Patrick, thank you for another excellent profile.

Your welcome Neil.

I think the Padres just ended up wanting too much for Peavy in the line of prospects. I think they requested that Castro be included in any deal for Peavy or something like that... Can't member exactly but I am also very glad it didn't happen...

Josh Vitters and Sean Marshall were in the deal for Peavy among others.

Boy, Peavy just about tossed his entire arm right off his shoulder. That sounds real bad...Andrews AND Yocum? The White Sox will be lucky to get 30 starts out of the next 2 1/2 years.

A randome thought, while I will be a happy camper when the Rickets show JH the door, who's not happy about the Jake Peavy deal that never happened.

Never was a big fan of the move as starting pitching didn't seem to be the team's fatal flaw, but one of the great non-trades JH had was that one. I just never heard the final word on whether JH couldn't get the deal done or the Padres were just never realistic about what they wanted.

It ranks up there with the Mike Hampton FA deal that didn't happen. IIRC, we bid over $100 mil for Hampton, only to be topped by Colorado's $120 mil.

Dodged that bullet!

JH wanted Peavy, and didn't not trade for him, because he was worried about his health, but because of the amount of prospects wanted in return.

Trade Lilly NOW! The trade market will be slim and teams willing to add any payroll will be few and far between. You want to trade Lilly to the team that doesn't want to pay the kings ransom for 3 months of Cliff Lee.

While what we can get for Silva and Lilly is limited, I would move them now and get what you can, in fact pick everyone with a no trade clause and offer them on the market - only a few will actually be traded, if any. Also, moving Silva clears salary for next year.

As for Marshall and Marmol, the fact that they are underpriced and under team control makes them the two most valuable commodities the Cubs have that could bring noticeable returns in terms of prospects. The problem is relievers don't have as much value as starters or position players.

I feel the Cubs are out of contention for this year and the next. That being said, the case for trying to trade Marmol and Marshall for prospects that are two to three years from the majors would be a sell high strategy.

They're great players on a lousy team. By the time the Cubs get really good (here's hoping anyway) they will be headed out to the free agent market. Trading them now get's prospects and if you really want them in the future when you get good, bid for them at that time like you would be doing anyway.

There is no immediate value for the Cubs to keep them in the sense of having these two makes the Cubs a playoff team versus trading them and Cubs miss the playoffs. So any wins they will contribute will be to differentiate the Cubs as a third, fourth, or fifth place team - a dubious value at best.

I understand "Sell High", but trading Marmol and Marshall would hurt the team ALOT. It doesn't matter much for the playoffs, but Cubs Brass isn't going to trade everything and tank the season. For this reason, I can't see them traded without young ML talent coming back.

To me Lilly is the only one I would work hard on. Trading him would free up a rotation spot anyway for Z's return, or Jay Jackson or Cashner if Z doesn't come back.

It's sad that our other veterans are either close to useless, or pretty much untradeable.

One thing that has changed recently in baseball: Teams value prospects, and even draft picks, more than they used to, and are more wary of high-priced veterans. That limits what we can realistically get for even Lilly or Silva.

Everyone wants solid prospects, and noone wants to give them up cheaply. It's harder to acquire young talent via trade then it used to be.

That being said, i think Lilly is the only one we'll get a return for.

Alot of teams are looking for bullpen help, but outside of two guys we don't want to trade (marmol and marshall), our cupboard is totally bare there.

Zonk I would have to agree with you. I have noticed that trend too, especially the last couple of years.

Teams prize young players more and see them as building blocks and not trade chips as much as in the past.

Mainly because as you noted veterans have become so expensive and younger players are much cheaper.

I love Ridling too...but 24 year olds playing at high-A are no longer prospects, much less top prospects.

Fact is, unless Vitters moves to 1B, we have no top prospect at the position. I guess you could say Spencer, but even his average has slipped down to the .270's from the .300's. Remember, this is the guy we got for Jake Fox. He's also 24, however.

It'll be interesting to see what happens to the Cubs at the deadline, but if they're sellers, as most of us hope they'll be to purge this roster of underperforming veterans, logic would tell you they should go for 1B prospects, 3B prospects, 2B prospects, and prospects with power potential in general.

However, given the fact it's Hendry we're talking about, you can expect they'll go after pitching, which is something we do NOT need right now

What do you think of Jose Lopez in Seattle? I used to be pretty high on him, but he's struggled this year. Certainly you can blame part of it on the move to 3B, and the whole lineup is struggling.

I've read that he could be available as he doesn't fit the M's OBP model of hitting. He plays 2B and now 3B, has shown good power and ability to drive in runs. He does not strike out much. And he's still just 26.

Aaron, I hope he goes after the best prospects he can get regardless of the position. You can generally move infielders across the right side of the field. I also wouldn't be focusing on 1b since that to me is the easiest position to fill. Heck if you find a better ss prospect you can move Castro over to 1b, ala Banks.

Additionally, if you have a prospect surplus at a position you can alway trade one then too.

That also depends on whether Hendry decides to sell or not. He still seems to think the Cubs are going to somehow come out of this, and a sweep, regardless of how terrible the other team was, is only going to make him think there is more of a chance.

I think JH would be smart to wait until Cliff Lee is traded before dealing Lilly. Teams that miss out on Lee might up their offer on Lilly. I think he'll be more attractive that Oswalt or Haren becuase you'll only owe him about 6m then be done. Jim really needs to nail this potential Lilly trade in my opinion.

Agree, that JH should wait until Cliff Lee is traded but if the Cubs let Lilly go then they have given up so thte question remains is it worth the price and our the Cubs really finished? The impression will be in the clubhouse in my opinion that if Lilly is traded and possibly Silva then the Cubs are out of it and I am not sure given the money the Cubs have spent they want to send that signal.

The Cubs may actually delay selling until afte the deadline in the hope that they gain some momentum. Either way as I have pointed out the Cubs are not in a good position.

If the Cubs were smart they might want to look at trading Lilly to the Rangers and if the Rangers still have money possibly DLee and Soto.

The Rangers have the prospects and Lilly would fit their needs.

Redel and Justin Bour remind me of achother, hopefully one of them pans out