Pitching Or Hitting, Rick Ankiel Was Marvel & Mystery

If Rick Ankiel writes a book about his playing career _ and there is speculation he might _ it is guaranteed to have as many plot twists as a top-flight fiction thriller.

RetroSimba

Jim Hendry Promises To Be Aggressive As Trade Deadline Nears

General manager Jim Hendry already is fielding calls from contenders interested in some of his players. And once the Cubs reach the All-Star break after this weekend, the sprint is on toward the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline and what figures to be a new purpose over the final two months of the season.

Chicago Sun Times

Miguel Cairo Hits Second Career Grand Slam In Reds Win

There was a bigger bounty from the Reds' second bases-loaded, no-out rally in the seventh inning against John Grabow. With one out, Cairo hit the second grand slam of his career into the facing of the upper-deck bleachers in left field to put the game away.

Reds Official Site

Albert Pujols Heating Up Fast

One year ago, the Cardinals reached their May 30 series finale at Wrigley Field with first baseman Albert Pujols stuck on nine home runs and approaching the second-least productive month of a career then in its 10th season.

STL Today

Prospectus Hit & Run: Are The Cubs A Sleeper Team?

Over the course of more than a dozen radio hits I've done over the past month, I've been asked several times if I have a sleeper team for 2010. That is to say, a team that I believe will do better than the conventional wisdom or even our projection system suggests. During each of those hits, the first team that I've named has invariably been the Cubs. Today I wanted to examine the roots of that belief, and figure out if I can still stand by it after having done my homework.

Baseball Prospectus

Cubs Reassign Todd Wellemeyer To Minors

Maine and Berg were optioned to Triple-A Iowa, while Todd Wellemeyer and Angel Guzman were both assigned to the Minor League camp. Guzman is rehabbing from right shoulder surgery and scheduled to throw in a game next week.

Muskat Ramblings

Kerry Wood Feels Adam Wainwright's Pain

Cubs pitcher Kerry Wood, who has had his own fair share of injuries, empathized with St. Louis starter Adam Wainwright, who suffered an apparent season-ending elbow injury at Cardinals camp.

Chicago Tribune

Even In Silence, Albert Pujols Is Still Talk Of Baseball

Last spring training, during a break between the morning workouts and the afternoon game, St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols sat near the batting cages and spoke at length with a reporter. The conversation ranged from his roots in baseball, his place in baseball and, finally, his expanding role in baseball.

Birdland

Would Albert Pujols Really Consider The Cubs?

Imagine Superman signing on as the official spokesman for Kryptonite tights.

Then imagine Albert Pujols putting on Cubs pinstripes.

What’s less likely?

CBS Chicago

Jim Edmonds Making Strong Case To Return To Majors

Jim Edmonds said he doesn’t know what prompted him to attempt a comeback with Milwaukee after sitting out the 2009 season.

Fox Sports

The Odd Lack Of Interest In Kiko Calero

While baseball has certainly seen a market correction in recent years in terms of contracts given to relief pitchers, the signings of guys like Brandon Lyon, Fernando Rodney and John Grabow, whose mediocrity has been well established, to multi-year deals reflects that there's still work to be done in the evaluation of relievers. Now, this isn't another piece on how Wade, Reagins and Hendry messed up by committing so much cash to guys that are borderline fungible.

Beyond The Boxscore

Baseball Therapy: 2009 In Numbers

We come to the end of 2009. At the end of a year, it’s good to look back and ask yourself a few questions. Did I do the best I could with the year? Was I kind and compassionate to those around me? And, most importantly, what the heck happened? Wasn’t it just January?

Baseball Prospectus

The NL Offseason Revue: Ursine Children

I begin with the Cubs because they are our chief rivals and also because it simply fits. We care more about the Cubs. So here we are.

Viva El Birdos

Pirates Interested In Rick Ankiel

So that basically leaves shortstop and a swing player, perhaps one suited for both outfield and somewhere in the infield, as positions of most interest to the Pirates. St. Louis outfielder Rick Ankiel, a player who intrigues them, fits the latter billing.

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Market For Free Agent Fireman Will Be Lively

Relief pitching, as usual, will be one of the busiest counters in the free-agent department store. The category isn't nearly as star-driven as it was a year ago, but there are plenty of quality arms available to make for a lively scene.

MLB

John Grabow Joins Free Agent Pool

John Grabow filed for free agency on Monday, but the Cubs have had talks with his agent in an effort to bring the left-handed reliever back.

Cubs Official Site

The Bull Market

So just say for a second you were the General Manager of a major league baseball team, and you've got a rather substantial amount of money to spend.

Viva El Birdos

Pirates Could Take A look At Rick Ankiel, Mark DeRosa, Or Even Xavier Nady

Sign Rick Ankiel or any free agent -- Nick Johnson? Mark DeRosa? Xavier Nady for a second tour? -- who might bring some pop to the lineup.

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Pirates Will Pursue Familiar Faces In Free Agency, Possibly John Grabow & Rick Ankiel

The Pirates plan to be more aggressive in free agency than last year, general manager Neal Huntington said yesterday, and that could include a pursuit of recently traded players.

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Checking The Numbers: Brad Lidge & The Matter Of Historic Horror

Yesterday, we broke down Brad Lidge’s poor 2009 campaign in an attempt to diagnose and pinpoint the reasons behind his drastic decline in performance. And boy howdy has that decline been drastic, as Lidge went from the top reliever in the game last season with a league-best 7.61 WXRL, a 1.95 ERA, and an 82.9 percent strand rate to marks of -1.93, 7.03, and 62.9 percent, respectively.

Baseball Prospectus