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Trade Candidate: Nate Schierholtz

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Outfielder Nate Schierholtz is in the midst of a career season in Chicago, and as with every Cubs veteran playing well, he easily could be dealt before the end of the month. The Cubs have already traded his platoon-mate, Scott Hairston, to the Nationals, and the Cubs figure to at least explore the possibility of trading Schierholtz as well.

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As Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports recently noted, the Cubs control Schierholtz's rights through 2014 — the Phillies non-tendered him following the 2012 season with two years of arbitration eligibility remaining, so he still has a year of team control left after this year. Schierholtz is also only making $2.25MM in 2012, so his price in arbitration won't be exorbitant. That means the Cubs don't need to trade him. But it also makes Schierholtz a very attractive trade target right now, particularly in a season in which he's hitting .275/.330/.510.

Also, David DeJesus is currently on the disabled list, and the Cubs control DeJesus' services for 2014 as well. That means DeJesus isn't likely to be traded, and knowing he's likely to stick around may make the Cubs more inclined to deal their other lefty-hitting veteran outfielder.

Schierholtz doesn't really play center field, but he provides reasonably strong defense in a corner. He isn't a typical 30-homer masher, but he does have some power. He doesn't steal many bases, but he's an average, or maybe slightly-above-average baserunner. Dave Cameron at FanGraphs correctly labels Schierholtz a tweener. Schierholtz doesn't have enough of any one skill to be a slugger, or an archetypal leadoff man. The flipside, though, is that there isn't much he does badly, and as a result, he can help both defensively and offensively, particularly when he's platooned. (He has just 31 plate appearances against lefties this year.)

The Cubs should be able to get a solid prospect return for Schierholtz, both because he's playing very well and because his salary won't be an obstacle. The Pirates (whose fans Schierholtz might remind of Nate McLouth, and not just because of his first name) would be an obvious fit. Travis Snider has played horribly in an extended audition in right, and while Jose Tabata has played well recently in Snider's place, Tabata and Schierholtz would fit together nicely in a platoon. The Rangers might also be a possibility, although they would likely prefer a right-handed hitter. Contenders with more stable outfields also might show interest in Schierholtz, since he would be very useful as a fourth outfielder.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

NL Notes: Pirates, Nationals, Giants, Rockies, Cubs

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The Pirates have "no clear priority" at the trade deadline, GM Neal Huntington tells Jim Bowden and Jim Duquette on SiriusXM (via Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review on Twitter). Huntington notes, however, that the team could look for a reliever or hitter. If they pursue a hitter, an outfielder to complement Andrew McCutchen and Starling Marte might make sense, although Jose Tabata has hit well alongside them recently. Here are more notes from around the National League.

  • Even after the addition of Scott Hairston, Nationals manager Davey Johnson would like his club to acquire another veteran bench player, MLB.com's Bill Ladson reports. Ladson notes, however, that the Nationals are more likely to acquire a pitcher, since Ross Detwiler is hurt and Dan Haren has not gotten good results.
  • Johnson, however, says doesn't think a deal for a starting pitcher is "in our plans," MASNsports.com's Dan Kolko reports. GM Mike Rizzo doesn't favor rental players, Kolko says, and the Nationals like their minor-league pitching, so they don't see much reason to pursue a longer-term rotation solution via trade.
  • The Giants have lost four games in a row and are now in the NL West cellar at 40-50, and they don't have plans right now to be buyers at the tarde deadline, CBS Sports' Danny Knobler tweets. They don't appear ready to sell yet, either, although Knobler guesses that could soon change. If they do sell, Knobler notes that Tim Lincecum and Hunter Pence could be on the market.
  • The Rockies aren't sure whether they will buy or sell, Knobler reports, noting that this weekend's series against the Dodgers could help them decide. The Rockies are just 4.5 games back in the NL West, but they're 43-48. If they do end up becoming sellers, they will not trade Troy Tulowitzki or Carlos Gonzalez, and would have to be "overwhelmed" to deal Michael Cuddyer, Knobler reports.
  • The Cubs, meanwhile, have won four games in a row, but that won't keep them from continuing to sell, writes Jesse Rogers of ESPN Chicago. The Cubs are still 14 games out of first place. "Even though we're playing really well there has to be that streak of wins to climb back into something," says manager Dale Sveum. "Especially when you have three to four teams to climb over. It still takes a 10-game winning streak to say, ‘Ok, now we have a chance.'"

