Trade Deadline : Should I Stay or Should I Go?

So we are getting closer and closer to trade season which means it is time for my list of players that I think will get traded at the deadline.

1.     Alfonso Soriano:  The Cubs have a lot of outfielders on the current ML roster and in the minor leagues so trading Soriano makes sense.  The thing that hurts his trade value is his NTC, production, and contract but that will not prevent Theo and Co. to pull the trigger on a deal.  I expect Soriano to be traded as a part of a package unless he starts heating up then he could get traded on this own.  I honestly think the front office is ready to move on and Soriano is the one big blip (besides Marmol) from the Hendry Era.

2.     Matt Garza:  I have been on both corners of the Garza debate on whether to keep him or trade him but I think trading him makes the most sense right now given the weak pitching market.  Garza is probably the Cubs biggest trading chip and if you pair him with a reliever or position player then there is no reason you can get a nice package of prospects.  As we speak the Rangers and Giants both have serious interest in acquiring pitching and it is still early.

3.     Scott Feldman:  Maybe the first player to be traded to maintain his trade value and he could fetch a top 150 prospect right now by himself.  I believe the Cubs will also pair Feldman with a position player like a David DeJesus to get a top 100 prospect and a mid-level minor leaguer.  The Cubs can afford to trade Feldman because they have proved they can pick him his type of talent on the FA market for a steal.

4.     David DeJesus:  He will be traded and likely will be a part of a package to maximize return.  With the amount of outfielders and David being in the last year of his deal it just makes sense to trade the veteran.  A playoff team always could use a David DeJesus type so expect him to garner a lot of interest.

5.     Kevin Gregg:  I think Gregg is also gone at the deadline because he has proven he can set-up and close games on a team that has struggled with their bullpen.  Also obtaining relievers during the deadline is a tricky thing so his value might be through the roof.

6.     Carlos Marmol:  The Cubs may decide to wait until the waiver period in the hopes of a team losing a reliever to injury and someone claiming him.  But that won’t say they will try to dump him at the deadline.  Honestly I do think just like Soriano the Cubs are going to cut their ties with the remaining Hendry Era players on the current roster.  Marmol could net a bag of balls or PTBNL.

7.     Cody Ransom or Luis Valbuena:  It  will be Ransom or Valbuena that is traded at the deadline or during the waiver period.  The Cubs currently have Junior Lake in AAA Iowa tearing it up and Josh Vitters as well (although he is not as attractive).  Ransom to me seems like the likely fit given his age, contract, and he does not fit in the Cubs plans for the future.  Although Valbuena has a higher trade value because of he is younger; he may mean more to the Cubs than his trade value would suggest.

8.     Brett Jackson:  I think the 24 year old outfielder’ who was a top 40 prospect in 2012 is traded; once again a apart of a bigger package.  A team is going to see value in BJax regardless of numbers and putting him with another player or two could fetch and impact prospect or more.  Brett Jackson just does not fit the mold of what the Cubs want to do which is why I think they drafted two potential impact CF the past two drafts and are carrying guys on the 25 man roster like Borbon. He also could be described as a failed Hendry prospect so they could follow what they did with Soriano and Marmol.

9.     Josh Vitters: Again with Lake emerging, upside with Vitters, and the possibility of adding him along with other tradable players means the Cubs could yet again obtain top prospect talent.  Just like Jackson he does not really fit the mold of a Theo type prospect which could be a sign of him being dealt.

Guys they will keep but could be viewed as tradable-

1.     Nate Schierholtz: I think the Cubs really like what he brings to the table not only at the plate but in the outfield.  His value to the team at his cost far exceeds his trade value.  Nate may not be a starter next year depending on moves but he would be just as valuable as a bench player never less,  If Schierholtz is the Cubs starting RF in 2014 I will have no problem with it.

2.     Scott Hairston:  Right handed power bats off the bench are hard to come by and if the Cubs trade DeJesus and Soriano then they are likely to hold onto Hairston and Schierholtz.  Hairston has another year on his deal.

3.     Dioner Navarro:  I just do not see a team out there trading for Navarro and I think the Cubs have their backup catcher for the rest of this year and maybe next.

4.     James Russell:  The lefty is needed in the Cubs pen and if they end up trading both Marmol and Gregg they need some kind of staple in the pen.  That is Russell.

5.     Carlos Villanueva: With the Cubs dealing both Feldman and Garza; CarVill should move back into the starting role for the rest of the season.  He also is really cheap for the rest of this season and next but his value to the Cubs is greater than his value to another team.

