MLB Trade Rumors: Dempster, Garza, Grienke & More

The MLB non-waiver trade deadline is less than a week away. The rumors are swirling and the buyers and sellers are yet to be set in stone. The extra wild-card spot has generated more buyers this year.

The NL Central bottom dwellers are destined to be the most active sellers. The Houston Astros have already made a few deals and the Milwaukee Brewers and Chicago Cubs are the teams who have the most rumored marquee players on the trading block.

Can Chicago finally find a few home for Ryan Dempster? Will the Atlanta Braves and Los Angeles Dodgers acquire pitching help?

Here are the latest MLB trade rumors gaining the most traction.

- The Dodgers have a leg up on the competition to acquire Dempster. Chicago has asked for minor-league pitcher Allen Webster. If Los Angeles don't want to part with him, they have Zack Grienke and Josh Johnson in their sights.

- Grienke's list of suitors keeps growing as Milwaukee keeps losing games. Atlanta Braves, Los Angeles Angels, Texas Rangers, and Chicago White Sox all occupy that list. Atlanta and Texas have the best top-tier prospects, but Grienke would have to agree to sign an extension if Milwaukee hopes to get the maximum return for him.

- Josh Johnson is another pitcher on many teams' wishlist. The Miami Herald doesn't believe a deal will happen unless they get an offer too good to turn down. They have already dealt Hanley Ramirez to the Dodgers, so anything is possible.

- The Cincinnati Reds are looking to acquire a speedy outfielder. The Minnesota Twins' Denard Span and Philadelphia Phillies' Juan Pierre are their top trade targets. Span has more tools than Pierre, but would cost more. The Washington Nationals are rumored to be looking at Span as well, so a small bidding war could take place.

- The Twins hot and cold starter, Francisco Liriano, could land on the team who loses out on the Garza, Dempster, and Grienke sweepstakes. The St. Louis Cardinals, Washington, Texas and both Los Angeles teams are rumored to be scouting him. He is a high-risk/high-reward player, but a team wouldn't have to mortgage their future to obtain him.

- Matt Garza was supposed to be the belle of this year's trading deadline, but an average first-half have dulled trade offers. The best rumored offer has been a package from the Dodgers that would include 20-year old pitching prospect Zach Lee. Dempster's unwillingness to agree a trade to Atlanta has left Chicago in a difficult situation. The Dodgers appear to be his ideal destination, but a Dempster rental won't haul the level of prospects Chicago covets.

- The Los Angeles Angels are talking to the Tampa Bay Rays about pitchers Wade Davis and James Shields. Davis is a cheaper option and could pitch at the back-end of the rotation or come out of the bullpen.

- The New York Yankees aren't expected to trade for third base fill-in for Alex Rodriguez. Mark Reynolds and Chone Figgins would have been ideal candidates, but Eric Chavez is expected to take over the everyday role.

- Hoping to stay in the AL East division race, the Baltimore Orioles are hoping to land a mid-rotation starter. They are finding it difficult since every team is asking for top prospects Dylan Bundy and Manny Machado. They are rumored to be shopping prospects Jonathan Schoop and Xavier Avery, but aren't looking for a pitching rental. Jason Vargas, Joe Blanton, Shaun Marcum, and Liriano are the pitchers rumored to be Baltimore's trade targets.

- The shortstop trade market is saturated with starter-level talent. Stephen Drew, Yunel Escobar, Marco Scutaro, Jimmy Rollins, Jamey Carroll, Brendan Ryan, and Jed Lowrie are all on the trading block. The Pittsburgh Pirates, Boston Red Sox, Oakland A's, San Francisco Giants, Tampa Bay, and Milwaukee are all looking for shortstop help. Drew is getting the most interest from Pittsburgh and Boston.

- Justin Upton is no longer on the trading block. I didn't see the Arizona Diamondbacks being serious about trading their franchise player. They just wanted to see what kind of offers were out there.

- Milwaukee could deal Aramis Ramirez before July 31st. He is in the first year of a three-year deal. San Francisco and the Dodgers are in need of third base help. Los Angeles just acquired Hanley Ramirez, but he was a horrible third baseman in Miami.

Who Will the Cubs Get In Return for Ryan Dempster?

Going into the season, Matt Garza was predicted to be the prize of the trading deadline. He is still a major prize, but Ryan Dempster is the belle of the ball.

Dempster, who currently leads the Majors with a 1.86 ERA, is on the trading block and nearly every team has contacted the Chicago Cubs about acquiring him. He has the right to veto any trade and wants to pitch for a contender.

He is owed nearly $6 million for the rest of the season and the Cubs have said they would pick up most of the money if they receive an upgraded prospect in return.

Dempster has a short-list of teams where he would like to end up. Which teams are on that list and what are the Cubs looking to get in return for him?

FOX Sports is reporting that Dempster pinpointed the Los Angeles Dodgers and Atlanta Braves as his top destinations. He is rumored to be open to other destinations, which is good for the Detroit Tigers, Boston Red Sox, and Washington Nationals.

The Cubs have made it clear they want young pitching and/or a third base prospect. These teams will be renting Dempster, since he's a free agent at the end of the season. If they miss out on him, they will include many of these prospects in hopes of landing Garza.

Who can those teams offer? Let's take a look at who may be involved.

Detroit Tigers
The Cubs would LOVE to trade Matt Garza, Darwin Barney, and Dempster in a package to Detroit. They would ask for third base prospect Nick Castellanos, top pitching prospect Jacob Turner, and a few other young pitchers from the group of Bruce Rondon, Drew Smyly, Casey Crosby, Andy Oliver, and Brenny Paulino.

Detroit has all the right pieces to trade for any player currently on the Cubs roster.

Los Angeles Dodgers
The Dodgers have been very proactive on trying to acquire Dempster. They are rumored to have a deal currently on the table. No one knows which prospects are in the deal, but pitching is definitely the centerpiece.

The pitching prospects rumored in the deal begins with 20-year old Garrett Gould. He is the prospect most likely to be in the deal. Zach Lee, Nate Eovaldi, Allen Webster, and Chris Reed aren't as likely to be included, since L.A. thinks too highly of them to part ways.

A group of secondary pitching prospects that could be thrown in could include Aaron Miller, Angel Sanchez, Matt Magill, Chris Withrow, and Ryan O'Sullivan. The Dodgers are also trying to acquire Aramis Ramirez from Milwaukee and Shane Victorino from Philadelphia, so this group could all find new homes by August 1st.

Atlanta Braves
Even though Dempster would like to pitch in Atlanta, I don't see this deal happening. The Braves were looking hard at Zack Greinke, but Milwaukee's asking price was too high.

Atlanta is in a bad situation in the present day. They are finding it hard to trade for a veteran pitcher, since every team is asking for their stud pitching prospects in return. The group of Julio Teheran, Arodys Vizcaino and Sean Gilmartin are asked about in nearly every deal. If the Braves want Dempster, they would need to part with someone from that group. Using that reasoning, they could focus on cheaper talent, like Francisco Liriano or Jason Vargas.

Washington Nationals
Washington is in need of a veteran pitcher to fill-in for Stephen Strasburg, since he's on a innings limit this year. Their farm system isn't what it used to be. They have already called up most of their top-tier young talent.

Third base prospect Anthony Rendon is the only Nationals prospect in the Top 100 list that the Cubs would be interested in. The only pitching prospects they could include would be second-tier. Alex Meyer, Matt Purke, and Robbie Ray are those pitchers.

