Kuzul

The Giants and Cubs had a little unfinished business to attend to before they matched up Wednesday night in San Francisco. With the owner’s meetings getting underway in Minneapolis, Jim Hendry and Brian Sabean completed a trade that they reportedly began talking about as the trade deadline was approaching.

Mike Fontenot was sent from the visiting clubhouse to the home clubhouse in exchange for 22-year-old outfield prospect Evan Crawford. In a corresponding roster move, the Cubs called up 24-year-old middle infielder Darwin Barney from Triple-A Iowa.

But what does this mean for the North Siders going forward?

To begin with, it appears that the youth movement is in full effect. Between this trade and the one that sent Ted Lilly and Ryan Theriot to Los Angeles before the non-waiver trade deadline, the Cubs basically replaced three players aged 34, 30, and 30 (Lilly, Theriot, and Fontenot) with another three aged 27, 24, and 24 (Thomas Diamond, Blake DeWitt, and Barney).

It also reduced the cost of this roster.

Lilly was heading into free agency, Theriot into his second year of arbitration, and Fontenot into his first year of arbitration following his Super Two status last off-season. Meanwhile, DeWitt will not hit arbitration for another year and Diamond and Barney are three years away from that milestone at the very least.

It might also mean that the Cubs are set up the middle of their infield for the next few years.

Starlin Castro has six years of team control remaining and a seemingly bright future with both the glove and the bat; Barney has a glove that should keep him in at least a defensive substitution role for those same six years of team control; and DeWitt should be able to provide solid enough offense and defense to hold down the keystone while he plays out his four years of team control.

While many Cubs fans will be waiting for Hak-Ju Lee or one of the many other middle infield prospects to develop and burst onto the scene, those three may very well be able to do the job. If nothing else, the lack of large salaries gives enough flexibility to make additions to the position group down the road.

The most important takeaway for this season, though, is this: the Cubs didn’t stop looking for trade partners when the non-waiver trade deadline passed. There may very well be more moves to come.

So who might be on their way out before September 1st?

Since Derrek Lee already rejected a trade to the Angels and Carlos Silva landed on the disabled list with heart troubles, I am hard-pressed to believe that either of them will be going anywhere this season.

In my mind, that leaves only three names that are likely to find their way onto the backs of new jerseys: Xavier Nady, Kosuke Fukudome, and Jeff Baker.

Nady was originally a part of the negotiations that just sent Fontenot to San Francisco and also drew interest from the Rangers earlier in the year. With about one million dollars left on his contract this season, he might get picked up by a contending team looking for a first baseman or designated hitter down the stretch.

The Angels lost out on Lee, so maybe they would be interested in the cheaper (both in terms of money and players sent in exchange) option from the same team. Although it’s purely speculation on my part, I believe they might have interest in the Salinas native.

Fukudome is on the block mainly because of his prohibitive contract. He offers a level of defense, patience, and occasional power that would be much more attractive if he weren’t making more than 3.5 million for the remainder of this season and 13.5 million in 2011.

Those dollar amounts mean that he is a likely candidate to clear Trade Assignment Waivers and open up negotiations with anyone who’s biting, but his no-trade clause makes any such move slightly more difficult. It isn’t because he wouldn’t approve a trade right now, but because (as I’ve said before) part of a player’s value is how easily you can get rid of him.

Because he only has one year remaining on his contract and does provide the defense, patience, and occasional power that he has shown in the past, there is no reason that the Cubs should be leveraged into eating too much of his contract or getting next to nothing in return. He can still be a valuable backup outfielder for this team if the negotiating parties fail to realize that fact.

Baker, on the other hand, might be the least likely of the three to get moved. The reasoning for that is fairly simple in my mind: he hasn’t hit consistently well in his major league career and doesn’t provide enough in the way of defense to inflate his value much.

He has some versatility in the infield and at the outfield corners, which helps, and is still under team control for three more years, which also helps, but I’m not sure that’s enough to draw serious interest.

Still, it wouldn’t surprise me (and shouldn’t surprise anyone else, in my opinion) if a few more trades are made in the next few weeks. In return, look for prospects or young major leaguers instead of established veterans.

This season may be all but over, but a solid foundation is being built for the future. Just wait and see.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

The Cubs placed Geovany Soto and Derrek Lee on the 15-day disabled list and the bereavement list, respectively, on Tuesday. In their stead will be 23-year-old Welington Castillo and 30-year-old Micah Hoffpauir from Triple-A Iowa.

If you’ve been paying any attention to the North Siders these past few seasons, you’re probably fairly familiar with Hoffpauir from his stellar stint with the Cubs in 2008, his less impressive 2009 season as Lee’s backup, and a left-handed power bat off the bench. His recent play in Iowa suggests that he’s getting back to his 2008 form, riding an 18-game hitting streak into his promotion, and posting a slash line of .338/.402/.683 since July 1st.

Heading into next season, he will have no options remaining and will have accumulated less than two years of big league service time. As such, he will most likely need to be retained on the 25-man roster (or risk being picked up on irrevocable outright assignment waivers) and will still be under team control through 2015.

