Obsessive Ted Lilly Trade Watch: The Dodgers Are A-Callin’
Though he didn’t even appear in the game, last night’s shellacking of Carlos Silva made it incrementally more likely that Chicago Cubs starter Ted Lilly would be traded. With just over a week to go before the non-waiver trade deadline on July 31, the Cubs are no doubt continuously evaluating their position vis a vis the other teams in the NL Central. And when you get blown out by one of the worst teams, it becomes a whole lot easier to think sell-sell-sell, even if it’s just “one game.”
With that as a backdrop, we can add another team to the list of suitors for Ted Lilly’s services: the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Losers of four in a row and with 13 of their next 17 games against the San Francisco Giants and San Diego Padres, the Dodgers, according to baseball sources, have been very aggressive in their pursuit of pitching, both for the rotation and the bullpen. They continue to call the Houston Astros on Roy Oswalt(notes), the Chicago Cubs on Ted Lilly(notes), the Diamondbacks on Haren and even the Cleveland Indians on Jake Westbrook(notes) and Fausto Carmona(notes). Yahoo! Sports.
The only team for which there have been reports of real talks or prospect scouting is the New York Mets, and recently those reports have cooled. It’s good to know there are a number of teams interested in Lilly – the Mets, Dodgers, Tigers, Yankees, Twins, White Sox, among others – but right now, concrete details are a scarcity.
Series Preview: Phillies v. Cubs, July 15 – July 18, 2010
It’s series preview time again as the second half begins, and the Chicago Cubs are set to DOMINATE! Ha. Snap.
But seriously, the Cubs welcome the Philadelphia Phillies to Wrigley for a four-game set. You should probably set your phasers to “lose,” as any glimmer of hope at this point in the season will be (1) a tease and (2) a deterrent to making meaningful trades. A refresher on the series preview here at Bleacher Nation:
The idea is to hook you up with the bare minimum of what you need to know about every series this year. That way you can look like a genius, hardcore fan in front of all your friends, with minimum effort. Oh, and there will be pictures of beautiful women, too.
Check out the Phillies series preview, after the jump
Chicago Cubs are “Getting More Serious” About Making Trades
Assuming that the recent three-game sweep of the woeful Diamondbacks does not convince the Chicago Cubs’ brass that the team is magically delicious again, the Cubs will be looking to make some seller-type deals over the next few weeks.
At least one source - Ken Davidoff of Newsday – is reporting that the Cubs are “getting more serious about trades.” He adds that the Mets are taking a long, hard look at Ted Lilly.
I think we’ll see over the next couple of weeks that teams view Lilly as the consolation prize in the Cliff Lee sweepstakes, and indeed, many will want to wait to see how that shakes out before making a move for Lilly. On the plus side, the Mariners are now actively shopping Lee – that is to say, they are reaching out to teams with trade proposals, so the shoes could start dropping soon.
Lou Piniella: “We probably will be sellers”
Even though the Chicago Cubs just managed to secure an AMAZING series victory – their first in 12 tries – the team is still so far behind in the NL Central and the NL Wild Card races that they are expected to be sellers come the trade deadline at the end of the month.
And manager Lou Piniella has confirmed that sentiment.
”We probably will be sellers,” Piniella said before the Cubs’ 6-4 victory Tuesday against the Diamondbacks. ”We [he and general manager Jim Hendry] haven’t broached that subject much, just briefly. I would anticipate that if the organization can make a move or two that they might.”
Hendry won’t discuss specific trade talks, and he said he doesn’t like using the terms ”buyers” or ”sellers.” He suggested any moves that might be made would be done with an eye toward next season.
Meanwhile, it’s no secret the Cubs are trying to ease their outfield logjam by trading Kosuke Fukudome and the $20 million or so left on his contract. Left-hander Ted Lilly and first baseman Derrek Lee, both of whom are in the final year of their contracts, also are said to be on the block. CHICAGO SUN-TIMES.
No surprises in the names on the block, though you can add Xavier Nady, Mike Fontenot, Ryan Theriot, Jeff Baker, and probably Carlos Silva.
In some ways, the recent series win makes me a little nervous – the worst outcome for this team is not continuing to lose. It’s winning just enough over the next couple of weeks to stop them from becoming full-on sellers. I know it’s not fun to watch a team that is missing some of your favorite players, and that isn’t competitive, but this is a team that needs to rebuild. Just resign yourself to the fact that it will be fun to watch some of the young kids in the system play on the big club.
