BallHype - Latest Chicago Cubs News Articles

Mets can't ditch Castillo

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 08:25:10 +0000

The Mets opened free agency quietly yesterday, stirring only long enough to scotch reports of a potential three-way trade involving Luis Castillo. The proposed deal, originally reported by the Chicago Tribune, also involved the Cubs and Rangers an...

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Grabow likely completes Cubs' pen

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 06:01:00 +0000

John Grabow believed in his new team enough to ignore the free-agent market, and the Cubs believe in the fitness of Grabow's left elbow enough to give the reliever a two-year, $7.5 million contract that was completed Friday.

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Come To Think Of It: Toronto GM Calling Cubs About Roy Halladay

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 03:48:28 +0000

According to MLB.com's Carrie Muskat , Toronto Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos has contacted the Cubs about a possible trade of star pitcher Roy Halladay to the Cubs. While on the surface it would appear to be a very unlikely scenario, it does at least bear some discussion. If for no other reason than Halladay is one of the best pitchers in baseball. And moving to the National League would only make him better, in all likelihood. Look, it's a long shot, to be sure. First off, the Cubs probably don't have the payroll room to do this unless Toronto is willing to take one of our huge salaries in return. Second, Halladay's contract is up after this season, so would it be prudent for them to trade away the farm just to obtain one year of his services? Anthopoulos has reportedly stated he is willing to allow the trading team a period of time to work out a contract extension. That would likely be a prerequisite for any trade, though with all the long-term contracts the club already has, I can't see ...

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Cubs agree to contract with reliever John Grabow

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 03:10:00 +0000

The left-hander becomes the first of the 171 free agents to agree to a contract, signing a two-year, $7.5-million deal with Chicago. > The left-hander becomes the first of the 171 free agents to agree to a contract, signing a two-year, $7.5-million deal with Chicago.

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Cubs make it official: Grabow is coming back

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 03:01:49 +0000

Left-handed reliever signs 2-year deal for $7.5 million > The Cubs kicked off the free agent season Friday with a move that had been telegraphed since September, officially re-signing John Grabow to a two-year, $7.5 million deal.

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Jays talk Halladay with Cubs

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 23:31:00 +0000

On Friday, MLB.com's Carrie Muskat reported that the Blue Jays contacted the Cubs to discuss a possible trade involving Roy Halladay, noting that Toronto even informed Chicago that it wants to deal the pitcher this winter, but his salary may be an issue.

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Halladay rumors reach Cubs' door

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:58:00 +0000

The Chicago Cubs are one of the teams the Toronto Blue Jays have contacted regarding former Cy Young winner Roy Halladay.

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Grabow gets $7.5 million, 2-year deal from Cubs

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:50:27 +0000

Pitcher John Grabow became the first of the 171 free agents to reach agreement on a new deal, getting a $7.5 million, two-year contract Friday from the Chicago Cubs.

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Cubs sign reliever Grabow to 2-year, $7.5M deal

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:21:38 +0000

CHICAGO (AP) -- Pitcher John Grabow became the first of the 171 free agents to reach agreement on a new deal, getting a $7.5 million, two-year contract Friday from the Chicago Cubs.

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Cubs reach 2-year, $7.5M deal with lefty Grabow

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:11:36 +0000

The Chicago Cubs and left-handed reliever John Grabow have agreed to a two-year contract. The 31-year-old Grabow combined to go 3-0 with a 3.36 ERA last season in a career-high 75 relief appearances with the Pittsburgh Pirates and Cubs. He pitched 30 games for the Cubs after he was traded from the Pirates along with lefty Tom Gorzellany for pitchers Jose Ascanio and Kevin Hart, and minor league infielder Josh Harrison on July 30.

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Grabow gets $7.5 million, 2-year deal from Cubs

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:02:08 +0000

Pitcher John Grabow became the first of the 171 free agents to reach agreement on a new deal, getting a $7.5 million, two-year contract Friday from the Chicago Cubs.

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Grabow gets $7.5 million, 2-year deal from Cubs

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 19:57:06 +0000

Pitcher John Grabow became the first of the 171 free agents to reach agreement on a new deal, getting a $7.5 million, two-year contract Friday from the Chicago Cubs.