However brief this call-up ends up being, it might be Micah’s first audition for the Cubs’ 2011 gig as their starting first baseman. If Lee and Xavier Nady ask for more money than the Cubs are willing to give them, or otherwise don’t fit into their plans going forward, the job might become Hoffpauir to lose.

You might not be as well-acquainted with Castillo, though. Getting his first taste of the big leagues, he’s a defensive-minded catcher with a little pop who might find himself backing up Soto in the near future.

Since Castillo will not come close to having a year’s worth of big league service time going into next year and will still have two options remaining, he’ll probably be due for a permanent call-up no later than 2013.

Conveniently, Koyie Hill’s final year of team control will be 2012, so there’s no need to rush the young catcher up to the big leagues for more than the occasional fill-in job when Soto and Hill are out of action.

In the meantime, he can work on furthering his progress both at the plate and behind it in the minor leagues. Cubs fans can rest assured that one catcher going down on the North Side won’t be the end of the world.

Barring a turnaround of legendary proportions, this season is pretty much in the books, but there is still plenty for fans to watch. A bunch of talent will be working its way up these next few years, and as the Reds have proven this season, it might not be so long before the Cubs are in the thick of things once again.

So when you’re watching the Cubs these next few days, pay attention. Those two fresh faces could be driving those playoff pushes for years to come.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

This article is the final part of a series of articles looking at the Cubs not-so-distant future. To read part four, which takes a look at the pitchers, follow this link .

After taking three of four against the Phillies coming out of the All-Star break, the Cubs are tied for third place in the National League Central with the Brewers at 42-51. The Cardinals are 9.5 games ahead of them in first place and the Reds are only half a game behind in second (first in the Wild Card standings).

That’s not much of a change in the two-and-a-half weeks that have passed since I wrote part one of this series. The way this team is playing has changed and, if they can stay hot through the trade deadline, they might not be the sellers we all thought they would be.

How hot do they need to be, though?

Well, if you assume that the Central and Wild Card races will require winning percentages around those of their current leaders (the Cardinals and Reds), then they will need to finish with around 90 wins. In order to do that, they would need to go 48-21 (.696) over their final 69 games.

In other words, it’s still a bit of a stretch.

No matter what the case may be, though, the Cubs probably won’t become buyers. They’re simply in too good of a position to build for the future.

All that’s left to determine is if they’re going to be outright sellers and who will be going if that happens.

In my mind, there are eight guys who are prime candidates to get moved: Jeff Baker, Mike Fontenot, Kosuke Fukudome, Derrek Lee, Ted Lilly, Xavier Nady, Carlos Silva, and Ryan Theriot.

Jeff Baker, Mike Fontenot, and Ryan Theriot

Darwin Barney is a very good defender who is holding his own offensively for Triple-A Iowa. He’s also five years younger than the trio of Baker, Fontenot, and Theriot and will be under team control for the next six years.

One of the three will have to go to free up his roster spot. Another might have to go if the Cubs want some pop available off the bench that can play first and third.

If none of the three can be traded, someone might be non-tendered this offseason, meaning that the Cubs would get nothing in return.

Fontenot is the best offensive option of the three, Theriot is probably the best defensive option of the three, and Baker offers the most versatility. Fontenot also has three years of team control left while Theriot and Baker have only two.

Who the team trades probably depends on how much personal value they’re willing to give up for a return.

Fontenot would likely get the best return in a trade, but would also be the best long-term option to keep. Baker, meanwhile, probably holds the least value for both the Cubs and any potential trade partner.

Derrek Lee and Xavier Nady

Either player could draw interest from a contender looking for a first baseman or designated hitter. They’re both on expiring contracts and have a history of hitting well, even if they haven’t been great this season.

In all likelihood, at least one of the two will get traded. The team only needs one first baseman and trading either player would open up a spot for Brad Snyder, who continues to tear it up in Triple-A, to be a strong bat coming off the bench and a good defensive option in the outfield.

If the season were to take a nosedive before the trading deadline, I wouldn’t be surprised if both players found themselves in different uniforms.

Ted Lilly and Carlos Silva

Ever since Cliff Lee was traded, Lilly’s name has been one of the hottest names on the market.

Even if the Cubs stay in contention, with the demand that pitching so often draws, they might get an offer they can’t refuse. In that event, they could put Zambrano back in the rotation or try out one (or a couple) of the young guys and hope they don’t have to face Ted down the stretch or in the playoffs.

Silva, on the other hand, isn’t going to land a great package like the Cubs’ lefty. But he might also get traded, even with the team contending, if a good enough deal comes along.

Obviously, the team won’t trade both if they’re contending, but Silva is a younger and cheaper option that barely ever walks anyone. If the team slides out of contention soon enough, it’s completely within the realm of possibility that both pitchers get moved and two young pitchers would get a shot at the rotation.

Kosuke Fukudome

Fukudome just hasn’t lived up to the expectations that a four-year, $48 million contract creates.

He’s been a good defender in the outfielder and he’s drawn more than his share of walks, but his second half struggles have been bad enough to erase all the good that his hot starts had done.

In some ways, you could even consider this his worst year yet.