6.     Darwin Barney:  He is cost controlled, defense is hard to replace, and no reason to sell low for the Cubs.

7.     Edwin Jackson:  Makes too much money and Theo is not going to give up on his investment that early.

8.     Travis Wood:  Maybe the best pitcher on the team and unless they are blow away by an offer he is going to stay.

9.     Starlin Castro: COME ON NO CHANCE!  Don’t even say it.

Until Next Time…

Cubs Pre-Draft Analysis: The Other Picks

The Chicago Cubs draft talk has been centered around who they will draft first with the drafts 2nd overall pick but they also have picks 41, and 75 could be just an impactful (beyond 108 is anyone's best guess.).  So in this post I am going to lay out 3 players that maybe available when they pick and that the Cubs should and could be interested. So lets get started!!

Pick 41:  A lot hinges on the Cubs first overall pick her so they could go a variety of routes but here are three players I chose to highlight.

Kyle Serrano:  He is going to be a tough sign because he has already committed to play for his Dad at Tenn. but his risk could be worth the reward. His fastball is advanced at 92-94 MPH, has good command with his change-up and breaking pitches, and is rather advanced for a high school pitcher.  The best praise for Serrano by a scout is he is a pitcher, he knows how to pitch and think beyond his years as a pitcher.  He has the upside as a potential #2 pitcher but floor of a bottom of the rotation starter.

Eric Jagielo: A 3rd baseman/Outfielder with good power potential.  If the Cubs draft Bryant they will not draft Jagielo.  His power is there and many scouts think he could remain at 3rd base but he is unusual because some mock draft has him going in the first 20 picks while others have him going in the early 50s.  He is a guy if available at 41 the Cubs should take him.

Matt Krook:  Another pitcher but this lefty can hit 94 on the radar gun!  He has very high upside and an above average curveball.  He has some work but what 18 year old high school player doesn't.  Being 6-foot-4 and only 195 lbs he has room to grow but many argue he maybe the best high school lefty in the draft as far as potential.

Result:  I would like the Cubs to take any of the three if they are available but Matt Krook and Kyer Serrano intrigue me the most. 


Pick 75: This is really hit or miss as far as picks go but there is plenty of talent left to pick from in this range.

Cavan Biggo:  Son of baseball great Craig Biggo has a good bat but other tools need to develop to be an everyday big leaguer.  His ceiling is at best .285 with a .350 OBP but his floor is a utility player.  He also does not really have a position but work ethic could replace that.

Chris Okey:  The guy could be the best defensive catcher in the draft and I love defensive catchers.  He also has great versatility and has the athleticism to play the infield and outfield.  Okey is more of a Biggo type than Cavan for that matter which intrigues me even more. The other good thing about Okey is he can handle the bat according to scouts so he has more than defense and versatility.

Dillon Overton:  Once drafted by Theo and company in the 26th round of the 2012 draft he could be a target for the 3rd round for them this go around.  Overton is a left-handed pitcher who has filled out quite well.  His fastball is in the low to mid 90s and has a good strong delivery according to scouts. His strike out rate over the past couple of years has been around 9 K/9.  He is rather polished so making it to the majors fast is not out of the question.

Result:  I think if Chris Okey is available you take him here.



That does it for my draft preview!  Lets hope the Cubs pick future all-starts!

Cubs Pre-Draft Analysis: The Cubs 2nd Overall Pick

Everyone knows the Cubs will have the number two pick in the draft but what we do not know is who they will nab with that pick.  A lot of that depends on the Astros but many scouts and media outlets are expecting Houston to take 3rd baseman Colin Moran.

This will leave the Cubs with a variety of options obviously but only 3 players really make sense for the Cubs at #2.  Lets take a look at all three-

Mark Appel:  He has all the make-up to be a number one pitcher on any staff.  He struck out 130 batters and walked 23 in 106 innings pitched this season.  His fastball is consistently in the mid 90s but can crank it to 98 when he needs to.  His secondary pitchers have upside but he needs to master command of those pitches. Most scouts agree he is the best player in the draft with a ceiling as a #1 pitcher and the floor of a middle of the rotation type pitcher.  The one thing Appel has that others in the draft do not is the acceleration factor.  He is expected to be more polished making it very possible to arrive in the majors sometime in 2014.

