Rumblings from Nashville

In my first 10 minutes here I ran into Kevin Towers, Harold Reynolds, and Cubs Director of Player Development Oneri Fleita. A few of the tidbits I've picked up since I arrived:

-The Padres are serious about bringing back Michael Barrett. They should have a decision on whether he'll be back tomorrow

-Kevin Towers again said they are very serious about signing Fukudome and that he is their top priority

-Oneri Fleita said Cubs top prospect Felix Pie is making strides in the Dominican Republic. We've heard this before, but he said Pie has been working on making his swing more compact and working on being patient against lefties.

-Fleita also mentioned that the Cubs are also very serious about Fukudome, though they are waiting until he declares that he wants to play in the United States. The Cubs want to respect the free agent market in Japan before making their official contract offer.

-More rumblings to come later...