damnit Junkhead! I was having a productive day until I saw your post...

Hold the phone. Apparently Dempster has NOT been traded. At least not yet.

I have to imagine the longer this lingers, the braves will get cold feet on Delgado

sounds like they are waiting for Dempster to sign off on the deal

That does appear to be the case, but I thought the Braves were right behind the Dodgers on his "wish list" of teams he would approve a deal to.

could be that he wants an extension right now

From what I understood, the deal with LA fell through cause Demp was looking for a possible 2-year extension.

As for ATL, what I've read is that Demp has to approve the trade. Supposedly, there's a day moratorium after the trade is offered where Demp can nix the trade if, he so wished. The rule is for guys that have been in the majors for 10 years and with the same team for 5. I'm thinking the trade is going to happen. I haven't done my research on the guy, but the prospect is Randall Delgado and possibly another player. I've read that Delgado projects as a #3 or a #4 starter.

[This message has been edited by bluestainedivy (edited 7/24/2012 8:06a).]

Delgado is only 22 yrs old and is about ML ready. He has been in BA's top 50 prospects the past 2 years I believe. Should be a solid pickup.

Oh, and shame on me...



Congrats Ronnie! Wish you were here to enjoy it!

Samardzija pitched 8 innings of 1 run ball for a 2-0 win over the Pirates. Marmol got a save and Soriano was the offense with 2 RBI doubles.

I remember for so many years when the Cubs were the "better" team the Pirates and Reds would be the ones to ruin the season for us. It would be nice to return the favor, but at the same time it would be nice for Pittsburgh to make the postseason for once.

quote:

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From what I understood, the deal with LA fell through cause Demp was looking for a possible 2-year extension.

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I'd be surprised if he didn't get a 2-year deal in the offseason. I'd love to see him come back to Chicago of r 2 more. I've heard some rumblings that there may be more players involved in the ATL deal so that may be the holdup.

Maholm checks in with another great start with 8 innings of 1 run ball. Also 7 Ks against his old team.

Homers for Castro and Soriano on the way to a 5-1 Cubs win. Apparently it's good we left St. Louis. Rizzo stole his first base today.

Maholm has been solid his last 5 outings, maybe more. Nice to see it, especially with Travis Wood falling back to earth.

I think someone from the ATL offices leaked the Dempster trade details to the press. It's screwing the Cubs and Dempster a little bit. It makes Demspter look like the bad guy for possibly saying "no". And puts the Cubs in a bind cause now everyone knows what they could've gotten. It looks like Dempster really wants LA, which is also not helping the Cubs. It probably hurts them shopping Garza too (well that and his tricep cramp and the fact that he may miss his last start, before the deadline, due to his baby possibly being born.)

We'll see what happens today.

[This message has been edited by bluestainedivy (edited 7/25/2012 8:07a).]

Looks like the deal is dead. GD Dempster screwed us. Now we either keep him or take whatever the Dodgers want to give up. Apparently Dempster was pissed that news of the deal leaked because now he's the bad guy for declining the trade. At least Aramis was up front last year about not wanting to be traded. I respect his honesty a lot more than this ****.

Honestly, I'm more ticked with the Braves than with anyone else. They knew the position they had the Cubs in and screwed them. As far as Dempster goes, well in all honesty he's worked himself into a position where he deserves to have a choice. Yeah it sucks for the Cubs, but they knew the 10 and 5 rule going into this process. Demp has frustrated me from time to time, but that dude has been a vocal clubhouse leader that the Cubs have often lacked and he's very much a team guy. I'm disappointed that Cub fans are turning on him. I trust that the FO will figure something out with this.

Nobody knows all the reasoning behind Dempster's decision. Although it's made worse that the GM of the Braves claims the main reason is so Demp can be reunited with Lily in LA.

But you'd have to assume Theo and Jed don't get in a discussion with the Braves if it's a team that Dempster had ever told them previously he wouldn't be a part of.

Also, the Braves GM is playing the part of scorned woman. He didn't owe it to the Cubs to give them leverage by keeping quiet about their intentions or Dempster's balking, but since he came out and spilled the whole story, the Dodgers have the upper hand in that deal as everyone knows the deal was between them or the Braves and now the Braves are out of the picture.