Kris Bryant: Grade 80 power, that is Kris Bryant and many scouts think he could still add muscle to that tall skinny frame.  Scouts have discussed his floor and ceiling extensively which both are pretty amazing.  They think at the lowest end Bryant will hit .270 with 25 HR in the majors.  His ceiling is worthy for a 1st overall pick so if the Cubs get him with their pick you cannot fault them which is a .315+ average with 40+ homers.  Although Bryant has a bat he is not likely to stay at 3rd which could scare off some teams including the Cubs but many scouts think he could be not as good but close to Bryce Harper good defensively in a corner OF spot. He is the most MLB ready bat in the draft and could see the majors at the beginning of 2015.

Jonathan Gray:  The guy has actually a higher upside that Appel but brings more risk.  The other thing he has on Appel is his fastball can be cranked up to triple digits and his slider is thought to be Major League ready.  Gray is more raw so he will need more seasoning and also will need to develop his change-up and needs help with his overall command.  There is also the issue of the banned substance that he tested positive for in a pre-draft drug screening.  The banned substance he did not have a prescription for and thus adds some character issues that could hurt his draft stock.  Regardless, Gray's upside is Justin Verlander plain and simple. Gray could reach the majors in 2014 but 2015 looks more likely.


Who Is It: Both my pick for the first round and who I think the Cubs will go with is Mark Appel.  There is no sure thing in the draft but Appel is as sure as you can get.  The Cubs cannot afford to miss on Appel if he is there at #2 so the Cubs will take him and likely see him pitching at Wrigley in 2014.  Adding Appel to an already surprising strong rotation of Jeff Samardzija, Travis Wood, Edwin Jackson, and possibly Matt Garza could make the Cubs a force when facing them in a series.  The Cubs need pitching and they cannot go wrong selecting the best player in the draft.

Side Note:  If the Astros select Mark Appel first overall then I think the Cubs should take Kris Bryant with the 2nd overall pick.  Both Gray and Bryant are both gambles but Bryant has an impact middle of the order bat to put with the Cubs already young core of Castro and Rizzo.  Add that to uber prospects Javier Baez, Jorge Soler, and Albert Almora; you have something really special.

In the End:  If the Cubs do select one of the 3 I listed I do not see how someone can be upset.  All three players have their positives and negatives but all have a justifiable reason to be draft 2nd overall by the Cubs.

Rizzo & Cubs Strike It Rich and Trades Coming... Plus Signings?

·         The Anthony Rizzo deal for the Cubs is fantastic but now  I think it maybe even better than first thought after seeing the breakdown  Rizzo will get a $2M signing bonus, make $750K in 2013, $1.25M in 2014, $5M in ’15 &’16, $7M in ’17 & ’18, $11M in ’19, and teams options of $14.5M for ’20 & ’21.  Special thanks to Jon Heyman for the breakdown on this.  Basically making this a 9 year deal worth $70M with incentives.

·         With the Cubs only paying Rizzo $14M over the next 3 years it allows the Cubs to hand out more money to other FA and able assume more dollars in contracts via trades.  The deal also does not get expensive for several years which in turn helps the Cubs because by then the money from the renovation, TV deals, signage, etc… should be really paying off.

·         The next step now in the words of Tom Loxas of CubsDen and others is to lock up Shark and Garza (once proved healthy).  I am on board with both but only if the money is right with Garza.  I think a deal modeled after Edwin Jackson for Garza is a good starting point for the Cubs and his representatives.  Do I think Garza would sign for that, not likely unless a NTC is given, which is not going to happen either.  I really do not have grasp on what Shark would get on the open market so I will leave that guessing up to you.

·         If the Cubs did lock up Garza and Shark then they could be looking to really cash in on players like DeJesus, Soriano, CarVill, and Feldman as far as prospects.  I could then see them packaging the prospects from those deals with current prospects in their farm like Baez, Vogelbach, Johnson, and/or others for a premier young impact player like Giancarlo Stanton for example.  Or they could use those prospects and trade them for other prospects which is rare but it has happened.

·         Once again if the Cubs did extend Garza and Shark (and deal the others listed above) then their rotation looks pretty strong for 2014 with Shark, Garza, T. Wood, and E. Jackson.  Then if they draft Gray or Appel and they are as advertised then wow 2015 looks pretty dang great!

·         One guy I think the Cubs need to try to acquire besides Stanton is Jurickson Profar.  The guy is going to be a stud, he is near ML ready right now, and is being dangled by the Rangers but not for pieces the Cubs necessarily have. Although a lot could change if Texas has pitching woes and Garza comes back strong.  Texas had a lot of interest in Garza last season remember.  I also still hold to the fact that a prospect exchange is still very possible between the Rangers and Cubs.