He’s drawing walks at the lowest rate of his short career, has the lowest batting average of his career, and, according to FanGraphs’ UZR ratings, is having his worst defensive year also.

His contract and well-established second half struggles will only hurt his value and force the Cubs to decide between paying more of his contract, getting fewer prospects in return, or waiting until the offseason to trade him.

I’m sure that there are other names that Cubs fans wanted to see on here, but there are more moves that will have to be made. They just have to wait until the timing’s right.

For some, that will be this offseason. For others, it will be next season. The rest need to just start playing better.

Soon enough we’ll see who’s going and who’s staying, but these eight are easily the most likely to be dealt before the deadline.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

This article is part three of a series of articles looking at the Cubs’ not-so-distant future. To read part three, which takes a look at the middle infielders and catchers, follow this link.

The Cubs have pitching.

The rotation of Ted Lilly, Ryan Dempster, Carlos Silva, Tom Gorzelanny, and Randy Wells has been good enough to post a FIP of 3.87 (fourth in MLB), an xFIP of 3.99 (second in MLB), and a total of 55 quality starts (second in MLB). And that’s all without removing Carlos Zambrano’s less-than-stellar outings from the bunch.

Carlos Marmol and Sean Marshall have been great, James Russell and Andrew Cashner have held their own, and Bob Howry has pitched much better than I anticipated.

Sure, there have been some bumps in the road, but having 10 pitchers who are performing at those levels on one pitching staff is nothing to sneeze at.

Had the offense put together a more consistent showing, this team would likely be in a much different situation than they currently are.

Unfortunately, the offense hasn’t been everything that Cubs fans had hoped it could be. Instead, there’s a good chance that some of these faces won’t be around much longer and some fresh ones will come in to replace them.

I could write a dissertation on the Cubs’ possibilities for the future on the mound, but I’ll spare you that headache. Instead, I’ll do my best to cover the more immediate and more likely scenarios as concisely as I can.

The Veterans

Silva is 31-years old and in the midst of a breakout season. The Cubs owe him a little less than $4 million for the rest of this season, $6 million next season, and at least the $2 million necessary to buy out his 2012 mutual option (worth $12 million if exercised).

Considering the injury history he already has at his age, the Cubs will most likely have to cover a little bit of that $12 million, but a team looking for a hot hand could very easily want him as the trade deadline nears.

Lilly is the 34-year-old owner of an expiring contract. He’s been a solid starter since joining the Cubs, has had a good season overall in 2010, and will probably be a Type-A free agent this offseason.

With all of those factors combined, he’s probably not going to be in blue pinstripes much longer.

Dempster is 33-years old and, assuming he exercises his 2012 option, he has two years left on his contract over which he will be owed the $27.5 million originally agreed upon, plus the $3 million he agreed to defer before this season and the $4 million he’s still owed for this season.

Although he has also been a solid starter since moving from the bullpen before the 2008 season, any team that might want to acquire him would likely be turned off by all the money left on his contract. It would become even harder to move him because of his 10 and five rights that give him no-trade protection.

In other words, don’t expect him to be going anywhere this season, but start paying attention around this time next year if some young pitchers are making a push for the major leagues and the Cubs are out of contention again.

Howry has been a surprise, but he’s only making the prorated league minimum of $400,000 and probably wouldn’t get the organization much value in any trades. Since the bullpen is still pretty young, he’ll more than likely finish out the season with the Cubs.

John Grabow is 31-years old and is due a little more than $1 million for the rest of this season and $4.8 million for 2011. With his on-field struggles and injury problems, he’s not going anywhere this season.

If Marshall continues his great season and Russell finishes strong, the team might try to move him this offseason, but they would probably have to eat a good portion of his 2011 salary.

Zambrano is another beast altogether. He’s due a lot of money, has no-trade protection, has a bit of an injury history, has a bit of a tantrum history, and hasn’t pitched very well this season, to say the least.

Although the Cubs may want to shop him, he’s probably seen as a “buy extremely low” commodity by the rest of the league right. Since Carlos does have a lot of potential, the team would have to hold on to him and let him pitch to build his trade value if they’re seriously considering the move.

That being said, your guess is as good as mine in regards to what will happen and the timeframe surrounding it.

Young Guns

Marmol, Marshall, and Angel Guzman (almost forgot about him, didn’t you?) are under team control for two more years, Gorzelanny for three, Wells for four, and everyone else for at least five.

Marmol, Marshall, and Guzman aren’t going anywhere. They will likely be the foundation of this bullpen for the next few years, especially if Guzman can get back to form and stay healthy.

I once said that I would be somewhat surprised if Gorzelanny were still on this team after the trade deadline, but I would like to back off of that now. He should be an option for the rotation next year and, since he’s under control for the next three years, there’s no reason to move him, especially with no sure-fire big league lefties developing in the minors and Lilly most likely on his way out.

Wells will remain in the rotation until he proves he isn’t deserving; Thomas Diamond or Cashner could move into the rotation this year if Lilly is traded; Jay Jackson, Casey Coleman, and Jeff Samardzija will probably be competing for a spot in the rotation next year; and guys like Austin Bibens-Dirkx or Chris Carpenter might not be too far behind.

