NEWSLETTER
Contrary to all signs in the days leading up to the Trade Deadline, the Chicago Cubs stood pat today, reportedly resting on high prices for their remaining players.
… but did they really stand pat? If the Cubs had traded Matt Garza, Scott Feldman, Alfonso Soriano, Scott Hairston, Carlos Marmol, Roni Torreyes and Steve Clevenger yesterday and today, what are we thinking about the Cubs’ trading approach?
So the Cubs didn’t do anything at the Deadline, and, yeah, that isn’t very fun. I’d like to hope that the last two days have still been enjoyable for folks, even without trade activity. But it’s hard to be critical of the Cubs, who clearly foresaw an opportunity to jump the market, and make some of the most productive trades of any team in baseball. They just didn’t do it today.
The truth is, the wasteland of inactivity at the Deadline wasn’t localized on the North Side of Chicago. It spread its listless tentacles across the whole of MLB, as teams clutched prospects like mana from heaven. Sellers were few, buyers were nervous.
Given the Cubs’ primary pieces available today – Nate Schierholtz (still valuable to Cubs), David DeJesus (still valuable to Cubs), James Russell (still valuable to Cubs), Kevin Gregg (value quite low, regardless), and Dioner Navarro (value quite low, regardless) – I’d argue that other teams had a whole lot more to lose by not stepping up with an offer than the Cubs had to lose by holding onto these guys. If you’re the Pirates, how in the world do you justify not making a move to your fans? How did the Indians not add an arm after doing all they did in the offseason and being within sniffing distance in the AL Central? What are the Rangers going to do without an additional bat – something they needed anyway – if Nelson Cruz is suspended? I could go on.
Maybe each of these teams – including the Cubs – is expecting to be able to make a move or two in August. The Cubs’ better pieces, though (Schierholtz, DeJesus, Russell), will not clear waivers, and will effectively be untradable (but we’ll get into all of that later this week). For the buyers out there, it’s quite a risk to count on August moves. I understand the many mechanics that restrict the trade market in the new CBA era, but I think some teams made a mistake today.
Regardless of how many trades were made or not made, I want to thank you all so very much for your part in this Blogathon. From the moment I announced the fundraiser benefiting Make-A-Wish, you overwhelmed me with support. Together, we raised $12,451 this month to make wishes come true – to give a special experience to children who really need something to enjoy. Hopefully we’ll have reached a young Cubs fan or two along the way.
I also want to thank you for participating in the Blogathon over the past 35 hours (I’ve still got to get a Pre-Gamin’ up for the final hour). Your comments, your tweets, your emails, your Facebook posts, your encouragement, your humor … it isn’t easy stringing together 36 hours of constant coverage, and I certainly didn’t always feel good, but I always felt supported. And, despite the relative inactivity, I had fun. I hope you did, too.
Until next year …
Now for the final tallies.
Total Posts During the Blogathon:
49. In case you missed any of those 49 posts, I tried to place them all in the “Cubs Rumors” category, especially the Updates. Click there to flip through them all.
Total BN Tweets During the Blogathon:
I just spent two minutes just trying to scroll back in my Tweets to the beginning of the Blogathon, and it was just impossible to count. Check out the #BNBlogathon tweets, too. You folks really nailed it.
Total Comments During the Blogathon:
3500+ and counting.
Total Page Views During the Blogathon:
340,000+ (and counting).
Total Cubs Transactions at the Deadline:
Bupkis. Busy month of July, though.
Total Caffeinated Beverages Imbibed:
Two Coke Zeroes.
One large, and gross, Diet Coke.
One Coke.
One Diet Mountain Dew.
One Starbucks mocha frappuccinos.
One chai latte.
Hours I Plan on Sleeping Now:
As many as it takes.
Total Times I Did the Dishes at 3am Like a Boss:
Once.
A Few Final Tweets from the BN Blogathon:
Best trade deadline move w/o a doubt: @BleacherNation raising $12K for @MakeAWish foundation by blogging for 36 straight hours. Kudos Brett!
— Daniel Price (@DanielGPrice) July 31, 2013
You'd think as a thank you to @BleacherNation for his fundraising #BNBlogathon the Cubs would have at least traded bullpen catchers.
— Wayne Drehs (@espnWD) July 31, 2013
@BleacherNation has been extremely entertaining during the most boring trade deadline ever #bnblogathon
— Ryan Foley (@Follerton) July 31, 2013
https://twitter.com/ffgpga08/status/362671092466335746
@BleacherNation I have no issues with Cubs hanging onto youngish, cost-controlled, useful players if no one makes a fair offer. #BNBlogathon
— Jay Rigdon (@jayrigdon5) July 31, 2013
Nothing better than watching @BleacherNation slowly slide towards incoherence during his crazy 36-hr #BNBlogathon. Good job Ace!
— douglass cooper (@coop93004) July 31, 2013
Who needs a beer? #BNBlogathon
— MichiganGoat (@MichiganGoat) July 31, 2013
A Final Visual Representation of My Feelings:
At the close of an eventful and uneventful Trade Deadline … #BNBlogathon https://t.co/5BulLcGRHI
— Brett Taylor (@BleacherNation) July 31, 2013
