June 30, 2015 Chicago Tribune Next month should show whether Cubs are playoff-ready By Mark Gonzales There were no warning signs, just a realistic assessment in March when manager Joe Maddon correctly forecasted the Cubs would experience a five-game losing streak during the 2015 season. The unknown is the next 41/2 weeks that could dictate how quickly the Cubs push toward a playoff berth this season at the sake of mortgaging some of their future. For all the scrutiny on the recent struggles of prized rookies Kris Bryant and Addison Russell, there are many others to blame for the lack of production with runners in scoring position. The Cubs added veterans Miguel Montero, David Ross and Chris Denorfia in part to help the youngsters navigate through their rigors of a long season. But Anthony Rizzo can't carry the offense alone. Although there are 88 games left in the season, improvements need to occur much sooner. Maddon's preference to give Bryant and Russell a break soon might not be afforded until the four-day All-Star break, especially since the Cubs are carrying only four reserve players and power hitter Jorge Soler isn't expected to return until late this week. Bryant had a 14-game hitting streak earlier this month, and the expectation is he'll rebound. After the Cubs' fifth consecutive loss Sunday, Russell addressed how to remedy his weakness — stop chasing pitches out of the strike zone.. They'll get tested again next week in a four-game series when they face the same Cardinals team that swept them last weekend, and John Lackey, Michael Wacha and Carlos Martinez — who combined to help limit the Cubs to four runs — are lined up to pitch in the series. Maddon prefers not to look that far ahead, and it's understandable with the Cubs trailing the Cardinals by 111/2 games. Early in the season, Maddon spoke of blending solid pitching, defense and offense that would lead to improvements over the .500 mark in five-game increments. The implication was if the Cubs played well, they would strengthen their playoff chances regardless of how well the Cardinals were performing. But the rotation needs addressing, especially the back end. The Cubs have done business in the past with the A's (with left-hander Scott Kazmir available), and general manager Jed Hoyer said last month at some point the Cubs would make a trade with the hitting-thirsty Mets.

This week provides the Cubs with a chance to personally scout potential trade targets, as they face left-hander Jonathon Niese of the Mets on Tuesday night and play host to the Marlins (with Tom Koehler and perhaps Dan Haren) this week. The Cubs have several front-office members who are familiar with the Marlins' personnel dating back to their days with that mercurial organization, and President Theo Epstein hasn't been afraid to take a chance on a player with Red Sox ties. Nevertheless, the performances of several Cubs in the next few weeks will determine how acute their needs are. -- Chicago Tribune Cubs hope to make splash during international signing period By Mark Gonzales The early reports on 18-year-olds Eloy Jimenez and Gleyber Torres have been promising, and the Cubs are eager to make a splash when the international signing period starts Thursday. "Our guys have done a very good job, and they've scouted the Dominican Republic and Venezuela heavily," general manager Jed Hoyer said. "I think it's nice to have the restrictions off us this year. We have to wait past July 2 before things start, but there's certainly a different scouting season for our guys, knowing we can be involved in those high-profile guys." The Cubs couldn't sign an international player for more than $250,000 last summer after exceeding their 2013-14 bonus pool by more than 15 percent. Two years ago, the Cubs signed Torres, a Venezuelan shortstop who is batting .319 with 42 RBIs, 10 stolen bases and a .385 on-base percentage at Class A South Bend. Torres received a $1.7 million signing bonus. Jimenez, an outfielder from the Dominican Republic, is batting .293 with seven RBIs in 10 games at short-season Class A Eugene. The Cubs' international bonus pool for the 2015-16 signing period is $3.2307 million, but they're expected to exceed it (and face penalties) in order to fortify their farm system. "Last year, we liked the guys we ended up signing, but we knew which players we wouldn't even factor for," Hoyer said. "It's nice for our scouts to go forward with the entire class, not a limited group.'' According to Baseball America, the Cubs have been linked to Aramis Ademan, a 5-foot-10, 150-pound Dominican shortstop. Extra innings: Right fielder Jorge Soler went 0-for-3 with an RBI groundout and strikeout Monday for Triple-A Iowa in his first minor league rehabilitation game against New Orleans. Soler, who has missed four weeks because of a left ankle sprain, made a running catch of Scott Sizemore's fly in foul territory in the sixth. ... Ian Happ, the Cubs' first pick in the amateur draft, has hit three home runs in his first 10 games with Eugene. -- Chicago Tribune Theo Epstein adds Eddie Vedder to charity benefit lineup By Paul Sullivan Cubs president Theo Epstein will play guitar alongside old friend Eddie Vedder at the annual “Hot Stove Cool Music” benefit on July 9th at the Metro.