Boston Red Sox
The rumor out of Chicago is that Boston is scared to trade with Theo Epstein, because he knows their farm system so well. I would assume that Ryan Lavarnway would be asked about right away. Epstein isn't sold on Geovany Soto as the long-term catcher for the Cubs. There are big question marks about Lavarnway's defensive ability behind the plate, but he could be worth the risk.

The pitching prospect cupboard is pretty bare in Boston. Matt Barnes is the best pitcher in their farm system. If the Cubs trade with Boston, Epstein will get the most out of the trade. They may not get the young arms they covet, but other holes will be addressed.

If a mystery team ends up with Dempster, they will have given up a lot to leapfrog these teams.

Will Anthony Rizzo Save the Chicago Cubs?

The Chicago Cubs currently have the worst record in all of baseball (24-48) and are trying to build for the future. President of baseball operations Theo Epstein has stated that nearly every player is on the trading block. Ryan Dempster, Matt Graza, Bryan LaHair, and Alfonso Soriano are all expected to be traded by the end of July. The one ray of hope occurred over the weekend, the Cubs called up their #1 prospect Anthony Rizzo.

The Cubs received Rizzo when they traded Andrew Cashner to the San Diego Padres this off-season. Epstein drafted Rizzo when he was the Boston Red Sox GM and wanted him on the Cubs.

Will Rizzo make his Chicago debut tonight against Johan Santana and the New York Mets or will they hold off his debut until they face Dillon Gee or Jonathon Niese later in the series?

Rizzo has all the tools to be a dominant hitter in the Majors. He has crushed the ball in the minors with Triple-A slash line of .337/.406/.673. In 69 games this season with Iowa (PCL) he has 23 homers, 62 RBI, and a .345 batting average.

To put his numbers into prospective and be realistic, Bryan LaHair's 2011 Triple-A numbers were 38 homers, 109 RBI, with a .331 average through 129 games. LaHair has done well this year, but could end up being a 4-A player at the end of the day.

Rizzo had more than a cup of coffee with the Padres last season. He had a slash line of .141/.281/.242 with one homer in 128 at-bats. You could factor in that PETCO Park, San Diego's home park, wasn't suited for Rizzo's skill-set, but he didn't play every game at home.

Chicago could have started out the season with Rizzo as their starting first baseman, but they were smart by having him get his confidence back. He has a hot bat and Chicago could use it at the moment.

I doubt Rizzo will start in tonight's game against Santana, but he could be used to pinch-hit later in the game. The smart money is that he will start on Tuesday and Wednesday. Chicago has been using LaHair in the outfield lately and should be in the lineup when a right-hander is on the mound.

I warn Cubs fans to lower expectations at the beginning. We don't want another Felix Pie, Jerome Walton, Dwight Smith...(I could go on and on, but I don't want to cry this morning). He will be batting near the middle of the order with Soriano and Geovany Soto sandwiching him. He will be protected to start out (well, as much as you can in an anemic batting order.

Rizzo will not save the season, but if he can show that he can hit MLB pitching and give the fans something to build on, he will do very well at the Friendly Confines.

...let the "Grease" nicknames begin. I'll start, how about Anthony "Greased Lightning" Rizzo?

Are Trade Rumors Having a Negative Effect on Starlin Castro?

'America's White Boy' has been Starlin Castro Central over the past week. I had an opinion on the latest Chicago Cubs trade rumors that possibly involved Castro and had a post where I compared the current Castro situation to the 1988 trade Rafael Palmeiro.

Castro committed a pretty bad defensive gaffe when he didn't even attempt a double play because he thought he already recorded the third out of the inning. He held onto the ball and the tying run scored on the play. The Cubs lost 3-2 to the San Francisco Giants.

Chicago Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein shot down rumors they were shopping Castro. Trade rumors can affect a person's confidence even when they are not involved in the rumor.

What is the best way to deal with his lack of concentration? Is benching him the right answer?

Cubs manager Dale Sveum hinted that Castro could see himself out of the lineup tonight against the Milwaukee Brewers. Sveum has been vocal when the 22-year old has made a mistake and even called his last error "unacceptable."

This wasn't the only lapse in concentration that Castro has committed recently. He pulled up on a steal attempt because he thought Joe Mather had fouled off the pitch. Mather didn't make contact and Castro was caught in a rundown. He had a problem last season when Bobby Valentine, current manager of the Boston Red Sox and former ESPN baseball analyst, criticized him for not being set defensively when the pitcher threw the ball. Castro had his back to the play and was bashed by the rest of the media after Valentine pointed it out on live television.

Castro has been the only consistent offense for Chicago this year. Bryan LaHair and Alfonso Soriano have been hot at different times, but Castro has batted over .300 since Opening Day.

Chicago has one of the worst records in baseball (18-36) and it isn't going to get any better this year. They will be openly shopping Matt Garza, Ryan Dempster, Soriano and other players at some point in the season.

Castro needs to look at the team's struggle as a mental test. Unless you are Derek Jeter, a player isn't going to be on a winning team every year. If he handles losing poorly, he will not progress in his development. I hope Sveum continues to be hard on him. I believe he deserves to be benched for a couple games, but then openly praised if he comes back playing harder than ever.

The Cubs fans are rooting for you, Starlin. Please lead by example and your teammates will follow.

Starlin Castro Could Be Next Rafael Palmeiro

Last night, I wrote a post about the trade rumors that surround Starlin Castro. The post was informative with very little opinion. I am usually very opinionated when it comes to the Chicago Cubs. I have been a fan since I was old enough to understand what the hell Harry Caray was saying. I didn't add much opinion because I was shocked that two high-ranking members of the Cubs organization would tell USA Today's Bob Nightengale that "everyone but Jeff Samardzija is available."

Epstein refuted that statement late Thursday to The Sporting News by saying, "Starlin Castro is the type of player we're looking to build around. There has been no trade consideration with him, whatsoever."

Epstein's statement is "sports speak" and politically correct. This is coming from an executive who once traded Nomar Garciaparra in the middle of a pennant race.

I want to point out the similarities to Starlin Castro and Rafael Palmeiro, who the Cubs traded to the Texas Rangers in 1988 when he was a 23-year old. The Cubs received a package of six young prospects. Did I mention the Cubs also traded Jamie Moyer away in the same deal?

There is no doubt that Epstein has an itchy trigger finger. He wants to show Cubs fans that he is there to win.

If Starlin Castro is traded, could he be a part of the next Rafael Palmeiro trade disaster?

Let's take a look at the organization similarities in 1987-88 and 2011-12.

1987-88: The Cubs fired Dallas Green as the general manager and hired Jim Frey to take over the job. Frey previously worked in the Baltimore, Kansas City, and New York Mets organizations. He even worked under Green as the Cubs manager from 1984-86. He was not married to any player in the organization, especially Moyer and Palmeiro, who both made their professional debuts in '86...after Frey was fired.

2011-12: Jim Hendry, who had a great beginning to his GM tenure in 2003, fell short in his last few years on the job. After he fired Dusty Baker, he hired Lou Piniella as the team's savior. He couldn't do much with the talent. Expectations began to lower and fan frustration was on the rise. Hendry was finally fired after the 2011 season. The Cubs hired former Boston Red Sox's executive, Theo Epstein as the President of Baseball Operations. He then hired former San Diego Padres GM Jed Hoyer to take over the same position with the Cubs. Neither Epstein or Hoyer have any ties to young talent and/or the veterans on the 25-man roster.

