The Chicago Cubs and Cincinnati Reds have finalized their trade that included Sean Marshall and Travis Wood. The Cubs had been rumored for the past couple of days to be getting two prospects from the Reds. Those prospects have officially been identified as outfielder Dave Sappelt and second baseman Ronald Torreyes.

Dave Sappelt

Dave Sappelt is an outfielder who will turn 25-years-old on January 2, 2012. He finished the 2011 MLB season on the Reds’ roster. Sappelt had a .243 batting average with 14 runs, five RBI and one stolen base in 118 plate appearances during a two-month audition on the roster. He’s also a solid defensive player.

Sappelt was a very successful minor-league player before his promotion. He advanced from the Lynchburg Hillcats of the A+ league to the Reds’ MLB roster in fewer than two full seasons. Sappelt is an undersized player at 5’9″ and 195 pounds. He hits for average and had high on-base percentages throughout his minor-league career. He was also a successful base thief before he reached AA.

Ronald Torreyes

Ronald Torreyes just turned 19-years-old in September of 2011. He’ll probably need to add some size to his frame as he’s 5’9″ and 140 pounds. That doesn’t mean he won’t be a good player. He had a .356 batting average and .398 on-base percentage in 306 plate appearances with the Dayton Dragons of the A league in 2011.

Baseball Prospect Nation recognized Torreyes as the 12^th-ranked prospect in the Reds’ system before the trade. He’s an instinctive and natural hitter. He’s great at making contact and doesn’t take many walks. He does lack power and could be a liability against power pitchers.

The Rundown

Sappelt will be added to an outfielder competition that consists of Alfonso Soriano, Marlon Byrd, David DeJesus, Reed Johnson, Tony Campana and Brett Jackson. This leads me to believe one of three things: Jackson will start the season in Triple-A, Campana will be demoted or Byrd will be traded.

I’m hoping that Byrd is traded because I think he could net a couple decent prospects. The Cubs could always start Johnson or Sappelt even if Jackson wasn’t ready for the 25-man roster until June.

I wouldn’t have approved of a straight-up deal with Marshall and Wood. However, I’m satisfied with these prospects. They have limited upside in terms of power. With that said, Sappelt could make the 25-man roster out of spring training and Torreyes could be an eventual successor to Darwin Barney. I don’t see Barney as anything more than a utility infielder for a pennant contender.

The Reds essentially acquired a one-year rental as Marshall becomes a free agent during the 2012-13 offseason. It’d be funny if the Cubs re-signed him.

Joshua Huffman grew up in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula as a Green Bay Packers and Chicago Cubs enthusiast. He immediately gained an admiration for Cubs fans after watching numerous games on WGN during the mid-90s. His favorite Cubs moment was Kerry Wood’s(notes) 1-hitter, 20K extravaganza that was only denied of a no-hitter by Kevin Orie’s defensive blunder. As a Packers and Cubs fan, he suffered through Steve Bartman and “4th & 26″ in a span of three months.

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Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer appear like they’re making moves to finalize the 40-man roster for the 2012 MLB season. The Chicago Cubs are expected to re-sign Reed Johnson to a one-year contract. The deal was pending a physical.

Johnson would be sandwiched inside a stable of outfielders that include Alfonso Soriano, Marlon Byrd, David DeJesus, Tony Campana and possibly Brett Jackson. Johnson would probably be a reserve outfielder who could possibly be in a platoon role with DeJesus because Johnson has more success against left-handed pitching.

Johnson is a 35-year-old outfielder who doesn’t figure into the long-term rebuilding plan for the Cubs. However, he’s a solid player who plays good defense at all three outfield positions. While he lacks power, Johnson is a good hitter who enjoyed a bit of a resurgence in 2011. Johnson hit .309 with five home runs, 28 RBI and a .348 OBP in 246 at-bats.

Johnson decided to re-sign with the Cubs because he felt at home with them. He praised recently-hired manager Dale Sveum by calling him “A very smart guy.” Johnson seems like he’d like to complete his career with the Cubs. He’s spent three of the past four seasons with them. He played with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2010.

