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Groundhog Day at Wrigley Field

Bill Murray

Actor and comedian Bill Murray was to throw the ceremonial first pitch before the Cubs season opener against the Nationals but first, the 62-year-old scampered around the bases before sliding home. Then, he took the mound and bounced the first pitch to Kerry Wood. Murray also will sing the seventh inning stretch at Wrigley Field. (Getty pics)

– Carrie Muskat

4/5 Opening Day at Wrigley

Theo Epstein is well aware he’s been the focus this offseason. On Opening Day, he said, it should shift to the Cubs.

“That’s nice and a complement but I’m realistic to know if that’s the case, it’s because I’m a symbol,” said Epstein, the Cubs president of baseball operations, who took over the team last October. “It’s not me. There are dozens and dozens and dozens of people — the players first and foremost — who working extremely hard trying to push the organization forward.”

He included the Cubs ownership, manager Dale Sveum and the rest of the baseball operations staff.

“I’m one small person in a very big machine,” Epstein said. “Not only have I not done anything yet but I’m a small part of it.”

Opening Day is the perfect start.

“It’s a special day, one of the best days of the year and the feeling of renewal is amplified every time you’re with a new team,” Epstein said.

“Opening Day is the one day of the year that doesn’t feel like any other days,” Epstein said. “I really cherish the second day of the year because that’s when the baseball rhythms kick in, you see the people at the park who will be with you the whole year and you get into your routine. That’s when it feels like baseball. Opening Day feels like a holiday. That second day of the year is when it all kicks in.”

There are some who feel Epstein is powerful enough to have made the ivy on the outfield walls bloom in time for the season opener between the Cubs and Nationals. Actually, it’s because of the early summer-like weather in Chicago in March.

“I was telling someone last night, I hope that’s a good omen,” Epstein said of the ivy. “We’ll take it as a sign of good things to come.”

The red, white and blue bunting may be on the ballpark and optimism is high but there’s still work to do.

“Maybe this completes the transition phase for me personally coming to new surroundings,” said Epstein, who was with the Red Sox from November 2002 until he joined the Cubs. “But it’s just another day. Nothing stops on Opening Day as far as we’re concerned. We need to do something every day to better the organization.

“The best time for reflection is the morning after sipping champagne when you win a World Series,” he said. “Until then, you keep plodding forward and try not to look back too much.”

– Carrie Muskat

2/14 Cubs keep tabs on Soler

The Cubs have been keeping tabs on 19-year-old Cuban outfielder Jorge Soler. However, reports from the Dominican Republic that they have an agreement in place to offer him a $27.5 million deal may be premature. Soler is waiting for clearance from Major League Baseball before he can be declared a free agent. There were reports that the Cubs signed 19-year-old Cuban pitcher Gerardo Concepcion, but the team has not confirmed that. On Monday, Cuban outfielder Yoenis Cespedes agreed to a four-year, $36 million deal with the Athletics. The Cubs did scout Cespedes as well.

– Carrie Muskat

2/10 Hoyer: Soriano “unlikely” to be traded

Alfonso Soriano has been mentioned in trade rumors this offseason but he was expected to be back in left field at the start of the 2012 season for the Cubs. GM Jed Hoyer said it was “unlikely” that Soriano would be dealt by Opening Day.

“I know Sori’s been working really hard this offseason … our hope is obviously you want him to get on base a little more,” Hoyer said during an interview on ESPN 1000 on Thursday. “The power was there last year, the RBIs were there. Obviously, it really comes down to defense and we’re hoping with some better conditioning and some better health that he can be a little better out there. We don’t want to do anything to hurt our pitchers but we do believe there’s something left in Sori.”

Soriano, who turned 36 in January, hit 26 homers and drove in 88 runs last season but batted .244.

– Carrie Muskat

1/19 Cubs sign Rodrigo Lopez

The Cubs have signed Rodrigo Lopez to a Minor League deal with an invitation to Spring Training. A Mexican baseball magazine first reported the signing. Last January, Lopez, 36, signed with the Braves but did not make the roster out of Spring Training. He was traded to the Cubs in May, and pitched in long relief and made 16 starts. He was 6-6 with a 4.42 ERA in 26 games. In a four-game stretch June 28-July 18, Lopez was 2-1 with a 1.85 ERA, posting three quality starts.

The Cubs are expected to announce all the non-roster invitees next week.

– Carrie Muskat

1/11 Wood close to deal with Cubs?

FOX Sports’ Jon Paul Morosi tweeted Wednesday that the Cubs were close to a one-year deal with Kerry Wood, which could include a club option for 2013.

During a stop on the Cubs Caravan on Wednesday, Cubs president Theo Epstein said he was hopeful the two sides could come to an agreement.

“If we can’t figure this out, something’s wrong,” Epstein said.

Wood, 34, posted a 3.35 ERA in 51 innings for the Cubs last season. He did miss time because of a blister and ended his season in September because of a torn meniscus in his left knee. The right-hander gave the Cubs a hometown discount in 2011, signing a one-year, $1.5 million deal to come back. He has said he wants to stay in Chicago, and last year, started the Wood Family Foundation, which is hosting a fundraiser Friday prior to the Cubs Convention.