The Cubs situation in both eras are parallel. A change in the front office and the desire to blow up the team and start fresh. Frey was already quite familiar with the Cubs organization. You would think that he would have tried to hold onto Palmeiro and Moyer, but Green acquired those players. Green was the GM who fired Frey and on a personal level, it could have swayed his decision to rid the team of some talent and get back younger players that could help the team in the future. He would get all of the credit for the turnaround.

Let's take a look at Rafael Palmeiro in 1986-88 and Starlin Castro in 2010-12.

Rafael Palmeiro in 1986-88: He was drafted in the first round of the 1985 amateur draft by the Chicago Cubs. He came up for a short time at the end of the 1986 season and showed plate discipline and a little pop. He was called up in June of 1987 and hit 14 home runs in only 221 at-bats. It was the first sign of his power numbers that he would later hit in his career. He came into the 1988 season as the starting left-fielder and played a little at first base. He hit .307 with eight home runs in 580 at-bats. His power numbers were down but he only struck out 34 times in 152 games. Palmeiro was showing all of his tools, but he only had four. His defense was a glaring hole in his game...the reason Frey used when he traded him in December of 1988.

Starlin Castro in 2010-12: He signed as an amateur free agent in 2006. He played 125 games in 2010 with a line of 3/41/.300. He finished fifth in the Rookie of the Year voting. In 2011, he came into his own and earned his first All-Star selection. He finished the year with a line of 10/66/.307 and had some votes for NL Most Valuable Player. He led the National League in hits with 207 in 2011. So far in 2012, he has a line of 4/32/.317 in 205 at-bats. He has the same questions about his defensive ability as Palmeiro had at the same point in their careers. He committed a total of 56 combined through 2010-11 and has already has 9 errors through the first 50 games in 2012.

If we go back to Nightengale's piece in the USA Today, the top ranking Cubs official said they would move Castro for "two impact prospects." I argued that he is only 22-years old and the impact free agents would be roughly his age with less MLB experience and a lower talent-ceiling.

Let's look at what GM Jim Frey got in return for Moyer, Palmeiro and pitcher Jim Hall in 1988.

The Cubs got back minor leaguers Luis Benitez and Pablo Delgado, pitchers Paul Kilgus, Mitch Williams, Steve Wilson and IF Curtis Wilkerson. At the time, they thought that their return on Moyer and Palmeiro was tremendous. Chicago had a lot of holes and Frey believed they would be a very talented team in the near future.

The pitchers in the deal, Kilgus, Williams and Wilson, were a combined 21-35 during their tenure with the team. Williams was an All-Star in 1989, but began to earn his "Wild Thing" nickname by becoming more unreliable in 1990. The Cubs traded him to the Phillies in 1991 for pitchers Chuck McElroy and Bob Scanlan...both of whom had longer tenures with the Cubs than any pitcher received in the Moyer/Palmeiro deal.

Benitez, Delgado and Wilkerson, the position players in the trade, contributed less than the pitchers. Benitez and Delgado never made it to the Majors with Chicago or any team for that matter. Wilkerson served as a utility player for two seasons. He only contributed one home run and a batting average that hovered near the Mendoza line.

Scouting has advanced greatly since 1988 and the odds of making such a terrible trade is lower. I just wanted to point out the dangers in trading young stars who have had early success in their careers.

Moyer had a winning record in his first season with the Cubs and went on to have a great career. He didn't pan out for the Rangers during his time with the team, but really began to dominate at the age of 34 with Seattle.

Palmeiro went on to hit 569 homers and over 3,000 hits in his career. He spent the remainder of his career with the Texas Rangers and Baltimore Orioles. He was suspended at the end of his career for a failed drug test after he testified in front of the U.S. Congress. His career will now be looked at as a result of performance-enhancing drugs.

Starlin Castro has all of the tools that Palmeiro possessed as a 22-year old. The power numbers may not be there or will ever be there, but he is one of the best young talents in the game. Now is not the time to trade him in hopes that the young prospects they would get in return, would turn into...well, Starlin Castro clones?!

Even though Epstein put out the fire by saying that he wasn't currently shopping Castro, be aware of a statement that he made earlier in the week.

"I never understood why there would ever be an untouchable. All you're doing is limiting your opportunity"

Brace yourselves Cubs fans, it could be a very long summer.

The Cubs to Trade Starlin Castro, Others?

The Chicago Cubs are 18-32 and have already had a double-digit losing streak this season. They knew going into this season that big changes could be made to their team.

Bob Nightengale of the USA Today reported that every player on the Cubs current roster, except Jeff Samardzija, is available for trade.

The biggest surprise in Nightengale's story is that 22-year old All-Star, Starlin Castro, is among the Cubs players that the organization would consider trading. He is among the team leaders in nearly every offensive category.

Is publicly announcing that the entire roster is available for trade a smart move? What is the Cubs asking price for Castro?

Theo Epstein signed on as the President of Baseball Operations for the Cubs and hired Jed Hoyer as the General Manager. Epstein came from the Boston Red Sox and Hoyer was previously the San Diego Padres GM. To make a long story short, they didn't draft or sign any of these players, so they are not married to them.

"We're starting to get some early calls now," Epstein told Nightengale. "There might be fewer sellers than usual and a lot more buyers. This has the chance to help us. We need core players."

The Cubs will move Starlin Castro for 'two impact prospects' and Bryan LaHair, Matt Garza, and Ryan Dempster are the others that will be highly sought after. Alfonso Soriano was also mentioned, which isn't a new development, the Cubs has been trying to trade him for three seasons. They would eat most of his contract just to make space in the outfield ($18 million per season through 2014). Soriano is on a hot streak since reducing his bat weight by over an ounce. It could be the perfect time to talk a team into taking him off their hands

Let's go back to Epstein's remark that the Cubs "need core players." Castro has proven that he can produce at the major-league level (over 200 hits in 2011). He has struggled defensively this year and analysts are questioning if he would be more suitable at a third-base. Unless the Cubs think that minor-league shortstop Junior Lake is a better long-term answer at the position, I would rather have Castro than two wild-cards at this point.

If the Cubs make a few moves and clear spots on the 25-man roster, they will bring up some talented minor leaguers. First Baseman Anthony Rizzo is tearing up Triple-A and will be the first player they call up. If Rizzo is their #1 prospect, outfielder Brett Jackson is #1a. Jackson has been touted as the center fielder of the future. RHP Trey McNutt and 3B Josh Vitters could also be considered for a call-up.

Epstein can't trade the entire roster. They are an 18-32 team, he couldn't even give away most of them. Publicly announcing that the team is up for trade could lead to disgruntled players and low morale. He could have had personal discussions with other teams' front office staff. He did it as a message for fans that he will not stand pat and will do everything he can to improve the Cubs. I can understand that, but it just seems pretty early to be making bold statements.

I'm a Cubs fan and I have been very patient with the organization. I am ready for a change, but I hope they don't trade young established talent for even younger unknown commodities. You can make a bad situation even worse if those prospects don't pan out and the player you traded away is voted into the All-Star game every year.

Goodbye, Kerry Wood: A Cubs Fan's Farewell

After this afternoon's Chicago Cubs game against the Chicago White Sox, Kerry Wood officially retired from Major League baseball. He struck out the only batter he faced and went out with a bang.I have been a Cubs fan for all of my life and Wood will always be one of my favorite baseball players. In '07, I had the privilege to see him pitch, but he wasn't the dominant pitcher that once struck out 20 batters in a single game. Injuries derailed his playing career in the mid-2000s and was forced to pitch relief. He had success in that role, but he struggled this season with an ERA of 8.31 and twice as many walks as strikeouts.

How will will he be remembered, as a pitcher who once struck out 20 batters in a game or for the mystery of 'what might have been?'

