MLB Trade Rumors: Dempster, Garza, Grienke & More

The MLB non-waiver trade deadline is less than a week away. The rumors are swirling and the buyers and sellers are yet to be set in stone. The extra wild-card spot has generated more buyers this year.

The NL Central bottom dwellers are destined to be the most active sellers. The Houston Astros have already made a few deals and the Milwaukee Brewers and Chicago Cubs are the teams who have the most rumored marquee players on the trading block.

Can Chicago finally find a few home for Ryan Dempster? Will the Atlanta Braves and Los Angeles Dodgers acquire pitching help?

Here are the latest MLB trade rumors gaining the most traction.

- The Dodgers have a leg up on the competition to acquire Dempster. Chicago has asked for minor-league pitcher Allen Webster. If Los Angeles don't want to part with him, they have Zack Grienke and Josh Johnson in their sights.

- Grienke's list of suitors keeps growing as Milwaukee keeps losing games. Atlanta Braves, Los Angeles Angels, Texas Rangers, and Chicago White Sox all occupy that list. Atlanta and Texas have the best top-tier prospects, but Grienke would have to agree to sign an extension if Milwaukee hopes to get the maximum return for him.

- Josh Johnson is another pitcher on many teams' wishlist. The Miami Herald doesn't believe a deal will happen unless they get an offer too good to turn down. They have already dealt Hanley Ramirez to the Dodgers, so anything is possible.

- The Cincinnati Reds are looking to acquire a speedy outfielder. The Minnesota Twins' Denard Span and Philadelphia Phillies' Juan Pierre are their top trade targets. Span has more tools than Pierre, but would cost more. The Washington Nationals are rumored to be looking at Span as well, so a small bidding war could take place.

- The Twins hot and cold starter, Francisco Liriano, could land on the team who loses out on the Garza, Dempster, and Grienke sweepstakes. The St. Louis Cardinals, Washington, Texas and both Los Angeles teams are rumored to be scouting him. He is a high-risk/high-reward player, but a team wouldn't have to mortgage their future to obtain him.

- Matt Garza was supposed to be the belle of this year's trading deadline, but an average first-half have dulled trade offers. The best rumored offer has been a package from the Dodgers that would include 20-year old pitching prospect Zach Lee. Dempster's unwillingness to agree a trade to Atlanta has left Chicago in a difficult situation. The Dodgers appear to be his ideal destination, but a Dempster rental won't haul the level of prospects Chicago covets.

- The Los Angeles Angels are talking to the Tampa Bay Rays about pitchers Wade Davis and James Shields. Davis is a cheaper option and could pitch at the back-end of the rotation or come out of the bullpen.

- The New York Yankees aren't expected to trade for third base fill-in for Alex Rodriguez. Mark Reynolds and Chone Figgins would have been ideal candidates, but Eric Chavez is expected to take over the everyday role.

- Hoping to stay in the AL East division race, the Baltimore Orioles are hoping to land a mid-rotation starter. They are finding it difficult since every team is asking for top prospects Dylan Bundy and Manny Machado. They are rumored to be shopping prospects Jonathan Schoop and Xavier Avery, but aren't looking for a pitching rental. Jason Vargas, Joe Blanton, Shaun Marcum, and Liriano are the pitchers rumored to be Baltimore's trade targets.

- The shortstop trade market is saturated with starter-level talent. Stephen Drew, Yunel Escobar, Marco Scutaro, Jimmy Rollins, Jamey Carroll, Brendan Ryan, and Jed Lowrie are all on the trading block. The Pittsburgh Pirates, Boston Red Sox, Oakland A's, San Francisco Giants, Tampa Bay, and Milwaukee are all looking for shortstop help. Drew is getting the most interest from Pittsburgh and Boston.

- Justin Upton is no longer on the trading block. I didn't see the Arizona Diamondbacks being serious about trading their franchise player. They just wanted to see what kind of offers were out there.

- Milwaukee could deal Aramis Ramirez before July 31st. He is in the first year of a three-year deal. San Francisco and the Dodgers are in need of third base help. Los Angeles just acquired Hanley Ramirez, but he was a horrible third baseman in Miami.

Who Will the Cubs Get In Return for Ryan Dempster?

Going into the season, Matt Garza was predicted to be the prize of the trading deadline. He is still a major prize, but Ryan Dempster is the belle of the ball.

Dempster, who currently leads the Majors with a 1.86 ERA, is on the trading block and nearly every team has contacted the Chicago Cubs about acquiring him. He has the right to veto any trade and wants to pitch for a contender.

