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Bring up Epatt and send Fontenot back down. I'm not sure Epatt would help. He certainly hasn't been very good next to all the other hitters at Iowa. He's having a similar season to a guy like Coats, and somebody like Coats might be better for a bench role (although EPatt is of course a lot better prospect).

ESPN is reporting that the Bears are sending the Bills a 5th round pick. If the Bills had to have sent him back to the Eagles, the Eagles would have paid the Bills a 6th rounder, so Buffalo went with the better deal. I think this is a great trade for Chicago-the only concern I have for them is this is now another guy that they have to give a long-term extension to.

You have to file a protest that the umps violated a certain rule and you have to state what that rule was. The Soriano play was a subjective call, so the umps didn't violate any rules. And what happens after you file the protest? How do they go about fixing the situation? I'm not exactly sure about that one :D. The only protest I've ever known to be upheld was the George Brett situation, but that one was easy because his out was the last one of the game, so they just erased the out, put the home run on the board, and kept playing. I'm not sure what would happen if it happened in like the 3rd inning, although my guess is that they would erase the last 6 innings and continue the game from the point of the problem.

You have to file a protest that the umps violated a certain rule and you have to state what that rule was. The Soriano play was a subjective call, so the umps didn't violate any rules.

The only positive thing-that's the 4th ball that Soriano has hit either over the wall or off the wall in the past 1 1/3 games. He's hitting that hot streak again.

Z's pitches have just a little bit more movement then they did Opening Day :D

I have nothing to base this on other than a hunch, but I think it's going to happen. I think Griffey would make the Cubs a legitimate WS contender, but throwing both Pie and Murton in the deal is a steep price considering Griffey's age and contract - particularly so if it involves any significant pitching prospect (e.g., Gallagher or Veal). Well, if it is a 3 team deal, then it would be likely that a prospect would be heading back to the Cubs from this 3rd team. I also would hope that if the Cubs send both Pie and Murton that they shouldn't have to send one of their top pitching prospects, and they get at least one mid-level prospect back in the deal from someone along with Griffey. Agreed, but given the state of the Reds starting pitching and Arroyo rumored in the deal, you'd think they'd have to be getting some pitching in return. My guess is that Murton or Pie would be going to the 3rd team because the Reds have Hamilton, Dunn, Freel, and a couple of decent outfield prospects. True, but even if it's Cubs: Griffey 3rd team: Arroyo, Murton Reds: Pie, ? It seems to me that the 3rd team would have to send most of the pitching. They are the ones who haven't paid a heavy price yet, and they've received 2 good players. I'm trying to think who might want Arroyo-the Phillies maybe? the Mets?

I have nothing to base this on other than a hunch, but I think it's going to happen. I think Griffey would make the Cubs a legitimate WS contender, but throwing both Pie and Murton in the deal is a steep price considering Griffey's age and contract - particularly so if it involves any significant pitching prospect (e.g., Gallagher or Veal). Well, if it is a 3 team deal, then it would be likely that a prospect would be heading back to the Cubs from this 3rd team. I also would hope that if the Cubs send both Pie and Murton that they shouldn't have to send one of their top pitching prospects, and they get at least one mid-level prospect back in the deal from someone along with Griffey.

Yeah, but the thing is, it's a lot quicker to leave everything in then to try to only selectively choose the ones that matter. It's not that he's taking extra time to include people like Wood, it's that he gets to take less time by leaving Wood on the list.

Floyd has played 3 straight games, that's really unlikely yea i kno..I just can't imagine calling murton up, hes supposed to play, then he's pulled all of a sudden..whats going on? If we traded him i'd be shocked..theyve said alot of times they want to keep murton for sure I never heard expressly that they were going to hold on to Murton for sure, just that his price was very high.

Hopefully at least the Cardinals will get Pujols to the plate in the 9th with a man on to make this a little interesting.

he's certainly had a lot of off days. I'd like to see an on day at some point. I enjoyed this line in the Daytona wrap up: That's a lot of weak singles. You have to wonder if that's close to true or not. That's been the Cubs contention with Samardzija all along-they keep saying that if he moves up the ladder, his numbers will actually get better because most of the hits that he gives up are weak shots that would be turned into outs by better defenders. It's really hard to know if that is true or not, so I guess it will just have to be wait and see.

Most leagues that I know of don't count return production into a person's stats. I'm sure you can get a specialized league that might do it, but a standard one won't.

