Radar Magazine reports:

Billionaire blogger Mark Cuban is more serious about buying a major league baseball team than he's been letting on. The tech entrepreneur and Dallas Mavericks owner is set to offer $625 million to buy the Chicago Cubs from Tribune Co., according to a source familiar with the matter. "Mark is desperate to buy the Cubs," says the source. "He wants this so bad."

The Juice Blog's Scott Long writes on "The Sad Decline of The Sporting News":

We are used to players demanding contract extensions before opening day and threatening to cut off negotiations if it does not happen by then. So it is refreshing to read Michael Barrett's thoughts on his own contract. In his Monday newspaper roundup, Ryan Pierce at CubsHub.com catches the Tribune quoting Barrett as saying:

"I will put no deadline or nothing on anything. For me, I feel like I've been through a lot as a player, and I feel completely blessed to be a part of this team. For me, if there's a distraction that keeps you from appreciating putting on a Cubs uniform, then something ain't right. That's the way I feel."

The Veterans Committee Hall of Fame announcement is set for approximately 1pm CT today. As we all know, Ron Santo, as one of the top ten third basemen in baseball history, deserves to be there. As we await the announcement, 'cubfever7' at AllCubs.com has a good story demonstrating Santo's kindness.

'Transmission' at The Cub Reporter has an excellently researched article on the failed 1992 Greg Maddux negotiations:

The Bulls are sticking with the team that got them this far (tied for 4th in the weaker conference). ESPN.com's Bill Simmons writes that was stupid:

As a dog returneth to his vomit, so a fool returneth to his folly. Proverbs 26:11

We have added a page on the top 25 players in Chicago Cubs history in Cubs career OPS+*, since 1900, with a minimum of 2500 plate appearances, to the stats portion of the site.

I just can't help feeling a little genuine optimism about the Cubs' prospects for 2007. This is indeed a dangerous concept, since many too many years as a Chicagoan have taught me never EVER to doubt this team's aility to disappoint. Nevertheless they have put out a considerable effort and a lot of money to bring a better roster and, I personally think, a better manager to the friendly confines of Wrigley this season. Don't get me wrong. I think they have major challenges in putting together an effective batting order and finding a pitching rotation that will be reliable enough to win more often than not. But they deserve a "gold star" for the offseason, and there are actual reasons for hope (as opposed to just wishful thoughts).

UPDATE: It's for $12.4M, not the $12M originally stated, putting the amount closer to the middle, but still much closer to the Cubs' figure.

Carlos Zambrano and the Cubs reached an agreement on a $12M, one year contract just in time to avoid the arbitration hearing today. The $12M is easily on the Cubs' side of the dividing line between the two parties' submitted arbitration figures. That it is so much closer to the Cubs' figure would seem to indicate that a long-term contract is getting close to completion.

This is an interesting development. ESPN.com's Len Pasquarelli reports:

The people are going to get to decide the all-time Gold Glove team, reports the AP. "The ballot will be unveiled at Times Square in New York on Tuesday morning." Out of all the Gold Glove winners, the ballot has been reduced to 50 players made up of 18 outfielders, 6 players at each infield position, 5 catchers, and 3 pitchers. We'll be able to vote at a Rawlings web site.

I'm sure Ryne Sandberg (9 Gold Gloves) and Greg Maddux (16) will be on the ballot. Ron Santo (5) and Andre Dawson (8) would seem to have a chance of being on the ballot as well.

In fan balloting, players in big markets and players who played more recently tend to have big advantages. That means Sandberg will likely have an advantage over Bill Mazeroski (from all we know, the deserving winner), Frank White, and Roberto Alomar.