I have no problems with this re-signing. Johnson was one of my favorite players in 2011. I would’ve liked to see him play more. I thought he outplayed Byrd in the limited playing time that he did receive, especially after that facial injury that Byrd suffered. Johnson was one of the few players who I actually felt good about when the Cubs were faced with a clutch-hitting scenario. He’s the type of veteran who I’d like to have around young players like Starlin Castro.

I wouldn’t think that the Cubs would keep six outfielders on their 25-man roster. Maybe that means that Jackson will start the season in Triple-A? Maybe they don’t feel like Campana’s speed is enough of an asset for him to remain on the 25-man roster? Maybe they’ll try to trade Byrd as he’s probably one of the few players who could net some prospects?

Maybe they’ll eat Soriano’s contract? I know; fat chance.

Joshua Huffman grew up in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula as a Green Bay Packers and Chicago Cubs enthusiast. He immediately gained an admiration for Cubs fans after watching numerous games on WGN during the mid-90s. His favorite Cubs moment was Kerry Wood’s(notes) 1-hitter, 20K extravaganza that was only denied of a no-hitter by Kevin Orie’s defensive blunder. As a Packers and Cubs fan, he suffered through Steve Bartman and “4th & 26″ in a span of three months.

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Read More: Alfonso Soriano (LF – CHC), Chicago Cubs

According to Ken Rosenthal of FOXSPorts, several teams may have interest in acquiring Alfonso Soriano from the Chicago Cubs:

Maybe there is hope for the Cubs trading left fielder Alfonso Soriano.

Teams are “kicking the tires” on Soriano, according to a major league source. The Cubs, to facilitate a deal, are willing to pay a significant portion of the $54 million remaining on the final three years of Soriano’s contract.

Alfonso Soriano signed a blockbuster, 8-year deal with the Cubs before the 2007 season. And though he proved instrumental to the Cubs’ 2007 and 2008 playoff runs, he has aged quickly, hobbled by ongoing hamstring injuries that have reduced his steal totals from 41 and 30 to 5 and 2.

However, Soriano still hits left-handed pitchers rather well, sporting an impressive .271/.312/.500 slash against LHP in 2011. His defense has become increasingly suspect, though, and Rosenthal expects he would provide the greatest value as a DH in the American League.

Fore more coverage of all MLB hot stove action, check out MLB Daily Dish. For more coverage of all matters Chicago sports, stay tuned to SB Nation Chicago.

The Chicago Cubs rewarded Alfonso Soriano(notes) with an eight-year, $136-million contract after he recorded more than 40 home runs and stolen bases with the Washington Nationals in 2006. The Cubs were hoping that he’d evolve into a leadoff threat or a middle-of-the-order hitter once his speed diminished. However, Soriano’s production has dropped off immensely since 2008. He’s also never had a season where he’s stolen more than 19 bases since joining the Cubs in 2007.

Soriano still has three years and $54 million remaining on that contract. While he finished the 2011 season with 26 home runs, he’s been a liability in the outfield and on the bases. Soriano is an all-or-nothing hitter who doesn’t excel in the clutch. He had a .244 batting average and .289 on-base percentage to go along with his disappointing season.

Many Cubs enthusiasts have voiced their displeasure with Soriano and would love to see him traded or even released. I’ve also been on that bandwagon as I’ve feared that he could be a poor influence on Starlin Castro(notes). Soriano will turn 36 in January of 2012. That makes it difficult for me to believe that he’ll be able to improve the errors in his game.

Many fans don’t want Soriano. However, don’t start thinking that he’s going anywhere anytime soon; Theo Epstein isn’t ready to give up on him. Epstein recently stated on The Waddle & Silvy Show on ESPN 1000:

“From afar he still brings a lot to the table. He had 26 bombs, and he is still a threat offensively. Yeah, there are other areas of the game where he hasn’t quite performed up to expectations the last few years. I think it’s the good quality of an organization to look at every player and ask how can we get the most out of this guy. And I look at Alfonso and I think there is still more in there.”

