Cub Tracks Weighs Its Options

Here's the latest from around the web.

From Comcast SportsNet Chicago:

• Jed Hoyer foresees a lot of creativity coming in this season's trading deadline because "there's not going to be a lot of sellers."
• The question is still swirling as to whether or not the Cubs will have the financial flexibility to take on a big salary at the deadline.
• Part of the trade deadline "internal boost" came on Sunday with the return of Neil Ramirez to the bullpen.
• Another part of the internal boost the Cubs are counting on is Jorge Soler, who is due to start a rehab assignment this week.
• Bob Costas met with Pedro Strop on Sunday to apologize for his bizarre comments in Saturday's game. Strop accepted Costas' apology, saying that "I'm not going to judge him just because he made a mistake."

From Cubs.com:

• A top priority for the Cubs, according to Joe Maddon: Get back their offensive mojo.
• The Cubs may not have the Cardinals' record, but Jason Motte thinks they have the same resilience that the Cardinals have shown.
• Rivals on the field but partners in charity off of it, as the Cubs and Cardinals got together at Chaifetz Arena on Sunday for the St. Louis Cornhole Challenge that raised money for the Jason Motte Foundation.

From ESPN Chicago:

• The past week in a nutshell from Joe Maddon: "Our inexperience showed up."
• Jesse Rogers echoes the Cubs' need for starting pitching -- whatever may be available -- but feels that the Cubs are likely to keep most of their core and back-ups intact instead of sacrificing them for a second wild card spot.
• Buster Olney also agrees that the Cubs will add somebody and that the search may be a challenging one. And what's he doing stealing Josh Timmers' line? (Insert sarcasm and bad joke fonts here.)

From CBS Chicago:

• This week's "Behind The Plate" focuses on Jason Motte and his charity work for cancer.
• Mark Grote talked Cubs and Dodgers recently with Orel Hershiser.
• Eddie Vedder will be the headline act for the Hot Stove Cool Music Chicago concert on July 9 at Wrigleyville's Metro.

From the Chicago Tribune:

• Mike Baxter is looking forward to his return trip to New York to face his former team and to visit his family that still lives in the area, having grown up about 10 minutes away from Citi Field.
• Not only are the Cubs facing challenges in their rotation, but they're also in a decent-sized hitting rut with runners in scoring position.

From the Chicago Sun-Times:

• Anthony Rizzo is still getting hit a lot, but it isn't going to change his approach.
• Well, it had been a while since a doozie of an article from Rick Morrissey, but here's your money quote: "The Cubs deserve a big-market team that reacts to the possibility of the postseason the American way -- by throwing money at it."

From Cubs Insider:

• Despite the five-game losing streak, there's still good news: The Cubs' playoff chances have actually improved since the end of May, according to Baseball Prospectus.

Miscellaneous:

• Jesse Spector of the Sporting News has detailed analysis of the Fox broadcast team that covered Saturday's game. Good news: He doesn't like the three-man booth any more than the rest of us. Bad news: He likes Kenny Albert.
  

Today's food for thought:

• Want to impress your friends at parties? Here's a primer how to take two liquids and turn them into a rope.
• And chalk this one up as a completed science task: Planetary scientists are no longer going to search for asteroid impact craters on Earth.