Infrequent Poster

The Braves are close to a deal with free agent Gavin Floyd, according to David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. You'd think that would kill any Samardzija talks with the Braves for the time being.

That guy has been around a while. He's shown no application to be able to concoct decent rumors though. He sucks. Good to know. Thanks.

No idea if this guy is believable or not... Hot Stove Cubbies‏@HotStoveCubbies Source: Cubs offered Schierholtz to the Dbacks for Adam Eaton but were turned down because the Cubs wanted a pitcher as well, #fellapart

Alex Wood

Didn't he get hurt last year towards the end? Is he even healthy? Or maybe I'm completely making that up. He did miss a little time last season. I don't think it was anything major. Seems like a good flipable asset to me.

Paul Maholm seems like someone they could bring back on a one year deal. Any thoughts?

I'd honestly rather start Bogusevic than pay any salary to or give up anything of value for Morrison to be an outfielder. Yeah, I want to like Morrison, and I get that you're banking on him breaking out based on his age and pedigree, and I can even see how you might be able to shield him defensively a bit, but the defense being sooo bad makes it hard for me to get too excited. It's actually not that different to the Anderson ordeal. There's very clearly some upside, but the baseline is so low that it's hard to get excited about giving anything up to add him. Morrison at least has 3 years of control though. Vitters for Morrison? Marlins only need a stop gap 3B with Colin Moran in the pipeline. Vitters plays there a year then moves elsewhere. Cubs could flip Morrison for more value than Vitters?

I doubt any of the teams are going to leave the Carolina League. The only way the Cubs are going to get in is to find another team willing to come with and expand the league. They could buy a team. The Cardinals own a number of their minor league affiliates. No idea of the costs involved.

I was thinking Edwin Jackson and Schieholtz for Paxton and Ackley. But that was assuming the M's being frustrated with Paxton. And drunk.

Wasn't there chatter before the trade deadline that the Mariners had really soured on Paxton? I'm thinking there was talk of flipping Olt for Paxton should the Cubs aquire him in the now completed Garza trade. Of course Olt hasn't rebounded. And Paxton had a nice showing at the MLB level. He had a rough go of it at AAA this year but that was the only time in his short career he's really struggled. If they've soured on him after one season in AAA, I'd be more than happy to take him off their hands. EDIT: This is a nice little scouting report on Paxton from earlier this year. I like him a lot. http://seattlesportsinsider.com/article/james-paxton-scouting-report-9613-good I'm thinking it was a PSD "insider" rumor. So who knows. I too would be more than happy to take him off their hands. (Sorry about the crazy edit.)

So long, Taijuan Walker. They could get a much more useful player than Price in a Walker centered package, IMO. The M's still need another solid bat. Seager and Cano can't carry that offense, and Walker could be better than Price, but it's obvious they're going for it and don't want to wait around for him to blossom into his potential. I think trading him for Price is dumb. Without Price their rotation looks like it would include Iwakuma, Hernandez, Walker, and Paxton as their best 4 rotation options. That's not bad, all things considered. The years of control and cost on Walker along with his upside, to me, greatly outvalue anything Price would bring to that organization during his tenure there over the next two seasons. Wasn't there chatter before the trade deadline that the Mariners had really soured on Paxton? I'm thinking there was talk of flipping Olt for Paxton should the Cubs aquire him in the now completed Garza trade. Of course Olt hasn't rebounded. And Paxton had a nice showing at the MLB level.