Theo would need a "mystery team" to have a lot of interest now to maximize the return on any trade now, and who knows if that will happen. Dempster is 35. The Cubs may never see another offer as good as what the Brave had on the table.

Either way, Dempster screwed with the Braves organization, but he's a player. Wren screwed with Theo, who I'm sure didn't go into the deals secretly believing Dempster wanted nothing to do with it. I don't think we'll be seeing any Cubs/Braves trades as long as these two are in charge of their teams.

[This message has been edited by Lance Uppercut (edited 7/26/2012 8:46a).]

i really do hate to see Dempster's tenure with the Cubs end this way. i agree he's fully within his right to veto a move, but i have to believe that Theo and Hoyer discussed Atlanta with him before they even picked up the phone with Wren. i'm just annoyed like everyone else at how this situation has played out and pretty much left the Cubs hanging and killed their negotiations...

Mlbtraderumors.com has a daily Dempster watch.

The one today mentions that the Cubs would offer Dempster 1 million dollars to go to the Braves considering what they could offer compared to the Dodgers. That would mean it wasn't really completely off, but this would be annoying in paying him that much to go away and awkward on the Braves end to come out and say what they have and have Dempster say what he did and then end up on their team. I'd assume Atlanta is off limits.

Another rumor is that a multi-team deal involving the Dodgers is in the works.

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Another rumor is that a multi-team deal involving the Dodgers is in the works.

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i will laugh when Theodore Roosevelt Lilly III is sent to the 3rd team as a part of this deal

Aramis last year came out and said he did not want to be traded. I can respect that. Dempster talked big about how he didn't want to leave but understood the situation and if he did get traded that his legacy would be a great future player received in return for him. Then he told Theo & Jed he would prefer to go to the Dodgers or the Braves. When the Cubs got Atlanta to agree to a great deal, now he crawfishes and screws up the deal ruining any leverage the Cubs might have with LA. Just be honest and people will respect you. Try to blow smoke up our asses and it's going to but you in yours.

MRI showed fluid on Garza's tricep. He won't be going anywhere anytime soon.

Cubs win 3-2.

A 2 RBI hustle triple from Soriano and a squeeze RBI single from Reed Johnson were the offense.

Samardzija had a good start and Marmol came through with the save. It was a much better day to watch than seeing Wood groove fastball after fastball for HRs yesterday.

Good points on Demp. Supposedly ATL is back to being a possibility.

It's good to see Rizzo stick it to the cards.

Is it me or does the almighty Rizzo look a bit like Jim Thome in the face in that picture?

My wife surprised me with an anniversary trip to Chicago yesterday....got it secretly cleared with my boss and everything. We've got tickets for the game tomorrow night.

If there is a city in this country that is more awesome than Chicago in the summer then I haven't been there.

Another good start from Maholm. 6.2 IP w 1 ER.

mlbtr says the Mets are interested in Soto, but they don't think they'll move on it.

This trading season has been quite a shock to me...I was expecting quite the fire sale from Theo. Doesn't look like there will be much action at all. Hopefully they make a deal for Dempster work out.

Congrats on the Chicago trip BTW. Not many places as great as Chicago in the summer!

Justin Germano will be making his first start for the Cubs tonight against the Pirates. He came over from the Red Sox a few weeks ago.

Ozzie Guillen has moved Big Z to the bullpen.

Reed Johnson just got pulled from the game and is getting handshakes in the dugout. He may be headed to a new club.

He scored 2 runs in what may be his final game as a Cub (though maybe he'll come back a 3rd time).

Now maybe Soto is leaving as well. Reed is definitely leaving, though the team isn't revealed yet.

[This message has been edited by Lance Uppercut (edited 7/30/2012 9:28p).]

Yep, both are gone. No idea where or for whom, though.

NSBB said Brett Jackson was pulled from his game, too. Hope that means he's coming to the Cubs to replace Reed and not that he's been traded.

Soto to the Rangers?!