As expected, the Cubs demoted Rich Hill to triple-A Iowa today, reports the Daily Herald. They called up Sean Gallagher to take his spot on the roster. Gallagher will go to the bullpen and Jon Lieber will go to the rotation. Sean Marshall remains in the bullpen, despite the fact that after last night's game Lou Piniella said, "I would think that if we did something, we'd put Marshall in the rotation, for now." Marshall has not thrown more than an inning in a game this year since being recalled, though, and in his last four appearances he has faced just five batters. It would take some time before he was fully stretched out. One of the strange things that occurred this spring was the Cubs not giving Marshall a chance to make the rotation.

The last time Hill was at Iowa, in 2006, he was utterly dominant in 100 innings.

The Cubs have signed Jon Lieber, reports the Chicago Sun-Times. MLB.com (no article yet) reports the deal is worth $3.5M. The S-T speculates that "the move could pave the way for the Cubs to trade young pitchers to Baltimore for Brian Roberts." Ken Rosenthal speculates that this "could signal a trade of right-hander Jason Marquis or the return of righty Ryan Dempster to the bullpen." (Hat tip: Wrigleyville23.)

I appreciate Lieber's service to the Cubs from 1999-2002 as much as anyone. But why this now? Lieber will be 38 in April. Over the past two seasons for the Philadelphia Phillies, Lieber has thrown 246 innings with a 4.87 ERA.

Guaranteeing Lieber's contract almost certainly means that Sean Marshall (who was 34th in adjusted ERA out of 127 starting pitchers with at least 100 innings pitched last year) is out of the rotation and perhaps gone from the team in a trade for Roberts, unless the Cubs find someone to take Marquis' contract and move Dempster back to the bullpen (which likely means putting him back in the closer role). Oh, and Sean Gallagher and Kevin Hart do not get chances to compete for the starting rotation.

Chad Fox is back with the Chicago Cubs after they signed him to a minor league contract on Friday, reports the AP. In April 2005, Fox went from being the Cubs' possible new closer (after another LaTroy Hawkins blown save) to a "career-ending injury" in matter of two days. Given this comeback attempt, Fox is trying to show that the injury was not, in fact, career-ending.

The Cubs traded Felix Pie's possible centerfield platoon partner, Angel Pagan, to the New York Mets today for minor leaguers right-handed pitcher Ryan Meyers and outfielder Corey Coles. Pagan was the one player on the Cubs roster who allowed the Cubs to avoid playing Pie against left-handed pitching. It's now Pie's job, and his alone.

With fellow lefty reliever Will Ohman gone in a trade, the Cubs decided to keep Neal Cotts on the roster. The Cubs and Cotts agreed on a one-year contract to avoid arbitration, reports MLB.com. The AP says the deal is worth $800K, $25K less than he made in 2007.

Cotts struggled in five appearances in mid-to-late May, allowing 9 runs in 6 innings, resulting in his demotion to Iowa, as he had options remaining when the Cubs decided to recall Sean Marshall. In 50 innings for Iowa, Cotts had a 4.83 ERA, as he walked too many batters (30), but most of those difficulties occurred while he was in Iowa's starting rotation. After returning to the bullpen, Cotts had a 2.67 ERA in 27 innings over 18 games, though he still walked too many (15).

This deserves a longer article, but the topic is so worn out, it's hard. The Cubs have non-tendered Mark Prior, allowing him to become a free agent. Four years ago, the Cubs could be said to be Prior's team, given his stature on the mound and in front of the microphone. What followed was seemingly endless spring training Prior watches. There will be no "Prior Watch" in 2008. But I will be watching him, hoping he can come back with some semblance of success from the significant shoulder damage he sustained.

Seeking the most expensive corner outfield combination in MLB history, a side benefit of adding a left-handed hitter who can sell ballcaps and jerseys in Japan, the Cubs appear to have succeeded. The Cubs will announce tomorrow that they have signed 30-year-old Kosuke Fukudome to a four-year contract, a number of media outlets are reporting.

