Good news Cubs Fans!  Kerry Wood has decided to return to the Chicago Cubs and will be signing a one year, 4 million dollar contract.  Wood turned down two year deals in the 5-6 million range from the Milwaukee Brewers, Texas Rangers, and the Boston Red Sox.

That keeps the Cubs bullpen intact for now.  I would still like to see Ryan Dempster traded however.  Time will tell if a move gets done with Dempster.  I do not want him to be closer when we head to spring training.

Craig Monroe is headed back to the American League, this time to the Minnesota Twins.  I don’t even know why Jim Hendry traded for Monroe down the stretch last season to be honest.  It was another wasted trade that did not need to be done.  And now Monroe is traded for a player to be named later.

Hmm who could that be?  Time will only tell.

The Chicago Cubs traded outfielder Jacque Jones to the Detroit Tigers on Monday for utility player Omar Infante.  Jones, who took over as Chicago’s starting center fielder in the second half of the 2007 season, batted .285 with five homers and 66 RBIs in 135 games. He signed with the Cubs as a free agent in January 2006. Infante batted .271 with two home runs and 17 RBIs in 66 games with Detroit this year. He played six positions and made his most appearances at second base (20 games). He also appeared at shortstop, third base and all three outfield positions.

This really must have been Jim Hendry just dumping Jones for whatever he could get.  Why do the Cubs need another utility player?   Don’t they already have that with Ryan Theriot and Mike Fontenot?  Players that can play more then one position, and average hitters?   Sure they are dumping the 5 million which Jones would have been owed, but you are getting Infante.

This will only turn out to be good if they use that 5 million wisely on a free agent signing.

The Chicago Cubs have made another trade as they have acquired Steve Trachsel from the Baltimore Orioles for Rocky Cherry and Scott Moore.  Lol, I know what most of you are thinking right now.  Am I really reading this right? LOL, well I’m sorry to say it but yes you are.

Jim Hendry wants more starting pitching to help down the stretch as the Cubs have 30 games left in pretty much 30 days.  He doesn’t want the pitching staff to come up shorthanded and throught this deal was good.  Hendry also mentioned that he sees Trachsel starting, not coming out of the bullpen, but he will leave that decision up to Lou Piniella and Larry Rothschild.

What do you feel about this trade Cubs Fans?

-Cliff