Starlin Castro To The Bench? Cubs Manager Says 'It's The Last Straw'

The Chicago Cubs were expected to suffer through a difficult season in 2012, but things with prize prospect Starlin Castro were supposed to get better. Concentration lapses against the San Francisco Giants have drawn manager Dale Sveum's attention for all the wrong reasons -- the gaffes included a botched steal attempt, failure to slide on a close play and allowing an extra run to cross the plate due to ignorance over how many outs the team still needed to end the inning -- and now Castro is under fire.

Sveum says Castro needs to shape up quickly or he may be headed to the bench, as he recently told Carrie Muskat of MLB.com:

"It's something that's obviously unacceptable at any time," Sveum said. "Whether we could have turned the double play is irrelevant to not knowing how many outs there are in the most important part of the game. These things have to stop happening or we're just going to stop playing [him]. These kind of things are things my son does in high school - maybe."

Did Sveum consider benching Castro [immediately following the botched double-play]?

"No," Sveum said. "I can't take him out. I'll have a good talking to him. It's the last straw. If he wants to play, he better start getting his head in the game, period."

Castro has since apologized to his team, but at this point he just needs to make sure there is less to apologize about in the future.

For updates, stay tuned to SB Nation Chicago. For more in-depth coverage of this series, head over to Cubs blog Bleed Cubbie Blue. For more from around the world of baseball, visit Baseball Nation.

Cubs Vs. Giants Final Score: San Francisco Completes Sweep With 3-2 Win

The Cubs' bats remained cold in San Francisco on Monday afternoon and Chicago lost its fourth straight to the Giants, 3-2. Over the course of the four-game set, Chicago scored a total of six runs. San Francisco wasn't much better (11 runs), but obviously, it was good enough.

Related: 2012 Cubs Roster: Michael Bowden Clears Waivers, Heads To Triple-A

Jeff Samardzija went five innings for Chicago, giving up two runs on seven hits; he struck out six and walked five. Ryan Vogelsong went seven innings for the Giants and also gave up a pair of runs.

The Giants broke a 2-2 tie in the bottom of the seventh when Joaquin Arias grounded into a double play with the bases loaded and nobody out; Buster Posey came home on the groundout.

For updates, stay tuned to SB Nation Chicago. For more in-depth coverage of this series, head over to Cubs blog Bleed Cubbie Blue and Giants blog McCovey Chronicles. For more from around the world of baseball, visit Baseball Nation.

2012 Cubs Roster: Michael Bowden Clears Waivers, Heads To Triple-A

Relief pitcher Michael Bowden, whom the Chicago Cubs acquired via trade with the Boston Red Sox on April 21, has cleared waivers and has been sent to triple-A Iowa, according to Paul Sullivan.

Michael Bowden clears waiver, outrighted to Iowa.

— Paul Sullivan (@PWSullivan) June 4, 2012

Related: Cubs Roster 2012: Chicago Adds Reliever Hong-Chih Kuo On Minor-League Deal

Bowden had struggled in limited action with Chicago this season: he had a 7.45 ERA in 9-2/3 innings. While he struck out eight batters, he also allowed 14 hits and eight runs.

Bowden spent parts of the last four seasons in triple-A Pawtucket in the Red Sox organization; in 2011, he struck out 61 and walked 18 over 52-2/3 minor league innings.

For updates, stay tuned to SB Nation Chicago. For more in-depth coverage, head over to Cubs blog Bleed Cubbie Blue. For more from around the world of baseball, visit Baseball Nation.

Cubs Roster 2012: Chicago Adds Reliever Hong-Chih Kuo On Minor-League Deal

The Chicago Cubs, currently sporting one of the worst bullpens in the majors, have added veteran RP Hong-Chih Kuo on a minor league deal:

#Cubs have signed Hong-Chih Kuo, an All-Star in 2010, to a minor-league deal. He will report to Mesa.

— Patrick Mooney (@CSNMooney) June 4, 2012

Kuo pitched seven seasons with the Los Angeles Dodgers and totaled 292 and 1/3 innings with a 3.73 ERA and a 2.97 FIP. The Taiwan native signed with the Seattle Mariners in Spring Training, but was released before the season began.

The 30-year-old Kuo has had five separate surgeries on his throwing elbow, which has tampered with his effectiveness over his career. In 2011, he could not stop the home run ball and allowed a 9.00 ERA and 5.06 FIP.

For updates, stay tuned to SB Nation Chicago. For more in-depth coverage of this series, head over to Cubs blog Bleed Cubbie Blue and Giants blog McCovey Chronicles. For more from around the world of baseball, visit Baseball Nation.

