August 1, Hammel said he was finally able to stride into his front leg, which helped his fastball command.

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1 August 1, 2015 Cubs.com Strange brew: Hammel finds tonic vs. Crew By Carrie Muskat MILWAUKEE The Cubs have reinforcements coming with the Friday additions of pitchers Dan Haren and Tommy Hunter, but the best news may have been that starter Jason Hammel had his best outing since a minor leg injury in early July. Of course, Miller Park may have had something to do with Hammel's success. Hammel held the Brewers to one run over 5 2/3 innings in the Cubs' 4-1 victory Friday. It was the right-hander's third start after the All-Star break and best since July 3, when he went seven. On July 8, he was limited to one inning because of a strained left hamstring. "It's definitely the best I've felt in over a month," Hammel said. Cubs manager Joe Maddon could tell the difference. "I saw 93, 94 [mph], and the ball down, which meant he could get over his front-side extension," Maddon said. "I thought it was a good sign." Hammel said he was finally able to stride into his front leg, which helped his fastball command. "That's what's been missing," he said. But what is it about the Brewers and Miller Park? Hammel now is 7-0 with a 2.18 ERA against the Brewers, and 5-0 with a 1.60 ERA in six starts at Miller Park. "I try not to pay attention," he said. "I like pitching here. The ball feels good in my hand, I have a good grip. It is what it is. Those things, I can't really explain." Haren and Hunter are expected to join the Cubs on Saturday. Hammel and Hunter were teammates on the Orioles, and the Cubs starter cautioned that the new reliever is "not necessarily quiet." All the Cubs ask is that he helps them in their bid for a postseason berth. The Trade Deadline has passed, and it's time to focus on the field. "We could care less," Hammel said of all the rumors. "That's not our role. We're supposed to come out here and win ballgames. We like who we've got. We're pretty confident with the fellows we have." Cubs.com Cubs improve pitching, explore bigger trades By Carrie Muskat

2 MILWAUKEE The Cubs acquired two pitchers at the Trade Deadline on Friday, and president of baseball operations Theo Epstein said they were close on adding some other players but were unable to complete those deals. What makes that tolerable, Epstein said, is that those targeted players weren't traded at all. On Friday, the Cubs filled the fifth spot in the rotation by acquiring Dan Haren from the Marlins for two Minor Leaguers, and then they made a deal with the Orioles for hard-throwing reliever Tommy Hunter. "We explored some bigger deals that would've had a longer lasting impact on the organization, and none of those came to pass," Epstein said. "Those players ended up not being moved as it turned out. Focusing on the 2015 club, which is the most important thing for us to address now, we feel we got two quality pitchers and quality individuals who we feel can provide us the depth we need to compete the rest of the season until we get to October." Haren is expected to make his Cubs debut Wednesday against the Pirates at PNC Park. "He's a master at knowing how to pitch," Epstein said of the right-hander, who was 7-7 with a 3.42 ERA in 21 starts. Hunter, who has a 3.63 ERA in 39 relief appearances, will join the bullpen mix and give manager Joe Maddon another late-inning option. "We like taking pitchers out of the American League and putting them in the National League," Epstein said. "He's a power pitcher with great control. That's a good combination." Epstein said teams inquired about the Cubs' top prospects. "We certainly were very aggressive, in my mind, in packaging our prospects, especially for controllable, impact Major League talent, including deals with both volume and impact," he said. "[It was] volume in terms of the big number of impactful prospects going in the other direction. "The two main players who we ended up focusing on ended up not getting moved it's OK," he said. "We'll definitely live to fight another day. We're clearly in the phase where what's happened at the Major League level is the most important thing, as it should be." The Cubs did add pitching depth, which was a goal. However, the young Cubs are scuffling offensively. Epstein said it's part of their development. "We have to give these guys a chance to play, a chance to learn, a chance to work their way out of slumps and a chance to win for you," he said. "These are our guys. We believe in them." No team has ever made it to the postseason with three rookies who played at least 100 games. The Cubs, in third place in the NL Wild Card race, are trying to be the first, and they are relying on rookies Kris Bryant, Jorge Soler and Addison Russell. "We weren't going to add just any bat or replace somebody because they're slumping," Epstein said. "These are our guys, and we believe in them. This is the core of the team moving forward. We'll give everyone a chance to develop and win at the same time." One player whose name was mentioned in trade rumors was shortstop Starlin Castro, who was batting.237 before driving in a pair of runs in his first two at-bats Friday night against the Brewers. "He's a good player who has not had a good season," Epstein said. "The best thing we can do is support him and try to put him in a position to turn the season around as quickly as possible. These things usually even out over the course of the season, or at least turn around. He's got a chance to make a real positive impact over the last couple months."

