#BNBlogathon Check-In: Hour 20

I am currently blogging – here, on Facebook, and on Twitter (hash tag #BNBlogathon for those who want to jump into the fray themselves) – for 40 hours straight, until a little past MLB’s July 31 non-waiver Trade Deadline, thanks to your generous donations to Make-A-Wish. I’ll be doing recaps on the process throughout the day, but you’ll also see normal posting (Bullets, news, Pre-Gamin’, EBS, etc.), as well as a significant uptick in rumor/trade posts.

Total Posts So Far:

27.

News and Rumors Since the Last Check-In:

The Cubs did it, landing Justin Wilson and Alex Avila from the Tigers for Jeimer Candelario, Isaac Paredes, and a PTBNL.

Most Interesting Tidbit Since the Last Recap:

Not only was it that trade, it was how the trade reporting developed over the span of several hours. It cost me my last check-in post!

Current Thoughts About the Chicago Cubs’ Trade Deadline Strategy/Execution:

I like the way they attacked the two remaining areas you’d want them to be looking at, and did so with aggressiveness. Even if Justin Wilson were just a rental, he’d dramatically improve the reliability of the back end of the bullpen (but he’s not a rental – the Cubs will have him next year, too). And Alex Avila is a veteran catcher, perhaps not as defensively-inclined as you might have expected, but he comes with a much better bat than you would have expected.

Current Beverage/Stimulant of Choice:

All right, I’m doing it. I’m drinking this new Coke Zero Sugar stuff. It’s not bad. It does taste different than Coke Zero – it’s a little bit sweeter – but it’s not bad. I think I can adopt this, even if I’m sad that it’s the end of an era.

Wait. I’m starting to detect a funky aftertaste. Not sure if that’s real, or if it’s just my body breaking down a little bit.

Where I’m Writing:

I was all over the place during this stretch, from areas around Wrigley to the park at Wrigley to a Mexican restaurant. I kept trying to go somewhere, and then rumors kept escalating.

Strangest Thought Passing Through My Mind:

What if Jeimer Candelario finally breaks out with regular playing time, and Isaac Paredes continues to explode and becomes a top 20 prospect by next year? Do the Cubs have to win the World Series for us not to hate on the trade? Or will we be able to be steadfast in knowing that, as of the time it was made, this looks like a solid – albeit a little painful – trade?

A Selection of #BNBlogathon Tweets:

written by

Brett Taylor is the Lead Cubs Writer at Bleacher Nation, and you can find him on Twitter at @BleacherNation and on LinkedIn here. Brett is also the founder of Bleacher Nation, which opened up shop in 2008 as an independent blog about the Chicago Cubs. Later growing to incorporate coverage of other Chicago sports, Bleacher Nation is now one of the largest regional sports blogs on the web.

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