Don't know if it means anything, but Fuld isn't in the lineup tonight for Iowa and Scales is....so perhaps Fuld is on his way.

Fuld would make more sense unitl Johnson comes back.
Hope Miles stays there until he is either traded or the season is over.

Next up should be Bradley to the DL...so it's only a 2 year deal....Then maybe we can dump him in the offseason.
Then bat Soriano ninth...so he asks for a trade...and see if Ken Williams has any interest in Fukodome.

FULD has no bat. That's exact what we don't need. We need a bat. Bring up Scales. And DFA Miles ASAP.

It ought to be obvious that JHendry has sunk this team for years to come. Lengthy, expensive contracts for junk players like Funko, Bradley, Miles, Sorry-oh-no.

I saw that too about Fuld...it makes a whole lot of sense, considering Freel can play 3B (and will split time with Fox most likely) and Fukudome AND Bradley are struggling, which means that Hoffpauir can be in RF, with Fuld in CF, and we get those two bums out of the lineup. When Fox isn't at 3B, you can sub Fox for Soriano.

I'd love this lineup:

Fuld-CF
Theriot-SS
Hoffpauir-RF
Lee-1B
Fox-LF
Fontenot-2B
Soto-C
Freel-3B

It makes a load of sense to all of us to have that lineup....but it won't to Hendry, certainly, and it won't to Piniella.

Taking a look around the league (jumping the gun with a white flag trade a bit)....but if we lose to the Pirates, Brewers, and Cardinals before the break, and don't win at least 2 of those series, then it's time to blow this thing up....here's what's flying around the league:

NL East

Phillies-in desperate need of pitching
*we can offer Lilly or Harden for prospects like Michael Taylor, etc.

Mets-need OF and 1B help
*convince Lee to waive no-trade, and with his value shooting up, we might get good value for him. Also, see if we ate Bradley's salary, if they'd take him, or even Fukudome

Nats-almost anyone is available.
*inquire about Dunn (if we can offload any one of Soriano, Fukudome, or Bradley). Additionally, inquire about Guzman for SS (after we trade Theriot), and Joe Beimel for the pen

NL CENTRAL
(okay...not really realistic to land anyone here with everyone pretty much playing better ball than the Cubs right now...but since the Pirates have been partners in the past...who knows)
Pirates-offloading veterans like LaRoche and Sanchez
*inquire about Sanchez, and even LaRoche if the price is right, and if you can offload Lee too in a separate trade

NL WEST

DBacks-like the Nats and Pirates, they're probably ready to cash it in. Players that could help like Felipe Lopez would make sense
*offer Fontenot for Lopez straight up

Padres-Kouzmanoff has been on the block, and makes a LOT of sense even with ARAM coming back (as he can't go everyday, and has even said so...we'll need a power bat to replace him on those days).
*trade a guy like Mitch Atkins and possibly Jeff Stevens straight up for him

Rockies-at the very last minute of the deadline, we should know what they're going to do...they're still quasi in this, not just for the division, but also the Wild Card. If they're out, the obvious choices for me would be (in order): Brad Hawpe, Seth Smith, Atkins, Spilborghs, Barmes, Street
*for these guys, I would trade just about anyone on our MLB roster...and for that matter, I'd also take on Helton if we could get rid of Lee.

AL WEST

Rangers-need pitching. Chris Davis, Michael Young, Hank Blalock, and Andruw Jones might be on the block
*Personally, I'd see what it'd take to land Ian Kinsler or Nelson Cruz as well
**If we could, I'd ask about their AA first baseman, Mitchell Moreland in ANY trade

AL CENTRAL
the Royals and Indians are the only teams for sure out of the race....the Indians, outside of maybe Victor Martinez, don't really have any attractive, and for that matter, available players (Martinez probably isn't available anyway)

Royals-almost all their veteran players, along with Teahen, are most likely available.
*I would inquire about Teahen AND Juan Cruz in that case

The teams that are mentioned most prominently in rumors recently have been the Rangers, Phillies, and Mets. We have the pieces to help them out....I say go for it.