– Carrie Muskat

1/10 Cubs GM on Maholm, Wood, Garza

Cubs GM Jed Hoyer says free agent Paul Maholm wanted to pitch for the Cubs, partly because he wanted to stay in the NL Central. The lefty is a guy who “takes the ball, eats a lot of innings and really has kept his team in games his whole career,” Hoyer said. Maholm was shutdown in August because of shoulder soreness but passed the physical on Monday and says he’ll begin throwing off the mound soon.

Are the Cubs done now as far as their rotation?

“We’re very comfortable with the names that we have,” Hoyer said. “You never know what will happen over the course of the winter, what’s going to be available to us. A huge priority was building depth and we feel we’ve done that. You can never have enough pitching; the minute you think you have enough pitching, you don’t. We’re happy with the depth we’ve built up over the course of the winter. It’s a dangerous thing to say you’re ever done.”

That said, what about reports that the Cubs are talking to the Tigers about dealing Matt Garza? Hoyer would not comment specifically on the rumors. But he did say just because they’ve added Maholm does not mean they are automatically dealing Garza.

“This Maholm contract, and the fact you can look and say we have six starters now, this deal is not a precursor to anything,” Hoyer said.

* As for negotiations with free agent Kerry Wood, Hoyer said the two sides are still talking.

“We continue to want Kerry back in Chicago and we’ve offered him a substantial raise and we certainly hope it gets done,” Hoyer said.

With the addition of Maholm, the Cubs starting candidates now include Garza, Ryan Dempster, Maholm, Chris Volstad, Randy Wells, Casey Coleman and Travis Wood.

– Carrie Muskat

1/10 Could Kerry Wood leave Cubs?

Kerry Wood sounds as if he is moving on. Wood appeared on WGN Radio’s Sports Night on Monday night, and said he wants to keep pitching. But he has yet to reach an agreement with the Cubs for 2012.

“Regardless of what happens, we’re still in Chicago, we’re dedicated to the city,” Wood said Monday. “Things will work out for me in the city of Chicago because we’re dedicated to the city, we’re dedicated to the community, we’re dedicated to helping children and again, we’re staying here, we’re raising our family here.

“I’m a Texas boy, but I feel like I’ve become a Chicagoan, so we’re happy to be here whether I finish here or whether I don’t, we plan on being here a long time.”

Last year, Wood unveiled the Wood Family Foundation, dedicated to helping children in the Chicago area. On Friday, he will host “Woody’s Winter Warmup” at Harry Caray’s on Navy Pier, a fund raiser for his foundation. Theo Epstein was scheduled to attend. Wood has been part of the Cubs since he signed at 18, returning last season when he agreed to a one-year, $1.5 million deal. He understands the fans want him to stay.

“There’s always time for change and there’s always room for it so we’ll just have to wait and see,” Wood said.

Last week, Epstein said the team was negotiating with Wood’s agents about a new deal.

“Kerry Wood is exactly the type of guy we want to build a winning culture here in Chicago,” Epstein said. “I would be greatly, greatly disappointed if we’re not able to bring him back.”

The Phillies are one of the teams that has shown interest in Wood.

– Carrie Muskat

1/10 Cubs sign Paul Maholm

The Cubs have signed free agent Paul Maholm to the rotation, a move first announced by the left-handed pitcher on Twitter.

“I hope to get to continue some things when I visit [Pittsburgh] during the year and start some great things as I start my Cubs career,” wrote Maholm on Monday.

Maholm, 29, will receive $4.25 million this year with a club option of $6.5 million in 2013, or a $500,000 buyout. The lefty, who has spent his entire career with the Pirates, gives the Cubs more depth, something GM Jed Hoyer has said they’re trying to do. The team does not want to be short-handed as it was last season when both Andrew Cashner and Randy Wells were hurt after their first starts of ths season. The candidates for the rotation now include Maholm, Matt Garza, Ryan Dempster, Travis Wood, Chris Volstad, Randy Wells and Casey Coleman. Wood is the only lefty in that group. However, there has been interest in Garza this offseason by teams such as the Tigers, Yankees and Blue Jays.

– Carrie Muskat

1/9 Cubs reportedly close on Maholm

FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal reported Monday the Cubs are close to finalizing a deal for lefty Paul Maholm. He could join a rotation of Matt Garza, Ryan Dempster, Travis Wood, Chris Volstad and Randy Wells. Maholm has spent his entire career with the Pirates, and having another lefty in the rotation would be a plus. The only thing certain is the Cubs are still shopping.

“We’re not finished acquiring starting pitchers,” GM Jed Hoyer said Friday. “We want to have as much depth as possible. At this point, we’re still very much in the process of gathering as many quality arms as we can and we’ll put those pieces in place as we get closer to Spring Training.”

MLB Trade Rumors lists Maholm as the top ground ball free agent pitcher available. The average MLB pitcher induces ground balls about 44 percent of the time; in his career, Maholm has a 52.3 percent rate.

– Carrie Muskat

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