The Lukewarm Stove isn’t just for the offseason anymore. A reminder: the Lukewarm Stove is all about bringing you the latest Chicago Cubs rumors OR MLB rumors that relate in some way to the Cubs, even if said rumors are tenuous, speculative, and unlikely. Might as well cover it all, eh?

Away we go…

• Both Bruce Levine and Doug Padilla did chats for ESPNChicago this week. In Bruce’s chat, he offered some tidbits: (1) Theo and Jed are waiting until the “right” time to make trades, and the “right” time is when they can get the most in return (boom knowledge’d); (2) Bruce is now talking about a Matt Garza extension like he’s looking for 5 years and $100 million (although the financial side of the game has changed in the last year, has it changed that much?); (3) Bruce again says the reason for the delay in Jorge Soler becoming a free agent is because MLB is thoroughly making sure he’s actually “Jorge Soler” (if Bruce is correct, then Soler either already has residency in the Dominican Republic, or MLB is somehow participating in that process); (4) Bruce thinks the Cubs will trade Ryan Dempster, who will ultimately consent to the deal because the Cubs aren’t bringing him back next year; (5) in the right deal, the Cubs would trade literally anybody; (6) David DeJesus could be trade bait if he keeps hitting well; and (7) Bryan LaHair would not net much in trade because he doesn’t have a long track record of success in the bigs.
• Doug also offered tidbits: (1) No matter how bad the Cubs play or what happens to attendance, Theo and Jed aren’t going to stray from their plans; (2) it might be ideal for the Cubs to trade Dempster, but hold onto Garza to form a 1/2 in the future with Jeff Samardzija; (3) it kind of sounds like the Cubs will have better luck getting Dempster to OK a trade if it’s to a contender (obviously) and if they’re getting back a very good piece in return (Dempster might appreciate being able to help the Cubs that way); (4) the Cubs would probably only consider trading LaHair if they got a “whopper of a deal”; and (5) if Marmol doesn’t come back with electric stuff, the Cubs won’t be able to trade him.
• Roy Oswalt remains a free agent, and no, he isn’t coming to the Cubs. But he is going to sign with someone, and it could impact the Cubs’ market for trading a starting pitcher like Matt Garza or Ryan Dempster (to the extent the Cubs try to trade them, that is). It’s believed that the Rangers, Phillies, and Red Sox are the leading suitors for Oswalt, who hasn’t pitched yet this season. The Orioles are also believed to be interested, but folks question whether he’d really go to Baltimore. Buster Olney says the Rangers are the most likely to sign Oswalt, at whom they’re looking now that Neftali Feliz went down with arm troubles that will keep him out for some time. If the Rangers ink Oswalt, it’s fair to say they won’t be aggressive in the starting pitcher trade market.
• Speaking of Buster, he wrote a piece that’s gotten a lot of play in the comments this week. The piece (Insider) doesn’t really offer much in the way of new info, instead suggesting that the Cubs will face some tough trade decisions with respect to guys like Matt Garza, Bryan LaHair and Starlin Castro. He advocates trading Castro if the Cubs can get enough for him. Shrug, sure, if you get an absurdly ridiculous haul for him, pull the trigger. But that isn’t going to happen.
• ALL APPROPRIATE CAVEATS: A poster on BCB named “joeby” commented three days ago that a Jorge Soler signing was “imminent” (that was basically all he said on the matter). On it’s own, that isn’t worth anything, but “joeby” is the guy who called all of the Cubs’ draft signings last year long before anyone else thought signing ALL of Maples/Dunston/Vogelbach/Shoulders/Urban/etc. was possible. That *doesn’t* mean this is certain, or that I’m saying “joeby” is legit. But, this being the Lukewarm Stove, and folks being absolutely desperate for any teeny, tiny morsel related to Soler, I thought I’d pass it on. For my part, I’ve not heard of any change in the situation – still waiting on residency in the DR, and subsequent free agency. This could all happen very fast, though, and much of it without us hearing anything. Given the upcoming international signing changes that come into effect on July 2, I still expect Soler to be signed before then (so does Baseball America’s Ben Badler, for what it’s worth).

