Friday Morning Hot Links

*Joel Sherman writes that the fates of players like Chris Carter are victims of the Steroid Era.

*Is that Max Stassi's music!?

*Here's Ben Lindbergh asking not why the Astros traded Hank Conger, but why the Rays traded for him.

*You want Jeff Samardzija? He's in the $90-100m price range.

*The Detroit News' Lynn Henning wants to vote for eleven players for the HOF (yes, Jeff Bagwell included). But the HOF will only let him vote for ten players. So Lynn Henning is not going to vote.

*The Pirates' GM said that his first mistake was bringing Pedro Alvarez to the Majors before he was ready.

Wednesday Trade Deadline rumors

It is July 29, so let's spend the whole day obsessing about grown men and where they're going.

10:18pm: Not Fausto will be DFA'd as Lowrie will rejoin the club tomorrow

9:41pm: The Astros put together a "strong package" for Hamels but he refused a trade so screw him.

9:41pm: Final deal because Ruben Amaro doesn't know what he's doing - and Cole Hamels is an asshole - Matt Harrison, Alec Asher, Jerad Eickhoff, Nick Williams, Jorge Alfaro, Jake Thomspon for Hamels, Jake Diekman, and money.

9:31pm: Hamels, an asshole, and Jake Diekman, goes to Texas for four prospects - but not their two biggest bats. Which tells me Hamels wouldn't waive his no-trade clause to go to Houston.

8:59pm: CSN Philly's Jim Salisbury says Hamels-to-Arlington deal is being finalized

8:22pm: EVERYTHING IS INSANE

8:01pm: Mets got Carlos Gomez

7:40pm: And Ross just took a liner off the leg

7:26pm: The Astros sound like they're more interested in Tyson Ross than Andrew Cashner

*The Astros and Padres "are gaining steam" in a deal over pitching, according to Evan Drellich, with Cashner, Ross, and Kimbrel all in play.

-Break to play with daughter-

3:31pm: Bob Nightengale says the Astros "hate" to give up prized prospects for a rental, but understand that Price could get them to the World Series.

3:16pm: Still no Lowrie in the lineup

2:52pm: Bob Nightengale handicaps Dodgers, Yankees, Blue Jays as favorites for Price, Astros as long-shot.

2:50pm: Reminder of Hamels' approved trade list: Yankees, Rangers, Dodgers, Mets, Nationals, Braves, Cardinals, Cubs, Padres. Two AL teams, seven NL teams, three NL East teams.

2:46pm: The Tigers are now listening on all rental players, which includes Price, Cespedes, Avila, Soria, and Rajai Davis. Good work Phillies, you screwed yourselves over by holding on to Hamels too long. Again.

2:42pm: The Astros "should" be in on both Price and Cespedes (with pretty much every other team)

2:37pm: The Tigers are now willing to move David Price and Yoenis Cespedes

2:35pm: There is apparently a third team involved in that Dodgers/Marlins trade

1:56pm: If Hamels gets traded, Jayson Stark says, it won't be until tomorrow or Friday. Remember his next scheduled start was moved from Thursday to Friday.

1:49pm: Whoever the Rockies GM is says that it's "ridiculous" that they will trade Carlos Gonzalez

1:21pm: Jon Heyman says the Astros have "checked in" on Justin Upton

1:19pm: Olney expects the next 48 hours to be a "flurry" of trades with the Padres, because AJ Preller is a dummy and wants a mulligan on last offseason.

1:06pm: Evan Drellich says the Astros are still "in" the Hamels race, but the org thinks he'll go somewhere else.

All eyes on Cole Hamels as trade deadline approaches. pic.twitter.com/XyGaW7DkFN

— Ted Berg (@OGTedBerg) July 29, 2015

11:44am: CSN Philly's Jim Salisbury "strongly believes" that Hamels' next start will be in Arlington. For the Rangers, in case that wasn't clear.

11:06am: The Yankees, Dodgers, and Blue Jays are ready to have an "all-out bidding war of prospects" for the Tigers' David Price.

10:51am: Your annual reminder that the Marlins are a complete joke.

10:40am: And the Dodgers still want Price or Hamels.

10:35am: The Dodgers - one of the two most-mentioned destinations for Cole Hamels - have traded for Mat Latos, Michael Morse, and a pick.

10:31am: Crasnick tweets the Astros are still looking for a starter and outfield depth. They like Tyson Ross and Samardzija, but Samardzija might be staying put. (We linked to a report yesterday that the White Sox aren't sure if they're sellers).

