Backtobanks

According to this morning's Tribune, the Cubs are looking at Ron Mahay.

I'm still a little surprised that nobody offered something (a box of sunflower seeds) for him. I would bet somebody (not the Cubs) will sign him once he is free.

Let's hope Lou noticed that Murton was used against righties and lefties at AAA. Don't bring him up to start once a week and then wonder why he's not hitting.

Burrell? I said valuable... Aaron Rowand is a free agent at the end of the season. Be nice to have him come our way. Send Fontenot, Jock/Pagan, and Petrick/Wuertz their way. I hope you are being sarcastic. Trading our 2B, CF, and a decent relief pitcher for a 2 month rental of Aaron Rowand doesn't make sense even though I'm a big Rowand fan.

I totally agree. All of the talk about Dunn is ridiculous, Griffey is the answer. Of course everything depends on what they want for him.

Depends on how well you think Gallagher could do in Marshall's spot. Almost .200 OPS points is a MASSIVE improvement. We can't just look past that fact. I understand that...but is it worth the gamble that you'd be taking in putting a completely untested rookie pitcher into the rotation? I say no. But I understand both sides. Assuming you think the Cubs still have a good shot at the playoffs with a Gallagher starting the rest of the way, you also have to take into account that in the playoffs, Marshall probably doesn't see much, if any, time, while Griffey can very well have a significant impact. This is a good point on trading from the rotation to upgrade the offense, but in that case I'd like to see someone with a good long term future brought in return(i.e. Dunn, Teixeira instead of Griffey or Dye). I wouldn't give up much of anything for Dye. Cedeno (since they have been looking for a SS since Ozzie retired from playing), Murton, and Veal is about the extent of my offer. You don't really mean that you would give up Cedeno, Murton, and Veal for a 2-month rental of Dye, do you? Kenny Williams can keep Dye.

Best player, but not the best fit for the Cubs. Of Dunn and Griffey who is the better fit? Griffey by a mile. Of course he would be more expensive in trading chips and salary, but there's no doubt Griffey is the better player and the better fit for the Cubs.

Depending on what package they're asking for, this is a no brainer. The only way I would go after Dunn is if he was very cheap and by all indications it sounds like the price is dropping daily.

yuck :?: Vazquez is a good pitcher with a below average contract given the market. Too bad we couldn't take him on with the ownership situation, because I'd deal for him and use Marshall as a chip to get a big bat. Vasquez isn't exactly "below average" when it comes to money. He's making $13 million this year and $11.5 million for each of the next 3 years. All this for a sub-.500 pitcher with a .286 BAA and 4.30 ERA. The contract is ot totally outrageous, but certainly not below average.

I love the thought of getting Salty and his wonderful potential, but I am amazed at how highly everyone rates another team's prospect(don't forget that right now, that's all he is), while downgrading the Cubs' players and prospects. Marshall has shown that he is a solid #3 or #4 left-handed starter, while Ohman has done a good job as a major league LOOGY for a few years. Now people want to add Pie who has been billed as our top prospect with 5-tool potential. Does Salty come with a money-back guarantee? I don't mind overpaying for a proven player (Cabrera, Arod, etc.) if the situation is right, but I don't think Salty has proven himself at the major league level just yet.

Personally, I think the White Sox need to make some kind of move like this. They are a bad team and they have very little hope of passing the Tigers, Indians, or Twins in the next few years. When Buerhle was in the headlines, I thought they should have traded him if they could get a good enough package for him. Nobody is going to give you much for Dye, Iguchi, or Contreras. There are problems with Vasquez (contract), Garland (knot in pitching arm), and Crede (back). Meanwhile, they will have to fill about 4-5 positions next year and 3-4 pitching spots. Now or the off season is the time to float some names like Konerko, AJ, etc. and see if you can rebuild for 2009-2010.

I couldn't agree more. Kendall has a past, and the hope was to catch lighting in the bottle. Maybe coming back the central will wake up his bat. I don't see the big deal, its not like Bowen or Hill are any good anyway. I still hold out hope he'll adjust to NL pitching soon and help the club. I totally agree with both of you. When you look at the crap that is available and what the GMs are asking for it, getting Kendall was a decent move. 90% of the players mentioned are players in the "hope to catch lightning in a bottle for 2 months" category.

Two rumors from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution: The Braves have needs, including pitching. If they could get an impact starter or a package of pitchers for Jarrodd Saltalamacchia, they might pull the trigger. They've also talked to the Rangers about first baseman Mark Teixeira, a slugger and Gold Glover who could earn more than $10 million in arbitration next season and then become a free agent. Saltalamacchia hasn't played much since the Braves signed first baseman Julio Franco, who made his fifth start in six games Tuesday. McCann has gotten healthy and needs few days off. ... Saltalamacchia was the Braves' top-rated prospect before the season and has further elevated his stock with a strong performance in his first stint in the majors. -- Atlanta Journal-Constitution If the Braves' front office makes any moves before the trade deadline, Chipper Jones hopes it will be in the pitching department. "I think the onus of our moves needs to be [the pitching] staff," he said. "I'd like to see us get a lefty reliever. Because there comes a point where all the big left-handed bats in our division ... we're going to have to have someone in the seventh or eighth inning who can get those guys out. "That's why the loss of Gonzo really hurt us." -- Atlanta Journal-Constitution If the Braves might accept a "package of pitchers" for Salty and Chipper thinks they need a lefty reliever, how about a package of Marshall, Eyre/Ohman, plus ???? for Salty.