Related posts:

1. Lukewarm Stove: Soler, Soto, Garza, Oswalt What may be the last Lukewarm Stove of the offseason....
2. Lukewarm Stove: Wells, Byrd, Garza, LaHair, Soto, Soriano, Soler It's a Cubs rumor bonanza, courtesy of Bruce Levine....
3. Rumors: Matt Garza, Ryan Dempster, Alfonso Soriano, Bryan LaHair, Jorge Soler, Marlon Byrd Matt Garza extension talks, Ryan Dempster trade talks, Bryan LaHair...

[The first in a short series of primer posts discussing the upcoming 2012 MLB Draft, which could be huge for the Cubs. The Draft will take place from June 4 to 6, and you can expect plenty of live coverage here at BN.]

Thanks to an ugly 2011 season, the Chicago Cubs will be picking 6th in the first round of the 2012 MLB Draft (we call that one of the upsides of awful). The MLB Draft, for a great many reasons, isn’t quite the same affair as the NFL or even NBA Draft. One of those great many reasons is because, generally-speaking, sports fans aren’t as familiar with the players to be taken in the early rounds of the Draft as we are with those in the other two drafts. Part of that is ESPN-style megacoverage, but part of it is a decreased public interest in college baseball, and the fact that half of the draftees are high schoolers whom we couldn’t have watched even if we wanted.

So, with that in mind, and in the knowledge that the Draft is a heck of a lot more interesting if you know a bit about the cast of characters from whom the Cubs will be choosing in that sixth slot, I’d like to offer you a little background on 10 Draft prospects from whom the Cubs might be choosing. BN Minor League Editor Luke Blaize also offers a few thoughts on each player.

In a semi-ranked, but not-necessarily-ranked order:

Byron Buxton, OF – Appling County HS, Baxley, Ga. Height: 6’2″, Weight: 190, DOB: 12/18/1993

Buxton is probably the best prep player in the Draft, an athletic outfielder with huge speed. He’s going to be above average defensively, but his game could still use some polish. That’s true of most 18-year-old players. No one anywhere seems to think Buxton will still be on the board at six, so you can probably let him pass from your mind. Speaking of which …

Luke: Pipe dream. I do not see a scenario in which Buxton is on the board when the Cubs pick.

Mike Zunino, C – University of Florida. Height: 6’1″, Weight: 215, DOB: 03/25/1991

The best catcher in the Draft, one who could be a long-time, above-average catcher in the bigs, Zunino is expected to go very early in the Draft. Indeed, like Buxton, there’s very little chance he’s still on the board at six. He’s got a good bat that could get better, and a good makeup.

Luke: I’m not as high on Zunino’s bat as many others, so I would not take him over one of the top three college pitchers. I don’t think I’d take him over Fried or Almora either. On the other hand, he could move through the system fairly quickly.

Kyle Zimmer, RHP – University of San Francisco. Height: 6’3″, Weight: 210, DOB: 09/13/1991

Zimmer has four pitches that could be average in the big leagues, led by a fastball that touches 97. He’s got K-stuff and control, having struck out 96 (and walked just 15) in 83.1 innings. Although the Cubs’ brass has undoubtedly scouted a number of top players, we’ve heard multiple reports of Jed Hoyer checking out Zimmer in person.

Luke: If he is on the board, I think he’ll be the pick.

Mark Appel, RHP – Stanford University. Height: 6’4″, Weight: 195, DOB: 07/15/1991

Appel’s got a shot to go number one overall, and he’s highly unlikely to still be on the board when the Cubs are picking at number six. A big righty with great stuff (though his strikeouts are a bit down this year (then again, who’s complaining about 108 Ks in 103 innings?)), and a fastball that sits in the mid-90s. If he fills out a bit more, it could go even higher. He uses a good slider and changeup, and controls games well.

Luke: Even if the rumors of Appel going to Houston do not pan out, he won’t fall past Kansas City.

Kevin Gausman, RHP – Louisiana State University. Height: 6’4″, Weight: 185, DOB: 01/26/1991

The last of the three big-time college pitchers at the top of the Draft (or first of the three, depending on your perspective – they’re all good), Gausman is another hard-throwing righty. His fastball sits in the mid-90s, but he sometimes struggles with his command on breaking stuff. Still, in 100.2 innings this year, he’s struck out 118 and walked just 23. For my part, I’d like to see the Cubs get one of the three big college pitchers.