Lou's postgame comments led me to believe Soriano AND Bradley would probably be out of the next game or so...especially Soriano.

If that's true, then I think major changes have to be coming down, simply because you CANNOT have $28 million riding the pine...if Fukudome is included, then it makes it $40 million on the pine.

I keep wishing and hoping something happens, but Hendry continues to be an idiot, and continues to disappoint.

I just have to say this...in years past I loathed Steve Rosenbloom, and thought he was a turd of a writer...but lately, the dude has been spot on with his assessments, and needed to share this with you, because it's what I've been saying since the offseason:
http://blogs.chicagosports.chicagotribune.com/rosenblog/2009/06/can-anybody-with-the-cubs-do-anything.html

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Soriano and Milton Bradley aren’t producing. I guess $166 million doesn’t go as far as it used to in these recessive times. Throw in the slumping Kosuke Fukudome, and your entire $200-million-plus outfield could be replaced without hurting your offense with runners in scoring position.

After watching the continued bad play in the field, Brenly wondered aloud why there’s such a big concern with the defense of Jake Fox and Micah Hoffpauir.

Or you could make a deal. The Cubs just watched the dreaded Cardinals pants them on Mark DeRosa, so the time for talking is over. I mean, who’s untouchable on this team?

Look, if general manager Jim Hendry can’t make a move, then move the general manager. I mean, if he could deal players from a team that won 97 games, then he can certainly ship bodies from one that’s in fourth place and two games under .500.

I realize I’m just ranting here. Ranting futilely. Venting over players stealing money and management shrugging shoulders. I don’t expect anything to happen. I expect we’ll get more of what Hope Salesman Lou Piniella offered at the end of his post-mortem Sunday -- that the Cubs have division games coming up, a homestand starting Thursday, a chance to make up ground.

But that only works if you can play baseball.
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"Look, if general manager Jim Hendry can’t make a move, then move the general manager. I mean, if he could deal players from a team that won 97 games, then he can certainly ship bodies from one that’s in fourth place and two games under .500."

Thank you Steve Rosenbloom for stealing the obvious words out of my mouth that I've been saying for quite awhile now. "if the GM can't make a move, then move the GM"

It's a no-brainer folks. He didn't move in 2006 until it was far too late, and he's not moved a single bit when we lost an even bigger bat than Lee's circa 2006 (in ARAM this year).

Same deal Aaron...why move Hendry now?...
The damage is done...a new owner will want to name his own management team...and make headlines that a new era is here...If Kenney fires Hendry now...he
steals opportune headlines from the new owner....Patience...it will happen.

Trade Sorry-oh,no? What GM has lost his mind that would want him?

Trade Funko? What GM is at least temporarily insane that would want him?

Bradley? 5 HR, 16 RBI in half a season. What completely delusional GM would want him?

Guys, time to just rebuild with a youth campaign. If you're going to try to unload the likes of Soriano, Bradley, Fukodome and Lee (while his value is high), then just go get some young kids with energy and sound fundamentals, and then bring in a Sandberg/Brenly dughouse combination to teach the game the right way (win or lose). Cub fans will always support effort and energy, regardless of the outcome. It's just sad to watch this current state of ego-athletes, playing on the 3rd highest payroll team. Shame on JH for the moves made to paralyze this team, and particularly shame on LOU for already mentally checked out. You watch franchises like the RedSox, Angels and Braves and you just wonder how our management team is so inept with so much money that's been available.

Atleast kudos to Brenly for "telling it like it is". Refreshing!

When I agonize over it, a couple easy moves and this season would have been entirely different. You hang on to DeRosa, and acquire McLouth (who was peddled for nothing to the Braves). You would have had a lineup of:

McLouth CF
DeRosa 2B
Fox LF
Ramirez 3B
Lee 1B
Hoffpauer RF
Soto C
Theriot SS

I think that would have been a lineup, with bench players like Fuld, Scales, and Fontenot, that could have created some excitement on the north side.

But no, instead we have a FULL outfield of immovable contracts. So sad!

