CBSSports.com's Pete Prisco profiles Cubs' minor league pitcher Jeff Samardzija:

Samardzija has a 3.44 ERA in 36.2 innings, though his 1.05 K/BB ratio isn't so hot.

Lots of notes from the first day of camp, from the Chicago Sun-Times and MLB.com:

Jason Marquis, Jon Lieber, Ryan Dempster, and Sean Marshall are battling for the final two rotation spots, after Carlos Zambrano, Ted Lilly, and Rich Hill. One gets the impression that the best of the four--Marshall--is the least likely to get a job.

The Cubs won't take any action against Aramis Ramirez for being "dedicated entirely" to his cockfighting roosters when he is home in the Dominican Republic. "It's understanding and respecting what's acceptable in their culture,'' said Oneri Fleita, player development director and head of the Cubs' Latin American operations. ''We tend to think we have all the answers in our country, but there are people in other parts of the world that think their [customs] are better than ours.'' Moral relativism is alive and well in the Cubs front office.

"Piniella said former Notre Dame football star Jeff Samardzija, who pitched his first full season of professional ball last year, will get a longer look in camp this year and could be ready to make his major-league debut this summer if his progress remains on pace." Samardzija pitching for the big league club this summer would be a miracle.

Angel Guzman might be pitching off a mound by July. Guzman almost became the Cubs' closer last May before going down with an elbow injury and having Tommy John surgery.

This is a good sign: "Eric Patterson was one of the early position players in camp. He has spent most of his Minor League career as a second baseman but will get some playing time in the outfield." That's a good sign because the last we heard from Patterson was that he was being demoted to double-A from the big league club for showing up late to the park last September. (That demotion resulted in Sam Fuld's promotion, which resulted in this, and after this, has Fuld fighting for the starting centerfield job this spring.)

Kevin Hart didn't have a job this winter other than working out, so he learned to cook mashed potatoes.

The Cubs' multi-million dollar 5th rounder, Jeff Samardzija, made his AA debut Monday night. He earned the victory after pitching 6 innings of 1 run ball. He allowed 6 hits and 2 walks, striking out 2.

The Cubs promoted Samardzija despite his 4.95 ERA in 107.1 innings for high-A Daytona. He also only had a 1.3 K/BB ratio for Daytona, apparently missing what is supposed to be a lively arm.

Here's scouting director Tim Wilken's explanation for the promotion, as quoted in the Chicago Tribune: "I think this will be good for him. Also competition-wise, it's a little bit more of a challenge. Frankly, it's not the most conventional way. I understand that. I can read numbers too."

There has to be more to the story. It's a little bit more of a challenge? Well, sure, but that doesn't mean you promote everyone in A-ball.

The Cubs have to be thinking the guy is 22 and, for what we're paying him, he better start producing somewhere. Or maybe Kodak, TN is just a safer place to put him than Daytona, FL.

Baseball Prospectus' Kevin Goldstein names Cubs' minor league pitcher Jeff Samardzija to his "All-Disappointment Team." Goldstein writes: "A disturbing double-dip for the North Side. After giving him a record deal to buy him away from an NFL career, the big righthander from Notre Dame has been far worse than his 5.22 ERA would indicate--allowing 93 hits in 69 innings with a ridiculously low 25 strikeouts. He could be on the way to being one of the biggest bonus mistakes in draft history." (Emphasis and link added.) (Hat tip: View from the Bleachers.)

The Chicago Cubs announced today that Jeff Samardzija has decided to commit to baseball full time, foregoing a potential NFL career as a wide receiver. As part of the decision, the Cubs signed Samardzija to a five-year major league contract, with club options for the 2012 and 2013 seasons. That's significant because it means that Samardzija's first option year will be 2007. The Daily Herald reports that the deal is worth $10M. With the options, the deal could be worth $16.5M, reports MLB.com. The deal "also includes a $2.5 million signing bonus that Samardzija will return to the Cubs if he decides at any point to pursue another sport."

If the Cubs eventually pick up the options, they will have bought out all three years of Samardzija's arbitration eligibility and the first year of his free agency. With Samardzija's addition to the 40 man roster, someone is going to have to be released or placed on the 60-day disabled list (Glendon Rusch?).

UPDATE (5:40pm): Paul Sullivan at the Chicago Tribune reports that the $2.5M signing bonus is included within the $10M Samardzija will receive over the first five years. And Arizona Phil at The Cub Reporter notes that Samardzija will have a 4th option year, meaning the contract will not cover his first free agency year.

"Jeff Samardzija has pitched for the final time this season in Boise, Hawks manager Steve McFarland said Thursday," reports the Idaho Statesman. After starting Monday's game on the road for Boise, the Cubs' 2006 5th round draft pick will play for low-A Peoria for the final few weeks before he heads back to Norte Dame to play football.

In four starts for Boise, Samardzija has a 3.21 ERA in 14 innings, having allowed 15 hits and 4 walks, while striking out 9.

"The Chicago Cubs agreed to a contract Sunday with fifth-round draft pick Jeff Samardzija of Notre Dame, a star wide receiver for the Fighting Irish football team," reports ESPN. "Samardzija's deal is for five years and worth up to $7.25 million . . . . The deal is backloaded and Samrdzija would have to continue to play baseball in order to approach the maximum value of the contract."

The Cubs took a risk with Samrdzija and have now gauranteed him the money to back up that risk. We likely won't know whether he was worth the risk for a couple of years, at least.

UPDATE (6/25/2006 12:25am): Uh, nevermind. The Chicago Tribune reports: "Baseball America reported Samardzija and the Cubs had agreed to a $7.25 million bonus spread over five years, with the bulk of the money backloaded toward the end of the contract. But the complicated deal never was completed, and the Cubs and Samardzija's agent apparently opted for a simpler contract at less money and years." The Trib doesn't say what the new deal is, except that he got a $250K signing bonus.