Luke: Like Zimmer, if he is on the board, he should be the pick. Between the two I prefer Zimmer by a hair, but I do not think both of them will fall that far.

Carlos Correa, SS – Puerto Rico Baseball Academy, Gurabo, P.R. Height: 6’4″, Weight: 190, DOB: 09/22/1994

An above-average defensive shortstop who could actually stick at shortstop long-term, Correa is a very attractive top 10 pick. Add to that his above-average bat, and big power, and he’s suddenly a virtual lock in the top 10. If the Cubs can’t get one of the big three college pitchers, many folks believe that Correa will be their pick. Heck, he might be the pick no matter who else slips.

Luke: Young, athletic shortstops who can both hit and stick at the position are always nice to have, but I don’t think the Cubs should take him over one of the college arms. I don’t think Correa will still be on the board when the Cubs pick anyway. He could still be the key to the Draft, though. The Cubs’ best chance of landing Appel, Gausman or Zimmer would be if Correa is taken by third overall by Seattle. If Seattle drafts someone else, I think those top three pitchers will be off the board when the Cubs pick.

Albert Almora, OF – Mater Academy, Hialeah Gardens, Fla. Height: 6’2″, Weight: 180, DOB: 04/06/1994

Almora, who just turned 18, is a toolsy outfielder who is above average in every respect. He’s an excellent defensive center fielder with a big arm, and he is developing power. He’s also said to be a “good makeup” guy, who plays hard with a great attitude.

Luke: Interesting player. Not only does he have a chance to be a plus defensive center fielder with plenty of power, I think he could move up the system more quickly than most high school players. If the top three college arms are off the board, Almora would be a good choice.

Michael Wacha, RHP – Texas A&M University. Height: 6’6″, Weight: 195, DOB: 07/01/1991

Wacha is the “other” college pitcher who could go in the top 10, but virtually every ranking service places him behind the big three. He’s a hard-throwing, strike-throwing, fastball-reliant guy, whose fastball typically sits in the 93/94 mph range.

Luke: If Wacha would sign for a figure far enough under slot that the Cubs could chase an higher impact guy who slid into the suplimental rounds, I’d take Wacha. Otherwise, there will definitely be someone on the board I like better.

Lucas Giolito, RHP – Harvard-Westlake HS, Studio City, Calif. Height: 6’6″, Weight: 230, DOB: 07/14/1994

Once thought to be a candidate for the first overall pick in the Draft – which would have made him the first high school righty to be taken at the top of the Draft – Giolito’s stock has fallen thanks to a UCL sprain (the UCL is the ligament that is replaced in Tommy John surgery). He’s resting the arm now, and, if he shows folks he’s healthy before the Draft, he could still go plenty high. But there’s obviously a lot of risk, which makes the tall, powerful righty tough to project. Highest upside? Highest risk? Sounds about right for Giolito. But if you take him down at six, how much is he going to want to sign? He had $7 million in his future just a few months ago, would he now settle for $3 million? Or less if you grab him later in the Draft?

Luke: Tempting. Very, very tempting. He might be the best pitcher in the Draft. If the medical reports are clean and the Cubs know he will sign for a figure near slot, I would be on board with drafting him. Otherwise, if he falls out of the first round (which is possible due to medical and signability issues), I’d use a supplemental pick on him. (Brett: I’d only consider using a supplemental pick on him if I knew the first rounder was going to sign for under slot. Giolito ain’t comin’ cheap no matter where he’s drafted, so the Cubs would have to free up some cash elsewhere if they wanted to sign Giolito after drafting him later than the first round.)

Max Fried, LHP – Harvard-Westlake HS, Studio City, Calif. Height: 6’4″, Weight: 170, DOB: 01/18/1994

A teammate of Giolito’s, Fried is considered by many to be the best left-handed pitcher in the entire Draft. Fried is a tall, lanky kid who doesn’t throw especially hard (he usually sits in the low 90s), but he’s got an excellent curveball and natural sink on his fastball. The Cubs are going to take the best player available, whomever they deem that to be, but if they were drafting based on need, you could understand why they might consider taking a polished, high upside, lefty starter.

