--RHPs Angel Guzman and David Patton made the Cubs' bullpen. Guzman, a longtime prospect, was out of options, but the Cubs didn't want to lose him now that he finally appears to be healthy after several years of medical problems. Patton is a Rule 5 draft pick the Cubs took from Colorado via a trade with Cincinnati. The Cubs sent RHP Jeff Samardzija to Class AAA Iowa (Des Moines). They released veteran RHP Chad Gaudin, who had a poor spring. The Cubs are on the hook for $1.6 million of the $2 million Gaudin had coming. Guzman figures to open as the Cubs' long reliever.
--RHP Jeff Samardzija is expected to work as a starting pitcher for Iowa once he gets settled, but the Cubs expect to limit him to two or three innings at the beginning. Samardzija went to spring training battling to become the fifth starter, a job that went to Sean Marshall. After Marshall won the job, Samardzija went to the bullpen, where he worked in short stints. So the Cubs want to stretch him back out before letting him go long as a starter at Iowa. Samardzija was 0-1 with a 7.63 ERA in the Cactus League. --C Koyie Hill broke camp with the Cubs for the first time in three years in the organization. Hill spent most of the last two years at Iowa. He beat out veteran Paul Bako for the backup catcher's job. The Cubs said Hill was familiar with their pitchers. They also like the job he did helping to mentor Geovany Soto at Iowa in 2007. Hill also is a switch hitter. He batted .392 with a homer in the Cactus League.
BY THE NUMBERS: 1 -- RHP Carlos Marmol is the only holdover from the Cubs' opening-day bullpen in 2008. Gone are LHPs Carmen Pignatiello and Scott Eyre and RHPs Michael Wuertz, Bob Howry and Kerry Wood.
QUOTE TO NOTE: "It looked like the stars and the moon and the sun and everything was aligned." -- Manager Lou Piniella, lamenting the Cubs reaching the 100th anniversary of their last world championship but failing to deliver last year
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