Former Red Ryan Freel, who the team traded this off-season to the Orioles for catcher Ramon Hernandez, has been cut for the second time this season.

The Cubs designated Ryan Freel for assignment to create a spot on the roster for newly acquired infielder Jeff Baker becomes official, who came over from the Rockies.

Freel batted only .143/.226/.143 in 28 at-bats for the Cubs this year.

MLB cubs, ryan freel

It was only a matter of time before Sweet Lou turned sour.

The Cubs, everybody's pick to runaway with the NL Central, have been one of baseball's biggest disappointments to this point of the season. They currently sit at 35-35, but still only find themselves 2.5 games behind the first-place Cardinals in a weak division.

Still, the team has underacheived and it was only a matter of time before Piniella's fuse box blew.

It came to a boiling point in Friday's 5-4 win over the Chicago White Sox.

Newcomer Milton Bradley went a little crazy in the dugout after flying out in the sixth inning and start taking out on bats, balls, Gatorade coolers, and everything else he could find in the Cubs' dugout. Pinella didn't like it and chased the troubled left fielder in to the clubhouse.

Piniella ordered Bradley to the clubhouse and followed him -- with Carlos Zambrano joining him -- through the tunnel from the dugout.

According to sources, Piniella then shouted at Bradley, ''You're not a player! You're a piece of sh--!''

Bradley then said, ''I have too much respect for you to respond to that,'' a source said.

''I just told him to take his uniform off and go home,'' Piniella said after the game. ''And followed him up into the clubhouse and we exchanged some words. I don't like those things to happen. But I'm just tired of watching all that.

''This has been a common occurrence and I've looked the other way a lot, and I'm done with it.''

What did the Cubs expect when they brought Bradley on to the team? This guy has the potential to take down any clubhouse.

At 65, Piniella doesn't have it him like he use to. The younger Piniella would have just kicked his ass like he did with Rob Dibble while coaching the 1990 Reds.

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Check out this video of Carlos Zambrano performing a classic tantrum. The Cubs pitcher was suspended for six games after this episode Wednesday.

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Are you aware that today May 28th? A better question is are the Reds aware of it?

The team just wrapped up a 6-3 homestand to move a season-best six games over .500 at 26-20.

They've done it despite having their best hitter battling dizzy spells. With their best fielder and cleanup hitter dealing with a fracture thumb while sitting on the pain. And with their top winner from last year sidelined with back spasms.

Now, the true test comes with a seven-day, seven-game road trip against the two teams above them in the NL Central Standings.

It starts with a weekend stop in Milwaukee for a showdown with the Brewers, followed by a four-game series with the Cardinals in St. Louis.

The Cardinals (28-19) lead the division over the Brewers by one game (27-20) and have a 1.5 game lead over the Reds.

Following a sweep over the last place Astros, Reds' outfielder Jay Bruce made a prediction that summarized the team's enthusiasm.

We're coming home in first," Bruce told the Dayton Daily News.

With the Cubs struggling so much, it appears that the NL Central is up for grabs. Whether or not the Reds can be one of the teams to stay in the race all year remains to be seen, but if you have to like what you've seen so far!

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It wasn't the worst performance of Take Me Out To Ballgame, but it was pretty bad...

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There are several fantasy owners waiting for last year's N.L. Rookie of the Year, Cubs' catcher Geovany Soto, to get things going.

After busting out last year, Soto is off to an extremely slow start in his sophomore campaign. He enters Tuesday's series against the Reds batting just .105 with 0 HR and just 1 RBI.  Granted he's only had 19 at-bats so far, but this is still far from the production expected when many invested a 5th or 6th round pick on the backstop.

The World Baseball Classic affected his preparation for the season and there has been some injury concerns too.

On April 7th, Soto left the team's game against the Astros with shoulder soreness/discomfort.  He claimed it wasn't the first time he's had this type of discomfort, but the MRI came back clean and Soto returned to action on the 12th as a pinch-hitter.

His .285-23-86-66-0 in 494 ABs last year set the bar high for this year.  That's translates into about 4 HR and 14 RBI per month.  His least productive month last season was July as he produced a .740 OPS and still hit 4 HR and 11 RBI. 

