Starlin Castro's Fate Likely Lies With Grand Jury

The fate of Cubs shortstop Starlin Castro -- who has been questioned in connection with a possible sexual assault -- likely lies with the office of State's Attorney Anita Alvarez, who can be expected to study police findings before deciding whether to send the young defendant through a gauntlet of courthouse appearances beginning with testimony before a Cook County grand jury.

Because Castro has not been charged with crime, authorities likely as not will resort to grand jury testimony from various witnesses,  including police, the plaintiff and the defendant, to determine whether evidence can substantiate accusations that otherwise cannot be resolved without a guilty plea, a finding of innocence at trial or a dismissal by a judge.  Thus the jurors have a dual responsibility in that they must see to it that justice is done while at the same time protecting the defendant against unfounded claims.

If the state's attorney's office finds evidence lacking,  the grand jury may not be necessary.  But if Castro is indicted, the case could be drawn out through much if not all of the 2012 baseball season, but not necessarily block Castro from playing while awaiting trial,  an event that could be postponed until fall or winter.

Though theoretically a defendant can also be bound over for trial without grand jury action if a judge determines probable cause as the result of a hearing,  the grand jury process is often favored in so-called classic cases of "he said, she said" contentiousness.

Castro's lawyers, Jay Reisinger and Michael Gillespie, said their investigation has determined that the allegations are "baseless."

The issues came to light after Chicago radio station WBBM 780 reported that Castro was the subject of a sexual assault investigation which allegedly occurred at a downtown apartment Sept. 29. A local woman whose identity is being withheld claimed said she had gone home with Castro after a night of drinking in a River North club.

She went to the emergency room the next day, prompting hospital officials to relay a description of her condition and other details to police, as required by law. Because the regular baseball season was over and the Cubs were not in post-season play, the next day Castro went home to the Dominican Republic, where extradition procedures can be difficult. While the U.S. legal system in based on English common law,  the Dominican Republic's system is based on Napoleonic Code, which in the United States is observed only in Louisiana.

Too Many on Base? Expect More from Marmol

It was a sunny afternoon like that of many another daygame in the top of the ninth inning at Wrigley Field -- the Cubs holding a comfortable, two-run lead -- as closer Carlos Marmol took the mound under the satisfied gaze of manager Lou Piniella.

Piniella leaned easily against the fence in the dugout, arms hanging over the rail, when the umpire called the first pitch.

"Ball!" came the cry, Marmol flipping a sweeping breaking ball into the catcher's glove. "Ball!," came the call again. "Ball! Ball! Ball!" as Marmol successively continued to miss the plate.

By the time Piniella straightened out of his crouch, pacing back and forth now and muttering profanities, the tying run was at second base and the batter at the plate was ahead in the count. Pineilla couldn't take it anymore.

"What the (bleep) are you doing!?" the graying old man demanded to know after stomping out to the mound. Hands on hips and face to face with his 27-year-old hurler, Piniella waited for an answer, with Marmol looking down as he shuffled the dirt with his shoe.

"Throw your (bleeping) fast ball!" Piniella commanded.

Marmol nodded.

Happily for Piniella -- whose lips and body language were plainly readable to anyone sitting on the infield -- Marmol's fastball found the plate and after three quick outs and two stranded runners the Cubs headed to the locker room not only with a 'W' in the books, but with another save for Marmol, who would notch 34 before he was done.

Unhappily for Piniella, he later felt compelled to resign after it became clear that the Cubs once again had snatched defeat from the jaws of victory and would fail to make the playoffs. Now pushing 70, Piniella likely will never put on a uniform again.

Ironically for Marmol, who has just signed a three-year, $20 million contract, he finished the year by cutting his walks by 20 percent, but continued to flirt with disaster by allowing well more than a baserunner per inning and pushing the limit for the perameters of a lock-down, major league closer.

Make no mistake about it. Marmol lives dangerously.

"I feel it helps him," Cubs catcher Geovanny Soto told Chicago Tribune baseball writer Paul Sullivan in today's editions. "Pitchers that have a lot of strikeouts also have a lot of walks. They're power pitchers. Marmol needs that. He doesn't really hit his spots that well, but he's consistent in the zone and he has that big breaking pitch that makes Marmol who he is."

The wildness, the walks and the baserunners all seem to be part of the plan.

"I never worry about my control," Marmol explained to Sullivan. "I worry about getting three outs before they score against me."

Try explaining that to Lou Piniella.

