Cubs Rumor Bag: Levine Speaks and is Everyone Getting Traded?

First Bruce Levine had is chat yesterday so lets check in-

• The only way the Cubs playoff chances exist is if the continue to win and keep Dempster and Garza.
• Levine believes Garza, Hamels, Dempster, and Greinke will be traded before the deadline. I think Hamels and Greinke stay put.
• Vitters would be a nice trade chip if they acquired a 3^rd baseman via trade.
• Levine feels the Cubs may not get a better prospect than Baez in a Dempster deal.
• The Cubs can get two good pitching prospects for Dempster though.
• Castellanos will likely not be in a deal for Dempster but Garza maybe.
• The Cubs want three top prospects for Garza and will be in the ML in 2-3 years.
• Cubs are not going to trade for Greinke or Hamels. DUH
• Cubs are not trying to trade Barney but will listen to offers.
• Cubs are not in on Upton.
• Cubs are not sure the Vitters is the future at 3^rd.
• Levine says it is doubtful Vitters, Jackson, and Lake get the call up the 2^nd half of the season. But out of the group Vitters is the closest. I think if LaHair, Soriano, or DeJesus is traded you will see Jackson get the call. I also think if Barney is traded you could see Vitters get a call. Very unlikely on Lake.
• Baez is ahead of Soler at this point but that can change when he gets assigned to possible Peoria.
• Cubs do not have the prospects to land Justin Upton.

Other News, Rumors, and Notes-

• Olney says the Tigers are the most active when it comes to adding pitching.
• Reports are the Tigers would trade Turner, Brantly, Rondon, and Crosby but not Castellanos.
• The Sun-Times says Dempster will be traded before his start on Friday.
• The Tigers and Braves sound the new front runners for Ryan Dempster because the Braves maybe willing to offer Juilo Teheran for him.
• The Braves also have interest in Matt Garza.
• Other names that have been leaked from the Braves organization that could be dealt are Andrelton Simmons, Zeke Spruill, Christian Bethancourt, and Arodys Vizcanio.
• I would love if the Cubs could land Arodys Vizcanio and Christian Bethancourt for Dempster but that is asking for a lot.
• Cubs can get a draft pick in a trade according to BleacherNation.
• The Nationals like Dempster but not his asking price.
• The Nationals also like Maholm because he is cheaper than Dempster and could be a nice innings eater for them.
• The Rangers would love to add Matt Garza to their rotation according to USA today.

Until Next Time…

Cubs Rumor Bag: BOY, IS IT FULL

• Heyman says there are no good reasons teams, especially AL, shouldn't be lining up for Soriano because of the production this year.
• The Yankees feel Garza and Dempster are not upgrades to what they currently have on the team.
• The Tigers are still wanting Barney with Dempster or Garza but the Cubs still want Castellanos and Turner so nothing has been progressing.
• The Cubs are not trying to trade LaHair but they are listening to offers.
• Soto has some trade value but not a lot.  Still a fit for the Rays.
• Padilla adds some thoughts on Dempster to the Dodgers and does not think the Cubs could get Zach Lee.
• Marmol trade value is still low but could improve once the deadline approaches.
• Buster Olney reported yesterday the Red Sox are aggressive in their pursuit for Ryan Dempster and the Cubs are going through the process with Dempster.
• Olney also says the Red Sox maybe relectant to make a trade with Theo because he knows that farm system so well.
• Rosenthal chimes in and says the Cubs are exchanging names with a number of teams about Dempster.  He goes on to list the Dodgers, Tigers, Red Sox, and Braves.
• To shoot down Olney, WEEI is saying the Red Sox are not in on Dempster because how Morales and Cook have been pitching.
• The Nationals are also in on Ryan Dempster and.... Geovany Soto??? Make it happen!
• Dempster would welcome signing with the Cubs again next season even if traded.
• Rosenthal said the Cubs wanted a package similar to what the A's got for Gio Gonzalez this offseason and may want the same now.  That is about right.
• Here is an interesting name in the Matt Garza sweepstakes...THE ROYALS.
• Mr. Rogers (Phil) says the Cubs are in the "final stages" of putting a Dempster deal together and list the finalist as Red Sox, Dodgers, Tigers, and Braves.  Out of those I would prefer the Braves because I want the Tigers to land Garza and Barney.
• Via Twitter (I love Twitter) Joel Sherman say execs are saying Dempster will the be first big peice traded and will lead to other trades which is why they are making a strong push to do so.
• Joel Sherman also adds there is a 50/50 chance Garza will be dealt by the deadline.
• The Jays are pursing Garza hard but silently according to sources.
• The Indians maybe a sleeper for Garza or Dempster because they are looking for a front line starter and an outfielder bat.  Soriano still intrigues them as well.
• Cliff says via twitter that Levine reported via radio that the Rangers are in on Garza.  I love that idea about as well as I love the Jays looking at Garza.  If the Cubs could get Mike Olt, Martin Perez, or Jurickson Profar in a deal for Garza I may just break into tears.
• Heyman is adding some last minute news.  The Cubs already have begun naming their price for Dempster and other teams have not gone that far with other starters.  GREAT NEWS!
• Kaplan and others keep on saying Dempster will be traded by his next start which is Friday.

Be sure to follow me on twitter @HotStoveCubbies!

Until Next Time...

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...