Vedder’s appearance was announced Monday, highlighting a musical roster that includes Wilco’s John Stirratt, Cheap Trick’s Daxx Nielsen and Brendan Bayliss of Umphrey’s McGee. WXRT’s Lin Brehmer, actor Joel Murray and actor/comedian Mike O’Malley will serve as emcees of the event, with Cubs broadcaster Len Kasper and Hall of Fame baseball writer Peter Gammons also performing. Proceeds will benefit Cubs Charities and Epstein’s Foundation To Be Named Later (FTBNL). Epstein took a moment on Monday to answer a few questions about his relationship with Vedder and the upcoming event. How long have you known Eddie and how did you get him to agree to play? “Thirteen years. We never even asked -- Eddie volunteered to play and insisted on paying his own way so all the money raised goes directly to charity. Eddie has a huge heart and a tremendously generous spirit. Whether it’s behind the scenes without anybody knowing or at events like this, he has a real habit of showing up and delivering to help others who could use a hand. And he does it in a really engaging, genuine, empathetic, humanistic way that makes him truly special. This event was made for him: music, baseball, helping others ... all in the shadow of Wrigley Field.” Is it true you followed Pearl Jam around South America when you quit the Red Sox? “Not true. My wife (then girlfriend) and I saw one Pearl Jam show in Buenos Aires and stayed for five days to explore the city.” As celebrity Cubs fans go, where does Eddie rate in terms of his Cubs' IQ? “Eddie as a Cubs fan? He’s the real deal, the best. He remembers specifics about games he attended as a kid growing up in Evanston and he hardly ever misses a game these days. Eddie has real genuine affection for the Cubs organization and its players, and the feeling is mutual.” As Hall of Fame baseball writers go, how does Peter Gammons rate in terms of his rock IQ? “I’m not sure I know any other Hall of Fame writers, do I? Peter knows his rock, that’s for sure.” Are White Sox fans welcome at the show? “There are no enemies in furtherance of a good cause.” How can you search for another pitcher and play “Spin the Black Circle” at the same time? “Play quickly.” -- Chicago Tribune Cubs' Albert Almora, Dan Vogelbach named to USA squad By Mark Gonzales Chicago Cubs prospects Albert Almora and Dan Vogelbach were named Monday to the 2015 U.S, Pan American team. Almora, an outfielder, and Vogelbach, a first baseman, will compete for the United States in the Pan American Games in Ajax, Ontario on July 10-19. The U.S. roster is comprised of 24 players currently not on major league 40-man rosters.

Almora and Vogelbach play for Double-A Tennessee. -- Chicago Tribune Happy New York homecoming for Cubs' Mike Baxter By Mark Gonzales Cubs outfielder Mike Baxter isn’t sure if the right shoulder injury he sustained while preserving Johan Santana’s no-hitter three years ago with the Mets derailed his career. But Baxter couldn’t be more pleased over the fact that he returns home this week to New York as a contributing member of a playoff contending team. “Any time you get a chance to play on a team in the middle of things, it’s exciting,” said Baxter, who is batting .324 in June while Jorge Soler moves closer to returning from a left ankle injury. “I’m thankful to get the at-bats and the opportunities. I’ve been looking forward to this trip for a while.” Baxter and the Cubs will try to snap a season-high five-game losing streak Tuesday night against the Mets and potential trade target Jonathon Niese. Baxter, 30, grew up 10 minutes from Citi Field and often commuted to Archbishop Molloy High School in Queens by taking the subway train, which ran past since defunct Shea Stadium. Monday’s day off allowed Baxter to return to his neighborhood to visit his parents, grandmother, aunt and sister and hold a birthday party for his son Will. “In baseball, it’s so rare to be geographically close to your family and share those experiences with them,” said Baxter, who played for the Mets for parts of 2011-2013. “For me, that was a really cool part of it.” -- Chicago Sun-Times Rumors king in Queens as Cubs weigh future vs. now in trade deadline strategy By Gordon Wittenmyer Cubs general manager Jed Hoyer was finishing up an interview with a few Chicago reporters last month before a game against the New York Mets, when a writer snuck in a final question about the apparent abundance of trade opportunities between the pitching-flush Mets and hitting-rich young Cubs. “We haven’t made a deal yet, but there’s been matches that made sense, and I’m sure we’ll talk to them in the future,” Hoyer said. “It’ll happen at some point.” What? Nearby New York writers perked up suddenly as Hoyer headed off to other business. “Did your GM just say he’s making a trade with the Mets?!” Uh, not really. But sort of. Maybe. Crank up the rumor mill again as the Cubs head to Queens for a three-gamer against the Mets with exactly a month to go before the trade deadline.