In the bullpen, plenty of options should be available, such as Esmailin Caridad, Jeff Stevens, Jeff Gray, Brian Schlitter, Blake Parker, Marcos Mateo, John Gaub, and Rafael Dolis.

A few guys are probably going to be on their way out before next season rolls around. In some cases it’s to maximize value, others to clear salary, and the rest to open up roster spots for younger players.

With the wealth of talent that is toeing the rubber for the Cubs at various levels, more than a few of them should at least develop into serviceable major leaguers.

Keep an eye out for the last installment of this series, coming soon, that will sum up what the future may hold for the North Siders.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

This article is part three of a series of articles looking at the Cubs’ not-so-distant future. To read part two, which takes a look at the outfield, follow this link.

Starlin Castro still has plenty of developing to do at the major league level, but he is under team control for the next five offseasons and has probably locked up a spot in the starting lineup until he proves he doesn’t deserve it, which hopefully won’t happen.

Geovany Soto was one of baseball’s best offensive catchers during his rookie campaign and, after a disappointing 2009 season, has bounced back to re-gain that position in the first half of this season.

He’s under team control for the next two offseasons and isn’t likely to be in any danger of losing his starting role, either.

After those two, there is no guarantee that there will be familiar faces (in terms of major league experience) behind the dish or in the middle of the infield for very long.

Ryan Theriot has been linked to the Giants and Rockies, Mike Fontenot was almost dealt to the Red Sox, Jeff Baker hasn’t been hitting as well as he did for the 2009 Cubs, and Koyie Hill has a couple of replacements waiting in the wings.

Middle Infield Prospects

According to Baseball America, five of the Cubs’ top ten prospects coming into this season were middle infielders: Castro, Hak-Ju Lee, Logan Watkins, Ryan Flaherty, and D.J. LeMahieu.

That isn’t even counting Darwin Barney, the Cubs’ Triple-A shortstop that was invited to spring training this year and was mentioned by Lou Piniella as a legitimate option for the North Siders’ bench this season.

Lee is considered a big enough prospect that he might eventually push Castro over to second base, but he is only 19 years old and playing at Single-A Peoria. Watkins is a year older, but he is at the same level and appears to be moving up through the ranks at the same pace.

Although both players are very athletic and either could develop into a major leaguer, the Cubs would likely require someone to bridge the gap for the couple of years it will take for them to realistically reach the big leagues.

Both the 23-year-old Flaherty and the 21-year-old LeMahieu are one level ahead of that duo at Single-A Advanced Daytona, but neither are expected to have the range or quickness to stay up the middle.

Catching Prospects

After having three different catchers make that same list over the past two years, none of the other five prospects were catchers. Of course, Geovany Soto is now the Cubs’ starting catcher and Josh Donaldson was traded to Oakland in July 2008.

The third of those catchers was Welington Castillo.

The 23-year-old is a good defensive catcher, drawing comparisons to Yadier Molina as recently as 2009, but he hasn’t been hitting too well for Triple-A Iowa this season.

Despite hitting for good power (.250 ISO) in 184 plate appearances, his slash line sits at .238/.306/.488 on the year.

Looking a little deeper into the Cubs’ farm system, Robinson Chirinos should be an interesting option going forward. He will be eligible for minor league free agency this offseason, but the 26-year-old might offer both offense and defense.

The former infielder has only been a full-time catcher since last year, but Baseball America rated him the organization’s best defensive catcher coming into this season and he has hit for a .314/.402/.559 slash line at Double-A Tennessee so far in 2010.

If he can continue to show the steady offensive improvement at Triple-A next season that he’s had the past few seasons, he might be ready to replace Hill as the backup catcher before too long.

The More Immediate Future

To begin with, there’s no reason to get rid of Hill. He’ll be under team control this offseason, he probably won’t fetch much in a trade, and he’s doing a pretty decent job as the backup catcher.

After the 2011 season, he will qualify for free agency and the Cubs can see where they stand with Castillo and Chirinos, neither of whom have any major league service time.

Assuming that both players are on the 40-man roster (to avoid being picked in the next Rule Five Draft) but are not on the 25-man roster, Castillo will have only one option remaining and Chirinos will have two remaining at that point.

Out of the second basemen, Theriot and Baker have two years remaining under team control and Fontenot has three remaining.

Fontenot is probably the best trade chip of the three because of his offensive ability and the extra year of team control he offers, but those same factors probably make him the best option to keep.

In that light, the Cubs will probably trade one or both of Theriot and Baker if they can get anything of value in return. Of course, since Fontenot was recently on the verge of being traded, it’s entirely possible that Theriot and Baker’s low trade value has already been realized.

But no matter who gets moved, Barney will almost certainly be called upon to fill their spot on the roster.

If two of the three get moved, though, there are a number of ways the team could go.

Micah Hoffpauir or Bryan LaHair could be brought up to give Derrek Lee some rest, but that role is pretty much set with Xavier Nady. They could also bring up Brad Snyder or Sam Fuld, moving Nady almost exclusively to first base and providing the team with more options.

