The Cubs lost two out of three to the Detroit Tigers. For some reason, the series set an attendance record for a three game midweek series, filling the house, mainly with Detroit fans, for each game. The Red Sox series this weekend is likely to do the same, although the split might be a bit more equal.
As to the Detroit series, the Cubs won the first game thanks to the generosity of the Tigers defense. I can see now why they are not in first place in the AL East. Their outfield defense is pretty good, but their infield is just plain awful. After the first game, the Cubs were just outclassed, blowing a 4-1 lead in Game 2 and succumbing to Justin Verlander in Game 3. Travis Wood turned in a gutsy performance in that game. I've always thought that among the Epstein/Hoyer acquisitions thus far, he might have a future.
In the first game of the Boston series, Dempster again turned in a sterling performance. I've never been a big fan of Ryan Dempster, but this year he does seem inspired, perhaps by the fact it is his contract year and that another year like the previous two and he is likely out of baseball or back in the bullpen.
The Cubs were a little lucky to beat the Red Sox 3-0 yesterday. The Red Sox are fielding a pretty makeshift team these days what with all the injuries to key players. Dice-K walked the bases loaded in the first and the Cubs picked up two runs on Clevenger "double", a pop fly that dropped in front of an indecisive Scott Posednik, the fastest blockhead ever to play left-field. I take it as a measure of the Bosox desperation and the sheer awfulness of Marlon Byrd that they brought this guy up to play through Carl Crawford's injury time and released Byrd.
Later on, Ryan Dempster "tripled" to right field when Adrian Gonzalez, whom the Red Sox are forced to play in the outfield to get Ortiz's bat into the lineup at first base, made an ill-advised try at a diving catch on a blooper. DeJesus drove him home with probably the only solid hit the Cubs managed all day against Dice-K.
Everyone is agog with the trade rumors swirling about the Cubs veteran pitchers Ryan Dempster and Matt Garza. I fully support the idea that Dempster should be traded. He is having a career year and he is a free agent next year at 35. Some contender will overpay for his services through the balance of the season and they will likely be disappointed. Even in his prime, Dempster has never been a playoff or stretch run talent. The Cubs should get a good return for Dempster, hopefully in return for a solid pitching prospect who is likely to be ready next year or a third baseman fitting the same category.
If they go for younger prospects, they are taking a bigger risk. These trades that are made to flesh out the farm system rarely pan out and even the ones made for guys close to the majors rarely yield equal value. That's one reason the Cubs should think twice about dealing Matt Garza, a proven major league pitcher who should not be considered expendable even on a team that is as weak as the Cubs. Guys like Garza get traded by poor teams that cannot afford to pay them.
If you look at some of the recent blockbuster pitcher trades, you will understand what I am getting at. As a general rule, one should never trade good younger pitchers who are under team control. Take the Cubs acquisition of Garza from Tampa Bay. Arguably, the Rays could not afford to pay Garza even in arbitration and they were pitching rich, but what they got in return, even though it depleted the Cubs system of prospects, was the equivalent of a bag of baseballs. Archer, the pitcher, has been a bust. Sam Fuld is a serviceable fifth outfielder. Chirinos and Guyer have had a cup of coffee at the big league level, and Lee, the Korean shortstop who was supposed to be a can't miss star, is languishing at the AA level, unable to hit at all.
The Nationals acquired Gio Gonzalez from the A's for four genuine prospects. Two of the pitchers, Cole and Peacock, have put up bad minor league stats. The other, Milone, has pitched about as well as Travis Wood in the majors. The catcher, Derrick Norris, may be a major leaguer in time. Gonzalez, on the other hand, is a star and a major reason the Nats are in contention.
The Cubs should only hope they would get as good a haul as the Padres landed for Matt Latos. Even there, the primary player, Yonder Alonso, has been mediocre this year. Volquez, the pitcher, has been a flop. Boxberger, the reliever, has been unimpressive at AAA. The real prospect here, Yasmani Grandal, has shined at AAA. He might be the redemption for this deal.
My point, I guess, is that the idea is to build a winner in the majors, not to stock the farm system as an end in itself. If you have a good player under team control in his late twenties, the odds are with you if you keep him.
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