When I first heard of this trade some months ago, I was in shock that the Mariners would trade Pineda for a DH. Makes you wonder if they didn't know something was wrong with him. Looks like the Mariners may have gotten the better deal out of the trade afterall.

Brewers are favored to land Aramis? Does this mean they'd be moving McGehee? and if so, could he be a potential stopgap for us at 3rd?

He was drafted by the Cubs back in 2003, and had a cup of coffee with us back in 2008. He's hit pretty well with the Brewers, though his numbers declined last year. I don't think he'd be part of our future (cough cough... Vitters), but he'd be a cheap commodity for a year or two.

Thoughts?

I am a huge supporter of Marlon Byrd, so much so that I wished the Cubs would've traded him at the deadline so he could've played for a contender. That being said, Byrd should not be hitting 5th. His RISP average this year is.204, and he had 3 at bats with RISP last night and failed to not only drive in a run (DP, single with no RBI, K), but in the 9th inning he couldn't even get the runners over to 2nd and 3rd. Maybe I'm nitpicking from one bad game, or maybe I'm just frustrated by a terrible season. I just don't think Byrd is an RBI machine, and his numbers show he's more of a run scorer, save for 2009 when he drove in 89 (but he played in Texas, and they scored the 3rd most runs that year).

Where do you guys think he should be hitting? 2nd? 6th?

I think he would be a good fit for the Cubs defensively, but he has a lot to prove with the bat after a .196 avg with a .325 obp for the Rays last season. His left handed bat would bring some power to the middle of the lineup and break up the rightys, but so would Adam Dunn's. However, both tend to strike out a lot. What might make Pena a better fit is a 1 or 2 year deal, for 4-5mil per, plus incentives. He has a lot of upside offensively, and is a previous gold glove winner, so we know his defense is above average.

Other thoughts?

though I doubt he makes it back to the show, I found it interesting to see what he's been up to. I remember this incident very clearly, and can recall exactly where I was when I saw this.