7/31 Lilly, Theriot dealt to Dodgers
The Cubs dealt Ted Lilly and Ryan Theriot to the Dodgers Saturday in exchange for infielder Blake DeWitt and two Minor League pitching prospects.
The Dodgers also will receive cash in the trade, reportedly around $2.5 million.
Lilly was 3-8 with a 3.69 ERA in 18 starts with the Cubs and in the last year of a four-year contract with the team. He was scheduled to start Monday against Milwaukee but the Cubs may call up right-hander Thomas Diamond, who was pulled after throwing four innings on Thursday for Triple-A Iowa.
Theriot lost his starting shortstop job to rookie Starlin Castro and was moved to second this year. He was batting .284 with 10 doubles, two triples, one home run and 21 RBIs in 96 games.
DeWitt, 24, is a career .262 hitter with 31 doubles, six triples and 12 home runs in 230 games covering the last three seasons with the Dodgers. He’s played second, third and shortstop.
The Cubs also receive right-handed pitchers Kyle Smit and Brett Wallach from the Dodgers.
Smit has reached the Double-A level this season at the age of 22, combining to go 5-3 with six saves and a 2.35 ERA in 37 appearances between Single-A Inland Empire and Double-A Chattanooga.
Wallach, 21, was 6-0 with a 3.72 ERA in 17 starts for Class A Great Lakes, striking out 92 batters in only 84 2/3 innings pitched. He’s the son of former Dodger player and current Dodger Triple-A Manager Tim Wallach.
— Carrie Muskat
Muskat Ramblings 
Carrie, who will be added to the starting rotation with Lilly gone?
Am I the only one who sees this as a lame trade by our buffoon of a GM?
It’s great to have trimmed the payroll, but don’t the Dodgers have any good first base prospects we could have got in return…?
How about Jerry Sands…?
In 2010 with Great Lakes, Sands hit .333 in 69 games, along with 18 home runs and 46 RBI. He was named Midwest League player of the week three times and selected to appear in the mid-season all-star game. He hit a home run in the All-Star game and was named the Player of the Game. Right after the all-star game he was promoted to the AA Chattanooga Lookouts, where he homered in his first game with the Lookouts.
Thanks Jim, we are desperate for pitching and middle infielders…NOT! If you look through the farm, the only quality we have are middle infielders, pitching prospects and Snyder the young outfielder… Lahair and Hoffpauir maybe hitting the ball well, but they have already failed in the majors and are approaching or in their 30s.
At which point is Tom Ricketts going to have his Hendry Eureka moment… and will it be before Hendry completely destroys the team…?
Hang on to your seat hustlelikereed because I can’t believe I’m about to say….maybe Hendry made a good trade here?? ZOINKS!!! He might be protecting third and or first base with Dewitt in case Ramirez can’t find his form next year or Hendry can’t find a firstbaseman? Because if Dewitt winds up at either 3rd (even if in 2012 after Ramirez leaves and Vitters winds up bombing…?) or first this would free up second base for Barney, right? It could be that Hendry actually was able to get at least some decent players for Theriot while the getting was good as Theriot won’t ever be a run producing game changer and if he didn’t offer Lilly arbitration (which was probably the case) we may not have gotten any good draft picks. I’m not THRILLED with this trade but I don’t think it falls in the typical “STUPID” file of Hendry’s, after all he OR HIS SUCCESSOR (AMEN..) may use the players acquired in this deal in yet another deal to get a run producing firstbaseman.
Hate to see these two go…Theriot is such a gamer, and Lilly is like a silent assassin!
I think it’s about time that the Cubs make a little youth movement and bring up some of the AAA guys who are producing. Moving Lilly out makes room for Samardzija to show he can hold down a starting spot, Vitters can come up and show he is the next 3B, and D-Barney can platoon at 2B with DeWitt. Look what an experiment with Colvin has produced…a potential Rookie of the Year candidate on a mediocre team! The bullpen needs help, but they will mature with experience at the big-league level. Unfortunately, it’s just not looking like it’s the year of the Cub – then again, it hasn’t been for 101 years!
After last night there is some potential with DeWitt… but that is all it is at present… when he is hitting .280+ with homers and stellar defense we can celebrate… but then as he is, he is as upgrade on Theriot with his pop-gun bat, erratic defense and inability to work the count.