3 Cubs.com Rizzo's homer caps Cubs' win over Brewers By Carrie Muskat and Brandon Curry MILWAUKEE Anthony Rizzo belted his third homer in as many games, Starlin Castro drove in two runs and Jason Hammel continued to frustrate the Brewers as the Cubs posted a 4-1 victory Friday night in front of 35,669 at Miller Park. Hammel served up six hits, including Ryan Braun's 19th home run with two outs in the first. The Cubs right-hander improved to 7-0 in nine career starts against the Brewers, who also are a favorite target for Rizzo. The first baseman, who hit a three-run blast on Thursday, now has 12 homers against Milwaukee, his most against any team. "I like pitching here," said Hammel, who is 5-0 with a 1.60 ERA in six starts at Miller Park. "The ball feels good in my hand, I have a good grip. It is what it is. Those things, I can't really explain." The Brewers struggled to get any offense going now that they're without Carlos Gomez and Gerardo Parra, who were both traded before Friday's Trade Deadline. Taylor Jungmann took the loss, throwing a career-high 112 pitches over 5 2/3 innings. With the win, the Cubs evened the season series at 4-4. "We've lost a couple of guys," Brewers manager Craig Counsell said. "Up and down the lineup, we're going to have to get collectively hot." MOMENTS THAT MATTERED Feeling stronger: Friday was Hammel's best outing since he was bothered by a left hamstring strain before the All- Star break. In two starts since, he had given up seven earned runs over 8 2/3 innings. Hammel struck out four and walked two over 5 2/3 innings, his longest outing since July 3, when he went seven. "It was probably his best outing since that little gaffe with his leg," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. Braun bomb: Braun put the Brewers on the board with a solo blast into the right-center-field bullpen. The homer came on a 3-2 pitch from Hammel and was No. 249 of Braun's career. He's now just two away from tying Robin Yount for the most home runs in Brewers franchise history. Staying put: The Trade Deadline passed, and Castro was not moved, as Maddon had told the shortstop. Castro came through early Friday, hitting a game-tying RBI single in the second. In the fourth, Rizzo singled, moved up on a wild pitch and scored the go-ahead run two batters later, when Castro hit into a fielder's choice. "It made me a little frustrated, thinking about [the rumors]," Castro said. "Now it's over, and I'm trying to finish the season strong." Jungmann at bat: Jungmann attempted to help himself at the plate. The rookie pitcher singled in the third and hit his first career double to right field over the outstretched glove of Jorge Soler in the fifth, raising his batting average to.294. The Brewers couldn't drive him in, though, continuing their recent struggles offensively. They've managed just 15 runs in their last nine games. "My approach is to try to take the ball the other way," Jungmann said. "[Hammel] got the ball up a couple of times, so I had a chance to poke it the other way." SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS

4 Rizzo is batting.302 (61-for-202) on the road this season, with 13 home runs and 40 RBIs. He tied a career high by homering in three straight games. WHAT'S NEXT Cubs: Kyle Hendricks will make his 21st start of the season on Saturday. The right-hander, who has a 4.31 ERA in 11 road starts, threw 5 1/3 shutout innings against the Brewers on May 10 at Miller Park, but he did not get a decision. First pitch is scheduled for 6:10 p.m. CT. Brewers: Matt Garza is set to start Saturday, and it will mark the third outing for the veteran right-hander since coming off the disabled list. Garza has allowed just three runs in 11 2/3 innings during that span, and two of those runs scored when Arizona's Chris Owings hit a slider in the dirt for a double. Cubs.com Starlin relaxes as trade winds pass through By Carrie Muskat MILWAUKEE As much as Starlin Castro tried to tune out all the rumors leading up to the Trade Deadline, it wasn't easy. He got frustrated and had to reprimand some family members who called to ask about the gossip. "I didn't really watch TV or watch rumors," Castro said after driving in two runs in the Cubs' 4-1 victory over the Brewers on Friday night. "Sometimes people, even family, would call me and tell me, 'We see you in the news,' and I say, 'Don't call me for that.' "I don't even use my Instagram anymore," Castro said. "[If I did], maybe the fans would text me or something, 'Hey, you might be traded.' I don't want to see this. It's over now. I just have to keep fighting in there and try to finish strong." Manager Joe Maddon had tried to get the shortstop to relax earlier this week, telling him that he wasn't sitting on Wednesday because of a potential deal. Now that the Deadline has passed, Maddon noticed a difference. "More than anything, I thought Starlin was more relaxed," Maddon said. "I noticed that pregame." Castro delivered a game-tying RBI single in the second. In the fourth, Anthony Rizzo scored the go-ahead run from third when Castro hit into a fielder's choice. It was his 11th multi-rbi game of the season. All he needs to do now is take a deep breath. "That's the kind of thing that kills me I go too fast," Castro said of his at-bats. "I can't even breathe. That's what I try to do now is go in there, pitch by pitch. Don't try to do too much with one pitch. They have to throw me one pitch to hit. I just go in there to hit and try to put the ball in play." Last season, Castro batted.378 in August. Maddon would love to see that again this year. "Things can change in one month," Castro said. "In one month, the season can be great. I have to keep positive, keep fighting." Cubs.com Cubs find fifth starter, land Haren from Miami By Carrie Muskat MILWAUKEE The Cubs, keen on filling the one vacancy in the rotation, acquired right-hander Dan Haren from the Marlins for Minor Leaguers Ivan Pineyro and Elliot Soto before Friday's 3 p.m. CT Trade Deadline.

