Rumors Gone Wild...

• Bruce Levine feels the Cubs should hang onto Soriano because of his numbers this year and he is a good influence on younger players.  I think if you have a taker for Soriano you deal him.
• The Cubs locked up their first 20 picks in the draft.
• It really does not matter the Cubs have won 11 of their last 15 because they are still in last place and Hoyer said they are sellers.
• Many say yesterday's start for Dempster is his last.  More than 10 teams have interest in the veteran starter.
• The Cubs may go for quality over quantity for Dempster.  In fact I am hearing the Cubs may just want one top prospect for Dempster.  Maybe like a Zach Lee for Ryan Dempster type deal.
• Buster Olney said via twitter that the Cubs are going to push the Dempster talks in next week, partly to clear decks for Garza talks later.  (Man I love how this front office works)
• The Pirates are one of the ten teams with a ton of interest in Ryan Dempster and Matt Garza.  I love the Pirates system and would love to deal either one to get some pieces from their farm system.
• The Rangers are unwilling to deal Mike Olt, Jurickson Profar, or Martin Perez for a rental player but are willing to deal one for a player under control for more than one year or willing to sign an extension before a trade is completed.
• There are mixed reports about the trade interest in Soriano.  One source is saying interest in minimal at best while another says there are two AL and one NL team interested in trading for the aging outfielder.
• George Ofman says the Tiger prefer Garza over Dempster.
• Ofman also says the Cubs have two offers on the table for Ryan Dempster.
• Ofman suggest two players from the Dodgers that do not impress me LHP Chris Withrow and RHP Garrett Gould.
• He also says the Tigers deal for Dempster could include a young lefty which it could be Andy Oliver, Casey Crosby, or Adam Wilk.  I would take any of those three but there would still have to be more IMO.
• The White Sox and Cubs are talking about a Reed Johnson deal which I reported via twitter yesterday.  A low level minor league player may head the Cubs way.
• To add to the Reed Johnson trade speculation I am hearing the Cubs could be targeting a low A ball player or more established AAA player. I am hearing Jared Mitchell, Charles Leesman, Gregory Infante, or Andre Rienzo could come the Cubs way from the southsiders.
• The White Sox and Yankees like Ryan Dempster but only the Yankees can put together a deal for him because the Sox do not have the talent Jed and Theo are looking for unless they want to include Sale in a deal.
• Ofman chimes in again saying a Tigers deal for Dempster could include Barney.  I am hearing if the Tigers do deal for Dempster or Garza; Barney will likely be included.
• It looks more and more likely that the Tigers will end up trading for Garza with all the smoke I am seeing and I am leaning toward a deal that has Garza, Barney, and Vitters going to Detroit for Castellanos, Turner, and a prospect or two.
• As of right now I see Dempster and LaHair going to the Dodgers. Soriano and Soto going to the Rays. Garza, Barney, and Vitters going to the Tigers. Maholm to the Pirates or Cards. Baker to the Nationals. Reed Johnson and Shawn Camp to the White Sox.
• Soriano would accept a trade to the Rays but has not been asked yet according to a person close to Alfonso.
• Dempster and Garza will likely not be traded by themselves.
• Tigers cannot obtain both Dempster and Garza according to Ofman.  Boy would I like to see them try.  How about Garza, Dempster, Barney, and Vitters for Castellanos, Turner, Rondon, Andy Oliver, Casey Crosby, Tyler Clark, Brian Flynn, and Daniel Bennett? Sounds good to me.
• A source told me do not be surprised if Brett Jackson is included in a trade involving a piece like Barney, Dempster, LaHair, or Graza.
• I am still hearing the Cubs could end up dealing up to 10 players on their 25 man roster.

Until Next Time...

A Blockbuster Trade Could be in the Works!