Alfonso Soriano Rumors: Soriano Open To Trade To Contender

It's no secret that Alfonso Soriano is getting older while the Chicago Cubs are getting worse. As the already lost 2012 season rolls on, trade rumors involving most of the Cubs best players will continue to get more persistent, and Soriano will be one of the main topics of discussion. Considering his salary, a trade involving the Cubs left fielder would be difficult, if not impossible, but it seems as if Soriano has made peace with the idea of playing for a new team:

"I'm 36 years old, so, yeah, I would like to have the opportunity to... if they want to trade me, I hope it is to a team that's a contender because it's about trying to go for that ring."

(via The Chicago Sun-Times)

For updates, stay tuned to SB Nation Chicago. For more in-depth coverage of this series, head over to Cubs blog Bleed Cubbie Blue and Giants blog McCovey Chronicles. For more from around the world of baseball, visit Baseball Nation.

Cubs Vs. Giants Preview: North Siders Try To Avoid 4-Game Sweep

The Chicago Cubs brought some momentum to San Francisco this weekend, as they were fresh off a sweep of the Padres, but the offensive troubles that plagued the team during its 12-game losing streak have hurt them once again. On Monday, Jeff Samardzija will take the mound for the Cubs hoping to stave off a four-game sweep at the hands of the Giants.

Related: Cubs Vs. Giants Final Score: Barry Zito Shuts Down North Siders

Samardzija hasn't given up more than three runs in a start since April 19, so he may be the man to halt this current three-game skid. But run prevention has not been a problem for the Cubs this weekend -- they've given up a total of eight runs to the Giants in three games, which is evidence enough that much more is needed from Chicago's offense.

Ryan Vogelsong will be on the hill for San Francisco.

Game Date & Time: Monday, June 4, 2:45 p.m. CT

TV: CSN-Chicago

For updates, stay tuned to SB Nation Chicago. For more in-depth coverage of this series, head over to Cubs blog Bleed Cubbie Blue and Giants blog McCovey Chronicles. For more from around the world of baseball, visit Baseball Nation.

Cubs Vs. Giants Final Score: Barry Zito Shuts Down North Siders

Barry Zito's best fastball on Sunday didn't crack 84 MPH, but the San Francisco Giants starter was still able to hold the Chicago Cubs scoreless over 8.1 innings. Zito allowed just four hits and two walks during a 2-0 San Francisco victory; the Giants will try to complete the sweep of the lowly Cubs on Monday. Chicago falls to 18-35, while the Giants move to 30-24.

San Fran scored one in the fifth and one in the eighth. Third baseman Joaquin Arias singled to right to get the scoring started in the fifth as Angel Pagan crossed the plate. Melky Cabrera would score Gregor Blanco in the eighth with a single to left.

Travis Wood pitched well for the North Siders. The 25-year old lefty allowed three hits and one earned run while striking out seven over seven innings.

For updates, stay tuned to SB Nation Chicago. For more in-depth coverage of the Cubs' pursuit of Soler, head over to Cubs blog Bleed Cubbie Blue. For more from around the world of baseball, visit Baseball Nation.

Jorge Soler Tells Teams To Make Contract Bids By June 7

Teams that want to bid on free agent Cuban outfielder Jorge Soler need to have those offers made by June 7, according to Bruce Levine of ESPN Chicago. Soler was recently declared eligible to negotiate with all 30 MLB organizations, but he must sign before July 2 in order to avoid being impacted by the new CBA rules regarding international free agents.

According to Levine's sources, the agency that represents the outfielder, Praver and Shapiro management group, has let teams know that all bids must be in by June 7. That will give Soler time to decide on his first big league organization without having the bidding see effects of the new CBA rules.

Levine says that the Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, Miami Marlins and New York Yankees are expected to be heavy bidders on the 19-year-old slugger. The general expectation in the industry is that Soler will sign a contract worth around $25-35 million.

For updates, stay tuned to SB Nation Chicago. For more in-depth coverage of the Cubs' pursuit of Soler, head over to Cubs blog Bleed Cubbie Blue. For more from around the world of baseball, visit Baseball Nation.

Marcos Mateo Injury: Cubs Pitcher Had Tommy John Surgery On Friday

Chicago Cubs relief pitcher Marcos Mateo underwent Tommy John surgery on his right elbow on Friday, as Carrie Muskat of MLB.com reports. The 28-year-old never played in a live game yet this year, last appearing in the big leagues last season with Chicago.

Over 23 appearances with the Cubs in 2011, Mateo posted a 4.30 ERA with 25 strikeouts and 10 walks over 23 innings of work. According to FanGraphs, his fastball averages just a tad under 94 miles per hour, giving him prototypical velocity for a reliever.

Mateo likely would've been given opportunities to contribute this season given the ineptitude of the Cubs' bullpen, but now he's going to miss a key chance to break out in the big leagues. Given the severity of the injury, Mateo likely won't return until early next season.

