Cubs Connections

by: Guido

Don't be surprised if Jeff Baker or Mike Fontenot don't make it to opening day in a Cubs uniform. With Brian Roberts nursing a sore back, Andy MacPhail may use his Cubs connections to swing a deal for either Fontenot or Baker. In return, the Cubs would probably get Matt Albers or Cla Meredith. the Cubs have elected to send SS Sterling Castro to Iowa which means that Theriot is gonna be the opening day starter at short and Fontenot at second. All signs point to Baker as the player Hendry would send to Baltimore. However, if the season gets underway without the deal done, expect the Cubs to eventually start Castro at short and move Theriot to second with Baker and Fontenot as utility/trade bait.

The Cubs have gotten the better of the Bradley/Silva deal. That damn Milton has already been ejected twice this spring! What a joke. Those umps must be racist...or racist Cubs fans, huh Milton? The guy has all the talent in the world but he has got some baggage. I guarantee that if he got some help, anger management what have you, he would be one of the best players in the game. Carlos Silva, on the other hand, has been staying on top of the ball and is being more aggressive on the mound. I'd say the Silva will beat out Samardzija for that 5th spot in the rotation. Cubs pitching coach Larry Rothschild has been working closely with Silva as has Greg Maddux, who is currently working in the Cubs front office as Hendry's assistant.

If the Cubs do elect to get rid of Hendry after this season, Maddux would probably be the man to take over at GM. If they decide to part ways with Sweet Lou, Ryne Sandberg would seem to be the likely candidate to replace Lou.

I've participated in a few online fantasy mock drafts. I've noticed some very talented Cubs players getting drafted in the last couple rounds or not drafted at all. this list includes Ted Lilly, Marlon Byrd, Soriano, Geo Soto and Fukudome. And yet, Joe Nathan, Stephan Strawsburg and Tim Hudson all getting drafted...Idiots.

Now, I'm not one to get pumped during spring training but I have this excited feeling when it comes to the Cubs new hitting coach Rudy Jaramillo. The Cubs are gonna hit the ball all year. I can see them having 800 runs scored. I know that's Lou's goal. They lead the league in 08 with 855.

I don't see the Cards as any more the NL Central favorite as I do the Cubs. The Cubs are strong offensively and they will be consistent as far as the pitching rotation goes. I'm really looking at Aramis Ramirez to put up a MVP-type of season. Then, if you have healthy versions of Soriano and Lee to go along with 2008 ROY Soto and new additions Marlon Byrd and Xavier Nady...WOW! Look out NL. Now all that won't matter if they don't get strong pitching from the starters. Yes, I know what you're thinking. that formula has worked well for ST. Louis for the past few years. That may be true but the difference is, the Cubs have the potential to have 3 or 4 guys win 15+ games. The Cubs do have a weak bullpen. It's weaker than it's been in a few years and that's gonna hurt them. I'm glad to see Kevin Gregg go but that doesn't mean I trust Carlos Marmol with the game on the line. John Grabow and Sean Marshall are the only guys in that pen that allow me to rest easy. The rest of the pen...sigh..who are they? Caridad? Atkins? Berg? Gray? Science H. Logic, those guys have got some work ahead of them. Lou should go with Carlos Silva as the 5th starter over Tom Gorzelanny and Jeff Samardzija. My thinking is that Gorzelanny can be a top starter on a team but only if that teams plays in D.C., Pittsburgh or Baltimore. With Samardzija, I think he will be a starter eventually but he needs some more time at Iowa starting, not Chicago.

The Cardinals do not look strong offensively and are very weak throughout the infield. Yeah, they've got Pujols and Holliday and Molina but they have some question marks when it comes to Freese, Ryan and Rasmus. And they've got a couple of guys that need to prove that they are major league talent in Skip Schumaker and Ryan Ludwick. And of course there's Mark McGwire in the mix, who will serve as the hitting coach and could possibly be added to the roster come September. I would love to see this guy bat and strike out every time or at least hit a few weak choppers to short. In my opinion, they would be better off having Felipe Lopez play everyday but shift between second, short and third. Or at least move Julio Lugo for a back-up center/right fielder. The Cards staring rotation is better than the Cubs but that's only if Carpenter stays healthy. Wainwright is one of the best in baseball and Lohse is pitching out his ass. Brad Penny is gonna need some help regaining his old form and that's what Duncan intends to do. They haven't made an official 5th starter yet, though Mitchel Boggs will probably take it. And what happened to the PJ Walters guy? The bullpen is strong though. It's one of the best in baseball. Kinney and McClellan are two of the better relievers in the league. The question mark is Ryan Franklin. I don't know how long that guy can keep it up...I wouldn't think much longer. Isn't about DUI time anyway?