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The only guy I would want at second base is Aaron Hill.

From Baseball Reference Aroldis Chapman Aroldis Chapman de la Cruz Bats Left, Throws Left Height 6' 4", Weight 179 lb. Born September 11, 1987 Aroldis Chapman has shown flashes of brilliance in his young career but has also struggled at times. He has hit 102 mph on the radar gun. Chapman debuted with Holguín in the 2005-2006 Serie Nacional, going 3-5 with a 4.33 ERA. He then put on an excellent show in the 2006-2007 Serie Nacional. He had a 4-3 record, 7 saves and a 2.77 ERA. More impressively, he struck out 100 and allowed just 59 hits in 81 1/3 innings. He led the league in strikeouts, five ahead of runner-up Adiel Palma, though he also ranked 6th in walks (50). In the 2007 Pan American Games, he pitched one scoreless inning, struck out two for the Gold Medalists. He was a star in the 2007 Baseball World Cup, in which Cuba won Silver. He struck out 9 in 7 innings in a win over South Korea and whiffed 11 while allowing only 3 hits and a run in eight innings in the semifinal win over the Japanese national team. He was named to the tournament All-Star team as the top left-handed pitcher. Chapman's success in international events did not carry over for the 2007-2008 Serie Nacional. Aroldis was 6-7 with a 3.89 ERA despite a .200 opponent average and 79 strikeouts in 74 innings. He tied Norberto Gonzalez for 7th in the league in strikeouts. On December 20, 2008, Chapman broke Maels Rodríguez's record for fastest pitch in Cuban history when he reached 102 mph on the radar gun. Chapman pitched for Cuba in the 2009 World Baseball Classic, going 0-1 with a 5.68 ERA despite 8 K's in 6 1/3 IP. He dueled Travis Blackley evenly in Cuba's 5-4 win over Australia; after 3 solid innings, he gave up a Luke Hughes double in the 4th, balked him to third and then allowed a single to Ben Risinger to tie the game at one. He got the start in a key match against Japan and hit 100 mph on the radar gun but struggled in a loss to Daisuke Matsuzaka. He helped his own cause by picking off Michihiro Ogasawara and Seiichi Uchikawa after walking them in the 2nd. In the third, he gave up singles to Kenji Johjima and Akinori Iwamura. Ichiro Suzuki bunted back to Chapman, who threw to third for a force. Yasuyuki Kataoka singled and Chapman was yanked in favor of Norberto González, who let all 3 inherited runners score. Chapman went 11-4 with a 4.03 ERA in 2008-2009, striking out 130 in 118 1/3 IP. He led the Serie Nacional in K, 11 ahead of Yunieski Maya. He tied for 4th in wins, was 5th with 62 walks and tied for the most wild pitches (14). While Chapman won the headlines with his flame-throwing, Maikel Folch was named Cuba's best left-handed pitcher that year. [edit]Sources

Heath Bell is listed at a very conservative 250lbs on mlb's website. If he comes here he will be approaching the three hundred range pounding down portillo's beef and Uno's deep dish

we don't just need a second baseman we need a stud second baseman. Preferably a middle of the order guy. Know of any?

nobody seems to want to mention that three guys we got for Derosa are all playing very well and are quite likely to help the big league club some day in the future. Derosa was as much of a crap shoot as signing Bradley if not more. The guy had a career year at 33 years old only the second time he had played a complete season and that was 06. He could easily have reverted to prior form. I cant be mad at trading him or wood even though we suck now because if Soriano, Bradley, Fontenot, Theriot, Soto, Marmol, and Gregg havent gone on extended stretches of playing like crap we would be fine. Thats 5 of our everyday players slumping or were in a slump, who could have predicted that?

For the record the bullpen is our biggest problem: second to last in appearances and the second highest batting average against. We've been extremely lucky that our starting pitching has been lights out. Maybe the indians gm didnt want to deal with the cubs again? Hes already looks bad for giving up three prospects to us which have been playing real well. Chances are we would be giving him back someone like Ascanio. Perez is probably better/has more potential and softens the blow of giving us those three prospects earlier and then giving Derosa back 6 months later for a lesser player than any of the three we acquired.