5 Haren is expected to make his Cubs debut Wednesday, when they play the Pirates at PNC Park. The Cubs began the day in third place in the National League Wild Card race, and they have had a revolving door in the fifth-starter spot. Haren, 34, would provide some depth. He's 7-7 with a 3.42 ERA in 21 starts with the Marlins, striking out 88 and walking 25 over 129 innings. "I know he doesn't throw with the same velocity, but he knows how to pitch," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. Haren acknowledges the dip in velocity. His Twitter handle "He'll tell you he throws 86 [mph] and can still get people out," said Cubs catcher Miguel Montero, who caught Haren in Arizona. "He can pitch, that's the main thing. He knows he doesn't have the stuff that the used to, so to survive, he has to pitch, and he does pitch." Haren joins a rotation of Jon Lester, Jake Arrieta, Jason Hammel and Kyle Hendricks. So far, the Cubs have used five pitchers, including Tsuyoshi Wada, Travis Wood, Clayton Richard, Dallas Beeler and Donn Roach, in the fifth spot in the rotation. Haren has pitched for the Cardinals, Athletics, D-backs, Angels, Nationals, Dodgers and Marlins, and he has a career record with a 3.75 ERA in 380 games (369 starts). Besides Haren, the Cubs also acquired right-handed reliever Tommy Hunter from the Orioles. Maddon hadn't been following all the rumors and names linked to the Cubs, but he liked the end result. "I'm really happy," Maddon said. "You've got a guy who really knows how to pitch, throws innings, great teammate, has been a winner I love that. Tommy with Baltimore the last couple years, they've been really good. I like what we did not a little bit, but a lot. Think about how much thicker it makes your starting rotation and how much thicker it makes your bullpen." The plus side to the deal is that the Cubs did not have to part with any of their highly coveted prospects. Neither Pineyro nor Soto were ranked among the Top 30 Cubs prospects by MLB.com. Pineyro, 23, was 7-5 with a 3.69 ERA in 19 starts for Double-A Tennessee, with one complete game. He's struck out 92 over 107 1/3 innings while walking 30. Soto, 25, an Elgin, Ill., native, was batting.275 in 88 games at Tennessee with 10 doubles and one triple. Among active pitchers, Haren ranks among the leaders in innings pitched, games started, wins, strikeouts (1,969) and WHIP (1.18). He has seven top 10 finishes in his league in both strikeouts and innings pitched. Did the Cubs players feel a need to add someone? "You can't really count on that as a player you have to count on what you have, not what you're going to get," Montero said. "I'd like us to keep trending, keep pitching like we're pitching and for the bullpen to become reliable and predictable," Maddon said. "Our rotation has become longer with Dan there, and you feel confident about that. I don't think Lester or Arrieta or Jason or Kyle have been pushed in either innings or number of pitches thrown that they would lose any effectiveness going forward. "[Offensively we have to] continue to get our strike zones in order, and more than anything, runner on third, less than two outs, let's get them home. [We need to] become more consistsent situationally, and I've always believed having an organized strike zone is part of that." The Cubs' Wild Card competitors didn't stand pat at the Trade Deadline. The Mets acquired Yoenis Cespedes, and the Giants traded for Mike Leake. But Maddon pointed out that Montero, Tommy La Stella and Javier Baez could be contributors.

6 "Acquisitionally speaking for position players, I kind of like what we've got," Maddon said. "We just have to pull more out of them right now." Cubs.com Cubs get Hunter from O's, send Lake in return By Carrie Muskat MILWAUKEE Both Pedro Strop and Jake Arrieta know Tommy Hunter from their time together on the Orioles. Both had unique scouting reports on the newest Cubs reliever. "He's crazy," Strop said. "He talks a lot, has a good personality," Arrieta said. "He's like a big teddy bear. He'll fit in real well here." The Cubs acquired Hunter from the Orioles before Friday's 3 p.m. CT Trade Deadline for Minor League outfielder Junior Lake. Looking forward to the next chapter with Excited and ready to go. Hunt for #October let's go Tommy Hunter (@thunter29) August 1, 2015 Hunter, 29, had a 3.63 ERA in 39 games this season, striking out 32 and walking 11 over 44 2/3 innings. Cubs manager Joe Maddon said the hard-throwing right-hander could be used in late-inning situations, which includes nearly everyone in the bullpen. Hunter was the Rangers' first-round pick in 2007 before he was dealt to the Orioles in July 2011 along with Chris Davis for Koji Uehara. Hunter also can help the Cubs next year; he's a free agent after the 2016 season. Since moving into a full-time bullpen role with the Orioles in 2013, Hunter has gone 11-9 with 39 holds, 15 saves and a 3.05 ERA in 167 relief outings, limiting opponents to a.276 on-base percentage and.357 slugging percentage. He has walked 37 batters in 191 2/3 innings and posted a 1.95 ERA in 21 outings against the National League the last three years. "In Texas, he had success as a starter and then struggled, and they put him in the 'pen," Arrieta said. "He's really been able to flourish over a consistent period of time with his stuff. He's embraced the situation." The Cubs have been looking for pitching help in their bid to secure a playoff spot. Chicago began the day third in the NL Wild Card race behind the Giants and Pirates. Did they do enough? "We definitely have enough," Arrieta said. "We just need the guys we have to step up. That's the same story for a lot of teams. The Blue Jays stand out as the team that made the most noise. I think some subtle additions can help us in a big way. "As a staff, both as starters and relievers, we can shut teams out, we can keep it to two, three runs a game," Arrieta said. "That's good for our lineup to not feel pressured to score a ton of runs. We just need them to score a few." Lake, 25, was batting.315 at Triple-A Iowa with seven home runs, 10 doubles and 31 RBIs. He was called up to the big leagues this season for 21 games and batted.224 with one homer. The outfielder made his Major League debut in To make room on the Cubs' 40-man roster, right-handed pitcher Ben Rowen was designated for assignment. Rowen, 26, was selected from Triple-A Iowa on Wednesday but did not appear in a game for the Cubs.

