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.

According to the Detroit Free Press and the Chicago Tribune, the Cubs and Tigers are close to swapping Jacque Jones for Omar Infante. A deal could be announced as soon as today.

Chicago Tribune

-Mike

I have been watching the remaining playoff games, and I’m still pissed off that the Cubs aren’t playing.  Am I the only one?  I wouldn’t think so but who knows lol.

I started thinking forward to the 2008 season, and what we might see out of the Chicago Cubs. Manager Lou Piniella will be back for his second season that is for sure. Will the team resign Kerry Wood?  Wil Geovany Soto be the opening day catcher?  What do you do with Jacque Jones?  Will Cliff Floyd be back?

As far as the free agents on the Cubs roster, I would expect the team to sign Kerry Wood, Daryle Ward, and Cliff Floyd if he chooses to come back.  Also, Scott Eyre does have a players option and has stressed that he would love to stay with the Cubs.  Time will tell what they do with Eyre, but I would expect him to be in Cubbie Blue in 08 as well.

That leaves Steve Trachsel and Jason Kendell as the free agents that the team would let go.  Neither player has a future with the Cubs team I don’t feel.  Atleast I sure hope not.

Right now I think we can expect Geovany Soto to be the starting catcher, Aramis Ramirez at thirdbase, Ryan Theriot at shortstop (would love to upgrade), Mark DeRosa playing second base, Derrek Lee at first, Alfonso Soriano out in leftfield, Jacque Jones/Felix Pie in centerfield, and Matt Murton in rightfield.

Time will only tell what the Cubs will be able to do as far as signing free agents and trades this offseason.� With the team up for sale, and no owner in place as of right now, nothing to drastic is going to happen.� I’d love to pick up a right fielder and a shortstop, but I understand if nothing happens at those positions as well.

Finally we can say that the Chicago Cubs are the National League Central Division Champions!  With a 6-0 win over the Reds tonight and the Brewers losing to the Padres, the Cubs are divisional champions!

Alfonso Soriano started the game off with a homerun and it sparked the team from the get go.  Derrek Lee connected for a two run shot in the 5th inning as well.  Jacque Jones had 2 RBI double in the 8th inning for some insurance runs.

Carlos Zambrano threw a gem during his seven innings.  Zero earned runs, only one walk, and six hits.� Big time performance when the team really needed it!

Now we will wait and see who the Cubbies will play on Wednesday!

Wow, not many of us were expecting to get sweeped by the Florida Marlins the past three game but that is exactly what happened.  After winning 10 of 12 games, the Cubbies have now dropped three in a row and to a team they did not beat all season long in the Florida Marlins.

Once again the Cubs starting pitching sucked from the first pitch.  This time it was Steve Trachsel who sucked it up.  Trachsel threw 4.1 innings while giving up five earned runs.  You cannot pitch like that when you need a big win.  Trachsel is a verteran and should thrown alot better then he did.  He has done absolutely nothing since coming to the Cubs.  Nice trade Mr. Hendry!

While the starting pitching sucked again, the offense was right behind them.  They could not get the clutch hit when they really needed it.  You don’t go up there hacking at the first pitch you seen when you need a big hit with runners on base.  Jacque Jones and Ryan Theriot had terrible at bats late in the ballgame at crucial times.

Tomorrow is a new day, the Cubs will be in Cincinnatti to take on the Reds and hopefully get back onto the winning ways.  Lets all sit down, watch the Padres and Brewers and hope for a Padres win!

Carlos Zambrano was working on three days rest and things did not go planned for him or the Chicago Cubs tonight as they lost to the Cincinnatti Reds 5-2 at Wrigley Field.

Zambrano only lasted 5.1 innings while giving up seven hits and four earned runs.  Since Zambrano signed his new five year deal on August 17th, he is 2-4 and definately not pitching the way he is capable of.  I don’t like the fact he was going on three days rest, he really doesn’t seem like the type of pitcher that can pitch on sort rest the way he goes out each time when he pitches.

Jacque Jones was the only Cubs player to get an RBI tonight.  Jones singled in the 4th inning that scored Aramis Ramirez and Matt Murton.

It was bad news as well tonight as the Milwaukee Brewers beat the Houston Astros and moved into a tie with the Cubs for the lead in the central division.  This race is going to come down to the last 1-2 ballgames of the year I’m afraid.  The Cubs need to beat the teams they are capable of beating and then move on into the playoffs.  GO CUBS GO…

It was a crazy night at Wrigley Field as the Chicago Cubsscored three runs in the bottom of the 9th inning to defeat the Cincinnati Reds 7-6 and stay one game ahead of the Milwaukee Brewers in the Central Division.

Mark DeRosa had the game winning hit against a 5 man infield that scored Sam Fuldfrom third base.  Fuld was pitch running for Aramis Ramirez who had tripled to deep center field.  Ramirez’s tripled plated Derrek Leeand Ryan Theriotwho led off the inning with a walk and then a single.

