CHICAGO - Starlin Castro understands why the Chicago Cubs were concerned. He was scared, too.Authorities questioned the All-Star shortstop last month after a nightclub shooting in the Dominican Republic. In a separate case earlier in the off-season, Castro had just left a club in his home country when another shooting occurred.I just say that I was in the wrong place at the wrong time, Castro said Friday on the opening day of the Cubs weekend fan convention. I want let everybody know that I dont even know what happened. ... Im not that kind of person.The 24-year-old is beginning his sixth season with Chicago after hitting .292 with 14 homers and 65 RBIs in 134 games last year. He already has started training in Arizona and is thinking about moving his family to the U.S. after the rocky off-season in his native county.Just too many problems over there to try to cost me, and I dont even know what happened, said Castro, who has not been charged in connection with either shooting in the Dominican. I got to move. I got to do something.The situation with Castro was perhaps the only trouble for the Cubs in a strong off-season.There was a palpable buzz at the teams 30th annual convention after Chicago signed ace Jon Lester and brought in manager Joe Maddon in search of its first playoff appearance since 2008.Castro signed with the Cubs as an amateur free agent in 2006, and then agreed to a seven-year contract in 2012 that includes a club option for the 2020 season. He is a .284 career hitter, and president of baseball operations Theo Epstein made it sound as if the club plans to stand by him.I think the most important thing is that Starlin has responded to this adversity really well, Epstein said. Hes taken a mature approach and figured out that he needed to make some changes. He needed to change his environment in order to put himself in the best position to A. keep him and his family safe and B. to prepare the right way for a season to try to win a championship.The title talk for the Cubs is something new for Epstein after major renovations for both the roster and Wrigley Field dominated the first part of his time in Chicago.Its just nice to transition to the point where were building the organization but were building a major league team that can compete, Epstein said. Our fans deserve to get excited about it.Epstein said he is comfortable with the current roster heading into spring training, but they could make a few tweaks. The Cubs agreed to one-year deals with outfielder Chris Coghlan ($2,505,000), catcher Welington Castillo ($2.1 million), infielder Luis Valbuena ($4.2 million) and pitchers Jake Arrieta ($3.63 million) and Travis Wood ($5,685,000) before the start of the convention, leaving reliever Pedro Strop as the only Cubs player still in arbitration. He asked for a raise from $1,325,000 to $3 million, and he was offered $2 million.Castillo is one of three veteran catchers on the roster after the Cubs traded for Miguel Montero and signed David Ross to a $5 million, two-year contract in December.I think theres a scenario where our roster could handle three catchers and give Joe some opportunity to mix and match and do some matchup stuff, but were open to the possibility of a trade as well, Epstein said. Were not hiding the ball on that.Montero, a two-time All-Star, hit .243 with 13 homers and 72 RBIs for Arizona last season, but his acquisition was overshadowed by the moves for Lester and Maddon. The active winter led first baseman Anthony Rizzo to predict the Cubs would win the NL Central title this year, and his teammates supported the slugger before the start of the convention.Were all pulling the same rope, so I stand behind my teammate, said Lester, who agreed to a $155 million, six-year contract in December. Were going to go out there and hopefully thats the first goal that were going to try to make.___Jay Cohen can be reached at
http://www.twitter.com/jcohenap . -- Theres something about playing on Orlandos floor lately that seems to bring out the best in the Dallas Mavericks. . Seriously. Seven years of losing has brought many different faces, players and management, to the annual pre-season get-to-know-the-team round up.
http://www.officialredsoxfanstore.com/a ... ox-jersey/. Each day, TSN.ca provides the latest rumours, reports and speculation from around the NHL beat. Duck Calling With several marquee centres available via trade and expected to be available via free agency, the Anaheim Ducks could be primed to be big players in the coming days. . - Golden State Warriors coach Mark Jackson sat on the scorers table at Oracle Arena on Wednesday morning. . It led to his downfall on Tuesday. The Major League Soccer club fired Rennie after a second straight up-and-down season that saw the Whitecaps start strong before limping across the finish line.The extra time off between the first and second rounds of the playoffs might just give some Montreal Canadiens players time to heal. After sweeping the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday, the Habs now have over a week to rest up before their second round series against either the Boston Bruins or Detroit Red Wings. The added time could be good news for forward Alex Galchenyuk, who has been sidelined since April 9 with a knee injury. Canadiens head coach Michel Therrien thinks that the 20-year-old may be ready at some point in the second round. "Theres a chance hell play in the second round, I hope," Therrien told reporters after Fridays morning skate in Brossard, Que. "Not quite sure yet.&quoot; Galchenyuk appeared in 65 games with the Habs this season, missing further time in January and February with a broken hand.dddddddddddd He scored 13 goals and added 18 assists with a minus-12 rating over the course of the regular season. Despite a first round exit at the hands of the Ottawa Senators in the 2013 Stanley Cup Playoffs, Galchenyuk was effective in his rookie playoff campaign, tallying a goal and two assists in five games. As to how injuries and the prospect of facing a veteran team like Boston or Detroit might alter his lineup plans, Therrien refused to show his hand so early. "I dont want to go there (yet)," he told reporters. "Dont forget, I like to play poker.” ' ' '