I really don’t want Soriano anywhere near the Cubs’ 25-man roster. Despite that, I do appreciate that Epstein is exuding patience and wants to get a first-hand view of what this franchise possesses before taking any drastic measures. He hasn’t had the luxury of watching every Cubs game and getting a firm knowledge of his roster yet. That may take him a year.

Now what could this mean for free agency? Epstein may not want to be overly aggressive in his first stint of free agency with the Cubs. I could see him wanting to watch this team before he makes any long-term commitments on players like Prince Fielder(notes) and Albert Pujols(notes).

Epstein will also have decisions to make with other veterans such as Ryan Dempster(notes), Carlos Zambrano(notes), and Aramis Ramirez(notes), to name a few.

Joshua Huffman grew up in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula as a Green Bay Packers and Chicago Cubs enthusiast. He immediately gained an admiration for Cubs fans after watching numerous games on WGN during the mid 1990s. His favorite Cubs moment was Kerry Wood’s(notes) 1-hitter, 20K extravaganza that was only denied of a no-hitter by Kevin Orie’s defensive blunder. As a Packers and Cubs fan, he suffered through Steve Bartman and “4th & 26″ in a span of three months.

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SAN DIEGO (AP) — Starlin Castro and Matt Garza have been bright spots in an otherwise dismal season for the Chicago Cubs.

Castro had two singles to extend his NL-leading total to 206 hits and Garza won his 10th game as the Cubs beat the San Diego Padres 6-2 on Tuesday night in a matchup of 90-game losers. Alfonso Soriano hit a go-ahead, three-run homer in the eighth inning.

Castro has 12 more hits than Matt Kemp of the Los Angeles Dodgers. On Wednesday, Castro will become the youngest player ever to lead the NL in hits in a season, at 21 years, 188 days. He’ll also become the third Cubs player in seven seasons to lead the NL in hits, joining Juan Pierre (2006) and Derrek Lee (2005).

Castro reached base for the 39th straight game, extending his career-high streak.

Garza, obtained in an offseason trade with Tampa Bay, finished 10-10 with a 3.32 ERA. He had been sick on Monday night and the Cubs sent him back to the hotel.

“Come hell or high water he was going to pitch,” manager Mike Quade said. “It was an excellent effort.”

Soriano homered off the base of the batter’s eye in straightaway center field against Chad Qualls (6-8), giving the Cubs a 4-2 lead. Aramis Ramirez, who homered in the fourth, reached on a leadoff walk before being replaced by Tony Campana, and Bryan LaHair walked with one out ahead of Soriano’s 26th homer.

“A normal human being would have hit that on the ground,” Qualls said. “Soriano hits it 420 feet.”

Garza tied his career high with his fourth straight win. He allowed two runs and five hits, struck out eight and walked two in seven innings.

“It is what it is. I had a chance at the end,” Garza said. “I’m happy the way it ended. I’m not happy we’re not playing in October, but I’m just going to take what I did and let it keep rolling into the offseason and get ready for next season.”

The loss clinched last place in the NL West for the Padres (70-91). They won 90 games in 2010, but took a face-plant this season after trading All-Star slugger Adrian Gonzalez to the Boston Red Sox in December.

Ramirez hit a drive to straightaway center leading off the fourth against rookie Anthony Bass, his 26th.

Chicago’s Blake DeWitt added a pinch-hit, two-run single in the ninth.

San Diego’s Kyle Blanks hit a two-run double in the second.

Bass, who started the season in Double-A, held the Cubs to one run and five hits in five innings.

“For the most part I was pleased,” Bass said. “I made a couple of mistakes that they hit hard.”

NOTES: Castro extended his hitting streak to 10 games, his fifth double-digit streak of the season. … The season ends Wednesday night when Cubs RHP Ryan Dempster (10-13, 4.53 ERA) faces LHP Wade LeBlanc (4-6, 4.83). Dempster is 3-1 with a 2.45 ERA and 36 strikeouts in his last four starts against San Diego. LeBlanc will be facing the Cubs for the first time. In a 2-0 win at Colorado in his last start, LeBlanc struck out a career-high 10, the most strikeouts by a Padres pitcher this season.