I really don't understand why he keeps getting called up. He's been terrible this year. He has a 5+ ERA at Iowa. The question is-who deserves to get called up besides Cherry? Petrick was sent down because he was terrible on the major league level and he couldn't throw on back to back days. That's a bad combination to have, so he left. There simply aren't that many options. Also, to be fair, Cherry's been pitching much better in Triple A recently: 7 G, 9.0 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 10 K

??? CB behind the plate. I sure wish Lee or SOriano would try to help Ramirez out a little. Bums. Lee's last 6 games not doing it for you? 21 AB's, 3 HR's, 4 BB's, .429/.520/.857

Well, he's not taking up a roster spot right now, and I don't believe he's blocking any prospects from getting their starts. He's not going to retire today and forfeit the rest of his guaranteed money. I don't see any harm in keeping him around as a worst case scenario insurance policy for a spot start if something happens to the rest of the staff and all their backups. Isn't he on the 40 man? He's on the 60 day DL right now, which means he doesn't take a spot up on the 40 man as long as he remains on the that list.

I'm glad they decided to have Floyd play today with his numbers against Arroyo.

If his contract for next year is voided if he's traded during this year, how do they trade him in the offseason? It's not that his contract is voided, it's that the club option for 08 is voided. All the Reds have to do in the offseason is exercise the club option during the window its open, and then trade him off... but they can't exercise that option yet. I read someplace that if Dunn's option is exercised, he cannot be traded without his permission until after June 15th. No, I don't have a link. That's what this person is saying here: http://thenastyboys.wordpress.com/2007/07/13/the-dunn-debate/

That's what they are trying to do. No other team in the league wants him apparently.

Payton is not in his walk year first of all-he also has another year left on his contract. Payton has had 0 seasons in the last 4 over a 95 OPS+, Jones has had 2. Jones has the better chance to rebound to be something pretty good, while Payton is simply an expensive bench player at this point. If you look at 08 (when Floyd will almost certainly not be re-signed) who would you rather have as the 4th OF? I don't think it's a terrible deal for the Cubs, but it's not a good deal either. Is everyone just ignoring my second edit? As you can see, I started my post after your first edit. I didn't see the next few posts or your second edit until after I had posted that.

Payton is not in his walk year first of all-he also has another year left on his contract. Payton has had 0 seasons in the last 4 over a 95 OPS+, Jones has had 2. Jones has the better chance to rebound to be something pretty good, while Payton is simply an expensive bench player at this point. If you look at 08 (when Floyd will almost certainly not be re-signed) who would you rather have as the 4th OF? I don't think it's a terrible deal for the Cubs, but it's not a good deal either.

And CF Leon Johnson & SS Darwin Barney aren't real prospects? Then why did the Cubs draft them in the top 10 rounds a month ago? Johnson is 22 and Barney turns 22 in November. Johnson through 8 games: .308/.419/.462 Barney through 7 games: .269/.387/.308 - Needs to work on his power I don't know why they drafted them, they were incredible reaches. Barney looks like a slightly better version of Joe Simokaitis, and Johnson is Sam Fuld reincarnated. I dont believe that the Cubs drafted Barney because they were thinking of Simokaitis and Sam Fuld is a pretty good player who'll have a chance to play in the big leagues, thou he cant come close to running with Johnson. My next question is, do they check birth certificates in the major leagues? Of course they had something better in mind when they drafted them, just like they had something better in mind when they drafted Montanez, or Harvey, or Dopirak, or Pawelek, or Colvin. It doesn't mean that's going to happen. Fuld will be a 5th outfielder if he makes the major leagues, and his ~.750 OPS in AA at age 25 doesn't exactly put him on track to make it there. I don't really know what you're addressing with the birth certificate thing, but I suspect it has something to do with the fact that Johnson and Barney are both 22(EDIT: Barney isn't quite 22) and in Low A. I never said anything about it, and I'm not holding it against them right now, but age matters, and those two are going to have to move quickly through the system. Barney was a reach, but how can you call Leon Johnson an "incredible reach"? He was a 10th round pick.... unless you want the Cubs drafting high school guys and signing them above slot (which they didn't do much of this year), you can't call Johnson much of a reach. I know he might've been rusty from his Mormon mission, but did you see his numbers at BYU? Flat out terrible(.248/.335/.339), and the Mountain West isn't exactly a baseball power either. I don't think Johnson is a non-prospect though, especially after he destroyed the rookie league and then has done very well in a small (26) number of at-bats in Peoria. I'm not terribly excited about him at this point, but he at least deserves a look with those numbers and considering his break from baseball.

Ramirez was the player who was traded from the Braves to the Indians last July for Bob Wickman. His bat is supposed to make him a major leaguer whichever position he plays, but there are doubts if he can remain a catcher or not. John Sickels has him ranked as the 11th best Indians prospect, a B-, and says that his glove is shaky but he loves the bat. So basically, this guy is a better Jake Fox who has at least a chance of staying behind the plate if he improves.

Thank you so much! I didn't think of that at all, and now I get to watch the game!

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2951390 That's just the conundrum of the NFL-teams can't really afford to let good QB's get away because they are so hard to find. Bulger did have a very good year last year. 62.9% completion percentage, 4301 yards, 24 TD's, 8 INT.