He is owed nearly $6 million for the rest of the season and the Cubs have said they would pick up most of the money if they receive an upgraded prospect in return.

Dempster has a short-list of teams where he would like to end up. Which teams are on that list and what are the Cubs looking to get in return for him?

FOX Sports is reporting that Dempster pinpointed the Los Angeles Dodgers and Atlanta Braves as his top destinations. He is rumored to be open to other destinations, which is good for the Detroit Tigers, Boston Red Sox, and Washington Nationals.

The Cubs have made it clear they want young pitching and/or a third base prospect. These teams will be renting Dempster, since he's a free agent at the end of the season. If they miss out on him, they will include many of these prospects in hopes of landing Garza.

Who can those teams offer? Let's take a look at who may be involved.

Detroit Tigers
The Cubs would LOVE to trade Matt Garza, Darwin Barney, and Dempster in a package to Detroit. They would ask for third base prospect Nick Castellanos, top pitching prospect Jacob Turner, and a few other young pitchers from the group of Bruce Rondon, Drew Smyly, Casey Crosby, Andy Oliver, and Brenny Paulino.

Detroit has all the right pieces to trade for any player currently on the Cubs roster.

Los Angeles Dodgers
The Dodgers have been very proactive on trying to acquire Dempster. They are rumored to have a deal currently on the table. No one knows which prospects are in the deal, but pitching is definitely the centerpiece.

The pitching prospects rumored in the deal begins with 20-year old Garrett Gould. He is the prospect most likely to be in the deal. Zach Lee, Nate Eovaldi, Allen Webster, and Chris Reed aren't as likely to be included, since L.A. thinks too highly of them to part ways.

A group of secondary pitching prospects that could be thrown in could include Aaron Miller, Angel Sanchez, Matt Magill, Chris Withrow, and Ryan O'Sullivan. The Dodgers are also trying to acquire Aramis Ramirez from Milwaukee and Shane Victorino from Philadelphia, so this group could all find new homes by August 1st.

Atlanta Braves
Even though Dempster would like to pitch in Atlanta, I don't see this deal happening. The Braves were looking hard at Zack Greinke, but Milwaukee's asking price was too high.

Atlanta is in a bad situation in the present day. They are finding it hard to trade for a veteran pitcher, since every team is asking for their stud pitching prospects in return. The group of Julio Teheran, Arodys Vizcaino and Sean Gilmartin are asked about in nearly every deal. If the Braves want Dempster, they would need to part with someone from that group. Using that reasoning, they could focus on cheaper talent, like Francisco Liriano or Jason Vargas.

Washington Nationals
Washington is in need of a veteran pitcher to fill-in for Stephen Strasburg, since he's on a innings limit this year. Their farm system isn't what it used to be. They have already called up most of their top-tier young talent.

Third base prospect Anthony Rendon is the only Nationals prospect in the Top 100 list that the Cubs would be interested in. The only pitching prospects they could include would be second-tier. Alex Meyer, Matt Purke, and Robbie Ray are those pitchers.

Boston Red Sox
The rumor out of Chicago is that Boston is scared to trade with Theo Epstein, because he knows their farm system so well. I would assume that Ryan Lavarnway would be asked about right away. Epstein isn't sold on Geovany Soto as the long-term catcher for the Cubs. There are big question marks about Lavarnway's defensive ability behind the plate, but he could be worth the risk.

The pitching prospect cupboard is pretty bare in Boston. Matt Barnes is the best pitcher in their farm system. If the Cubs trade with Boston, Epstein will get the most out of the trade. They may not get the young arms they covet, but other holes will be addressed.

If a mystery team ends up with Dempster, they will have given up a lot to leapfrog these teams.

Are the Marlins Shopping Giancarlo Stanton?

The MLB trade rumor mill is in full force. Every beat writer conjures up a scenario in which every player could be traded. I think the current trade market is filled with every player in the MLB not named Bryce Harper or Andrew McCutchen.

Giancarlo Stanton found his name on the trading block thanks to ESPN's Buster Olney (ESPN Insider needed).

The Miami Marlins opened up a beautiful new stadium this season, but currently find themselves at 43-36. They are nine games out in the NL East and six games out of the a Wild Card spot. Things aren't dire, but they would need to leapfrog many teams to make the playoffs.

Who else is on the trading block on the Marlins? Could another Florida team also be sellers at the trading deadline?

Olney goes on to say that Omar Infante and Josh Johnson could also find themselves on the trading block if the Marlins stumble after the All-Star break.

Stanton is currently on the disabled list with an injured knee. He will be out about a month, so trading him by July 31st could be difficult or nearly impossible. He would be their best trade piece if they decide to completely rebuild, but I believe that Stanton is their franchise player to build around. He is hitting .284 with 19 homers and 50 RBI...on pace for a monster season.