Luke: I probably wouldn’t take Fried over one of the three college pitchers, but I would happily take him if those guys are gone. Given the way the Draft appears to be shaping up, I think the Cubs will likely be picking either Fried or Almora.

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Chicago Cubs Owner and Chairman Tom Ricketts is quietly scrambling to rebuild support for a funding plan for a renovation of Wrigley Field, which would require some $150 million to come from public funds, according to the Sun-Times. Recall, the Illinois General Assembly’s Spring Session ends May 31, which leaves very little time for Ricketts to get things approved, so the ball can be rolling the day the season ends. If the Cubs miss this window, the renovation could be delayed by an entire year. Without Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s active support, getting that ball rolling could be a serious problem.

Sounds pretty scary, no?

Well, if it is, Ricketts is playing it cool.

“I’m not too worried about that right now,” Ricketts said Wednesday on “Roe & Roeper” on WLS-AM 890 of the possibility that his work with the Mayor could be scuttled by his father’s political flap. “The key for us is to make sure that people that know us and know the Ricketts family know that we weren’t trying to do anything that was insensitive in any way and that the people that don’t know us don’t jump to any conclusions.

“The mayor has got a lot on his plate. Whenever we get around to talking about that, that’s fine with me. I’m cool with whatever timing works. It’s just a matter of we’ve just got to kind of get through this and get it behind us.”

It’s impossible to tell if this is a situation where Ricketts is playing it cool because he knows things we don’t (and he isn’t worried), or if he’s trying to offer the appearance of playing it cool, so folks don’t freak out. The Sun-Times article suggests the Mayor and Ricketts still haven’t spoken, and that Ricketts doesn’t plan to reach out to the Mayor again.

For his part, Ricketts tried one more time on Roe & Roeper to distance himself and the Cubs from the (rejected) proposed attack ad on President Obama.

“The team is owned by myself and my siblings, and the Super PAC is kind of managed and funded by my dad,” Ricketts said. “First of all, my dad is a great guy. I love him a ton. In this case, kind of what happened was they took some presentations from a handful of consultants for a campaign that he was going to consider doing in the fall. One of them was very, very controversial and maybe that particular consultant thought that was what the PAC was looking for. It was never one of the options for them, but that presentation got leaked and that’s when all the speculation started flying.”

The problem for the Cubs and for Ricketts, however, is, at that point, even if Mayor Emanuel believes everything Ricketts says, Emanuel has to weigh his own political fallout in supporting the Wrigley funding plan in the midst of this heat. It’s unfortunate, it’s lame, it’s politics, but it’s real. The Cubs may have been screwed by circumstances entirely out of their control, and Mayor Emanuel’s hands may now be tied.

Let’s hope that’s not the case.

Related posts:

1. Obsessive Wrigley Renovation Watch: Rahm Emanuel Speaks, Phil Rosenthal Cautions The Mayor wants to make sure everyone knows he's in...
2. Obsessive Wrigley Renovation Watch: Tom Ricketts Offers Some Comments and Details Details on the time line of the renovation, alternative funding...
3. Tom Ricketts Responds to the Wrigley Field Renovation Funding Stories The Cubs' owner says the team is still just having...

The Cubs can’t lose today! Or will they find a way?