Whether either considers itself a bona fide contender – enough to dive into the deep end of the July trading pool – probably depends on what happens in the next two weeks. This week’s series alone could have a big influence on the direction of the fifth- and sixth-positioned teams in the National League if one sweeps. Meanwhile, a Cubs team that rarely sends its president or GM on the road with the club is expected to have Hoyer traveling on this trip. Not that it necessarily signals an impending move between the teams, but the teams have had discussions on possible trades for well over a month as the Mets shopped since-demoted Dillon Gee and Tuesday’s starter Jonathan Niese. The Cubs seek higher quality – an arm they can envision as at least No. 3-caliber playoff starter — and were willing to consider including slugging prospect Javy Baez in a deal until Baez broke his finger earlier this month. Both teams are looking for club control over the talent it acquires, especially in any deal between two clubs with some of the highest volume of young pitchers and hitters, respectively, in the game. The Cubs in particular have so few well regarded pitching prospects that one evaluator familiar with the system said he didn’t need all the fingers on one hand to count the number of legitimate major-league starting prospects in the system. And the best one of those, high-A right-hander Duane Underwood Jr., went on the Myrtle Beach disabled list over the weekend with an undisclosed arm injury. Team officials said he was undergoing medical tests Monday to determine the severity. No wonder the Cubs committed $155 million for six years to get the starter they wanted last winter, and why they talk internally about long-term free agent offers for the likes of Jordan Zimmermann or David Price next winter – assuming new club revenues are shared with the baseball department. But what about now? What about the chance to make a playoff push at least a year ahead of schedule? Were those back-to-back wins against Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke that pushed the Cubs nine games over .500 the indicators of what this team is this year? Or were the five consecutive losses against the Dodgers and Cardinals that followed? “It’s the same balancing act we always go through – try and balance the future vs. the present,” Hoyer said. “Obviously, this is a very important season. Every season that you’re in the race you have to take seriously because you can’t always count on tomorrow. “As much as we’re building for the future, you don’t know what’s going to happen in the future. You know what’s going [on] now. You don’t want to do anything that you’re going to look back on and say ‘that was hasty.’ But you never want to look only toward the future and ignore the fact that this has been a really fun season with a lot of big positives, and ‘can we improve some of the weaknesses we have and keep that going?’ “ -- Daily Herald Tricky weeks ahead for Chicago Cubs' front office By Bruce Miles Monday's off-day could not have come at a better time for the Cubs. It would be overstating it to say the Cubs are "reeling," but they are a bit battered. They enter a three-game series against the New York Mets on a five-game losing streak. Until this past weekend, the Cubs were holding down one of the wild-card spots in the National League.

