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.

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

The Cubs sent outfielder Buck Coats to the Reds for a player to be named, and also announced the Tigers have claimed lefty Clay Rapada off waivers, which completes an earlier trade.The transaction involving Rapada satisfies the Aug. 23 trade in which Chicago obtained outfielder Craig Monroe and cash considerations in exchange for a player to be named.

Coats, 25, was originally drafted by the Cubs in the 18th round of the 2000 First-Year Player Draft. He hit .303 this year with Triple-A Iowa, with 21 doubles, 11 home runs and 59 RBIs.

Rapada, 26, was 7-2 with 17 saves and a 3.58 ERA in 55 relief appearances for Iowa.

Craig Monroe has been traded to the Chicago Cubs this morning as Jim Hendry tries to find someone that can hit some left handed pitching.  Monroe was released by the Tigers a few days ago as he struggled most of this year after putting up good numbers for them the past few years.

We can only expect Monroe to see action when a left hander is throwing against the Cubs.  There is no way you let him bat against right handers as he absolutely blows against righties. 

The Cubs will be sending a player to be named later to the Tigers.  Damn, that guy gets traded a lot lol.

The Cubs optioned shortstop Ronny Cedeno to Triple-A Iowa and designated catcher Koyie Hill for assignment after the game against the Cardinals on Monday.  It is being rumored that Cliff Floyd and Henry Blanco will replace them on the active roster.

Floyd is back with the team after being with his family during his fathers health problems and death.  Floyd says that it is great being back with the team, and a much needed relief at this time.

Blanco joins the team after having some back and neck problems which has kept him out most of the season.  He was 2-10 during a minor league rehab which isn’t that great but we know he is on the team for his defense more then his offense.

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Carlos Zambrano and the Chicago Cubs agreed on a new contract extension as Big Z signed a 5-year 91.5 million contract to keep him in a Cub uniform and off the free agent market at the end of the season.

I like that this got done before the end of the season, I don’t know if the Cubs could have signed Zambrano if he had choosen free agency.  They can’t get into another bidding war after shelling out all that money to Alfonso Soriano.

Good job Hendry and company!