So a lot of things are coming together right now with reports/rumors from other sites and my sources citing similar things.  I usually do not dedicate one post to one trade rumor but this is a big one.  First the reports I am hearing-

• Source #1: The Cubs are looking to link Bryan LaHair in a trade with Dempster or Garza to get more valuable prospects in return.
• From Cubs Den: (Updated 4:25 pm) Jayson Stark tweeted the following, "Execs of 2 teams who spoke to Cubs this week say they're mentioning Bryan LaHair's name regularly in trade talks. Since 5/15: .220/.278/.341". LaHair's biggest value right now is as a LH power bat who is cost controlled for the next several years. LaHair would be a relatively low risk to a team because he can still provide value off the bench and could serve as a stopgap 1B or OF for a team in need of some punch. LaHair's future with the Cubs is limited because of the presence of Anthony Rizzo and the probability that he won't be able to play OF long term.
•  Source #2: The Tigers have been scouting the Cubs over the past month on days where neither Garza or Dempster started. 
• Source #1: (1 hour later) The Cubs have talked to the Tigers about acquiring not only Garza but also Darwin Barney and Bryan LaHair.
• Source #3: The Cubs can land Nick Castellanos and other prospects with a Garza package but have to include either Josh Vitters or Junior Lake in the deal plus more player.  Such as Darwin Barney.

Evaluation:

Now take into account that all theses sources have contacted me via email in the past 24 hours and the way I have this listed above is the order in which I heard the information.  Now I also want to note that Source #2 and #3 have been right or partially right more times than not.  In fact one tipped me off to the Cubs acquiring Adrian Cardenas and the other has been right with the Soriano signing years ago, Jason Marquis signing, Cubs interest in Justin Upton (first reported), and many other tidbits here and there.  The first source has given me stuff here and there but nothing concrete but he is also a new source in the past year and a half.

Now looking at this as a whole I can see a blockbuster trade in the works.  If all this information is correct and combined it with Tiger/Cub rumors recently here is what I see.  The Tigers have had the weakest production out of RF in the majors; similar to what the White Sox had at 3rd base before Youk came along. That is why Bryan LaHair is a fit because he can not only play RF but 1st and DH and is under control for many years to come for a small price (hard to find a power bat at that price).  The Tigers also are only willing to give up Nick Castellanos if they can work out an extension with Grienke or Hamels before hand because they want the pitcher beyond this year.  Garza has been a target of theirs, is AL tested, and is under control for the rest of this season and next year so to me he looks more likely to land in Detroit than Cole or Grienke.  The Tigers are also looking for a young middle infielder to help them through the rest of this year, hopefully the playoffs and into next season. He also must have good defensive skills and be cost effective.  That is where Darwin Barney comes in.  Now the kicker could be dealing one of our 3rd base prospects with these players to get a package around Nick Castellanos.  The Tigers are not going to give up a ton of prospects without getting one in return which is why replacing Nick Castellanos with Vitters or Lake would soften the blow to the farm.

So here is the blockbuster deal I see from all of this-

Cubs get Nick Castellanos, Jacob Turner (Cubs really like him but no where in this post does it say the Cubs have discussed him), and a couple of prospects not in the top Tigers top 10.  Maybe like two or three of Adam Wilk, Alex Burgos, Josue Carreno, Kyle Ryan, Eugenio Suarez or Matt Hoffman.

Tigers get Matt Garza, Darwin Barney, Bryan LaHair, and either Junior Lake or Josh Vitters.

This has all the makings of a big move in the right direction for the Cubs for the future and the Tigers for the now with a little taste of the future.  If the Cubs and Tigers pulled off this trade to me it would be a win/win for both clubs.

Again this is me just reading the tea leaves of what I am hearing from sources and reading at other sites.  The Cubs could be talking several different trades with numerous different players involved.  Jacob Turner may not even be involved in this deal but previous talks this offseason make me think he is.  Whether something like this happens only time will tell.

Until Next Time....

Cubs Rumor Bag: Dempster, Garza, Barney, Soriano, Soto, and Much More...

