Another day, another trade, another loss
The Cubs made another move for the future Monday night, sending outfielder Todd Hollandsworth to the Atlanta Braves for two minor-league pitchers.The trade was the second in the last three days of a veteran player to a contending team, following the deal Saturday that sent outfielder Matt Lawton to the New York Yankees for pitching prospects.
The waiver trade deadline is Wednesday, and another similar move could come by then. Second baseman Todd Walker is a likely possibility, having drawn interest from the Cleveland Indians.
"It's a good thing for both clubs,'' general manager Jim Hendry said of the Hollandsworth trade, made during the Cubs' 9-6 loss Monday night to the Los Angeles Dodgers. "Holly gets a chance to go to a top, contending club. [The Braves] felt they could use a veteran off the bench, and we get a couple pitchers, one of them [Todd Blackford] whom we've liked a lot the last couple of years.''
Blackford, 20, was drafted in 2004 and was coveted at the time by the Cubs. In two professional seasons, he has gone 6-5 with a 4.60 ERA, including 5-3 this season with a 3.17 ERA in 12 games at Class A Danville. The Cubs also get right-hander Angelo Burrows, 25, who was pitching in Class A.
The left-handed-hitting Hollandsworth was batting .257 with five home runs and 35 RBI. He started Monday's game but left after the seventh inning as the trade became final.
His departure opens the door for rookie outfielder Matt Murton, who returns to the Cubs today with Class AAA right-hander Jermaine Van Buren.
Van Buren, 25, will take Kerry Wood's spot in the bullpen. He had 24 saves and a 2.01 ERA in 51 games for Iowa, striking out 63 and walking 22 in 53-2/3 innings.
Hendry and manager Dusty Baker said Murton, who hit .339 in 25 games in an earlier stint with the Cubs, likely will get substantial playing time as the team looks ahead to 2006.
"Murton's a guy we want to look at,'' Hendry said. "He did a commendable job when he was here.''
The Cubs' present looked grim as a Wrigley Field crowd of 37,625 saw the Dodgers rock starter Jerome Williams (4-7) for six runs in 1-2/3 innings, his shortest outing of the season.
Williams, who had pitched well in his previous two starts, gave up five hits and three walks, one with the bases loaded to pitcher D.J. Houlton (5-7). Williams also was hurt by a throwing error by Nomar Garciaparra, his second in four games at third base.
The Cubs got solo homers from Garciaparra and Walker and a pair from Jeromy Burnitz.
Wood made his last appearance of the season in the eighth, retiring the side in order. He will have arthroscopic shoulder surgery Wednesday in hopes of returning healthy by spring training.
While Wood's season ends early, the Cubs aren't ruling out the possibility that third baseman Aramis Ramirez will return from a strained left quadriceps that landed him on the 15-day disabled list last week.
"That will depend on if there are longer-term ramifications from it or a danger of it becoming worse,'' Hendry said.
Trainer Mark O'Neal said Ramirez's condition "definitely has improved'' but couldn't say what his chances are to return.
But O'Neal did say Ramirez, who has been prone to similar muscle strains in the past, will be given a new offseason conditioning program aimed at strengthening his lower body and legs.
Source: http://www.suntimes.com/
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