Bruce Levine is reporting that the Cubs have received a trade proposal for Ryan Dempster though the specifics are unknown.
CHICAGO — The Los Angeles Dodgers have proposed a trade for Chicago Cubs starter Ryan Dempster, a baseball source told
The Cubs have been clear their top priority on the trade market is adding young pitching. It is unclear whether Zach Lee, the top-rated arm in Los Angeles' farm system, is included in the offer.
The Cubs appear to be making contingency plans in case a Dempster trade is completed. A major league source told ESPNChicago.com that talks are fluid and the team is preparing to have replacements in St. Louis this weekend in case a deal is completed for the veteran starter.
In what could be the first move of an active stretch, the Cubs acquired pitcher Justin Germano from the Boston Red Sox for cash considerations Thursday. In a corresponding transaction, right-hander Jairo Asencio was designated for assignment.
If the Cubs can get Lee for Dempster I'm going to be ecstatic. Lee was a midseason 49th ranked prospect by Baseball America. His value as a prospect would easily be $15 million so that would be a fantastic deal for the Cubs. It's hard for me to imagine the Dodgers giving up that much for a rental, but stranger things have probably happened.
Lee is a big guy and here's what Baseball America had to say prior to the season:
Lee has a deep arsenal and the pitchability to get the most out of it. His fastball generally ranges from 89-93 mph, but he can reach back for more when he needs it, touching as high as 98. He's a strike-thrower who commands his fastball to both sides of the plate. He also has an advanced feel for manipulating the ball to make it do what he wants against certain hitters. He can make his fastball sink, or turn it into a cutter that developed into a true weapon. Lee featured a hard curveball that tended to get slurvy in high school, but he worked on developing both a curve and slider as separate offerings in 2011. He made huge strides with the slider by the end of the season, allowing him to get in on the hands of lefthanders, who he held to a .229/.291/.341 line. The curve still shows promising spin and depth at 79-83 mph when it's on, but it continues to come and go. He also features an 81-84 mph changeup that has a chance to be an average pitch down the road.
I'll be surprised if the Cubs do this well. He's the top ranked Dodgers prospect and I just don't see an organization giving him up for Dempster's 2 months. Especially when you consider the Dodgers can't get draft picks at the end of the contract.
Justin Germano is 29 years old and has an ERA near 5 in 258 innings at the big league level. The guy has had fantastic control in the minor leagues (walks per 9 of about 1 to 2 over the last several years). His K/BB this year is over 5. I think he could fill in better than Chris Volstad could so this is a solid pick up for the Cubs.