The Cubs are willing to trade Mark DeRosa to get a deal done for San Diego Padres right-hander Jake Peavy, but they appear unwilling to part with the pitching depth left-hander Sean Marshall provides -- even if it means they don't land the 2007 National League Cy Young winner.
As the final full day of business at the winter meetings wound down Wednesday, Padres general manager Kevin Towers and Cubs GM Jim Hendry were expected to talk again about Peavy. But it looked increasingly likely that the parties would leave Las Vegas today without a deal in place, despite Towers' self-imposed deadline of having clarity on the subject by then. In fact, the Cubs appeared to have found clarity on the issue of adding a left-handed bat, with talks between Hendry and the agents for outfielders Milton Bradley and Raul Ibanez pointing to a possible deal for one of them soon. Hendry, who wouldn't comment about specific players, said he hasn't made formal offers to anybody, but he is confident he'll be able to acquire the desired left-handed bat through free agency or a trade.
A Cubs source said Bradley, a switch hitter who batted .321 with 22 home runs in 126 games last season for the Texas Rangers, is at the top of the list. But the Tampa Bay Rays also are pursuing the mercurial outfielder, who has played in more than 126 games only once in his career and has played for four teams in the last four seasons. Ibanez also is drawing a lot of interest.
But drawing the most attention continued to be focused on the Peavy saga, which still seemed very much alive Wednesday, if stalled.
Sources said the Padres considered the ball in Hendry's court in terms of making a potential three-team deal involving the Philadelphia Phillies happen. But the Cubs are operating without the same sense of urgency as the Padres, which seems to put the greater pressure on Towers.
That said, a Cubs source said there was still a feeling in the organization that a deal would get done. And Towers told San Diego media that he expected to know by today and that it might take a fourth team.
A source with the Phillies confirmed their interest in DeRosa, but he characterized the talks as slowing down. The source called the list of three Phillies minor-leaguers that ESPN reported were being considered in the trade ''erroneous.'' The report said two of the three would go to the Padres for DeRosa.
A Cubs source said the Minnesota Twins are also among several teams that have asked about DeRosa since they appeared to make him available, but the source added the Cubs would trade DeRosa only if he were part of a deal for Peavy.
Adding DeRosa to the Peavy picture not only provides an avenue to more attractive prospects for the Padres in closing a deal, but it also points to the Cubs' difficulties in moving any significant part of right-hander Jason Marquis' $9.875 million contract.
The Cubs had been willing to pick up as much as $4 million to move him, but it might take picking up at least half the contract to trade Marquis, who might land with the Padres as part of the deal under those conditions.
If DeRosa -- who makes $5.5 million next season in the final year of his contract -- is traded, the Cubs plan to use left-handed-hitting Mike Fontenot as their primary second baseman, depending on who else might be had through another trade or free agency.
Hendry, who wouldn't comment about the Peavy situation, was said to be exploring avenues to compensate for the loss of the versatile DeRosa. One source said the Cubs are among the many teams who have asked the Los Angeles Angels about their jack-of-all-positions leadoff man, Chone Figgins, who is a longtime favorite of manager Lou Piniella.
