With the Pittsburgh Pirates acquiring Gold Glover Derrek Lee from the Baltimore Orioles, the book on the Cubs trading Carlos Pena has closed.
According to ESPN’s Buster Olney, the Cubs have officially told other teams that they are not going to trade Pena before the deadline. The Pirates were the only team to show any real known amount of interest in Pena’s services but decided to go in another direction because they felt the Cubs were not very motivated to move Pena.
While many people are left scratching their heads, Cubs GM Jim Hendry has said that he would like to have Pena back next season, and Pena is on record as saying he would love to come back, as well. This could just be a move to avoid ruffling any feathers in case Hendry can’t haul in a big name like Prince Fielder or Albert Pujols after the Cubs dismal season comes to an end.
While it appears that the Cubs may hold tight as the deadline approaches, one name to keep an eye on is CF Marlon Byrd. The Atlanta Braves have poked around a bit since losing out on Hunter Pence and placing OF Nate McLouth on the DL. While Byrd is a clubhouse favorite and a fan favorite, the Cubs may be willing to move the Byrdman with OF Brett Jackson riding the accelerated path through the minors.
Many experts expected Hendry to be in sell-mode at the deadline, but he has remained relatively quiet throughout the process.