Yep, The Cubs Are Sellers

The magical date of July 1st has come, and while most people, including myself, are focused on the Chicago Bulls and their pursuit of Lebron James, the Cubs have yet to go on any type of run. At 34-45, the Chicago Cubs sit in fourth place in their division, and 10.5 games out of first place. And, with the Trading deadline a month away, it is likely that the Cubs will start to look to ship away some of their veterans in hopes to get better for next year, and the following years as well.

One thing to look for out of any Cubs trades this month, is that they will likely be looking for either young MLB players, or top level prospects that can contribute in the near future. I don’t envision the Cubs trying to take on any type of a large contract before the trade deadline.

Among the players that could traded are Ted Lilly, Derrek Lee, Mike Fontenot, Seam Marshall, Tom Gorzelanny, Xavier Nady, and Kosuke Fukudome.

Ted Lilly is going to be the Cubs biggest trading chip. Because, given how well he has pitched this season and the past seasons, he will likely get the Cubs a good return from any team that acquires him. The Mets reportedly have Lilly high on their radar if they can not land Cliff Lee. The same can be said for teams like the Dodgers, Red Sox, Rangers, and Twins.

Derrek Lee still would be able to give the Cubs a decent return, but not nearly as much as Ted Lilly would get the Cubs. Lee, who is hitting .230 with 10 home runs, could be an option for a team like the Giants, or Angels who could look to add some offensive help before the deadline.

Mike Fontenot’s name surprisingly wound up on the trading block this past week, as the Cubs reportedly were in talks with the Boston Red Sox about a possible Fontenot trade. Fontenot is the type of player that most teams strive to have, he can play second base, third base, and short stop while showing that he can be a quality bat to come off the bench. If you ask me, Fontenot has more value with a National League Team instead of an American League team.

As for Kosuke Fukudome, the Cubs are interested in trading the right fielder, but would have to eat most of the remaining $21MM to do so. We heard before about talks between the Red Sox and Cubs about Fukudome, however the Red Sox quickly moved into a different direction. Among teams that could have interest in Fukudome are the Padres, Nationals, and Red Sox. Fukudome has a  15 team no trade clause, and it is believed that the Red Sox are not on the list of teams. It is not known if the Padres, or Nationals are on the list.