Cubs To Sign Kris Bryant

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The Cubs have reached agreement on a $6.7MM deal with No. 2 overall pick Kris Bryant, according to Jim Callis of Baseball America (via Twitter).  Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reported earlier today that the two sides were close to striking a deal.

Bryant, who is being advised by Scott Boras, had a monster junior season in which he belted 31 homers and catapulted up the 2013 draft board.  The third baseman/outfielder will be the latest promising position player to join the Cubs' stash, joining shortstop Javier Baez and outfielders Jorge Soler and Albert Almora.

Heyman heard in late June that the two sides weren't close to an agreement.  Bryant and Boras were said to be seeking a bonus greater than the $6.7MM assigned pick value, while the Cubs wanted a deal for just over $6MM.

Boras said yesterday that was confident that a deal would be struck in advance of the mid-July deadline.  Some speculated that it could go until the eleventh-hour with Bryant being the final holdout of the first round, but the two sides have hammered out the framework for a deal with days to spare.  

Bryant's pick came as a surprise as the Cubs were widely expected to select whichever top pitcher the Astros passed on (Jonathan Gray or Mark Appel).  Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com and Keith Law of ESPN.com had Bryant ranked as the second-best prospect in the draft while Baseball America had him ranked third.  BA writes that Bryant's best tool is his plus-plus right-handed power and notes that his athleticism should allow him to stick at third base.

Red Sox Notes: Garza, Papelbon, Breslow

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It's no secret that the Red Sox are in need of bullpen help, but there's not much out there on the trade market.  They're keeping an eye on Brewers relievers John Axford, Francisco Rodriguez, and Mike Gonzalez but there are plenty of other clubs, including the Orioles and Tigers, who have the same idea.  Here's the latest out of Boston..

  • The Red Sox could also use a boost in the starting rotation, but sources tell Andy Martino of the New York Daily News that they do not feel desperate enough to pay the necessary price to land Matt Garza from the Cubs.  Major league sources say Boston ranks its trade deadline needs in the following order: bullpen help, stopgap players for the left side of its infield, and starting pitching.
  • Some have suggested that the Red Sox should look into bringing Jonathan Papelbon back to Boston, but John Tomase of the Boston Herald doesn't see the Phillies closer solving their problems.  History is littered with teams that have made regrettable trades for relievers, and the Red Sox are no strangers to that phenomenon.  Beyond the cost of prospects, money needs to be taken into consideration as well.  Papelbon is still owed $26MM over the next two years, with an attainable 2016 vesting option worth another $13MM.
  • Alex Speier of WEEI.com spoke with Red Sox reliever Craig Breslow, who had some very interesting thoughts on the way that left-handed relievers are valued.

NL Central: Garza, Wigginton, Cardinals, Braun

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In today's column, Buster Olney of ESPN.com (Insider sub. required and recommended) explains that many teams have "Zack Wheeler Syndrome" as they approach the deadline.  As he describes it, It’s the tendency of GMs to wait for a club to get desperate and overpay for a player.  That's what the Mets were able to do in 2011, when they demanded that they get a top-tier prospect in return for Carlos Beltran and wound up prying Wheeler from the Giants.  Today, one exec tells Olney that the asking price for the Cubs' Matt Garza (as well as the Yankees' Phil Hughes) is "incredibly high" because of that thinking.  Chicago knows they will at least present a qualifying offer to Garza after the season if they keep him, which will net them a compensatory draft pick if he signs elsewhere.  Anyone who wants to land Garza has to match, and probably exceed, the value of that pick.  Here's more out of the NL Central.. 