10:22am: Jerry Crasnick tweets that he doesn't think it was ever likely for Hamels to come to Houston, refusing to waive his no-trade clause.

9:43am: Gammons clarifies that the org feels like Hamels "won't" go to Houston.

8:59am: This tweet makes more sense if there is supposed to be a "won't" in between "Hamels" and "go"

Astros owner Jim Crane has given the all-in for a big trade, but the feeling in the organization is that Cole Hamels go to Houston

— Peter Gammons (@pgammo) July 29, 2015

Tuesday Trade Deadline Update(s)

Newest items at top

*The Astros are "in the ballpark" on Hamels.

*The Royals just traded for former Astros great Ben Zobrist and now they must be stopped.

*Assessing the market for Hamels, Rosenthal tweets the Rangers are "strong," Dodgers and Astros are "involved," Giants "pushing, but may fall short."

*Now that Tulowitzki is gone, the Rockies are shopping Carlos Gonzalez.

*No, the Tigers are not going to trade David Price.

*The Tigers are "actively shopping," according to "a team with pitching to trade."

*For those of you wanting Jeff Samardzija, the White Sox aren't sure if they're ready to punt on this year yet.

*Jayson Stark is reporting that the Phillies want teams interested in Hamels to submit their best offers by tomorrow (Wednesday):

Sources have confirmed that the Astros have made a late push to acquire Hamels since the Phillies ace pitched a no-hitter last Saturday. However, Hamels can block a trade to Houston and the Astros have been given no assurance in recent days that that stance has changed.

Hamels' next scheduled start is Thursday.

*Evan Drellich writes that finding another starting pitcher remains the Astros' top priority, while the Padres and Phillies had scouts watching the Astros' and the Rangers' Double-A teams over the weekend.

*Jon Heyman wrote this morning that the Astros...

a) Seem to be more interested in San Diego's Andrew Cashner or Tyson Ross "plus Craig Kimbrel" because of their relative youth...

b) But maybe Jim Crane is the one driving interest in Cole Hamels...

c) But Hamels doesn't seem to be "anxious" about going to Houston.

The one possibility that could put these two sides together even though neither seems anxious to get together would be if Philly finds the best deal in Houston and tells Hamels he must decide whether to accept the Astros or stay in Philadelphia.

Thursday Morning Hot Links

AL West Recap: The Astros won, and of course the Angels did too because Scioscia is actually a sorcerer. The Rangers won because the Rockies are useless, the A's won, as well. Only the Mariners lost. Despite this, the Astros playoff chances jumped from 65% to 70% on FanGraphs.

*Preston Tucker homered twice in last night's 4-2 win over the Red Sox. Tucker hit .183/.247/.328 from June 3 - July 1. But starting with the nine-game road trip on July 3 through last night? .321/.357/.604.

*Collin McHugh says the fans are the real MVP.
Honestly our fan base has been really, really supportive, really encouraging throughout the whole thing. And coming from New York, it's refreshing. It's refreshing to have fans who care about baseball and care about people, and you know, you can have both.

*McCullers will pitch tonight, then the rotation will be Feldman, Keuchel, Velasquez against Kansas City. Speaking of McCullers, Brent Strom said his breaking ball is "Kimbrel-like."

Trade Deadline Links

*Commissioner Rob Manfred is interested in pushing back the Trade Deadling, due to the extra Wild Card spot.

*The Astros are in on "every rental" player, according to Jayson Stark, checking in on Cueto, Samardzija, and Dan...this can't be right, yeah, I guess it is, Dan Haren.

*Susan Slusser says that Scott Kazmir may land in Houston.

*The Tigers won't decide if they're selling until after Sunday.

*Stark says the four likely destinations for Cole Hamels - if he's traded at all - are: Cubs, Dodgers, Red Sox, or Rangers.

*Jeff Luhnow used the A's as a cautionary tale to the New York Post's Joel Sherman:
We saw Oakland trade away pretty good players last year to win a division and they ended up getting eliminated in the wild-card game.

*Anthony Castrovince wants to see the Astros trade for David Price

Non-Astros link of the day

Rolling Stone: Meet the man who flies around the world for free

2015 Trade deadline roundtable

Despite the idea that I've withdrawn myself from the whole Astros blogging thing, from time to time I get questions from Astros fans who are either really into my opinion or don't know that I've "retired." I still watch as many Astros games as I possibly can and I do read a few articles here and there, so I still like to answer questions that are sent to me. Recently, Chad sent me the following questions:

"With the upcoming MLB trade deadline fast approaching us, is there any position or player you personally feel Astros management should target?"