Ex-Clemsonite Tyler Colvin to See Time at First

Emerging Chicago Cubs rookie outfielder Tyler Colvin -- who burst onto the major league scene last year by hitting 20 home runs in 358 at-bats -- will return to familiar territory in Cactus League action when he will see time at first base, a position he played as a Clemson Tiger.

Cubs manager Mike Quade surprised reporters with the revelation, leaving Colvin's possibilities open to wild speculation even before the first spring pitch is thrown.


Colvin, 25, is listed as the backup to right fielder Kosuke Fukudome, 34, and first baseman Carlos Pena, 33, but because all three players are left-handed batters, Quade can find no easy way to work any of them into the lineup as part of a platoon, even a part-time platoon.

However, it is interesting to note that Colvin seems to handle left-handed pitching better than either of his two senior teammates, though Fukudome and Pena have superior defensive skills compared to Colvin's.


It is difficult to imagine the rookie usurping either of the two veterans with any regularity, especially Pena, who has just been signed to a $10 million, one-year pact. But Fukudome has been a disappointment at the plate since the Japanese import was signed three years ago, and fans' patience is wearing thin.

Expect Colvin to see plenty of time in left field and enough reps at first base to take over for Pena next year, if Colvin proves he can be effective around the bag.

Germaine Dye Marks 37th Birthday, Keeps Vigil

Former White Sox outfielder/designated hitter Germaine Dye marked his 37th birthday, still holding out for the right team and the right price.

The Oakland native who now resides in Paradise Valley, Ariz., , has been out of baseball for 14 months since the White Sox bought out a mutual option on his contract in November of 2009.

Spring training came and went last year, when he reportedly spurned a $3 million offer for a bench role with the Cubs. He was thought to have rejected other bids throughout the summer, some speculated to be little more than $1 million.

Though he belted 27 homers when he last played in 2009, his defensive capabilities and stamina have been doubted. But he has refused to retire.

It appears to be highly questionable whether he can still swing the bat after spending more than entire season sitting by the phone, but he might get a chance to prove himself if only he would agree to sign a conditional minor league contract somewhere or another.

Rays Slugger Dan Johnson Snubbed by Experts

Two of the first three 2011 MLB fantasy magazines -- rushed into print some two weeks before the Superbowl -- have seemingly deemed Tampa Bay Rays slugger Dan Johnson as to be unworthy of a thumbnail biographical analysis or annual statistical projection.

Both the Sporting News Fantasy Baseball and the Yahoo Fantasy Baseball annuals turn their attentions to the Johnsons Chris and Kelly and even part-timer Nick, but Dan Johnson is left out in the cold, even though he is widely projected to open the season as the Rays starting first baseman.

Johnson -- the erstwhile top prospect from the Athletics organization who has stumbled in a a number of manifestations including one with the Twins -- found his way into a handful of games for the Rays last year, batting .198 with seven homers.

With the departure last year's starter Carlos Pena to the Cubs, Johnson seems to have -- for the time being -- blundered into yet another chance to live up to the sky-high potential envisioned for him nearly a decade ago.

To be fair, Johnson has generally been regarded as having a good eye at the plate, ability to hit for power and possessing a measure of skill around the bag. But a number of injuries and other setbacks so far have robbed him of what might have been a promising career.

Whether Johnson's omission from the Sporting News and Yahoo is the result of design or inadvertence, at 33 Johnson would do well to read the writing on the wall, or lack of it, if he expects another opportunity such as the one the Rays are giving him this year -- assuming he doesn't blow it in spring training, or isn't relegated to the bench as the result of a free agent acquisition or other personnel change.

As it looks in the early stages, all Johnson has to do is hold off Cuban exile Leslie Anderson, who brings a fine pedigree to the states from his imprisoned Caribbean outpost. Even with little other professional experience, let alone major league time, Anderson may yet prove to be too strong a challenge for Johnson, given Johnson's perennial shortcomings and just plain bad luck.

Meanwhile, print lovers who wish to read about Johnson more expansively might do well to instead try RFP's 2011 Fantasy Baseball Guide.

Ex-Cubs Ace Mark Prior Refuses to Give Up

Former Cubs ace Mark Prior -- whose promising career has been nearly destroyed by a myriad of punishing injuries -- refuses to hang up his spikes and has been readying himself for a demonstration before major league scouts in Arizona.

"Mark Prior has not retired," a spokesperson for Prior's agent John Boggs said in terse statement with no details of the 29-year-old hurler's progress during an ongoing rehabilitation program resumed in November.

Neither was there word on any throwing sessions scheduled with observers from teams throughout the majors, though sources familiar with long-shot comeback attempts said such meetings often are held unofficially, one-on-one behind closed doors.