The Marlins had plenty of prospects come through Miami and fizzle out. Dan Uggla, Jeremy Hermida, Josh Willingham, and Mike Jacobs didn't do a whole lot for the franchise. They currently have Gabby Sanchez, Hanley Ramirez, Anibal Sanchez, and Logan Morrison not living up to their hype. Stanton destroyed the minors and he keeps improving. He's not a guy you want to give up on.

Johnson has about $20 million left on his contract through the rest of this season and the 2013 season. It is a fair price for a #1 starter, if he can stay healthy. They would get a nice haul for him, especially if he's traded to a contender with a stocked farm system. The Pittsburgh Pirates, Texas Rangers, or Detroit Tigers would be ideal trade partners, since they have an abundance of top-tier prospects to trade.

Second base is a very shallow position in MLB. Major offensive production from the position is rare these days. Infante is the current prototypical second baseman. He bats around .275 with low double-digit power and steals. He would be a nice stopgap for a team who has no current answer at second. He's an excellent defensive player with a .989 and .981 fielding percentage the last two seasons.

I contacted Tom Green, the associate reporter for MLB.com who covers the Miami Marlins, about Miami's trade rumors. He calms Marlins fans down by saying he "doesn't see them selling Giancarlo or J.J."

Heath Bell, Carlos Zambrano, and even newly-acquired Carlos Lee could also find themselves bring shopped at the deadline. Bell is having a disastrous season so far and with Juan Carlos Oviedo (formerly Leo Nunez) coming back from suspension, could find himself booted permanently from the closer role.

At the end of Olney's blog post, he also mentions that if the Tampa Bay Rays keep sliding, they could also start to reload their team.

It's hard to pinpoint the players who have a lot of trade value, but Kyle Farnsworth, Jeff Keppinger, and Luke Scott seem like players who are expendable. They wouldn't get a huge haul, but with the need for bullpen help, Farnsworth would get the most in return.

2012 NBA Draft: First Round Diary

David Stern is about to me busy shaking hands and calling out draft picks' names...don't expect him to give out 30 'bro hugs' like NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell.

I am keeping a running diary of the first round of the 2012 NBA Draft tonight. You should expect pick and trade analysis, fashion critiques of draft suits (I'm hoping for some hideous suits), and a lot of snarky comments throughout the night.

I'm expecting a lot of trades tonight with many teams owning multiple top 40 draft picks. Cleveland, Houston, and Boston could shake things up if they can unload their draft picks for a big return.

My running diary begins after the jump...

7:30 PM: It's nice to see the yearly tradition of booing David Stern at the beginning of the draft is observed.

7:37: #1 pick - New Orleans Hornets select Anthony Davis - Kentucky

7:39: Anthony Davis's Unibrow will be taken #2 and #3.

7:42: I'm just throwing it out there...but I think Davis got his unibrow from his mother's side.

7:43: Jeff Van Gundy's suit looks like he got it from the clearance rack at TJ Maxx.

7:45: #2 pick - Charlotte Bobcats select Michael Kidd-Gilchrist - Kentucky

7:47: Kidd-Gilchrist is crying because he was just drafted by the Bobcats.

7:49: #3 pick - Washington Wizards select Bradley Beal - Florida

7:51: Cleveland really wanted Beal...this has to sting. I'm not sure where Cleveland goes with the #4 pick. They could go in a few different directions.

7:53: It appears that "high character" is the buzzword that Jay Bilas will repeat for the next few hours. Also, Van Gundy just used the phrase "knucklehead factor". I love that he is on the NBA Draft set. He is an upgrade over Stephen A. Smith.

7:55: #4 pick - Cleveland Cavaliers select Dion Waiters - Syracuse

7:56: I am shocked that Waiters goes this early. I assumed that Cleveland would take Harrison Barnes if they couldn't trade up to get Beal. I watched a few Syracuse games this year and he didn't impress me...although I would say the same thing about Harrison Barnes.

8:01: #5 pick - Sacramento Kings select Thomas Robinson - Kansas

8:02: Robinson will contribute right away and this is the smartest pick Sacramento has made. DeMarcus Cousins and Tyreke Evans are good players, but neither of them are a good fit on the Kings.

8:06: #6 pick - Portland Trail Blazers select Damian Lillard - Weber State

8:07: I am not going to pretend that I know a lot about Lillard...but he is the early favorite to win the 'He May Regret Wearing That Suit In 10 Years' award.

