Piniella, Marquis won't be feuding long
On the surface, it may seem a bit unusual for Lou Piniella to come out of a Sunday morning meeting with GM Jim Hendry and all of a sudden have a different point of view than he had Saturday night.
But not so odd when you consider that by sniping at Jason Marquis, the Cubs' manager could be affecting the bottom line.
See, the Cubs have $6.4 million reasons to move Marquis as quickly as possible, and Piniella isn't helping Hendry's bargaining position by letting everyone else in baseball know he's anxious for Marquis to leave.
As it is, one need not be a real estate magnate to understand the Cubs don't want Marquis on the payroll this season.
The Cubs are already at about $115 million for 2008, which is precisely where we were told it would be back in November, in the $115 million to $120 million range.
However, once they acquire Brian Roberts, they're up to $121 million, and if asked to take Jay Payton -- or if they acquire Coco Crisp from Boston -- that brings them to $126 million.
If Hendry can deftly deal Marquis and trick someone into taking the entire contract, the Cubs are right on budget at $120 million, though it might be a bit optimistic to think the Cubs won't be on the hook for half that contract.
There's also the possibility that former Cubs president Andy MacPhail might help the Cubs and take some salary back in the Baltimore deal, rather than only low-salaried youngsters, but why in the name of Mike Sember would MacPhail do something that absurd?
With Carlos Zambrano, Ted Lilly and Rich Hill already in the rotation, and Ryan Dempster and Jon Lieber promised jobs, Marquis and his $16 million over the next two years pretty much have to go, and the better he pitches this spring, the better his chances of moving.
Even with permission for more payroll, Marquis doesn't seem to fit, so Hendry needs to move him and any chatter between pitcher and manager doesn't make the task any easier for the GM.
So if you're wondering why Lou was so sweet a day after getting ticked off about Marquis essentially saying pitch me or trade me, there's a pretty good chance his GM asked him for a little help on this one.
And unlike the previous manager, Piniella was more than happy to oblige.
One and Dunn
Desperately seeking insurance at running back, it might make sense for Bears GM Jerry Angelo to look at Warrick Dunn, whom he drafted in Tampa (1997).
Dunn was released by Atlanta on Monday, one day after the Falcons signed Michael Turner, the man most Bears fans wanted to see in a Chicago uniform this summer.
At 33, you wonder how much Dunn has left after 11 years of NFL beatings, but he was exceptional as late as 2005, decent in 2006, and you can toss out a terrible 2007, when the Falcons were an absolute disaster in every way, especially on the offensive line.
It would take some luck to get production out of Dunn at this point in his career, but the Bears are going to need some luck in the draft or free agency if they intend to put an offense on the field in 2008.
Besides, can Dunn be any worse than what they already have in house?
Trade winds
Conventional wisdom has Joe Crede headed for the Giants, and that may be his ultimate destination, but it's still the Dodgers who have the glut of prospects that must have GM Kenny Williams licking his chops.
Los Angeles is loaded with infield, outfield and pitching candidates, but third base is currently a choice between Nomar Garciaparra, who can't stay healthy, and Andy LaRoche, who's played 35 major-league games.
A healthy Crede would boost the Dodgers' chances of competing in what looks to be a brutally difficult NL West this season.
Ivan Boldirev-ing
Congrats to the University of Illinois Hockey Club, which moved into the semifinals of the American Collegiate Hockey Association tourney in Rochester, N.Y.
With a win tonight over Liberty, the Illini would not only improve to 37-0-0 but also head into the finals against the winner of Delaware-Lindenwood.
Wadsworth senior Drew Heredia led the Illini with 26 goals this season, and Barrington junior Jordan Pringle also had a big year with 43 points, while Buffalo Grove goaltender Mike Burda carries the load in net and captured the 6-2 win against Rhode Island in the quarters.
Bearing down
From e-mailer The Last Bear Fan: "About a week ago, (GM Jerry) Angelo talked about the need to 'create sobriety in the marketplace.' This took place while George McCaskey's ticket office was popping champagne, slipping out a press release saying that the cost of every seat in the house would be going up coming off a feeble 7-9 season, and with the Bears more than $30 million under the salary cap.''
Bull stuff
ESPN.com's Bill Simmons: "The John Paxson era is starting to resemble the Britney Spears era: tons of promise, tons of hype, a startling turn, and now he's a bad move away from chain-smoking in a hospital gown while speaking with a British accent.''
And finally ...
Mark Kriegel of foxsports.com: "Memo to Cubs fans: Don't let the haters keep you from dreaming big dreams. Kerry Wood's season-ending injury is still months away.''