  • Ty Wigginton wound up as the low man on the totem pole with the Cardinals, writes Rick Hummel of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.  While his disappointing tenure in St. Louis ended with his release yesterday, manager Mike Matheny is an adamant supporter of the veteran and says that his career is far from done.
  • The Cardinals made reliever Mitchell Boggs available because he has struggled so far in 2013, but he could bounce back and regain his 2012 form, writes Troy Renck of the Denver Post.  St. Louis shipped Boggs to the Rockies yesterday for roughly $206K in international bonus slot money.
  • The Biogenesis suspensions could make for a messy second-half of the season, writes Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports.  However, despite the negative attention surrounding the Brewers' Ryan Braun, Alex Rodriguez, and others, the game has been quite resilient through this and other PED scandals.

Jen-Ho Tseng, Cubs Close To Deal

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The Cubs are close to a deal with Taiwanese pitcher Jen-Ho Tseng, MLB.com's Jesse Sanchez reports. Sanchez expects that Tseng's bonus will cost the Cubs a little over $1.5MM. Sanchez had tweeted on Monday that the Cubs had emerged as the favorite to sign Tseng.

Sanchez ranked Tseng the No. 29 international prospect. The 18-year-old Tseng has a fastball that reaches 95 MPH, along with a curve and slider. He was the youngest player on Chinese Taipei's WBC roster.

The Cubs have already signed Gleyber Torres for $1.7MM, Jefferson Mejia for $850K, Erling Moreno for $650K and Johan Matos for $270K, and they have an agreement with top outfield prospect Eloy Jimenez for $2.8MM. That means they will have exceeded their $5.52MM international bonus pool even before the Tseng signing.

The Cubs can still trade for the right to spend more bonus pool money, but Sanchez notes that they can only do so up to a 50 percent increase over their original $4.56MM pool. If they traded up to the maximum amount, that would leave them with a bonus pool of $6.84MM. Assuming Tseng signs for an even $1.5MM and that the Jimenez deal is completed, the Cubs will spend $7.7MM just on Jimenez, Torres, Tseng, Mejia, Moreno and Matos.

If the Cubs exceed their pool by 10 to 15%, they cannot sign an international prospect for more than $500K during the 2014-15 signing period. If they exceed it by more than 15%, they cannot sign a player for more than $250K. In either case, they would have to pay a 100% tax on this year's overage. It now appears very likely that the Cubs will exceed their 2013-14 bonus pool by more than 15%, which may be a plan they developed on the fly — they recently traded for more pool space in the Scott Feldman and Ronald Torreyes deals, and it's hard to see why they would have done that if they planned on paying the stiffest penalty for exceeding their pool.

MLBTR's Steve Adams wrote last week about the Cubs' international bonus situation.

NL Notes: Wilson, Pence, DeJesus, Marcum

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Free agent and former Giants closer Brian Wilson has been training in Hawaii and could pitch for scouts near the beginning of August, ESPN's Buster Olney tweets. Wilson had Tommy John surgery in 2012 and has not pitched since last April. Here are more notes from around the National League.

  • Giants outfielder Hunter Pence told Jim Bowden on Sirius XM MLB Network Radio (via Twitter) that while the club hasn't made him an offer in the last two months, he enjoys playing in San Francisco and would like to stay there. Pence avoided arbitration with the Giants prior to this season by agreeing to a one-year, $13.8MM deal and will be eligible for free agency for the first time this winter.
  • Cubs outfielder David DeJesus' recent injury means he's unlikely to be headed out of Chicago by the trading deadline, and he's just fine with that, the Chicago Sun-Times' Gordon Wittenmyer reports. "I love Chicago. I love playing here," says DeJesus. "[I]f I can be a part of the team chancing over and bringing the winning feeling to Chicago … We’ve been playing some good baseball the last month. I want to be a part of it."
  • Mets offseason acquisition Shaun Marcum will be shut down for the season due to an issue with his pitching hand, according to a report from Ed Coleman of WFAN that has been confirmed by Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com (on Twitter).  Even though the signing didn't pay off for the Mets, Rubin recently explained that incentives in the deal would have cost the club even more if he continued to pitch.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Cubs Notes: Garza, Soriano, Russell, Navarro

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Trade rumors continue to swirl around the Cubs' Matt Garza, but his teammates would like to see the Cubs extend him, Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune reports. "It’s hard to find pitchers like that because he’s always there for us," left fielder Alfonso Soriano said. However, an AL GM told CSN Chicago's David Kaplan recently that there's probably not much to recent rumors that the Cubs are exploring an extension for Garza. "I'd be stunned if he is a Cub August 1," the executive told Kaplan.  Some more North Siders notes..

