http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/941 ... -mlb-teams
got inspired by this
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Does any team have more quality trade chips and more motivation to cash them in than the Cubs? Consider:
Matt Garza: The 29-year-old right-hander spent the first seven weeks on the DL. He mixed good results with bad in his first five starts, including a nine-run debacle against the Reds on June 11. He's looked like the Garza of old in two starts since, striking out 13 batters, walking just four, and allowing just one run and seven hits over 15 innings. Two and a half years ago, the Rays landed two premium prospects and a total of five players in a deal for Garza and two throw-ins. Now he's three months away from free agency and will thus fetch much less in trade. But if Garza keeps pitching like he has in his past two starts, or even approaches what he did in 2011, he'll attract plenty of suitors.
Scott Feldman: Another walk-year starting pitcher, Feldman earned that status thanks to a lack of interest last winter that allowed the Cubs to land him on a dirt-cheap, one-year, $6 million deal. Though he's stumbled a bit lately, Feldman's still on pace for a better-than-average season, sporting a 3.39 ERA and 3.91 FIP, inducing enough ground balls, and showing strong enough control to overcome a lack of swing-and-miss stuff. If Feldman's still a Cub on August 1, someone out there probably didn't try hard enough.
Nate Schierholtz: He's 29 years old, he's raking to the tune of .296/.347/.558, he mashes right-handed pitching, he's an above-average defender, he's only owed about $1.2 million for the rest of the season, and he still offers a year of team control after this one. Though he's by no means a big-name player, you might not find three other players anywhere who'll get dealt at the deadline and make a bigger impact than Schierholtz could.
There's plenty more here, whether it's a relief-starved team buying into Kevin Gregg's unlikely resurrection, Luis Valbuena offering low-cost, high-OBP help to teams who need upgrades at second or third base, or David DeJesus offering a diversified skill set in the outfield, assuming he can come off the DL sometime soon.
With this much available talent and plenty of desire to sell, the Cubs could be the busiest team in the league over the next few weeks.so any initial thoughts? are we going to be one of the busiest teams? what should we be looking to get done over the next month+
edit- updated trades (as of 7/2)
7/2 trades-
cubs receive: pedro strop, jake arrieta, and international bonus slots 3 and 4
orioles receive: scott feldman, steve clevenger
cubs receive: matt guerrier
dodgers receive: carlos marmol, international bonus slot 4
cubs receive: international bonus slots 2 and 3
astros receive: ronald torreyes (in minors)
