Trading Deadline: Chicago Cubs Trade Bait

The Chicago Cubs appears to be "sellers" at the trading deadline this year. The team seems to be going nowhere with players getting older and wave of youth starting to crack the 40-man roster. The deadline only 72 hours away, so it's crunch time. Who are the players the Cubs are dangling out there and which Cubbie said that he would not accept a trade to another team? Will the new owner, Ricketts, decide to have a "fire sale" and scrap team for youth?

Ted Lilly - Lilly is the most talked about trade piece the Cubs are currently shopping. He is in the last year of his contract and he's having a solid season. He has been the most consistent pitcher on the staff since they signed him a few years ago. Chicago has even made it clear that they would eat much of Lilly's remaining money left on his contract this year to get the best deal. I see him going to the Mets or another fringe contender, possibly the Twins (no rumor of him going to Minnesota is out there, just think that he would be a good fit).

Derrek Lee - He was rumored to be heading out of town since he is also in the last year of his contract. The Los Angeles Angels apparently had a deal in place for him, but he declined it. He wants to play out his contract with Chicago. I'm not sure if he'll be looking to re-sign with the Cubs this off-season, but he will demand a decent contract.

Carlos Zambrano - The Cubs would LOVE to move Zambrano and his temper out of Chicago. He will be the hardest person on the team to move because of his performance of late and the remaining amout of money that he has left on his contract. The Cubs want to just dump his salary, but they could be left eating much of it, if they want to trade him.

Alfonso Soriano - With the emergence of Tyler Colvin, the Cubs would like to move Soriano and his inflated contract. His contract was backloaded, which means that most of his money will be paid out towards the end of his deal. This will make it nearly impossible for him to be moved. If Soriano was a better fielder, they could easier move him back to 2B, where he played as a member of the Yankees. He has lost a step and his fielding is on par with Manny Ramirez. It would be impossible to trade Soriano right now, but if he starts off hot in 2011, there could be suitors.

Xavier Nady - Early in the season, the rumors started circulating that some teams were looking for a mid-level outfielder with power. Nady was one of the names that was mentioned, but with his recent plummet in his numbers and losing a number of at-bats to Colvin, it doesn't look like Nady would be someone that a contender would be targeting. Nady needs ample at-bats to be comfortable at the plate, he hasn't had much success has a pinch-hitter. If the Cubs trade Nady, it would be for a low-level prospect at this point.

Hopefully Chicago can pull off some trades and restock their slim farm system. At the beginning of the year, only Houston had a worse farm system in the NL Central. The Cubs are headed towards rebuilding and let's hope they get it right this time.

Big Z, That Was A Close Call

The Chicago Cubs should be popping champagne bottles in celebration that Carlos Zambrano won't need season-ending surgery for his shoulder. He was diagnosed with tendinitis and inflammation in his shoulder, which is much better than what the Chicago Tribune and Chicago Sun-Times was hinting at the last few days. The Cubs will only go as far as Zambrano can make it.

Rich Harden is having some issues and will have a start pushed back, Dempster hasn't thrown this many innings since he was on the Florida Marlins, Lilly kind of imploded at the end of the season last year, and I will never trust Jason Marquis. The replacement starters for the Cubs would either be Sean Marshall or long-reliever, Jon Lieber. Marshall seems to pitch one good game and followed it by two awful outings. I don't think Lieber would be a sufficient addition either, he has been hurt for most of the season. Angel Guzman could possibly start a game, but he has been hurt for nearly the entire season and has yet to win a start in his limited history as a starter.

I think that Zambrano and Harden should make it to the post-season, but their ability to go on 3-days rest on a few occasions isn't an ideal situation. Zambrano hasn't been good on 3-days rest and would fear Harden would be over-worked. My theory would work and think it would be best. I know Kerry Wood has been a great closer, but he has post-season experience and seems to be pitching really well. If they were to convert Wood back to a starter for the rest of the season, they would have to start building up his arm strength right now. I know Jeff Samardzjia was a starter in the minors this season, but his ERA wasn't great and doesn't have the ability yet to get guys out the 2nd or 3rd time through the lineup.

If Zambrano or Harden can't make it through their next start, you have to think that starting Kerry Wood would at least make it through Pinella or GM Hendry's thought process. He is a free agent after this season, so Wood may not want to risk injury, but it may be the Cubs' best option to winning their first World Series since 1908.