It is a shame that we will never know how dominant Wood could have been without his injuries. Wood and Mark Prior were going to be the Cubs version or Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine, but both suffered career-threatening injuries. Wood was the last relic from the 2003 Chicago Cubs team who were only seven outs from making an improbable World Series appearance. The Bartman play occurred during that series, but most forget that it took place during Game 6 of the NLCS. Wood pitched in Game 7 and even hit a home run. He took the lost the game 9-6 and the Florida Marlins went on to win the World Series.

After the '03 NLCS disaster, he was never the same. He had a sub-par '04 season and then suffered injuries that kept him out for the majority of the following three seasons. He returned in late '07, but came out of the bullpen as a precautionary measure. He turned into a capable relief pitcher. He even moved into the closer role in the '08 and '09 seasons, racked up 54 saves. He spent the next two seasons with the Cleveland Indians and New York Yankees, but then returned to Chicago for a hometown discount.

Saying goodbye to Wood is a hard thing for me to do. I had to write a similar farewell to Peyton Manning post just two months ago. I am a huge fan of both teams. As a fan, it will be odd to not see either Wood or Manning on my team's sideline.

Cubs fans always kept faith that Wood would return and contribute to the team. Prior was not so lucky. The fans lost patience with him much quicker. We all know that Wood will not be inducted into the Hall of Fame or even get his number retired. He will always been mentioned in Cubs folklore as a member of the '03 team and for his amazing rookie season in '98. He holds a special place in the hearts of Cubs fans.

You will see him around Chicago. He will be a special assistant in the Cubs organization and he has his foundation in the city. He is a devout Christian and does a lot of great things for the people of Chicago.

Wood finishes his career with a 86-75 record and 3.67 ERA. The two-time All-Star also struck out 1581 batters in 1379 innings.

He could have been the next Nolan Ryan or Steve Carlton, but he turned out to be the first Kerry Wood.

Kerry Wood's 20-strikeout game vs. Houston Astros in 1998

2012 MLB: What We've Learned in April

The baseball season is only a month old and fans are already making instant judgments about their teams. They are either booking tickets for possible World Series games or looking ahead to 2013. You have already witnessed "Red Sox Nation" call for the head of their brand new manager after a small sample size of the season. No one can say that baseball fans aren't passionate about their teams.

Baseball fans and analysts had some questions going into the 2012 season. How would Albert Pujols and Prince Fielder fare in the American League? Can the Red Sox bounce back from their late-season collapse in 2011? Is this the year that the Pittsburgh Pirates and Kansas City Royals finally make the playoffs? I do my best to explain what we have learned so far this season and what to keep your eye on in May.

April is such an odd month because you can't trust your team's record or the players' statistics. It is rare that a team ever leads their division from April to October. My favorite reaction is when a player gets a home run in the first game, you'll always hear, "he's on pace to hit 162 homers this season." It is one of my pet peeves and I'm sure that I'll hear it every year.

Here are some things that we have learned in April...

- Matt Kemp is really good. You already should have known that, but some analysts that he couldn't match his stats from 2011. They are partially correct since he's on pace to blow those numbers out of the water and contend for the triple crown.

- Stephen Strasburg is fully recovered from last season's Tommy John surgery. He currently has a K/9 of 9.56, which means that he averages over nine strikeouts per nine innings. He may have had a higher K/9 at this point during his rookie season, but he should have increased velocity by June.

- This is not the year for the Royals or Pirates. These teams are stocked with young talent, but they are off to bad starts. In 2011, Pittsburgh was contending for the NL Central division at the trade deadline, but hit a wall and lost most of their remaining games. The Royals are 6-16 and the Pirates are fairing a little better at 10-13. A lot of people thought that the NL Central would be a coin flip this season, but the St. Louis Cardinals are off to a hot start and the rest of the division isn't as bad as predicted.

- Bobby Valentine might survive the season. After the first two weeks, the fans wanted him out of Boston. The Red Sox have played well since and currently have a 11-12 record. It's not great, as long as they stay within five games of first place, Valentine will stay out of the hot seat.

- Bryce Harper is a future star. He has only played a couple of games in the Majors, but everyone has seen flashes of what Haper will be in a few years. He has a good bat and a cannon for an arm. I'm excited to see what he does the rest of the season, even if the Washington Nationals send him back to Triple-A for awhile.

- Yu Darvish could end up being the best signing in the off-season. I am skeptical of pitchers coming from Japan and adjusting to Major League hitters. Dice-K started off hot, but the second time a team faced him, they started to figure him out. The Texas Rangers have a powerful offense, so he doesn't need to be perfect to win games. As long as his ERA hovers around 4.00, he'll win double-digit games by July. He already has four wins, so he's on pace to have an excellent rookie campaign.

- The Cardinals might be a better team this year than in 2011. They lost Albert Pujols, but they added Carlos Beltran and they are getting more out of David Freese. Adding Lance Lynn to their starting rotation was a smart move. Chris Carpenter will probably miss the season and Adam Wainwright doesn't look like himself. Pitching could be an issue later in the season, but they are currently 15-8.

- It's impossible to hit homers at Wrigley Field in April. When the temperature hovers around 50 degrees, the ball dies in the outfield. The wind is usually blowing in and teams can't drive the ball over the ivy. The Chicago Cubs only had nine home runs in April. They are at the bottom of the league and it's bad when individual guys are leading your entire time.

- Bryan LaHair is not a 4-A player. The Cubs made a bold move this off-season and declared that LaHair would get a fair shot at being their everyday first-basemen. They traded for Anthony Rizzo this off-season and most assumed that LaHair would be keeping first-base warm. He is currently 2nd in many offensive categories behind Matt Kemp. He's batting nearly .400 and slugging almost .800, so he has earned his spot in the starting lineup.

- When the Cubs trade Matt Garza, they will get a lot in return. He is currently 2-1, 2.76 ERA, and a K:B ratio 3.6. MLB added an extra wild-card spot in the playoffs this season. The commissioner did a Cubs a huge favor, since more teams will still be in the playoff race. The price for pitching will be at a premium and the price will be driven up. Detroit, Boston, and Los Angeles need pitching and they'll have to give Chicago a king's ransom to get Garza.

- Moving the walls in at Citi Field hasn't solved the Mets offensive issues. The team has hit 18 home runs this season, but only 7 of those came at home. Lucas Duda is leading the team with four dingers and David Wright has regained his All-Star form, but the rest of the team needs to step up. Ike Davis is batting lower than the Mendoza line and isn't looking like a future All-Star.

- Albert Pujols is still adjusting to the American League. He has yet to hit a home run and he's not drawing as many walks. I don't believe that he's stressed out or that his skills are diminishing. It is difficult for a player to go from the National League to the American League. He is still adjusting to AL pitchers and to a new city. He'll have a much better May and you'll start to see his numbers multiply as it gets warmer.

- Terms like "Grady Sizemore shirtless" and "Tim Lincecum shirtless" still brings me thousands of hits a month. I thought that the Sizemore search queries would taper off, but it hasn't happened. I am looking forward to weird Google searches that involve Bryce Harper, Evan Longoria, and Matt Kemp...it's only a matter of time.

- The Yankees should have hired Don Mattingly as their manager. I'm not saying that Joe Girardi is a bad manager, but Mattingly has personally improved Kemp, James Loney, and Andre Ethier. I watched an interview during Spring Training about what he has done to help each of them. He seemed to be a better developmental manager and would work well with the new crop of Yankees that are bound to play over the next few seasons.