• Speaking of the Cubs’ now nine-game losing streak (their longest in a decade), Jeff Samardzija offers a simultaneously hopeful and sobering thought: ”This is really going to show our team character here in the long run. The next team you play is not going to take it easy on you, and the team after that is not going to take it easy on you. You’ve got to fix it, and fix it quick.”
• David DeJesus and Darwin Barney discuss the circumstances of their collision yesterday, which allowed two runs to score. It looked to me like it was one of those plays where it was a tough play for each player, neither is certain he can get there, so neither can call for it. Thus, they collide. And that’s pretty much what each guy said about the play after the game. Just bad luck.
• Carlos Marmol looked so good in a simulated game yesterday that the Cubs might move up his return to game action by a day, letting him pitch for AAA Iowa on Friday. Marmol is recovering from a strained hamstring (and, let’s be honest, he’s also recovering from “terrible pitching”), and the Cubs haven’t said when he’ll return. He was DL’d back on May 12, so he could return any time on or after May 27.
• Also on the injury front, Steve Clevenger caught yesterday’s Iowa Cubs game (for four innings, anyway), and seems to be continuing to recover well from an oblique strain/rib cartilage break.
• Phil Rogers says big-time shortstop prospect Javier Baez is “close” to being assigned to A-ball Peoria. Baez, 19, has been killing the ball in extended Spring Training, but it was starting to look like he was going to have to wait until short season Boise starts its season in June before being assigned. It’s still possible he’ll play a few weeks in Peoria before then being “demoted” to Boise.
• Kerry Wood’s single-batter finale, striking out Dayan Viciedo, wasn’t exactly how the Cubs had drawn up the plan for his final appearance. Wood was going to get more time, but after he struck out Viciedo, the game was still close, and the next batter (Alex Rios) had bad numbers against lefties. So Jamie Quirk, who was subbing for ejected Dale Sveum, made the switch.
• Inspired by some brilliance in the comments, we’re going to have a #CubsHell party on Twitter this afternoon. If you’ve got an idea of what life is like in Cubs Hell, tweet it with the #CubsHell hash tag starting at 3pm (or whenever you feel like it – but I’m not committing to going full force until this afternoon). Also, follow Bleacher Nation on Twitter if you don’t already, so you can be in on the shenanigans. An example from BN’er Edwin: “In Cubs Hell, Carlos Marmol and Kevin Gregg are the only two pitchers in the bullpen.” Outstanding.
• A post on the Message Board offers a hilarious Tony Campana/Superman Venn Diagram, and this awesome gif of Campana’s diving slide:

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Arismendy Alcantara (Scott Jontes/MiLB.com)

We open every minor league season with a list of players we know are good prospects and who we watch closely. For the 2012 Cubs, that list would feature names like Szczur, Jackson, Rizzo, and Lake. There is also usually a list of players we hope will take strides forward and upgrade their prospect status. This season, that list would contain names such as Wells, Golden, Jokisch, and Darvill.

But the success of a minor league season, and indeed of a farm system in general, depends to a large degree on a third list. That is the list of player who step out of relative obscurity and take their place in the prospect conversations. Already this season we have seen Patrick Francescon and John Andreoli take that step. Today, I would like to suggest that we add Arismendy Alcantara‘s name to that list.

Alcantara is a switch hitting shortstop out of the Dominican Republic, and he is having a breakout season. While he is still raw defensively (and that means lots of errors (and errors are OK for a young infielder)), the experts think he can stay at shortstop as he moves towards the majors. He features a nice mix of power (3 HR this season) and speed (12 steals) that should play well at short as well as at second or third. His production is fairly consistent from both sides of the plate, including his power numbers. His strikeout rate of 16% is perfectly acceptable, although his walk rate (4%) could stand to come up slightly. That walk rate has stayed fairly stable as he has moved up the farm system, but his strikeouts have fallen off precipitously as he moved into increasingly difficult leagues. That is a particularly good sign for a young player.

As you look over his numbers, keep in mind that he is playing for Daytona. The Florida State League is rough on hitters, but Alcantara is more than holding his own. He has always been a toolsy sort of player, but now it appears he is harnessing those tools and enjoying some success. If he can keep this up, I think we will be hearing a lot more about him over the next few years.

AAA – Iowa Cubs. 19 – 26
Iowa fell behind early and never did rally. As you might expect, that led to an 8-3 loss.

Brooks Raley made his first Triple A start of the season. He did absorb the loss, but given that this was his first start in a very hitter friendly league after working in the pitcher friendly Southern League, it wasn’t a bad game at all. He threw five innings and allowed five runs (three earned) on six hits and three walks to go with four strikeouts. I think we’ll see better from Raley once he gets adjusted.

Ryan Rowland-Smith struggled in his two innings of relief, but Mike MacDougal limited his damage to a solo home run. For MacDougal, that’s progress. Frankie De La Cruz had the only scoreless appearance for the Cubs.

Anthony Rizzo homered. At this point I think we are only surprised when he doesn’t hit a long ball. Or three. This bomb, part of a 2 for 4 day, was his sixteenth of the season. The demands for his promotion are no doubt going to get louder as he approaches and breaks the 20 HR mark, and those demands will likely be ignored by the Cubs. He’ll come up when the Cubs decide he’s ready to come up, and when the economics of the situation make sense, and not a day before. I suspect at this point the economics of player control and arbitration timings are all we are waiting on. He’s crushing both lefties and righties, he is now just ten home runs short of his career high for a season, and it seems he’s still getting better.