Prior seems to be keeping a low profile, but reportedly was seen in street clothes on New Year's Day in La Jolla, Calif., near his hometown of San Diego. He is recovering from shoulder damage that required multiple surgical repairs, and he also has sustained hamstring, achilles tendon, elbow and oblique injuries.

Prior signed a $1 million contract with the Padres in 2008 but was unable to appear in a single game. He then agreed to an additional $1 million contract with the Padres the following year, contingent upon his callup from the minor leagues.

Again Prior was unable to make even a single appearance, having last pitched in a major league game in 2006, when he went 1-6 with a 7.71 ERA for the Cubs.

Prior signed for a then-record $10.5 million bonus as the second overall pick in the 2001 draft. He notched his most successful season in 2003, when he went 18-6 with a 2.43 ERA while striking out 245 batters in 211.1 innings.

Angel Guzman Intriguing as Potential Cubs Closer

Despite Cubs manager Lou Piniella's choice of Carlos Marmol to replace Kevin Gregg as closer, bullpen stalwart Angel Guzman remains an intriguing dark horse to land the job before the end of the year.

Sure, Marmol throws hard, but the landscape is littered with hurlers whose fastballs approach 100 mph or more but can't find the plate. Look for the Marmol experiment to be short lived, then see what Guzman does when he finally gets his shot -- which he will.

Though Marmol has been effectively wild, Piniella remains concerned that he gives up nearly a walk an inning and sometimes resists coaching to stick with fastballs rather than resort to off-speed offerings when he struggles with control.

Meanwhile, a vague undercurrent favoring Guzman as closer has been detected in the Cubs clubhouse for months, to say nothing of overt public speculation that Piniella should give Guzman a try. After all, Guzman has often been regarded as the closer of the future.

Cubs Go Easy on Closer Candidate Angel Guzman

To whatever degree the Cubs are serious about moving reliever Angel Guzman to the closer's role, his move to the disabled list only seems to underscore it.

Though he has only one save, Guzman, 2-1 with a 2.53 ERA, is surreptitiously regarded as the closer of the future, given the failings of setup man Carlos Marmol and closer Kevin Gregg. Guzman will keep his closer-in-waiting status as long as the soreness in his right triceps doesn't develop into a bigger problem, and by sidelining him manager Lou Piniella is making sure it doesn't.

Guzman may be a key player in the playoff run.

In other Cubs reports, injured third baseman Aramez Ramirez spent significant time swinging a small bat off a tee in the training room at Wrigley Field over the weekend, and continues to hope for a return to action shortly after the All-Star break.

But no promises.

Power Stroke Continues to Elude Derrick Lee

During his team's recent stopover at Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati, Cubs first baseman Derrick Lee attempted to take advantage of the short fences to practice his power stroke.

Lee repeatedly reached the stands during batting practice, with some balls traveling well beyond 400 feet. However, once play started Lee again morphed into a six-foot-five, 200-pound singles hitter with gap power and little more.

Though Lee's average is now approaching a respectable .270 after a slow start, his home run count languishes in single figures, as he manages to hit one in only about every 30 atbats, well less than half the pace of the 30-40 annual outputs that preceded his 2007 wrist injury.

Lee has failed to hit more than 22 homers since 2005, when he belted 46. At 33, his days as a power hitter may be over.

Durability Issues Linger for Cubs OF Milton Bradley

Questions continue to linger over the durability of newly acquired Cubs outfielder Milton Bradley, who despite All-Star caliber productivity last season may be forced to sit out occasionally as the result of an ugly onfield scuffle a year and a half ago.

Bradley -- set to bat fourth or fifth for manager Lou Piniella after signing a $10 million, annual, three-year contract -- missed some 200 plate appearances for the Rangers last year and frequently had to appear as a designated hitter when he could not take the field.

Refusing to answer questions about the strength of his injured right knee when questioned recently by The Chicago Tribune, Bradley claimed he would play in every single game without taking any time off.

"I wouldn't count him out" general manager Jim Hendry told the newspaper, but conceded the team will be satisfied if he appears in a projected 135 of the 162 regular season games.

Bradley, 30, who has not had a healthy season for five years, is thought to be battling residual effects of a 2007 knee injury that resulted from being tackled by Padres manager Bud Black as Black attempted to keep him from attacking umpire Mike Winters over a questionable call on the basepaths.

Having undergone anger management training -- Bradley has reported he has since begun to overcome his problems with authority figures. Associates have blamed his personality problems on the alleged difficulties between his father and mother when he was a boy.

