The Chicago Tribune has speculated this week that the Cubs would be interested in making a deal for San Diego Padres first baseman Adrian Gonzalez. The Tribune reported that a potential deal involving Derrek Lee could be offered in a blockbuster that also involves Padres ace Jake Peavy.

This entire line of thinking seems like a longshot, but you never know. What the Cubs gain is apparent — a legitimate top-of-the-rotation starter and a young left-handed power bat — but what they send back to San Diego is a mystery. Lee is a nice start, but may not be enough to lure Gonzalez, a franchise building block, away from the Padres. Read more »

The San Diego Padres are reportedly shopping Cy Young Award winner Jake Peavy, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune. Not a surprising move, considering the state of the Padres franchise, but the public search for willing trade partners is unusual. No more behind the scenes finagling; creating leverage has now required involving the national media.

General manager Kevin Towers is looking for young pitching - aren’t all GMs? - and his rallying cry has hit the television, radio and newspaper wires. So far, the Atlanta Braves have a small lead in a race that also includes the Chicago Cubs and Houston Astros. Read more »

Drafting outfielders can be a tricky task. At the least, an owner must have three competent starters, which creates challenging depth issues. Seeking a balance between strength and weakness in your outfield also leads to discrepancies in how you go about building the rest of your team. No matter your approach, how and when to address your outfield will be at the heart of a good draft strategy.

Plan to build a strong pitching staff? Draft a great outfielder high, take balanced pitchers, and target underrated hitters later in the draft. Want to build a Murderer’s Row lineup? Go Holliday, Ludwick and Beltran and lock in your league’s deepest, most talented outfield. Have five starting outfielders to draft? Adding excellent No. 4 and No. 5 outfielders can give you a big-time edge on your opponents. Read more »

It’s go time in most fantasy leagues. Innings and starts limits still must be met, and title-chasing owners would be wise to do so. Spot starters are more important now than ever, thus making our Week 25 free agent profiles a crucial read.

Veterans are a theme as the season heads down the home stretch. But, their recommendations are based less on age than they are for reliability. The older guys compete for valuable wins and offer a little more certainty each start, even if it comes with less excitement and upside. Read more »

Houston Astros outfielder Carlos Lee is done for the season with a broken left pinky finger, according to the Houston Chronicle. This is a crushing blow to fantasy owners because a.) El Caballo was in the midst of a tremendous season, and b.) he has been so reliable over the years that his production was etched into all of your future plans.

There’s no replacing Lee’s 40-home run, 120-RBI type production, which makes the timing of this injury so tough to handle. Roster flexibility, if you’re fortunate enough to have it, makes this a little easier because the waiver wire is currently better stocked with non-outfielders with upside. Read more »

Insubordination doesn’t quite capture what Shawn Chacon did to Houston Astros general manager Ed Wade on Wednesday. That was the organization’s documented reason for suspending the 30-year old pitcher, I guess because the employee manual doesn’t have policies that address choke slams and physical assaults.

No, Chacon broke the mold with his reaction to Wade’s stern request to talk in manager Cecil Cooper’s office. Well, almost broke the mold. Not since Latrell Sprewell choked then-coach P.J. Carlesimo have we seen such a move, and Chacon, to his credit, added his own twist with the grab-and-throw.

Read more »

Insubordination doesn’t quite capture what Shawn Chacon did to Houston Astros general manager Ed Wade on Wednesday. That was the organization’s documented reason for suspending the 30-year old pitcher, I guess because the employee manual doesn’t have policies that address choke slams and physical assaults.

No, Chacon broke the mold with his reaction to Wade’s stern request to talk in manager Cecil Cooper’s office. Well, almost broke the mold. Not since Latrell Sprewell choked then-coach P.J. Carlesimo have we seen such a move, and Chacon, to his credit, added his own twist with the grab-and-throw.

Read more »

Houston Astros outfielder Hunter Pence’s start to the 2008 was slow and painful. He labored to a .161 batting average through his first 14 games, then was on the bench for back-to-back series finales against the Florida Marlins and Philadelphia Phillies in mid-April. He returned to the lineup having lifted the weight of the world off his shoulders and proceeded to go on a tear as the Astros won six of their next eight games.

But once again, Pence fell into an 0-for-14 slump, and manager Cecil Cooper again called for an off day to rejuvenate him. The move worked, as Pence responded with three home runs in Houston’s series sweep of visiting Milwaukee over the weekend. Pence, who entered the series with one home run in 96 at-bats, homered twice in the opener, then blasted a walk-off two-run homer in the finale on Sunday. Read more »

Miguel Tejada admitted to the Houston Astros on Thursday that he was, in fact, 33 years old and not the 31 listed in the team’s records. The “clerical error” dates back to Tejada’s initial signing with the Oakland Athletics when he told officials that he was 17 years old and was 19. Tejada cites advice from a coach in the Dominican Republic for the mistake, one that he surely made to pull himself and his family out of poverty.

The optimist in all of us can’t blame the guy for wanting the best possible chance of making a fortune to provide for his family. A quick route to the majors would have a huge impact on their livelihood, and he was “a poor kid” as he told the Associated Press. Read more »