8:08: If you're playing at home, it only took 38 minutes for tonight's first Michael Ray Richardson reference.

8:11: #7 pick - Golden State Warriors select Harrison Barnes - North Carolina

8:12: I have watched 20+ North Carolina games over the last two seasons. I do not recall a single game in which Barnes stood out. The Warriors needed to replace Monta Ellis and this choice makes sense. I hope he is motivated by money and turns out to be a great pro.

8:17: #8 pick - Toronto Raptors select Terrence Ross - Washington

8:18: The Raptors actually drafted someone who played college basketball and doesn't have 15 vowels in his last name?! I don't understand the pick, but he's wearing a green bow-tie...I'll let is slide.

8:19: I want to give kudos to the Toronto Raptors for not drafting a player with 15 vowels in their last name.

8:24: #9 pick - Detroit Pistons select Andre Drummond - UConn

8:25: Drummond is a defensive specialist with raw offensive skills. He will be a nice bookend to place beside Greg Monroe. His free throw percentage is below 29% and a "Beat A Drummond" strategy could take place late in games.

8:30: #10 pick - New Orleans Hornets select Austin Rivers - Duke

8:32: Rivers was the #1 player going into the college season and he had a decent freshman year. He didn't blow me away, but he will be a good pro. No matter what the Hornets do with the rest of their picks, they will get an A+ grade for this draft.

8:34: I am surprised the first ten picks happened without a trade. I guess all of the rumors weren't correct...you're shocked, right?

8:35: #11 pick - Portland Trail Blazers select Meyers Leonard - Illinois

8:36: I wouldn't have predicted that Leonard would be drafted ahead of Tyler Zeller and John Henson. He has potential, but he has the risk of completely missing.

8:38: This site is called 'America's White Boy'...so I would be remiss to point out that Leonard was the first 'whiteboy' taken. He appears to be athletic and talented, a trait that most of us whiteboys lack.

8:42: #12 pick - Houston Rockets select Jeremy Lamb - UConn

8:43: I fell in love with Lamb during the 2011 season when UConn won the National Championship. He reminds me of a mix between Tayshaun Prince and Rudy Gay. The Rockets did well, but could have probably picked him at #14 without trading to move up two spots.

8:48: #13 pick - Phoenix Suns select Kendall Marshall - North Carolina

8:50: The Suns select a safety net in case Steve Nash signs with another team this offseason. Marshall impressed me more than any other player on North Carolina. He has a bright future ahead of him and he could mature into a Deron Williams clone.

8:53: #14 pick - Milwaukee Bucks select John Henson - North Carolina

8:54: I need to be consistent with my analysis of Henson. I have spent the last two seasons picking him apart. He is a mess on the offensive end, but he's a good defender. He needs to add muscle if he wants to be a force on the defensive end in the NBA. He will thrown around for the first couple years if he doesn't add muscle.

8:57: I'm having a discussion on Twitter about Marshall's ceiling in the NBA. I say that Deron Williams would be his maxiumum ceiling and a friends said Mark Jackson. I think we're both right to some extent.

8:59: #15 pick - Philadelphia 76ers select Maurice Harkless - St. John's

9:00: I don't have much of an opinion on Harkless. The Sixers are headed in the right direction and Harkless is a good player. On a side note, Philly will need to make a decision on Evan Turner. Is he a starter in the NBA? Does he even have a position?

9:05: #16 pick - Houston Rockets select Royce White - Iowa State

9:06: White was my choice as the most underrated player going into the 2012 NBA Draft. He has a really bad anxiety disorder and struggled with it during the season. Fred Hoiberg, his coach at Iowa State, was there for support. I read an article earlier this year about the process of what he had to do just to fly on an airplane.

9:10: #17 pick - Dallas Mavericks select Tyler Zeller - North Carolina

9:11: Before I give my two cents about this pick, I just want to point out that Zeller is from Indiana...my home state. Indiana guys know the fundamentals of the game and I like this pick. Dallas got a lot of value by picking him at #17. They needed a big man to fill the void Tyson Chandler left.

9:13: Zeller may want to put on some weight. He looks like Christian Bale in "The Machinist"...a role that he had to lost 50+ pounds to play.

9:17: #18 pick - Houston Rockets select Terrence Jones - Kentucky
9:18: Jones has a lot of talent and can fill the box score in a lot of areas. He can play three positions and is an excellent defender. This is a great pick...have I mentioned how much I love Houston's draft so far? They are killing it.

9:20 TRADE: Dallas trades Tyler Zeller to Cleveland for #24, #33, and #34 overall picks.