FINAL TAKE: You hate to see catchers struggle at the plate early as you expect their production to dip as the season progresses as they wear down. Still, catcher is a position where there is seldom many appealing options and nearly none on leagues' waiver wires. That makes waiting him out by far the best option. Hopefully as the Windy City heats up so to will the Cubs' young catcher.

Fantasy Baseball cubs, geovany soto

The NL Central was pretty much a two-horse race last season, with the Cubs pulling away from the Brewers in the end. However, this off-season helped separate the gap a bit. It wasn’t as much what Chicago did improve, rather what the Brewers lost.

ORDER OF FINISH
Cubs – The Cubbies are nearly a unanimous choice across the websites and blogs across the Internet. I am not prepared to against the grain. Carlos Zambrano, Ted Lilly, and Ryan Dempster are rock solid atop the rotation and if Rich Harden can stay healthy, it will be lights out. The line-up is still solid from top to bottom, but the team will need last year’s import sensation Kosuke Fukudome and this year’s free-agent addition Milton Bradley to fulfill their roles if they are to succeed. While I am picking the Cubs to win the division, I would not be surprised to see them win 8-10 games less in ‘09.

Cardinals – The Cards finished 10 games over .500 last season in what was supposed to be a rebuilding year, but I think they overachieved. They still have the best player in the division (and maybe all of baseball) in Albert Pujols. Still, Ryan Ludwick is going to be hard-pressed to match 2008’s numbers and forgive me if Khalil Greene doesn’t excite me at shortstop. The staff is the key though. Adam Wainright and Kyle Lohse must match last year’s efforts and former Cy Young winner Chris Carpenter needs to get to 100% if they are going to compete. Keep your eyes on rookie outfielder Colby Rasmus, who could make a huge rookie impact.

Reds – For the first time in decades, the Reds boast some of the game’s most promising young arms in Edinson Volquez and Johnny Cueto. However, how staff ace Aaron Harang is able to bounce back from a career-worst season is likely going to be the biggest factor in determining the success of the rotation. The challenge for Dusty Baker this year is getting his team to manufacturer enough run production to compete. With Ken Griffey and Adam Dunn gone, Brandon Phillips, Joey Votto, and Jay Bruce will need to step up in the 3-4-5 spot in the batting order.

Astros – Offense is not a problem for Houston as they boast one of the division’s most potent line-ups. Lance Berkman and Carlos Lee are top-tier run-producers and I like the late-signing of Ivan Rodriguez, who will prove to be valuable. They are going to need to score a ton of runs though as the rotation is weak. Roy Oswalt, who is on the decline, is one of the few dependable options on the mound.

Brewers – After losing both C.C. Sabathia and Ben Sheets, the Brewers are looking for answers in the rotation. The team’s quick fix at closer with the signing of veteran Trevor Hoffman was derailed also when he was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a shoulder injury. The offense is still lights out with Ryan Braun, Prince Fielder, and Corey Hart paving the way.

Pirates – As much as the Cubs are the consensus #1 pick in the division, the Bucs have earned that recognition as the division’s last place team. They do have some young and intriguing players, led by Nate McClouth, but are missing way too many pieces to be taken seriously. It looks like yet another losing season ahead in the Iron City.


AWARDS
MVP – Alfonso Soriano (CHC)

Cy Young Candidate – Carlos Zambrano (CHC)

Biggest Bust – Khalil Greene (STL)

Biggest Breakout – Joey Votto (CIN)

Comeback Player – Chris Carpenter (STL)

Rookie of Year – Colby Rasmus (STL)

MLB 2009 mlb predictions, nl central, cubs, cardinals, reds, astros, brewers, pirates

Here are some of the latest headlines from around the MLB Hot Stove to heat you up:

DODGERS STILL WAITING FOR MANNY (ESPN.com)
The Dodgers made a $45 million offer to Ramirez in November and then withdrew it when Boras did not respond, and then the Dodgers made an offer of arbitration, and again, Boras did not respond, according to L.A. officials. So the Dodgers have sat back and waited for any other serious bidder for Ramirez to emerge, waited to see if there was any reason to extend their own offer...MORE

VARITEK STAYING IN BOSTON (Boston Globe)
The captain is not going anywhere. Ending a three-month saga hours before a team-imposed deadline, the Red Sox and catcher Jason Varitek agreed to a one-year contract with a team option for 2010, two sources with knowledge of the deal confirmed yesterday. Varitek, who turns 37 in April, will receive $5 million in 2009. The Sox hold a $5 million option for 2010...MORE