7 Cubs.com Cubs call on Hendricks in bid for fourth straight win By Brandon Curry Heading in opposite directions after Friday's Trade Deadline passed, the Brewers and Cubs play the third of their four-game set Saturday. Milwaukee will send Matt Garza to the mound against Kyle Hendricks as Chicago tries to secure the series and its fourth straight win. The Cubs, who are seeking a Wild Card spot in the National League, acquired two pitchers in Dan Haren and Tommy Hunter on Friday. On the other hand, Milwaukee, which is well out of the playoff race, restocked its farm system in three separate trades between Thursday and Friday. The deals saw outfielders Carlos Gomez and Gerardo Parra shipped out, leaving the lineup noticeably light. "We lost three players from our regular lineup, that will be the biggest challenge [moving forward], for sure," Brewers manager Craig Counsell said. "Your 5-6 spots, your leadoff hitter has been essentially the hottest hitter in the game, that's challenging to replace." Counsell does believe that the players in the clubhouse are glad to see the Deadline come and go. "It doesn't really have much effect on myself," Counsell said. "I think the guys in there, the players, they're relieved." Things to know about this game Hendricks faced the Brewers on May 10 and didn't allow a run over 5 1/3 innings. He's 2-0 with a 0.98 ERA in his three career starts against Milwaukee. Garza, a former Cub, has surrendered just three runs in 11 2/3 innings since returning from the disabled list. He's 1-2 with a 4.50 ERA in four career outings against his former club. With the Brewers trading both of their regular center fielders, Shane Peterson and recently recalled Logan Schafer will split time there moving forward, according to Counsell. ESPNChicago.com With Cubs, White Sox chasing wild-card spots, their plans are paying off By Jon Greenberg CHICAGO Last year on trade-deadline day the hotwired holiday of the Twitterverse the Chicago Cubs shipped out reliever James Russell and utilityman Emilio Bonifacio to Atlanta for minor league catcher Victor Caratini. That not-so dramatic deal was believed to be the end of a short but painful rebuilding era for the Theo Epstein Cubs. It was a milestone in a way, a marker on the highway back to relevance. "I hope so," Cubs general manager Jed Hoyer said at the time. "That's certainly the goal. You want to be in the other side of this equation. I think I've said that many times. When you ask about the [David] Price deal and the [Jon] Lester deal, that's awesome to be in that position, like [Oakland Athletics general manager] Billy Beane and [Detroit Tigers GM] Dave Dombrowski, to make that kind of move." The White Sox did nothing at the 2014 non-waiver deadline, en route to another forgettable season. Fast forward a season, and the Cubs actually have Lester and want Price for 2016 and beyond. Things are radically different, as the ennui of the past has turned into familiar strains of hope.

8 The Sox are just turning around an awful campaign and were caught in a sort of a deadline limbo, with the possibility to buy or sell. Both teams now have one modest goal: The second wild-card spot. Yes, call us the Second Wild-Card City. Hey, a one-game chance is better than the alternative, which is to say, every season since the Cubs and Sox made the playoffs in The Cubs 2014 deadline day was really July 4, when they shipped out Jeff Samardzija and Jason Hammel for Addison Russell. Now, with Hammel joining Lester in the rotation, and Russell the starting second baseman, the Cubs are a contender. OK a wild-card contender, but one looking to add. Conceivably, they could have had Price as a high-end rental at the deadline, but the price Toronto paid for 10 or so Price starts was too rich for the Cubs. So on this July 31, the Cubs made small additions in back-of-the-rotation starting pitcher Dan Haren and reliever Tommy Hunter. Those are the moves of a team that just wants to make the playoffs, not win the World Series, like those powerhouse in franchises in Kansas City and Houston. That s fine. We re patient here. The Cubs have until 2016 to start gunning for the World Series. No hurry. Making the playoffs this season would be a validation for the organization, the players and the fans. There is value in just being good. Haren and Hunter can help the Cubs make the playoffs. The price was right in both Cubs deals, spare prospects and little money owed. The Cubs didn t have the desire to give up prospects for a rental, nor the money to pay the freight on a big-contract addition. Not yet anyway. We always want big, splashy deals. The Cubs do, too; little kids don t dream of running baseball teams to be conservative. But it had to make sense within the confines of reality. "If you're dead set on making a big deal for the sake of making a big deal, you make a bad deal, Cubs president Epstein told reporters Friday in Milwaukee. We explored everything very aggressively. Came close, but we still have that talent in the organization." And they have Starlin Castro, too! Just kidding, Starlin. Castro told reporters in Milwaukee the trade deadline was stressing him out, with family members asking him to verify every rumor they heard. The guy even stayed off Instagram for like 15 minutes to avoid the noise. Amid the tumult, the Cubs (55-47) won their third straight in a 4-1 decision at Milwaukee on Friday. The San Francisco Giants lost 6-3 in Texas, which means the Cubs are a game back of the Giants for the second wild card with, oh, 60 to play. The immediacy of the trade deadline is always sobered with the reality that there are two months left to see how all the moves shake out. Meanwhile, on the South Side, the Sox stood pat at the deadline for the second straight year and lost handily to the Yankees The highlight was Adam LaRoche pitching. That novelty peaked when Adam Dunn took the hill last season. The Sox (49-52) went from sure buyers to would-be sellers in a little more than a week s time. They are 3 1/2 games out of the second wild card, which seems manageable, but with six teams tied or ahead of them. That seems daunting.

9 Still, the word was the Sox were hunting for a bat, looking at rental Yoenis Cespedes, who ended up going from Detroit to the Mets. We were fairly aggressive on multiple fronts, and ultimately at the end of the day there wasn t that type of deal for us to do, White Sox general manager Rick Hahn told reporters Friday. Frankly, it s a little frustrating. Frankly, it s a little frustrating could be the Sox s next slogan. That sentence describes the last 10 seasons since the magic carpet ride to the World Series. The Sox s only marketable and tradable commodity was free agent-to-be Samardzija, who said he paid a lot less attention to the rumor mill than he did last year on the North Side. Was it irresponsible to the future to keep him with the faint hopes of snagging the second wild card? Or would that have been giving up? Another white-flag day? Perhaps they just didn't get an offer of value. There were a slew of pitchers on the market. I don t think the Sox, with their sub-10 percent chance of winning a wild card, should mind the idea of keeping Samardzija, giving him a qualifying offer he ll surely turn down and then getting the draft pick compensation. If you trust your scouts, wouldn t you rather have a high draft pick you can select than one someone else is going to get rid of? Then again, when s the last time the Sox drafted and developed a position player? Was Hahn still at New Trier High School at the time? The good news for Chicago is the deadline has passed and neither team has given up. You might say that one should have acquiesced and the other should have done more. That s fair. But with two months left in the baseball season, we still have two teams worth paying attention to. That's something to cheer about for at least this month, because the alternative to meaningful August baseball isn t pretty: Bears training camp. ESPNChicago.com Dan Haren, Tommy Hunter to fill roles By Jesse Rogers MILWAUKEE Here's what you need to know about the Chicago Cubs' two additions and the trade deadline as it came and went with the club buying for the first time in years. Starter Dan Haren: According to ESPN Stats & Information, his ERA (3.42) is over a run lower (4.57) than his FIP (fielding independent pitching) mostly because he gives up home runs. He's allowed 21 this year, fifth most in the National League, but he obviously can navigate through a lineup. And he's durable. He's just one of two pitchers (Mark Buerhle is the other) to start 30 or more games in each of the last 10 seasons. Joe Maddon: "He really knows how to pitch. Always been a big fan. He'll fit well within our culture." Theo Epstein: "He's just a master in knowing how to pitch. He's kind of an artist out there." Haren's Twitter handle (@Ithrow88) is in reference to his soft tossing abilities now that he's 34 years old. He's likely to make his Cubs debut Wednesday in Pittsburgh. Former teammate Miguel Montero speaks highly of him. "When he was in Washington he would be telling me 'I'm not as good anymore because these guys are throwing bullets. I'm the worst pitcher in the rotation.' Thinking that way and still going out there and competing and winning 12, 13, 14 games, that's pretty valuable. You'll take that in a heartbeat."