Tony La Russa sucks something big. Not putting in LaHair after taking out Votto in favor of a 3^rd baseman in Freese playing 1^st; seriously dude! Then the kicker is not playing Castro until the last few innings. This guy needs to go back to rambling and stumbling on tape to the cops and saying his ABCZDF8 rather being anywhere near a baseball diamond. I feel better now!

The Cubs and White Sox will not play 6 games anymore. Interleague play will go to a more balanced format that will have the Cubs and Sox play 4 total games’ home and home.

10 teams scouted Dempster yesterday according to sources including the Dodgers, Braves, Indians, Red Sox, Angels, Yankees, and more…

Jon Heyman chimes in today with some Cubs chatter saying the Dodgers and Cubs are discussing possible trades that would send either Ryan Dempster or Matt Garza to LA. He says the Dodgers are the favorite to land Demspter while they have also had conversations about Garza. (Nothing really new just reaffirming what we already know).

The Cubs could have interest in Justin Upton but not at the price the Dbacks are asking for. You remember when I said a while back the Cubs and Dbacks were discussing Upton. Well if not here you go.

The Indians, Pirates, Rays, Nationals, and several other teams are battling to get Josh Willingham, Justin Upton, and/or Carlos Quentin. The teams that don’t land or want to pay the bounty for those 3 will likely end up with Soriano. We have heard the Indians, Pirates, and Rays as the most serious suitors for Soriano.

The Rays could pull off a Soto and Soriano package according to a source.

The Indians are very interested in Dempster but may not have the prospects the Cubs want.

The Dodgers would like to get Garza or Dempster plus LaHair and may end up paying big for that package.

BleacherNation has an interesting take on the Red Sox/Cubs trade involving Ryan Sweeney.

If the Angels cannot land Greinke or Hamels they would turn their attention to Garza or Dempster. Talk has the Angels willing to trade players such as Mark Trumbo, Jordan Walden, Jean Segura, Garrett Richards, and/or John Hellweg for starting pitching.

The Cubs would be willing to trade Barney and Garza to Detroit if the Cubs can get a package headlined with Nick Castellanos, Jacob Turner, and at least 3 other solid prospects. If the Cubs received Castellanos then one of Josh Vitters or Junior Lake could become trade bait.

The Latest from Levine-

• It will take another outing or two before Dempster gets moved.
• Good chance Maholm gets traded as well as Johnson and Baker.
• Garza will be traded this year and will bring back the most prospects.
• Garza is less attractive as a trade candidate next season.
• No way Jamie Moyer comes back to the Cubs.
• Cubs would like to develop Samardzija and have him around for years.
• Campana is average outfielder with below average arm and still cannot hit with consistency. That is why he is not playing.
• The Cubs pay roll could be down over $30M next season and be under $90M.
• Baez could be in AA by next season but does not know if he will be a SS or 3^rd baseman.
• The White Sox could be interested in Reed Johnson.
• The only way the Cubs trade Barney is for a young 2^nd base prospect back in a deal.
• If a team is willing to overpay for LaHair he will be traded. (Like the Dodgers?)
• Dodgers are the front-runners for Dempster but the Braves and Indians may give up a better package.
• Unless the Dbacks are interested in Garza the Cubs can’t get Upton.
• Almora will play in short season rookie ball and Soler could start in Class A.
• Again Levine does not see Soriano being traded. He says the Cubs will have to watch him play here or release him because of the $50M left on his contract. (Just want to say Levine could not be more WRONG on this. The guy’s main source is Casey Coleman for goodness sake.)
• Nate Jones, Beckham, and Molina would not get the White Sox Barney and Dempster.

Until Next Time…

Cubs Rumor Bag: Soto, Soriano, Baez, and Padilla Talks

The Cubs were 2^nd place for the bidding on Yu Darvish. Although the bid price was way below what the Rangers offered.