You've been drinking too much of that Kenny Williams KoolAide. Marmol has lights out stuff and will be the closer in another year while Garland has been complaining of a knot in his shoulder. No Thanks.

I would be all over this deal. I do like Gallagher, but he is replaceable and Moore looks like a AAAA player. Hoffpair is injured, but I don't think he had much of a future with the Cubs. I'm not sure the Pirates are willing to trade Nady because they're starting to build a pretty stable and young team.

This doesn't make much sense.... Anytime you trade a prospect, you are flirting with disaster. Anytime you sign a free agent, same deal.. Toronto would be making just as big a risk as the Cubs, if not bigger, because Rios is a proven stud. Say the trade happened, and Pie proved to live up to his expectations in 3 years, while Marshall/Veal/Cedeno/Soto turned out to be career minor leaguers. And say Rios came to Chicago, ended up hitting 40+ homers, drove in 100+, and hit .300 with an OBP of .350+ over the next few years. Does this trade still 'not make sense?' Just because Cedeno is a 'SS' doesn't mean much of anything. Izturis was a 'SS', but we all know what happened there. My point about Cedeno is that very few people had Theriot pegged for more than a utility infielder. If Theriot is unable to put up strong numbers, the Cubs would need an everyday SS. I agree with your comments about Rios being a stud now, but it is possible that Pie, Cedeno, and Marshall could all be very productive players for the Blue Jays (or Cubs) in 2008 while Soto certainly could be at least a backup catcher next year. It certainly would be a gamble for both teams to make this kind of deal.

Rios is the kind of guy that would be great to get, but as others have said, I can't see why the Blue Jays would want to trade him. The offer you mentioned might get it done, but that kind of overpayment by the Cubs might really hurt down the line. While I like Theriot, the question still lingers whether he is a full-time starter at SS for the next few years. Cedeno hasn't proven himself, but he definitely is a SS.

Conine is old enough to have a son in the majors. Can't see this deal especially since Jones is doing okay lately.

If I were the White Sox, I would be asking for Escobar or Salty instead of Renteria. Williams needs to quit thinking like the WS are contenders next year and go after prospects that will be a winning team in 2009-2010. The Sox have no chance with the Tigers, Indians, and Twins not only better, but in most cases younger than they are.

Ben Maller is reporting: While the manager emphasizes today, Cards GM Walt Jocketty tilts toward the future. Though insisting there will be no "sell-off," Jocketty might have an opportunity to stir the market with right fielder Juan Encarnacion, pending free-agent shortstop David Eckstein or a righthanded reliever. Anthony Reyes, who Jocketty insisted last July was not introduced in trade talks with the Florida Marlins, can now be had. Kip Wells' two-hit performance against the Florida Marlins on Wednesday might create value where none previously existed. -- St. Louis Post-Dispatch Encarnacion would certainly look good in RF for the Cubs. Of course the question is whether the Cards would deal inside the division and how much would they want for him. He is an interesting option.

I'm not sure why the Cubs would want Garland. If you put his numbers so far this season on the Cubs, he'd be the 6th best starter for the Cubs. He's been a mid 4's ERA guy for most of his career besides 1 year. He is certainly no better than Lilly or Hill. He probably is a little better than Marquis, but that's not nearly worth what it would take in talent and salary to acquire him. I'm not making an argument for or against Garland, just pointing out that a "mid 4's ERA" in the AL translates into a pretty good pitcher in the NL without the DH.

Garland would be great, but if Williams is seeking a king's ransom for players like Contreras and Dye, can you imagine what he'd want for Garland? Probably Hill, Pie, and Veal for starters.

If they think Dopirak is an elite prospect, I'd do Dopirak for Dye. :) Sounds good :D I don't know what Williams is exactly thinking here. Dye is a FA after this year anyway. You have to move him now before you end up with absolutely nothing. And based on his potential from last season and his HR totals from this season (on a bum quad), there will definitely be teams that are interested in him. You're not going to get a top of the line prospect for Dye, so he can stop thinking that. How about Neal Cotts :wink: The funniest line that I've read in the last few weeks is Williams wasn't sure on whether the White Sox would be buyers or sellers. KW is hilarious.

Let me start with a quick disclaimer: I'm only suggesting these moves as long-term suggestions, assuming they can be obtained very cheaply, and that they still have minor league options. The rumor mill has suggested that the Red Sox are basically willing to give up Willy Mo Pena for next to nothing and the Angels have already replaced Ervin Santana in the rotation. Perhaps some time at AAA with Joshua and spring training with Gerald Perry might straighten out Pena. He has shown the potential to be a .280 hitter with 40-50 HR power. As for Santana, he was wanted by a lot of teams last offseason and has a lot of potential to be a winning starter in the majors. Maybe Rothschild and the minor league pitching coaches can straighten him out. Both of these players are still young and have had some success in the majors, but are having terrible years and seemed to be "on the outs" with their current teams. Before I get blasted on these suggestions, remember the disclaimer at the beginning.

Pretty much, but he's got the defensive ability/reputation to actually get playing time in RF. Fun fact about Ethier: His OBP and SLG are identical this year v. RHP and LHP. Only a 4 point difference in OPS last year too, so he's not a guy that needs a platoon partner. I mentioned trading for Vazquez and then using Marshall in a deal, but the Dodgers want starting pitching, what about a 3-way deal with Ethier/Murton/Vazquez as main components? yeah thats a good idea, since vazquez is the only guy performing this year who can be had (other than oswalt). how does Cubs get: Ethier, Vazquez Dodgers get: Marshall, and Petrick White Sox get: Murton, and Meloan sound? Picking up Vasquez adds a lot of salary.