And I certainly should have included Reed Johnson to that bench look and feel.

I'm pretty sick of hearing about DeRosa. It seems like the fans and players need to grow up and get over it. Now that he is on the Cardinals, I hope you all could see him more as an enemy.

I liked him when he was on the Cubs and thought trading him only made sense if the Cubs were using those prospects to get Peavy. Now that he's gone, the players playing the "what if" game does nothing good for the team.

Question:

Is there anyway we could get Steve Stone to take over at GM if/when Hendry gets the ax?

Would Brenly be interested in keeping the manager seat warm for Ryno?

Would Grace come back to fill Brenly's position in the booth if question number 2 comes into fruition?

*I don't know the answers to these questions but I know it will surely get interesting over the next 6 months.

I read something on another fan blog that I found interesting that I have always agreed with and I'm curious as to what many of you think.

It's about Len Kasper. While I think he a is a nice guy and professional, I have always found him to be plain vanilla and VERY boring to listen to, much like Joe Buck, who I think is most dull, borrring announcer I have ever heard.

And here's the other point of the story about Len. Some fans were noting how they are tired of hearing him make excuses for the players and not call them out when they should be called out, unlike his partner, who regulary tells it like it is. I always felt that way too. Whenever I hear Kasper interviewed during the winter or outside the games on the radio or whatever, I almost always turn the channel becuase I know he's not going to tell you anything of substance. He always will gloss over the warts of the team and come up with excuses, or you can predict exactly what he's going to say when he answers the questions. Again, VERY boring and dull.

I love Pat and Ron, and I thought Harry was the best of all. Not only because he told the truth, but he made the game sound exciting. I just hate announcers who show the enthusiam of a person on their deathbed. Think about it, a big part of what makes some of the great highlights in MLB history are the calls of the announcer. Example: the shot heard round the world in 1951, with the announcer sreaming "the Giants win the pennant, the Giants win the pennant !!"
Just think if you had Joe "I'm asleep" Buck calling that play ?? It probably wouldn't be half as famous as it is.

And for the record, I also like Jon Miller, Bob Costas, and Vin Scully. Announcers who actually get excited when something exciting on the field happens. Imagine that ?

Anyways, just my .02 cents. Be curious to hear other opinions.

I haven't been able to watch a lot of games lately, been extrememly busy. But what I have been able to watch has been very very disapointing to say the least. There are only a couple of guys who look like they even care anymore.

I have always been a fan and supporter of Hendry, but unless he comes up with a miracle, and soon, it is time for his ass to be canned, heck it's past time.

Hopefully things can turn around, but the way they have looked the last week, I just don't know.

I was a part of buying and/or selling a dozen companies, and that's likely why I go on and on here about trades. The challenge of "the deal" floats my boat.

Strategically, the challenge is working with and/or around big contracts (and nearly all are lamentable). The goal is to get competitive as quickly as possible. The reality is that Z and Soriano (maybe, in a swap of bad contracts in the case of S) likely net three or four highly competitive, proven and/or prospective players. Dome and Bradley likely do not.

I opt for moving Z and Soriano as the first priorities, because to do so makes the goal attainable. Maybe something can be done with Dome and Bradley--but likely with little talent benefit in return. At worst, Dome is around as a part-timer in '10 and '11. DLee will retire as a Cub after next season. And there is no compelling reason why he shouldn't.

Bradley is a costly problem--with only a slight hope that he re-gains reasonable productivity. A lack of knowledge of the details of his contract makes choices speculative. If his games played option is strictly appearances in 75 games this year (and not also defined as 250 AB's, e.g., choices are very limited.

One choice might be to designate Bradley for assignment--IF the 75 game option would then be cancelled. We would eat most of this year's remaining comp and the $10 mil for 2010--but we would save the option year $10 mil. We could also not play him 75 games--but that could be more costly (via a lawsuit, e.g.,) than suffering through his contract.

The slimmest possibility would be that Bradley could become convinced that he doesn't have the physical health and the mental stability to play out his deal. He does acknowledge that he has been terrible, and that he has no one to turn to for help. Then he might walk away with something like a $1 mil a year for the next 10 years.

