Cubs Team Report
INSIDE PITCH
After an offseason that had been focused on subtracting, the Cubs finally made a big addition on New Year’s Eve.
The team and free agent outfielder Marlon Byrd(notes) agreed to a three-year, $15 million deal.
Byrd figures to become the Cubs’ center fielder, bumping Kosuke Fukudome(notes) back to right field. Previous right fielder Milton Bradley(notes) was traded to Seattle for right-hander Carlos Silva(notes) after one contentious year on the North Side.
Byrd took over in center field for injured Rangers star Josh Hamilton(notes) in 2009, and he led the team in RBI and entrenched himself as one of the club’s leaders. However, the Rangers weren’t able to re-sign him. Byrd is 32, the Rangers have financial concerns, and his 20-homer, 89-RBI season was by far the most productive of his career.
Prior to acquiring Byrd, Cubs general manager Jim Hendry had spent the winter everything he’d done last offseason. In the winter of 2008-09, he shook up a team that that won 97 games, only to see the moves blow up in his face.
Every major acquisition from last offseason is gone. To wit: Bradley was dealt to Seattle; reliever Aaron Heilman(notes) was traded to Arizona; utility man Aaron Miles(notes) was traded to Oakland, and closer Kevin Gregg(notes) was allowed to walk via free agency.
As the old year faded away, Hendry was fielding calls from reporters daily about persistent rumors that ace starting pitcher Carlos Zambrano(notes) was being shopped.
Zambrano, who is signed through 2012, has a no-trade clause in his contract, and his agent repeatedly has told those same reporters that the Cubs have not contacted him about waiving that clause.
Zambano’s record fell to 9-7 with an ERA of 3.77, and he has spent most of the offseason in Chicago working on his conditioning.
As of now, Zambrano is one of only three established starting pitchers with the Cubs, along with right-handers Ryan Dempster(notes) and Randy Wells(notes), who was a rookie in 2009.
The Cubs insist they’ve not been shopping Zambrano.
NOTES, QUOTES
—1B/OF Micah Hoffpauir(notes) will be trying to break spring training with the big club for only the second time in his career, and at age 30. Hoffpauir was somewhat of a disappointment in 2009 after he made the opening-day roster. He played in 105 games, batting .239 with 10 home runs and 35 RBIs, but he was sent to the minor leagues in August. Hoffpauir, a left-handed batter, figures to back up Derrek Lee(notes) at first base and fill in at left and right field. He’s not graceful in the outfield, but he holds his own, and he’s more than serviceable in the field at first base.
• RHP Mitch Atkins(notes), the Cubs’ minor league pitcher of the year in 2008, will be in a bullpen mix that features a lot of youngsters. Atkins had a rough go of it at Class AAA Iowa in ’09, his first full year of Class AAA ball, as he went 8-12 with a 6.58 ERA. He made two relief appearances for the big club in the middle of the season. The Cubs view Atkins, 24, as either a back-of-the-rotation starter or as a long to middle reliever.
• OF Tyler Colvin(notes) figures to begin the season at Class AAA Iowa. Colvin, the Cubs’ first-round draft pick in 2006, played his 2009 season at Class A Daytona and Class AA Tennessee before getting a September call-up. He spent time in Class A because he was coming off Tommy John surgery on his left elbow, and the Cubs wanted him to start the season as a DH. Colvin appeared in six games for the Cubs, going 3-for-17 (.176). The Cubs said he was up only because they had several injuries to outfielders at the time. In other words, read nothing into the call-up as far as 2010 is concerned. Colvin said “eating” would be among his winter activities. He’s 6-foot-3 and 190 pounds, but he looked smaller than that at the end of the season.
• RHP Rafael Dolis was added to the 40-man roster this offseason, and he’ll get a good look in spring training before most likely being optioned to Class AA Tennessee. Dolis, whom the Cubs signed out of the Dominican Republic in 2004, missed the 2008 season after undergoing elbow surgery. He came back in 2009 to go 3-9 with a 3.79 ERA in 27 games, 25 starts, at Class A Daytona.