10 Reliever Tommy Hunter: He's a power pitcher who Maddon can use in the middle innings or as a set-up man when others are taxed. He played with Jake Arrieta in Baltimore. "He's got good stuff," Arrieta said. "He talks a lot. He's got a good personality. He's like a big teddy bear." Maddon added: "Big fastball. Puts the ball on the ground. Can get a punchout. Very durable." Hunter transitioned from starter to reliever several years ago and is on pace for his third straight year of 60-plus appearances. He's 2-2 with a 3.63 ERA and 1.16 WHIP in 39 games this year. ESPNChicago.com Joe Maddon: Starlin Castro more relaxed now By Jesse Rogers MILWAUKEE It got to the point where Chicago Cubs shortstop Starlin Castro asked his family to stop calling him. He also shut down use of his Instagram account. Castro was tired of all the trade rumors leading up to Friday s non-waiver deadline. I don t want to go anywhere, Castro said after driving in two runs in the Cubs 4-1 win over Milwaukee on Friday night. I was a little frustrated thinking about this. Now it s over, [I can] just try and finish my season strong. It s been anything but a strong season so far, but maybe the final two months will be different now that Castro knows he s not going anywhere unless there s a surprise waiver deal in the making, of course. If he stays with the Cubs, more nights like Friday's would be nice from the three-time All-Star. He got down in the count twice before driving in runs with a base hit in the second inning and a fielder s choice in the fourth. He s a good player who has not had a good season, Cubs president Theo Epstein said before the game. The best thing we can do is support him and put him in a position to turn his season around. As quickly as possible. Multiple reports had Epstein and the Cubs dangling Castro, but no one took the bait. Now that the deadline has passed, the Cubs are hoping he finally gets hot. Friday was a good start. In his third at-bat, he hit a line drive that second baseman Scooter Gennett snared, preventing Castro from a third RBI. More than anything, I think Starlin was most relaxed, Joe Maddon said after the trade deadline passed. I noticed that in pregame. We just need him to hit like he normally does, and once he does that, then, Yeah he made a mistake on defense, no big deal. In other words, if Castro can get hot at the plate, maybe he ll feel a little less pressure. He knows he s been forcing the issue too much. Don t try and do too much on one pitch, he said. Take it out of the box and breathe. That s the thing that kills me. I feel too fast, like I can t breathe. Maddon keeps reminding everyone that Castro had a big August last season after the trade deadline came and went. Knowing he ll be here for the moment can only help. Even my family calls me and says, Hey, we see on the news [about trades].' That s why I say, Don t call me for that, Castro said. If there s a time for him to help carry the offensive load, it s now. Chicago is in the thick of the playoff hunt, a notion Castro has never felt before as a Cub.

11 Every day just come in here and show them something, he declared. It can all change in a month. ESPNChicago.com Rapid Reaction: Cubs 4, Brewers 1 By Jesse Rogers MILWAUKEE The Cubs beat the Milwaukee Brewers, 4-1, on Friday night. Here s a quick look at the game. How it happened: Ryan Braun hit a first-inning home run, but that s all the Brewers would get off starter Jason Hammel and four relievers. The Cubs offense scored single runs in the second, fourth, sixth and seventh innings. Starlin Castro was down in the count in two different at-bats, but drove in runs by just making contact; one went for a base hit and one for a fielder s choice. Addison Russell drove home a run in the sixth, while Anthony Rizzo hit his 19th home run in the seventh. Hector Rondon earned his third save in as many days. What it means: The Cubs are starting to feel it a little bit at the plate as Russell, Rizzo, Dexter Fowler and Castro are heating up. Before the game, Joe Maddon said he wanted to see better situational hitting so he must have liked Castro s two-strike approach as the embattled shortstop didn t try to do too much and came through. If Castro gets hot, it could mean a huge boost from the bottom of the order. The Cubs picked up a game in the standings, moving within one of a wild-card spot. New arrivals: Dan Haren and Tommy Hunter should join the team on Saturday, with Hunter going right to the bullpen. Haren most likely will make his first Cubs start next Wednesday in Pittsburgh. What s next: Game 3 of the series takes place on Saturday night when Kyle Hendricks (4-5, 3.81) faces Matt Garza (5-11, 5.20). ESPNChicago.com Cubs keep to their plan as trade deadline passes By Jesse Rogers MILWAUKEE Judging the Chicago Cubs after the trade deadline where they picked up starter Dan Haren and reliever Tommy Hunter comes down to that one word used so often with the Cubs during their rebuilding plan: perspective. On one hand Haren and Hunter won't get the masses excited, but on the other they fill the exact two needs on the team. Haren takes over the fifth starter's position while Hunter should lock down a place in the bullpen occupied by various names like Edwin Jackson, Brian Schlitter, Yoervis Medina and others. The Cubs wanted a bigger deal for a team-controlled player over the coming years think Tyson Ross of the San Diego Padres and Carlos Carrasco of the Cleveland Indians but it just didn't materialize. "There were different times in the last 24 hours where we felt we had some traction, some movement towards something close to the final stages," Cubs president Theo Epstein said Friday afternoon after the deadline passed. "We were very aggressive in my mind packaging our prospects for controllable, major league talent including deals of volume and impact." But the Cubs aren't going all-in just yet. By now you know why. They're too young, starting four rookies on many days. And there's a simple reason they didn't bring in a position player to help a struggling offense. "We weren't going to add just any bat or replace someone because they're slumping," Epstein said. "These are our guys and we believe in them."

