Chris DeLuca of the Chicago Sun-Times reports the Chicago Cubs are in the hunt for starting pitching help especially after LHP Rich hill's disatrous Rookie League start where he could not throw strikes despite the directive from the front office to do just that. Add in former Notre Dame 1st round pick Jeff Samardzija has had big walk issues between AA and AAA (50 in 88 innings), and the Cubs have to look outside the organization to bolster their rotation.
Mr. DeLuca mentions C.C. Sabathia, Rich Harden and Randy Wolf along with his teammate Greg Maddux. A Randy Wolf for Matt Murton or Felix Pie deal looks like a deal that has to happen.
Buster Olney offers this very informatative nugget on the plans of the Cleveland Indians and trade rumors about C.C. Sabathia. If only he had named the teams those scouts represent.
"The Indians have dispatched scouts to watch the minor leaguers of teams that might be interested in Sabathia, and those talent evaluators expect the Indians to begin presenting proposals to other teams for the left-hander very soon, perhaps at the beginning of next week."
The Toronto Sun reports the Blue Jays are shopping A.J. Burnett to any team looking for a starting pitcher sna want a SS in return because "...they're not happy with either David Eckstein or John McDonald." With the Dodgers in need of a SS, too, this could get interesting. Could the two teams get together and put together a package with Burnett and Eckstein going to L.A. with Chin-Lung Hu and others going to Canada in a Win-Now deal for the Dodgers and a Win-Later one for the ays?
With the demotion of Brett Myers and his public comments about preferring to close, the Phialdelphia Phillies need a starting pitcher more than ever. The Philadelphia Inquirer reports the team had scouts watching C.C. Sabathia and Erik Bedard. The Phillies do not have a deep minor league system and acquiring either of those pitchers whould make it as shallow as their division rivals, the New York Mets.
Bedard seems like a good fit based on talent and his contract running through 2009. I do worry he does nto have the make-up to withstand the criticism that comes from a fanbase that boos Santa Claus and still reviles J.D. Drew. What happens when Bedard begs out of a start?
The Dodgers have lost the hope that SS Rafael Furcal will return this season. He will undergo back surgery that will waylay him for two months. This leaves the Dodgers with Angel Berroa (183/246/217), Luis Maza (239/282/299) and the lots of prayer that Nomar Garciaparra can play SS. In AAA, Chin-Lung Hu hasn't played since June 13th. The Dodgers have to go into the trade market to address SS. Knowing Furcal won't be back should make this easier to do.
In Colorado, the Rockies placed ace Jeff Francis on the D.L. with a sore shoulder. While his 2008 effort (3-7, 5.67 ERA/1.55 WHIP) says this isn't as bad as it appears, psychologically, a team 17 games under .500 with just 77 games left to play receives this as a fatal blow. Dave Kreiger of the Rocky Mountain News says it is time to put lefty reliever Brian Fuentes, 3B Garrett Atkins and LF Matt Holliday on the trade market.
The Denver Post reports the Rockies have told C Yorvit Torrealba he is being made available thanks to the one-year delayed emergence of Chris Iannetta. With $5.3 MM remaining on the two-year deal he inked last winter, he should be an attractvie target for every team looking for a catcher. The Florida Marlins look like a good fit, no offense to Mr. & Mrs. Trainor and Hoover.