Padres to Trade Jake Peavy to Cubs by July?

The stalled talks between the Padres and the Cubs over Jake Peavy may have yielded a secret subtext that might see the San Diego ace in Chicago at midseason

Noises from the two camps seem to hint that when the sale of the Cubs is complete, a sizable chunk of undesignated cash will be left on the balance sheets for the express purpose of acquiring a major free agent at midseason, more specifically before the end of July.

The prime candidate, of course, is Peavy, whose value will have reached his probable apex as various midseason contenders accelerate a rush for a playoff berth.

By holding onto Peavy for now, Padres front office executives in addition to collecting a significant midseason trade premium also are enabled to convince boxseat buyers, corporate sponsors, broadcasters, season-ticket holders, the general gate and others that the team is making a legitimate effort to compete out of spring camp, even if in their heart of hearts they know the effort may be perceived as something not entirely unlike a sham.

Whatever the outcome, the deal will likely hurt Peavy's stats if he leaves the friendly confines of San Diego.

Ex-Slugger Jeff Bagwell Suggests Astros Stand Pat

Former All-Star slugger Jeff Bagwell -- speaking to the San Antonio Express-News during an Astros promotional tour at Lackland Air Force Base -- said his former team has enough talent to successfully compete in the National League's Central Division without acquiring additional talent.

"The most important thing is pitching and health," Bagwell said. "I don't think anyone in this division has stepped up and done anything to make itself a clear-cut favorite."

He singled out the Cubs, however, as being especially strong.

"Hopefully they don't get (former Padres ace Jake) Peavy -- so we just have to hope for health and we'll be okay."

Carlos Zambrano Plays the Dead Grandmother Card

Not to be overly discouraged by Carlos Zambrano's last outing -- when he was knocked out in the second inning after giving up eight runs on six hits -- the Cubs have trotted out the old high school excuse that his grandmother died.

Yes, and the dog ate his homework.

Without intending to trivialize the genuine sadness of Zambrano's loss of a loved one, other reasons than a death in the family must be considered in order to get the full picture of
Zambrano's potential for leading the Cubs to the World Series.

True, Zambrano returned from the funeral in his native Venezuela suffering from lack of rest, a skewed biological clock and weakness in his lower extremities. That's certainly plausible.

And though he pitched a no-hitter in his previous outing, the fact remains that the 27-year-old, six-five, 250-pound fireballer has been been putting a great deal of stress on his multi-million-dollar right arm, and thus has been given anti-inflammatory medicines to ease discomfort in his shoulder. The medication suggests he has torn muscle fibers that potentially may continue to diminish his strength and durability between now and the end of this long, long season.

Cubs manager Lou Piniella subsequently has added two more starters to his rotation, the idea being to rest his regular starters in preparation for the post-season. Prudent? Yes. A red flag? Maybe.

One of the more telling statistics about Zambrano is his 7.43 ERA in August, after which the team noticed Zambrano throwing abnormally because of stress and fatigue. Though Zambrano continues to hold the league to less than a .250 batting average, with a 14-6 record and a 3.77 overall ERA, he has been giving up nearly a hit an inning in addition to a walk every other inning.
Averaging six inning per start in his 29 appearances, his overall performance must be considered superior, the question remains as to just exactly how much he has left between now and the end of October.

A's Deal Harden to Cubs

The Athletics have agreed to send pitchers Rich Harden and Chad Gaudin to the Cubs.  In return, Oakland will receive highly-touted starter Sean Gallagher and former top prospect Matt Murton along with Eric "Corey's Brother" Patterson and minor leaguer Josh Donaldson.

With the Brewers' acquisition of C.C. Sabathia yesterday, Cubs GM Jim Hendry no doubt felt increasing pressure to add another power arm to contend in the NL Central.  However, Hendry tried to dispel any notions of this being a reactionary move, claiming that the clubs had been in serious talks for several weeks.

Cubs Forced to Look Elsewhere for Pitcher

Broadly circulated speculation that the Cubs had offered young pitcher Sean Marshall as part of package to acquire Indians ace C.C. Sabathia has intensified now that that Sabathia has been acquired by the Brewers.

Rich Harden now comes into focus as the new Cubs objective.

Sean Marshall Poised to Replace Carlos Zambrano

Cubs starter Sean Marshall -- poised to return to Chicago from Triple A Iowa -- erased any doubts about lingering health issues as he surrendered just one run in eight innings in the 4-1 downing of Mets Pacific Coast League affiliate New Orleans.