- Jake Peavy and Johan Santana are pitching like it's 2008. The White Sox are looking very smart by signing Peavy. His career looked to be nearing its end, but he's had his best month in a few season. Santana is also out to a great start because his pitches look alive. Peavy and Santana are great stories and I hope they continue to dominate.

- Philadelphia Phillies are really missing Ryan Howard and Chase Utley. They are Philly's best two hitters and they have struggled this year. It doesn't matter if you have the league's best starting rotation, you need to score runs. It doesn't help that Jimmy Rollins is off to a bad start. The NL East will be one of the most competitive races this year. Washington and Atlanta are legit contenders and this could turn into a two team race if the Phillies can't manufacture more offense.

- The Tigers aren't a lock to win the AL Central. On paper, Detroit is the best team...by far. They started off hot, but they are currently 12-11. Their starting rotation has been a mess with Max Scherzer, Rick Porcello, and Adam Wilk all having an ERA over 5.50. Miguel Cabrera and Austin Jackson have been most of the team's offense. Prince Fielder is a second-half player, so he'll help carry the team down the stretch.

April was an exciting beginning to the 2012 season. I can't wait for what transpires in May and to see which teams prove their worth. You'll start to see the hitters catch up with the pitchers in May. Players who haven't found power this season (Pujols, Alfonso Soriano, Nelson Cruz), expect them to bounce back next month.

The following pictures are a treat to my female readers. You have all be very kind to this site and here's a little eye candy for you. (The first photo is the funniest picture that I've seen in a long, long time)

It's Been Awhile - Part 5

Hey guys, have you noticed that I've started writing again? I started this blog 4 years ago this month and I have taken five extended breaks from writing. Every time I take a hiatus, I feel the need to tell people why I decided to take a break. Here it goes...

I've always been "too honest" on this site and I can tell you guys that my passion for writing...it faded. I had a day job, a girlfriend, a busy social life, yet I kept writing here and for a few other sites. Over the last year and a half, I've had a few losses in my life and it increased my "fuck it" impulse. It's not that I didn't want to write, I couldn't. The picture above is a photo of me that a friend shot in Vegas. It exemplifies how I felt about writing. I would sit at my laptop and my mind would be blank.


It's not like I completely quit writing, I tried. I have been working on a short story for a few years now. I would have days where I would write, but they were few and far between. I've had a few freelance gigs and helped start a local nightlife site, but I didn't get any joy from it. I know that this needed to change and I tried everything to try to re-boot my system, I even became a vegetarian for two months. I didn't want my passion to die, so I kept trying new things and it slowly came back.

I can say that, as of today, my passion bucket is once again full. My mind is full of ideas and I'm ready to start making the magic happen again. I have agreed to write for a few other sites, as well as rejuvenating my own. I started this blog because of the NCAA Tournament and the phenomenon that happens every year. One unathletic whiteboy becomes the nation's underdog...America's White Boy. I started it with the idea of being the underdog. This site went from an idea to getting over 50k uniques a month. I hope to start that process again today.

Now that I've said all of that, this is the portion of this post where I list all of the things that I've learned since I've been gone.

- I've realized that the Cubs will never win the World Series

- Soccer moms listen to Bon Iver while they do "hot yoga"

- I've spent a lot of time drinking craft beer...a lot of time.

- I really love "Jungleland" by Bruce Springsteen, here's a live version from 1975.

- My attempt at being a hardcore soccer fan, it never really happened. I don't wake up early enough on the weekends.

- I finally watched "The Silence Of The Lambs", so I now get a lot of old jokes & parodies of Buffalo Bill.

- I hate accounting. I really hate accounting.

- I've watched a lot of TV. I really like "Community", "Parks & Recreation", "Always Sunny In Philadelphia", "New Girl", & "The Big Bang Theory"

- You should "Like" me on Facebook.

- I hope to join together with some friends and start a podcast soon.

- Ryan Braun probably got away with taking steroids.

- 2011 was a pretty shitty year.

- I watch a lot of Josh Krajcik videos on YouTube.

- Grantland.com should be so much better than it is. I love long-form sports journalism & Chuck Klosterman. The site shouldn't be named after Grantland Rice, it should be named after Will Leitch.

- I'm still addicted to Twitter @ Sweetbob.

- I think I personally know at least 100 "social media experts", yet many lack any real-life social skills.

- I'm signed up for Google+, but I rarely use it. The only people who add me are from Sri Lanka or a country in the Orient.

- This past football season, I got over 100,000 uniques from Google from people searching for the terms "Tim Tebow Virgin" & "Tim Tebow Naked/Nude". I used to just get a lot of hits from the term "shirtless" followed by popular baseball players' names.

- I hate that a lot of sites are starting to use the "Bleacher Report" model of using "Top 10" lists or using slideshows to increase traffic.

- I'm no longer jaded by the music industry. I've realized that "the machine" is dying and independent artists are gaining more control of their lives.

- I really want to watch Wrestlemania this year.

- If you love drinking beer, you should be on Untappd.

- I think A&W Root Beer is the best root beer. I will fight anyone to the death if they tell me otherwise.

- I have been writing jokes for a stand-up routine. I have a lot of material...I just need to try it out on people.

- Twitter has ruined my grammar. I kind of have a hardcore "passive voice" problem. (English nerds will get that joke)

- Christina Aguilera is slowly turning into Snooki.

- I read something by Mark Twain, every day.

- If you play Christmas songs on a jukebox in February, everyone at that bar will hate you.

- I'm a huge fan of mash-ups, but I have a hatred for dub-step.

- My next phone will be an iPhone, I've grown tired of my Android...also, I would like to have Instagram.

- I like The Format more than the band, Fun.

- I've watched 95% of the Indiana Pacers games this year, watch out for them in the playoffs.

- Anthony Davis's unibrow will get drafted #2, after Anthony Davis himself.

- Last week, I successfully groomed Nugget, my shih tzu.

- I have the best friends that a guy could have. I haven't been around them that much in the last year, but I hope that will change soon. I think about you guys everyday.

Finally, I've always ended these posts with a picture of a hot girl. I did it just to make my girlfriend mad, since I'm single, I don't feel the need to do it. Instead, here are some photos that crack me up and/or I want to put on the back of my business card.

Thanks for hanging in there with me!






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2011 MLB Betting Predictions - April 9th

I usually wait for the first week of the MLB season to play out before I start my MLB betting line posts. I did rather well over the last few years when I have done these and I hope I can help lead some people in the right direction. My picks are against the spread and I also do over/under lines. Will the Red Sox make it two in-a-row against the Yankees? Can the Indians keep up their offense? Here are the MLB betting lines & predictions for April 9th, 2011.

Philadelphia Phillies +1 1/2 (Roy Oswalt) vs. Atlanta Braves -1 1/2 (Brandon Beachy) - Over/Under 7 1/2
Phillies - Over

After the way that the Braves rocked Cliff Lee yesterday, the Braves will be bet heavy today. The Phillies are a veteran team and will have revenge on their mind.
You have to have a short memory in the MLB and they will get to Beachy early in this contest. The O/U is set at 7 1/2 and if this game goes the way I think, it will go over. The smart bet would be a parlay on the Phillies moneyline & the over.


New York Yankees +1 1/2 (Ivan Nova) vs. Boston Red Sox -1 1/2 (Clay Buchholz) - O/U 10
Red Sox - Under

The Red Sox started off bad this year, but they came out yesterday and took care of Phil Hughes early. Ivan Nova has better stuff than Hughes has right now, but you don't want the Red Sox to gain any confidence. Buchholz should handle the Yankees hitters and stretch the winning steak to two.