12 The opening just wasn't there. Experience is needed more than an outside addition at the plate. Time and games played will move the offense in the right direction, in their opinion, so the focus was on pitching. The Cubs have much less of that in the minor leagues. They looked for young, controllable arms and this is simply one of the two times of the year to do it. It's either now or in December. "You have to be opportunistic during those periods or else you're left without trade partners," Epstein said. "Two main players didn't end up getting moved.... [Would we] have liked to hit a HR of a deal? Absolutely. If you're dead set on making a big deal for the sake of making a big deal you make a bad deal. We explored everything very aggressively. Came close but we still have that talent in the organization." But Epstein stressed how things have changed now. They may not have made that blockbuster this time around but it's coming. Being closer to the division lead would help as every big move from a contending team save perhaps the Toronto Blue Jays came from a potential division winner. (Even the Jays are closer). That's not the Cubs right now. "In the past we've been hesitant to convert some of our better prospects into big league players via trade but I think our mindset has shifted," Epstein said. "What we have beginning at the big league level and what lies ahead there's no way around it. Our prospects have to be seen as possible currency. They are." So take a step back. For three years the Cubs sold everywhere they could while in the process of rebuilding their farm system and drafting high. Now in their first year of winning they don't go all out as buyers yet fill a couple of needs while giving up little two lower-level minor leaguers and Junior Lake. So they went shopping at the cheaper stores while looking through the glass at the expensive stuff. There's a good chance this offseason or more likely next deadline they'll go bigger. "You have to give these guys a chance to play, a chance to learn a chance to win for you," Epstein said. The Cubs still might add a bat in August, if it's needed. And they'll revisit the young pitching market this winter, but that's also when some big names will be available again. The Cubs' pitching staff is good enough to compete the rest of this season; now it's up to the offense to come together. If they do, it's probably a year ahead of schedule; if they don't, the Cubs have still taken that next step. Remember, forward is a good thing. There's no guarantee each year they'll be moving that way but the Cubs are doing their best to ensure they'll have a long run of contending seasons just like this one and ones even better. "You'll see some trades over the next few years," Epstein said. "You almost did today. We're trying to develop and win at the same time." Isn't that what everyone wanted out of this team? ESPNChicago.com Cubs grab needed starter, reliever at trade deadline By Jesse Rogers MILWAUKEE The Cubs picked up starter Dan Haren and reliever Tommy Hunter before Friday s trade deadline. Here s a quick look at the deals: The deals: Haren comes from Miami for two minor leaguers: Double-A pitcher Ivan Pinyero and infielder Elliot Soto. Pinyero has a decent arm, but neither player projects to be a star. Hunter was acquired for Junior Lake, who looked good in limited action this year with the Cubs.

13 What it means: The Cubs filled two needs in filling out their rotation and adding an arm to the bullpen. It s what they wanted to do all along, but does the talent they brought in fit a contending team? Other bigger names switched teams, but at much higher prices. Haren pitches to contact, so it s a good thing the Cubs defense has improved. He s as durable as they come, so the Cubs might just have enough in their starting rotation to stay in the playoff race as he joins a rotation with Jon Lester, Jake Arrieta, Jason Hammel and Kyle Hendricks. Both Haren and Hunter improve the pitching staff, so it s hard to complain about the deals. But what was left on the table? Cubs management will assuredly answer those questions, but the deals filled holes. That's what is supposed to happen at the trade deadline for teams in contention. ESPNChicago.com Cubs pick up Dan Haren from Marlins, also add Tommy Hunter By Jesse Rogers MILWAUKEE The Chicago Cubs acquired pitcher Dan Haren from the Miami Marlins on Friday before the nonwaiver trade deadline. Haren, 34, is 7-7 with a 3.42 ERA in a Marlins-best 21 starts this season. He has given up 116 hits in 129 innings, ranking 10th in the National League with a 1.09 WHIP, and his strikeout-to-walk ratio (3.52) is his lowest in six years. He will be the fifth Cubs starter with at least 100 innings pitched and an ERA under The Cubs will become his eighth team after previous stints with St. Louis, Oakland, Arizona, the Los Angeles Angels, Washington, the Los Angeles Dodgers and then Miami. Haren pitched for Miami on Thursday in a 1-0 loss to Washington. He suggested after that game that being linked to plenty of trade rumors was gnawing at him, though he insisted it wasn't affecting him on the mound. "It's always hard,'' Haren said. "I've dealt with it before. It's tough for a lot of the guys going through it.... It's been a crazy few days.'' If nothing else, moving to Chicago gets Haren a bit closer to his native Southern California. Even after the Marlins swung a deal with the Dodgers for Haren this past offseason, it seemed less than certain that he would leave the Los Angeles area to play in Miami. He eventually decided to join Miami, but wound up being with the Marlins for basically four months. The Cubs will also receive cash and are sending minor leaguers Ivan Pineyro and Elliot Soto to the Marlins. Chicago designated pitcher Ben Rowen for assignment to make room on the 40-man roster. The Chicago Sun-Times first reported the trade. Cubs catcher Miguel Montero played with Haren when both were with the Diamondbacks from 2008 to '10. "Haren is not what he was," Montero said last month. "Everyone knows that, but the one thing that he has, and I would take it any day, is he has guts. He goes out there and competes." The Cubs entered Friday two games out of the second NL wild-card spot but gained a game with a 4-1 win over the Brewers and the Angels' 5-3 loss to the Dodgers. Haren who is on pace to make at least 30 starts for the 11th straight year has made seven postseason appearances, five as a reliever for St. Louis in 2004 (including two in the World Series loss to the Boston Red Sox) and two as a starter for Oakland in 2006.

