field, but I chose the ones I thought would be the best fir.  I have heard rumors of Jacque Jones playing center, but I am hoping that no sane person in the organization is considering this. 

Does anyone have any better ideas? 

Thank you White Sox.  There, I said it.  As I am still in shock after the Soriano signing, I wondered where it all came from.  What made Hendry and the Cubs go on this crazy spending spree like never before in team history.  There is a saying that goes "to know happiness, sometimes one must know suffering."  Any Cubs fan can tell you that we have definitely had our share of suffering.  99 years of it to be exact.  From the Billy Goat to the College of Coaches to the Ball under Durham’s glove to Steve Bartman, it seems like Cubs fans have only known suffering.  They also say that sometimes you need to hit rock bottom.  That’s what happened to many Cubs fans when they saw the White Sox win the World Series.  I purposely did not watch the Series, because I didn’t want to give the White Sox the ratings, but I had someone in my neighborhood who blew off fireworks at his house every time the Sox won a game.  As I sat in my bed, lying in a catatonic state as I heard fireworks blasting all around me, I realized I had hit rock bottom.  It should have been us, I kept thinking, it should have been us.  We were so close. Five more outs.  When I saw the premiere of the HBO documentary, "Wait Til Next Year", having to watch the Cubs collapse in 2003 was like a punch in the stomach.  Everywhere I go, I still see people with White Sox World Series hats, tshirts, and the occasional Camero with a White Sox World Champions flag on it.  The anger, the frustration grew.  It hit a boiling point last season, when the White Sox’s AJ Pierzinski, hit a two run homer in the top of the ninth off of Ryan Dempster, that fans started throwing garbage on the field. 

Then it happened.

People stopped showing up.  Wrigley Field has long been a Mecca for baseball fans, but there on TV, for the whole world to see, were empty seats.  Not some empty seats, but a lot of them.  Not during the last game of the season, but in late July and August.  Sure the tickets were paid for, but people couldn’t get rid of them.  So, they chose to stay home rather than watch a bad baseball team.

Stay home rather than go to Wrigley Field.

That must have stung new club president John McDonough hard.  A lot of the success of the Cubs belongs to McDonough.   McDonough became the director of sales and promotions for the Chicago Cubs in 1983. This was at a time when the Cubs were drawing about 20,000 fans a year.  He worked his way up the managerial ladder and became the vice president of marketing and broadcasting for the Cubs in 1991. He started the first Beanie Baby promotion in professional sports, became the architect of the celebrity “guest conductor” 7th inning, was behind the creation of the Cubs Convention, and has watched the Cubs smash their own attendance figures over and over.  But after winning their first World Series since 1917, the White Sox ,who have only outdrawn the Cubs twice since 1984 came close to passing the Cubs in attendence.  They surpassed the Cubs in T.V. and radio ratings, and a recent poll revealed the White Sox to be Chicago’s favorite team, topping the Bears and the Cubs.

This has always been a Cubs town.  Period. I don’t care what anyone says or what anyone writes, the Cubs have been the undisputed champions of Chicago baseball ever since I can remember.  But times have changed.  The Cubs are no longer undisputed champions at all.  The Sox marketing, turning The Cell into a more family friendly place to see a ball game, and winning a championship has made a serious dent in the hierarchy of favorite Chicago teams.

McDonough, now the team president, wants it all back.  After he took over the role of president, McDonough said;

"My goal is singular. The purpose of why I’ve been asked to do this job is for the Cubs to win the World Series — not win the Wild Card or win the division or win the pennant. It’s time to win. It’s time to win the World Series.  I think we need to reward these tens of millions of fans who have waited for a long time," I just witnessed something miraculous. We’re 30 games under .500 and you see 30,000 people standing in unison at the last out singing, ‘Go, Cubs, Go,’ at the end, as if we had just clinched the division. They need to be rewarded, we need to win. We will win. We will win the World Series. The goal is to win consistently. Anything short of that, I will not be doing my job." 

When is the last time you remember the Cubs signing a top tier free agent?  Anybody?  Anybody?  A lot of people think that the Cubs are going on this crazy spending spree to help make the team become more valuable so they could sell it.  Maybe.  But I like to think that McDonough is genuine.  I believe that the signing of Soriano is a sign of things to come.  That the Cubs are going to be right there competing with Boston and the Yankees for the big name players.  I remember the hysteria when the Cubs almost made it to the World Series in 2003.  So does McDonough and the rest of the front office.  They had to shake things up, make a move, or they could have had a riot and this years Cubs Convention.  I got a feeling that Cubs fans are in a much better mood after this week.  And how do you think signing Soriano is going to affect single ticket sales?  The Cubs know that they need to get more pitching, and they will get it.  They haven’t come this far to stop short.  Again, maybe I am fooling myself.  Maybe the Cubs have ******** me in again, making me believe that this time things will be different.