Marshall's performance -- in which he lasted into the eighth inning and lowered his ERA to 3.41 in two starts -- virtually assures he will replace injured ace Carlos Zambrano, who is expected to miss at least one start while on a regimen of anti-inflammatory medicines due to what the team has described as relatively mild shoulder discomfort.

The 6-foot-7, 240-pound Marshall has been up and down with the Cubs since being taken in the sixth round of the 2003 draft, and had been sidelined with injuries coming out of spring camp. He was added to the Des Moines roster only 10 days ago after clearing up lingering questions about his durability.

Marshall is expected to start Tuesday.

Cubs Carlos Zambrano Injured by His Teammate?

In one of those typical Chicagoland MLB rumors as common as Vienna All Beef wieners and cheese fries, Cubs starting pitcher Carlos Zambrano's shoulder discomfort has been described as being caused or aggravated by his odd pre-game warm-up routine.

In the routine, after stretching and limbering exercises Zambrano has a catcher, trainer or fellow pitcher repeatedly slam his fists on Zambrano's shoulders as though he were an NFL linebacker being fitted for his shoulder pads.

Nice. The only problem is, Zambrano, of course, is not wearing shoulder pads.

Zambrano underwent an MRI exam Thursday, and will have another on Friday. Indications are Zambrano likely will miss a start as a replacement was to be called up from Triple A Iowa.

Mariners Finally Address Bill Bavasi's Incompetence

Bill Bavasi's amusing run as general manager of the Seattle Mariners has ended. Hired before the 2004 season, Bavasi managed to assemble only one team that did not finish last in the AL west -- the 2nd place finishing 2007 team. The current squad is not only in last place, but its 24-45 record is the worst in baseball.

Some of Bavasi's questionable moves during his tenure:

• Signing Richie Sexson for four years $50 million
• Trading top prospect Adam Jones, George Sherrill (now Baltimore's closer), and three pitching prospects for Erik Bedard
  
• Signing Carlos Silva for 4 years $48 million. Silva is 3-7 with a 5.79 ERA

This list is kind of a waste of time because you can trace just about every Mariners player to a questionable signing or trade. The Tacoma News Tribune has Bavasi's lengthy rap sheet here.

The Mariners are going nowhere this year and probably nowhere next year or the year after, but this firing could set the stage for an Erik Bedard trade.

The new GM will have no attachment to Bedard and it would make sense to trade the team's most valuable commodity. The Yankees might be interested, now that Chien-Ming Wang is out for six weeks. The Cubs and Blue Jays have also shown interest in the past.

Cubs Likely Indians Partner in C.C. Sabathia Trade

It's just so much window dressing now, those lofty Indians pretensions that the team is still competing for a playoff berth this year. Bet on it: the front office inner sanctum is all but ready to trade ace C.C. Sabathia -- in all likelihood to the Cubs -- and get on with a mini-rebuilding plan.

The loss of starting pitchers Jake Westbrook and Fausto Carmona to the disabled list -- not to mention the lackluster performances of Victor Martinez, Travis Hafner and others -- have only accelerated the need to deal the Sabathia before the trade deadline in order to receive value for him in his walk year.

While a minority opinion will likely be expressed to re-sign Sabathia, his near $100 million price tag puts him beyond reach.

The Cubs remain the most likely trading partner because that's the team with the most trade bait, most notably young starters Sean Marshall, Sean Gallagher and Rich Hill, who are widely believed to have been on the block when the Cubs failed in an attempt to acquire second baseman Brian Roberts from the Orioles

Carlos Zambrano, Hitting .364, May Be Cubs DH

Cubs manager Lou Piniella -- confronted with the sudden loss of outfielder Rafael Soriano due to a fractured finger -- has told reporters he is giving serious consideration to using staff ace Carlos Zambrano as the everyday designated hitter in an upcoming series against the cross-town White Sox.

Zambrano is hitting .364 with a homer and .523 slugging percentage in 44 at-bats, and has received high praise for his all-around athletic ability and zeal at the plate and on the basepaths in addition to his outstanding pitching.

Outfielder Felix Pie -- recently beginning to swing the bat a little better after being demoted to Triple A Des Moines -- is also expected to be considered, though Pie might be more likely to come off the bench.

White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen, meanwhile, issued a warning to Piniella that even though their two teams are in first place, neither the White Sox nor the Cubs had better not slack off if there is to be a serious chance the two will meet in the World Series.

Guillen told The Chicago Tribune that even though the White Sox have pulled away from the pack for now, the early season favorite Tigers "have a lot of talent. You can't take anything for granted. You have to continue to play."