9:21: We have our first trade of the night...finally! Zeller will be a nice fit to play beside Tristan Thompson and Dallas clearly needs to reload. Dallas has a lot of free agents leaving the team and they will be getting younger with these draft selections.

9:22: #19 pick - Orlando Magic select Andrew Nicholson - St. Bonaventure

9:23: A Canadian who chose basketball over hockey...rare specimen! He was the Atlantic 10 Player of the Year, A-10 First Team All-Defensive Team, and A-10 Tournament MVP. He can stroke it deep and plays both ends of the court. This could make J.J. Redick and Ryan Anderson expendable.

9:27: #20 pick - Denver Nuggets select Evan Fournier - France

9:28: He is a big guy who will play shooting guard in the NBA. I have watched some video of him playing on YouTube and he reminds me of Danilo Gallinari with range. He should play well with Gallinari and is a good fit for George Karl's system.

9:34: ESPN's NBA Draft crew just wasted five minutes talking about Ray Allen.

9:35: #21 pick - Boston Celtics select Jared Sullinger - Ohio State

9:36: This pick makes a lot of sense since he is a better version of Glen 'Big Baby' Davis. He plays below the rim and he doesn't run well, but he could be a nice bench guy for Boston. I've ran into him a couple times in Columbus and he's a really nice guy with a good head on his shoulders. I hope he stays healthy and has a nice, long career.

9:40: #22 pick - Boston Celtics select Fab Melo - Syracuse

9:42: Boston has made two solid picks. Fab Melo is a better athlete than Greg Stiemsma, but his offensive skills are extremely raw. The Celtics are a great defensive team, probably the best in the NBA, but they struggled on offense. The only qualm I have with the Sullinger and Melo picks are that they didn't address the offense. Sullinger was very good offensively in college, but I'm not sure how his offensive game translates to the NBA.

9:45: Here's a segment with Tom Penn. He is the Todd McShay of the NBA Draft.

9:48: #23 pick - Atlanta Hawks select John Jenkins - Vanderbilt

9:49: Jenkins is a taller Stephen Curry. He can stroke the three from all over with a quick release. The Hawks is a team full of small forwards and Jenkins will help spread the floor and get them bigger lanes to drive. He will be a bench player to replace Joe Johnson when he needs a breather.

9:52 #24 pick - Cleveland Cavaliers select Jared Cunningham - Oregon State (pick will be going to Dallas Mavericks)

9:53: I mentioned Cunningham earlier today in a rumors post. I said that he was sneaking into the first round because of his elite defensive abilities. He's a Thabo Sefolosha/ Iman Shumpert clone and will help Dallas on the defensive end, but can shoot the ball a little.

9:56: I can't believe that Perry Jones III is still available...but this is 2012 and not 2011, so yes, I do believe that he's still available.

9:58: #25 pick - Memphis Grizzlies select Tony Wroten Jr. - Washington

9:59: He's a lefty with a lot of athleticism for a point guard. He gets a lot of Rajon Rondo comparisons because he's a pass-first point guard with a broken jumper.

10:01: I have been informed that the Indiana Pacers will select Miles Plumlee with the next pick. I thought Indiana was slowly getting rid of their whiteboys? Hopefully he will be a better 'whiteboy from Duke' than Mike Dunleavy/Josh McRoberts was for the team.

10:04: #26 pick - Indiana Pacers select Miles Plumlee - Duke

10:04: .....dammit! I guess I will be forced to root for another whiteboy from Duke. I kind of like this pick because they need to replace the retired Jeff Foster, but c'mon!

10:08: #27 pick - Miami Heat select Arnett Moultire - Mississippi State

10:09: I am surprised that Perry Jones III was not taken here, but Moultire could turn into something. Chris Bosh could end up being the full-time center and Udonis Haslem is too short to be the starting power foward and Joel Anthony is Joel Anthony. If Moultrie can be a productive power forward, the Heat will be a lot better, which is scary.

10:13: It's official 'risk tolerance' is a new Jay Bilas buzzword.

10:14: #28 pick - Oklahoma City Thunder select Perry Jones III - Baylor

10:16: The rich get richer. Perry Jones III dropped nearly twenty spots due to concerns about his knee. He could be the steal of the draft at this point and the risk is rather low by drafting him at #28. He is like Terrence Jones and can fill up the box score all over the place.

10:21: #29 pick - Chicago Bulls select Marquis Teague - Kentucky

10:22: The younger brother Atlanta Hawks point guard Jeff Teague isn't as polished as Jeff coming out of college. Marquis needs to work on his jumper and the fundamentals of the point guard position. He may be thrown into a lot of minutes while Derrick Rose is out at the beginning of the season. Teague needs to learn fast if that is the case.