·         I love trade scenario’s so how about this one-

Cubs get- Jurickson Profar, Martin Perez, and Mike Olt

Rangers get- Matt Garza, Javier Baez, Brett Jackson, and Josh Vitters

 

The Cubs would have their young dream team infield assembled and ready for the 2014 season with Rizzo at 1^st, Profar at 2b, Castro at SS, and Olt at 3^rd.  I know it is a pipe dream but I can dream can’t I?

 

Until Next Time….

 

 

Quick Hits....

Quick Hits-

·         The Cubs traded Alberto Gonzalez to the Yankees for either a PTBNL or Cash.

·         Kameron Loe cleared waivers and elected free agency rather than reporting to Iowa.

·         Kyuji Fujikawa is set to return to the Cubs bullpen today and Dolis has been optioned to Iowa to make room for him.

·         It is very likely the Cubs either take Gray or Appel depending on what the Astros do.  There has been no talk of what player the Astros prefer. Drooling over the idea of a Price, Shark, Garza, Appel, and Wood rotation right now.  That is if they keep the three that are currently on the roster.

·         Mr. Kevin Gregg is the official closer of the Chicago Cubs per Dale Sveum.

·         Ian Stewart went on waivers and was not claimed so he was optioned to Iowa.

·         Ian Stewart and David Sappelt both deleted their twitter accounts which is not really news but it is, at least to me since I followed them on Twitter.

·         The Cubs next big target just might be Masahiro Tanaka who is putting up big numbers at the age of 24 in Japan.  He could be posted after this season and he is a player I see the Cubs betting hard on.  Check out his numbers found here.

·         Brett at Bleacher Nation has the latest on the Wrigley Renovation found here and here.

·         Three impact prospects the Cubs should target via deadline trades are Nick Castellanos, Jurickson Profar, and Jedd Gyorko to either speed up the rebuilding process or flip for an impact player like David Price or Giancarlo Stanton.

·         A source told me the Cubs would have to be blown away to trade Travis Wood and Jeff Samardzija so a trade is unlikely.  But says Feldman, Garza, and CarVill are very much available.

·         The closing days for Marmol are likely over as a Chicago Cub.  They will try to improve his numbers though long relief and doing some set-up work in which he has succeeded in.

·         Here is an idea that I have.  Why not send Marmol down to Iowa and stretch him out into a starting pitcher.  Just a thought. He has started before.

·         Ken Rosenthal says that Chase Headley is a perfect fit for the Cubs which I just do not see.  The cost of players, the lack of control, and the age of Headley make no sense for the Cubs right now.

·         Did you know Jorge Soler is hitting .290/.374/.559!  The guy should be called up soon to AA IMO.

Until Next Time…

Cubs Talk: Price, Prospects, and More....

Here is the latest-

·         Mr. Jon Heyman labels the Cubs and Rangers as landing spots for Tampa Bay’s David Price.  This is purely speculation because of all the things that could happen between now and then but is it from an anonymous source so that is at least something.  Find the story here.

·         I talked to source of mine who I have not spoken to until last year’s off-season but he says the Cubs will being going into this trade deadline to acquire as many top prospects as possible to flip to other teams for young ML talent that maybe available at the deadline or next off-season.  The prospects he said the Cubs may might get in a trade not “make sense” for the Cubs but may make sense for another team.  He tells me the Cubs have their sights set high to somewhat accelerate the rebuilding process by attempting to acquire players like Stanton or Price.  He even said the Cubs could try to deal for a player like Jurickson Profar to attempt to move him for a player like David Price.

·         The same source also told me that while the Cubs have not given up on Brett Jackson or Josh Vitters they may look to trade them both at the deadline or next off-season.

·         Brett from Bleacher Nation has a Cubs injury update found here.

·         The Cubs plan on taking either Appel or Gray with their 2^nd overall pick.

·         Cubs Den has two great pieces on players being a building block or on the trading block found here and  here.  Make sure you look for the 3^rdpart soon at www.chicagonow.com. 

Bruce Levine Chats it up-

·         The Cubs have very left-handed which is why Sappelt is still with the Cubs and why he is still getting starts.

·         The Cubs may DFA Michael Bowden to make room for Fujikawa who comes off the DL next week.

·         Bruce sees the Cubs trading 3-5 players are the deadline.  (I honestly see about 6 ML players dealt named Garza, Marmol, Soriano, DeJesus, CarVill, and Russell.)

