Cubs Spring Training 2013 Preparation and Game Thread

[waldo7239117]

Agreed. I think Baker starts the year on the 15 day DL though.

I think there's a chance he does, but I have a hunch he won't.

 

[dabynsky]

I think there's a chance he does, but I have a hunch he won't.

I just don't buy that a guy less than 12 months removed will be ready to pitch 5 innings every fifth day. I could be wrong and perhaps the Cubs piggyback Travis Wood after Scott Baker for the first few times as he builds up arm strength, but Baker starting on the 15 day DL will mean that the Cubs can push off the decision between Rondon and Bowden a couple of weeks into the season.

 

[waldo7239117]

True, but not if Marmol is traded like Levine thinks he will.

 

[Rice Cube]

True, but not if Marmol is traded like Levine thinks he will.

Tony Campana as a throw-in with the Marmol trade :cubstroll2:

#TwoBirdsOneStone

 

[dabynsky]

True, but not if Marmol is traded like Levine thinks he will.

True but there is the issue that if Levine is correct the Cubs don't want to put Wood in the pen and Feldman was basically promised a spot.

 

[waldo7239117]

Yeah I saw that, but I think Wood can be like Marshall. Levine said he thinks it'll be Baker and Wood to start the season. But I have Feldman ahead of those 2. Especially if the Cubs want to trade him.

 

[dabynsky]

Hairston officially signs. Campana DFA'd according to every single Cubs beat reporter.

 

[Rice Cube]

Hairston officially signs. Campana DFA'd according to every single Cubs beat reporter.

#RickettsCheap

 

[waldo7239117]

Pitchers and catchers have reported to Mesa today as baseball is almost back in full swing! On the day where baseball has returned, the Cubs made a move by designating outfielder Tony Campana for assignment to make room for outfielder Scott Hairston on the 40-man roster. The Cubs reportedly inked a deal for Hairston to a 2-year deal a few weeks back and it's now official.

I wonder what took them so long to make this move as it was the obvious choice to make. My guess is they could have been working on a trade so they didn't have to DFA Campana. But since no trade came along, they had to DFA Campana. I think they should have made the move a little while ago as Campana already reported to camp.

Yes, Campana had no shot in making the team and if he does get claimed, it's not a big deal. We're going to miss his speed and he's a Cubs favorite as well. He was the one player that had the loudest cheers at the Cubs convention.

I have a feeling Campana will be claimed and will be on a different team come opening day. But if he's not, he'll be good depth next year and could be called up if Alfonso Soriano and/or David DeJesus are traded.

Getting back to spring training

What could we see in the next month and a half:
*A Carlos Marmol trade
*A Alfonso Soriano trade
*A Matt Garza trade

**So, we could see are share of moves if the right offer came along. Like I've been saying, I do expect at least one of the three players to be traded.

Other notes:
*RP Carlos Marmol is expected to show up to Mesa by the end of the day. Even with the charges of domestic abuse hanging over him. I think the charges are false and he will not be charged. Theo said all the evidence they have received of Marmol says he is not guilty.
*We will see Cubs top prospect Javier Baez at camp, but he WILL NOT make the team. Theo and Jed made that clear today. The Cubs just want to see how he does. Dale Sveum said he will play SS and 2B this Spring.
*Sveum said Matt Garza, Jeff Samardzija and Edwin Jackson are all opening day candidates. Garza has looked good in workouts thus far. If Garza is healthy, I think he takes the ball on opening day followed by Samardzija and Jackson.

More to come!

http://www.chicitysports.com/2013/02/10/baseball-is-back-and-oh-yeah-tony-campana-dfa/

 

[Rice Cube]

The Braves will probably claim Campana:

http://worldseriesdreaming.com/2013/02/10/dont-say-goodbye-to-tony-campana-just-yet/

 

[Rice Cube]

Via BN:

Ben Nicholson-Smith chatted at MLBTR, and … (1) Ben thinks, ultimately, the Mets will figure out a way to sign Michael Bourn, and it may involve them getting a special exception to not give up their first round pick; (2) the Cubs could still be a possibility on Bourn, though Ben was relying heavily on Rosenthal’s reports; (3) big, pre-free agency extensions are likely to continue to be a trend, because the lure of that first big payday is too hard for most to turn down; and (4) Giancarlo Stanton probably doesn’t reach the trade market until next offseason.

1. I hope the Mets cough up that draft pick anyway because they shouldn't get a mulligan just because they felt wronged.
2. Ewww.
3. Well, there goes the spend-like-crazy plan.
4. Time to sign some prospects

 

[Rice Cube]

So Matt Garza feels okay:

http://espn.go.com/blog/chicago/cubs/post/_/id/14751/garza-says-hes-healthy-anxious-to-prove-it

 

[Rice Cube]

Via ESPN and Muskat and all kinds of different outlets...