In another church, the Indians have an interesting wrinkle in their trading strategy. They like to receive a player to be named as part of their comp in deals--apparently a choice among two or three identified prospects. That has gotten them Choo and Brantly in recent deals, and now they have another choice in the Cardinal deal.

Im seeing around the web the Indians wanted Sean Marshall and PTBNL for Derosa.

Scott....you are too practical and too much a purist. You are leaving out the show business factor. LOL.

I think you have to look at the good and the bad of Brenly's very short managerial career. I do like him, but he was fired shortly after inheriting a team that won it all. I'm sticking with my prediction that Sandberg gets the managerial job.

I agree with Suzy that it will be up to the eventual new owner to make big, new money, changes. I also don't think many veteran managers will want to work for Steve Stone. Like me, he has spent a little too much time as a fill-in singer for one of the (Self) Rightous Brothers.

Jim, I like the analysis, and I love the challenge of the deal as well. My read of the situation is that Hendry can't do anything and is going to sit pat. At best he's a lame-duck GM and at worst (which I now believe) he's part of the cancer that is eating at this team.

Look, all of these guys know that JH made these trades, broke up arguably 2008's best team in the bigs, and what has it brought? Angst. Pitiful performances. No clubhouse cohesion. Questions. MORE pressure.

And so they look to the guy who was at one time "one of them", meaning a big-league ballplayer in their manager, and what does Lou do? Shakes his head, claps his hands and says, "Shucks, I have no idea what to do....what should I do? What woud you do?"

I'm LIVID that Lou is acting this way. If he had any designs on managing longer than this season, he would be FIGHTING....not washing his hands and playing it out like he is. It's disgusting.

If everything comes down to dollars, and it does, and if Zell wants to continue to sell out Wrigley the rest of this summer, he would fire JH *and* Lou, and put Brenly in as the interim manager, name WHOMEVER as the GM, and then let Ricketts do what he wants when the sale goes through.

That way Brenly knows he's auditioning for the full-time job (whether it's in Chicago or elsewhere) and starts managing this team the way it should be managed. And I don't care if it's $140million or $200 million riding the pine. The TEAM will know who's in charge, they would rally around a PROVEN manager, and the "kids" would love to play for him.

THAT is what I want to see. :)

TOP TEN REASONS WHY HENDRY SHOULD BE FIRED:

1) Signing Milton Bradley, who averaged 85 games played, had a career year last year at only 22 hr, 77 RBI, and has been the center of controversy

2) Trading DeRosa for 3 pitchers not even on a top 30 prospects list of the Indians, moreover, 2 of the 3 were average at best in their respective levels (Stevens and Gaub), while also being a few years older than typical competition (never a good sign) at those levels. It would've been one thing to trade DeRosa for a Juan Pierre-esque haul, but it's entirely different when you practically gave him away. Interesting how he was one of the most sought after players out there on the market this summer.....Hendry is such a tool, and has to be the laughing stock of all MLB GM's out there.

3) Giving Soriano an 8 year contract at $136 million. (might've made sense for a consistent player like a Mark Teixeira...or AROD type of player, but not a guy so up and down like Soriano). Also, rule of thumb Jim Hendry....You NEVER sign a guy that far into his 30's, when one of his greatest assets is his legs...you just don't do that. They tend to break down easier

4) Trading 3 top pitching prospects for a one year rental in Pierre. Sure, this would've made sense if you landed yourself a Johan Santana...or a Mark Teixeira....But NOT a player like Pierre, who was a one year rental. Nolasco is one of the more exciting young starting pitchers in the game (though he's struggled this year), and Pinto would've been a solid lefty for us out of the pen. After leaving the Cubs, Pierre has essentially become a part-time player....I think that shows how other teams value him, doesn't it?

