Doesn't Sherzer have arm problems??

Donnie Murphy and Barney both have next to no real trade value but maybe they can pluck a young arm from the minors and get lucky down the road.

Down the road....AGAIN? They can't find a guy that's young but can help now?

For Barney or Murphy??

Come on Pasta!

I know,I know. I want to see some kind of deal that would at least add to the SP.
Remember Dusty's last year? Injuries had them try about 20 guys at SP. The Cubs are really thin there with little option in case of injury or just suckiness.

Slick-fielding/ no-hit SS Jose Iglesias is out for "at least 4 months", and with the potential glut of middle infielders, offering up a Barney or Castro might induce Dombrowski to pull the trigger.


Problem with this: Besides Castellanos, DET doesn't really have anything down on the farm. How about a blockbuster involving Scherzer, then lock him up for when the Coob plans to contend

Read this morning that Detroit's top scout is scouting Barney and Nate.

According to a report by Bruce Levine of CBS Chicago, the Tigers are presently scouting outfielder Nate Schierholtz and infielder Darwin Barney of the Cubs. Levine writes that longtime Detroit exec Scott Reid is following both players this week.

The Tigers are in the trade market thanks to recent injuries to Andy Dirks (back surgery), who was to be the primary half of a left field platoon, and Jose Iglesias (stress fractures in legs), who was to be the starting shortstop. Dirks is expected to be out until June, while Iglesias could miss the majority of the 2014 season.

As for Schierholtz, the 30-year-old is a lefty bat like Dirks, and he owns an OPS+ of 100 across parts of seven major-league seasons. He's also a plus defender, not unlike Dirks.

Barney, meantime, isn't much of a hitter (career slash line of .246/.293/.336), but he's very much a standout defender in the middle infield and has the range and arm to man shortstop. On that point, it's worth noting that Barney in the majors has 131 2/3 defensive innings at short, and coming up through the minors he was a primary shortstop.

As Levine notes, the Cubs would likely seek pitching in return.

I have MANY years of experience in trying to appreciate steaming piles of dogshit.

Why haven't the Cubs explored Barney at SS, Castro at 2B and Baez at 3B? Barney becomes much more acceptable as a SS, Castro remains an above average player at 2b and Baez' defense is much less necessary at 3B/

The Tigers announced that Max Scherzer has rejected the Tigers' latest extension offer, meaning that talks between the two sides are done for the season. The pitcher has made it known that he would not negotiate a new contract during the 2014 season.

The Tigers' release indicates that the club made a "substantial, long-term contract extension offer...that would have placed him among the highest paid pitchers in baseball." Moving forward, they say, there will be no further talks during the year.

There ya go. Will Theo and Co be willing to make a 30 year old among the highest paid pitchers in the game??

I don't waste my time with the Cubs.