DeRosa finished the game going 5-5 including a solo homerun in the 3rd inning.  Cliff Floyd connected for a homerun in the 2nd inning as well.  Jacque Jones had the other RBI for the Cubs when he singled in the 5th inning scoring Lee.

Rich Hill started the game for the Cubs and he struggled in his 4.2 innings.  Hill gave up four earned runs on seven hits and seven strikeouts.  He had a few balls that could have been strikes that would have really helped but his curve ball wasn’t always being called for a strike.

Michael Wuertzpitched one inning and allowed another two earned runs.  Once Wuertz was done sucking it up, Scott Eyre, Kevin Hart, and Will Ohman came in to hold the Reds to six runs.  Hart pitched two scoreless innings and that was awesome to see.  The young guy has to be full of confidence after how he threw the ball tonight.

With the 7-6 win, the Cubs remain one game ahead of the Brewers who defeated the Houston Astros 6-0.  It will be crucial for the Cubs to keep on winning as the Brewers will be facing rookie pitchers the next two games against the Astros.

Another terrible performance by Ryan Dempster tonight as he walked a batter and then had a game winning double hit off him in the bottom of the 11th inning.  But should the game even have went that long?  No it shouldn’t have, the Cubs have got to start getting a key basehit when you have a runner in scoring position late in the ball game.  Stop grounding into damn double plays or hitting soft groundballs and hit a damn line drive somewhere.

Jason Marquis only lasted five innings as he gave up three earned runs.  Everyone was hoping for a better perfomance out of Marquis but it wasn’t meant to be.  Carlos Marmol and Bob Howry came in and pitched four scourless innings before Dempster came on board in the 10th inning and into the 11th where he allowed the game winning run to come across.

The one big hit the Cubs did have tonight was off Mark DeRosa’s bat when he connected for a three run homer in the third inning.  Jason Kendall also had a RBI in the 2nd inning as Jacque Jones cross the plate.  You have got to have more production then that however.  If you have a runner on second and 1 out, you have got to get that run in.  If you have the bases loaded and 1 out, you have got to a run in.  Right now the Cubs are just not executing at all.  They aren’t playing smart baseball like they were a month ago.  They better get going as they are now a game behind the Brewers in the division.

Ted Lilly picked up his 15th win of the season today as the Chicago Cubs cruised past the St. Louis Cardinals 12-3 at Wrigley Field.  I blogged yesterday that I thought this was a must win for the Cubs if they want to stay in contention for a division title and that is exactly what they delivered.

Lilly was the man on the mound as he pitched seven strong innings only allowing five hits.  Two of them being homeruns by Jim Edmonds and So Taguchi.

Aramis Ramirez and Derrek Lee got to Cardinal starter Joel Pinero in the 4th inning when they went both connected with homers to give the Cubs the lead for good.  It was a huge 4th inning as the Cubs scored five runs and pushed the lead to 6-1.  Lilly even contributed in the 4th as he hit a 2 RBI double.  Jacque Jones and and Jason Kendall also had RBI’s in the 4th inning.

Ramirez hit his second homerun of the game in the 8th inning.  Lets hope A-Ram stays hot and leads the Cubs to the post season.  We all know that he isn’t playing at 100% but is hustling out there and swinging the bat very well.  We also know he plays good defense at thirdbase and has saved the Cubs pitchers many times, so he needs to be the lineup all the way to the end!

With the 12-3 win over the Cardinals, the Cubs will now travel onto Houston to face the Astros in a three game set.  This series is HUGE for the Cubs and their playoff chances.  With the Brewers playing the Pirates, I expect them to sweep the Pirates so the Cubs must do the same against the Astros.  You never know how things will go in the “Juice Box” in Houston, so lets all hope the Cubbies swing the bats well and score some runs and win some ballgames!

Interested in Cubs Playoff Tickets?  Click here and buy them now before prices go any higher!

The Chicago Cubs are no longer in first place in the Central Division after falling to the Pittsburgh Pirates today 10-5.  It was not the way the Cubs wanted to finish the road trip as they dropped two out of three against the Pirates.

Chicago got off to a promising start, taking a 2-0 lead in the second on former Pittsburgh catcher Jason Kendall’s two-run single up the middle against Matt Morris.  Matt Murton and Jacque Jones both scored on Kendall’s single.

It wasn’t long though as the Pirates rocked Cubs starter Steve Trachsel who only lasted two innings in the game. In his two innings of play, Trachsel let up six earned runs on six hits and one walk.  A Freddy Sanchez triple in the second inning with the bases loaded was the dagger for Trachsel.  Terrible performance out of the veteran that was brough in to help spark the team and give them a few good outing down the playoff run.

Alfonso Soriano and Geovany Soto both homered as they tried to bring the Cubs back, but the Pirates pushed across three more runs in the 8th inning to secure the win.

The Cubs play a huge game tomorrow afternoon as they play the St. Louis Cardinals in a make up game due to the rainout a few weeks ago.  This is a must win for the Cubs, they must come out and throw a good game, and hit the ball around the park.