Kansas City Royals +1 1/2 (Bruce Chen) vs. Detroit Tigers -1 1/2 (Phil Coke) - O/U 9 1/2
Tigers - Over

Can you look at these starting pitchers and honestly think that they won't score a combined 10 runs? I'm scared at what Miguel Cabrera will do to Bruce Chen. The Tigers will win outright, cover, and this game will go over.

Tampa Bay Rays +1 1/2 (Wade Davis) vs. Chicago White Sox -1 1/2 (Philip Humber) - O/U 9
White Sox - Over

Wade Davis was rocky in his first start and the White Sox offense have looked very good. The Rays notched their first win last night, thanks to a Matt Thornton blow-save. The White Sox will bounce back and take care of business.

Chicago Cubs +1 1/2 (Matt Garza) vs. Milwaukee Brewers -1 1/2 (Chris Narveson) - O/U 8 1/2
Cubs - Under

Matt Garza's Cubs debut had flashes of greatness. He stuck out double-digit Pirates, but still had a few dumb mistakes. Chris Narveson also had a good debut, but the Cubs bats have looked in mid-season form, if only their bullpen was in the same shape.

Washington Nationals +1 1/2 (Tom Gorzelanny) vs. New York Mets -1 1/2 (Chris Capuano) - O/U 8 1/2
Mets - Under

If this game was being played in any other park with these two pitchers, the line would be 10, but Citi Field is huge. Gorzelanny vs. Capuano might get ugly, but as long as they keep the ball down, it'll go under. I might want to stay away from this bet, these teams are so inconsistent.

Oakland Athletics -1 1/2 (Gio Gonzalez) vs. Minnesota Twins +1 1/2 (Nick Blackburn) - O/U 8
A's - Under

Gio Gonzalez was the buzzworthy pitcher in fantasy baseball this year and he will have a solid year. The Twins are just trying to get healthy, so Oakland has a slight edge in this game.

Cincinnati Reds -1 1/2 (Bronson Arroyo) vs. Arizona Diamondback +1 1/2 (Daniel Hudson) - O/U 8 1/2
Diamondbacks - Over

I learned a rule in Vegas last year...never bet on Bronson Arroyo! It doesn't help that he is still dealing with mono, that's a huge red flag. I really like Daniel Hudson in this contest.

Los Angeles Dodgers -1 1/2 (Hiroki Kuroda) vs. San Diego Padres +1 1/2 (Dustin Moseley) - O/U 7
Dodgers - Under

Kuroda has had solid numbers of the last calendar year, but he doesn't get much respect. It will help him that the game is at Petco Park, the Padres will have a hard time going yard against him.

Toronto Blue Jays -1 1/2 (Brett Cecil) vs. Los Angeles Angles +1 1/2 (Scott Kazmir) - O/U 9
Blue Jays - Over

Name the last time that Scott Kazmir looked like a pitcher that should be on a contender? I'll wait...

Cleveland Indians +1 1/2 (Justin Masterson) vs. Seattle Mariners +1 1/2 (Doug Fisher) - O/U 7 1/2
Indians - Over

Masterson looked great his first time out this year and they rocked the Mariners yesterday. Seattle looks bad and Cleveland wants to pound their former skipper (Eric Wedge).

St. Louis Cardinals +1 1/2 (Jaime Garcia) vs. San Francisco Giants -1 1/2 (Matt Cain) - O/U 6 1/2
Cardinals - Under

This game should be very low-scoring, since both Garcia & Cain looked very good in their debuts. The Cardinals will miss Matt Holliday, but the Giants bullpen, mostly Brian Wilson, hasn't been dominating.

Are Cubs Better With Carlos Pena?

The Chicago Cubs may have missed out on signing Adam Dunn, so they signed another left-handed power bat to play first-base, Carlos Pena. Pena struck out 33% of the time last season, but he did struggle with plantar fasciitis. Was last season's .196 average due to injury or diminished skills? Are the Cubs a better team with Carlos Pena?

It was no secret that the Chicago Cubs wanted to sign Adam Dunn this off-season. He has murdered them at Wrigley Field as an opponent since he came up with the Cincinnati Reds. He bats left-handed, has excellent power, near the top of the league in on-base percentage, but also near the top in strikeouts. They would have played Dunn at first-base, which has been vacant since they traded Derrek Lee at the trading deadline. Since they missed out on Dunn, they needed to sign another power left-handed first-baseman and they chose former Tampa Bay Ray, Carlos Pena. Pena has many qualities that Dunn possesses, but they differ in two major ways. Pena's batting average and on-base percentage are very poor, but he does bring gold-glove defense to the position.

Pena and the Cubs agreed on a one-year deal worth $10 million dollars. It makes sense for Chicago to take a risk on Pena, since this is more of a tryout. If Pena turns things around and produces, he could get a longer deal after the season.

Pena, 33, will be reunited with hitting coach Rudy Jaramillo, who was the hitting coach with the Texas Rangers when Pena came up in that organization. His best season was in 2007 when he hit 46 homers, batted .282 and drove in 121 runs. He fell off a bit, but he has been selected to an All-Star game back in 2009.

The Tampa Bay Rays will miss Pena's power, but due to their payroll issues, they were forced to let him walk. They are also let Joaquin Benoit, Carl Crawford, and Rafael Soriano go un-signed. The team is also rumored to be trading shortstop, Jason Bartlett for cheaper talent. The Rays loss could be the Cubs gain, but time will tell.

Where will Pena hit in the order? He will probably bat 4th or 5th, depending on where new manager, Mike Quade, moves Aramis Ramirez in the order. The Cubs need to protect Ramirez in the order, something they have tried to do for awhile. Milton Bradley was supposed to do that, but that was a disaster. The Cubs batting order should look a little different next season, since they are attempting to move Kosuke Fukudome. Tyler Colvin had a breakout rookie campaign and he played his way into the starting lineup, making Fukudome expendable.

The Cubs are a more balanced team with Pena in the line-up, but fans have to know that he's a second-half player. If he starts the season off slow, don't worry, he usually turns it up after the All-Star break. Once the weather starts to warm up at Wrigley, he could be a very fun player to watch. The Cubs have no pressure this season, they aren't expected to be a playoff team. The pressure of the Rays being a contender could have gotten to Pena, so a year on the Cubs could turn back the clock...and let's hope so

White Sox Land Adam Dunn

After many experts predicted that Adam Dunn would pick a National League team, he surprised many and picked the American League's Chicago White Sox. Dunn has made it clear that he doesn't want to be used as a designated hitter. The White Sox must have made a promise to the slugger that he will be used at first-base and maybe occasionally in the outfield. How does this impact the rest of the Majors and the team on the Northside?

Dunn and the White Sox have agreed on a 4-year/$56 million dollar deal. Chicago is in need of a designated hitter, even if they promised Dunn that he wouldn't play there, they could be playing a waiting game. Dunn is 31 years old and scouts have said that he would be best used at DH at this point in his career. Even though his defensive skills have dropped off, his bat has not shown signs of slowing down. He has hit at least 38 home runs the last 8 seasons and is an on-base percentage machine. He may strike out over 170 times a season, but he drives in runs and draws around 100 walks a season. His impact on a team is proven and will make the White Sox a better team. He will protect Carlos Quentin, Alex Rios, and Paul Konerko, if they re-sign him.

The White Sox finished 88-74 last season and the addition of Dunn will add some wins to that total. The Minnesota Twins are the cream of the division and this will close the gap between the teams. The Tigers, Royals, and Indians are all teams in transition and I see the AL Central as a two-team race in 2011.