For updates, stay tuned to SB Nation Chicago. For more in-depth coverage of this series, head over to Cubs blog Bleed Cubbie Blue and Giants blog McCovey Chronicles. For more from around the world of baseball, visit Baseball Nation.

Chicago Cubs Lineup: Bryan LaHair Gets Day Off For Cubs

Bryan LaHair, who started the season as one of the hottest hitters in baseball, has slumped badly over the last month or so, and today he'll get the day off as the Cubs face Barry Zito and the San Francisco Giants on Sunday. Tony Campana is also getting a start today in CF, which has been manned recently by Joe Mather. In seven career starts vs. the Cubs, Giants starter Barry Zito has posted a 4.46 ERA.

Here are today's line ups for the Northsiders:

Cubs

1. Tony Campana, CF
2. Darwin Barney, 2B
3. Starlin Castro, SS
4. Alfonso Soriano, LF
5. Jeff Baker, 1B
6. Ian Stewart, 3B
7. Reed Johnson, RF
8. Koyie HIll, C
9. Travis Wood, P

For updates, stay tuned to SB Nation Chicago. For more in-depth coverage of this series, head over to Cubs blog Bleed Cubbie Blue and Giants blog McCovey Chronicles. For more from around the world of baseball, visit Baseball Nation.

Cubs Vs. Giants Preview: Travis Wood Aims To Right The Cubs Again

In SP Travis Wood's previous start, he lasted only 5 innings and allowed 6 ER, but the Chicago Cubs (18-34) still managed to find a win and end their 12-game losing streak. On Sunday, the Cubs will turn to Wood again, hoping the 25-year-old lefty can beat the San Francisco Giants (29-24) and end the new Cubs losing streak.

The 5' 11" lefty has a 5.94 ERA and 7.83 FIP through his first three starts of the season. He throws a healthy diversity of fastballs -- a four-seamer, two-seamer and cutter -- as well as a changeup in the high 70s. So far, hitters have feasted on his changeup and four-seamer, so if the Cubs hope to snap their two-game skid, Wood will need to generate some whiffs on those pitches.

Game Time: 3:00 p.m. CDT

Location: AT&T Park, San Francisco, CA

Broadcast: WGN (TV), 720 AM WGN (radio)

For updates, stay tuned to SB Nation Chicago. For more in-depth coverage of this series, head over to Cubs blog Bleed Cubbie Blue and Giants blog McCovey Chronicles. For more from around the world of baseball, visit Baseball Nation.

Cubs Vs. Giants Final Score: Chicago Drops 2-1 Contest To San Francisco

The Chicago Cubs (18-34) have another losing streak going after the San Francisco Giants (29-24) eked out a 2-1 win Saturday night.

Chicago got on the scoreboard first when RF David DeJesus powered his second home run of the season to center field. LF Alfonso Soriano followed up with a double to right field, but that would be the Cubs' last extra base hit for the game.

SP Matt Garza pitched well, striking out 6 while walking 1, but the 1 walk proved crucial as it came against 1B Aubrey Huff, scoring the tying run. 3B Joaquin Arias then hit an RBI ground out for a 2-1 Giants lead. The one-run margin proved enough for the win as the Cubs offense matched their unis in the Deadball Era throwback classic:

1912 is now! #NYGiants #Cubs twitter.com/mvpbeisblog/st…

— Eduardo Zito (@mvpbeisblog) June 3, 2012

For updates, stay tuned to SB Nation Chicago. For more in-depth coverage of this series, head over to Cubs blog Bleed Cubbie Blue and Giants blog McCovey Chronicles. For more from around the world of baseball, visit Baseball Nation.

Chicago Cubs Rumors: Jorge Soler Declared A Free Agent

Months ago, it was rumored the Chicago Cubs had reached an agreement totaling $27 million with Cuban outfielder Jorge Soler. The report eventually proved premature, as Soler waited in limbo to be granted free agency. On Friday, it appears that has now happened.

Related: Chicago Cubs Rumors: Club Poised To Sign Cuban OF Jorge Soler, According To Report

According to a report, Jorge Soler is a free agent. The 20-year old has also been linked the White Sox, Indians, Orioles, Red Sox and Yankees, but the Cubs will enter the free agent derby as the probable front-runner.

Soler is likely to sign with a club before July 2, as the new CBA places restrictions on international spending after the date.

For updates, stay tuned to SB Nation Chicago. For more in-depth coverage of this series, head over to Cubs blog Bleed Cubbie Blue and Giants blog McCovey Chronicles. For more from around the world of baseball, visit Baseball Nation.

