Trading Places
Lilly and Theriot Shipped to LA

Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images

For Ted Lilly, the waiting was undoubtedly the hardest part. He can finally pack his bags: Jim Hendry traded him and Ryan Theriot to the Dodgers for second baseman Blake DeWitt and two prospects. Does the move make the Cubs better? Well, the team gave up one of its best starters for some young arms that may or may not pan out, although we like DeWitt's .352 on-base percentage. We'll miss Lilly's emotional commitment to the team, but we're excited to see what the new guys can do. And we'll always wistfully remember all those "The Riot" references.

Chicago Sun-Times: Cubs trade Ted Lilly and Ryan Theriot to Dodgers
Chicago Breaking Sports: Cubs trade Lilly, Theriot, cash for Dodgers' DeWitt
ESPN Chicago: Hendry pleased with Cubs' pickups

For Better or for Worse?
Reactions to the Lilly/Theriot Trade
So what's the verdict on the Lilly/Theriot trade? The crafty left-hander was pitching well, but Theriot had a mere 13 extra-base hits. (Yeesh.) And the Cubs have guys like Thomas Diamond and Jeff Samardzija who can (hopefully) fill Lilly's spot in the rotation. The Cubs' new second baseman Blake DeWitt gets on base, and ESPN points out his defense has improved. As for the prospects, Phil Rogers thinks Brett Wallach could be a #3 pitcher, while David Kaplan says he has "a solid chance of pitching in the big leagues." Let's cross our fingers.

Chicago Breaking Sports: Why are the Cubs so generous?
Kaps Corner: A look at the trade of Ted Lilly and Ryan Theriot
ESPN Chicago: DeWitt surprised as L.A. gains versatility
Desipio: So long, dummy

Vicious Cycle
Cubs Rally on D-Lee Homer, But Lose on 1st Pitch of 9th
When the Cubs went down 4-0, we thought, "Here we go again." The team eventually tied it at five — only to watch Carlos Gonzalez make the dynamite go boom on Sean Marshall's first pitch of the ninth for a 6-5 loss. Tom Gorzelanny struggled, giving up five earned runs in just over six innings, and Carlos Zambrano got two outs without allowing a run. (Umm, hooray?) Derrek Lee hit a three-run bomb in the eighth, but it was all for naught as the Cubs lost their fourth in a row. And so it goes.

ESPN Chicago: Gonzalez completes cycle with walk-off HR... [+ video]
Chicago Tribune: Cubs lose 6-5 on walkoff home run
Daily Herald: New-look Cubs go down when Gonzalez blasts 462-foot HR...
MLB: A day of drama for a team in flux [+ video]

Diamond Debut
Cub Prospect Takes Lilly's Spot in Rotation
With Ted Lilly gone, you might be wondering who's going to take his spot in the rotation. Gotta be Zambrano and his massive contract, right? Wrong! Minor leaguer Thomas Diamond will take the hill on Tuesday. Diamond has been shining bright at Triple-A Iowa, going 5-4 with a 3.16 ERA and 104 strikeouts in 108.1 innings. Not only that, batters are hitting a Mendoza-ish .218 against him. Diamond is a former first-rounder who's battled back from Tommy John surgery to start this year's Triple-A All-Star Game. Stay sharp, kid!

Daily Herald: Cubs to call up Diamond for Tuesday
Agony & Ivy: Will Diamond take our minds off Cubs' wrinkles?

Unknown Quantity
What Can We Expect from Zambrano?
Carlos Zambrano took the hill last night for the first time in over a month, and allowed a walk and a single to load the bases in the seventh inning. Not a stellar way to get back into the swing of things. But then Big Z did something unexpected: he threw a 95-mph fastball past Seth Smith for strike three and got the next guy to pop out. Inning over. Zambrano hasn't thrown that hard in ages, so maybe the time off (and counseling) has made him a new man. Might increase his trade value, right?

ESPN Chicago: If Cubs willing, Zambrano ready to start

The Cubs supposedly turned down the Mets' offer of Luis Castillo and Oliver Perez for Carlos Zambrano... Greg Maddux spoke highly of Blake DeWitt and influenced Jim Hendry's decision to trade for him... The Cubs will honor Andre Dawson on August 30 at Wrigley, and rumor has it they'll retire his number... There was a problem with yesterday's link for the Muscle Milk ceremonial first pitch contest. The correct link is www.musclemilk.com/chicago.

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