Chicago Sun-Times
Cubs hope to get Rich; Harden pursuit to heat up
With Sabathia off the market, North Siders turn attention to A's Harden
July 7, 2008
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BY CHRIS DE LUCA cdeluca@suntimes.com
ST. LOUIS -- If Cubs general manager Jim Hendry is having a tough time reading manager Lou Piniella's wish list, it's because of all that Wite-Out.
Not long ago, Piniella wanted a speedster who could hit left-handed, and the answer was ''wait and see.'' Then he asked for a lefty-hitting outfielder and got Jim Edmonds. These days, there is only one glaring need -- a craving that likely will have to hold the Cubs until October.
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The Cubs have been working on a deal for Rich Harden for at least a month.
(AP)
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''Jim and I have talked,'' Piniella said Sunday. ''The consensus here probably is another starting pitcher.''
The Cubs' pipe dream was ace left-hander C.C. Sabathia, but he's headed from the Cleveland Indians to the Milwaukee Brewers in a deal that is expected to become official today. Deep down, the Cubs knew they didn't have a package of young talent to compete with the Brewers' offer. Still, this was a tough blow watching the reigning American League Cy Young Award winner go to the second-place -- that's right second-place -- Brewers.
The Cubs have spent a lot of time on the phone recently with Oakland Athletics general manager Billy Beane trying to pry away right-hander Rich Harden. Expect the phone lines to start burning a little hotter beginning today.
Beane's in a tough spot. This season was supposed to be about rebuilding -- at least, that's what he told us last winter after dealing pitcher Dan Haren to the Arizona Diamondbacks and outfielder Nick Swisher to the White Sox for a combined nine prospects, including five starting pitchers. Then the A's -- even after dropping two straight to the White Sox over the weekend -- made a run in the watered-down AL West, sitting six games behind the fragile Los Angeles Angels.
Now seems like a bad time for Beane to pull the trigger, no matter how much the Cubs call.
Waiting for Harden could last right up to the July 31 non-waivers trade deadline. Thanks to the second consecutive solid outing by left-hander Sean Marshall on Sunday during a 7-1 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals, the Cubs can afford a little patience.
Or they could move to Plan C and call the San Diego Padres to inquire about veteran left-hander Randy Wolf, who commands Hendry's respect.
As much as the Cubs covet Harden -- and they have been working this deal for at least a month -- Piniella likes having another lefty in his rotation along with Ted Lilly. Marshall could be the one, though the 25-year-old needs to show a longer stretch of consistency.
''I like the idea of two lefties in the rotation because our bullpen is [mostly] right-handed,'' Piniella said. ''We've got one lefty out there right now in Neal Cotts, and he's doing a real nice job. But that's it. All of a sudden, you put a couple of lefties in your rotation, and it plays into the strength of your right-handed bullpen.''
With his one-run, six-hit effort in six innings, Marshall (1-2) bought himself another start Saturday against the San Francisco Giants, moving right-hander Sean Gallagher to the bullpen.
''Over the two years I've been here, that's as good as I've seen him throw the ball,'' Piniella said of Marshall, who struck out four and walked one. ''I like Marshall. The one good thing about Marshall, too, is I can skip him around in the rotation and he'll pitch probably just as well, or maybe a little better, with more rest. That's an advantage.''
Several questions loom over the Cubs' rotation. Will Marshall stay consistent over the long haul? Will All-Star Ryan Dempster run out of gas his first season back in the rotation? Will Carlos Zambrano's shoulder flare up again? And will right-hander Jason Marquis suffer a major slip after the All-Star break? Marquis has stumbled after the break in each of the last three seasons.
The Brewers had enough concern about their staff to swing the Sabathia deal. The Cardinals expect to get their crop of hurting pitchers back in action during the next couple of weeks, with Mark Mulder set to start Wednesday.
The Cubs have 3? weeks before the deadline to decide if they are going to add their own new starting pitcher.
''I like our ballclub,'' Piniella said. ''But at the same time, we've played very well, and we haven't been able to shake people. That leads me to believe that this is going to be nip-and-tuck the rest of the way.''
