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The Cubs continue to pursue acquiring players on all different fronts. (I've already highlighted that they are discussing a trade for Rays' starter Matt Garza, here.)

The team also is interested in middle reliever Jason Frasor of the Toronto Blue Jays, according to a scouting source. The Cubs did their best but failed to obtain Frasor last year in a trade.

Meanwhile, medical documents on former Cy Young winner Brandon Webb, a major league source said, have been sent to Cubs' team doctors to analyze. Webb has had arm issues since blowing out his shoulder on Opening Day 2009. Webb and the Cubs might be a good match on a one-year contract with incentives built in, if the doctors sign off on the medicals.

The Texas Rangers and Cubs still are talking about a deal that would send infielder Chris Davis to the Cubs. Minor-league catcher Robinson Chirinos and another prospect is what Texas is seeking in return. Chicago also wants right-handed pitcher Darren O’Day thrown into the deal. O’Day had a terrific year for the Ragners in 2010, with a 6-2 record in 72 appearances.

Right now, the Cubs’ main focus is the Garza deal. The other situations are, for now, on the backburner.

Carlos Silva was removed from his start on Sunday after two innings with tightness in his right quadriceps muscle. Silva was originally scheduled to throw at least five innings as he attempts to win a rotation spot. The veteran pitcher was not thought to be hurt too seriously.

Silva was able to go to the bullpen after coming out of his start and throw 45 pitches. Silva said that he felt a twinge of pain in the quad while warming up in the bullpen before his start. The veteran pitcher said he wanted to stay in the game, but the coaching staff had him come out and throw in the 'pen instead.

Silva calls the injury “just a cramp.”

Cubs management will have a big meeting after the game on Monday in order to discuss final roster spots going toward the regular season. At that time, general manager Jim Hendry will update the coaches, manager and front office on where the team stands on possible trades and options for their 40-man roster. The Toronto Blue Jays continue to scout all of the Cubs’ spring training games, and the Cubs have had their top scouts looking at right-handed pitcher Jason Frasor, a 31-year-old relief pitcher from Oak Forest. Frasor would go right into the role of the eighth-inning set-up man for the Cubs if he is acquired.

Manager Lou Piniella spent time at the Blackhawks-Coyote game with White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen and his family Saturday night. Contrary to reports, the Guillen family did not teach Piniella how to tweet. However, MLB.com reporter Carrie Muskat did give the Cubs manager a rudimentary quick lesson on how tweeting works, showing him on her BlackBerry. Piniella said he and Guillen talked about Ozzie’s son, Osney, who has accepted a scholarship to Florida State University to play baseball. Piniella is a friend of the baseball coach at the University, and told the Guillens that they made the right choice.

Piniella will pare down his choice of the five rotation pitchers by late this week. “We have Silva going [Sunday], [Jeff] Samardzija on Monday, [Sean] Marshall Wednesday and [Tom] Gorzelanny on Thursday. After that, it’s decision time. We’ll put people in their prospective roles and go from there.” The team’s bullpen will be impacted by Piniella’s decision on March 24. It’s assumed the two starting pitchers who don’t’ make the rotation will go into the team’s bullpen. However, if Samardzija doesn’t make the rotation, the club will have a tough decision to make as to whether to put him in the bullpen or return him to Triple-A Iowa in order to continue his progress as a starting pitcher.

The Cubs left third baseman Aramis Ramirez and the entire starting lineup behind, except for Mike Fontenot at their complex instead of playing in Sunday’s game. Ramirez’s strained right triceps still have him listed as day-to-day.

Veteran Kevin Millar played left field for the first time this spring on Sunday. Piniella was once again asked about his chanced of making the team. “I like chemistry,” Piniella said. “I’ve always like chemistry. I’ve always liked to have teams nice and loose. He (Millar) brings a lot to the team in regards to veteran experience. There’s no substitute for it, especially on a bench.”

Piniella said trainer Mark O’Neil advised him that he could use outfielder Xavier Nady in the outfield sometime by the end of this coming week. Piniella doesn’t want Nady to throw all out, but insists that the outfielder needs to play in order to get his legs game-ready for the season. Piniella said unequivocally, that Nady will be on the 25-man roster, not on the disabled list to start the season.

Injury news continues to dominate the early part of Chicago Cubs camp. On Thursday it was revealed that right-handed pitcher Angel Guzman, already on the shelf due to knee surgery, has come up with an achy right shoulder. Guzman tried to throw and get loose on Wednesday during pregame drills but complained to trainer Mark O'Neal about pain in his shoulder.

"He had some discomfort in his shouldfer," Cubs general manager Jim Hendry said. "We just felt coming off of the [arthroscopic meniscus surgery] he's had on and off difficulties in the past, so we thought that we were just going to take the precautionary route."

Guzman said he expected to be ready to go on the field in a week to 10 days.

"I still think I will be back in a week or week and a half," Guzman said. "My knee is the main thing. I don't think the shoulder is anything I have to worry about."

The Cubs are still pursuing other veteran pitchers such as the Toronto Blue Jays' Jason Frasor and San Diego Padres' Luke Gregerson to help out their paper-thin bullpen. The Padres will trade closer Heath Bell at some point during the season, but the combination of Bell's upper echelon salary and the Cubs' lack of money available make trading for him remote.

Guzman would have been one of the top candidate for the Cubs' eighth-inning setup role if he hadn't been injured again. He has had nothing but injuries during his Cubs career.

