Yesterday, Bruce Levine reported that the Cubs are in the "final stages" of a trade for Marlins center fielder Juan Pierre.
This afternoon, I was able to get in touch with Bruce to obtain a little more info on the deal. It seems that the Marlins are still a little shaky on this deal; they’re not sure whether to hold out and target top-tier prospects or to pull the trigger now just to dump Pierre’s salary.
Also, Levine confirmed that Rich Hill will not be part of any deal for Pierre. Levine said the Marlins are indeed looking for young pitching. As a refresher, here are some top hurlers from the Cubs’ minor league system who may be available:
Jae-kuk Ryu
Ricky Nolasco
Sean Marshall
Renyel Pinto
Angel Guzman
Chicago’s recent trade history with Florida has had mixed results. Most would agree the Cubs made out like bandits getting Derrek Lee for Hee Seop Choi, but that trade was motivated very much by salary concerns.
The Marlins’ unloading of Matt Clement and Antonio Alfonseca for Dontrelle Willis worked out in their favor, although Clement was an integral part of the Cubs’ 2003 playoff run.
