I know everyone is excited the Cubs won 3 out of 4 from the Phills.  That is great but this team is still 9 GAMES UNDER .500.

They are not going to make the playoffs this year and they should be building for the future.

So with two feet firmly bases in reality, we should be looking into what we could get in possible trades.

Looking around the league I see some folks looking at our team trying to figure out how to take away a few spare parts while giving the Cubs Jeff Steven’s clones in return.

But if I'm Hendry, I would be looking to move a package of players as opposed to individuals in order to get a higher level of prospects back.

The team we match up best with to make a multiple player trade is the Yankees.  They need a bench player and, after Andy Petite when down for a month, a left handed starter.

The Cubs have Lilly and Nady or Fonty which would fill those holes for the Yankees nicely.  Moving those two would give a little salary relief for the Cubs and might get a few B+ prospects back (which with the Lilly being a Class A Free Agent the Cubs would get 2 high draft picks if Lilly left so it is kind of a wash).

If the Cubs are going to make that move they should try to get a major prospect.  In the Yankees farm system Catcher Jesus Montero is there number one prospect.  I don't think Lilly and Nady or Fonty alone can get Montero but what if the Cubs throw in Soto with Lilly and Nady or Fonty?  In return the Cubs would get the package that the Yankees offered to the Mariners for Cliff Lee (Jesus Montero, David Adams and Zach McAllister) plus another top ten prospect pitcher like Andrew Brackman, (but the Cubs could get Arodys Vizcaino they would pull the trigger in a second).

And Soto to the Yankees makes a great deal of sense.  They could use Soto to take the pressure of Posada and his aging knees and they would have their replacement for their catcher of the future along with 3 other catchers in their minor league system.  They win now and win later.

It works well for the Cubs because they get their Catcher of the future along with two A pitching prospects and a second baseman that could blossom into something special.

That's my idea.  Lets see if Hendry comes up with something better.