10:25: TRADE: The Miami Heat trade Arnett Moultire to the Philadelphia 76ers for 45th pick overall and a future first-round pick.

10:26: #30 pick - Golden State Warriors select Festus Ezeli - Vanderbilt

10:27: He's a big man and he's just a huge guy. He's strong and has a filled out body, which isn't the case with most of the power fowards and centers drafted earlier in the first round. The Warriors have done pretty well so far with Ezeli and Harrison Barnes. Mark Jackson should have an easier time next season, but they are still a few players away from a playoff team in Oakland.

Well, that's the end of the first round. My draft coverage isn't over with yet. I will be writing analysis for the second round, writing a post with every team's draft grades, and listing players who went undrafted in the 2012 NBA Draft.

Are Trade Rumors Having a Negative Effect on Starlin Castro?

'America's White Boy' has been Starlin Castro Central over the past week. I had an opinion on the latest Chicago Cubs trade rumors that possibly involved Castro and had a post where I compared the current Castro situation to the 1988 trade Rafael Palmeiro.

Castro committed a pretty bad defensive gaffe when he didn't even attempt a double play because he thought he already recorded the third out of the inning. He held onto the ball and the tying run scored on the play. The Cubs lost 3-2 to the San Francisco Giants.

Chicago Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein shot down rumors they were shopping Castro. Trade rumors can affect a person's confidence even when they are not involved in the rumor.

What is the best way to deal with his lack of concentration? Is benching him the right answer?

Cubs manager Dale Sveum hinted that Castro could see himself out of the lineup tonight against the Milwaukee Brewers. Sveum has been vocal when the 22-year old has made a mistake and even called his last error "unacceptable."

This wasn't the only lapse in concentration that Castro has committed recently. He pulled up on a steal attempt because he thought Joe Mather had fouled off the pitch. Mather didn't make contact and Castro was caught in a rundown. He had a problem last season when Bobby Valentine, current manager of the Boston Red Sox and former ESPN baseball analyst, criticized him for not being set defensively when the pitcher threw the ball. Castro had his back to the play and was bashed by the rest of the media after Valentine pointed it out on live television.

Castro has been the only consistent offense for Chicago this year. Bryan LaHair and Alfonso Soriano have been hot at different times, but Castro has batted over .300 since Opening Day.

Chicago has one of the worst records in baseball (18-36) and it isn't going to get any better this year. They will be openly shopping Matt Garza, Ryan Dempster, Soriano and other players at some point in the season.

Castro needs to look at the team's struggle as a mental test. Unless you are Derek Jeter, a player isn't going to be on a winning team every year. If he handles losing poorly, he will not progress in his development. I hope Sveum continues to be hard on him. I believe he deserves to be benched for a couple games, but then openly praised if he comes back playing harder than ever.

The Cubs fans are rooting for you, Starlin. Please lead by example and your teammates will follow.

Starlin Castro Could Be Next Rafael Palmeiro

Last night, I wrote a post about the trade rumors that surround Starlin Castro. The post was informative with very little opinion. I am usually very opinionated when it comes to the Chicago Cubs. I have been a fan since I was old enough to understand what the hell Harry Caray was saying. I didn't add much opinion because I was shocked that two high-ranking members of the Cubs organization would tell USA Today's Bob Nightengale that "everyone but Jeff Samardzija is available."

Epstein refuted that statement late Thursday to The Sporting News by saying, "Starlin Castro is the type of player we're looking to build around. There has been no trade consideration with him, whatsoever."

Epstein's statement is "sports speak" and politically correct. This is coming from an executive who once traded Nomar Garciaparra in the middle of a pennant race.

I want to point out the similarities to Starlin Castro and Rafael Palmeiro, who the Cubs traded to the Texas Rangers in 1988 when he was a 23-year old. The Cubs received a package of six young prospects. Did I mention the Cubs also traded Jamie Moyer away in the same deal?

There is no doubt that Epstein has an itchy trigger finger. He wants to show Cubs fans that he is there to win.

If Starlin Castro is traded, could he be a part of the next Rafael Palmeiro trade disaster?

Let's take a look at the organization similarities in 1987-88 and 2011-12.

1987-88: The Cubs fired Dallas Green as the general manager and hired Jim Frey to take over the job. Frey previously worked in the Baltimore, Kansas City, and New York Mets organizations. He even worked under Green as the Cubs manager from 1984-86. He was not married to any player in the organization, especially Moyer and Palmeiro, who both made their professional debuts in '86...after Frey was fired.

