Laura

That's the sense I get, too.

Nothing but $$. LCCF hasn't done his Yankees Payroll & the Luxury Tax updates for awhile, but I think the NYY are to the point where they're paying ~40% luxury tax surcharge on additional salaries added to payroll.

Then the question becomes (and I'm scared to even type this) whether Hendry will re-sign him to a one-year deal in the off-season ... which wouldn't surprise me. I really hope a deal can be reached.

Maddux has already indicated his willingness to support a trade. Only a contending team would do such a trade. Maddux is much more popular in general Cubdom than he is on messageboards, but he and Hendry have obviously worked to sell any trade as best for the team and for him. The spin control is already in place (no small thing in this era of monster egos and monster contracts). Just have to wait and see if a deal can be struck.

Thanks. I thought I had spotted him in the ML game threads, but it's easier asking than trying to track it down without a search. :)

As other have pointed out, you have: Z Prior Marshall Marmol Guzman Hill Rusch Williams Ryu as candidates for starting games the rest of the season. Keeping Maddux means you have one less spot for Guzman and Hill to get acclimated to ML play. Going down to Iowa will accomplish nothing for Hill; he needs to be here. Guzman is getting back to where he needs to be; by September he should be here starting. Ryu can piggyback Marshall or Marmol to keep their innings down, and Williams and Rusch can go long for Z to keep his innings and pitch counts down. And that list doesn't include any other pitchers that might be added to the 40 man once another player is dealt. Bottom line is that Hill and Guzman need to be here, and need to be in a rotation the rest of the way. Maddux being here makes that more difficult. Z has a legit shot at the Cy Young, so I doubt they'll skip him much, and they can't skip Prior-they need him to work the rest of the season in preparation for 2007. I get the rotation issues. My understanding is that Marshall hasn't thrown since going on the DL (maybe there's an update?). What's Ryu's status since spraining his ankle? I'm guessing that you're including Rusch up there as a likely Dusty-Hendry startingcandidate, since there's really no point in evaluating him.

Fair enough, I'd like to see some return on him. I'm a little less concerned with opening up pitching slots since there's been no shortage of open pitching slots so far this season and I don't see a shortage regardless of whether Maddux stays or goes (the 40-man space is a good consideration, though). I'm more interested in getting consistent work for the pitchers the Cubs need to make decisions on in the near term (Hill and Guzman in particular; maybe they've already made a decision on Jerome Williams?) than working as many pitchers as possible through the rotation.

Unfortunately, Maddux isn't a surgeon. Perhaps the Cubs would have been better served hiring an MD and putting him on the 25-man roster, though knowing the Cubs, they would hire a Dr. Nick type. Or maybe just the money could have been spent on a trainload full of bubblewrap to encase the pitching staff and a jar full of clues for Hendry. When it comes down to the knowledge and insights that Maddux does share with pitchers, I'll have to rely on the mere decade+ of anecodatal evidence and testimony from pitchers and players and coaches and managers who believe that Maddux has been a great resource and has incredible insight into the game of baseball. And, in some cases, has changed the way they approach the game and game situations. No, Maddux doesn't have a magic wand filled with magical fairy dust that will make Marmol throw strikes, Wood's rotator cuff to heal itself or Rusch to lose weight and stop stinking. Sadly this organization is such a joke that Maddux can catch flak for not improving the entire pitching staff WHEN IT'S NOT HIS JOB TO DO SO AND HE NEVER SAID IT WAS. The Cubs organization consistently tries to coast on his credibility since they have none of their own. When it comes to Maddux and his own pitching, he's obviously not the guy who left in '92. I'm one of the few on this board who values what he has done in his second round as a Cub and I can point to anecdotal instances where Z (since he was mentioned above) has credited and/or referred to talks with Maddux as affecting how he approaches some pitching situations. I would love to see him traded to the Dodgers or another contending team. I will be sad to see him go again, mainly because the circumstances of his departure once again illustrate ongoing problems within the franchise and because after the embarrassments of the last of years, he's one player who still carries himself with some dignity and self-respect. I think he'd be a valuable addition to a team that's actually in the race and I suspect that there's a lot of posturing going on right now in terms of asking and selling prices. Finally, one can respect the use of stats and the use of analytical methods to improve the understanding of how baseball actually works ... and also recognize that there are human elements to a game that is still played by humans. Respecting the insights and the value added of a truly exceptional player like Maddux is not the message board equivalent of practicing voodoo or doing rain dances. Perhaps we just choose to emphasize different data sources when we draw our conclusions about the overall assets of players.