Or maybe this is for real.

And maybe we have the White Sox to thank for it.

Do you believe in miracles?!  Am I dreaming?  Somebody pinch me!  It is being reported that the Cubs, yes our Cubs, have signed Alfonso Soriano.  So of the top three position players that were available on the free agent market, Aramis Ramirez, Alfonso Soriano, and Carlos Lee, the Cubs have signed two of them!  Soriano will become the highest paid Cub by signing an eight-year deal worth an estimated $136 million.  The deal is contingent on Soriano passing a physical, major league sources said, and is expected to be announced on Monday.  It will  be the richest deal in Cubs history.  Soriano has a career .280 average, 208 home runs and 560 RBIs, with 210 stolen bases,   After a year when the Cubs had anemic power numbers and were outhomered at home by the oppostition, the Cubs now have three players who have hit 35 or more home runs in a season in their starting lineup.  Boy, when the Cubs talked about shaking things up, I never knew they were going to go this far.  When asked about the flurry of activity from the Cubs this off season, Jim Hendry replied ;

"We won 66 ballgames.  We darn sure better be aggressive. That’s what we told people we were going to do. We started with the manager we hired. We’ll do whatever we can that’s good for the ballclub. "

I will officially put Jim Hendry back on my Christmas card list after his dismal 2004 and 2005 off season.  Right now I am in shock. There were at least six other teams that were aggresively persuing Soriano.  He met with reps from the Phillies the other day, was rumored to be going to Houston, and was supposed to be the Angels top priority after not being able to sign Ramirez.  Last year, Soriano became a member of the 40-40-40 Club, 46 home runs, 41 stolen bases, and 41 doubles.  That was in cavernous RFK stadium.  Could you imagine how many home runs he would hit in hitter friendly parks like Wrigley Field, Minute Made Ball Park, or PNC? 

The Cubs have re-signed Ramirez, pitcher Kerry Wood , catcher Henry Blanco ,and Wade Miller. They also signed free-agent infielder Mark DeRosa to a and traded for left-handed reliever Neal Cotts.  Now Soriano. 

Let any talk about the Tribune being cheap or not caring about this team be put to rest.  Is this a risky move, especially considering it is an eight year deal?  Yes, but the complaint with the Trib is that they never go after the big free agent names, they always go after the over the hill, past their prime free agents.  Not anymore.

Now the talk is that Soriano would play left field.  No way can this happen.  Not for any team, especially the Cubs, who have one of the most difficult outfields to play in.  The smart move would be to unload Matt Murton, or use him as a bench player, and keep Soriano in left field.  What about center?  The Cubs could look at bringing up Felix Pie or resigning Juan Pierre.  They could also look for a free agent, like Kenny Lofton.  I think the best bet would be to bring Pie up.  All I know is that right now I am impressed and can’t wait for baseball to start.  Now the Cubs can really focus on their most pressing need, pitching. Could this be the start of something big?!  Is this our year?!  Is next year finally here? Stay tuned!!

  I got to admit, I did not see this coming.  The Cubs quickly signed free agent Mark DeRosa to a three year 13 million dollar contract.  Many thought that Texas would sign him or that the Giants might make an played with the Texas Rangers last season, hitting .296 with 13 home runs and 74 RBIs, all career bests.  He got his start with the Atlanta Braves in 2003, which helped contribute to his signing with the Cubs.  DeRosa said;

"I remember everything like it was yesterday.  I saw for myself in ’03 that that place is electric … Even at Turner Field, the Cub fans dominated in our ballpark. I felt like the Cubs had five home games."

DeRosa saw action at second, third, short, and both left and right field for the Texas Rangers last season and is slated to play second base, meaning that Ronnie Cedeno is looking at some stiff competition.  GM Jim Hendry, down in Naples, Florida for the annual GM meeting, really put Ronnie Cedeno’s feet to the fire. Hendry said;

"We certainly think Ryan Theriot will be in a quality spot to make the ballclub. Lou saw him and liked him. In the end, people will have to play to earn their time. Unfortunately, Ronny had a disappointing season.  He had won the job, won it in winter ball, won it in Spring Training. But he had a disappointing second half [and hit .229]. Ronny will have to fight to make the club. There will be jobs open, but he’ll have to fight for it. If somebody doesn’t make it, he’ll have to go back to [Triple-A] Iowa and play" .   

Wow!  You mean we are not going to have five second basemen on the team again this year!  And I though having Todd Walker, Jerry Harriston, Neifi Perez, Fredi Bynum all on the roster was such a brilliant move!