  • Soriano is the subject of a lot of trade talk himself, but he's not thinking about the rumors, according to Sullivan. "If they want me to stay here, I stay here. But if they don’t want me to, the door is open. I’ve had a good time. I just play one day at a time and enjoy my time," the former All-Star said.
  • Soriano's recent surge, in which he's hit .381 with six homers and four doubles in 10 games, has drawn new attention from contending teams that are looking for offense, Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times writes. Soriano, who has a full no-trade clause, turned down a potential trade to the Giants last year, but he indicated during the Cubs' recent road trip that he may be more open to more teams this summer. "For sure, if somebody asks for me, they have to be a contender for the playoffs," Soriano said. "A good city, I guess … But I don’t want to think about it. Just see what happens."
  • Cubs manager Dale Sveum's decision to use James Russell for the third consecutive day in Monday's blowout win over the White Sox may have been to showcase the lefty to "the many" scouts in attendance, Sullivan also reports. Sullivan notes that the Red Sox are seeking to fill the void left by recently injured left-hander Andrew Miller. Though the Cubs aren't attempting to trade Russell, they aren't deeming any player untouchable in their summer sale, Sullivan says, citing an anonymous source.
  • The Cubs could also move catcher Dioner Navarro, who's performed well above expectations since signing a one-year deal in the offseason, writes Sullivan. Navarro's already clubbed eight homers this year after never hitting more than nine in any previous season. Together, Garza and Navarro could be "a perfect package deal," Sullivan imagines. Navarro, who serves as a mentor to catcher Welington Castillo and has just 128 plate appearances, concedes that he'd like to return to a full-time role.

Indians Focused On Garza, Gallardo

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The Indians seek a top-of-the-rotation type of starting pitcher, writes Jon Heyman of CBS Sports, and the pursuit has led them to focus exclusively on the Cubs' Matt Garza and the Brewers' Yovani Gallardo.  Heyman notes that no deal is close on either front.  The Indians have decent rotation depth, so they're not interested in lesser starters.

The Indians are on Gallardo's no-trade list, as first reported by Chris Cotillo of MLB Daily Dish in June.  He could approve a trade to Cleveland, but it would represent an additional hurdle for the Indians and Brewers.  As Brewers GM Doug Melvin explained to Anthony Witrado of Sporting News in June, "That Yovani is not a free agent like guys like [Zack] Greinke or Anibal Sanchez last year, he has more value than just two months of a rental, so the package from another team has to be something that will wow me."  Gallardo is under contract through 2014 with a club option for '15.

Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports reported earlier today that the Indians and Rangers "are known to have strong interest" in Garza.  A Garza trade appears to be a question of "when," rather than "if." I imagine the Cubs' focus in Garza talks will be on pitching, and I would guess they'd bring up members of the Indians' Triple-A rotation such as Danny Salazar, Carlos Carrasco, and Trevor Bauer.  The Indians also seek bullpen help, notes Heyman, a need the Cubs could accommodate with Kevin Gregg or James Russell.

Cubs Release Shawn Camp

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The Cubs released reliever Shawn Camp yesterday, according to the team transactions page.  Camp had been designated for assignment Wednesday, upon the Cubs' bullpen shake-up.

Camp, 37, posted a 7.04 ERA, 5.1 K/9, 3.5 BB/9, 2.74 HR/9, and 48.8% groundball rate in 23 innings for the Cubs.  With 538 career appearances, Camp ranks third all-time among those hailing from Virginia.  He tied for the MLB lead last year with 80 appearances, a career high.

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