14 "He's a pro," Marlins manager Dan Jennings said. "Dan Haren, in my time in the game, is one of the most professional mentors that I've ever been around. The way he carries himself, the things that he shares with the young players and what he does on that mound every fifth day, he is exactly the definition of a pitcher. He knows how to pitch.... I tip my hat to what Dan Haren has been able to come here and do. He's showing a lot of people how to be a pro.'' Haren's $10 million salary is being paid by the Dodgers, who traded him to Miami in the offseason. His contract runs out at the end of this season. Haren is one of two pitchers, along with Mark Buehrle, to start at least 30 games in each of the past 10 seasons. He is with a 3.75 ERA in his career. The Cubs tried to trade for Haren in 2012 in a deal with the Dodgers for Carlos Marmol, but it fell through. There was some concern about Haren's effectiveness in front of the Cubs' defense this season. He throws to more contact than he used to, but the infield has improved greatly, so Haren should have a better chance to succeed. The Cubs also acquired right-handed reliever Tommy Hunter from the Baltimore Orioles for minor league outfielder Junior Lake on Friday. Hunter, 29, is 2-2 with a 3.63 ERA in 39 appearances this season. A former starter, Hunter is in his eighth year in the league after being drafted by the Texas Rangers in He has a career 4.28 ERA. Lake, 25, played parts of three seasons for the Cubs, compiling a.241 career batting average with 16 home runs. CSNChicago.com Cubs: Why didn t Theo Epstein make a splash at the trade deadline? By Patrick Mooney MILWAUKEE That s it? After all the speculation about how the Cubs would be willing to spend big money on the right player, all the talk about these great prospects and all the fantasy trade proposals on Twitter, Theo Epstein s baseball operations department didn t make any seismic moves before Friday s trade deadline. The Cubs did reinforce two big areas of need, upgrading their rotation (Dan Haren) and bullpen (Tommy Hunter) through solid deals with the Miami Marlins and Baltimore Orioles that only cost them three minor-league players and around $5 million in salary. Disappointed is kind of a loaded word, Epstein said before a 4-1 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers at Miller Park. Would we have liked to have hit a home run of a deal? Yeah, absolutely. But if you re dead set on making a big deal for the sake of making a big deal, you end up making a bad deal. We explored everything very thoroughly, very aggressively, came close. But we still have that talent in the organization. Some of them will go on to play up here, and others we ll probably use in trades another day. The Cubs tried to get Tyson Ross, a frontline pitcher who won t become a free agent until after the 2017 season, but the San Diego Padres didn t sell, strangely remaining stuck in neutral. The Cubs negotiated with the Cleveland Indians, but couldn t convince them to give up Carlos Carrasco, another prime-age pitcher who could remain under club control through the 2020 season. While the Cubs would like to write everything off as sticking to The Plan, they don t really have any elite, high-level pitching prospects to shop now, no one particularly close to being a top-of-the-rotation starter in the majors.

15 And there s inevitably a drain on minor-league talent with four rookies in the lineup (Kyle Schwarber, Kris Bryant, Jorge Soler and Addison Russell). I think we have one of the deeper farm systems in all of baseball, Epstein said. When half your team is 23 and under, you might not have the impact 23-year-old left in your farm system. But that s natural. You just have to give it a little bit of time. Our players were in demand. It was just a lot of the guys we had targeted who we thought would make the biggest impact weren t moved. We weren t beat for those players. They just weren t moved. I think our farm system considering what s here in the big leagues right now (is) in excellent shape. While the Los Angeles Dodgers kept flexing their financial muscles, Epstein also downplayed the significance of working without a real big-market payroll. I don t think finances played a big part in what we were able to do or weren t able to do, Epstein said. You see some teams out there who are just absolutely leveraging their massive resources, taking on bad contracts left and right in order to acquire young players. I guess in their situation it s smart and creative. Every team has to find what s appropriate for their situation. The Cubs (55-47) understandably didn t want to go all-in with rental players when they have maybe a chance to make it to a one-game playoff, trailing the St. Louis Cardinals by 10.5 games in the division. The Cubs now trail the San Francisco Giants who picked up pitcher Mike Leake from the Cincinnati Reds for the stretch run by one game for the second wild card. The New York Mets who are two games back in the National League East and 3.5 games out of a wild-card spot added power-hitting outfielder Yoenis Cespedes in a deal with the Detroit Tigers. The Mets felt like they needed more offense. The Giants brought in more pitching, manager Joe Maddon said. I like the pitching that we got a lot. There s always going to be this ratings system. Look at Haren s numbers and what he s done this year. It s been pretty good. I m a Hunter fan. I ve always liked his stuff. He s not afraid and he s very durable. The other side of it is the guys out here we have to get more out of them offensively. Miggy s (Miguel Montero) getting well. (Tommy) La Stella is not far from becoming well. (Javier) Baez is getting well. I kind of like what we got. We just got to pull more out of them right now. The Cubs went out and handled the last-place Brewers, noticing a more relaxed Starlin Castro (two RBI) and thinking Jason Hammel (6-5, 3.13 ERA) is just about back to full strength after that hamstring injury. Four relievers combined to get the final 10 outs, with Hector Rondon notching his 15th save (and third in three days). We could care less, Hammel said. We re supposed to come out here and win ballgames with whoever s on the roster. We like who we ve got. CSNChicago.com Cubs: Starlin Castro relieved the trade deadline is over By Patrick Mooney

