Jeff Samardzija continues to be one of the best pitchers in baseball on the worst team in baseball. The Chicago Cubs are giving their star zero support as he puts together a 1.46 ERA in his first 10 starts of the season. The issue is that he has zero wins to show for it. With plenty of teams in need of pitching help thanks to a run on injuries, Samardzija is the most valuable name on the trade market.
Samardzija has the best ERA in the league and an expiring contract. That immediately puts him at the top of the list for any team in need of a pitcher. With the July 31 deadline slowly approaching, who is looking to make a run at the star? According to the New Jersey Star Ledger, the Phillies might be considering a move depending on the health of Cliff Lee. The veteran is taking a trip on the 15-day disabled list for elbow issues. Philadelphia is confident that surgery can be avoided, but the team might consider a move before it is too late. For now the team will aim for the minor leagues to help out.
The Seattle Mariners could be considering dipping their toes into the trade pool. The team has been eyeing a top prospect since the offseason. They attempted to make a deal for David Price by offering up top prospect Taijuan Walker, but the deal failed to be finalized. According to CBSSports.com, the Mariners could attempt to get Samardzija by using Walker since the Tampa Bay Rays did not bite on it.
The New York Yankees are another option for the Cubs pitcher. The team is dealing with the injury of CC Sabathia who is going to miss some time to injury. USA Today Sports believe Wednesday game of Samardzija and New York could be a preview of a deal that could happen in the near future.
Samardzija has reportedly already made it known to the Cubs that he prefers to test the free agent market and sign with a winning team. That is not Chicago any time soon so the Cubs would be wise to move quickly on a trade while the pitcher's value is still very high.