·         DeJesus is more valuable to this team in the next two months than trading him now.

·         Sounds like Bruce has some concerns about CarVill and thinks he may come back down to earth once the weather heats up.

·         It is too early to determine who will play SS in the future for the Cubs but the Cubs have a nice problem with Baez and Castro.

·         Baez could be up in the big leagues by next June and Soler is probably about a year away.

·         Levine says the Cubs do not have the players to get David Price but mentions Baez as a piece even though he does not view him as a realty to trade. (I think if the Cubs started with Baez and added Johnson among others they could get that done.)

·         Szczur is a top of the order hitter while BJax is a HR-RBI hitter.

·         The front office will trade anyone if it benefits the Cubs and follows the direction the front office has.

Until Next Time…

Cubs Stuff: Svuem, Pitching, Levine, and Much More...

·         The Cubs picked Julio Borbon off of waivers and DFA Alberto Gonzalez who passed waivers and was sent to AAA Iowa.

·         The Cubs expect to make a corresponding move in the next week in order to add depth to their infield which consist of their starters and Cody Ransom.

·         There is a lot of talk of David Sappelt being sent back down to Iowa but since he is the only right handed bat they are hesitant to do so.

·         The Cubs are still expected to call up Ian Stewart in the next 7 days or so which would require another roster move.  There has been a lot of talk of Stewart losing starting time because of the good play by Luis Valbuena.

·         What would make the most sense is if the Cubs traded the hot hitting David DeJesus or veteran Alfonso Soriano.

·         Dale Sveum confirmed that when discussing player demotion he was not specifically talking about Rizzo or Castro but the whole team.

·         MLBTR has a good piece on Carlos Villanueva as a trade candidate which I say is swell but I also think he could be an extension candidate given the fact he has not been relied on as a starter throughout his career and the Cubs are in need for pitching.  Carlos is only 29 years old and I think could be a part of the building for the future.  Although if a team is willing to give up a nice prospect package (better than Maholm) for him then by all means trade him.

·         Sveum has put himself on the hot seat recently but has Theo’s backing.  Honestly firing him during the season makes no sense and if they are going to transition to someone else it is likely to be in the off-season.  Unless something drastic happens Sveum is going to be the manager the entire year.  Although at the end of the year I can see Jed and Theo take feelers around the league for a manager that maybe fits the next phase in their plans. (Hint: Mike Maddux).

·         I think at the deadline the Cubs are going to end up trading Carlos Villanueva, Scott Feldman, and Matt Garza out of the rotation while keeping Shark, Wood, and EJax.  Then I expect the Cubs to be big players on David Price and expect to slot Arodys Vizcaino into the rotation as well next season.  That would give them 5 solid starters plus acquiring the young talent from CarVill and Garza to either flip for Price or fill in the gaps for prospects gone in a potential David Price deal.

Here are some tidbits from Levine’s chat today-

·         Cubs are not going to fire Sveum.

·         An outfielder will be out when Stewart gets back to Chicago.

·         If the Cubs are prepared to trade Baez then they could get Stanton.  It would take more but it take at least him. (I trade Baez and others in a heartbeat for Stanton).

·         Any player 28 and younger fits the Cubs future plans.

Until Next Time… 

Quick Hits: Wrigley, Theo, Rizzo, Prospects, and more...

Quick Hits-

·         Some roster moves happened yesterday with Brent Lillibridge and Hisanori Takahashi DFA’d and the Cubs calling up Kevin Gregg and claiming Cody Ransom.  Jed described this as a numbers move which can be understood given Lillibridge and his struggles and Gregg having better stuff than Takasashi.

·         Kameron Loe is also now in the bullpen and has a nice solid debut for the Cubs.

·         Dolis was optioned to the minors, Steve Clevenger was placed on the DL, and the Cubs activated Darwin Barney off the DL.

·         Ian Stewart will be activated in the next week to 10 days.  Then it is likely that either Alberto Gonzalez or newly acquired Cody Ransom would be waived or sent down to AAA.

·         Matt Garza will begin his rehab in Kane County.  Reports are teams are still very much interested in Garza. He is on track to be back with the Cubs by mid-May.

·         The Cubs of course are going to look to acquire young impact talent for their veteran players if and when they start selling.  Some position players the Cubs will be keeping an eye on is Wil Meyers of the Rays, Anthony Rendon of the Nationals, Jurickson Profar and Mike Olt of the Rangers, Jedd Gyorko of the Padres, and Nick Castellanos of the Tigers, and Lonnie Chisenhall of the Indians.