Exactly. My understanding is that Marshall hasn't been throwing at all since his injury. If true, he'll need to be eased back once he returns, anyway (and he should be pitched cautiously given his workload already this season). If starts are an issue for Z -- because Z is a maniac and wants to go full-tilt for the Cy Young (and the wildcard, of course) -- then juggle the rotation to let Z pitch every 5th day. I say that with some trepidation about his usage already, but I would try to accomodate his wishes because keeping Z happy is good and making Z angry is bad.

BTW, on BBTN Buster Olney pontificated that trading Maddux-the-Icon put Hendry in a very difficult position and that the only way Hendry could succeed in doing so was if Maddux publicly supported the trade. He didn't reference Maddux's post-game comments and may not have been aware of them. To me, that's what Maddux already did.

And the BBTN they do before Sunday night baseball will also be a "trade special."

Thanks, Nathan. Everything I've heard about him has been tremendous.

If anyone watched the BBTN show ... they have Abreu & Lidle destined for the Yankees with the Phillies picking up anywhere from 2 to 5 Yankees prospects not including Phillip Hughes or Jose Tabata.

Ty Wiggington was hit by a pitch that fractured his left hand in the game vs the Yankees today. He's expected to miss 4-6 weeks. Tampa Bay is expected to call a minor leaguer up to replace him on the roster; BJ Upton has been mentioned as the most likely call-up.

Pavlik holds them scoreless in the 7th on one hit. 4-3 Jaxx to the bottom of the 7th.

What the heck? What do they look like? Peoria loses 11-2. :( http://www.diamondjaxx.com/images/news/Camo%20Hat%20Giveaway%202006.jpg supposedly it's bright orange inside! Pavlik gets a lineout to 3B Moore for the 3rd out 4-3 DJaxx to bottom 6th Gallagher: 5.2IPs, 3R, 3ER, 7H, 5K, 3BB, WP ETA: I have him at 102 pitches

6th Inning RHB Reynolds LF HR to LF SHB Castillo C 1-0 1-1 2-1 bunt shown, pulled back 3-2 low & in BB low & in Pitching Coach to mound RHB Gonzalez SS throw to 1B 1-0 inside, nearly hits him sac bunt, 3-4 one out runner to 2B PH RHB Frazier 0-1 low and away "and umpire says it's a strike" 0-2 swinging K swing and miss way outside he chased it Gallagher done for night, didn't say who was coming in Gallagher in 6th: 1R, 1baserunner left, 1H, 1BB, 1K, 11 pitches I think 4-3 Diamond Jaxx Pavlik in to face Richar

Mark Reynolds solo shot to LF to lead off the 6th 4-3 DJaxx

Dope just hammered one to CF that was caught against the wall. He's definitely making some good contact. I wish I had a DJaxx camo reversible bucket hat.

5th Inning LHB Richar 2B 0-1 foul left side 0-2 foul right side standup double off wall in LF RHB Gil CF 0-1 swinging bouncing ball 6-3 one out runner advances to 3rd LHB Cota RF 8 HRs in July?! 1-0 1-1 called right down the middle 1-2 foul lined right side groundrule rbi double bounces over wall runner at 2B RHB D'Antona 1B 1-0 low and way outside Flyout to very deep CF, 8 two outs runner advances to 3B with no throw RHB Murillo, A 3B 1-0 misses high 1-1 called low away 1-2 ?? 2-2 in dirt bouncing ball 6-3 end top 5th: 1R, 2H, 16 pitches 4-2 DJaxx, mid 5th

He smashed the first one & Gary Cate's double would have been out if it had been 3 feet higher. I went to the MiLB gameday audio page and am listening to the Smokies broadcast because the link for Ron's broadcast is down. Sounds like they've had some really bad weather in the area; maybe that's the reason.

4th Inning RHB Reynolds LF 0-1 strike called low away 0-2 swinging breaking ball low away 0-2 fouled right side 1-2 low & away, misses 2-2 low & away K swing and miss one out SHB Castillo C 1-0 2-0 low and away 2-1 fouled away 2-2 groundout, 3 unassisted two outs RHB Gonzalez SS 1-0 outside 1-1 fouled back 2-1 inside 3-1 just outside, check swing no call BB low & away runner at 1B LHB Chico P (has hit HR this year) 0-1 called just above belt 1-1 low inside 1-2 called low away 6-3 three outs end top 4th: 0R, 0H, BB, K, 20 pitches

Now 4-1 West Tenn on a Scott Moore BB and back-to-back rbi doubles by Dopirak and Sing.