According to the Score

[Backtobanks]

Cubs Considering Outfielders

Multiple readers have emailed me about a radio report on WSCR 670 The Score out of Chicago today. According to the report, the Cubs are considering multiple trade possibilities to fill the monthlog gap left by Alfonso Soriano's quad injury. On the radar: Craig Monroe, Matt Stairs, Jeff Conine, and Adam Dunn. Additionally, Cubs GM Jim Hendry came out and said today that he's working the phones to find some help.

 

Contract situations of each player:

 

Monroe - $1.5MM left in '07, should earn $5MM+ in '08 before reaching free agency

Stairs - $267K left in '07, free agent after season

Conine - $630K left in '07, free agent after season

Dunn - $3.3MM left in '07, free agent after season if traded

 

Monroe is the right-handed Jacque Jones, contract situation and all. He'd be a poor and mildly expensive addition. He'd probably clear waivers.

 

Stairs is doing what he does best, mashing righties. He's having his best season since 2003. He's not earning much and has no '08 commitment. He played for the Cubs in '01 and did a decent job. The problem? He might be claimed off waivers before he gets to the Cubs. Jim Hendry really should've made this deal in July. Every AL team will have a crack at him first on waivers. Plus the Jays might fancy themselves contenders at six games out of the wild card.

 

Conine is on the last leg of his career and doesn't really offer anything Matt Murton doesn't. I don't really see the point but this pickup seems most likely.

 

Dunn is the most intriguing and also by far the least likely option here. The Cubs would have to give up some good players and pay out a decent chunk of salary for less than two months of Dunn. They'd also have to do something ugly like put him in right field when Soriano comes back. I don't see this happening.

 

Nothing new, but some pretty miserable options. None of these players are worth trading for unless you're looking for bench help.

[anabiono]

ok, i agree with you on 3 of those players, but Dunn is not bench help

 

even though there is about a 2% chance of landing him

 

you don't put dunn on the bench...period

[Electron Blue]

I would have liked a Stairs deal in July (would love it right about now, in retrospect). But I agree, the waiver process will not be our friend in acquiring him...

[anabiono]

if we go after anybody, i hope it is shannon stewart and not conine

 

i can see it now though...

 

conine in cubbie blue

 

oh god

[vance_the_cubs_fan]

I think everyone knows which option I'd prefer.

[Lefty]

if we go after anybody, i hope it is shannon stewart and not conine

 

i can see it now though...

 

conine in cubbie blue

 

oh god

 

Hey, he's a proven winner.

[nilodnayr]

Cubs Considering Outfielders

Multiple readers have emailed me about a radio report on WSCR 670 The Score out of Chicago today. According to the report, the Cubs are considering multiple trade possibilities to fill the monthlog gap left by Alfonso Soriano's quad injury. On the radar: Craig Monroe, Matt Stairs, Jeff Conine, and Adam Dunn. Additionally, Cubs GM Jim Hendry came out and said today that he's working the phones to find some help.

 

Contract situations of each player:

 

Monroe - $1.5MM left in '07, should earn $5MM+ in '08 before reaching free agency

Stairs - $267K left in '07, free agent after season

Conine - $630K left in '07, free agent after season

Dunn - $3.3MM left in '07, free agent after season if traded

 

Monroe is the right-handed Jacque Jones, contract situation and all. He'd be a poor and mildly expensive addition. He'd probably clear waivers.

 

Stairs is doing what he does best, mashing righties. He's having his best season since 2003. He's not earning much and has no '08 commitment. He played for the Cubs in '01 and did a decent job. The problem? He might be claimed off waivers before he gets to the Cubs. Jim Hendry really should've made this deal in July. Every AL team will have a crack at him first on waivers. Plus the Jays might fancy themselves contenders at six games out of the wild card.

 

Conine is on the last leg of his career and doesn't really offer anything Matt Murton doesn't. I don't really see the point but this pickup seems most likely.

 

Dunn is the most intriguing and also by far the least likely option here. The Cubs would have to give up some good players and pay out a decent chunk of salary for less than two months of Dunn. They'd also have to do something ugly like put him in right field when Soriano comes back. I don't see this happening.

 

Nothing new, but some pretty miserable options. None of these players are worth trading for unless you're looking for bench help.

 

All italics is from MLB Traderumors

[wolf stansson]

If you guys get Dunn, we may as well just cancel the rest of the season and send you the NL trophy now. You guys can just chill until you have to play Boston or Cleveland or somebody for the WS.

[kujay]

There is absolutely no way in hell that Dunn clears waivers through to the Cubs spot. Just not happening.

 

We shouldn't even be talking about it.

[C.C.]

There is absolutely no way in hell that Dunn clears waivers through to the Cubs spot. Just not happening.

 

We shouldn't even be talking about it.

 

How many teams are above us?

[Sammy Sofa]

There is absolutely no way in hell that Dunn clears waivers through to the Cubs spot. Just not happening.

 

We shouldn't even be talking about it.

 

Hell, Tejada just did. I know Dunn is younger and cheaper, but I don't think it's completely impossible.

 

And someone lumped Dunn in with all the others as a "miserable option?"

 

Right.

[Magnetic Curses]

There is absolutely no way in hell that Dunn clears waivers through to the Cubs spot. Just not happening.

 

We shouldn't even be talking about it.

 

who would block it?

[jyoung55]

There is absolutely no way in hell that Dunn clears waivers through to the Cubs spot. Just not happening.

 

We shouldn't even be talking about it.