The initial rumors of teams that Dunn would consider had the Chicago Cubs on top of that list. The amount of the contract may have blow the Cubs out of the water or the years of the deal. The Cubs need to wait a few years for a few bad contracts to come off the books before they add a contract like Dunn signed. They are in the market for a left-handed first baseman with power, Dunn would have fit their need. To make matters worse for the Cubs, Dunn has slaughtered them at Wrigley Field and has done very well there. They will see Dunn a few times over the next years during the cross-town rivalry games.

Dunn will do well at U.S. Cellular Field and will give American League pitchers fits, eventually. He has spent his entire career in the National League. There could be a learning curve for Dunn, since he is strikeout prone, it could take him the first half of the season to learn how to hit certain pitchers. The White Sox made a smart move, GM Kenny Williams has been known to take a gamble, but this is close to a sure thing.

Zambrano To Retire In 2012? C'mon!

Carlos Zambrano, the token hot-head on the Chicago Cubs, came out yesterday and said that he will retire after the 2012 season. He is signed up until then and says that he has missed out on a lot being a Major League baseball player. Really? I'm pretty sure that the $91 million dollar extension can buy back some of that time. Is Zambrano bluffing or is he for real?

Zambrano was expected to anchor the Cubs rotation this season, but somehow ended up falling out of favor with management. He spent a portion of the season coming out of the bullpen, which lead to an "indefinite leave" from the team around the All-Star break after an altercation with Derrek Lee in the dugout. He went through counseling and since returning to the starting rotation, he has registered an ERA below 2.00 and a 6-0 record. He still has a fired up demeanor, but has been able to keep it in check and has been a better teammate.

Is this a pitcher who has came to terms with his problem or a player that is pitching with no pressure? He admitted to a reporter that he no longer wants to play and that's the reasoning behind his retirement after his contract ends. He has a career record of 114-74 in nine years for the Chicago Cubs. His career started out very rocky by going 5-10 in his first two seasons, but hasn't had a season that he hasn't had more wins than losses since. Zambrano's major fault is that he walks too many batters and his WHIP is always in between 1.30 and 1.50, which is well below average for an MLB pitcher. Statistically, he has had a comparable season in 2010, since his strikeout-to-walk ratio is 2:1, which is his average. He has just been very inconsistent and his numbers would be very bad if not for his recent resurgence.

The Chicago Cubs are looking to rebuild this team with a new manager in 2010. GM Jim Hendry is on the hot seat and will be looking to make moves in the off-season. Zambrano will be his #1 priority to move and his stock is on the rise with his recent play. The Cubs will have to take a discount in their return for the former All-Star, since he is owed $36 million over the final two years of his contract. The most the Cubs could get for him, at this point, would be mid-level prospects. A lot of teams will be scared off of him, since his past anger and hostility could come back. It will be interesting to see what the Cubs can get back in return and how much of his remaining salary they will have to eat.

Do I think Zambrano will retire after the 2012 season at the age of 33? I think he is currently having a hard time professionally and personally and his judgment is a bit skewed. He has never been a free agent and who knows how well he will pitch over the next two seasons. A lot factors in his decision and this isn't the first time he has mentioned a possible early retirement. If he starts loving the game again, I can see Zambrano signing another contract, but I don't see him being a Jamie Moyer pitcher and staying in the game near or over the age of 40.

Trading Deadline: Chicago Cubs Trade Bait

The Chicago Cubs appears to be "sellers" at the trading deadline this year. The team seems to be going nowhere with players getting older and wave of youth starting to crack the 40-man roster. The deadline only 72 hours away, so it's crunch time. Who are the players the Cubs are dangling out there and which Cubbie said that he would not accept a trade to another team? Will the new owner, Ricketts, decide to have a "fire sale" and scrap team for youth?

Ted Lilly - Lilly is the most talked about trade piece the Cubs are currently shopping. He is in the last year of his contract and he's having a solid season. He has been the most consistent pitcher on the staff since they signed him a few years ago. Chicago has even made it clear that they would eat much of Lilly's remaining money left on his contract this year to get the best deal. I see him going to the Mets or another fringe contender, possibly the Twins (no rumor of him going to Minnesota is out there, just think that he would be a good fit).

Derrek Lee - He was rumored to be heading out of town since he is also in the last year of his contract. The Los Angeles Angels apparently had a deal in place for him, but he declined it. He wants to play out his contract with Chicago. I'm not sure if he'll be looking to re-sign with the Cubs this off-season, but he will demand a decent contract.

Carlos Zambrano - The Cubs would LOVE to move Zambrano and his temper out of Chicago. He will be the hardest person on the team to move because of his performance of late and the remaining amout of money that he has left on his contract. The Cubs want to just dump his salary, but they could be left eating much of it, if they want to trade him.

Alfonso Soriano - With the emergence of Tyler Colvin, the Cubs would like to move Soriano and his inflated contract. His contract was backloaded, which means that most of his money will be paid out towards the end of his deal. This will make it nearly impossible for him to be moved. If Soriano was a better fielder, they could easier move him back to 2B, where he played as a member of the Yankees. He has lost a step and his fielding is on par with Manny Ramirez. It would be impossible to trade Soriano right now, but if he starts off hot in 2011, there could be suitors.

Xavier Nady - Early in the season, the rumors started circulating that some teams were looking for a mid-level outfielder with power. Nady was one of the names that was mentioned, but with his recent plummet in his numbers and losing a number of at-bats to Colvin, it doesn't look like Nady would be someone that a contender would be targeting. Nady needs ample at-bats to be comfortable at the plate, he hasn't had much success has a pinch-hitter. If the Cubs trade Nady, it would be for a low-level prospect at this point.

Hopefully Chicago can pull off some trades and restock their slim farm system. At the beginning of the year, only Houston had a worse farm system in the NL Central. The Cubs are headed towards rebuilding and let's hope they get it right this time.

It's Official: Dawson Is in Hall Of Fame

The verdict is in and Andre Dawson will be the lone inductee into baseball's Hall of Fame. It was his 9th year on the ballot and the publicity campaign worked for "The Hawk." Roberto Alomar and Bert Blyleven were close, but weren't able to get 75% of the votes to join Dawson.

I have been a huge fan of Andre Dawson since I was about seven years of age. When he appeared on the Cubs, I was unaware where he came from. I was very young and I only kept tabs on the Cubs since I watched them every day on WGN. It wasn't until later that I found out that he was a star in Montreal for many years. When he arrived in Chicago, he was a home run machine and the clean-up hitter that Chicago needed to finally win a pennant in 1989. He was a nice player to lineup near Ryne Sandberg, but he turned out to be much more for Chicago, since he won the NL MVP in 1987 and lead the league in home runs.

Dawson was clearly a shell of himself later in his career because he played on the very bad turf in Montreal that messed up his knees. He used to have a lot of speed and stole a lot of bases with teammate Tim Raines leading the league many seasons. The Expos were a very fast team, but after playing so many years there, players were plagued with various knee problems. The turf was basically carpet on top of cement.

I will surely be watching the induction of "The Hawk" as I did when Ryne Sandberg was inducted. When you think about the 1987 season for the Cubs, they had Dawson, Sandberg, Rafael Palmeiro, Greg Maddux, Jamie Moyer, and Lee Smith. They had six players that will either be in the Hall of Fame or will be very close. It's hard to believe that the team finished last place in the NL East that year with a record of 76-85.