2011-12: Jim Hendry, who had a great beginning to his GM tenure in 2003, fell short in his last few years on the job. After he fired Dusty Baker, he hired Lou Piniella as the team's savior. He couldn't do much with the talent. Expectations began to lower and fan frustration was on the rise. Hendry was finally fired after the 2011 season. The Cubs hired former Boston Red Sox's executive, Theo Epstein as the President of Baseball Operations. He then hired former San Diego Padres GM Jed Hoyer to take over the same position with the Cubs. Neither Epstein or Hoyer have any ties to young talent and/or the veterans on the 25-man roster.

The Cubs situation in both eras are parallel. A change in the front office and the desire to blow up the team and start fresh. Frey was already quite familiar with the Cubs organization. You would think that he would have tried to hold onto Palmeiro and Moyer, but Green acquired those players. Green was the GM who fired Frey and on a personal level, it could have swayed his decision to rid the team of some talent and get back younger players that could help the team in the future. He would get all of the credit for the turnaround.

Let's take a look at Rafael Palmeiro in 1986-88 and Starlin Castro in 2010-12.

Rafael Palmeiro in 1986-88: He was drafted in the first round of the 1985 amateur draft by the Chicago Cubs. He came up for a short time at the end of the 1986 season and showed plate discipline and a little pop. He was called up in June of 1987 and hit 14 home runs in only 221 at-bats. It was the first sign of his power numbers that he would later hit in his career. He came into the 1988 season as the starting left-fielder and played a little at first base. He hit .307 with eight home runs in 580 at-bats. His power numbers were down but he only struck out 34 times in 152 games. Palmeiro was showing all of his tools, but he only had four. His defense was a glaring hole in his game...the reason Frey used when he traded him in December of 1988.

Starlin Castro in 2010-12: He signed as an amateur free agent in 2006. He played 125 games in 2010 with a line of 3/41/.300. He finished fifth in the Rookie of the Year voting. In 2011, he came into his own and earned his first All-Star selection. He finished the year with a line of 10/66/.307 and had some votes for NL Most Valuable Player. He led the National League in hits with 207 in 2011. So far in 2012, he has a line of 4/32/.317 in 205 at-bats. He has the same questions about his defensive ability as Palmeiro had at the same point in their careers. He committed a total of 56 combined through 2010-11 and has already has 9 errors through the first 50 games in 2012.

If we go back to Nightengale's piece in the USA Today, the top ranking Cubs official said they would move Castro for "two impact prospects." I argued that he is only 22-years old and the impact free agents would be roughly his age with less MLB experience and a lower talent-ceiling.

Let's look at what GM Jim Frey got in return for Moyer, Palmeiro and pitcher Jim Hall in 1988.

The Cubs got back minor leaguers Luis Benitez and Pablo Delgado, pitchers Paul Kilgus, Mitch Williams, Steve Wilson and IF Curtis Wilkerson. At the time, they thought that their return on Moyer and Palmeiro was tremendous. Chicago had a lot of holes and Frey believed they would be a very talented team in the near future.

The pitchers in the deal, Kilgus, Williams and Wilson, were a combined 21-35 during their tenure with the team. Williams was an All-Star in 1989, but began to earn his "Wild Thing" nickname by becoming more unreliable in 1990. The Cubs traded him to the Phillies in 1991 for pitchers Chuck McElroy and Bob Scanlan...both of whom had longer tenures with the Cubs than any pitcher received in the Moyer/Palmeiro deal.

Benitez, Delgado and Wilkerson, the position players in the trade, contributed less than the pitchers. Benitez and Delgado never made it to the Majors with Chicago or any team for that matter. Wilkerson served as a utility player for two seasons. He only contributed one home run and a batting average that hovered near the Mendoza line.

Scouting has advanced greatly since 1988 and the odds of making such a terrible trade is lower. I just wanted to point out the dangers in trading young stars who have had early success in their careers.

Moyer had a winning record in his first season with the Cubs and went on to have a great career. He didn't pan out for the Rangers during his time with the team, but really began to dominate at the age of 34 with Seattle.

Palmeiro went on to hit 569 homers and over 3,000 hits in his career. He spent the remainder of his career with the Texas Rangers and Baltimore Orioles. He was suspended at the end of his career for a failed drug test after he testified in front of the U.S. Congress. His career will now be looked at as a result of performance-enhancing drugs.

Starlin Castro has all of the tools that Palmeiro possessed as a 22-year old. The power numbers may not be there or will ever be there, but he is one of the best young talents in the game. Now is not the time to trade him in hopes that the young prospects they would get in return, would turn into...well, Starlin Castro clones?!