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Cubs reach 2-year deal with lefty reliever Grabow

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 18:57:43 +0000

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Cubs, LHP Grabow agree on 2-year deal (AP)

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 18:19:52 +0000

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Cubs could move Bradley in three-team deal

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:01:54 +0000

Sporting News staff reports There has been talk of a three-way trade involving the Cubs, Mets and Rangers, the Chicago Tribune reports. In the proposed trade, the Cubs would send outfielder Milton Bradley and cash to the Rangers, the Rangers would send righthander Kevin Millwood to the Mets, and the Mets would send second baseman Luis Castillo to the Cubs. The Mets have been public about their desire to deal Castillo, a move that would allow them to pursue second baseman Orlando Hudson in free agency. Similarly, the Cubs have made no secret about their plan to ship Bradley out of town after the outfielder's team-imposed suspension at the end of the 2009 season.

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Cubs exploring Bradley deal that would net Castillo

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:01:17 +0000

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Diamondbacks acquire RHP Aaron Heilman from Cubs

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 07:11:05 +0000

Reliever Aaron Heilman was acquired Thursday by the Arizona Diamondbacks from the Chicago Cubs for two minor league prospects.

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Chicago Cubs: Is Carlos Marmol Recruiting Pedro Martinez?

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 06:36:08 +0000

Not sure if anyone read the latest foot-in-mouth interview from Chicago's North Side, but this time it isn't one of the usual suspects. No, it wasn't Milton Bradley talking about how racist the fans were. And it wasn't Geovany Soto talking about the proper way to pack a bong during the World Baseball Classic. This time, it was closer-to-be Carlos Marmol. And he was jumping all over the hot stove. Marmol first stated the obvious, telling the AP that the Cubs plan to use him as their closer in 2010. While logic hasn't always been the Cubs' operating philosophy, it appears it will finally win out at the back end of the bullpen. But then Marmol decided to wander onto the topic of free agents. He told the AP that the Cubs plan to pursue fellow Dominican Pedro Martinez to fill out the back end of their rotation. My reaction sounds like it was pretty consistent with Jim Hendry's to the news: WHAT? A Cubs' official told Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune that the team wasn't interested in ...

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Real work starts now

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 06:01:00 +0000

They gave the Cubs' new owners a standing ovation when they were formally introduced to the other major-league owners at a dinner Wednesday night at the O'Hare Hilton.

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Cubs trade Heilman, add 2 years to Grabow's deal :

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 06:01:00 +0000

The Cubs took two key steps in shaping their 2010 bullpen Thursday, even as they continue to work and wait on their bigger offseason tasks of trading Milton Bradley and acquiring another outfielder.

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Cubs finalize signing of Grabow

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 06:01:00 +0000

The Cubs announced the signing of lefty reliever John Grabow to a two-year contract that sources say is worth $7.5 million, a deal that has been imminent for weeks.

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Large contracts limiting Cubs strategy

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 05:30:42 +0000

Players such at Alfonso Soriano and Milton Bradley create money problems for club > The Cubs changed the course of franchise history three years ago Friday when they signed Alfonso Soriano to an eight-year, $136 million deal. It didn't work out as planned, however, and now Tom Ricketts enters the scene with a decidedly new game plan of fiscal restraint.

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Sports Briefing | Baseball: Arizona Acquires Reliever

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 03:17:27 +0000

The Arizona Diamondbacks traded two minor leaguers to the Chicago Cubs in exchange for reliever Aaron Heilman, a former Met.

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Diamondbacks acquire RHP Aaron Heilman from Cubs

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 01:52:41 +0000

Reliever Aaron Heilman was acquired Thursday by the Arizona Diamondbacks from the Chicago Cubs for two minor league prospects.

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Large contracts limiting Cubs strategy

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 01:30:35 +0000

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Diamondbacks acquire RHP Aaron Heilman from Cubs

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:00:07 +0000

Reliever Aaron Heilman was acquired Friday by the Arizona Diamondbacks from the Chicago Cubs for two minor league prospects.

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D-backs acquire Heilman from Cubs

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 23:05:27 +0000

Reliever Aaron Heilman has been acquired by the Arizona Diamondbacks from the Chicago Cubs for two minor league prospects. The 31-year-old right-hander was 4-4 with a 4.11 ERA in 70 appearances last season, striking out 65 and walking 34. He spent six seasons with the New York Mets before he was traded to Seattle last December, then dealt to the Cubs a month later. Chicago gets 24-year-old left-hander Scott Maine and 23-year-old infielder Ryne White.

