The Chicago Cubs Will Sign Adam Dunn if Marlon Byrd Has His Way
With a gaping hole at first base, left vacated by Derrek Lee who was traded to the Atlanta Braves two weeks ago after manning the spot for almost seven seasons, speculation as to whom will be the next first baseman is bound to bandy about for the next few months. So I guess I’m saying prepare yourself – it could reach Obsessive Watch status.
Adam Dunn, a free agent after this season, will likely be a primary target, assuming he doesn’t sign the extension that the Nationals are so desperately trying to get him to sign. That is, at least, according to Cubs center fielder Marlon Byrd.
“Definitely. You know the guys we’ve lost this year,” Byrd said. “Quality guys like [Ted] Lilly [traded to the Dodgers] and [Derrek Lee [traded to the Braves]. You’re thinking you have to replace those guys. Our clubhouse is good, but we need some athletes out there. I have an idea who they should bring in, the type of players. I think I have an idea of who to bring in to help us win.”
I asked Byrd what impact Dunn would have on the Cubs.
“He’s a definite automatic. I think anyody wants a guy like that,” Byrd said. “Hopefully the team he is on doesn’t hold on to him so that we get a shot at him next year because thump from the left side like that just doesn’t come around often. You always want a guy hitting 30 to 40 home runs a year on your team. He’s certainly one of the guys I’ve been thinking about.” ESPN Chicago.
Dunn’s general lack of athleticism leads me to question Byrd’s successive comments that the Cubs need “some athletes” out there, and that the Cubs should go after Adam Dunn. Nevertheless, Dunn figures to be one of the better options available to the Cubs this winter.
Series Preview: Padres v. Cubs, August 16 – 19, 2010
It’s series preview time again as the Chicago Cubs welcome the best team in the National League to Wrigley Field. So bring it on Braves… er… Dodgers … er Cardinals? Giants?
Wait. San Diego Padres? Um, what?
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. So there’s that.
Check out the Padres series preview, after the jump
Ryan Dempster Misses Ted Lilly
When the Chicago Cubs traded Ted Lilly to the Los Angeles Dodgers last week, Ryan Dempster became the unquestioned number one in the Chicago Cubs’ rotation. But despite that nominal accolade, Ryan Dempster wishes Lilly was still around. He misses the bulldog.
”With Teddy, I always appreciated him every day for what a teammate he was and what a competitor he was, probably more than anything,” Dempster (9-8) said after six muggy innings without allowing an earned run to beat the Milwaukee Brewers and end the Cubs’ seven-game losing streak.
”I always thought I was the most competitive person out there. I never thought I’d find anybody more competitive until I met him.”
Lilly, who won his debut Tuesday for the Los Angeles Dodgers, famously ran over St.Louis Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina to score a key run in the Cubs’ stretch drive in 2008, stole a base sliding head-first in a minor-league rehab start early this season and once attacked a pit bull barehanded to rescue his wife’s dog.
”I know they got somebody pretty special over there, and hopefully someday down the road, I’ll have the chance to play with him again,” Dempster said, ”because you don’t find too many guys like that out there.” CHICAGO SUN-TIMES.
Once attacked a pit bull barehanded? For a second I thought they were describing Chuck Norris or the Dos Equis guy. Or, I thought perhaps the guys who run the Ted Lilly Fan Club had taken root with the Sun Times.
Ted Lilly will indeed be missed, but hopes that he’ll return to the Cubs after this year should probably be tempered. Given his age, likely cost, and exclusive Dodger negotiating window, a return to the Cubs is probably not in the cards.
Ted Lilly and Ryan Theriot Have Been Traded to the Dodgers
Per multiple reports, the Chicago Cubs have traded pitcher Ted Lilly and second baseman Ryan Theriot to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Part of the return is expected to be second baseman Blake DeWitt, but no word yet on dollars and the rest of the return. We’ll keep you posted.
UPDATE: Looks like the Cubs are getting DeWitt, two pitching prospects, and the Dodgers taking on $2.5 million(ish) in salary (Cubs sending $2.5 million). With that much cash coming from a cash-strapped team like the Dodgers, I’m not optimistic about the quality of the pitching prospects.
UPDATE: One of the pitching prospects is apparently Brett Wallach (not to be confused with first base prospec Brett Wallace, also traded this week). Ranked 20th in the Dodgers system…
UPDATE: The other pitcher is Kyle Smit, a AA reliever who’s had success since moving to the pen a couple years ago. Does not appear to be a top prospect. DeWitt must be the center piece of this deal. More analysis to come.
Lukewarm Stove: Dodgers Want Ted Lilly AND Ryan Theriot
With trade partners dwindling, the Chicago Cubs might be able to package two of their movable parts together in one deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The Dodgers are talking to the Cubs about a trade for both left-hander Ted Lilly and second baseman Ryan Theriot, according to a major-league source.