Even though Epstein put out the fire by saying that he wasn't currently shopping Castro, be aware of a statement that he made earlier in the week.

"I never understood why there would ever be an untouchable. All you're doing is limiting your opportunity"

Brace yourselves Cubs fans, it could be a very long summer.

The Cubs to Trade Starlin Castro, Others?

The Chicago Cubs are 18-32 and have already had a double-digit losing streak this season. They knew going into this season that big changes could be made to their team.

Bob Nightengale of the USA Today reported that every player on the Cubs current roster, except Jeff Samardzija, is available for trade.

The biggest surprise in Nightengale's story is that 22-year old All-Star, Starlin Castro, is among the Cubs players that the organization would consider trading. He is among the team leaders in nearly every offensive category.

Is publicly announcing that the entire roster is available for trade a smart move? What is the Cubs asking price for Castro?

Theo Epstein signed on as the President of Baseball Operations for the Cubs and hired Jed Hoyer as the General Manager. Epstein came from the Boston Red Sox and Hoyer was previously the San Diego Padres GM. To make a long story short, they didn't draft or sign any of these players, so they are not married to them.

"We're starting to get some early calls now," Epstein told Nightengale. "There might be fewer sellers than usual and a lot more buyers. This has the chance to help us. We need core players."

The Cubs will move Starlin Castro for 'two impact prospects' and Bryan LaHair, Matt Garza, and Ryan Dempster are the others that will be highly sought after. Alfonso Soriano was also mentioned, which isn't a new development, the Cubs has been trying to trade him for three seasons. They would eat most of his contract just to make space in the outfield ($18 million per season through 2014). Soriano is on a hot streak since reducing his bat weight by over an ounce. It could be the perfect time to talk a team into taking him off their hands

Let's go back to Epstein's remark that the Cubs "need core players." Castro has proven that he can produce at the major-league level (over 200 hits in 2011). He has struggled defensively this year and analysts are questioning if he would be more suitable at a third-base. Unless the Cubs think that minor-league shortstop Junior Lake is a better long-term answer at the position, I would rather have Castro than two wild-cards at this point.

If the Cubs make a few moves and clear spots on the 25-man roster, they will bring up some talented minor leaguers. First Baseman Anthony Rizzo is tearing up Triple-A and will be the first player they call up. If Rizzo is their #1 prospect, outfielder Brett Jackson is #1a. Jackson has been touted as the center fielder of the future. RHP Trey McNutt and 3B Josh Vitters could also be considered for a call-up.

Epstein can't trade the entire roster. They are an 18-32 team, he couldn't even give away most of them. Publicly announcing that the team is up for trade could lead to disgruntled players and low morale. He could have had personal discussions with other teams' front office staff. He did it as a message for fans that he will not stand pat and will do everything he can to improve the Cubs. I can understand that, but it just seems pretty early to be making bold statements.

I'm a Cubs fan and I have been very patient with the organization. I am ready for a change, but I hope they don't trade young established talent for even younger unknown commodities. You can make a bad situation even worse if those prospects don't pan out and the player you traded away is voted into the All-Star game every year.

Dolphins Trade Brandon Marshall To Bears

The Chicago Bears finally have an elite wide-receiver. Jay Cutler should be happy, because it is a player that he knows very well. The Miami Dolphins traded WR Brandon Marshall to the Chicago Bears for two 3rd-round draft picks. Even though he is coming off his best season with the Dolphins (81 receptions for 1,215 yards with six touchdowns), the price went down for Marshall's services. The Dolphins gave the Denver Broncos two 2nd-round picks in 2010.

Cutler and Marshall put up some impressive numbers together in Denver. The last three seasons that they were in Denver, Marshall eclipsed 100 receptions each year. The Bears have lacked a prototypical wide-receiver for many years. The last receiver that put up consistent numbers was Bernard Berrian. I'm not saying that Devin Hester and Johnny Knox are bad receivers, but neither of them are a #1 receiving option on a championship contending team.


The Bears still need help on the offensive line and they look to add a few pieces in the upcoming NFL Draft. They should have a chance to add depth to a line has given up a lot of sacks over the past two seasons. They have other needs, but using the draft to pick up a few young offensive linemen is in their best interest.

Marshall is under contract through the 2014 season and has a contract around $9 million dollars per season. This signing could end all of the Mario Williams rumors that have been floating around. Williams is projected to receive a contract that averages at least $15 million per season. A pass rush combo of Julius Peppers and Williams would rival the Giants for the best pass rush in the NFL. Even if they aren't able to sign Williams, the Bears took a step in the right direction by trading with Marshall.