Salary figures have not been released. Carrie Muskat says $48M. Paul Sullivan says $50-56M. ESPN says $48-56M. So it appears that Fukudome will make as much as or more than Derrek Lee ($13M per), despite coming off an elbow injury that required surgery and limited him to half a season last year. Combine that with Alfonso Soriano's $13M in 2008 (escalating to $18M per by 2010) and you have a very expensive outfield even if the third outfielder -- Felix Pie? Matt Murton? -- makes minimum wage.

Given the alternatives for starting outfielders, Fukudome appears to have been the best option available. For the second year in a row, Jim Hendry outbids everyone for that best option.

Apparently Omar Infante was not meant to wear a Cubs' uniform after all. Off to Atlanta he goes, along with the out-of-favor Will Ohman. In exchange, the Cubs get 22-year-old right-handed relief pitcher Jose Ascanio. Ascanio had a 2.54 ERA in 78 innings in the double-A Southern League in 2007. He had an impressive 71 K's against just 18 BB's. He also pitched in 16 innings for the Braves, allowing 9 runs.

Ohman was set to make $1.6M in 2008 and Infante would have made something similar.

So Jim Hendry turned Jacque Jones into a young major-league ready fireballing reliever, giving up Ohman in the process but also dropping salary. Well done.

For their part, Braves blogs Talking Chop and Chop-N-Change both like the deal from their perspective as well, noting Ohman's excellent road ERA over the past three seasons.

The Cubs have signed Kerry Wood to one-year, $4.2M contract, with incentives for games finished. He apparently turned down longer-term, more lucrative contracts to return to the Cubs. He is likely to be given the opportunity to close games in 2008. I am surprised by his return, but thankful. Wood is appreciative of the Cubs. At the same time, he has to be cognizant of the respect Cubs' fans have for him. Signings like this only continue to increase his high standing in Cubs' history.

Slowly, but surely, Jim Hendry is ridding the Cubs of his middling free agent acquisition mistakes. Neifi Perez to the Detroit Tigers. Glendon Rusch to injury. The latest is Jacque Jones to the Tigers (oh, how we love the Tigers). Ryan Dempster, Jason Marquis, and Scott Eyre: be ready.

The Cubs are also sending the Tigers some cash, though we do not yet know how much. It seems likely to be at least the $1.3M in signing bonus money Jones is due in January.

In exchange, the Cubs get Jose Macias (man, Derek, you're too quick with that joke). To be fair, Omar Infante is younger and probably better than Macias was when the Cubs acquired him in December 2003. He did, after all, post a 101 OPS+ as a full-time second baseman and 22-year-old in 2004. In any event, as the aforementioned Mr. Smart notes, something else could happen yet this offseason to make the acquisition of Infante make more sense.

The Baltimore Orioles continue their quest to stockpile former Cubs. They "claimed right-handed pitcher Roberto Novoa off waivers from the Chicago Cubs," reports the Baltimore Sun.

This is interesting: "Rookie Eric Patterson was sent to Double-A Tennessee on Tuesday after arriving late to the ballpark, a violation the Cubs did not want to ignore because he had done the same thing at Triple-A Iowa," reports the Chicago Tribune. Who knew that the Cubs imposed punishment for wrongdoing?

Though no one needed to take his place, the Cubs called up left-handed hitting and throwing outfielder Sam Fuld. Fuld hit .290/.372/.388 for AA Tennessee in 90 games this year and .269/.397/.442 in 14 games for Iowa. He hit .300/.378/.422 for high-A Daytona last year. During Ron Santo's interview of Lou Piniella during tonight's WGN Radio pre-game show, it was obvious that neither Santo nor Piniella could remember Fuld's name as they talked about him.

The Cubs now have their starter for Game 2 of the September 15 doubleheader against St. Louis. And if they get into a one-game playoff at the end of the year. Here is the press release. Having Trachsel back eight years after he last pitched in a Cubs uniform is a little weird. For what it is worth, he posted a 2.37 ERA in 6 starts in August.