However, there is still one more direction they could go: Matt Camp.

Camp, a 26-year-old utility player in Triple-A, could be an interesting piece for the North Siders. He is a high-contact player with some speed that has played at second base, third base, shortstop, and all three outfield positions in his career.

He might not be the best option at any one thing, but he’s been performing fairly well in Iowa and he would allow Nady to keep his current role on the team while giving the Cubs some added flexibility.

The position players aren’t the only guys that will be moving around, though. This team has a lot of potential talent taking the mound for them right now and, at some point, room will need to be made on the roster for the young guns to get their shot.

Whether it’s expiring contracts or explosive personalities, decisions need to be made and will be coming sooner or later.

Keep an eye out for the next part of this series, coming soon, that will delve deeper into what the future may hold for the North Siders.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

This article is part two of a series of articles looking at the Cubs’ not-so-distant future. To read part one, which looks at first and third base, follow this link .

The Cubs have five outfielders on their 25-man roster that could start for just about any team in major league baseball: Marlon Byrd, Tyler Colvin, Kosuke Fukudome, Xavier Nady, and Alfonso Soriano.

Although having depth isn’t a bad thing, and is often what most teams are seeking to build, this organization can afford to part with some of their depth. In fact, it might be in their best interest to do so for both the short and long term.

Potential Moves

There are only two players to possibly trade away from this group this year: Kosuke Fukudome and Xavier Nady. Soriano might be tradeable in 2013, but that’s probably the best case scenario.

Nady, who I began talking about in part one, is playing under a one year contract with about 1.7 million dollars due for the rest of the season. He’s also getting the least amount of playing time, is having the worst offensive season of the bunch, and is still recovering from Tommy John surgery, making him the worst defensive option also.

In other words, he’s the easiest player to move and the easiest to replace.

Fukudome is a good defensive outfielder who is due about 7.5 million dollars for the rest of this season and 13.5 million for 2011. He has a limited no-trade clause and is in the midst of another offensive swoon.

The Cubs would have to eat a significant portion of his contract to trade him, but he fills his role as a defensive outfielder and offensive threat (even if it isn’t often fulfilled in the second half of the season) on a team with large salaries disappearing this offseason.

There’s no need for the Cubs to be leveraged into a detrimental deal involving Fukudome, so they should still be able to get something of reasonable value in return for him.

As I said in part one, Brad Snyder and Sam Fuld would be the two most likely players to replace anyone in the outfield.

Conveniently, Snyder is in a similar mold to Nady (although he’s left-handed) and Fuld is in a similar mold (with less power and more speed) to Fukudome, so the Cubs could theoretically replace either player without missing a beat.

Looking to the Future

Soriano, who would have easily held the title of biggest defensive liability in the outfield had you asked me earlier in the season, has not only bounced back off of his poor 2009 offensive season, but has become a serviceable outfielder recently.

He’s 34 years old, has another four years left on his contract, is due 18 million dollars each year, has a full no-trade clause, and has a history of knee problems.

In other words, he’s the most difficult player to move, no matter how well he does at the plate or in the field. In fact, that’s probably as close to impossible as it gets for the next couple of seasons.

And then there’s Tyler Colvin and Marlon Byrd.

Both have strong arms and can play good defense at any of the three outfield positions. They’re also both aggressive hitters who can hit for good power, a decent batting average, and steal an occasional base.

Byrd, considered a great clubhouse presence, is 32 years old with a team-friendly contract through the next two seasons. Colvin is 24 years old and under team control for the next five offseasons.

Is there any person better suited to be Colvin’s mentor for the next two years?

Even if Byrd loses a few steps before his final year with the Cubs, he could always swap positions with Colvin and hold down right field. Unless he completely forgets how to hit and field, he should be sticking around for awhile.

Back to the Future

The day is coming when Brett Jackson will find himself penciled into a lineup card at Wrigley Field. And it won’t be the now-annual Road to Wrigley minor league game.

It’s still a ways down the road, but it’s coming soon enough. I guarantee it.

Recently promoted to Double-A Tennessee on June 27, the Cubs’ 2009 first round pick has had himself quite the year so far. He has posted a slash line of .326/.426/.543 in 333 plate appearances, including eight triples and 15 stolen bases.

If he is on a similar track as third baseman Josh Vitters, he could be ready for a call up to the big leagues as soon as late 2012 or, more realistically, 2013.

Looking at an ETA of 2013, Byrd’s current contract will have expired and Soriano might be movable. It is completely within the realm of possibility that a roster spot will be available for Jackson to take as soon as he’s ready.

There’s plenty of time for the team to look into potential outfield starters to play alongside Colvin and Jackson, but they may not have to look too far.

Byrd will be a 35-year-old that might still be a viable option and Snyder and Fuld are both former top prospects that will be in their prime at age 31.

Not every position on the diamond has an immediate solution waiting in the wings like the outfield and corner infield positions do, though. Some are halfway to where they need to be and only need to find one guy to finish the job.

This organization does have some future options at one of these positions, though. But, with these options currently sitting at the lower levels of the minor leagues, some precautions might need to be taken to ensure the major league squad isn’t left short-handed.

