So much for the Geovany Soto experiment, as Kendall will become the everyday catcher, with Koyie Hill likely having the inside track to remain the backup. With Billy Petrick back, giving the Cubs 12 pitchers again, one of Hill or Soto is going back to Iowa.

Kendall is hitting .226/.261/.281 for the A's this year, "good" for an adjusted OPS+ of 46. In 2006, he had an 89 OPS+ and in 2005 he had a 77 OPS+.

Apparently, somene in the Cubs' organization has a long memory, recalling that Kendall has hit .302/.392/.425 in his career against the Cubs, mostly from his time with the Pirates from 1996-2004.

The Chicago Cubs have traded Michael Barrett to the San Diego Padres, reports ESPN.com. The Cubs get back catcher Rob Bowen, a minor league pitcher (unknown at this time), and cash considerations. There must have been more to Barrett's personality conflicts than Cubs' players were letting on, for the Cubs do not have another catcher who can hit for much. Barrett was in last night's lineup, hitting 5th, going 2-for-5, in the Cubs' 5-4 win over the Rangers.

Bowen, 26, has been the Padres' backup catcher the past two seasons, and is actually having a good year at the plate this season, hitting .268/.371/.439 in 98 plate appearances.

UPDATE (10:45am): FOXSports.com's Ken Ronsenthal reports that instead of a minor league pitcher, the Cubs have acquired minor league outfielder Kyler Burke. (Hat tip: Another Cubs Blog.)

UPDATE (1:05pm): Jim Hendry, unsurprisingly, says the trade was about defense, not personality conflicts: "We just felt like we were trying to shore up the position in a little different fashion, a little bit more defensively." Also, Greg Maddux gave the Padres an endorsement of Barrett.

"[Carlos Zambrano and Michael Barrett] will be among the best at their craft when they can maximize their diamond knowledgeability while controlling their sometimes white-hot emotions." -- George Castle, Entangled in Ivy

Ron Santo just said on the radio that Barrett and Zambrano traded punches in the dugout after the Braves' 5-run 5th inning. Zambrano appeared to Santo to be the instigator.

Bleed Cubbie Blue interviews Michael Barrett. There's a lot of good questions and, unfortunately, a lot of vague and/or political answers. Still, nice of Barrett to take the time. An interesting, but not surprising, statement: "I think the biggest aspect of life that well educated fans don't understand is truly the lack of privacy that not only we face - but that our families face."

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."

11/08/2006 3:16 PM ET
Barrett hosts baseball camp in Hawaii
Cubs catcher spent two seasons in Hawaiian Winter League
By Carrie Muskat / MLB.com

cubs.com.... long url

Where in the world is Michael Barrett ?
http://www.cubsnet.com/node/1541

Tuesday, November 7, 2006

Cubs catcher Barrett spreading aloha spirit

By Stacy Kaneshiro Staff Writer

http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/apps/p...

(Courtesy of The Sports Xchange) The Cubs figure to activate shortstop Cesar Izturis from the disabled list either Monday or Tuesday, and they need to figure out what to do with rookie infielder Ronny Cedeno.

Cedeno, who has been subbing for Izturis, likely will move back to second base. However, the Cubs have been impressed with Ryan Theriot's play at second in recent weeks.

(Courtesy of The Sports Xchange)  It seems as if next year's rotation for the Cubs will consist of Carlos Zambrano, maybe Mark Prior (if he's healthy) and ... and ...

Well, that's the rub.