Maybe it’s my state of mind, but this is one of those reports that strikes me as initially sounding kind of fun and exciting … and then you realize it’s really just kind of a status quo situation:
Cubs have made their big moves, and currently monitoring for controllable depth among starting pitcher and reliever markets.
— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) July 31, 2017
With the Trade Deadline just a few hours away, and the ability to trade for controllable pitchers like Olney mentions will soon go poof until November, so it’s only natural that the Cubs would keep the fishing lines out there just in case an interesting Mike Montgomery type comes along. There’s not so much a need for that guy right now, but if the players are changing teams in this moment, well, then, you better be paying attention in this moment in case a guy you’ve always liked is about to change teams.
In the end, I think that’s all this is. The Cubs are basically done, but if something falls in their lap, or if someone whom they’ve sneakily liked for a long time becomes available, then maybe they figure out a way to make something happen.
As noted earlier, that includes Sonny Gray, and there’s a little more on that:
Cubs would love Gray and are monitoring things in case A's-Yankees talks crumble. But not as much to offer as Yankees.
— John Shea (@JohnSheaHey) July 31, 2017
UPDATE: Sounds like Gray and the Yankees is gonna happen:
Source: Sonny Gray will be traded to the Yankees.
— Jack Curry (@JackCurryYES) July 31, 2017