Cubs notebook: Colvin and Soto are all in

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Friday, Jan. 14, 2011
10:50 PM

By Patrick Mooney
CSNChicago.com

If you saw that broken maple bat stabbing Tyler Colvin just above his heart, its almost impossible to forget the image. It left him in a Miami hospital bed with a tube in his chest.

It took more than a month before the 25-year-old outfielder felt comfortable enough to go jogging. But Colvin says that he feels strong again and has regained weight from last September. His 6-foot-3-inch frame has filled out to around 210 pounds.

Colvin also insists that hes pushed that freak accident out of his mind.

Im not going to go out there and play scared if thats what youre implying, he said Friday at a Cubs Convention that is clearly marketing youth.

Colvin is featured on the programs cover alongside Starlin Castro and Andrew Cashner, two other impact rookies from 2010. Colvin no longer has to answer serious questions about playing first base, but everyone is curious to get a better read on a player who hit 20 homersand struck out 100 timesin only 358 at-bats.

Staying is the hard part. You cant get complacent. You just always have to get better, Colvin said. I havent had any setbacks with anything. Im cleared 100 percent to do whatever I want.

Soto gets a huge raise

Geovany Soto avoided arbitration and agreed to a one-year deal worth 3 million, a source confirmed Friday. It is a reward for his production in 2010his .890 OPS was highest among regular major-league catchers, at a cost of only 575,000and another sign that he is progressing after shoulder surgery.

Four Cubs filed for arbitration on Friday: Carlos Marmol, Matt Garza, Sean Marshall and Tom Gorzelanny. Marmolwho dominated in his first full season as closer (38 saves, 138 strikeouts in 77.2 innings)would be open to a multi-year extension.

Part of the logic behind the Garza trade was that he would be under team control for the next three seasons, but the 27-year-old pitcher hasnt heard much about a long-term arrangement yet.

I have no clue, Garza said. I stay out of that and I wait until I get a call from my agent. I just let him handle that and I take care of everything between the lines.

Radio silence from Wood

Kerry Wood has been promised a role within the organization whenever hes done pitching, and plans to raise his children in Chicago and be a Cub for the rest of his life.

But theres no agreement in place for a future media jobRon Santos eventual replacement on WGN?as one radio station speculated this week.

Wood joked that hes been practicing his callsand he is comfortable in front of the camerasbut right now he doesnt even see himself working in radio or television once his playing career ends.

Not at all, Wood said. I dont think that would ever be an interest to me, getting behind the mic on a regular basis and broadcasting anything, much less baseball.

Etc.

Chairman Tom Ricketts said that the Cubs will unveil their 2011 plans to honor Santo on Saturday. A statue outside Wrigley Field and a No. 10 uniform patch would be good places to start.Greg Maddux, who has become a trusted voice in the front office, has to attend to a family emergency and will not be a part of Saturdays baseball management panel at the Hilton Chicago.

PatrickMooney is CSNChicago.com's Cubs beat writer. FollowPatrick on Twitter @CSNMooneyfor up-to-the-minute Cubs news and views.

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