Feldman is penciled into the #4 spot in the rotation (not guaranteed)
Baker is probably going to start the season on the DL
Travis Wood has the inside track for the final spot in the rotation
Villanueva is probably going to be the swingman but could do rotation if Garza isn't ready for whatever reason
Tony Campana still hasn't been traded/claimed

 

[Rice Cube]

Also, New Jack Swing:

http://espn.go.com/blog/chicago/cubs/post/_/id/14855/video-jackson-breaks-down-new-swing

 

[Rice Cube]

Random bullets:

http://worldseriesdreaming.com/2013/02/15/the-night-before-the-position-players-report/

Position guys report tomorrow :woot:

 

[Rice Cube]

Front office today, 16 guys competing for one spot in the field of 64. Guess they took over Campana's spot.

 

[Jntg4]

Updated Schedule:
2/21 Intra-squad
2/22 Intra-squad
2/23 @ Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
2/24 vs. San Francisco Giants
2/25 @ Los Angeles Dodgers
2/26 vs. Colorado Rockies
2/27 vs. Los Angeles Dodgers
2/28 vs. Oakland Athletics
3/01 vs. Arizona Diamondbacks
3/02 @ San Francisco Giants
3/03 @ Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
vs. Milwaukee Brewers
3/04 vs. Cleveland Indians
3/05 @ Colorado Rockies
3/06 @ Texas Rangers
3/07 vs. Chicago White Sox
3/08 @ Cincinnati Reds
3/09 vs. Cleveland Indians
3/10 vs. San Diego Padres
3/11 @ Arizona Diamondbacks
3/12 OFF DAY
3/13 vs. Colorado Rockies
3/14 @ Los Angeles Dodgers
3/15 vs. Undetermined World Baseball Classic Team
@ Chicago White Sox
3/16 vs. Kansas City Royals
vs. Texas Rangers
3/17 @ Oakland Athletics
vs. Texas Rangers
3/18 @ San Diego Padres
3/19 vs. Texas Rangers
3/20 OFF DAY
3/21 @ Los Angeles Dodgers
@ Seattle Mariners
3/22 @ Milwaukee Brewers
3/23 vs. Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
3/24 @ Cleveland Indians
3/25 vs. San Francisco Giants
3/26 vs. Cincinnati Reds
3/27 @ Kansas City Royals
3/28 vs. Seattle Mariners
3/29 @ Houston Astros
3/30 @ Houston Astros

 

[waldo7239117]

As well all know, pitchers and catchers reported last Sunday. Today, all position players were expected to show up to camp. But many of the players have been in camp for a week now. Here's my weekly news and notes:

*General Manager Jed Hoyer was on Talkin' Baseball and he did say the Cubs did express interest in OF Michael Bourn. He said there was conversations with his agent Scott Boras, but it didn't get too far along in the process. The Cubs did not want to part with their 2nd round pick for Bourn and that had a lot to do with it. Bourn eventually signed a 4-year deal with the Cleveland Indians worth 48 million last week.

*Jorge Soler is at camp for the 1st time and has impressed the Cubs already on the 1st day. Sveum said he reminds me or a right-handed Cliff Floyd. Soler is expected to start the season for High A Daytona.
*Brett Jackson has improved his swing and looks to be fast through the strike zone. Jackson says he doesn't want to go back to Iowa, but he will even with a strong spring training. I say he's a June call-up.

*Sveum said Scott Feldman will be the 4th starter in the rotation. He was promised that he will start when he signed the contract and it's official now. Even though it was quite obvious he was going to start.

*Travis Wood has the inside track to the 5th spot in the starting rotation. Especially since he's a left-handed pitcher and the Cubs 4 other starters are right-handed.

*With that said, it looks like Scott Baker will start the season on the 15-day DL as he's still recovering from Tommy John Surgery. The Cubs are going to "baby" him and not rush him back.

*Matt Garza has looked good thus far and the ball is coming out of his hands well. If he keeps that up, who knows, he may be traded. (Still predicting the Texas Rangers).

*Brett Lillibridge is expected to make the team out of spring training as the utility guy and the back-up to Anthony Rizzo. He will have to be added to the 40-man roster and I expect the corresponding move to be placing SP Arodys Vizcaino on the 60-day DL. He's also recovering from Tommy John Surgery. (Barring no trades)
*SP Jeff Samardzija did not sign an extension with the Cubs in the off-season because he thinks it's better for him and the team that they wait another year. The Cubs were working on a 5-year extension with Samardzija.

Side note: The Los Angeles closer Ryan Madson had a set-back on his arm and isn't throwing yet. Hey, LA meet Carlos Marmol ONCE again!

We have not heard the latest on Tony Campana, but we should hear something within the next week.

http://www.chicitysports.com/2013/02/16/chicago-cubs-weekly-news-and-notes/

 

[Rice Cube]

Buntfest 2013, after the video game beat out Theo and Jed the other day:

http://muskat.mlblogs.com/2013/02/18/218-bunting-brackets/

Also:

The Cubs bunting tournament began on Monday, and there were a couple upsets as bullpen catcher Andy Lane beat outfielder Dave Sappelt. Nate Halm, the video staffer who won the front office/clubhouse staff portion of the tourney, also advanced, beating pitcher Hector Rondon. Other winners include Luis Valbuena, James Russell, Brian Bogusevic, Edwin Maysonet, Travis Wood and Drew Carpenter.

 

[Rice Cube]

More Theo stuffs:

http://www.csnchicago.com/video_content_type/ctl-theo-talks-cubs-future-kap