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.