That in itself is a pretty good story, considering the Cubs still are in their rebuilding stage under team president Theo Epstein and general manager Jed Hoyer. But fans -- not to mention the players -- have gotten a small taste of winning and they want more. And who could blame them, considering what they've been through, especially during the first three seasons of the rebuild? The front office faces a pretty tricky task leading up to the July 31 nonwaiver trading deadline. Epstein already has proclaimed the Cubs contenders, and no doubt the guys in the clubhouse will be casting their eyes toward him to do something. Hoyer and Epstein must determine how realistic a contender this club is and how much they're willing to give up to get a solid starting pitcher, which is what the Cubs really need. A bullpen arm wouldn't hurt, either. From the end of last season, when first baseman Anthony Rizzo first said the Cubs should compete for a division title, Epstein repeatedly has said he would not completely mortgage the future to win in 2015. That remains a wise approach. The Cubs have come this far, and there's no sense in putting cracks in the foundation they've painstakingly put down. The Cubs aren't going to trade Kris Bryant, Addison Russell or Kyle Schwarber. It hasn't helped that Starlin Castro is having a subpar first half or that Javier Baez broke his finger. But the organization still has some movable chips in the system and players whose paths to the big leagues seemed blocked by cornerstone players. The Cubs might not be willing to part with certain players to land a Cole Hamels from the Phillies, and that may be just as well. But there might be enough there to land a starting pitcher who costs less money and who is under club control for a few years. That's the better way to go anyway. It's a whole new Cubs world for Epstein, who made his final mass sell-off last July. Now he's a buyer, and in the next few weeks we'll get a good feel for how the next chapter in Cubs history is going to unfold. Needing more quality: The Cubs haven't done much well during their five-game losing streak. Between the final two games of the Dodgers series, when the streak started, and the three games in St. Louis, the Cubs have been outscored 24-6. They went 2-for-27 with runners in scoring position against the Cardinals. Getting quality starts from their pitchers also has been a problem. Only 1 of the 5 starts in the streak was a quality start. For the season, the Cubs have 35 quality starts compared with 39 non-quality starts. Through 74 games last year they had 38 quality starts and 36 non-quality starts. In their 35 quality starts this season, the Cubs are 28-7, and the starters have an ERA of 1.70. In games where the Cubs do not get one, they are 11-28, and the starters' ERA is 6.44. The 35 quality starts put the Cubs 11th in the National League in that category, ahead of only Arizona, Milwaukee, Philadelphia and Colorado. Jake Arrieta leads the staff with 11 followed by Jason Hammel (9), Jon Lester (9), Kyle Hendricks (3), Travis Wood (2) and Tsuyoshi Wada (1). Even though Lester is only 2 behind Arrieta, the Cubs will need him to start pitching consistently like the ace they signed him to be. Hendricks hasn't pitched poorly in some of his non-quality starts, but some deeper outings would help. --

Cubs.com Motte: Cubs have Cardinals' unwavering spirit By Carrie Muskat CHICAGO -- Jason Motte knows all about how tough St. Louis is, having worn Cardinal red from 2008-14, but he said there's no secret formula to the Redbirds' success. The reliever also said the Cubs are showing signs of the same resilience. Want examples of St. Louis' ability to bounce back? On Sept. 5, 2011, the Cardinals were 10 1/2 games out of first place, yet they regrouped and went on to win the World Series. In Game 5 of the '12 National League Division Series, St. Louis trailed Washington, 6-0, after three innings in a game ace Adam Wainwright had started. "It was almost like, 'OK, now what? Let's go.' It's just that mindset: 'We're not going to ever give up,'" Motte said of the Cards. "If you've got 'em down, you have to keep 'em down. You can't let them get back up." St. Louis rallied, eventually winning, 9-7. Motte was the winning pitcher in relief. Motte, now in Chicago's bullpen, is watching his former team flex its muscles again this season. After sweeping a three-game weekend series, the Cardinals are 29-7 at home and have an 11 1/2-game lead over the third-place Cubs. On Friday, the Cards rallied for a 3-2, 10-inning win. It was the first time this season Chicago has lost when it had the lead in the eighth. In their nine meetings this season, the Cubs had led in six games, but only won two. "You've got to be able to hold serve better," manager Joe Maddon said. "We're not playing badly, but they got us late. We left 12 runners on base [Friday]. We have to overcome that. We will. I know we will. I'd like to get it done sooner rather than later." Maddon said the young club has to get over the "mental hump" against the Cardinals. "I really think they beat us with their experience," Maddon said. "Every game to me, we're right there, and they come up with a hit and we don't. They make a pitch and we don't. "We blink and they haven't, and that's what it comes down to. I know we're going to do this. I know we're going to get over the hump here. When you play with a young group like this, that's what shows to me more than anything. Skill-wise, ability-wise, I'm more than happy. We just have to beat them mentally. That happens by driving in the run somehow, making the pitch somehow, making the play somehow where we've just been a little bit short this year." The Cards finished second in the NL Central in 2011 at 90-72. They beat the Phillies in the NL Division Series, the Brewers in the NL Championship Series and the Rangers, 4-3, in the World Series. "When I was playing here, I'd see how they don't quit," Motte said. "I saw it in 2011 at the end of the year when we were 10 1/2 games back. We're like, 'You know what? Let's just go out there and play hard and see what happens.' [The attitude is] don't give up any at-bats, don't go up there and be content with, 'OK, we're losing, whatever, we'll get them tomorrow.' Go out there and play as if it's the last out." When Maddon managed the Rays, Fenway Park was a tough place for his team to win, but they eventually overcame that "mental hump" he talks about. "It takes a while," Maddon said. "I'd almost be more concerned if it flipped too easily, because then I'd be looking for the trap door somewhere. Right now, everything is progressing as it should.