16 MILWAUKEE Starlin Castro looked and sounded relieved after the trade deadline. Maybe this non-move helps the Cubs get their All-Star shortstop back (or lay the groundwork for a blockbuster deal this winter). I don t want to go (anywhere), Castro said after driving in two runs during Friday s 4-1 win over the Milwaukee Brewers. It got me a little frustrated, just thinking about this. Now it s over. Just try to finish my season strong. This has been an all-around disappointing season for Castro, who stood in front of his locker inside Miller Park s visiting clubhouse and admitted that he needs to show something to Joe Maddon s coaching staff and Theo Epstein s front office. I don t really watch TV or (follow) rumors, Castro said. Sometimes people even family call me and tell me: Hey, we see in the news That s why I say: Don t call me for that. Just try to keep it away. I don t even use my Instagram anymore, because the fans (message) me and say: Hey, you might be traded. I don t want to see this. But it s over now. Just keep fighting and try to finish strong." Castro still being in a Cubs uniform probably says more about his trade value and the lack of interest rather than a vote of confidence from Epstein s baseball operations department. He s a good player who has not had a good season, Epstein said. The best thing we can do is support him and try to put him in a position to turn his season around as quickly as possible. These things usually even out over the course of a season. Or if not, they start to at least turn around at some point. And he s got a chance to make a real positive impact over the last couple months. That s what drives Castro, who s hitting.237 with a.574 OPS and working hard to find his way out of this. He snapped his fingers, knowing he s a streaky hitter who can change the conversation by getting hot again. I ve done it before, Castro said. In one month, this season can be great. CSNChicago.com Cubs strengthen rotation with trade for Dan Haren at deadline By Patrick Mooney MILWAUKEE The Cubs filled a big hole in their rotation, acquiring crafty veteran pitcher Dan Haren from the Miami Marlins during the final hours before Friday s trade deadline. For essentially a two-month rental, the Cubs gave up two prospects from Double-A Tennessee pitcher Ivan Pineyro and infielder Elliot Soto without blowing up their farm system. The Marlins also kicked in $500,000 to close the deal. Haren is owed about $3.6 million for the rest of this season, with the Cubs also responsible for up to around $1 million in performance bonuses. Haren has gone 7-7 with a 3.42 ERA in 21 starts this season, taking advantage of Miami s defense and the spacious dimensions at Marlins Park. His flyball rate almost 50 percent this year should be an issue when it s hot and the wind s blowing out at Wrigley Field. Still, the Cubs definitely needed someone to eat up innings and keep the team competitive during what looks like a push for the National League s second wild card spot. Haren will likely make his first start in a Cubs uniform next week against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park. Haren s entertaining Twitter makes fun of his diminishing velocity, but he can still get by with his guts, experience and intelligence.

17 His stuff isn t what it once was you can just look at his Twitter handle and figure that out, said Theo Epstein, the president of baseball operations who almost acquired Haren from the Los Angeles Angels for Carlos Marmol after the 2012 season until the deal collapsed over concerns about Haren s medical records. But he s just a master at knowing how to pitch, Epstein said. He s fearless. He attacks with what he has. He knows the hitters really well. He understands pitching. He knows how to shape pitches a lot of different ways and pitch to both sides of the plate. He knows how to file an advanced report. He knows how to read swings. He s kind of an artist out there at this point. Haren is far more accomplished than the cast of characters the Cubs have used in the fifth-starter spot. Among active pitchers, he ranks in the top 10 in innings pitched (2361.1), games started (369), wins (149), strikeouts (1,969) and WHIP (1.18). He is 35 years old and positioned to become a free agent after this season. This guy has been pitching forever, said Miguel Montero, who caught Haren during his two All-Star seasons with the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2008 and He can actually help our bullpen and our starters, (especially) our young guys. He s throwing 86 (mph) and he s still getting people out. So he s got to (know) something about pitching. The Cubs acquired Pineyro from the Washington Nationals two years ago in the Scott Hairston trade. The 23-yearold right-hander has gone 7-5 with a 3.69 ERA in 19 starts for the Smokies this season. The Cubs drafted Soto out of Creighton University in the 15th round of the 2010 draft. He will turn 26 next month and had been hitting.275 with zero homers and a.388 on-base percentage through 88 games at Tennessee. Haren certainly wasn t the biggest name out there and looked like more of a fallback position but the Cubs couldn t risk giving away games almost every fifth day. He competes, Montero said. That s the main thing. He knows that he doesn t have the greatest stuff that he used to (have). So in order to survive, he has to pitch. CSNChicago.com Cubs reinforce bullpen with Tommy Hunter, trading Junior Lake to Orioles By Patrick Mooney MILWAUKEE The Cubs finished their dealing at the deadline on Friday by trading outfielder Junior Lake to the Baltimore Orioles for reliever Tommy Hunter. Hunter should give manager Joe Maddon another option for high-leverage situations, strengthening a Cubs bullpen that s been dominating, overworked and unpredictable. Hunter emerged as a key piece for Buck Showalter s bullpen in Baltimore, putting up a 2.97 ERA in 60 appearances and saving 11 games for a 96-win team last season. The year before, Hunter accounted for 86-plus innings, finishing with a 2.81 ERA and a WHIP. As president of baseball operations Theo Epstein said, the Cubs like to take pitchers from the American League and see how their talents translate in the National League. Like Jake Arrieta and Pedro Strop, who played with Hunter in Baltimore and have thrived since that change-of-scenery trade two years ago. Arrieta and Strop stood in front of their lockers before a game against the Milwaukee Brewers. While Arrieta chatted with reporters and raved about Hunter s power curveball and strong cutter, Strop chimed in with: He s crazy, too.