The Cubs have signed second round draft pick Duane Underwood. Albert Almora is the only unsigned player in the top 20 the Cubs have not signed.

Baseball America labels Javier Baez at the 25^th best prospect in baseball. This is like awesome!

Some officials rank Matt Garza as a better trade chip than Grienke and Hamels considering he is more than a rental.

Many clubs love the idea of getting Darwin Barney but his asking price remains high.

The Rays and a “mystery” NL team have been in heavy talks about Geovany Soto.

Dempster will get the start Sunday.

The Pirates are now emerging as favorites to land Soriano given their need for a power hitting corner outfielder.

Doug Padilla had a chat from Thursday-

• The Cubs like Valbuena but also like Vitters bat.
• Padilla differs from Levine in that he thinks Vitters will be a Sept. call up.
• Dempster rumors will heat up and Maholm trade value is going up.
• The only way the Cubs trade Starlin Castro is to get two Starlin Castro type players.
• No slam dunk #1 player in next season’s draft.
• Lake could be a guy that plays every day at 3^rd for the Cubs.
• LaHair is only traded if a contending team wants to pay a steep price for a 1^st baseman.
• Cross-town trades are not a good idea.
• Padilla thinks two of Dempster, Garza, Soriano, and LaHair get traded but does not think Soriano will get dealt.
• A lot of minor moves could me coming soon.
• Soto will not fetch anything good by himself.
• Pitching prospects are high on the Cubs brass list.
• DeJesus may mean more to the Cubs than his current trade value because of work ethic and clubhouse presence.
• Again he thinks Soriano stays on the north-side.
• Dodgers will have to pay a lot for a guy like LaHair in terms of prospects.
• When more prospects are ready is when the Cubs will start signing big free agents

Cubs Rumor Bag: Bleacher Nation, Soto, Pitchers, and Levine Speaks

Bleacher Nation has an AMAZING run down of trade candidates for the Chicago Cubs. It is jammed pack full of info and I strongly suggest reading it.

Dempster is not ruling out pitching this weekend for Chicago but it is unlikely.

Rays GM Andrew Friedman says their club is looking to make upgrades and can take on money but only for players with 2+ years of control because of the new CBA agreement. This matters and falls in line with the Geovany Soto to Rays rumors bouncing around. My guess is he goes to the Rays before the trade deadline.

The Rangers really like Matt Garza and have been scouting him over a month along with many other high profiled pitchers. The Rangers are a team that Cubs would love to deal with given their great talent pool in their farm system.

The Tigers love Darwin Barney but the Cubs asking price is reportedly one of Drew Smyly, Jacob Turner, or Casey Crosby. So talks have not progressed very far.

Here is Levine’s latest-

· The Dodgers remain interested in Dempster but so does the Yankees, Red Sox and 3 other contenders.

· The Tigers had their top evaluator, Bruce Tanner, watching the Cubs last week. Adding either Dempster or Garza would not be a shock.

· Shawn Camp could interest the White Sox or any contender for that matter.

· Levine sees Garza getting dealt because you don’t want a frustrated pitcher on a young team.

· There were teams last year that wanted Soto badly at the deadline and Hendry even turned down a Pirates/Soto trade last season. (Must be talking about the pending deal of Soto for Pedro Alvarez straight up that was turned down. A deal I talked about last season.)

· Marmol will have to pitch well for another 2 weeks to get a good return for him.

· Barney may not fit into the high OBP player Barney is so he may not be the future at 2b.

· Like most; Levine is not impressed with the righty lineup put out there against lefties.

· The front office is willing to trade with anyone if they can get the prospects they want. Even if that team is the Cards.

· Levine still does not see Vitters getting the call up in September. I disagree; I think you will see him up there if Barney is traded.

· Many teams have asked about Barney but the Cubs have not heard an offer they like yet.

· Travis Wood looks legit according to Levine.

· Bruce says Soriano would approve a trade to a contender and the Rays are an option but also says Soriano provides protection for Rizzo and Castro (which I think does not matter at all).