It is not known whether a deal is close. The Cubs almost certainly would need to include cash to cover part of the nearly $5 million combined that Lilly and Theriot are owed for the rest of the season.
Lilly is a free agent at the end of the season. Theriot is under club control for two additional years.
The Dodgers already have made one trade, acquiring outfielder Scott Podsednik from the Royals. The additions of Lilly and Theriot would further deepen and strengthen their roster.
Lilly would join a rotation that already includes left-hander Clayton Kershaw and right-handers Chad Billingsley, Hiroki Kuroda and Vicente Padilla.
Theriot likely would take over at second base, with the Dodgers possibly sending Blake DeWitt to Triple-A. FOX Sports on MSN.
The return would almost certainly hinge on how much of the remaining salaries the Cubs are willing to eat. Either way, the Cubs would be better off making a move than standing pat.
Obsessive Ted Lilly Trade Watch: Might Have to Cross Phillies Off the List
Late yesterday, a rumor started circulating that the Cubs and Phillies had agreed to swap lefties Ted Lilly and JA Happ, but it seems to have died on the vine. Whether it was because of Ted Lilly’s partial no-trade clause (which includes the Phillies), or because there wasn’t anything to the rumor in the first place, we might never know.
That’s because the Phillies are on the verge of landing Roy Oswalt.
Major League baseball sources told FOX 26 Sports the Houston Astros have a deal in place to trade pitcher Roy Oswalt to the Philadelphia Phillies if Oswalt agrees to waive his no-trade clause.
Sources told FOX 26 the Astros have approached Oswalt. He is aware of the deal that is on the table and the club is waiting for his response.
MLB sources told FOX 26 the Astros and Phillies have agreed on the amount of money Houston will take back in the deal and the two teams have agreed on the players Philadelphia will be sending. Fox Houston.
Can you tell that writer was really excited to have “sources”?
If the Phillies manage to land Oswalt, they’ll obviously no longer have a need for Lilly, and the Cubs will have to turn their attention back to the Mets, Dodgers, and Twins.
Obsessive Ted Lilly Trade Watch: Bundle of Rumors
A trio of rumors has popped up on Twitter regarding the Cubs’ efforts to deal Ted Lilly:
The market for Lilly has picked up, according to Stark. The Tigers are involved, and so are the Dodgers, Twins and Phillies.
The Phillies have inquired on Lilly, according to Rosenthal. Ed Price of AOL FanHouse hears rumblings about a possible Lilly-J.A. Happ deal. However, Stark hears that the Phils won’t deal Happ for Lilly. The Twins and Dodgers remain involved, but the Mets are waiting to hear “from above” before pursuing Lilly more aggressively, according to Rosenthal.
The Cubs have indicated a recent willingness to assume some of the $4.43MM owed to Lilly, reports ESPN’s Jayson Stark. That’d help the chances of a Dodgers deal. Unfortunately for the Cubs, potential Lilly suitors like the Mets and Tigers may be reassessing their chances. MLBTradeRumors.com.
Of the trio, the most intriguing bit is about JA Happ. You may recall that Happ was a studly semi-rookie last year for the Phillies (albeit at the ripe old age of 26/27), putting up a 2.93 ERA and a 1.235 WHIP. He fell on hard times this year, and has been recovering from the dreaded “sore elbow” for the better part of the season (he’s set to return this week).
Even with the injury concerns, getting Happ for Lilly would be a steal. He’s under cheap control for several years, and he’s proved effective at the Major League level. For those reasons, the odds that the Cubs could land Happ for Lilly straight up seem slim, unless of course Happ’s elbow concerns are more serious than the Phillies are presently letting on.
Obsessive Ted Lilly Trade Watch: Scouts A-Plenty Last Night
If Chicago Cubs starter Ted Lilly is not traded before Saturday’s trade deadline, it won’t be for a lack of visibility.
Eight top scouts were on hand to watch Cubs left-hander Ted Lilly and Astros right-hander Brett Myers pitch on Tuesday night in Houston.
Both pitchers are coveted by numerous teams as the trade deadline approaches on Saturday.
At least six teams have interest in Lilly, including the Twins, Tigers, Dodgers and Mets. According to major league sources, the Twins have been the most aggressive team in their pursuit of Lilly, although the Dodgers, who had early interest in the pitcher, may have found a way to pick up the $5.5 million left on his contract. ESPN Chicago.
This is the first we’ve heard of the Twins being “the most aggressive,” but with a stacked minor league system, a trade with the Twins is likely to yield a good return. It will be interesting to learn, over time, which the Cubs were more interested in: getting a team to take the rest of Lilly’s salary, or getting the best return in prospects. The answer could go a long way to setting us up for what the Ricketts Era will be like.
As for Lilly, he put together a 1.80 ERA in his last three starts, so it’s not as though he isn’t helping his cause (ironically, of course, as Lilly wants to stay with the Cubs).