"My history as a person in this game is nothing ever came relatively easy, and you had to wait patiently for things to arrive. I'm OK with that. As long as we go about our business properly, which I believe we are, and we have a group that cares, and they're skillful and good, I just know it's on the horizon." Chicago does have nine walk-off wins this year at Wrigley Field. The club leads the Major Leagues in one-run games with 31, and it is 18-13 in those games. The question is, can the Cubs be the Cardinals? "We have that in us," Motte said. "This is a different Cubs team. It doesn't matter who we're playing, if it's [the Cards] or the last-place [team], it's, 'Go out there and ... do what we can do to win this game today.' If we're down -- who cares? We have the personnel to do it." -- Cubs.com Rizzo among Cubs needing All-Star support By Carrie Muskat CHICAGO -- Rookie Kris Bryant was third, Starlin Castro fourth and Anthony Rizzo and Miguel Montero both fifth at their respective position in the latest 2015 Esurance MLB All-Star Game Ballot, released Monday. The Cardinals' Matt Carpenter and the Reds' Todd Frazier are first and second in the balloting for third basemen, each with more than six million votes, while Bryant is third with 3,559,446 votes. Promoted to the big leagues on April 17, Bryant ranks 15th in the National League with 43 RBIs (second on the team to Rizzo's 44), and he is batting .273 with 10 homers, 13 doubles and two triples. The last Cubs rookie to be named to the All-Star team was Geovany Soto in 2008. Rizzo, who has received 2,564,264 votes, trails the D-backs' Paul Goldschmidt, who has more than seven million votes. The Dodgers' Adrian Gonzalez was second among first basemen, followed by the Reds' Joey Votto and the Cardinals' Matt Adams. Rizzo has posted impressive numbers this season, ranking fourth in the Major Leagues in OPS (.981) and third in the NL in on-base percentage (.413), sixth in slugging percentage (.568) and 10th in batting average (.304). "He's definitely that anchor in the middle of the lineup who you want to build around," manager Joe Maddon said of Rizzo. "To envision a lineup without him out there would be very difficult," Maddon added. "He hits righties, hits lefties, plays a really good first base, has been a really good baserunner. He's played a really complete game." Giants catcher Buster Posey has received nearly eight million votes, while Montero, a two-time All-Star who was on the NL team last year, had 1,485,095 votes. Castro, a three-time All-Star, had received 2,185,861 votes, and trailed the Cardinals' Jhonny Peralta, the Giants' Brandon Crawford and the Rockies' Troy Tulowitzki. Fans can cast their votes for starters at MLB.com and all 30 club sites -- on their computers, tablets and smartphones -- using the 2015 Esurance MLB All-Star Game Ballot until Thursday at 10:59 p.m. CT. For the first time, voting is exclusively online, where fans may submit up to 35 ballots. Fans may also receive the ballot by texting VOTE to 89269 (USA) or 101010 (Canada). Or text VOTA for a ballot in Spanish. Message and data rates may apply. Up to five messages. No purchase required. Reply STOP to cancel. Reply HELP for info.