· The Cards and Pirates could be interested in Maholm becaue of price and numbers.

· The Sox could be a location for Dempster but the White Sox have to have money and prospects to get him, so that is unlikely.

Until Next Time….

Cubs Rumor Bag: Marmol, Market Value, a Signing, and Other Notes..

The latest in the rumor bag today-

• Carlos Marmol recent improvements are because he is throwing his fastball more and even for strikes. There are now 5 teams scouting Marmol according to sources and he is starting to be viewed as a nice trade chip and that could increase even more with every save he gets.
• Chris Volstad will be called up Tuesday to start for the DFA Randy Wells and injured pitcher Ryan Dempster.
• Jorge Soler signing was officially announced over the weekend. He will head to Arizona for “Spring Training” and then be assigned to either Boise or Peoria.
• Cole Hamels is on the trading block along with maybe Grienke which hurts the Cubs because Garza and Dempster were viewed the best in the market but are now 3^rd and 4^th.
• The Phillies are not in sell mode completely because they have Howard, Halladay, and Utley all coming back this month so root for the Phils.
• The Carlos Lee deal fell through so that means a possible LaHair/Dempster deal could still go down with the Dodgers.
• Soriano is not going to the Orioles now because they traded for Jim Thome but he is still getting interest from the Indians according to sources.
• If you don’t know by now LaHair and Castro are All-Stars.
• Not good news for Ian Stewart he is having surgery on this wrist and will be out for 6-10 weeks.
• A source told me as of today the Cubs will have at least 5 players traded between now and the trade deadline. He did no label the 5 players but you would have to think Dempster, Garza, and Marmol but the other 2… Maybe LaHair? Soto? Maholm? Barney? Camp?
• Cubs sign 16 year old SS Frandy de la Rosa.  You can find out all about him here at Bleacher Nation.

Until Next Time…

Cubs Rumor Bag: Ups and Downs, Youth, Trades, and Levine

Adrian Cardenas was sent to AAA Iowa to make room for Anthony Rizzo.

Darwin Barney does not worry about rumors because it is a part of the game.

Jeff Baker trade to the Nationals was not as close as I thought. The Nats are still exploring other options to fill Mark DeRosa’s role.

Randy Wells has been DFA and the Cubs have 10 days to trade, waive, or outright the struggling righty.

Obsessive Wrigley Field Renovations can be found on Bleacher Nation found here.

Rafael Dolis has been recalled from Iowa to take Randy Wells spot on the 25 man roster.

The Cubs could go with a 4 man rotation until Dempster gets back because of the off day.

Ian Stewart is not progressing well and has not even started rehab on his wrist.

Castro is happy to see another cornerstone for the future with the team in Rizzo.

Yasiel Puig is officially a free agent and the Cubs remain to have some interest but many teams have cooled on him. Puig has yet to have a full workout but with what scouts have seen the reports are not glowing like first thought. This could work in the Cubs favor as demand decreases then so does price not to mention Puig and his agent are up against the July 2^nd deadline in which the new collective bargaining agreement starts.

Dempster DL time could run past 15 days according to reports.

The Latest from Levine-

• Rizzo will play everyday even against lefties.
• Campana will be a late-inning base running and defensive replacement for Sveum’s Cubs.
• No way Lake gets called up to Chicago this year and BJax will likely not see the Cubs until September.
• Sounds like Levine does not think Soriano should or will get traded.
• Lake is likely a third baseman or left fielder in the big leagues.
• Soler still not in the US.
• Garza should be moved for the best available package.
• Several teams are looking for an everyday catcher but injuries and lack of production are hurting him.
• Vitters still needs more work.
• The Cubs front office is not in a hurry to call up prospects.
• DeJesus will get most of the time in CF but the others could see more time in late innings and spot starts.
• Dempster trade value will not be affected by injury.
• Almora will sign with the Cubs for $3.25M on the deadline which is July 12^th at midnight.
• The Mets are interested in Marmol.
• The Cubs will not trade Garza straight up for anyone. Cubs looking to get three outstanding prospects for Garza.
• The Cubs have signed 10 Cuban players.