SHEETS RUNNING OUT OF OPTIONS (MLB.com)
Ben Sheets and the Brewers have not spoken since the Brewers asked whether Sheets would consider an incentive-based contract similar to John Smoltz's ($4.5MM in incentives) or Brad Penny's ($3MM in incentives). It appears that Sheets was not open to an similar offer, but the Brewers won't offer a multi-year deal. GM Doug Melvin maintains the club isn't likely to sign Sheets, but he hasn't completely ruled out the possibility...MORE

CUBS SHOPPING HILL (Baltimore Sun)
The Orioles and Chicago Cubs are again involved in trade talks, this time about Cubs left-handed starting pitcher Rich Hill. According to industry sources, the teams have had talks about Hill, a one-time top prospect who is struggling to regain his command. Tne industry source said it's a "strong possibility" that Hill will wind up with the Orioles, perhaps as early as next week. The Orioles will likely give up a player to be named, who could be contingent on Hill's success in Baltimore...MORE

IT'S OFFICIAL, CUBS ADD BAKO (Cubs.com)
The Cubs signed catcher Paul Bako, who had been with the Reds, to a one-year, $725,000 contract. The deal was done a month ago, but Bako had to wait for the Cubs to open a roster spot before it was made official. Bako was no longer a fit for Cincinnati with the emergence of Ryan Hanigan and following the trade for veteran Ramon Hernandez...MORE

FOGG LANDS IN COLORADO (ColoradoRockies.com)
Rockies signed RHP Josh Fogg to a minor league contract and invited him to spring training. With Jeff Francis potentially starting the year on the DL, there could be room for Fogg at the back of the rotation. Fogg, 32, went 10-9 with a 4.94 ERA in 2007 and won several matchups with big-name pitchers. Fogg signed with the Reds last season and went 2-7 with a 7.58 ERA in 22 games, including 14 starts...MORE

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Former Reds' outfielder Adam Dunn hasn't drawn too much interest on the free agent market and will likely reach the New Year without a deal.

Tim Dierkes of MLBTradeRumors.com indicated on his blog that the Cubs may be Dunn's top choice

According to David Kaplan of WGN Radio, Dunn's first choice is to play for the Cubs. He's not looking for a huge deal, but a fair one.  The concern, of course, would be having Dunn play right field on a regular basis. 

A source familiar with the team's thinking told MLBTR the Cubs have "exchanged pleasantries" with Dunn's agents, nothing more.  It's been suggested that Milton Bradley is the Cubs' first choice.

Sources told SI.com's Jon Heyman last week that the Nats will go after Orlando Hudson and Adam Dunn if they fail to land Mark Teixeira.

For the fourth straight year Dunn hit 40 HR's last season in split action with the Reds and Diamondbacks. His defense, .236 BA, and 164 strikeouts remain concerns for many teams.

It will be interesting to see where the big guy lands. I still think he'll be a much better option in the AL where he can DH frequently and stay out of the outfield.

MLB cubs, reds, diamonbacks, nationals, adam dunn, milton bradley

The biggest free agent chip has landed in the Bronx as C.C. Sabathia has agreed to a 7-year, $160 million deal, accroding to ESPN.com.

While a deal is not yet done, a source told ESPN.com's Jayson Stark there are "zero major road blocks" that would prevent the Yankees from reaching agreement with Sabathia. Not all terms of the deal are agreed to yet, the source indicated. Sabathia also would need to take a physical.

The New York Post first reported Wednesday that Sabathia, the prize of this year's free-agent class, had decided to go with the Yankees after fielding offers from a number of teams. 

Sabathia is just 28, and last year between the Indians and Brewers he went 17-10 with a 2.70 ERA. The previous season he won the AL Cy Young. Now he is the first major new piece to be put into the new Yankee Stadium.

OTHER HEADLINES:

• Nationals ready to make run at Teixeira - LA Times
• Indians close to signing Wood - MLB.com
  
• Yankees nearing deal for Lowe - SI.com
• Four teams still in mix for Furcal - FOXSports.com
• Obstacles remain for Cubs' acquiring Peavy - Chicago Sun-Times

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