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Uphill climb for Cubs to host 2014 All-Star Game

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 22:56:02 +0000

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Cubs trade reliever Heilman to D-Backs for two prospects

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 22:42:14 +0000

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Diamondbacks acquire Heilman from Cubs (AP)

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 22:34:08 +0000

Reliever Aaron Heilman was acquired Friday by the Arizona Diamondbacks from the Chicago Cubs for two minor league prospects. The 31-year-old right-hander was 4-4 with a 4.11 ERA in 70 appearances last season, striking out 65 and walking 34. He spent six seasons with the New York Mets before he was traded to Seattle last December, then was dealt to the Cubs a month later.

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D-backls acquire Heilman from Cubs

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 22:23:11 +0000

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Cubs trade Heilman to Diamondbacks

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 22:12:45 +0000

Reliever Aaron Heilman has been acquired by the Arizona Diamondbacks from the Chicago Cubs for two minor league prospects. The 31-year-old former Mets right-hander was 4-4 with a 4.11 ERA in 70 appearances last season, striking out 65 and walking 34...

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Diamondbacks acquire RHP Aaron Heilman from Cubs

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 22:09:32 +0000

Reliever Aaron Heilman was acquired Friday by the Arizona Diamondbacks from the Chicago Cubs for two minor league prospects.

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Hope for Cubs Fans: Aaron Heilman Dealt to Arizona!

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 21:52:51 +0000

In a move that restores all hope to Chicago Cubs fans, GM Jim Hendry found someone dumber than himself and made a trade. The Cubs dealt Aaron "The Gas Can" Heilman to the Arizona Diamondbacks on Thursday for minor leaguers Ryne White and Scott...who cares. Heilman's gone, people! Party! In a related story, the bag of balls that had been rumored to be dealt to Chicago for Heilman is relieved to be staying in Arizona for the winter. Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

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Chicago Cubs trade Aaron Heilman to Arizona Diamondbacks for prospects

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 21:51:22 +0000

Chicago Cubs trade Aaron Heilman to Arizona Diamondbacks for prospects.

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Diamondbacks get RHP Heilman in deal with Cubs

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 21:51:00 +0000

The Arizona Diamondbacks traded for Aaron Heilman from the Cubs on Thursday, the team announced, in exchange for a pair of minor leaguers.

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D-backs acquire Heilman from Cubs

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 20:39:00 +0000

The D-backs bolstered their bullpen on Thursday acquiring right-hander Aaron Heilman from the Cubs in exchange for a pair of Minor Leaguers.

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Ricketts attends first owners meeting

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 18:14:00 +0000

Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts is the new kid on the block as far as Major League Baseball owners go, and he spent his first owners meetings soaking everything in.

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Cubs Re-Sign John Grabow: Bullpen Issues Will Go Unresolved

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 17:57:56 +0000

John Grabow can laugh his way to the bank. According to the Chicago Sun-Times , Grabow and the Cubs have agreed on a two-year contract extension worth at least $7 million dollars, and Grabow is considered an option to take over the closer's role if Carlos Marmol's control issues cannot resolve themselves. As I made clear weeks ago , I will not abide this decision. It apportions no less than $3.5 million dollars for next season to a well below-average reliever, on a club that has little remaining budgetary space within which to operate. Not only does it fill the bullpen with one more ineffective left-hander (if we need those so badly, Sean Marshall deserved the extension in lieu of Grabow), but if Wittenmeyer's report of the organization's intentions reflects reality, this signals the end of any search for a more reliable power arm at the back end of Chicago's bullpen, a badly-needed missing element of the 2009 team. Grabow walks more batters than is ever acceptable for a situational ...

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Cubs agree to two-year deal with reliever Grabow

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 16:54:44 +0000

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Cubs close to deal with Grabow

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 14:14:00 +0000

The Cubs and John Grabow are close to agreeing on a two-year deal that would keep the veteran left-hander from hitting the open market.

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Cubs reach contract agreement with pitcher John Grabow

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 06:01:00 +0000

The Cubs and relief pitcher John Grabow have reached an agreement on a two-year contract extension that has been anticipated for weeks.

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Cubs announce 2010 Spring Training schedule

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 06:01:00 +0000

The Chicago Cubs announced their 35-game Spring Training schedule for the 2010 season. The club will play 15 home games at HoHoKam Park, 18 road games in Arizona (including a pair of games at Chase Field to close the exhibition schedule) and two games in Las Vegas against the Chicago White Sox. Spring training report dates will be announced at a later time.

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Dealing, not shopping, on Cubs' agenda

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 04:00:00 +0000

Once the free-agent market officially opens for business on Thursday at 11:01 p.m. CT, general manager Jim Hendry and the Cubs were expected to try to make some deals to tinker with the roster rather than do much shopping.