Until Next Time...

Cubs Rumor Bag: Not a Lot Going On

• The Braves have emerged as the most serious suitors for Ryan Dempster and could be dangling top talent to get him in Atlanta.
• The Jays are the team that is pursuing Matt Garza the most aggressive.
• The Orioles, Dodgers, Red Sox, Yankees, Nationals, and Tigers are also very interested in Dempster and/or Garza.
• According to a baseball official whoever lands Garza and Dempster will likely have to "greatly overpay" because the lack of top line pitchers available and the number of buyers in market. He said players like Jacob Turner, Julio Teheran, Jose Iglesias, Nathan Eovaldi or Rubby De La Rosa,  Manny Machado or Dylan Bundy, and  Noah Syndergaard or Justin Nicolino or Aaron Sanchez or even Travis D'Arnaud could be headed to Chicago in a deal.
• The Cubs signed 21 year old lefty starter Kyle Shepard as an undrafted free agent.
• It sounds like Anthony Rizzo will be making his ML debut with the Cubs on Tuesday against the Mets.  I, like all of you, are really excited to see how this kid does.
• The Cubs have had "more calls" on Darwin Barney and Bryan LaHair than all the other players on the team combined according to a Cub official.

Until Next Time...

Cubs Rumor Bag: Levine Speaks, Cuban Players, Dempster, Garza, and more...

So I had a nice long Father’s Day weekend but now it is time to get back to work with a ton of updates-

• The Orioles have been scouting the Cubs a lot and want to get Matt Garza and Alfonso Soriano in the same deal.
• Even with Dempster on the DL the Dodgers and Blue Jays remain the most likely suitors followed by the Braves, Red Sox, and Yankees.
• The Blue Jays are likely to land more than one starter out of the trade market and one of them could be from the Cubs.
• The Red Sox will have to give up Middlebrooks in a deal with Dempster or Garza.
• The Cubs are willing to kick in a lot of money in a deal to get better or more prospects in potential trades.
• A run down of the transactions that happened recently goes like this.

Cubs put Dempster on the DL with lat tightness

Called up Scott Maine

Activated Geovany Soto from the DL

Sent Welington Castillo to Iowa

Randy Wells will start Weds.

• Justin Bour will be in the Southern League All-Star Homerun Derby.
• To add to the Ryan Dempster conspiracy David Kaplan said the Dodgers put top SP prospect Chris Reed on the DL.
• LaHair will see more the outfield which is a precursor to Anthony Rizzo being called up very soon.
• Soriano is gaining interest from several teams now and the Cubs are likely to deal him before the deadline.
• The Cubs are interested in eligible Cuban free agent Armando Rivero who is a 23 year old pitcher. He has a nice three pitch mix that hits mid 90s and is a nice power pitcher standing at 6’3’’ and 195lbs. The collective bargaining agreement does not happen until July 2^nd so if he signs before then the cap does not affect his status of what he can be paid.
• The Cubs are also very interested in 21 year old outfielder Yasel Puig who according to scouts is a more polished Jorge Soler but not as seasoned as Cespedes. He has in fact defected and could be a free agent by this week. His agent says he is likely to sign before the July 2^nd collective bargaining deadline and will hold workouts this week.
• If the Cubs are able to land not only Soler but Rivero and Puig they will have entrenched a nice foundation in the south.
• Teams are asking about Darwin Barney according to Ken Rosenthal and the Cubs might consider moving him but only for the right price. I expect the Tigers to be the most aggressive suitor.

