Cubs Likely Staying on Trade Sidelines

Don't expect the Cubs to make any trades, despite some names like Griffey, Gagne and Payton being floated. First of all, Griffey Jr., while a favorite of Pinella's, would be way too expensive. If they can't sign Zambrano, imagine the outrage among fans and Zambrano himself, if they laid out big bucks for Griffey. While Gagne is coveted by various clubs at the moment, the Cubs' bullpen is in pretty decent shape. They did very well during Ryan Dempster's absence and not only is he back, but it looks like Kerry Wood might actually be close to rejoining the team. His rehab is going well and he is expected to move up to triple-A, getting him one step closer to returning to Wrigley, no longer as a starter but as a reliever. While Matt Murton was brought up from the minors the other day, Jacque Jones' resurgence in center field since the All-Star break might make any further moves there unnecessary and even counter-productive. The chemistry is unmistakably good there right now and bringing in another outfielder, just for the sake of making a trade doesn't make sense. Murton should stay and be given the job of spelling Soriano and Floyd down the stretch.