More immediate moves might help, but proper usage of team control might also benefit the long-term health of this roster.

Keep an eye out for the next part of this series, coming soon, that will delve deeper into what the future may hold for the North Siders.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

The Cubs are 9.5 games out of first place in the National League Central as of Tuesday morning. That’s good for fourth place in the division behind the Reds, Cardinals, and Brewers.

One of the more concerning things about that picture is that the Brewers, who are considered by many to be out of contention altogether at this point, have inched their way past the Cubs. Yes, the difference between the two teams is only one game, but it’s simply one more sign that this season needs to turn around fast if the Cubs are going to have a shot at making the playoffs.

I’m not waving the white flag on this team right now, but it’s probably time to start focusing more on the organization’s long-term future than it’s playoff aspirations.

That’s not to say that moves can’t be made to help the Cubs’ 2010 iteration, but anything done needs to be at least as helpful, if not more, for the next few seasons as it is for the here and now.

Fortunately, the Cubs may have a bright future lurking. They just need to figure out how to get from where they are now to where they could be.

First Things First

The Cubs organization has four first basemen with major league experience: Derrek Lee, Xavier Nady, Micah Hoffpauir, and Bryan LaHair.

Lee’s lower-than-usual production has been well-covered; Nady has had a few good stretches, but hasn’t been setting the world on fire; Hoffpauir has been drawing his walks and hitting for some power in Triple-A Iowa, but is dragging a bit with a .239 batting average; and LaHair has maintained some power with a decent walk rate and batting average as Hoffpauir’s teammate.

LaHair is the youngest of the bunch at 27, Hoffpauir is 30, Nady is 31, and Lee is 34. Lee and Nady have expiring contracts, Hoffpauir will be out of options, and LaHair will most likely have a minor league contract if he returns.

Although someone currently playing another position may end up at first a few years down the road, there are no sure-fire major leaguers developing in the minor leagues.

Free agents might be an option with guys like Paul Konerko, Carlos Pena, Adam Dunn, Lance Berkman, Lyle Overbay, and Mike Lowell potentially hitting the market. Guys like Michael Cuddyer and Brad Hawpe might even be able to switch over full-time.

Derrek’s Future

Whatever the case, if Derrek Lee isn’t going to be coming back next season, it might very well be in the club’s best interest to trade the aging first baseman.

He has secured Type B status for the upcoming offseason and may be on the verge of reaching Type A status, both of which would land the Cubs compensation in next year’s draft if he were to be offered and refuse arbitration, but there is absolutely no guarantee that he wouldn’t accept it.

If he did, the Cubs would be stuck with Lee and whichever one-year contract (the Cubs’ offer or Lee’s) an arbitrator deemed acceptable.

If the risk that lies in offering him arbitration outweighs the potential reward, then it would be better for the organization to get something via a trade before the deadline than to get nothing by letting him walk into free agency without any strings.

Fallout

That would immediately make Nady the starting first baseman this year and open up a roster spot for either Brad Snyder, who is boasting a .293/.374/.527 slash line in Triple-A Iowa this season, or Sam Fuld, who’s getting on base at a decent rate despite not hitting for much in the way of average or power, in the outfield.

Although either player would likely see minimal playing time on the big league squad, they are old enough (both are 28) that development is less of a concern than their potential impact right now.

And both players could have a positive impact on this team: Snyder as a bat off the bench and decent defender or Fuld as a defensive replacement and speed threat.

Since Nady probably won’t demand too much money as a free agent this offseason, he might be an option to keep around as the starting first baseman for the next few years.

Assuming that his arm is back to normal by next year, if LaHair or Hoffpauir emerge as a legitimate starter at first base, Nady could still move back to the outfield.

Another Option

On the other hand, Aramis Ramirez isn’t the same defensive third baseman he used to be and he will almost certainly exercise his 2011 option. He could move over to first base, allowing Mike Fontenot and/or Jeff Baker to get more playing time over at third.

If that path seems likely and the Cubs are securely out of contention before the trading deadline, then the they could afford to also part ways with Nady and let either LaHair or Hoffpauir finish out the season.

Josh Vitters, who has been at Double-A Tennessee since May 7, would then be able to step in when he’s ready (whether that be late 2011, 2012, or beyond) with Ramirez’s transition already taken care of and a starting spot readily available.

Otherwise, should Vitters be ready in late 2011, he would most likely be hung up in Triple-A or be forcing a veteran to the bench—an unenviable position for a young player, to say the least.

Barring a breakout season from Vitters next year, that scenario is unlikely to happen. After all, the Cubs’ third-best prospect this year according to Baseball America will only be 21 years old.

But in the event that it does happen, it would be better to not be handcuffed.

Of course, shoring up two positions doesn’t create a winning ballclub.

Fortunately, the Cubs farm system has been replenished with talent in recent years and, despite the criticisms of many, this roster will have the flexibility to make things happen before too long.

It might take some creativity due to unforeseen circumstances and complications that have popped up since the signing of some of the organization’s cornerstones, but it is completely possible.

