The Cubs tendered all of their arbitration-eligible players with the exception of Neil Cotts, who is coming off surgery and will likely sign a minor league contract. There is nothing surprising in this move and it is probably the smart move on the Cubs part. None of these guys is likely to break the bank and they are all useful role players, especially the pitchers. My only quibble might be Baker, whom I think the Cubs overvalue. Even though he hit well enough over the last two months of the season, he is a weak infielder and I don't believe there is any reason to suppose he will continue to improve. His only plus is his versatility.
Most of the Chicago print journalists are bemoaning the fact that the Cubs missed out on the Granderson trade, apparently because, shortcomings be damned, he is one helluva guy who either possesses intangible virtues or once took the writer out to lunch. Now it appears the Cubs are looking for a short term fix in CF. Mike Cameron keeps popping up in the mix. This is also a mistake. Cameron is getting old, he is a very consistent .250 hitter who drives in 70 runs and hits 20 HRs. There are a lot of guys around like this, and they are capable of causing immense disappointment the older they get, so I don't see much in this investment. If the Cubs want a stopgap outfielder, they could do worse than try to get Melky Cabrera from the Yankees on the cheap.
Bradley has the whole hot stove league speculation tied in knots, as apparently nobody wants the guy. This, in itself, and the Soriano contract, would be enough to send a GM packing, but the Cubs ownership seems to have a lot of patience these days. They will need it to wait out the mistakes they have inherited.
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