Chicago Cubs Ticket Blog

The Cubs and Daryle Ward have exercised a $1.2-million option for next season, but the club declined options on a pair of former Mets, pitcher Steve Trachsel and outfielder Cliff Floyd.

Daryle Ward, primarily a pinch hitter, batted .327 in seventy-nine matches last season after signing as a free agent. Cliff Floyd hit .284 with 9 home runs and forty-five RBIs in his 1st season with Chicago. His option was for five million. Steve Trachsel, acquired in a trade with Baltimore, was 1-3 with an 8.31 ERA in 4 starts for the Cubs. The player gets a $100,000 buyout; his option was for almost five million.

Bonds believes that he has been unfairly targeted for the problems baseball has had with the use of drugs that enhance performance. According to his interview aired Friday by MSNBC he truly believes he has been singled out. Definitely.

Seeking a new club after fifteen seasons with his hometown San Francisco Giants, the 43-year-old said he would not be a problem.

Daryle Ward ranks 2nd in the MLB with thirty-three pinch-hits over the last 2 seasons.

Left-handed pitcher Ward, led the team with fifty-four pinch-hit appearances, going 11-for-41 with eleven walks for a .268 average. Daryle Ward trails only Orlando Palmeiro from the Houston Astros (35) in pinch-hits over the last 2 seasons and is tied for 5th in career pinch-hits among active players with a total of 72.