Josh Vitters is playing pretty well himself. He extended his hitting streak to seven games with a 3 for 4 showing that included a double. He got off to a slow start in April (normal for a player adjusting to a new league), but his OPS in May is up to .832.

BN’er Ced was at the game, and offered his insightful thoughts over at the Message Board. He discusses Raley, Rizzo, Jackson, and Vitters, among others.

AA – Tennesse Smokies. 20 – 27
A rare bad game from a starting pitcher doomed the Smokies to an 8-6 loss.

Nick Struck threw only 57 pitches and left after three rough innings (8H, 6R, 2BB, 3K). Casey Harman threw three innings in long relief and fared somewhat better (3H, 2R, 4K). Frank Batista put up zeroes in the final two frames.

Tennessee had 12 hits in this game, including two each from James Adduci, Junior Lake, Justin Bour, and Rebel Ridling. Lake, along with Matt Cerda and Michael Brenly, doubled in the contest. Ridling hit his fifth home run of the season, and Jae-Hoon Ha finally connected for his first of the year.

High A – Daytona Cubs. 18 – 26
Once again, Daytona lost a close game. This time the gloomy final was 8-7.

Frank Del Valle struck out six in his five innings of work, but he also walked three and gave up two home runs as he allowed five runs to cross the plate. Joseph Zeller allowed two more runs to score in his two innings of work, but it was Tony Zych who was dealt the loss and a blown save.

Daytona scored their seven runs on just eight hits. Ronald Torreyes finally had a good game, going 3 for 3 with a double and a walk. Dustin Harrington tripled and Greg Rohan launched his seventh home run of the season. Arismendy Alcantara also had two hits.

Low A – Peoria Chiefs. 20 – 26
The Chiefs were shut out in a blow out, 11-0.

Nearly all the damage done was done to Jose Rosario in his three and two thirds innings of work. Rosario’s record now stands at 3-5 after surrendering nine runs on nine hits with two walks and five strikeouts. The two home runs he allowed did not help matters any. Austin Reed was a bit wild in his inning and a third of relief and allowed another two runs to score. Hunter Cervenka and Jeffrey Lorrick combined to pitch the final four innings in scoreless fashion.

There’s not much to report about the offense. The Chiefs finished the game with a grand total of five hits, all of them singles. Pin-Chieh Chen, Ryan Cuneo, and Anthony Giansanti each had one hit. Yaniel Cabezas had two.

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Short version: the Cubs lost. Again.

Jeff Samardzija was decent enough to win, but the Cubs’ offense was – surprise – non-existent. Reed Johnson hit a first inning home run, and then the bats headed home for the night. The Cubs had runners in scoring position for nine at bats tonight, and they didn’t get a single hit in those situations. It’s pretty hard to do that.

Rafael Dolis screwed around in the 9th inning (non-save situation), and put the game out of reach.

Also, there was this…

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The Cubs’ losing streak has reached eight, and Dale Sveum is getting the hell outta here. Actually, he’s just attending his son’s graduation, but I’m sure he won’t hate the day away from the tumult. Jamie Quirk will handle the managerial duties tonight, in the place where he most recently coached before coming to the Cubs (Houston, that is).

Jeff Samardzija will try to play stopper tonight, but no matter how well he pitches, he’s going to need at least one run of support. Two or three would be even better. Maybe even before the 9th inning!

The Astros counter with Wandy Rodriguez, who’s having himself a resurgent, excellent year. Maybe that means the Cubs will blast off, given the caliber of pitchers who’ve been dominating them lately.

Tonight’s lineup is a carbon copy of last night’s mostly-righty affair, with only Koyie Hill and Jeff Samardzija as changes.

Game Info

Chicago Cubs (15-28) at Houston Astros (20-23), 7:05pm CT on WGN.

Game Thread and Series Preview

The Game Thread lives here. You should participate in the madness. And, of course, for those who aren’t into message board-style game threads, please feel free to use the comments on this post for your in-game commentary/outbursts.

The Series Preview for this series lives here.

