Lee Leaving? X-Man Exiting?
Cubs Could Start Wheeling and Dealing Soon

Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images

Derrek Lee or Xavier Nady could be going to California, although it might not be with an achin' in their hearts. According to Dave Kaplan and Fred Mitchell's "excellent baseball sources," talks between the Cubs and Angels have heated up for the formerly awesome Lee. Meanwhile, the LA Times says the Angels are more interested in Xavier Nady. The Angels developed a need for a first baseman when their starter, Kendry Morales, broke his leg in one of the game's all-time bizarre injuries: He fractured his left leg in a home-plate celebration after hitting a game-winning grand slam. Another rumor hints at a Boston trade for Lee, who's in the last year of his contract. But would Lee waive his no-trade clause? That's the big question. The rejuventated Carlos Silva could also draw some interest, and who would have thought Milton Bradley would have somehow turned into a trade surplus for the Cubs?

Chicago Sun-Times: No Cubs breakup just yet
Chicago Tribune: Cubs talking Lee trade with Angels: sources
Los Angeles Times: Scot Shields has recaptured his old form...

It's Raining, Then...
Zambrano's Return Gets Washed Out
A deluge in Pittsburgh made the field a mess and prevented the Carlos Zambrano Circus from taking center stage. The game will be made up on Monday, but there's no word when Zambrano will take the hill. It couldn't be easy, could it? Of course not. We're hoping the extra little rest will bring back that pop to Big Z's fastball, but we'll see.

ESPN Chicago: Rain creates unplayable field for Cubs-Pirates
Chicago Tribune: Postponement delays restart to Zambrano's season
Chicago Sun-Times: Rain forces 'Z' to wait for return to rotation
Daily Herald: Cubs going back Monday to Pittsburgh

Trading Places
Should the Cubs Swap Most of Their Roster?
Given that the Cubs are six-and-a-half games out of first place and seven off the Wild Card pace, it's tempting to say their season is basically done. And you know what that means: the blogs are going to be firing up the trade talk. Two blogs, Talking Chicago Baseball and Goat Riders of the Apocalypse, examine the Cubs' options, which are somewhat limited because many of the big-name players have no-trade clauses. The bottom line: TCB says Ted Lilly, Marlon Byrd, and Derrek Lee are pretty much the top candidates, while GRotA says Lilly, Silva, Byrd, and Fukudome could bring some decent return. But will the Cubs make any deals? We'll see.

Talking Chicago Baseball: Time to look for trades
Goat Riders of the Apocalypse: What we've got

And Justice for Lou
A Spirited Defense of Embattled Cubs Skipper
You've likely seen the words "Lou must go" appear with increasing frequency lately. Apparently, the thinking is that the Cubs are underperforming because the oft-unshaven Piniella has become like your doddering uncle who watches everything with a combination of bemusement and drunkenness. (We're not saying we agree with this, by the way. We're just reporting.) Tales from Aisle 424 angrily disputes this, noting Piniella has done everything he can to get blood from this stone. The problem, the blog says, is simply that his players aren't producing. "I'll bet all the money I have that Lou Piniella would likely be a good manager again if the aliens ever return Derrek Lee and Aramis Ramirez," the blog says.

Tales from Aisle 424: Lou should keep an eye out for angry mobs

Irish upon a Star
Samardzija Might Be in Minors for a While
The Cubs had high hopes for former Fighting Irish wide receiver Jeff Samardzija: He started the season with the Cubs was going to be an integral part of the team's bullpen, and perhaps even a starter. Unfortunately, his numbers were what we call "bad": He allowed 11 runs and walked six in just over three innings, and was demoted to the minors. Chicago Breaking Sports notes that even though he's been doing well down at Triple-A Iowa, Samardzija seems to be in line behind minor leaguers like Brian Schlitter, Jay Jackson, Casey Coleman, and Thomas Diamond. Hopefully, he'll figure it out and be remembered as more than the recipient of one of the more bewildering no-trade clauses in baseball history.

Chicago Breaking Sports: Talking Cubs before Big Z's reboot

Want to see a heartbreaking play? Watch the blown call that cost Detroit's Armando Galarraga a perfect game yesterday... Ron Santo is fine and has returned to Chicago after undergoing a series of tests in a Pittsburgh hospital... After the disastrous oil spill off the Gulf Coast, BP will scale back its involvement in the annual Cubs/Sox series... Former Mariners, Reds, White Sox, then Mariners again star Ken Griffey Jr. retired.

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