I dont think this move has anything to do with guzman being injured. I dont think he is injured at all, if he is its mild. After pitching two innings two days in a row he wasnt going to be able to pitch for a couple days anyhow. So I think it has a lot more to do with the fact that our bullpen was going to be short. The phantom injury is nothing new. just like waddell has some non-baseball related injury, and Dontrelle Willis is taking his second trip to the dl with an 'anxiety disorder.' Which is convenient given how much he sucks right now.

I think Pedro would take less money now especially if a team is offering him the option to start immediately. He really has no leverage so why over pay for an over the hill starter? At best he is a marginal difference from the quality starting pitching we already have.

Good thing the cubs have this phantom DL thing down to a science.

A couple of players from those really good Steel Curtain Steelers teams from the 70's have admitted to steroid use. If it was in football back then it was definitely in baseball. It is by no means a 90's phenomenon. Before that guys were using speed in the 60s and probably even as far back as the 40's. Its hard to say if modern baseball was ever pure.

Sounds like some high ceiling, all or nothing type players so far. Which isn't a bad philosophy in what seems like relatively weak draft. Maybe we'll get lucky. The second pick is kind of a head scratcher but lets hope they see something no one else has.

wow vitters has been on a serious run here. Looking like a legit #3 overall draft pick. Good to see

Yeah lee has been picking it up lately but it always seems like he gets his hits during a blow out or when no ones on base. Id love to see Micah get more at bats. Every ball he hits is hammered. I agree with the rest of you too, Fox should be brought up for third and DH duties in the interleague play.

Adrian Gonzalez would be huge on this team. But there is no incentive for the Padres to trade such a cheap and productive young player.

He had all of 8 ab's versus lefties this year resulting in two doubles and three k's. Thats not nearly enough to make any sort of judgment on his ability to hit them. Lets give hime the benefit of doubt for now.

Sounds like a crappy methodology to me. I understand the faults of the Latin America scouting systems but I dont see how signing five mid- to high range prospects versus eight to twelve relative unknowns has any advantage. Except in terms of keeping a low budget. Its like going to the bargain basement and finding some mint condition collectable for pennies. Sure it happens on occasion but its certainly not a great approach. Drafting is an inexact science yes. Especially when these kids are 16, 17 years old (allegedly). But avoiding the top prospects, those with the best skill set, also risks passing on the next potential superstar.

theriot needs to drive the ball every so often just to keep pitchers from pitching him the same way every time out. Right now they are throwing it middle in because he keeps slaping outside pitches to right field.

Well then no more bradley in right either because he couldnt/wouldnt run for a ball hit behind first base yesterday. The way Hoff is playing he is a starter on a lot of teams.

Wrong, Neal Cotts just sucks. He cant find the strike zone and his stuff is a shell of what it was in 05. He cant get lefties out and all he has done so far is walk the first batter just about every time he pitches. 5 walks and a hit batter in 3 innings pitched. Also lefties are batting .500 against him righties .286. I'd say hes been extremely lucky so far have an era thats not double didgits.

what a stupid rule. Especially when I have seen umpires purposely get in the face of players, bating them. The umpiring system just sucks overall.

Hey Cub in NY it is a well established historical fact that the grid layout of chicago has at times fostered "the most segregated city in america." I would imagine now that it is a bit better here now but probably still the worst. Historically even before freedmen, ex-slaves and their relative came to the city, roughly between 1880-1940, the city was extremely segregated into neighborhoods of european ethnicities. Irish were in the south, Italian and greek to the west, German in the near loop areas, Polish in the logan square area. These borders became physical lines ethnicities did not cross, the rememenants and connotations of which continue to the present day. Look at the current ethnic and economic disparity between the south side and the north side, its pretty drastic. Hundreds of sociology books have been written on the subject.

he may have hit a sac fly there but in general I'm not too happy about his warning track power

I think it'll happen sometime in late april early may. He cant square anything up right now (or most of last year). Even when he does get a pitch to hit he's only demonstrating warning track power. Put him in the seven hole and let him hit his way out of it with less pressure. But leave him there because he probably never going to be the player we saw in a couple years ago. It really fustrating to watch him right now.

Ive got to believe miles was supposed to bunt and missed a sign. There is no other reason he could have been in there except to have squeeze bunted with Fontenot on third. If not than Lou is a complete moron because the Cotts move is inexcusable.

the cubs did the right thing here. Gaudin stunk it up as soon as he got here. Patton and Guzman have a lot more potential to be bullpen fixtures now and in the future. Both guys have better 'stuff' then Gaudin showed with the cubs.