 

Would he have to pass through all the AL teams first? Or just the ones with a worse record than us?

[CubColtPacer]

There is absolutely no way in hell that Dunn clears waivers through to the Cubs spot. Just not happening.

 

We shouldn't even be talking about it.

 

How many teams are above us?

 

Right now, the Cubs are tied with L.A. and Philadelphia (have no idea how they handle waiver claims in that case). The teams in front of us are:

 

Pittsburgh, San Francisco, Houston, Washington, Florida, St. Louis, Colorado

 

Florida's out-salary issues. San Francisco and Pittsburgh seem unlikely-what would be the point? Houston and Colorado-probably not.

 

That leaves Washington and St. Louis as the most likely teams to claim him, and I'm not sure the Cardinals have enough salary to make a claim (so basically they'd just be trying to block the Cubs, which I'm not sure they'd do).

[CubColtPacer]

There is absolutely no way in hell that Dunn clears waivers through to the Cubs spot. Just not happening.

 

We shouldn't even be talking about it.

 

Would he have to pass through all the AL teams first? Or just the ones with a worse record than us?

 

No AL teams at all, just the NL teams with a worse record than the Cubs.

[C.C.]

There is absolutely no way in hell that Dunn clears waivers through to the Cubs spot. Just not happening.

 

We shouldn't even be talking about it.

 

How many teams are above us?

 

Right now, the Cubs are tied with L.A. and Philadelphia (have no idea how they handle waiver claims in that case). The teams in front of us are:

 

Pittsburgh, San Francisco, Houston, Washington, Florida, St. Louis, Colorado

 

Florida's out-salary issues. San Francisco and Pittsburgh seem unlikely-what would be the point? Houston and Colorado-probably not.

 

That leaves Washington and St. Louis as the most likely teams to claim him, and I'm not sure the Cardinals have enough salary to make a claim (so basically they'd just be trying to block the Cubs, which I'm not sure they'd do).

 

He'd pass through.

[jyoung55]

There is absolutely no way in hell that Dunn clears waivers through to the Cubs spot. Just not happening.

 

We shouldn't even be talking about it.

 

Would he have to pass through all the AL teams first? Or just the ones with a worse record than us?

 

No AL teams at all, just the NL teams with a worse record than the Cubs.

 

Basically we'd have to pray that neither Washington, Colorado, nor the Cardinals claimed him... which doesn't seem too likely... although not impossible, I guess

[E.J.]

There is absolutely no way in hell that Dunn clears waivers through to the Cubs spot. Just not happening.

 

We shouldn't even be talking about it.

 

How many teams are above us?

 

Right now, the Cubs are tied with L.A. and Philadelphia (have no idea how they handle waiver claims in that case). The teams in front of us are:

 

Pittsburgh, San Francisco, Houston, Washington, Florida, St. Louis, Colorado

 

Florida's out-salary issues. San Francisco and Pittsburgh seem unlikely-what would be the point? Houston and Colorado-probably not.

 

That leaves Washington and St. Louis as the most likely teams to claim him, and I'm not sure the Cardinals have enough salary to make a claim (so basically they'd just be trying to block the Cubs, which I'm not sure they'd do).

 

He'd pass through.

 

It would all come down to Washington, IMO. Bowden hasn't been shy about showing his man-love for Dunn, but it wouldn't make much sense for Bowden to give up a bunch of prospects for a rental when his team isn't in a playoff race. But there is a chance that Dunn would be willing to talk about a contract with Washington since Kearns plays there and they are BFF.

 

I don't see any other teams below us getting in the way though. L.A. might be interested, but I don't know how that works with teams that have the same records.

[Electron Blue]

There is absolutely no way in hell that Dunn clears waivers through to the Cubs spot. Just not happening.

 

We shouldn't even be talking about it.

 

Would he have to pass through all the AL teams first? Or just the ones with a worse record than us?

 

No AL teams at all, just the NL teams with a worse record than the Cubs.

 

No, AL teams could be involved. NL teams just have priority since Dunn is in the NL.

[Pushfrog98]

The Cardinals picked up Larry Walker through waivers a few years ago... and it was a steal, so it could happen.

[Soul]

There is absolutely no way in hell that Dunn clears waivers through to the Cubs spot. Just not happening.

 

We shouldn't even be talking about it.

 

who would block it?

 

I was thinking the Dodgers would block Dunn. They're 2-8 in their last 10 and are desperate for O. Sinking fast from the way it looks.

[Little Slide Rooter]

Please oh please Hendry, get us Monroe, his .222 average and 11 homers. I bet Dusty woukld love Conine and/or Stairs.

 

Word of advice to Hendry-Dunn would be a welcome addition to a power starved team. If you cant get him, wait it out. What we already have is much better than those 2 has beens and the one never will be.

 

Lou has the tools to weather the Sorianoless month, he just has to use them properly, and the doesnt consist of Cedeno and Pagan in the starting linuep.

[rickrolled]

since it's MLBTradeRumors, I'd be surprised if this was even reported on WSCR.

[YearofDaCubs]

Aside from Dunn, the other players are complete garbage IMO.

[Magnetic Curses]

There is absolutely no way in hell that Dunn clears waivers through to the Cubs spot. Just not happening.

 

We shouldn't even be talking about it.

 

who would block it?

 

I was thinking the Dodgers would block Dunn. They're 2-8 in their last 10 and are desperate for O. Sinking fast from the way it looks.

 

aren't we tied with the dodgers, though? who would get the first crack at him?