Keep an eye out for the next part of this series, coming soon, that will delve deeper into what the future may hold for the North Siders.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Friday is Aramis Ramirez’s 32nd birthday. It’s also the day that he will be activated off of the disabled list.

In order to make room for the embattled third baseman, somebody needs to move off the 25-man roster. Since the team has only just started a stretch of 20 days without an off day, they can’t afford to go with fewer than 12 pitchers.

That means, while Ramirez might have a very happy birthday tomorrow, one of the club’s position players will be less than thrilled.

I think it’s safe to say that Colvin has earned himself some job security in the outfield. No need to worry about him catching a plane to Iowa.

Catchers Geovany Soto and Koyie Hill are obviously safe, too. There’s no way this club is going to carry fewer than two catchers at any point in time.

If for no other reason, Alfonso Soriano, Derrek Lee, Xavier Nady, and Marlon Byrd are all unlikely to get demoted because they have more than five years of major league service time. As such, they would have to consent to the demotion.

Since Kosuke Fukudome has a partial no-trade clause, he would also have to consent to a demotion, putting him in the same boat.

That leaves Ryan Theriot, Mike Fontenot, Starlin Castro, Jeff Baker and Chad Tracy.

Theriot’s season has been very much a down year so far and has only improved to inconsistent lately. He would have to clear optional assignment waivers first, but “The Riot” does have two options remaining.

Fontenot has slowed considerably off of his hot start, but that cooling has only been very recent. He has a slash line of .091/.130/.091 in his last 23 plate appearances heading into Thursday, and has one option remaining, but would also have to clear optional assignment waivers.

Castro started his big league career very hot, but has cooled off since (.193/.255/.227 in his last 99 plate appearances). Cubs fans might not like to hear it, but the front office could decide that he could use some seasoning in Triple-A.

Baker is out of options, meaning that he’ll have to be put on waivers before a demotion, and he’s been hitting better recently (.324/.350/.486 in his last 40 plate appearances), but he just hasn’t had a very good year overall (.250/.299/.417).

Tracy has more than five years of major league service time, like the four veteran Cubs I mentioned earlier, but he consented to being optioned on May 7. Although he did great in Triple-A during his most recent stay there, he just hasn’t swung the bat well for the major league Cubs.

The fact that the two LSU alums (Theriot and Fontenot) would need to pass through optional assignment waivers makes me think that they wouldn’t be moved unless a trade was imminent. Since Theriot has been included in trade rumors lately, he could get designated for assignment, but I just don’t get the feeling that that move will happen any time soon, if at all.

Castro may or may not benefit from spending some time in Iowa, but there is probably too much hype surrounding him to send him down, unless he continues to struggle. The simple fact is that he’s the type of player that could just as easily get his seasoning in the big leagues as he could in Triple-A.

In other words, I wouldn’t hold my breath on that one.

So now we’re left with the two players that are widely believed to be the front-runners for a move anyways: Jeff Baker and Chad Tracy.

Baker can play anywhere in the infield and at either corner outfield position, has been hitting better lately, and would have to clear waivers before being sent down. Tracy can play the corner infield (and possibly corner outfield) positions, provides a left-handed bat, hasn’t been hitting in the big leagues this year, doesn’t have to go through waivers, and might be willing to consent to another demotion.

The Cubs already made this decision once, so I would assume that they’ll go in the same direction again.

I’m not a betting man, but I’d put my money on Chad Tracy being the odd man out. It’s simply the move that takes the least away from the team right now and gives them the most flexibility with their roster going forward.

EDIT (6/25): Apparently, I overlooked a clause in Tracy’s contract that only allowed him to be optioned in the first 45 days of the season. It appears that whoever gets moved off the 25-man roster might end up out of the organization altogether.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

The first two games of the 2010 College World Series will be played this Saturday.

For Cubs fans, however, the first game of importance might come Sunday night when the Clemson Tigers face off against the Arizona State Sun Devils.

That game, which will be aired on ESPN at 7pm Eastern Time, will feature the Cubs’ 29th round draft pick Casey Harman. The left-handed ace of the Clemson pitching staff this year, he put together a 7-2 record with an ERA of 3.95, a .239 opponent batting average, 7.71 K/9, and 2.78 BB/9.

According to CollegeSplits.com , his numbers are even a little bit better when you account for ballpark and schedule adjustments: 8-2 record, 3.68 ERA, .221 opponent batting average, 8.34 K/9, and 2.60 BB/9.

Unfortunately, it appears as though his traditional statistics might be somewhat optimistic. His FIP was 5.17, although it’s 3.68 adjusted, and his BABIP was .275 (.259 adjusted).

Baseball America had this to say about Harman in their Draft Database:

Harman, miscast as a staff ace, is a solid three-pitch lefthander with steady stuff, including an 85-89 mph fastball with good sink. His straight changeup and slider are fringe-average but play up when he commands the two-seamer.

But he has been very hot lately, pitching 17 innings with a 1.56 ERA, 17 strikeouts, and one walk in the postseason so far. Cubs fans can come to their own conclusions about him Sunday night as the southpaw faces what might be the toughest lineup in Omaha.

