Kuzul

Chicago Cubs fans will always remember 2003.  Most will not have particularly fond memories of that season.  With the 10 year anniversary of that season just around the corner, Cubs fans still think about what might have been without injuries and that wretched curse.Oh, yes.  The curse.  I, for one, have never believed in it.  However, after spending last summer cringing at the product the Cubs put between the lines, maybe there is something about Billy Sianis and that doggone goat.But 2003—that was different.  It was a solid team defensively, well, at least in the infield.  It was a good offensive team, well, at least in the outfield.  This was when Sammy Sosa still had adoring fans in right field who rose to their feet when he sprinted out to begin the game.  The fans weren't worried about corked bats or corked biceps.Kenny Lofton came over to play center field ...

During his last few years with the Chicago Cubs, new Miami Marlins starting pitcher Carlos Zambrano made headlines for his temper tantrums more than his work on the mound, but the change of scenery will bring Big Z back to relevancy in 2012.Zambrano is an interesting name for fantasy managers every season. On one hand, he knows how to strike batters out and is a solid veteran; on the other hand, he can be a monster headache with all his random outbursts and foot-in-mouth type of comments.That being said, the Marlins didn't go out and acquire the former Cubs hurler without thinking they can control the big man. Who better to control Big Z than manager Ozzie Guillen, right? Exactly.While I don't expect Zambrano to pull any more of his usual outbursts during his first year on a new team, if he tries that stuff with Guillen, he's going to get ...

Every season for the past four or five years, Marlins owner Jeffery Loria has said that if his team "does not make the playoffs, they have fallen short of the front office's expectations." While that might have been considered an unrealistic goal given the budget the past few seasons, using that criteria to analyze the team's productivity the past few years means that the Marlins have fallen well short of expectations.In an attempt to make sure this team at least competes within their division during the upcoming season, the Marlins' front office core has made significant moves that have dramatically improved their roster.While bringing in names such as Jose Reyes and Mark Buehrle, the success of the Marlins in 2012 will most likely depend on players that have been on the roster for several years, such as Hanley Ramirez and Josh Johnson.An injury-plagued Marlins team struggled in 2011, however the ...

In one of the biggest trades of last year's offseason, the Boston Red Sox acquired first baseman Adrian Gonzalez from the San Diego Padres for prospects, Anthony Rizzo, Casey Kelly and Reymond Fuentes.Rizzo, a first baseman, was an intriguing prospect given his connection to then-Red Sox general manger Theo Epstein's protege, Padres' GM Jed Hoyer.Fast forward to now, as Theo Epstein is the President of Baseball Operations and Jed Hoyer is the general manager of the Chicago Cubs, and as of today, Anthony Rizzo has rejoined Epstein/Hoyer in Chicago as he was traded from the Padres' for right-handed pitcher Andrew Cashner.Ever since the Padres' dealt starting pitcher Mat Latos to the Cincinnati Reds for first baseman Yonder Alonso, pitcher Edison Volquez and catching prospect Yasmani Grandal, it was suspected that Rizzo would become a main target for the Cubs given both Epstein and Hoyer's connections with him.At Triple-A Tucson last ...

After relentlessly attempting to land local product Gio Gonzalez and add another established pitcher to the rotation, the Marlins are forced to look elsewhere as the division rival Washington Nationals augmented their rotation with another young arm. It was disappointing for the Marlins because, in this particular case, they were willing to deal their top prospects, a change of times for a franchise who usually keeps and molds their farm system and deals their established starting players. The Oakland Athletics asked the Marlins for either Logan Morrison or Mike Stanton in a package deal for Gio Gonzalez and the team has deemed both "untouchable". So where does the team go from here? The current rotation of Josh Johnson, Mark Buehrle, Ricky Nolasco, and Anibal Sanchez has an array of question marks to the point that it might not even be within the top 3 in the crowded NL East.The trade market currently consists of Wade Davis (Rays), ...

Jim Hendry has already gotten the pink slip, so a lot of the venom Cubs fans may have felt is gone. Now, it is time to pick up the pieces and move on. Unfortunately, there are a lot of pieces to pick up. The Cubs have a top-five payroll and stand in fifth place in their division. That alone tells you the kind of analysis that has been done. Furthermore, they haven’t been a factor in the division for several years.Interestingly enough, this team is not devoid of good players. Quite the contrary, when you look of the number of good players they have, you wonder how they stand in fifth place. This is one of those organizations that consistently makes you scratch your head. Some teams (say the Angels or Rays) make you wonder how they win. With the Cubs, you wonder how they lose. It takes some creativity. Key ...

No, not the team—that sale has already taken place and unfortunately we're stuck with the Ricketts. We're talking players here. The Cubs have played 69 baseball games this season and, despite taking three out of four against the first place Milwaukee Brewers, have proven once again that this simply ain't the year for the Northsiders.  It is time to sell. Sure, the division is immanently winnable, but not for the Cubs. It's too obvious when you see the lack of fundamental play, the injuries and the lack of clutch hitting to continue buying what the Cubs are selling. Oh, and speaking of selling, the time is now for GM Jim Hendry to start whispering in the ears of his general manager counterparts throughout MLB in an effort to lay the groundwork for a move by the All-Star break. Look, it won't be an easy task, to be sure. Expensive, long-term contracts and nonperforming ballplayers ...

On Friday, we saw the Yankees and Cubs begin their three-game series from Wrigley Field.Doug Davis out-pitched Freddy Garcia, and the Cubs won the first game 3-1.Before the game, there were a lot of rumors floating around about the Yankees having major interest in a certain Cubs pitcher.The pitcher is one the Yankees have been linked to several times before, most notably this past winter after they lost out on the Cliff Lee sweepstakes.According to Bruce Levine of ESPN, that pitcher the Yankees are linked to again is Cubs ace Carlos Zambrano.The Yankees didn't feel the need to make that type of trade for Zambrano, as they settled on signing Garcia and Bartolo Colon, plus letting Ivan Nova develop.Garcia has been up and down for the Yankees, but he's given them innings and depth.Nova has been the same as Garcia. He too has given the Yankees innings and is learning ...

With spring training in full bloom, it’s never too early to start thinking ahead. For all the promise teams show at this stage of the game, there is always the possibility of finishing below expectations. When that happens, there will be plenty of teams trying to make the best of a bad situation.Whether that’s taking care of their economic safety or trying to put the pieces in place to build for the future, changes will be made. The biggest chip most teams have is their staff ace. There is no bigger commodity in baseball than a pitcher with experience, promise or a balanced combination of both. So when things go south for a team, or a glaring need arises elsewhere, a team might be forced to part with their most proven arm.The good news is that wherever an ace is available, interested parties aren’t far away. So here’s a look ...

Carlos Zambrano has been to the mountaintop and back. He has braved the treacherous climb, studied with the celebrated Dharma bums in the Himalayas, found inner peace with the spirit of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi and even spent a few months in the swamps of Dagobah under Jedi master Yoda. He is ready. Of course, Luke Skywalker also thought he was ready and then hurried off only to have his hand cut off by his asthma-bound father Darth Vader at Cloud City. While I’m pretty sure Zambrano’s appendages are safe, he still controls much of the Chicago Cubs’ density—I mean, destiny—this season. Sure, he may do as much damage to the dynamic of the Chicago Cubs this season as Anakin Skywalker did when he basically killed all the Jedi Knights once he joined the "Dark Side,” but he could also do as much good as the Skywalker family eventually did for the freedom of the ...