What a great question. Instead of just responding to Chad I decided that I would go a little further and coerce the fine writers at Astros County to contribute their comments.

Personally, I think the Astros need to address the rotation depth. I'm comfortable with Dallas Keuchel, Collin McHugh, and even Scott Feldman. I would love four Keuchels in the rotation, but that just isn't possible and would cost a pretty price in future talent. At the moment, the following names have been connected to the Astros:

• Johnny Cueto - Reds
• Mike Leake - Reds
• Scott Kazmir - A's
• Cole Hamels - Phillies
• Jeff Samardzija - White Sox
• Andrew Cashner - Padres
• Tyson Ross - Padres

As teams bailout on the postseason, we should start seeing some more names thrown around. Of the current list, Andrew Cashner and Tyson Ross intrigue me the most. Partly because they've got some strong peripherals, but mostly because they have control past this year and could help the club next year. Everyone else is a free agent after the season or has a ridiculous contract that includes a no-trade clause that is perceived to be used if the Astros try to make a deal for them (Hamels in case you're not following my dig).

Cashner and Ross have also run into a little bit of a luck issue with BABIPs above their career norms. I would expect them to improve upon their first halfs, which have been good but not great. Leake is also an intriguing name because his groundball rate is in the %50 range, which would fit right in with the shift happyness Astros.

All the pitchers above would provide an upgrade for the rotation. It's just a question of, "At what cost?" I'll take someone cheap like Leake or controllable like Cashner and Ross.

First base is an issue, but I have confidence Chris Carter will have a much better second half. I also think Jon Singleton could make an impact if necessary. I wouldn't be upset if the Astros acquired someone more reliable, but I'm comfortable with the talent they currently. Ditto to the outfield, which has been struck by injury. George Springer will be back in September and there are other options like L.J. Hoes, Domingo Santana, and Tony Kemp.

Bullpens can always use another arm, so look for that to be an area. Aroldis Chapman is the sexy name, but will come with a hefty price.

Here are the thoughts of other AC writers.

BatGuy

I'm going back and forth on my feelings for this. On one hand, we've heard for a few years now that there is a #plan and #process to get Houston to the point where they can sustain success for several seasons. This year's surprising results so far are evidence that the plan is coming together, so why deviate from that now? That line of thinking would lead me to say the Astros should stand pat or maybe make some small moves, like a second or even third tier starter simply because relying on McCullers and Velasquez will definitely lead to an innings crunch at the end of the season.

On the other hand, success is never guaranteed. We hope this is just the start of a great run but who,knows what injuries or developmental collapses are around the corner. This would lead me to say we need to strike now while we can and acquire a front line starter, another bullpen ace, and a solid corner infield bat. The Astros certainly have the resources, both financial and prospect-wise, to go for it, but does that slow or even derail the long-term plan?

I'll just say I'm glad I'm not Jeff Luhnow right now.

Masked Marvel

BatGuy talked about #plan and #process, and acknowledging what the Astros have done so far seems like a great way to begin.  Certainly, the plan - when Luhnow et al took over - was to trade for whatever they could get.  Because of what they were trading away - guys like the Wand-man and J.A. Happ - it was a quantity of B- and C-grade guys, rather than a smaller number of high-ceiling prospects in return.  The high ceiling guys in the Astros system have been accumulated mostly via the draft - think Carlos Correa and Lance McCullers.

So the easy part of the plan was getting any talent they could.  Now comes the next stage - concentrating the talent they have into the available positions on the diamond.  The Astros only have one major-league team, so they don’t have unlimited places to stash the talent that they have.  They could fill three outfields with Springer-Marisnick-Tucker in one, then Santana-Rasmus-Hoes in another, then Grossman-Villar-Presley in a third.  All of those guys have played in the majors in the outfield this year.  And that is without mentioning the Astros’ best prospect - Brett Phillips - and another couple of guys that could bust out in the future.

I wrote after the Dexter Fowler acquisition that I was happy to see two players go to Colorado in exchange for one.  The Astros did it again this year with the Gattis trade, sending three players (but only one on the 40-man) to gain one in return.  This signalled a transition to the next logical stage of the plan is to concentrate the available talent, because after all, the Astros can only have nine players on the field at one time.  This will probably continue, and will be the plan for this summer and offseason.