Starting Pitchers

Jeff Samardzija (4-2, 3.00 ERA, 2.96 FIP)

versus

Wandy Rodriguez (3-4, 2.24 ERA, 3.03 FIP)

Houston Astros Lineup

1. Jose Altuve, 2B

2. Jed Lowrie, SS

3. Travis Buck, RF

4. Carlos Lee, 1B

5. Brian Bogusevic, CF

6. Chris Johnson, 3B

7. J.D. Martinez, LF

8. Jason Castro, C

9. Wandy Rodriguez, P

Chicago Cubs Lineup

1. David DeJesus, RF

2. Reed Johnson, CF

3. Starlin Castro, SS

4. Alfonso Soriano, LF

5. Joe Mather, 3B

6. Jeff Baker, 1B

7. Darwin Barney, 2B

8. Koyie Hill, C

9. Jeff Samardzija, P

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During the whole Joe Ricketts/President Obama/Mayor Emanuel/Wrigley Field flap, Chicago Cubs Owner and Chairman Tom Ricketts offered some non-political comments (as well as a number of comments that go a bit more to the political flap than the funding flap) to the Sun-Times on the status of the renovation project. Given the incendiary nature of that issue, I thought it best to give it a few days before writing about those comments.

Among Ricketts’ thoughts, in an exclusive interview with the Sun-Times:

• The Cubs hope to break ground on the renovations by this Fall, and would thus like to have a vote on funding plans in the Spring session of the Illinois General Assembly. That session adjourns in eight days, on May 31. Again: the timing of this flap was really, really bad.
• If the Cubs can’t get funding approved in time to break ground in the Fall, the renovation would have to be pushed back an entire year. That’s because the Cubs plan to conduct the renovation over three or four off-seasons. My thought: 2016 is the 100 year anniversary of the Cubs playing at Wrigley Field, so you better believe that’s when the Cubs want to be done with the renovation.
• Ricketts told the Sun-Times that he hasn’t made a final decision on a Jumbotron, but said that new outfield signs would be done “in a tasteful way maintaining that delicate balance” and that’s he’s willing to work with the Wrigleyville rooftops on “ways to work together to generate revenue” that might include “advertising on their buildings.” That’s a mighty creative solution right there, and one I’m surprised the Cubs and rooftop owners haven’t already developed together.
• The timing of the controversy was particularly bad given the NATO visit over the weekend, and Mayor Emanuel’s necessary preoccupation with that. It was understandably hard to get through to the Mayor – who had been working with the Cubs on a funding plan – to explain that the Cubs, and Tom Ricketts, have absolutely nothing to do with Joe Ricketts’ politics. At the time of the interview this weekend, Tom wasn’t worried about not having received return phone calls from the Mayor, given how busy his weekend was. We haven’t yet heard if the two have since spoken.
• On his father’s politics and the problems they can cause for the Cubs: “I’m not really involved in what my father does on the political side, and he’s not involved in anything we do as a team. We talked. I didn’t yell. He was already in the process of putting out a statement that made it clear he rejected the proposal. He knows it’s very important for us to maintain the image of the Cubs at the highest level. He understands that would complicate some of our efforts on the funding side. But we didn’t spend time talking about it. It was more like, `These are the cards we’ve been dealt. Let’s address the issue.’”
• On working together with Mayor Emanuel to continue progress on a funding plan for Wrigley: “We look forward to setting aside some of the emotion and focusing on the fact that this is a great project and a great deal for the city and state that creates 2,100 jobs, generates more tax revenue and saves Wrigley Field. Events of the last 36 hours have been a big distraction that has gotten us off course. But hopefully we can have it back on track soon.”
• Ricketts isn’t ready to entertain a back-up plan if these conversations with the city and State fall apart: “Right now, we’re just optimistic we can get this back on track, get it done and move forward. If it’s not gonna happen, we’ll have to think of something else. It’s a lot of work to get to this point with one idea, much less develop a Plan B.”

The article also has some more political controversy type stuff in it, if you’re still into that angle.

All in all, I remain hopeful that a deal can be struck, which would allow the Cubs to proceed this Fall. There’s just too much for everyone to lose if this thing falls apart. If the Cubs now have to pony up a little more to get the deal done, that’s the way the cookie crumbles, and the price of controversy. I don’t like it, but I’d like it even less if the Cubs had to push back the renovation plan another year (or worse, go back to the drawing board entirely).

