A's Top-10 Prospect Rankings In Review

Starting next week, we will begin our annual ranking of the Oakland A’s top-50 prospects. This ranking will come along with scouting reports on each player. Before we begin the rankings, we thought it would be educational to look back at our past lists. Inside, find out who we ranked among the A’s top-10 prospects in our pre-season lists from '06-'09 and how those players have developed.   Full Story

The Cubs went into this season with high expectations and were the odds-on favorites to win their third straight NL Central title. Instead, they suffered through a season of injuries, under-performance and distraction created by Milton Bradley, a free agent acquisition who was supposed to solve an important offensive problem.   Full Story

The Cubs will get a good look at the possible future of their rotation on the final homestand, which begins Tuesday against Pittsburgh.   Full Story

The Cubs have had enough. After putting up with right fielder Milton Bradley's bad behavior all season, they suspended him for the rest of the season Sunday for conduct detrimental to the team. It's not known whether Bradley will be paid.   Full Story

SAVANNAH, GA - One promotion was finally issued for a member of the formidable Sand Gnats staff and that was to Chris Schwinden. The right-hander is off to St. Lucie while reliever Jimmy Johnson returns to Savannah. Johnson has been dominant during his time in the South Atlantic League while Schwinden faces the challenge of a new level.   Full Story

The Cubs' playoff hopes are hanging by a thread, but manager Lou Piniella isn't giving up.   Full Story

The Cubs are juggling their rotation this week. Right-hander Rich Harden will slip back into the rotation Wednesday for the series finale at San Diego. Harden was supposed to pitch Sunday, but that game was rained out. Cubs manager Lou Piniella said then he wasn't sure when Harden would pitch again, and Harden indicated he wanted to pitch sooner rather than later.   Full Story

The Cubs appear on their way to getting "whole" again, and it's not a minute too soon for manager Lou Piniella.   Full Story

Futures at Fenway started in 2006 and had been a kind to the home teams every year, until 2009. The Tides sent Red Sox fans home unhappy as they became the first team to win at Fenway Park in the futures at Fenway game. The prospects on the team played the biggest roles. Inside are some notes on the victory.   Full Story

Cubs catcher Geovany Soto is scheduled to come off the disabled list and start Friday's series opener at Colorado.   Full Story

Neither general manager Jim Hendry nor field manager Lou Piniella seemed disappointed that the Cubs did not pull off a trade by Friday's deadline for non-waiver deals.   Full Story

CHICAGO – The Chicago Cubs today placed outfielder Reed Johnson on the 15-day disabled list with a left foot fracture. To replace Johnson on the roster, the Cubs recalled right-handed pitcher Jeff Stevens from Triple-A Iowa.   Full Story

Cubs right-hander Randy Wells wants nothing to do with any discussion of him being the NL Rookie of the Year.   Full Story

The Cubs entered Monday in first place for the first time since April 21, and they're beginning to get a few players back from the disabled list.   Full Story

The Cubs' penchant for quality starts ran out over the last few days, and as a result, the bullpen has gotten a workout.   Full Story

Cubs manager Lou Piniella tried to make a joke out of it, but really, he found nothing funny about the broken right big toe suffered by pitcher Ryan Dempster.   Full Story

The Cubs finally have a full squad together, and they hope they can take advantage.   Full Story

This time, he really means it. Cubs manager Lou Piniella finally moved left fielder Alfonso Soriano out of the leadoff spot Friday as Soriano continued a slump that's gone on for more than a month.   Full Story

PEORIA — This may not be home to Wrigley Field, but the atmosphere inside O’Brien Field this July 4 weekend matched the excitement of a major league game.   Full Story

Saying he "thought about it all night," manager Lou Piniella still went ahead Friday and put left fielder Alfonso Soriano back in the leadoff spot after Soriano sat for the two previous games.   Full Story

The Cubs returned home Thursday after a 3-7 road trip, but they didn't seem at all panicked.   Full Story

Brandon Erbe takes the hill, Blake Davis continues his hot start to the 2009 season despite coming back from a foot injury, and the 85th overall pick in the 2009 draft makes his home debut for the IronBirds. Get the scoop from Aberdeen inside!   Full Story

It doesn't appear that Cubs manager Lou Piniella will move left fielder Alfonso Soriano out of the leadoff spot. So Piniella did the next best thing in Wednesday's series finale at Pittsburgh: He moved Soriano out of the lineup altogether, and Soriano may get a game off during the upcoming home series against Milwaukee.   Full Story

Despite a host of problems, on offense and defense and with injuries, Cubs manager Lou Piniella remains optimistic.   Full Story

Manager Lou Piniella didn't draw names out of a hat Thursday when writing out his lineup card, but he made one significant change.   Full Story