IS ON THE TRADE RUMOR TRAIL
Inquirer staff writer Jim Salisbury reports:
The trade that would have brought Chicago Cubs infielder/outfielder Mark DeRosa to the Phillies appears dead.
DeRosa would have gone to the Phils in a three-way deal that also involved the San Diego Padres. The Cubs were trying to get Padres pitcher Jake Peavy and hoped to acquire prospects from the Phillies in order to facilitate the deal.
This morning, however, Cubs GM Jim Hendry told Padres GM Kevin Towers that he wasn't going to do the deal.
The Phillies had envisioned DeRosa providing insurance at second base for Chase Utley, who is recovering from hip surgery. He would also have played leftfield.
These type of glitches happen often in complex trade talks. You never know when things could be rekindled.
The Phillies will continue looking for a leftfielder, maybe free agent Raul Ibanez or Minnesota's Delmon Young.
Also, the Phils selected righthanded-pitcher Robert Mosebach from the Angels in the Rule 5 draft. The Phils lost no players in the major league phase of the draft.
The Phils are working on hammering out a deal with pitcher Chan Ho Park, who would work in relief.