It was a shame that Bert Blyleven fell 5 votes of getting into the Hall of Fame. Every pitcher who gets near 300 wins, even if he had nearly as many losses, deserves to get in. He has two more years of eligibility and he should get in next season. Roberto Alomar also fell short in his first year of eligibility. He is another player that should get in and they both faired well in a year with not many stars becoming eligible. Jack Morris also saw an increase in votes, but he still has a long way to go, his name was on about 50% of the ballots.

Cubs Trade Jake Fox To Oakland

The Cubs received a gift this year, their prospect Jake Fox, a converted catcher, began lighting up the minor leagues. He was hitting the cover off the ball for power and average. A few injuries happened and the Cubs brought him up, but he has no real position on the team since Alfonso Soriano plays in left field. The Cubs had to trade him this off-season, did they get value for Jake Fox?

The deal was that Oakland sent RHP Jeff Gray, minor leaguer OF Matt Spender, and minor leaguer RHP Ronny Morla to the Cubs for Jake Fox, 2B Aaron Miles and cash. If you just look at the trade, this yields nothing instantly for the Cubs. This trade is addition by subtraction. Miles was very bad last year and they can get him off the books, which saves a roster spot and cash for a possible off-season second baseman signing. A lot of people think that they might go after a guy like Orlando Hudson or maybe going after Mark DeRosa again.

Jake Fox fits into what Billy Beane is all about, he's a guy who will walk and hit for a high average. His ceiling could be Jack Cust with a better average. Jeff Gray is a player that the Cubs will use instantly, he was in 20 games last year for Oakland and had an ERA around 3.50. Morla is a very young prospect that could turn into something in a few seasons and Spencer is a nice prospect that could end up being a nice outfield prospect in a year or so, his highest minor league level is currently AA.

I think this is a nice trade, but not a trade that most Cubs fans would want. They are used to huge splashes in free agency and trades. They hated the Mark DeRosa trade last year, but the Cubs got three very good pitching prospects in the deal and time could favor the Cubs in that trade. Jake Fox was one of the trade pieces that Cubs had in a very small prospect pool. Chicago doesn't have many prospects to trade, so they are a bad trading partner for most teams. I think the Cubs needed to get rid of Miles and the only way they could was to include Fox in the deal.

What The Cubs Need To Do This Off-season

Now that the Yankees have won the World Series and the season is officially over, it's time for Cubs fans to start thinking about what the team needs to do this off-season. Can the Cubs do anything internally to upgrade their bullpen? Can they afford to wait on their high-priced player to contribute or should they deal them to a team for prospects and re-build? We identify some needs, some players that need to go, and some free agents that Tom Ricketts need to sink some money into.

The Cubs have a lot of dead weight on their roster. They have used a lot of money to sign high-priced players that haven't lived up to their potential. Alsonso Soriano, Milton Bradley, Kosuke Fukudome, and Carlos Zambrano didn't have great seasons last year and their combined payroll is most than many small market teams. Their pitching staff, especially their closer position, was very rocky and Carlos Marmol completely imploded with a WHIP around 1.50 for most of the year.

Let's start off with players that are free agents from the Cubs. Kevin Gregg, Reed Johnson, Rich Harden, and John Grabow all are free agents this off-season. First off, let Gregg walk, he wasn't good on back-to-back days and he played himself out of the closer role. I would also agree with letting Harden leave as well, there are some nice 4th and 5th starters in this free agency pool that could step in and go more than five innings. Harden put extra burden on the bullpen to close games and many of the games Harden would give up a lot of runs the last inning of work. I would say to re-sign Grabow and Johnson to contracts. Grabow is a nice left-hander that could be a possible closer candidate. You would have to give him at least a three-year deal, but I would be okay with that, he showed promise with the Cubs. Reed Johnson would be a nice two-year player as a platoon with Fukudome in center. He is nice off the bench and pinch-hits very well.

Tom Ricketts needs to spend money to make this Cubs roster a contender. You have at least one more year of Pinella as your manager and you need to stack the deck. As a new owner, you will need to make a splash, so your first move should be to sign Mark DeRosa and get him back on the Cubs. The biggest mistake that they made was trading him away. They did get a few nice minor-league pitchers that will probably be on the 40-man roster this next season, but throw the check book at DeRosa. He probably wants at least a three or four year deal, but try and get him for $10 million a year. They shouldn't care what it costs, it will bring all the Cubs fans together and support Ricketts as the new owner. DeRosa can play nearly every position and if there is an injury, like last year's injury to Aramis Ramirez, it won't cost the Cubs games with DeRosa filling in. If you go another season with Aaron Miles and Jeff Baker as your options in case of an injury, you're going to be hurting.

The other free agents that you need to look at are Bobby Abreu (who they should have signed last year), Chone Figgins, Justin Duchscherer (could be a nice, cheap option as a 4th starter), Randy Wolf, Ben Sheets, and Miguel Tejada (if he would agree to a one-year deal). Abreu will be looking for a huge contract and will probably be out of the Cubs price range. Figgins would also be looking at a huge contract and it would be a multi-year deal, it could be risky, the older he gets, the more his speed could diminish. Justin Duchscherer was out all year recovering from surgery, but his 2008 season was amazing. I know he has injury concerns now, but they could get him at a discount. I would love if they signed him, his upside would be tremendous. Randy Wolf is dependable and you know what you get with him. His upside would be last season when he was coasting through games with an ERA around 3.00. He could have played himself get into nice contract, so the Cubs may have to outbid a few teams if they really want him. I listed Ben Sheets because I think he still has something left in the tank. Who would have thought that Sheets and Jake Peavy would be in baseball no-man's land, if you add in Brandon Webb, those were the best three pitchers in the league just two seasons ago. You could get Sheets cheap, I would love this signing. Miguel Tejada is the last on my list and rumors have been floating around since he was in Baltimore of a possible deal/signing with the Cubs. If the Cubs were more of a contender, he would sign a one-year deal, but it doesn't look like they are on the short-list to win the World Series next year, so it would be unlikely.

The Cubs need to do their best to move some player this off-season. Milton Bradley would be the best candidate for this to happen, mostly because of his attitude and the fact that they still owe him more than $20 million over the next two seasons. Some rumors are flying around a trade with the Blue Jays for Vernon Wells, but I don't see how that makes sense. Wells is a nice player, not great, but he is signed to an ungodly contract. Wells still has five years left and $107 million dollars left on his deal, but the rumor is that the teams would split the contract in half. I still don't see this happening for the Cubs, since they have received plenty of interest from other teams and the Blue Jays would have to sweeten the deal.

Jake Fox is another player that has to be moved before next season. If the Cubs were in the American League, Fox has the ability to be their franchise designated-hitter for many years, but unfortunately he doesn't have a position on the Cubs. If they could move him for a nice young starter, it would be in the Cubs best interest to make that deal. The Orioles have a nice stash of young pitchers and we all know how the Cubs love to make trades with the Orioles. I can see this happening, even though I wrote many posts about how the Cubs need to stop trading with bad teams and getting little in return.

Tom Ricketts has a lot to think about this off-season. A lot has been written if the Ricketts family can afford to add to the payroll and it has been a mixed bag of responses. They want to put the profits back into the Cubs and improve the facilities, but before you do that, make one push to get this team to the elite level. They did a great thing by signing Rudy Jaramillo as their hitting coach, he did some great things for the Texas Rangers. These are the things that the new owner needs to do to improve the team. Build the team around fundamentals and get these high-priced players to get back to hitting and pitching and doing everything right. I don't know what the window of is on this team to be good, but it's closing. Zambrano could bite the head off of a pitching coach any day, you never know.