May I ask you all a stupid question.

Why did the Cubs trade Jon Leicester and Jermaine Van Buren for "player to be named later"?  They both have potential and could have been used in trades.  

For example, maybe Leicester and another Renyel Pinto-like prospect could have been packaged for Wilkerson; maybe Van Buren could have been used as part of a package for Jay Payton or Barry Zito.

Why so quick to just dump them for nothing when they could have been used as bargaining chips?  They DO hold some promise and have played at a major league level.

I mean, who are we going to get later?  Do we have a choice?  Can we just go up to Texas and say, "By the way, I now want Mark Teixera from you.  Thanks a lot, see ya later.  He was the player that The Cubs just decided to name."

Or does Texas decide and say, "Remember we owed you a player way back when?  Well here is our version of Corey Patterson.  Good luck, see ya!"

Especially the whole Van Buren thing.  It just blows my mind.

Is there a method behind this madness?  Why dump them so soon when so many trades could have been had???