Hot Stove talk in July: Cubs Should Get Sanchez

Since it feels like winter this July in Chicago and since we are nearing the July 31st trade deadline, why not heat up the hot stove? The cubs should snatch Freddy Sanchez away from the bucs and put him in at 2nd base. The pirates general manager, Neal Huntington, is no different from former pirate GM Dave Littlefield. He's the kid that everyone on the block wants to trade baseball cards with. Maybe that's unfair, given small market economic factors--but that's the way it is. Jim Hendry feasted on the acquisitions of Aramis Ramirez, Randal Simon, and Kenny Lofton from the pirates back in 2003, while giving up almost nothing in return. That worked out pretty well, and so it's time to rethink this same strategy. If the braves were able to pick up Nate McLouth for a bag of marbles from the pirates, why couldn't the cubs offer up some more of the same? 

The pirates will settle for mid tier prospects: throw in a Sam Fuld, maybe a pitcher or two from the DeRosa deal. And then plug in Sanchez at 2nd base everyday. No more of this Fontenot, Baker, Miles stuff. Fontenot is a solid bench player with some good pop. He is great off the bench for 200 to 300 at bats, but anything more than that and he becomes a liability. 

The finances of Sanchez's contract could complicate the move. He's currently earning 6 million with an option to earn 8 mil next year if he gets 600 at bats this year (so far this year he has about 350 at bats).  Given his solid numbers over the last few seasons (2006 NL batting champion, and currently 314, 354, 474, 828), Sanchez is a relative bargain and will be a good investment for any team looking to add some offense. Unfortunately for the cubs, the current ownership limbo and financial constrains will make it challenging for them to once again swap baseball cards with the bucs and get this guy. I've always been a fan, even before his 6 hit game against the cubs earlier this year at Wrigley.