News Roundup: Around the Majors

I'll bump the game thread as gametime approaches, but in the meantime, here's a quick roundup of what's going on in baseball:

-P- The Cubs are officially for sale. As rumors about buyers swirl, we'll probably hear Mark Cuban's name mentioned a lot.

-P- The injury-riddled A's surprisingly named prospect Travis Buck their starting right fielder, at least until some of their other players return from injury. Buck hasn't played above Class AA and is only one full season removed from playing at Arizona State University. For now, Milton Bradley and Shannon Stewart will start in center and left, respectively, and Nick Swisher will play first until Dan Johnson returns. Is it just me, or does this A's team not look nearly as good as the A's we're used to seeing? They could easily still make the playoffs because the AL West is weak, but I wouldn't count on it. If a team has to start Stewart and an incredibly green prospect like Buck at the corners because Dan freaking Johnson is hurt, you have to wonder if they're a serious contender or not.

-P- The Padres signed first baseman Adrian Gonzalez to a four-year deal worth $9.5 million, with a $5.5 million team option in 2011. This deal buys out all of Gonzalez's arbitration years. Gonzalez quietly had a tremendous season for the Padres last year - hitting 24 jacks while playing half your games at PETCO isn't easy, and Gonzalez is a good defensive player to boot. Barring injury, this should be a bargain for the Padres.