Other injury updates: Right-handed reliever Jeff Gray still has no exact timetable to return to pitching. Gray incurred a groin strain early in camp. Hendry said he expects him to be ready to pitch sometime next week.

Ted Lilly, recovering from left shoulder surgery, missed the last couple of days of camp with a high fever. "He's been really sick for the last two days," Hendry said. "One hundred and two or 103 fever."

The Cubs hope Lilly will be in camp Friday or Saturday to throw again.

As the Chicago Cubs' spring training truck prepared to leave for Mesa, Ariz., on Tuesday, general manager Jim Hendry talked about his club, which he hopes will be among the best in the National League this season.

Hendry first addressed the need to add depth to their 25-man roster.

"Obviously, we're always on the lookout," Hendry said. "Maybe it's something we will do in camp. We do like our club. We have a pretty good roster, body-wise, and we also have more people coming to camp internally (minor-leaguers invited to big-league camp) than we ever had. There will be opportunities for some of our young players to make the club."

Asked if additions are forthcoming outside of the organization, Hendry said: "We'll keep our eyes open. We have some ideas of people we want to scout in camp. But if something got going before we started camp, in the next week or two, we'd certainly look into that."

According to league sources, the Cubs have had contact with any number of teams in pursuit of solidifying their middle relief situation. We've been reporting fo six weeks that the San Diego Padres and Toronto Blue Jays have talked to numerous teams, including the Cubs, about moving some of their middle relievers, including Toronto left-hander Scott Downs and right-hander Jason Frasor. San Diego will converse with any team about closer Heath Bell and setup man Luke Gregerson.

Hendry said reports on Aramis Ramirez's right shoulder and Alfonso Soriano (recovering from knee surgery) were positive. The Cubs GM said both players should be able to go full throttle when position players report the weekend of Feb. 20.

Hendry said new hitting coach Rudy Jaramillo will be a major positive influence on Soriano, considering they worked together successfully when they were with the Texas Rangers.

The Cubs are being projected to finish anywhere from second to fourth in the NL Central with the St. Louis Cardinals the favorite.

"So many times clubs that aren't predicted to win end up in the postseason," Hendry said. "So many things can happen along the way, but I feel good about the team. I think our guys are in a good place. I think they will show that as early as spring training."

Don't expect the Cubs to settle with the agents for shortstop Ryan Theriot on their pending arbitration case. Sources tell ESPN Chicago that the two sides will have their arbitration hearing sometime the weekend of Feb. 20 in St. Petersburg, Fla. Major League Baseball doesn't announce arbitration hearings in advance.

Hendry didn't sound very positive about getting something done with Theriot's agents.

"There is always a chance until it's final," Hendry said. "But I can't say I'm optimistic either. We've already settled with the other seven guys who were arbitration eligible. If it's a situation where we're going to a hearing, that's OK, too."

The Cubs haven't gone to an arbitration hearing since 1993. Hendry has settled 36 arbitration cases amicably prior to the Theriot case.

The Cubs and Hendry do not want to put pressure on 19-year-old shortstop Starlin Castro. However, the Cubs' No. 1 prospect will get an opportunity to show his stuff in big-league camp.

"Some of the best players in history have come to camp at 19 or 20 and made it," Hendry said. "But I think in a realistic world he might need a little more time."

Marketing director Wally Hayward gave some media people a tour of the ballpark to show the new construction zones, including the newly refurbished men's and women's washrooms. By knocking out areas of concrete, the Cubs have found new areas to put washroom facilities.

Hayward also said a new sky box club that will seat 80 fans will make its debut in 2010. People will be able to buy season tickets in the brand new VIP seating area where they will pay $24,300 per seat [$300 per game] for unlimited food and beverages as well as their private seat. The new seating is in the former area where skyboxes 1-6 were located on the far left-field line.

The Chicago Cubs continue to look for a top-flight right-handed hitting outfielder, a bullpen pitcher and a veteran starter.

Ongoing conversations continue with San Diego and Toronto. Both teams have bullpen pitchers to trade.

The Padres will talk to Cubs about Luke Gregerson and possibly closer Heath Bell. The Jays are dangling right-handed pitcher Jason Frasor, a product of the Chicago area.

Off the free agent list, the Cubs have begun to look past outfielder Jemaine Dye, who must decide whether to take a 60 percent cut in pay or retire. Dye was recently hoping to sign with the Texas Rangers before Vladimir Guerrero signed a $6 million deal.

Other free-agent outfielders the Cubs have interest in include Reed Johnson, Xavier Nady and Rick Ankiel. Nady is an intriguing possibility because of his past power numbers. The former Yankee, Padre and Pirate has had two Tommy John surgeries on his right elbow.

The Cubs also have a had a few talks with agent Jamie Torres, who represents former White Sox starter Jose Contreras. The team talked to the agent for reliever Kiko Calero, but they have no interest in him at this point.

Although the Cubs are looking for right-handed outfield help, they will keep their eye on the left-handed hitting Ankiel. The former St. Louis center fielder is coming off a season in which he hit .233, and he and his agent Scott Boras have watched his stock and asking price drop in a slow-moving free-agent market.

The Cubs have three players left to sign who have filed for an arbitration hearing: shortstop Ryan Theriot, left-handed pitcher Sean Marshall and closer Carlos Marmol. Of the three, Theriot is the most likely to go through the process without settling.

The last Cubs player to go through an arbitration hearing was former first baseman Mark Grace in 1993.