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You hear it everyday. Heck, maybe you say it everyday.

Alfonso Soriano sucks.

Despite being one of the hardest working players on the Cubs, Soriano’s body has inarguably has failed him in recent years, and his performance has flagged. It was most noticeable in in 2011, when he hit just .244/.289/.469, and in the early going of 2012. After all, Soriano’s hitting just .264/.299/.403 on the year.

Soriano has become an easy target for fans and media, thanks in large part to his egregious contract (not his fault), his walking out of the box (a bad habit, and mostly his fault), and how he looks tracking down balls in the outfield (not his fault – he’s got a bad knee). Some of the criticism is deserved, but most is unfair.

And it’s become extremely unfair this last month, when Soriano has arguably been the Cubs’ best hitter.

I’ve done what I can to emphasize Soriano’s hot streak in recent Series Previews, but it’s gotten to the point where it requires a loud, written shout: ALFONSO SORIANO HAS BEEN ON FIRE FOR A MONTH.

That .264/.299/.403 line? Yes, it’s bad, but it’s been dragged down by an hilariously abysmal start to the year, that saw Soriano at just .200/.220/.200 on April 23, one month ago today. Since then, he’s raised his production dramatically.

Indeed, in the last 30 days, Soriano is hitting .303/.347/.528 with four homers, eight doubles, and 14 RBI. Only Bryan LaHair’s line over that month is better on the Cubs, but if you start things at May 1, LaHair’s going just .246/.358/.478 (in May, Soriano is at .294/.351/.559).

Soriano’s line in the last 30 days far eclipses even Soriano’s career numbers (.274/.323/.503), and is better than all but three or four of his best seasons. I’m not saying either his first month this year, or his most recent month is a true reflection of the “real” Soriano – you can’t cherry pick stats like that – but I am saying we can’t keep ignoring how well he’s been hitting in the last 30 days.

Whatever Soriano’s past, and whatever his future, he’s been killing the ball in May. Let’s make sure to keep that in mind as we discuss him going forward. And let’s hope AL teams looking for a DH are keeping it in mind, as well.

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What kind of fool was I for talking about abysses and such yesterday? The Cubs haven’t had the lead in a game in 59 innings. Wrap your head around that one.

• Dale Sveum was pleased with Travis Wood’s start last night, and how could you not be? He allowed just four base runners in 5.2 innings. “I tip my hat to him,” Sveum said of Wood. “I know he’s gone through some adversity through all this and he’s had two really impressive starts for us.” Sveum added: ”Travis was great. He did a great job …. He was really, really good. He kept the ball down. He had a good changeup — 12 mph off his fastball, with really good fade. He didn’t use much of anything else [as an off-speed pitch].” Wood was replacing Chris Volstad, who didn’t have a truly good start in any of his eight starts with the big club this year.
• The Braves say that back when Jeff Samardzija hit Jason Heyward after Heyward homered on a 3-0 Samardzija offering, Samardzija was communicating a message that you don’t swing against him in a 3-0 count. That seems awfully presumptuous to me unless they actually heard him say something. I’m not saying Samardzija didn’t hit Heyward intentionally (I really don’t know – it was a tight game), but I don’t know if I buy that that was the sole reason for the plunking. After Samardzija unintentionally hit Paul Konerko in the face following a Konerko home run, though, you can understand why Samardzija has had to deflect some calls that he’s a headhunter. Samardzija and Konerko are all square, by the way, having talked things out.
• Bryan LaHair spent his “off day” yesterday working on his swing, and considering adjustments. The adjustment process happens every year, and LaHair hopes it will help him out of his present 1 for 20 funk.
• Dale Sveum is going to miss today’s game in order to attend his son’s high school graduation in Arizona. I say cool. Bench coach Jamie Quirk will act as manager.
• Cubs’ pitching coach Chris Bosio talks about the Cubs’ continued need for pitching depth, while acknowledging that the organization lacks a big arm just about ready to break through.
• The MLBullets at BCB talk about the Red Sox and Yankees sitting at the bottom of the AL East, among other things.
• Tony Campana flew last night, making his transition to the new Sam Fuld complete.

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