A much needed break is not officially up so we go onto the aftermath of trade season.- Dude; seriously! If you want a nice in depth look on how the Cubs did this deadline look no further than Cubs Den. Check out the link here.
- Matt Garza will not start until next Tuesday and also welcomed a baby girl named Summer into their lives. It has been a busy time for the Garza’s.
- Gerardo Concepcion has mono and has been out for a month. Not a fun thing to go through.
- Alberto Cabrera was just called up and boy does he look unhittable in his first start.
- Levine says (among others including Sveum) that Brett Jackson and Josh Vitters will likely be called up later this month and will play everyday.
- So sources tell me that when the trades of Soto, Johnson, and Maholm were in process a trade that would have sent Soriano and Dempster to LA was about completed. This is why Brett Jackson was removed from the game in Iowa because he was getting the call to replace Soriano on the roster.
- Dempster officially said he did not block a trade to anyone but asked Theo and Jed to take more time to work with the Dodgers.
- Jaye Chapman was sent to Iowa, Jacob Brigham was sent to Tennessee, Arodys Vizcanio will remain on the DL, and Christian Villanueva and Kyle Hendricks will be assigned to Daytona.
- Our most disappointing pitcher besides Randy Wells; Chris Volstad has been called up and start.
- Hoyer and Sveum are meeting today to discuss the team’s direction and plan going forward. This will likely include the calling up of Brett Jackson and Josh Vitters.
- Theo and Jed talked so Brett from BleacherNation has the most notable quotes from the front office found here.
The waiver process has started and you can find the rules from MLBTR here. It is expected for every player pretty much on every team to be placed on waivers whether to trade that player or find out interest on that player. Here are Cub players I think that will be put on waivers and the ending result of that waiver claim. I am not going to include players like Castro and Rizzo.
Shawn Camp: Claimed then traded.
Besides yesterday’s bad game Camp has been solid and is owed low money. The relievers that are cheap usually get claimed and I expect the same for Shawn Camp.
Manuel Corpas: Claimed then traded
Same goes with Corpas as Camp. He also has closing experience and could be a nice fit for the playoff push.
Matt Garza: Claimed and then pulled back
The Cubs are not going to get great value for Garza until the winter. Unless a dramatic injury happens to a pitcher on a playoff team but the likeliness of him passing to a team like that is slim to none. This is why he will be placed on waivers and pulled back and then either be extended or traded this winter.
Carlos Marmol: Claimed and released to claimed team.
Marmol is owed about $10M over the rest of this season and next. He has been pitching well as of late and I think a team will take a gamble on Marmol and the Cubs will end up letting the claiming team take him for just financial relief with no player in return.
James Russell: Claimed and pulled back.
Russell will be claimed but his value to the Cubs is higher than the value to other teams. He will definitely be claimed for the same reasons as Camp and Corpas but then will be pulled back.
Jeff Baker: Claimed and traded.
Baker can be used on just about any playoff team looking to give their everyday regulars time off and also to beef up their bench. The Cubs will get value for Baker and not just financial relief.
Luis Valbuena: Clear waivers and not dealt.
Valbuena is cheaper and younger than Jeff Baker but is weaker with the bat and glove. Teams are not going to waste a spot on the roster for Valbeuna so he will stay on ours.
Adrian Cardenas: Clear waivers and not dealt.
See Luis Valbeuna.
Tony Campana: Claimed and pulled back.
Every team could use a Tony Campana on their team. His speed and low money value makes him certain to be claimed. He is still young and the Cubs are going to hold onto him.
Darwin Barney: Claimed and pulled back.
You know why!
Bryan LaHair: Claimed and pulled back.
LaHair is cheap and can play OF and 1st so he will get claimed and the Cubs will simply put him through waivers to see what team is interested in him.
David DeJesus: Claimed and pulled back.
The Cubs need to have some veteran leadership on the team and DeJesus provides that. The Reds would be drooling over DeJesus as would several other teams looking for outfield help. The Cubs need him as a staple in the outfield and leader in the clubhouse. He is staying.
Joe Mather: Clear waivers and pulled back.
He can play all over the field and is a good bat for the bench but I just see him passing through waivers on nothing more than a hunch.
Alfonso Soriano: Clear waivers and traded.
He is the only guy on the team that I think will clear waivers and then be traded. He is owed a ton of money so if he is claimed then the Cubs would just let the claiming team be completely responsible for the $38M left on his contract but that is not going to happen. Soriano has interest from several teams including the Tigers, Dodgers, Rays, Indians, Pirates, and Giants so I think he gets dealt for a decent prospect with the Cubs paying 90-95% of his salary. The Cubs have a chance to catch lightning in a bottle with Soriano numbers, improved defense, and teams looking for a bat down the stretch. This is the time for him to go and I am really confident is seeing it happen.