5) Not firing Dusty Baker as soon as he lost control of his team in 2004...also, a case could be made for firing Lou this year, as he has clearly ALSO lost this team. When the players started calling the press box to complain, and Hendry did NOTHING to control it, nor Baker...it showed signs of things to come. Hendry clearly was siding with the overpaid babies in the clubhouse who couldn't handle any sort of criticism. It's also clear that those are EXACTLY the types of players Hendry has gone after since...and ones that question the heart and desire (Edmonds, DeRosa, and Wood) are either traded or not re-signed as free agents.

6) Trading Jose Ceda, a 100 mph flame-throwing future closer for a guy that was going to be non-tendered in a month (Kevin Gregg), who was coming off a season in which he injured his knee AND blew 9 saves...one of which coming at the hands of the Cubs with a home run from Daryle Ward, who at the time, couldn't hit the broad side of a barn if it were staring directly at him.

7) Trading the likes of Rich Hill, Jason Marquis, Felix Pie, Cedeno, Corey Patterson, Greg Maddux, etc. for next to nothing. Most teams would be able to get more in return for even a poor season of Jason Marquis, and a down year for Maddux, but the best Hendry could net for all of them was essentially: Heilman, Vizcaino, and Izturis. It appears Jimbo is a very poor seller of talent.

8) In 8 years at the helm, Hendry has stuck with his bff Rothschild, and it's an absolute joke. A telling sign was in 2006, when many of our young pitchers turned to Greg Maddux, instead of Rothschild for pitching help. It's also a telling sign when highly touted guys like Juan Cruz, Kyle Farnsworth, Rich Hill, Carlos Marmol, Kerry Wood and Mark Prior (unable to correct their mechanics to avoid injury), Sergio Mitre, and dozens more have blown through our minor league system, then regressed considerably when they reached the big leagues with Rothschild. Furthermore, David Aardsma is another classic example of Rothschild not being able to fix a pitcher. The funny thing is, prior to coming to us, he was with the Giants, and did not have very good coaching. He also didn't do that bad for us in 2006 with a 4.08 ERA (especially considering what we have now). Sure, the Red Sox weren't able to fix him, but I think that's more of a product of him switching coaches too much than anything.

9) Signing Aaron Miles to essentially replace DeRosa on the team. When DeRosa was coming off a season in which he hit 20+ hr, 80+ RBI, Hendry goes out and signs 2 players that COMBINED, could barely top his offensive output.

10) A farm system that hasn't produced any solid MLB players from the draft, not just when he's been GM, but even when he was in player development. In fact, the only player of note to last long with our team...or any team for that matter at the MLB level, has been Kerry Wood. So......when your claim to fame has been Wood, ARAM and Lofton trade, and the Lee trade, and you haven't gotten anything out of your minor league system.

So, in conclusion, it seems Hendry doesn't have control of this team in any way...either by hiring/firing the right staff, and by holding everyone accountable for their actions. Additionally, he can't produce anything out of our minor league system. When forced to make trades, he usually gets fleeced. When he signs free agents, he doesn't do his research into finding the best possible fit, nor does he consider consistency when making those decisions. So, when he's either a buyer of talent (either FA or through deadline trades), he gets fleeced, and when he's a seller (Hill, Patterson, Pie, DeRosa, etc.), he almost always gets fleeced as well.

It's quite clear that his claim to fame trades, netting Karros and Grudz, ARAM and Lofton, and Lee, have kind of made him into a GM beyond reproach.

Well, the honeymoon is over. We're no longer Cubs fans that are satisfied with Bud and Old Style in the bleachers, hoping our favorite player hits a home run (and nothing more). We demand better, and EXPECT better from our team, especially with the 3rd highest payroll in ALL of baseball. If we don't make some BIG moves shortly, our season is most certainly over...and if that's the case, then Hendry needs to update his resume, and so does everyone else in the organization.

I say that we fire our piece of crap pitching coach and go out and get mad-dog

Text size: Cubs calling up outfielder Sam Fuld

By Paul Sullivan | Tribune staff reporter

PITTSBURGH - The Cubs will call up Triple-A Iowa outfielder Sam Fuld today to replace Aaron Miles, who is headed to the 15-day disabled list with a hyper-extended right elbow.