Although there aren’t many success stories, there have been major leaguers that were drafted in the 29th round or later. Among them are these pitchers:

• Kyle Lohse (29th round, 1996, Cubs)
• Darryl Kile (30th round, 1987, Astros)
• Mike Gonzalez (30th round, 1997, Pirates)
• Robb Nen (32nd round, 1987, Rangers)
• Jason Frasor (33rd round, 1999, Tigers)
• Dan Wheeler (34th round, 1996, Rays)
• Chad Gaudin (34th round, 2001, Rays)
• Mark Buehrle (38th round, 1998, White Sox)
• Scot Shields (38th round, 1997, Angels)
• Kenny Rogers (39th round, 1982, Rangers)
• Kyle Farnsworth (47th round, 1994, Cubs)

If the Cubs sign him, maybe Harman will make this list, too. Of course, he’s only a junior and may decide to go back to school in an attempt to improve his draft stock (and increase his bank account) next year.

What might make this game even more interesting are two pitchers on the opposing pitching staff that Harman might face many more times in his professional career. Seth Blair , the Cardinals’ first round supplemental pick, will be starting the game and Jordan Swagerty , the Cardinals’ second round selection, could be closing it out for the Sun Devils.

Another NL Central draftee, Andrew Maggi (15th round, Pirates), will also be taking the field as Arizona State’s starting shortstop.

Since Clemson is the lowest-ranked team in their half of the bracket according to Baseball America, make sure you don’t miss this game. Harman might not make a second start in Omaha.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Monday is the first day of Major League Baseball’s three-day First-Year Player Draft.

There are 50 rounds stretched out over those three days and, from the somewhat limited research that I was able to do, it seems that five or six players, on average, from any given team’s draft class will eventually reach the big leagues.

Of course, that doesn’t take into account that teams typically only sign a little less than 30 of their picks every year. Most teams will probably draft one future major leaguer (maybe even two) that they won’t sign.

That means that baseball fans can probably expect to see four or five players from their team’s draft class in the majors one day.

A good portion of major league teams will probably see one of their players within three years, but most of the other players are going to show up somewhere between four and six years down the road with a few late bloomers straggling further behind.

Since they have to compete with international signings in trying to unseat established veterans, some of those guys are going to barely spend any time on the roster.

Basically, there’s a pretty small percentage of drafted players that develop some semblance of staying power in the major leagues. If you can get three in the same draft, you’ve had a pretty good couple of days.

That’s part of the reason that someone like Tim Wilken, the Cubs scouting director, is so important to a team.

Wilken has been in charge of 11 drafts coming into 2010 (1995-2000 Blue Jays, 2005 Rays, 2006-2009 Cubs), has been heavily involved in four others (2001-2003 Blue Jays, 2004 Rays), and his 25-year tenure with the Blue Jays as a national crosschecker and scouting director included a streak of 12 consecutive first round picks making it to the big leagues.

He drafted Roy Halladay, Craig Wilson, Ryan Freel, and Brandon Duckworth (unsigned) in 1995; Billy Koch, Casey Blake, and Orlando Hudson (unsigned) in 1996; Vernon Wells, Michael Young, Orlando Hudson, Brad Hawpe (unsigned), and Chad Qualls (unsigned) in 1997; and Alex Rios, Brandon Lyon, and Reed Johnson in 1999 for the Blue Jays.

Since we’re only six years removed from his start with the Rays, we don’t have a full picture of drafted players’ staying power, but there’s still an impressive list of players.

In 2004 he drafted Jeff Neimann, Reid Bringac, Wade Davis, Jake McGee, Fernando Perez, Andy Sonnanstine, and Daniel McCutchen (unsigned). The following year, he called the names of Jeremy Hellickson, Tommy Hunter (unsigned), and Ike Davis (unsigned).

Five players from his first three drafts as Cubs’ scouting director have already reached the big leagues: Tyler Colvin and Jeff Samardzija from 2006, Josh Donaldson and James Russell from 2007, and Andrew Cashner from both 2007 and 2008.

That number should increase even more before 2010 is over.

Jay Jackson (2008) could get called up as soon as the major league pitching staff has an opening and Darwin Barney (2007) is probably only a major league injury or two away from becoming the Cubs’ sixth infielder. September call-ups will likely increase that number even further.

Ultimately, it’s pretty safe to say that the man knows what he’s doing.

On Monday, the Cubs have the 16th overall selection. There’s a wide range of ideas as to who the Cubs might select with that pick.

If you’re expecting me to answer that question, then you’ve come to the wrong place.

I haven’t seen the vast majority of available talent play even one game, so the best I could do is regurgitate information from Baseball America, ESPN, or MLB Bonus Baby and attempt to come up with a seemingly original opinion.

I just wouldn’t feel right doing that.

I can tell you that Bryce Harper is as close to a lock for the first overall selection as there has ever been and that Jameson Taillon and Manny Machado will, in all likelihood, go second and third overall. But the other 1,500-plus picks are best left to people who have actually seen these guys play.

What I do know is that Tim Wilken will take a player that is truly one of the best available.

Being a Cubs fan is a generally frustrating experience, but this is one area that you don’t have to worry about. Just sit back, relax, and enjoy.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com