So the Cubs finished the day acquiring two modest but needed additions and not making a blockbuster trade. I'm OK with that and Cubs fans should be as well. You have to suppose the price was too high for the assets the Cubs wanted to get, players of the caliber of Ross or Carrasco or even Hamels. Haren should give them a solid six innings most days and it was not that long ago that Hunter was closing games for the Orioles.
On another level, the currency most of the sellers were looking for was top level pitching prospects. The Cubs don't have that currency in any great abundance, so they really did not have the ammunition to get much done. By all accounts, they tried hard to push Castro, but there were no takers, which is not surprising considering his contract and lack of performance this season.
They were probably wise to refrain from trading any big chips. Fans kind of get hypnotized by the big names floating around and fail to see that sometimes it is the trades you do not make that make the most sense. This year there were four former Cubs minor leaguers on the All-Star roster, Harrison of the Pirates, Archer from the Rays, LeMahieu from the Rockies, and Donalson now with the Blue Jays.
On the field, the Cubs won their third in a row and fourth of five since the dreadful Phillies series. Rizzo is carrying the team offensively right now, but they got a solid if not spectacular start from Hammel and good relief work from Motte, Strop, and Rondon. Glad to see Rondon move back into the favored ninth inning role.
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