·         I am also hearing whispers that if the Fish do make Stanton available they will “give up nearly anyone” for a shot at getting him at Wrigley.

·         Two fantastic articles from Cubs Den on Anthony Rizzo found here and the Cubs spending next off-season found here.

·         Two great pieces on the Wrigley Field renovation talk from Bleacher Nation found here and here.

·         Patrick Mooney has some great quotes from Theo found here.

·         How about this!  The Cubs most valuable trade piece right now by the numbers is…. Travis Wood!

Until Next Time….

Cubs Hit and Run: Batman, Wrigley, Barney, and More..

·         Jorge Soler got a 5 game suspension and a fine for his bat incident.  It seems the initial reports blew it up bigger than it actually was but it is still bad enough to get Soler a 5 game suspension.

·         Darwin Barney is playing in IowaSaturday through Monday and if everything goes well he will be activated off the DL Tuesday.

·         Garza continues to make strides by throwing off the mound this week but is still not expect to be in the rotation until mid May.

·         The more I see and hear about Logan Watkins the more I think he should be playing for the big league club.  The only problem is he has 0 games at 3^rd base in his minor league career and no indication that he is going to start taking grounders there in Iowa.

·         Brett at Bleacher Nation has another update on the Obsessive Wrigley Renovation found here.  It sounds like they are finally getting things done and making a genuine effort to include the things that concern the rooftops.  Moving back the exterior walls is genius but my one question is why don’t they just place the jumbotron across the street near the rooftops? It is very close to the location shown in the rooftops proposal found here? It should be also noted that I am coming around to the idea of having digital signage on the rooftops as well.  It looks pretty nice in the video but I also feel the Cubs should be the main one capitalizing on the advertising since the fans are there to see the product on the field and everything that entails by the Cubs not the rooftops.

·         A goats head was delivered to Tom Ricketts at Wrigley which is pretty crazy.  Following @NotTomRicketts on twitter during that time was freaking hilarious though.  Seriously, he is worth a follow.

Some Cubs chat with ESPN Chicago ()-

·         Steve Clevenger maybe the player that gets called down Tuesday when Barney is activated of the DL but Gonzalez is still possible.  Jesse does not think Lillibridge will go anywhere.

·         Jesse Rogers does not believe Ryan Sweeney will get called up.

·         No teams are interested in Marmol.

·         The Cubs will keep the best 5 pitchers in the rotation when Garza comes back.

·         Appel will be drafted by the Cubs with the number 2 pick if he is not taken first overall.

Until Next Time…

Cubs Hit and Run: Next up, Baez, and Schierholtz

Here is something not cool that may force my hand to change from blogger to another web based company for Hot Stove Cubbies content.  The new blogger app for my mobile phone does not let you link up to other websites that you are sourcing.  This makes it extremely hard to update all those who look to HSC with the latest info and rumors with links to great sites such as Bleacher Nation, CubsDen, and many others.  I will continue to search for a resolution but until then I will be posting the full URL to the site in which you will have to copy and paste into your browser.  Instead of the friendly “click on a link” that HSC has provided in the past.

I do apologize for the inconvenience and hope to get a resolution soon one way or another.

Now onto everything Cubs-

·         Seriously a fantastic read on the idea of trading Javier Baez found atCubsDen.  John makes some fantastic points about Baez but the only way I trade someone of his caliber is if the Cubs get a impact player in return like Stanton or Price or Trout.  Plain and simple.

·          I think the next 3 players to get the call up to the majors are Brett Jackson, Logan Watkins, and Ryan Sweeney.  I imagine we will see Watkins getting some time at 3^rd in Iowa very soon to prove his versatility.  Sweeney may end up in Chicago if Sappelt struggles continue and Brett Jackson will likely be up around the trade deadline when the Cubs trade Soriano or DeJesus or both.

·         Lots of talk that Alberto Gonzalez maybe staying with the club and Lillibridge getting the boot when Barney comes back next week.  Not sure how I feel about that.

·         Nate Schierholtz defense in RF and good Abs are proving to be a big surprise to many including myself.  But we should not be surprised because in 7 years he owns a .270 OBP .320 OBP while playing great defense. He sports a .989 fielding percentage with 26 assist and only 8 errors in 506 games.  If he is just average at the plate (which he currently is way above) while playing the great defense it is hard not to like this signing.

Until Next Time…