Lefty reliever Scott Eyre has decided to remain a Cub after he exercised his 2008 player option for $4 million bucks. The Cubs better hope they get the Eyre of the 2nd half (0.81 ERA) instead of the 1st half (6.60 ERA). Eyre pitched in 55 games last season for the Cubs and he was 2-1 with a 4.13 ERA and a stunning 1.80 WHIP! Eyre has now pitched in 537 games (32 starts) in his major league career and he is 21-29 with 4 saves, a 4.37 ERA and a 1.55 WHIP. The Cubs probably wish Eyre would have walked away.

The Cubs decided that they like what they saw of Kerry Wood in a relief role last season so they gave him a contract for the 2008 season. Wood pitched in 22 games for the Cubs last season and he was 1-1 with a 3.33 ERA and a 1.27 WHIP. The Cubs were smart in re-signing Wood because they would have got sick to their stomachs if he dominated for someone else. Wood has now pitched in 211 games (178 starts) in his major league career and he is 72-57 with a 3.67 ERA and a 1.26 WHIP. The numbers that really stand out for Wood’s career is that he has only allowed 893 in 1,153 innings and he has whiffed 1,323. Those numbers bode well for Wood’s new role in the bullpen.

The Cubs have traded Craig Monroe to the Twins for a low level prospect to be named a little bit later. Monroe played in 122 games last season for the Cubs and Tigers and he was 86 for 392 (.219 avg) with 53 runs scored, 12 homers and 59 RBIs. Clearing out Monroe and Jacque Jones could open the door for the Cubs to make a move on a big time outfielder like Carl Crawford of the Devil Rays.

The Cubs finally found a taker for Jacque Jones as they have been trying to trade him for quite some time. Infante will be a utility man for the Cubs as he can handle shortstop, 2B, 3B and CF on defense. He played in 66 games for the Tigers last season and he was 45 for 166 (.271 avg, .662 OPS) with 24 runs scored, 2 homers, 17 RBIs and 4 stolen bases. He has been a starting shortstop in his career and he will likely get a lot of playing time for the Cubs this season. Infante has now played in 494 games in his major league career and he’s 403 for 1,592 (.253 avg, .684 OPS) with 192 runs scored, 32 homers, 154 RBIs and 34 stolen bases.

The Cubs have declined both Cliff Floyd and Steve Trachsel’s options for the 2008 season. Floyd played well last season in a limited role as he played in 108 games and he was 80 for 282 (.284 avg, .795 OPS) with 40 runs scored, 9 homers and 45 RBIs. Floyd will become a free agent and he should find a decent job for 2008. Floyd has now played in 1,531 career games and he is 1,411 for 5,057 (.279 avg, .843 OPS) with 792 runs, 222 homers, 846 RBIs and 147 stolen bases.

Steve Trachsel pitched bad enough in September to lose his $4.75 million dollar contract for the 2008 season. He pitched in 4 games (all starts) for the Cubs last season and he was 1-3 with a 8.31 ERA and a 1.85 WHIP. Trachsel has now pitched in 410 games (409 starts) in his major league career and he is 141-154 with a 4.32 ERA and a 1.40 WHIP. With pitching scarce around baseball Trachsel will get a shot next season with someone who will give him some money.

The Cubs will pay Daryle Ward $1.2 million bucks in 2008 to do what he does best….swing the bat. Ward played in 79 games last season and he was 36 for 110 (.327 avg, .963 OPS) with 16 runs scored, 3 homers and 19 RBIs. Ward has now played in 859 games in his major league career and he’s 566 for 2,132 (.265 avg, .770 OPS) with 234 runs scored, 86 homers and 362 RBIs. This was a good move for the Cubs.