The Cubs played a pretty lackluster game on July 4 and lost again, this time to the Rays. Granted the Rays took advantage of some scratchy hits in their big inning, but Lester should have been able to shut the door. The Cubs could do little against Chris Archer. I never could understand how they traded him away for Matt Garza six years ago.
On the trade rumor front, rumor has it the Cubs have kicked the tires on the Tigers catcher Avila and pitcher Verlander. Avila makes some sense if you think you are going to make a run. He is a rental, but is having a really good year. Verlander, on the other hand, though once a dominant starter, is having an awful year and may be running out his string, much as Lackey has been, though he is four years younger. The story is the Tigers want a lot for a 34 year old pitcher with a history of arm trouble and a $28MM annual salary. I rather hope the Cubs steer clear of that part of the bargain.
The Cubs really need an experienced starting pitcher. Their sights seem directed toward controllable arms, but these guys, as we have noted before, are either not readily available or come with some risk. They might be better off looking for a rental if they can find one. Not sure who is on the market.
My apologies for misreading the schedule up to the All-Star break. I thought the Cubs closed out the first half with Milwaukee, but it turns out they play only a makeup game on Thursday and finish off with the Pirates. They still need to sweep these inter-divisional games to prove they are real.
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