Prediction: Matusz and Arrieta will be traded before July 31st.

[waroriole]

Would anyone do this trade?

Cubs get:

Brian Matusz

Johnathan Schoop

Ryan Flaherty

Orioles get:

Matt Garza

Alfonso Soriano

P.S. Took out LaHair after further thought.

Hell no

People are really over-valuing Garza. He's been a below average SP this year.....in the NL Central. He's basically a #3 for his career. You don't give up Matusz and Schoop for him.......and you sure as hell don't take back Soriano.

[CheeryO]

Cubs have a ton of money-they have a preference for prospects over salary relief.

It's a balancing act. I think they want Soriano gone almost equally as much as they desire top prospects, regardless of how much money they have. But apart from dealing Castro, the Cubs don't appear to have much with which to get top players. Garza and Dempster will likely bring back mid to good prospects / young veterans (e.g. Matusz, Schoop), but unlikely top ones (e.g., Machado, Bundy).

[VeveJones007]

$36 million+ left for a replacement-level LF. Soriano is kryptonite in any deal with the Cubs.

[CheeryO]

Hell no

People are really over-valuing Garza. He's been a below average SP this year.....in the NL Central. He's basically a #3 for his career. You don't give up Matusz and Schoop for him.......and you sure as hell don't take back Soriano.

I'm not sold on Garza either, but I think the O's would have to part with at least one of Matusz or Schoop and a lower level prospect or two for Garza. If the O's take Soriano back and pay half his salary then maybe Matusz or Schoop along with a reliever like Lindstrom.

[CheeryO]

$36 million+ left for a replacement-level LF. Soriano is kryptonite in any deal with the Cubs.

It depends on much of his salary you were on the hook for.

[OFFNY]

$36 million+ left for a replacement-level LF. Soriano is kryptonite in any deal with the Cubs.

It depends on much of his salary you were on the hook for.

The way that we have acted over not wanting to "waste" Kevin Gregg's remaining salary (we still owe him about $3 Million for the rest of this season), I think that unless we didn't have to pay Soriano anything, a huge ado would be made about his salary.

In other words, I'd be really surprised if we traded for Soriano, even if we only had to pay him 1/4 of that $36 Million-Plus that he has coming to him.

[VeveJones007]

It depends on much of his salary you were on the hook for.

He's a liability in the field (despite what FanGraphs says) and his wOBA has been in the low .300's for the past few years. He doesn't steal bases anymore. If we're talking anything more than $5 million total over the next 2 1/2 years, then it's not even worth discussing.

[VeveJones007]

The way that we have acted over not wanting to "waste" Kevin Gregg's remaining salary (we still owe him about $3 Million for the rest of this season), I think that unless we didn't have to pay Soriano anything, a huge ado would be made about his salary.

In other words, I'd be really surprised if we traded for Soriano, even if we only had to pay him 1/4 of that $36 Million-Plus that he has coming to him.

Yeah, and put the salary aside for a minute. There will be much better options for LF than Soriano. The trade would upgrade the SP yet anchor the offense and, in particular, the defense. There are more efficient ways to improve both areas.

[Roll Tide]

I'd give one them one of our young SPs for Garza and tell them to keep Soriano.

Say Matusz & a C type for Garza....I just dont see the Cubs as a match

[Flacco Machado]

I'd give one them one of our young SPs for Garza and tell them to keep Soriano.

Say Matusz & a C type for Garza....I just dont see the Cubs as a match

What about Matusz to the Padres? He goes back to his hometown and pitches in a huge ballpark. Three-team deal:

Padres get:

Brian Matusz

Bryan LaHair

Xavier Avery

Orioles get:

Matt Garza

Chase Headley

Cubs get:

Clayton Richard

Cameron Maybin

Mike Wright

[CheeryO]

He's a liability in the field (despite what FanGraphs says) and his wOBA has been in the low .300's for the past few years. He doesn't steal bases anymore. If we're talking anything more than $5 million total over the next 2 1/2 years, then it's not even worth discussing.

On it's own, no, but if committing more than $5 million to Soriano over 2 years meant the chance to get Garza and also maybe LaHair (for perhaps Matusz, Davis and Schoop? dunno), then maybe it's worth looking at. Soriano is hitting better this year. He has an OPS around .800 and 13 homers. Playing on a stronger team like the O's could energize him more.

[CheeryO]

What about Matusz to the Padres? He goes back to his hometown and pitches in a huge ballpark. Three-team deal:

Padres get:

Brian Matusz

Bryan LaHair

Xavier Avery

Orioles get:

Matt Garza

Chase Headley

Cubs get:

Clayton Richard

Cameron Maybin

Mike Wright

Nice for the O's, pretty decent for the Padres (though trading for LaHair means giving up on Alonso?), but that trade is maybe a bit thin for the Cubs. Interesting, though maybe the O's should just skip the Cubs and do a deal directly with the Padres. Trade them Matusz, Davis, Avery, Schoop and Wright (or someone else) for Headley, Clayton Richard and Alonso/Maybin.

[Mizerooskie]

I wouldn't move either one this year.

I'm still a believer that both can turn into above-average starters, and that the organization can't take the loss of depth if whoever you trade them for doesn't extend, or flames out.

I'd move some combination of Tillman, Hunter, and a B-level prospect for one of the Cubs pitchers and a larger portion of Soriano's salary than others are willing to take.

[Tx Oriole]

Just a hunch. No inside info. No sources. But, if I had to guess, I think DD is going to move these two.

The end of an era? I think so. Do I agree with it? Not really.

You watch these guys come through your system. You pull for them. You check their stats every start. Delmarva, Frederick, Bowie, Rochester/Norfolk. Then, they are finally here. All our hopes. All our dreams. "This is it", we say. The "Calvary" has arrived. Was it fair for Dave Trembley to assign such a label? No. But, he was trying to give fans a glimmer of hope. Something to look forward too, after so many years in an albatross of losing.

Where will they go? Chicago? San Diego?

Who will we get? Chase Headley? Clayton Richard? Edison Volquez? Alfonso Soriano? Matt Garza?

Do I agree with it? Not really. The end of era? I think so.

Peace.

I think maybe one of them could be traded. I just dont see DD trading both. We shall see though.

[Tx Oriole]

I could see Arrieta headline a deal to the Cubs for Dempster and Garza Soriano and and nice amount of cash.

Please just say no to Soriano