Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times has a couple of new Cubs articles up, here and here.
- Manager Lou Piniella would prefer the Cubs acquire a middle of the order hitter over a leadoff man, if only one can be acquired.
- Piniella had kind words for possible free agent target Raul Ibanez.
- Piniella continued to dismiss the idea of the Cubs pursuing Jake Peavy (despite recent comments from Padres GM Kevin Towers).
- He’d like to give Mike Fontenot more playing time in 2009, which would help balance the lineup. In the spring the Cubs will see if Fontenot can chip in at shortstop.
- The idea that the Cubs can only move Alfonso Soriano down in the order if they acquire a known leadoff man lives on.
- Anthony McCarron of the New York Daily News reported on Friday that the Cubs had expressed interest in Bobby Abreu. Wittenmyer says that’s not true.
- Wittenmyer also reports a lack of movement on the Mark Teahen front, suggesting Phil Rogers’ recent report of Kansas City’s focus on Sean Marshall and Fontenot "continues to ring of hollow speculation."