Levine’s Latest-

• The White Sox cannot afford Dempster.
• Ian Stewart will have to earn his spot back on the team.
• Dempster should bring back two young prospects.
• Time will tell if Rizzo is the real deal.
• Rizzo will likely not be in Chicago by the weekend but do not count him starting Monday against the Mets.
• Marmol is going to get every opportunity to close games for the Cubs.
• The same reason to trade LaHair is the reasons to keep him.
• The Cubs know they have to pay most of Soriano’s contract but they want the best prospects in return which is a hang-up in a deal for the acquiring team.
• Levine talked to Casey Coleman about BJax and he says he is going to be a top player once he determines his zone. On side note how sad is it that since Hendry left Chicago writers are going to the Casey Coleman’s of the world for info.
• Almora will sign but not until the July 13^th deadline to get more money.
• Barney will only be traded for a projected ML player.
• Sveum will get three years at least to turn things around.
• No reason why Rizzo would not hit 3^rd, 4^th, or 5^th.
• Braves top talent evaluator Jim Fregosi was at the Cubs game last and the Braves have interest in Garza.

When Rizzo is called up here is the lineup I would like to see (with Soriano in the lineup)-

1. David DeJesus CF L
2. Starlin Castro SS R
3. Anthony Rizzo 1^st L
4. Alfonso Soriano LF R
5. Bryan LaHair RF L
6. Geovany Soto C R
7. Luis Valbeuna 3^rd L
8. Darwin Barney 2b R
9. Pitcher

Until Next Time….

A TON OF CUBS NEWS AND NOTES!!!

Lets check out Levine’s chat from Tuesday shall we-

• Bruce says Soler will likely start in Mesa but with his experience he could start in Peoria. I say start him in Peoria so he can play everyday with guys he may play with in Chicago around 2015.
• Levine says he thinks Rizzo will be called up by July 1^st but that is a guess.
• He thinks Jackson needs a whole year in AAA. No he does not I say.
• Levine says it is doubtful that the Tigers give up their 3^rd base prospect for “Dempster and/or Garza” but could sacrifice youth to win this season. I say the Tigers jump all over it if Garza is involved and they would have to give up more than just their top 3^rd base prospect.
• He thinks Vitters will be the future 3^rd baseman ahead of Lake which is understandable giving their place in the farm system but Lake is a far better player in my opinion.
• Levine guarantees Almora will not go to the University of Miami and he will sign on July 13^th.
• The White Sox are looking for a starting pitcher, 3^rd baseman, and bullpen pitcher. Why do I say this? Well it coincides with a rumor I heard today. More on this later on in the post.
• Matt Szczur is still a few years away from being a ML player.
• The Padres compensation for Hoyer will not be anything significant.
• He thinks Marmol will have to pitch well for a number of weeks for teams to trade for him. Well Bruce the Cubs brass is getting calls on him now so they could trade him at any time. Just waiting for his stock to rise more.
• He thinks LaHair and Dempster both get traded.
• He thinks out of Jeff Baker, Geovany Soto, and Reed Johnson; Soto will be traded because the others are not trade worthly because of the return. I disagree a lot. Players like Baker and Johnson have their place on a team for a playoff push. They give a team flexibility to rest their players and they are veterans that bring intangibles to any team. Obviously he does not remember Kenny Lofton, Dave Roberts, and other players like them.
• He says Soler will be in RF at the end of 2014 and will be a starter by 2015.
• Pitching will be the focus at the trade deadline.
• Bruce thinks Baez will make it to the majors before Almora and Soler. I think Soler is their first.