So, Astros fans, don’t get too attached to the guys close to or in the major-leagues.  Any of them - aside from perhaps a couple of players like Correa and McCullers - could be playing for another club by the end of the month.  The next stage of the process is to acquire some elite talent by trading a group of players, which would create space on the 40-man and would fill a hole for the Astros.  I imagine they would be particularly interested in a high-OBP/low-K corner infielder or outfielder which they could control after this year; or a starting pitcher, either as a pure rental or as someone controllable after this season.  The trades will probably hurt the farm, and we will get an idea of what the Astros think of Mark Appel, Tony Kemp, Brett Phillips and the abovementioned outfielders.  Selling a bunch of prospects for an elite player is probably the next part of the plan.  

In return, I would imagine that the Astros are taking a close look at the Padres starters, and anyone the Reds have.  They match up well with the Mets, if a young starter was to be traded for, but I can’t imagine that anyone is leaving the Mets anytime soon.  I am guessing that the Astros’ approach is to trade anyone who they think can’t contribute at a high level on the diamond in 2017.

The Constable

I can talk myself in and out of making an impact trade within about ten seconds of the initial thought. And I've said on Twitter that I am automatically going to hate any trade the Astros make for the first 24 hours, because I have Prospect Attachment Syndrome. This is a debilitating disease whereupon one cannot function as a fan because whichever prospect the Astros trades is automatically considered to be a perennial Cy Young or MVP winner. Why do I have this debilitating syndrome (I'm waiting on the creepy advertisements, with a creepy-yet-sort-of-hot cougar lounges on a chaise and seductively tells you to see a doctor)? Because the Prospects are where the hope was for the better part of five years. I've been an Astros fan for a long time, but five years of being told Prospects! Prospects! can take it's toll.

And we are living in an era in baseball where teams have Prospect Attachment Syndrome, as well. In the documents where the Cardinals broke federal law and then leaked the Astros files to the world, we found out that Luhnow tried to get Lucas Giolito for Lucas Harrell. Lucas Freaking Harrell. No, my friends, the price for any Impact piece - be it arm or bat - will be high.

Of course, the Astros have depth. When you preach Prospects! Prospects! for the better part of five years, you're going to have some to trade, and they can't all play on the field at the same time, so you either move the prospects, or you try to find a loophole that allows you to play 46 guys in one game.

I hated the Gattis trade immediately, but it's hard to argue that Rio Ruiz has a .618 OPS in Double-A and Mike Foltynewicz is a flyball pitcher with a high BABIP on a shuttle between Atlanta and Gwinnett (which is more of a long commute than a shuttle, but whatever). I still am not sure about the Gattis trade, but Mike Foltynewicz isn't Billy Wagner (yet) and Rio Ruiz isn't Chipper Jones (yet). I was sure about the latter two things immediately. Likewise Jarred Cosart and Enrique Hernandez.

So I guess this is where we have to trust the #process that everyone preceding has discussed. We have to trust that whomever the Astros send away isn't going to fit into the overall picture. But I don't like doing that. I liked it better when the front office looked incompetent, it made for hotter takes. 

Sunday Morning Hot Links

At 48-35, the Astros are 4.0 up on the Angels with a 62.3% chance of winning the division and an 80.5% chance of going to the playoffs. Let's get to the Hot Links...

*Collin McHugh couldn't find his command against Boston.

*Jim Crane talked to Brian McTaggart about the need for a starting pitcher, having checked on Scott Kazmir, Johnny Cueto, Jeff Samardzija, and Mike Leake (notably absent from this list is Colston Douche Hamels).
If we can get the right move, I'm sure Jeff (Luhnow) will pull the trigger. He has the ability to do that if he wants to do it. It will depend on what kind of contract it is and how long it is and who it is and what we need, but I know it's something a lot of teams are looking at right now...

...On the trade deadline, we're looking at a lot of different options. It's no secret we'd like to get a little deeper on the starting pitcher side. The bullpen is solid. We'll get our guys healthy and hopefully make a run.

*George Springer and the Astros elected not to have surgery on his wrist in hopes that it will make for a quicker recovery.

*Jeff Luhnow on the team's progress:
The most compelling thing about this team is the contributions have come from so many different components. The constants have been Keuchel and the bullpen for the most part. Others have ebbed and flowed as the season's gone on. But there's been enough players contributing at a high level...each month to keep us winning.

*Dan Straily will get at least one more start, and Jake Marisnick will return to the team today, with Domingo Santana heading back to Fresno.