Hopefully this is the start of some accountability on a Cubs team that has been lacking it for many years.  I hope this sends the message that these guys better be ready to play.

Oh, Thank You Sooooo Much!

In a letter I recieved by email that went out to all season ticket holders, interim President John McDonough said the Cubs "recognize the importance of our season ticket-holders, and to reward you, we have frozen season-ticket prices for 2007."  Gee whiz John, after paying the second highest prices for tickets (behind the Red Sox) to watch a team with the worst record in the NL, how benevolent of you to not increase prices!  If you really wanted to do us a favor, you could have reduced the prices after all the pain and suffering we endured last season as you guys had your second highest attendence ever.  But like all good Cubs fans, I am willing to accept your tickets prices as long as the money goes into building a serious contender.

It appears things are going the right direction so far, so let’s keep it up.  Now let’s focus on pitching.

Yes Virginia, there is a Santa Claus!  Whew, who would have believed that the Cubs would have pulled it out.  Just when you thought that Ramirez was packing his backs for Cali, the Cubs are able to resign him.  Ramirez agreed to a 5-year, $73 million deal on Sunday with a mutual option for 2012.  I gotta tell you, it looked bleak.  Ramirez was on the open market, with the Angels and Dodgers both interested, and Ramirez’s agent, Paul Kinzerer, said that he was one of the top free agents and was going to seek a contract similar to Carlos Beltran’s seven-year, $119 million deal with the New York Mets .  The Cubs were already suffering from a severe power drought, being outhomered in their own ballpark.    Ramirez has hit 105 homers and driven in 314 runs in three full seasons in Chicago, and ESPN’s Keith Law ranked Ramirez as the "best all-around position player on the free-agent market this winter."  One problem with Ramirez has always been his slow start.  That was the same knock on Derek Lee, yet Lee was able to turn it around.  Hopefully Ramriez can do the same.  The second problem with Ramirez has been his conditioning.  He has had problems with his lower body and needs to come to camp in top physical shape.  The final problem with Ramirez, has been the idea that he dogs it.  He doesn’t hustle or run out grounders, or poses when he hits long fly balls.  The most famous incedent was when he posed after hitting a monster shot in Milwaukee, and then when it didn’t go out of the ball park, was thrown out at third.  That is what Lou Pinella was brought in to change.  The lazy attitude and lack of accountability that Dusty Baker brought to the team especially affected younger players like Ramirez.  I have heard glowing reviews of the way he handled Alex Rodriguez in Seattle.  I think having former minor league coach Mike Quade as third base coach will also be a big help.  This was the right move to make and barring anymore stupid opt out clauses, will ensure production at the third base spot for many years to come.

I mentioned the other day that a man’s word is his bond, and Ramirez kept true to his word about his commitment to the Cubs.  Yes, he opted out of his contract for more money, and that’s the nature of the business, unfortunately, but he could have gotten more money elsewhere.  According to Cubs GM Jim Hendry;

"At the end of the day (Ramirez) really did want to be here.  It’s not much secret that the figures being bantered around in his situation would’ve been much higher. I think that as good a deal as this obviously is for any player, I certainly believe there were six-or-seven-year deals out there for him, that certainly would’ve paid him $20-$30 million more than he got, guaranteed. He was the lucky beneficiary of being a free agent at a time when his services were certainly going to be needed by some quality clubs and some major market clubs. I think the people in Chicago would be glad to know that at the end of the day, he did leave a lot."

On the Same Note

Kerry Wood  agreed to a one-year, $1.75 million deal loaded with incentives that could add another $6 million to his salary.  One million dollars is really not much when you consider the Cubs had a 97 million payroll last year.  Wood has been constantly injured, and as long as the Cubs are not relying on him as a starter, I am fine with the move.  Wood could have also made some more money on the open market, with a team willing to take a gamble on his health.  Wood said in an interview on WGN 720 that he felt that he owed the organization for all that money he got and not pitching that much.  I hope that Kerry can come back and be a great pitcher again.  If not, it doesn’t cost you all that much. 

Hopefully this is the first of a few big moves for Jim Hendry.  I would still like to see the Cubs make a run at Alfonso Soriano.  With Wood’s contract eleven million less than last season, and Maddux gone, why not make a run at him?  And pitching, Lord, let’s not forget the pitching. 

But for now, I will remain happy and leave the worrying for tomorrow!

Well, he’s officially a free agent.  I will be watching the new reports all day to see what happens.  The L.A. Angels supposedly have a mega offer for Ramirez ready to send to Ramirez and his agent, with the Dodgers not far behind.  I am trying to be patient and optimistic, I am also simmering that the deal wasn’t finished, and that the reports are that the Boston Red Sox have attained the right to negotiate with Matsuzaka. I will post updates all day regarding the status of Aramis.