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Selling High: Cubs Should Show Tyler Colvin The Door

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 01:39:49 +0000

Tyler Colvin, the Cubs' first-round draft pick in 2006, finally reached the Major Leagues as an emergency mid-September call-up this September. When center fielder Sam Fuld injured his wrist on a spectacular catch (okay, instant replay advocates, a spectacular trap), Reed Johnson was not yet ready to come off the disabled list, so the Cubs called upon Colvin, 24, to fill the space down the stretch of a highly disappointing season. Though he amassed only 20 plate appearances and collected just three hits in six games, Colvin's defense (two stellar catches in the ninth inning during a 7-2 Cubs win in his second big-league game) and apparent nose for opportunities (he drove in a run with a sacrifice fly in his first career PA) impressed Cubs brass and fans alike. I submit, however, that we may all have had stars in our eyes all along with Colvin. As the thirteenth overall pick in 2006, it is only natural for fans to believe that sooner or later, given health, this guy would start to produce. He ...

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Chicago Cubs Centerfield in 2010: Curtis Granderson or Kosuke Fukudome?

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 18:22:57 +0000

I've been doing my fair share of reading on this site among others about the Cubs' interest in Granderson and what people think of the possible acquistion. Very interesting. Right now on the Cubs' depth chart, young gun Tyler Colvin is the starting center fielder. As of now, I don't see the Cubs taking a risk on the young guy by throwing him into the mix right away. At least I wouldn't. For those of you who think Colvin is more than ready, do the names Felix Pie and Corey Patterson ring a bell? They were in the same exact position as Colvin. We all know how the two of them turned out. Lets not let Colvin turn out the same way. Give the kid some time. He's 24. Lets look to the stats and contracts between Fukudome and Granderson. Fukudome in 2009 was mediocre at best. That is being generous. He hit .259 with 11 home runs and 54 RBI in 146 games. Pretty amazing. Not. Yes, his defense is very good in the outfield but that is not why he makes the big bucks. Fukudome's contract is pretty ...

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Re-Signing Mark DeRosa Will Not Make the Cubs Better

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 17:00:00 +0000

Filed: Nov. 18, 2009 Have you ever found yourself reading a well-written piece and feeling like it all sounds logical and sensible, but then you think about it a little more and wonder if the writer is off his meds? I had a moment like this when I read a recent piece by Fox Sports writer Dayn Perry , who proposes in the column a number of moves that teams need to make this offseason. It reads like something of a wild farce through a fantasy league, although I do recommend that you read it. You'll find ideas like: 1) The cash-strapped Tigers ignoring that they can't sell tickets (or dump salaries) and spending even more to pick up a free agent closer; 2) That Mike Cameron should ignore his ego, talent, and reputation and go man a corner spot for the Cardinals, which would then give them one of the best outfield defenses in the league—his words, not mine; 3) That the Yankees should continue to march Johnny Damon out to left field for the next three years—and at likely a premium ...

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Come To Think Of It: MLB Writers Take Steps Forward and Back in Award Voting

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 03:36:34 +0000

Perhaps there is hope for the writers who vote for the Major League Baseball awards, after all. Then again, it's always one step forward, two steps back with these guys. One might hope that the preponderance of advanced statistical evidence might educate voters for awards such as Cy Young, MVP, ROY and the Gold Glove. After all, as younger and (hopefully) more enlightened writers obtain voting rights, the subjective manner of awarding players should improve. One possible example of this is Zack Greinke winning the Cy Young award today. In the "old" days, many voters used such sad stats as won-loss records as a judge of the best pitcher. In that regard, Greinke wouldn't have had a chance. His victory total (16) matched that of Arizona's Brandon Webb three years ago for the fewest by a starting pitcher to win a Cy Young Award in a non-shortened season and was the fewest by an AL starter to win in a full-length season. But Greinke won in overwhelming fashion over King Felix of Seattle, who ...

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Cubs donate $20K to DR community

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 17:06:00 +0000

Cubs players Aramis Ramirez and Carlos Marmol joined Hall of Famers Ernie Banks, Juan Marichal and Billy Williams in ceremonies Tuesday to announce a $20,000 contribution to community projects in the Dominican Republic.

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Wells talks about offseason plans

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 16:16:00 +0000

Projected as the No. 4 starter in the Cubs rotation for 2010, Randy Wells recently talked with MLB.com about his offseason plans and food cravings.

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