The 2015 All-Star starters will be unveiled on Sunday at 6:30 p.m. CT on the Esurance All-Star Starters Selection Show on ESPN. Then on Monday at 6 p.m. CT, the All-Star reserves, pitchers and Final Vote candidates will be announced on the Esurance All-Star Selection Show on ESPN, immediately after which fans can return to MLB.com to begin casting their 2015 Esurance MLB All-Star Game Final Votes for the final player for each league's All-Star roster. Final Vote ends Friday, July 10, at 3 p.m. CT. On Tuesday, July 14, watch the 2015 All-Star Game live on FOX, and during the game visit MLB.com to submit your choice for the Ted Williams Most Valuable Player Award presented by Chevrolet via the 2015 MLB All-Star Game MVP Vote. MLB.com will provide extensive online coverage of All-Star Week festivities. The 86th All-Star Game will be televised nationally by FOX, in Canada by Rogers Sportsnet and RDS, and worldwide by partners in more than 200 countries via MLB International's independent feed. ESPN Radio and ESPN Radio Deportes will provide national radio coverage of the All-Star Game. MLB Network and SiriusXM will also provide comprehensive All-Star Week coverage. For more information, please visit allstargame.com. -- Cubs.com Cease returns to mound after Tommy John By William Boor TEMPE, Ariz. -- No draft pick is a sure thing, but when the Cubs selected Dylan Cease in the sixth round of the 2014 Draft they were taking a bigger gamble than most. "I'm really grateful," Cease, the Cubs No. 18 prospect, said. "It was a big chance on their part. I'm very happy that they did." When the Cubs selected the 6-foot-1, 175 pound right-hander it was known that he would need Tommy John surgery, which he had about a month after the Draft. However, the Cubs were hopeful that once Cease recovered from the surgery, his mid-90's fastball would return and he would start to develop the talent they saw from him when he was pitching at Milton High School in Georgia. It's still early in the process, but so far the gamble seems to be paying off. "My shoulder feels the strongest it's ever felt, my elbow feels as good as it's ever felt," Cease said. "I'm 11 months out right now, they say 15 months is when you're back to normal, but nothing's holding me back right now." Cease has pitched just 2 2/3 innings in the Arizona Rookie League so far this season, but his talent is evident. "He's a nice young arm, he's got a bright future," Ron Villone, pitching coach of the Arizona League Cubs, said. "There's a lot of good things to say and he's got a lot of work to do because he's young and this is his first time playing again in over a year. It's good to see him out there competing him again." While Cease is happy to be back on the mound, he was able to take some positives away from sitting out a year. "It was mentally more challenging than anything I've ever done -- just learning how to be patient," Cease said. "I think it's definitely made me better." Cease said the velocity on his fastball has returned, but he still needs to regain some of his mechanics. "It's back where it was before so can't complain, just have to learn how to control it now," Cease said. The control will come with time, but for now the Cubs organization is happy that Cease is healthy and pitching again. "Knowing that he's healthy and capable and ready to play and he's pitching again, we're happy to have him because he's a special talent," Villone said.

