New President... and Old-ish Cubs News

On this day, here's a fun website where you can make your own Shepard Fairey-esque poster.

Marmol, Fukudome, Lilly, Ramirez, Lee, Soto, Zambrano, Guzman, and Jose Ascanio all on World Baseball Classic provisional rosters. The WBC starts this March.

However, Zambrano may miss the WBC; he is planning to undergo LASIK surgery.

Kevin Gregg signed a one-year contract worth $4.2 million, avoiding arbitration in the process.

Felix Pie was traded to the Baltimore Orioles for two pitchers, lefty Garrett Olson and righty Henry Williamson.

Kerry Wood took out a full-page ad in the Tribune and Sun-Times, thanking Chicago fans, his teammates, and the Cubs organization.

DeRosa on Team USA, and the new Cubs Club

Cubs.com reports Mark DeRosa has accepted an invitation to play for the United States in the upcoming World Baseball Classic in March. In the first WBC ('06), Team USA included Cubs Derrek Lee and Michael Barrett. The United States start pool play on March 7 against Team Canada. Italy and Venezuela are also in Pool C with USA/Canada. Pool C's double elimination games will be played in Toronto.

Team Venezuela may invite Carlos Zambrano to play on their team, which means Cubs teammates DeRo and Zambrano could face each other in pool play. Granted, there are no guarantees that Zambrano would accept the invite, much less make the start against Team USA, but it could happen nonetheless.

Fukudome also may play for Team Japan. Japan hosts Pool A games in Tokyo, their first-round opponents are China, Korea, and Chinese Taipei.

Pool B contains Australia, Cuba, Mexico and South Africa; their games will be played in Mexico City. The Dominican Republic, the Netherlands, Panama, and Puerto Rico make up Pool D, and the games will be played in San Juan.

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Waxpaperbeercup links to a story about the new tiered Cubs Club membership levels. Long story short, if you pay for a tiered membership level, you get a chance to buy pre-sale tickets. Fact is, the park will always be packed, and Cubs fans will pay any price to get the best tickets to the best games. As long as there is demand, the Cubs will find new ways to squeeze their fanbase for more and more cash. I don't like it, but it's a business and I can't blame them for doing their job and exploring new revenue streams. As long as they keep putting quality product on the field, demand will stay high and the front office has done a reasonable job of raising ticket prices on the most desirable seats while keeping other ticket prices within reach of the common family. Only when the Cubs have a down season will the club and the brokers be stuck with extra tickets.

12/22/08 Mailbag

The Dempster Contract

ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick

Four years, $52 million.
Player option for 2012.

$4 million signing bonus.
$8 million in 2009.
$12.5 million in 2010.
$13.5 million in 2011.
$14 million in 2012 (Dempster's option).

Dempster is currently 31.

With this signing, he'll probably have the fifth or sixth highest salary on the team next year. Last year, Lilly was fifth (or so) with $8 million, Dempster made $7 1/3 million.
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By comparison, Zambrano is 27 and made $16 million last year alone. He signed a five year, $91.5 million contract mid-season in 2007.

Postseason Awards and Kevin Gregg vs. Kerry Wood

Geovany Soto wins NL Rookie of the Year with 31 of 32 first-place votes. The Reds' Joey Votto received the other top vote. Evan Longoria of the Tampa Bay Rays won the AL ROY award.

Lou wins NL Manager of the Year and donates his bonus to a Chicago charity. He previously won AL Manager of the Year in 1995 and 2001 while in Seattle. Charlie Manuel from the World Champion Phillies is second, Florida's Fredi Gonzalez finishes third. Joe Madden of the Rays won the AL counterpart.

Carlos Zambrano wins... a batting award. He batted .337 with four home runs and won his second Louisville Slugger Silver Slugger award at the National League Pitching position, winning previously in '06.

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The Cubs also acquired reliever Kevin Gregg this week from the Florida Marlins in a trade for Minor Leaguer P Jose Ceda. Before the deal was made, Cubs GM Jim Hendry reportedly told last year's closer, perennial Cub Kerry Wood, that the Cubs would not be re-signing him (unlike the unprofessional way the Padres treated their closer).

There was no question, even before Wood's famous 20K game, that he always had the talent to be an elite pitcher, which made his often inconsistent play all the more befuddling. I never knew "which Kerry" would show up in the ninth inning, and "routine" saves felt few and far between. One or two run leads at home became nail-biters until the end. I feel sad to see him go-- he always seemed like a nice guy-- but from a purely business perspective, the Cubs weren't getting the value for what they were spending and needed to move on.

I'm not exactly sure where Gregg fits in the Gaudin/Samardzija/Marmol picture, but the Cubs still seem relatively deep at reliever, and got younger to boot.

Wood was the 13th highest paid Cub last year, earning $4.2 million. In contrast, Gregg was the 2nd highest paid Marlin, but at only $2.5 mil. Gregg is younger and performed almost as well with less talent around him, and was acquired for less money (even if Wood signed a one-year with a pay-cut).

Kevin Gregg entered the majors in 2003 and spent four years with the Anaheim/Los Angeles Angels before being traded to the Marlins for the '07 season. Last year in 68 2/3 innings and 72 appearances, he went 7-8 with 29 saves, 58 K and a 3.41 ERA/ 1.28 WHIP .

Kerry Wood last year pitched 66 1/3 innings in 65 appearances, posting a 5-4 record, 34 saves, 84 K and 3.26 ERA/1.09 WHIP.

Both Gregg and Wood are righties.