*Nick Cafardo says Cole Hamels will likely not accept a trade to Houston or Toronto. "Yet if those are the only options he has," Cafardo writes, "would he say No?"

*Chicago Tribune's Paul Sullivan: The Astros won't fold like everyone expects them to do. Money line:
If Edward Snowden hacked into the Astros' database, even he would be stumped as to how this is all happening.

*The Masked Marvel wrote about the possible edge the Astros have in scheduling for the rest of the season.

*Draft longshot Luken Baker is still planning on going to TCU.

*Just about all of Locust Grove, Oklahoma went to OKC to watch Adrian Houser pitch.

*Here's a nice profile on former Astro and Mariners Rule 5 pick David Rollins, who made his Major-League debut yesterday.

Picking your Poison: Three Starting Pitchers edition

It's July, which means it's officially Trade Month, and for the first time in a while we as fans are interested in the major league pieces that might actually be acquired this month, rather than which minor-league pieces might be coming in to help some distant Astros team that might contend. 

Johnny Cueto

The 29-year old Cueto is the youngest of the three starting pitchers we'll examine today. Depending on when the Astros trade for him, they would owe him in the $4-5m range for 2015, but he is a rental. Due to the rental status, the prospects required by the Reds wouldn't wouldn’t be as high as, say, Cole Hamels (hold on for him). 

Cueto led the National League in innings pitched (243.2), strikeouts (242), and hits/9 (6.2) in 2014.

In 2015, Cueto has thrown 96.2IP, 72H/32ER, 92K:19BB, cutting his walk rate by 0.6 BB/9 from 2014 to 2015. He’s a flyball pitcher, getting only a 41.4% groundball rate – quite a departure from what the Astros have seemingly valued in the past couple of seasons. That said, his 2.98 ERA isn’t terribly out of line from his 3.37 FIP or 3.28 xFIP. His .238 BABIP is spot-on with his 2014 (also .238) and 2013 (.236).

Jeff Samardzija

Like Cueto, the 30-year old Samardzija would be a rental player, having signed a 1-year, $9.8m deal in the offseason, meaning the Astros would owe him somewhere in the $4m range if they acquire him at the deadline. 

Samardzija has been somewhat disappointing this season, his 4.56 ERA the highest of his career in any season in which he threw over 35IP. His 123 hits allowed lead the league, but he’s the victim of some bad luck, as the ERA belies his 3.65 FIP and 3.83 xFIP, and because the White Sox are a poor defensive team, posting a -37.6 rating on FanGraphs (the Astros are rated at -8.8, but I still am not sure how FanGraphs’ accounts for extreme shifting).

Samardzija is also getting fewer groundballs than in recent years. His groundball rate is 39.6%, down from the 50.2% he got with the Cubs and A’s in 2014, and the 48.2% he posted in 2013.

Cole Hamels

Considered the jewel of possible trade bait, whichever team trades for Hamels is definitely not getting a rental: he is owed what is left of his $22.5m salary in 2015, and then $22.5m in each of the 2016-18 seasons, with a $19m vesting option ($6m buyout) for 2019. Or if Hamels meets 400IP in 2017-18 combined, 200IP in 2018, and is not on the DL at the end of 2018 with a shoulder or elbow injury, a $24m option automatically vests for 2019. He’s expensive, in terms of cash money and prospects.

The Phillies are in 2015 where the Astros were in 2009. Their roster is old and hurt and expensive, and their minor-league system isn’t in the best shape of its life. This can be attributed to trades and extensions made in order to stay in contention over the previous ten years. Sound familiar?

Hamels is 31 years old, so he’s under contract through his Age 34 season. But he also just may fit the Astros’ preferred profile the best of the three listed possibilities. He has a 48.6% groundball rate, and his 3.22 ERA is in line with his 3.43 FIP and 3.21 xFIP. Hamels has been a 4-5 WAR player since 2011, and is already at 2.0 WAR this season. And he’s another lefty for a rotation that only features Ace Keuchel 

But going back to the Phillies and possible trade demands, Hamels is perhaps Ruben Amaro’s only shot to restock the farm system with one trade. You thought the Astros’ haul for Hunter Pence was nice? That’s not going to get it done for Hamels, unless Jeff Luhnow turns out to be some sort of Actual Sorcerer, and Ruben Amaro is actually as dumb as we’re all led to believe. Do you like Lance McCullers? Vince Velasquez? At least one, if not both, are gone. The conversation likely starts there. Correa isn’t going anywhere, but he’s likely the only untouchable on the list. Appel, Brett Phillips, Tony Kemp, Preston Tucker Colin Moran would also be on the list. The Phillies are going to want to get better quickly by dealing the ace of their rotation. They’re not going to respond positively to your dumb fantasy trades where you offer Jed Lowrie, Chris Carter and six scrubs for Mike Trout. They don't need Chris Carter, because they have a more expensive version in Ryan Howard. 

