Michael Wuertz and the Chicago Cubs avoided salary arbitration on Monday as they both agreed on a new one year contract.  Wuertz was hoping for $900,00+ and he settled for $860,000 from the Cubs for the 2008 season.

Pretty good deal for both parties involved I think.  Wuertz is a good innings eater out of the bullpen.  Hopefully he will have a little better control in 08 however, and puts away batters instead of wasting so many pitches and end up walking them.

Cubs Transactions

I first have to ask why Jim Hendry signed Shingo Takatsu today?  Is he coming to the Cubs to help out Fukudome adjust to the Major Leagues?  Could he possibly help out the Cubs bullpen?  I wouldn’t think he would actually do much help out of the bullpen for the Cubs to be honest.

Enjoy the minor leagues or heading back to Japan Shingo!  I don’t think you will last very long.  And Hendry, why the hell are you spending resources on a signing like this?  Complete a trade that we have been hearing about for the past 6 weeks!

A former Cub is coming back to Chicago to pitch for the Cubs once again.  Jon Lieber has been signed to a one year contract for a salary of 3.5 million.  With incentives, the deal could be near the 7-8 million range.

Good signing if Lieber has anything left in the tank in my opinion.  I’d rather give Lieber the ball in the starting rotation then Ryan Dempster.

What do you all think? Good signing?

The Cubs signed relief pitcher Chad Fox to a one-year minor league contract today, along with an invitation to spring training. Fox appeared in 11 games for the Cubs in 2005, and hasn’t pitched in the majors since. He has a career record of 10-11 and an ERA of 3.57.

Cubs Official Press Release

Mike

General manager Jim Hendry has traded Angel Pagan to the New York Mets for outfielder Corey Coles and RHP Ryan Meyers.  Reports are saying that Coles and Meyers will be career minor leaguers but it is so hard to tell the way players move up and down these days.

I do think sending Pagan to the Mets is clearly just a way to clear up a spot on the 40 man roster.  It will also make Sam Fuld making the team as a 5th outfielder a lot better.

Neal Cotts, who signed with the Chicago Cubs last off-season has once again been signed to a one year deal with the Major League team.  While Cotts is on the Major League roster, that doesn’t mean he will be playing with the big league team however.

Last year, Cotts pitched in 16 games for the Cubs, he went 0-1 with a 4.86 ERA in those 16 apperances.  Cotts finished the rest of the season down at Triple A Iowa posting a 2-2 record with a 4.83 ERA in 24 appearances, including six starts.

Japenese outfielder Kosuke Fukudome has chosen to accept a contract offer to play for the Chicago Cubs.  The deal is expected to be for four years and in between 12 and 14 million per season.  Sounds like a lot of money for someone that has never played in the major leagues.  Unless he is another Ichiro lol.

Expect Fukudome to play right field for the Cubs, and allowing Felix Pie all the opportunity to take over in centerfield.  Sam Fuld could also push for the centerfield job as Bruce Levine reported on ESPN1000 Wednesday morning.

The Tampa Bay Rays drafted Tim Lahey in the Rule 5 draft with the #1 pick and then turned around and traded him to the Chicago Cubs for cash considerations.

Lahey spent most of last season with the Minnesota Twins’ Double-A New Britain team, posting an 8-4 record with 13 saves and a 3.45 ERA in 50 games. He struck out 56 and walked 33 over 78 1/3 innings. Lahey appeared in two games for Triple-A Rochester, totaling three innings.

Lahey will have to remain on the 40-man roster for the entire 2008 season, or he will be sent back to Tampa Bay.

The Cubs did lose Randy Wells who was picked up by the Toronto Blue Jays in the Rule 5 draft.� The Cubs also lost Adalberto Mendez in the Double-A section of the draft.

The Chicago Cubs and Atlanta Braves have made a trade!  The Cubs will be sending Omar Infante and Will Ohman to the Braves for reliver Jose Ascanio.  The 22-year-old Ascanio appeared in just 13 games for the Braves last season, going 1-1 with a 5.06 ERA.

I see this more as a move for clearing 40-man roster spots and getting rid of Ohman’s contract.  Anyone else have any opinions on this trade?  Leave a comment and let us know!

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.