Cubs Vs. Giants Preview: Matt Cain And Matt Garza Take The Mound

The Chicago Cubs couldn't quite capture a victory on Friday night -- they fell to the Giants 4-3 despite a three-run, ninth-inning rally fueled by an Alfonso Soriano home run -- but they get a chance for revenge on Saturday night. The loss cut their winning streak down at just three games, so now Chicago will be trying to avoid the start of another losing streak. They are just 6-18 away from Wrigley Field so far this season, and the task becomes even more difficult with Matt Cain (5-2, 2.79 ERA) on the mound for the Giants. The onus is on Matt Garza (2-3, 4.22 ERA) to hold down San Francisco's offense in what should be a low-scoring game -- Cain is 3-0 with a 0.73 ERA in seven starts against the Cubs.

Here is the game time and broadcast information for Saturday's game:

Game date/time: Saturday, June 2, 6:15 p.m. CT

Location: AT&T Park, San Francisco, CA

TV: FOX (click here for regional coverage map)

For updates, stay tuned to SB Nation Chicago. For more in-depth coverage of this series, head over to Cubs blog Bleed Cubbie Blue and Giants blog McCovey Chronicles. For more from around the world of baseball, visit Baseball Nation.

Cubs Vs. Giants Recap: Ninth-Inning Rally Not Enough, Chicago Falls 4-3

The Chicago Cubs fell behind early against the San Francisco Giants on Friday night, and they never quite recovered. Cubs starter Paul Maholm ceded four runs over the first three innings, and the Cubs offense stalled until the final inning as the Giants held on for a 4-3 win. Darwin Barney collected three hits and Alfonso Soriano handled all the scoring with a three-run home run (his eighth of the season), but the Cubs couldn't tie the game despite getting the tying run into scoring position with less than two outs.

Al Yellon of Bleed Cubbie Blue summed up the final inning nicely:

A ninth-inning rally begun by a three-run homer from Alfonso Soriano (poor man's Home Run Race tied again: Soriano 8, Albert Pujols 8) fell short when David DeJesus flied to center with the tying and lead runs on base to end it. The Cubs actually managed to get the tying run to scoring position with one out, when Bryan LaHair doubled. Darwin Barney's infield hit couldn't advance him; Steve Clevenger then grounded out and the runners advanced, but DeJesus couldn't bring either of them home.

For updates, stay tuned to SB Nation Chicago. For more in-depth coverage of this series, head over to Cubs blog Bleed Cubbie Blue and Giants blog McCovey Chronicles. For more from around the world of baseball, visit Baseball Nation.

Cubs Vs. Giants Lineups: Tony Campana Makes 1st Start Since May 21

The Chicago Cubs kick off a weekend series against the San Francisco Giants on Friday night looking to build on what was a very successful mid-week series against the Padres. Tony Campana is scheduled to make his first start since May 21, and he'll be batting leadoff. The full lineups for Friday's game are below.

#Cubs lineup @SFGiants 6/1: Campana CF, Castro SS, Mather 3B, Soriano LF, Johnson RF, Baker 1B, Barney 2B, Clevenger C, Maholm P

— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) June 1, 2012

Related: Cubs Vs. Giants Preview: North Siders Head To San Francisco Looking For 4th Win In A Row

Tonight's #SFGiants lineup: Blanco rf, Theriot 2b, Cabrera lf, Posey c, Pagan cf, Pill 1b, Arias 3b, Crawford ss, Bumgarner p

— San Francisco Giants (@SFGiants) June 1, 2012

For updates, stay tuned to SB Nation Chicago. For more in-depth coverage of this series, head over to Cubs blog Bleed Cubbie Blue and Giants blog McCovey Chronicles. For more from around the world of baseball, visit Baseball Nation.

2012 Cubs Trade Rumors: Matt Garza May Be A Target For Yankees, Red Sox

The Chicago Cubs (18-32) have not won many games in 2012, but they certainly hope to win in a few trades. The club has several veteran playerss being targeted for potential trades, but none will be more highly sought than SP Matt Garza, the 28-year-old righty who is coming off a career year in 2011.

According to Jon Heyman, two clubs potentially interested in the California native may include the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees. The two AL East teams have struggled with their starting pitching in the 2012 season, getting 5.06 and 4.60 ERAs from their staffs respectively.

Meanwhile, Garza has a 4.22 ERA and a 3.62 Skill Interactive ERA, both number which represent a modest step back from his success in 2011, but are still relatively strong. The AL East clubs are interested in acquiring the one-time member of the Tampa Bay Rays because he has a history of success in the division, unlike many of the other pitchers likely to hit the trade market.

For updates, stay tuned to SB Nation Chicago. For more in-depth coverage, head over to Cubs blog Bleed Cubbie Blue. For more from around Major League Baseball, visit Baseball Nation.

Cubs Vs. Giants Preview: North Siders Head To San Francisco Looking For 4th Win In A Row

The Cubs visit San Francisco this weekend.