Of course, these are just three starting pitchers to which the Astros have been linked. You can bet that the Astros have inquired on pitchers that haven’t been mentioned and, honestly, any of these would serve as a necessary upgrade to a potential playoff rotation. Pick your poison. Who do you want and, more importantly, how much are you willing to give up?

Wednesday Morning Link Dump

*At 26-14, the Astros have the franchise's best record after 40 games, and a 41.7% chance of winning the division, a 59.9% chance of making the postseason, and a 4.1% chance of winning the World Series

*George Springer brought a fog machine, strobe lights, and a dance remix into the clubhouse after last night's win:
It's 2015, and we're killing it, so we might as well have some fun. (Subscription may be required)

*Luke Gregerson has been away from the team twice in the last two weeks to deal with a "personal issue," and has been tagged up over the course of his last three games. After allowing two earned runs last night and getting pulled with two outs in the 9th for Pat Neshek, A.J. Hinch is giving Gregerson today (Wednesday) off. Hinch told the Chronicle (previous link):
Guys have real lives. I don't know whether's it's connected or not. He's not going to want to talk about it. It's very personal.

*Ken Rosenthal says the Astros have been scouting Jeff Samardzija on the off-chance he becomes available. He also notes that the Astros' minor-league tandem pitching - to some - devalues their pitching prospects, while others like it because it keeps their innings down.

*Buster Olney likes the idea of Houston native Scott Kazmir going to the Astros if the A's put him on the block.

*Lance McCullers will get another start Saturday in Detroit. McCullers and his Batman cleats prompted a column from Sports on Earth.

*Jason Castro changed his swing, and his walk rate is increasing, strikeout rate is decreasing, and he's throwing out almost 10% more baserunners than league-average.

*Sam Deduno had a precautionary MRI on his back.

*Fresno will offer a pizza with a hot dog-stuffed crust.

*An ear infection has led to former Astro Jarred Cosart headed to the DL with vertigo.

The AL West just got harder

If you missed it overnight, the A's and Cubs have pulled off a stunning trade.  The A's get the Cubs' number 1 and 3 starters (Jeff Samardzija and Jason Hammel, ERA's of 2.83 and 2.98 respectively) while the Cubs get the A's number 1 and 2 prospects (SS Addison Russell and OF Billy McKinney), plus thus-far disappointing in 2104 SP Dan Straily (career ML ERA - 4.11, 2014 ERA 4.93).

My take is... Wow.  The A's have ridden a high-octane offence to the best run-differential in the majors, but their starters have been a little disappointing (a combined 6.2 WAR thus far in 2014).  They have three starters that have thrown well (Sonny Gray, Scott Kazmir and Jesse Chavez, each worth 1.6 WAR or above), and a host of others performing well below that level, including Tommy Milone and Drew Pomeranz as the best of the rest.

This move offers protection in case Kazmir gets injured, or Chavez turns back into a waiver-wire pumpkin.  Thus far in 2014, Samardzija and Hammel have been worth 4.2 WAR between them, so this likely represents a significant upgrade.  Especially given that the two Cubs starters will bounce the problematic numbers four and five from having to throw every five days.

Excellent trade for both teams, with perhaps the only negative from the Cubs' perspective being that Russell adds to the glut of middle infield prospects.  Trade season is underway!

Round Rock got their homer on last night

I know I promised a weekly minor-league spot, but in the absence of a major-league game last night, I do want to point out that they started the season in The Rock last nigh, and the Express put the whoop on the Iowa Cubs.

Abercrombie, (My Friend) Mark Saccomanno, Bogusevic and Towles all hit home runs - Towles' and Bogusevic's homers came off prized Cubs prospect Jeff Samardasoasiohssfzzz. Felipe Paulino struck out six Iowa batters in five innings, leading the Express to a 10-4 win over Iowa. John Gall, playing in left field went 1-for-1 with three walks.

Hensley gave up three hits, four walks and four earned runs in 1.1 for the dent to the Express' ERA. Lumsden and Johnson each threw scoreless appearances, as well.

Nice start, fellas.