Fuld, 27, played in 14 games for the Cubs in 2007, making a memorable catch in right field during the pennant race. He is 0-for-6 as a Cub, but hit .286 at Iowa, including .417 in his last 10 games.

Fuld also has 20 stolen bases, playing center field primarily. The former Stanford star gives the Cubs a left-handed bat off the bench and a defensive replacement for Milton Bradley in right.

Greeting Cub fans all of you at one time or another have hit the problems of the Cub organization right on the button!the truth is always hard to swallow when not only the stats.support failure but we the fans can smell the ligering scent of dead baseball in the North side of Chicago!The sale of this team needs to be expedited in order to install changes and restore baseball savey on the North side

I read something on another fan blog that I found interesting that I have always agreed with and I'm curious as to what many of you think.

It's about Len Kasper. While I think he a is a nice guy and professional, I have always found him to be plain vanilla and VERY boring to listen to, much like Joe Buck, who I think is most dull, borrring announcer I have ever heard.

And here's the other point of the story about Len. Some fans were noting how they are tired of hearing him make excuses for the players and not call them out when they should be called out, unlike his partner, who regulary tells it like it is. I always felt that way too. Whenever I hear Kasper interviewed during the winter or outside the games on the radio or whatever, I almost always turn the channel becuase I know he's not going to tell you anything of substance. He always will gloss over the warts of the team and come up with excuses, or you can predict exactly what he's going to say when he answers the questions. Again, VERY boring and dull.

I love Pat and Ron, and I thought Harry was the best of all. Not only because he told the truth, but he made the game sound exciting. I just hate announcers who show the enthusiam of a person on their deathbed. Think about it, a big part of what makes some of the great highlights in MLB history are the calls of the announcer. Example: the shot heard round the world in 1951, with the announcer sreaming "the Giants win the pennant, the Giants win the pennant !!"
Just think if you had Joe "I'm asleep" Buck calling that play ?? It probably wouldn't be half as famous as it is.

And for the record, I also like Jon Miller, Bob Costas, and Vin Scully. Announcers who actually get excited when something exciting on the field happens. Imagine that ?

Anyways, just my .02 cents. Be curious to hear other opinions.

By my recollection, didn't the offense kind of spark the last time Miles went on the DL. And then go into a funk again when he returned. Memo to the Cubs, stop making up injuries for this guy and DFA him, please!

I say kind of, because it hasn't really sparked all year, but that was close.

Good to see Sam in the fold! I have always liked his play, the poor man's Rejo with added speed, something this team has lacked and lacked and lacked!

Scott....You don't get any extra points for modestly valuing your dollar's worth of content at 2 cents. Your takes make sense AND you can do the pre-game National Anthem too.

I'm not defending Lou, but I think his seeming lack of concern is his style (disturbing as it can be). Most modern managers do not throw their players under the bus in public forums unless the player does something like attack a fan with a bat. As an example, Torre said something like, "We're not going to judge Manny. The Commisioners Office will take care of any punishment, and we'll see how Manny is after that."

If Lou wasn't being eaten up inside, he wouldn't have called Bradley a piece of crap. I would like to see him take the exit ramp after the season, because it has worn him out. Given the way things are going, I think Lou will give our young hopefuls a lot of playing time in the second half.

Aaron....Most of your points seem valid to me. A couple aren't. It is not factual that DeRo was traded so we could sign Miles. DeRo (and Woody) were traded for some of the money JH needed to cover built-in payroll increases and other signings (Demp and some a couple ill-starred ones.) Marquis also was traded for money.

Nobody is completely without merit (as you point out with a few good JH deals). It also noteworthy, IMO, that our farm system talent is much better now than it was three or four years ago. With Micah and the multiple call-ups from AAA, we are seeing some talent. Wouldn't it be about perfect if Blanco could hit .280? That guy is one exciting player in the field.

Bradley in the 6 hole tonight with Sori leading off again.

Soriano
Theriot
Lee
Fox
Soto
Bradley
Freel
Blanco
Harden