My issue is we could have held out for Sands, even if it meant throwing in Fontenot and Nady.
Regards Samardzija, pa…, you must be drinking the same juice as Hendry. He has been up a number of times and aside from his first stint when he was in the bullpen he has shown he is not up for it. He labours at AAA and is another overpaid failure.
Will we bring up Vitters with an injured hand…? Even when bones weren’t broken he wasn’t setting AA alight.
I agree with hustlelikereed on this, I don’t have an awful lot of optimism for either Samardzija or Vitters, both of whom should have shown a little more staying power by now and I’m afraid they may be yet more over-rated talent by Hendry. Definatley too early to blame Hendry yet as these two guys may shine if given COMMITTED playing time in the bigs but it appears that Samardzija may be the only one that may get that chance next year as Vitters is still blocked by Ramirez and I have this hunch that Dewitt is the back up plan in the likely event Hendry dropped the ball with Vitters. At leas Dewitt has shown MUCH MORE pop in his bat than Theriot, I know, not a stretch by no means but still an upgrade at least, let’s give Hendry that much. The key will be making or breaking with the young guys which means we will nead a manager with the conviction to play the kids over the fading vets lke Ramirez and Soriano and not worry about saving the face of the GM.
Ok, I understand…but, in comparison with last year’s deplorable performance by Soriano, I think he deserves some credit for his increased hustle (no one can argue that he’s giving it a little more this year as compared to last – and it’s not the knee’s fault). His numbers are better than last year at 90+ games, and he’s not complaining/blaming anyone. BUT…I’m not saying he deserves comeback player of the year. He’s getting up there in age, and should be dealt in the near future for some younger guys (Jayson Werth?). The younger guys…well, I don’t think we should give up on them yet, either. One never knows until they are given shot. Sam really hasn’t been handed the ball and told to go out there and start on a regular basis. Randy Wells surprised a lot of people last year, and this year…not his best performances. It’s not a one and done deal in the bigs, you need consistency…and the only way to get that is through reps (playing time). I guess “hustle”, you will be applying for Hendry’s job when he’s gone since you seem to have such a good handle on things. I’ll look forward to it (no offense, you just seem to have barked a little too much at other people’s opinions).
As in another post, the way they’re playing tonight…something needs to be done. Shake it up, trade someone now and hire a new manager on an interim basis (name Trammel coach and give him an on-the-job interview for the remainder of the season). I wouldn’t hold it against Lou…the season has out-run him this year. As for the other guys, well…you all might get what you’re hoping for anyway! Wow, they are bad tonight!
Ive read most of these comments and there is not alot of mention regarding pitching, like we dont have any. we no longer have an ace and it appears that we are not trying to buy one, i was really hoping the Rickett family would spend some money and some real players, Marlon has been the only bright spot in the Cubs lineup this year, its going to be a long rebuilding process that starts now, so lets try to get some players before the season is over!
Soriano, from deplorable to lukewarm. Just another acheivment on Hendry’s stellar track record.
The Rickett family needs to get rid of Hendry before he destroys the Cubs and he can take Soriono and Zambrano with him. I’ve been a Cub’s fan ever since I can remember but after they traded Theriot and Lilly I took my Cub’s Logo off my car and my Cub’s beads off my computer. I won’t watch them again until Hendry’s gone.
Not the beads!?!?!?!?!!!! How sad that the refusal by the Ricketts to remove Hendry has resulted in ong time fans now removing their beads. I’m gonna go out and get some beads…THEN REMOVE EM! Maybe we can all send in beads to the Ricketts office to get our point accross to remove Hendry? Call me silly but when fans of “Jericho” sent in peanuts protesting the cancellation of the show…the network relented! NUTS!
Guys I just call it as I see it… however I think anybody could follow Hendry and do a good job… I just think Samardzija and Vitters are as close to being worthy of the 25man roster as I am.
On a positive note, the last week has allowed Tommy Boy Ricketts to witness Trammell at the helm… better now that Trammell guides us to mediocrity than in 2011 as a full time role…
Trammell a future manager… holy Schnikes…
Were they worry beads…?