Some other notes-

• The White Sox have been scouting the Cubs and are looking at 5 players very closely; Ryan Dempster, Matt Garza, Ian Stewart (now injured), Carlos Marmol, and Shawn Camp. I do not think the White Sox have the farm system to land Garza so a guy like Chris Sale (which is outrageous I know) would have to be involved but that is how poor the White Sox farm system is. The next best player would be Viciedo or Reed which is not enough for Dempster let alone Garza. Now Stewart, Marmol, and/or Camp seem like good fits and they do have the talent for those players.
• The Cubs may package Soriano with Garza according to sources to get teams to pay more of Soriano’s salary while getting a nice amount of prospects as well

More Cubs Stuff…

• Ian Stewart was placed on the DL today and the Cubs called up Luis Valbuena to replace him on the roster. The Cubs are worried about Stewart’s wrist and according to Carrie Muskat via Twitter he may have nerve damage.
• Koyie Hill has been DFA and Welington Castillo has been activated and placed on the Cubs 25 man roster.
• Bleacher Nation has the latest on Theo and Jed Talk.
• Ryan Dempster is getting a lot of attention; so much so he was spotted with Epstein yesterday chatting. Rumor has it they discussed his future and teams interested in him.
• Adding more fuel to the fire is Dempster and Samardzija have been swapped in the rotation. Could Dempster last start be on Friday at Wrigley this season? Many think so.
• Dempster biggest and most aggressive suitor seems to be the Dodgers according to Danny Knobler.
• The Braves think trading for Dempster maybe too expensive for them. I love hearing that because that means the Cubs have a good asking price for Ryan.
• Dempster could actually land back with the Cubs during the offseason according to reports. He loves Chicago and will do whatever he can to benefit the city and its team.
• A report out of Detroit says if the Cubs are willing to settle for Turner and Crosby for Dempster the Tigers would be wise to do the trade. OMG!!! I agree the Cubs should jump all over that if proposed.
• Many think a Dempster trade could come very quickly.
• This Joker (David Schoenfield) has some “trade proposals” out for Dempster. The players he said were steep or will not give for Dempster are the players we are hearing the Cubs are targeting like Jacob Turner and Casey Crosby, Manny Machado, Will Middlebrooks, and Lonnie Chisenhall. The Cubs do not trade for the players he is recommending
• There is a nice little rumor out there that says the Cubs and Indians are talking about a trade that involves Ryan Dempster and Alfonso Soriano for Lonnie Chisenhall and a top pitching prospect. Sounds nice to me or too good to be true.
• The Red Sox are exploring trading for Garza but will HAVE TO give up Middlebrooks in any deal.
• Add the Dodgers, Blue Jays, and Phllies to the large amount of teams that have been scouting the Cubs.
• Keith Law and Jim Callis both said Almora cannot turn down a signing bonus around $3M and he will sign with the Cubs.
• The Boston Herald has a nice write up on Epstein.
• Bleacher Nation has a nice write up on Castro and Rizzo as well found here.

Now Doug Padilla’s chat-

• Brett Jackson is likely a September call up.
• David DeJesus has little trade value. I disagree and think DeJesus can fetch a nice prospect at the deadline.
• Valbuena has earned the call up rather than Vitters because of this numbers and better defense.
• Sveum is hoping Koyie Hill stays in the system but would be happy if he was claimed.
• Stewart wrist issue could need surgery and could knock him out for the rest of the year.
• He could see Lake, Castro, and Baez in the same infield. Seeing Lake at 3^rd, Baez at 2^nd, and Castro at SS. I think you flip Baez and Lake.
• The Cubs expect to sign all their picks but are confident to land most of them.
• Nothing official on Soler but no one is worried.
• He thinks Dempster, Garza, and Soriano likely to get traded in that order.
• LaHair is drawing interest.
• Big time free agents will likely not be signed for a couple years.
• DeJesus is likely to stay on the team because of clubhouse presence, consistent play, and low salary.
• Doug said Theo and Dempster talked yesterday about being on the same page heading into the trade deadline.
• Castro is a building block and not a trading chip.
• LaHair does not look like he will be in the long-term plans because of Rizzo so he could be traded.
• In a Garza trade they are looking for guys who are ready to break through next season.
• The core expected to be left after this season consist of Castro and Samardzija according to Padilla
• Vitters needs work at 3^rd defensively to be an everyday 3^rd baseman.
• Almora will sign.

Until Next Time…