• The Cubs took a flyer on RHP Thomas Diamond(notes), claiming him off waivers from Texas in September. Diamond, who had struggled since coming off Tommy John surgery in 2007, had an impressive winter league campaign in Mexico. He went 2-0 with an 0.64 ERA, allowing eight hits in 14 innings. His control turned around, too, as he walked three and struck out 15. In the minor leagues with Texas in 2009, he was 2-3 at two stops with a 4.20 ERA. He gave up 55 hits and walked 44 in 55 2/3 innings, but the Cubs said they believe his health had turned around. He might get an invitation to spring training with the big club.
By The Numbers: 16-22—The Cubs’ record in one-run games in 2009. One reason for the sub-.500 record was that the Cubs scored 707 runs in 2009, compared to 855 in 2008.
Quote To Note: “The biggest perception that was probably inaccurate was that we couldn’t do anything until Milton (Bradley) was gone. So we have to do a good job of filling those two or three holes that we still have with solid decisions.”—GM Jim Hendry, on being able to finish his offseason work.
ROSTER REPORT
The Cubs completed their third consecutive above-.500 season for the first time since they did it six times in a row from 1967 to 1972. But it wasn’t good enough to get them into the playoffs, as they missed for the first time since 2006. The Cubs certainly aren’t in need of an overhaul. As manager Lou Piniella pointed out, they need better health and bounce-back seasons from a couple of key players in 2010.
Biggest Needs: The Cubs hope OF Marlon Byrd will give them a much-need middle-of-the-order bat.
Arrivals: RHP Carlos Silva (trade with Mariners), RHP Jeff Gray(notes) (trade with A’s), OF Marlon Byrd (free agent from Rangers).
Departures: OF Milton Bradley (traded to Mariners), RHP Rich Harden(notes) (free agent, signed with Rangers), INF/OF Jake Fox(notes) (traded to A’s), INF Aaron Miles (traded to A’s).
Free Agents: RHP Kevin Gregg, OF Reed Johnson(notes), RHP Chad Fox(notes), OF So Taguchi(notes) (released), LHP Neal Cotts(notes) (non-tendered).
Gregg lost his job as closer to RHP Carlos Marmol(notes). Johnson, unlike Gregg, has a shot at coming back, but the Cubs have a host of young outfielders who can fill a backup role.
Arbitration-eligible: INF Jeff Baker(notes), INF Mike Fontenot(notes), LHP Tom Gorzelanny(notes), RHP Angel Guzman(notes), C Koyie Hill(notes), RHP Carlos Marmol, LHP Sean Marshall(notes), SS Ryan Theriot(notes).
The Cubs have not gone to an arbitration hearing in almost two decades. That could change with either Theriot or Marmol, or both. The Cubs figure to agree to terms with Hill, a dependable backup. They could non-tender Heilman and then offer him a contract at a lower rate than what he could get in arbitration.
In Limbo: Now that the Cubs have dumped OF Milton Bradley, they don’t have anyone who falls into this category.
Medical Watch:
RHP Carlos Silva (sore right shoulder) missed most of the season before coming back to pitch a couple of innings in September. He will pitch in winter ball to try to build his arm strength back up.
LF Alfonso Soriano(notes) (arthroscopic left knee surgery in September 2009) will rehab back home in the Dominican Republic. The Cubs are counting on Soriano for a strong comeback next year.
LHP Ted Lilly(notes) (left shoulder surgery in November 2009) won’t be ready to pitch until March, meaning he is likely to start the 2010 season on the disabled list.
3B Aramis Ramirez(notes) (dislocated left shoulder) played the second half with the aftereffects of the injury, which occurred in May. Ramirez maintains he does not need surgery, but he must work to strengthen the shoulder.
1B Derrek Lee (neck spasms) will use the winter to rest.