It's from Baseball Prospectus. http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=22345#.UqCJVrRHDzs.twitter

From Arizona Phil @ TCR Jake Arrieta accrues one day of MLB Service Time today while serving as the Cubs "26th man" for the doubleheader. Arrieta needs to accrue at least 58 more days of MLB Service Time in 2013 (but there are only 62 days left in the MLB regular season) to be eligible for salary arbitration as a "Super Two" post-2013 (a "Super Two" must accrue at least 86 days of MLB Service Time in the season immediately preceding to receive "Super Two" status), so the Cubs will probably want to send him back to Iowa for at least another five days no matter how he pitches today. Remember that a player recalled as a "26th man" for a doubleheader that is scheduled at least 48 hours in advance is not bound by the "ten-day rule" (where a player cannot be recalled for least ten days after being optioned to the minors, unless the player is recalled to replace a player on the MLB 25-man roster who is placed on the DL or other MLB inactive list), so the Cubs would not have to wait ten days to recall Arrieta if he is optioned back to Iowa tomorrow.

Cubs not picking up any of Garza's salary. All on the Rangers.

Hannemann playing for the Arizona League Cubs tonight.

He had 2 years + 66 days of MLB service time to start the season. 31 days of MLB service this season. So 2 years 97 days of serice time. 172 days of service count as a full season I believe. So they need to keep him at/under 74 days the rest of the way if I'm not mistaken.

Jim Callis‏@jimcallisBA #Cubs sign 19th-rder Will Remillard for $150k. Coastal Carolina C helped his cause with a strong Cape Cod Lg performance. #mlbdraft

It's the players and their agents that are reporting their signing bonuses to the media, right? If a couple of bonuses were slightly exagerated, there could be a few more dollars to play with here. But if it's team sources, forget what I just wrote.

What time is the deadline on Friday? Midnight eastern time? Middle of the day like the trade dealine? Thanks in advance.

I was thinking the Mets or Twins might have an interest. They were rumored (or speculated) to have interest prior to the Cubs claiming him from the Rangers. I wasn't thinking a big block. Hard for me to judge the cap space value. Plus the limited action the Cubs have given Borbon. But if there's no value there, there's no value there.

Anyone else thinking Julio Borbon is going to be traded for International Free Agent Cap space?

From the great mind of Trevor Clifton - Clifton‏@trevorclifton15h A black guy I once gave a ride, made me the man I am today. A pedestrian

I am not as knowledgable as most of you. So don't expect me to defend my predictions. But I will gloat, bigtime, if I happen to be right on any of them. The Cubs pay the 2013 salaries on all these because, why not. Scott Feldman and Scott Hairston to the Giants for LHP Eric Surkamp and RHP Clayton Blackburn. Giants cover Hairston's 2014 salary. These guys seem to have decent middle of the rotation potential. Surkamp adds another TJ survivor to the crew. Kevin Gregg to the Braves for hard throwing righthanded reliever Juan Jaime. No one else in need steps up with anything better. Carlos Villanueva to the Padres for RHP Casey Kelly and some guy whose a favorite of Hoyer and McLeod but otherwise not that well known. The Padres prefer someone who's under team control beyond this season. Kelly is well known by the big 3. In a related move, the Cubs hire Tommy John himself as a motivational speaker. Pads pay all of Villanueva's salary in 2014. Nate Schierholtz to the Pirates for OF Gregory Polanco. DeJesus gets off to a slow start when he comes off the DL. So Schierholtz is moved instead. Alfonso Soriano to the Rangers for hard throwing righthanded reliever Jose Valdespina. Cubs cover all but MLB minimum salary on Soriano in 2014 (+ all of 2013). Soriano gets reinvigorated playing against the AL this week. Cubs decide it's best just to move on. The Rangers aren't giving up much, so figure why not. Matt Garza to the Diamondbacks for Tyler Skaggs. Kevin Towers caves since his starters haven't had a W in 3 weeks. Or Garza goes to the Red Sox for a package headlined by Ranaudo or Owens. Ryan Sweeney is signed to a team friendly two year deal. After the season DeJesus has his 2014 option picked up and is promptly traded.

Anyone have any interest in Drew Pomeranz from the Rockies?

Talk me out of this. Or tweak it to make it work. One for one. Skaggs for Garza. (Would like to get Adam Eaton too while including someone else from the Cubs if necessary.)