-- ESPNChicago.com Cubs know their needs but that's just half the battle By Jesse Rogers Though Chicago Cubs general manager Jed Hoyer isn’t quite sure if there will be a “seller’s market” as the calendar turns to July -- the last month trades can be done without players going through waivers -- he and the front office are sure of one thing: The Cubs need starting pitching. In fact, anyone who has watched the Cubs this season knows this to be true as they’ve had no consistent innings out of three spots in the rotation, including Jon Lester’s. According to ESPN Stats & Information research, the Cubs have averaged 5.4 innings per start in the month of June, the second worst mark in the National League. Entering the month they were second best. Overall, Cubs starters rank 10th in the National League in innings per start this season. “We know we have to address it here at the deadline,” Hoyer said this past weekend. It echoes what his boss, Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein, has been saying as well. Last season the Cubs found some depth in their minor leagues after trading away Jeff Samardzija and Jason Hammel but Triple-A hurlers such as Dallas Beeler and Eric Jokisch have faltered this year, thinning out the organization's options as far as extra arms. Other problems have popped up, including Tsuyoshi Wada’s injury, as well as Jacob Turner’s. Hoyer was asked if the Cubs miscalculated their depth at that position. “Was it a miscalculation?” Hoyer responded. “I guess you can say it probably was, but at the same time … we’ve had guys that have been nicked up and that’s taken away from an area we thought we had depth.” Whatever the reason, the Cubs are probably in need of at least one starter to keep themselves in the chase for the playoffs. Hoyer said the Cubs have the “flexibility” to add salary but it remains to be seen if that would be a big fish or a small guppy. “There’s not going to be a lot of sellers,” he said. “You have to think about it creatively and think about what would happen if there aren’t a lot of deals to be made.” Is Hoyer right? Outside of the division leaders there are only four other teams above .500 in the NL. Two of them will make the playoffs. It would be hard to imagine someone besides the Cubs, New York Mets, Pittsburgh Pirates and San Francisco Giants vying for those two wild-card spots. It means there actually could be a lot of sellers unless a bunch of teams are delusional about their chances, something Hoyer indicated happens every year. In any case, the balance between adding a name that will cost them good prospects or adding a smaller piece is the internal debate going on. All things being equal the Cubs are likely to err on the side of keeping most of their core and back-ups intact as selling out for the second wild card is a silly notion. As much as every year of contending gives you a shot at winning it all the idea of the Cubs winning the World Series this year seems no more likely than it did in spring training. OK, maybe it’s a little more likely but not a whole lot. “We have another four weeks to evaluate where we are,” Hoyer said. Not much is likely to change between now and then. It could get better for the Cubs if Lester and Kyle Hendricks give them more innings but that still won’t change the need for acquiring a starter -- it might just make their situation a little less desperate. One pitcher that has to be on the market is Miami Marlins starter Dan Haren. The Marlins are 11 games out of a wild-card spot and just lost their best player to injury. The 13-year veteran has given up just 76 hits in 93 innings this season while producing a 3.38 ERA for the Marlins. The Los Angeles Dodgers are picking up his entire salary so a team trading for him would only have to pay his bonuses -- and he can’t cost much in terms of

prospects as he’ll be 35 in September, not long before his contract ends. Would you trade minor leaguer Arismendy Alcantara for him or a pitcher of Haren’s caliber? Maybe that’s too much. “Haren is not what he was,” Cubs catcher Miguel Montero said Sunday. “Everyone knows that but the one thing that he has, and I would take it any day, is he has guts. He goes out there and competes.” Montero caught Haren when he was at his best, with the Arizona Diamondbacks, but now he’s more of an innings eater, which is exactly what the Cubs need. Could he be effective in Chicago? He has only 70 strikeouts in 93 innings, which means he pitches to contact. That’s not a good formula pitching for the Cubs this season because their defense hasn’t been up to the task. Maybe it’s simply because they’re good pitchers but it’s not a coincidence that Jake Arrieta and Jason Hammel have had the most success. They’ve produced high strikeout totals ranking eighth and 15th, respectively, in the National League. You may not think it’s a big deal but it is. The Cubs don’t do well by contact pitchers this season. That has contributed to some of Hendricks’ problems as well as Lester’s. So maybe Haren isn’t the perfect candidate but he could be a candidate nonetheless. A report from Fox Sports over the weekend said the Cubs could be looking at lefty Jon Niese of the New York Mets. A 4.12 ERA and 1.52 WHIP with just 58 strikeouts in 83 innings might not look like the best formula for the Cubs either but at least Niese is signed beyond this year -- though at a hefty price tag of $10 million, or more if the Cubs want to pick up two option years. But again, Niese would eat some innings as he has made 14 starts and thrown 83 innings so far. Unless the Cubs simply go big for a big-name pitcher like