Cubs Set to Sign Bobby Howry Officially – Um, to Major League Deal
Contrary to my own speculation – you know, perfectly logical, understandable speculation – the impending Bobby Howry signing will not be for a minor league deal, despite his implosion in Arizona this year. No, it will be for a major league deal, and he’s expected to join the bullpen as early as today.
The Chicago Cubs will sign veteran relief pitcher Bob Howry to a contract on Friday before they take the field against the Texas Rangers for a three-game series, according to a source close to Howry.
Howry, who’s previously pitched for the Cubs and Chicago White Sox, was released by the Arizona Diamondbacks last weekend. The 36-year-old veteran mostly likely will be used in the sixth and seventh innings by manager Lou Piniella. ESPN Chicago.
Obviously this screams desperation – but then again, I guess the Cubs are desperate.
It also screams disaster. Howry had absolutely nothing this year in Arizona, and although his 2009 season in San Francisco was good, it was undoubtedly park-inflated (or deflated, I guess). Before that, he was with the Cubs, and, well, is there anyone here who remembers him fondly?
Howry’s arrival will spell doom for one of the arms in the pen, and although we’d love it to be John Grabow, there’s little hope there. Most likely, recent-arrival Jeff Stevens will head on back to AAA Iowa after a very brief stay with the big club.
Bullpen Desperation Roulette: Cubs Sign Bobby Howry
You may remember him from such screams as “COME ON!” and “THROW F*&CKING STRIKES!” It appears that recently-released reliever Bobby Howry will be a Chicago Cub again very soon.
Comcast SportsNet has learned that the Cubs have signed veteran relief pitcher Bob Howry. He will report to the team in Texas this weekend. Howry was released by the Diamondbacks earlier this week. Comcast Sports Net.
Despite the statement that Howry will immediately join the Cubs, the team is likely to give him a look in the minors for a little while to see if he’s got anything left. Howry couldn’t keep his ERA in the single digits in Arizona this year, but he was pretty good for the Giants in 2009, putting up a 3.39 ERA and a 1.147 WHIP.
UPDATE: Paul Sullivan says the Cubs have denied the signing, but have conceded interest. We’ll see if the signing actually materializes, and if it’s just a minor league deal.
Series Preview: Cubs v. Pirates, May 4 – May 6, 2010
The Chicago Cubs head out to Pittsburgh to take on the always scrappy (read: crappy) Pirates. A refresher on the series preview here at Bleacher Nation:
The idea is to hook you up with the bare minimum of what you need to know about every series this year streaks, lineups, game times, broadcast schedule, etc. That way you can look like a genius, hardcore fan in front of all your friends, with minimum effort. Oh, and there will be pictures of hot chicks, too.
Check out the Pirates series preview, after the jump
Spring Training in Florida is Back on the Table
With the process reaching Ross-Rachel will-they-won’t-they proportions, the Chicago Cubs’ Spring Training future has taken another turn. The Arizona Legislature has yet to pass legislation addressing the funding needed to construct the facilities necessary to keep the Cubs in Mesa, Arizona. And now they’ve adjourned.
An agreement between the team and Mesa officials allows the Cubs to negotiate with other cities if Arizona lawmakers don’t pass legislation by July 12. Lawmakers ended their session Thursday, and a special session is unlikely.
The move could reopen the door for Florida to lure away baseball’s highest-drawing spring training team.
Lawmakers considered adding surcharges to car rentals and spring-training baseball tickets, but the plan faltered after Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig came out against it.
Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts said he wasn’t aware of Friday’s events.
“I don’t know anything about it,” he said after his team beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 11-5 at Wrigley Field. “I’d have to wait until next week to be able to know about any of that stuff. I haven’t been on top of it.
“It’s a long process,” he said. CHICAGO SUN-TIMES.
The inability to use a surtax on all Cactus League games (the so-called “Cubs Tax”) is no doubt partially to blame for the legislature’s struggles to pass funding legislation. Thank you monsieurs Selig and Reinsdorf.
This, of course, does not necessarily mean that anything with respect to Florida will happen. It simply means that if nothing is done by July 12, the Cubs can start talking to the Collier County folks again – and any other takers.