Cole Hamels -- and that’s not likely -- expect a smaller addition such as the ones above. It should help keep them in the wild-card race, which is about all you can ask for while facing a double digit deficit in the division. “We’ll see where we are closer to the deadline,” Hoyer said. “We may have to get creative.” -- CSNChicago.com Cubs can’t hold onto prospects forever but could cash in at trade deadline By Patrick Mooney Mortgaging the farm system doesn’t make sense when the Cubs are a third-place team on a five-game losing streak that just got swept in St. Louis to fall 11.5 games behind the Cardinals. But there’s also risk in holding onto too many unproven minor-leaguers, because prospects get overhyped, prospects get injured and prospects get exposed at higher levels of competition. Buyers and sellers is the easiest way to break it down in 140 characters or less. But it’s more complicated than that, because the Cubs are fun to watch again after five straight fifth-place finishes, don’t appear to have that much financial flexibility right now and want to stay relevant in 2015 while still building for the future. In Year 4 of the Theo Epstein administration, the July 31 trade deadline could be a huge opportunity to cash in some of the chips they have accumulated through the draft, win-later trades and international free agency. “No doubt, there is a timing element to it,” general manager Jed Hoyer said. “We haven’t been in the position to move a lot of prospects. We’ve been in a position to go out and get them. But as we move forward, you can wait too long and a guy loses his value.” Cubs hitting and Mets pitching will be a dominant storyline when these two big-market teams on parallel rebuilding plans meet on Tuesday night in New York. Mets left-hander Jon Niese – one of many pitching ideas the Cubs have reportedly kicked around – will start this three-game series that should have wild-card implications. But the shortstop angle played up by the New York and Chicago media is probably played out by now. When the Cubs promoted Addison Russell in late April after only 11 games at Triple-A Iowa, it sent the message to any team that didn’t get the hint last winter: This kid is an untouchable piece of the big-league team.

Starlin Castro’s up-and-down play on both sides of the ball (.630 OPS, 14 errors) would mean selling low on a three-time All-Star who doesn’t fit the profile of the type of hitter the Mets would want to build around anyway. Javier Baez is now sidelined with a non-displaced fracture of his left ring finger, but an aggressive swinger with world-class bat speed had started to make some adjustments at Iowa (.922 OPS) before that injury in early June. The Cubs also might have missed a window to move Arismendy Alcantara during the offseason. Alcantara struggled to adjust to a super-utility role, went 2-for-26 with zero extra-base hits in April and got sent back to Des Moines. This is the next phase of The Plan, something the president of baseball operations acknowledged during the welcome-to-camp news conference in spring training. “The Braves almost created a dynasty out of evaluating their own players the right way,” Epstein said. “Everyone they traded didn’t pan out. Everyone they kept won a lot of pennants.” The Cubs say they’re getting close, but they haven’t measured up to the Cardinals this season, going 2-7 against the best team in baseball. St. Louis already has 51 wins, even with so many key pieces on the disabled list: Opening Day starter Adam Wainwright; All-Star outfielder Matt Holliday; first baseman Matt Adams; and setup guy Jordan Walden. “When you look at the Cardinals,” Hoyer said, “you see the value of depth. They have guys that get hurt and they call up good players from Triple-A that can step in and contribute. They’ve done that, in part, because they haven’t made a lot of big prospect deals. “They’ve been steady and they’ve let those guys come up through their system. When they’re in Triple-A, they don’t rush them up to the big leagues. They let them play. And then when they have an injury, they come up and perform. “Certainly, trading all your prospects can help in the near-term, but there’s a price to be paid for that, and that price is not having that depth. “It’s something you have to really consider when you make those kind of moves. You can always say: ‘Oh, we don’t think any of these guys is an impact player.’ Or: ‘We don’t think any of these guys is going to start for us.’ “But get a couple injuries, and you’re wishing you had those guys, and I think that’s something the Cardinals have done really well.” In the middle of January, a fan stepped to the microphone inside a downtown Chicago hotel ballroom and told the Cubs prospects on stage: “We love you like we love our wives and our children.” If that sounds a little creepy, well, that’s how prospects are treated in the age of social media. They got the boy-band treatment at Cubs Convention, fans rushing forward for autographs as soon as the Q&A session ended. From that group, Russell is now your starting second baseman and potential franchise shortstop. Kyle Schwarber made his big-league debut in June and could be back this summer as a big left-handed bat for the pennant race. Carl Edwards Jr. doesn’t seem to project as a starter anymore, though he’s adjusting well as a reliever at Iowa. Pierce Johnson has made three starts at Double-A Tennessee after dealing with a strained lat muscle in spring training. The Cubs can’t fall in love with their prospects because – as the Baseball Prospectus rankings like to say – they will break your heart. --