Sveum addresses trade rumors surrounding Cubs

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Trade rumors are running rampant around Major League Baseball right now, and the Cubs are right in the thick of things.Ryan Dempster figures to be dealt before the July 31 non-waiver trading deadline, and other big names such as Matt Garza, Geovany Soto and Alfonso Soriano may also be packing their bags in a couple weeks.Even veteran role players -- such as Reed Johnson or Jeff Baker -- or guys with only a couple years under their beltssuch as Darwin Barney or Bryan LaHair -- hear their names mentioned in rumors."It's that time of year. It's inevitable," manager Dale Sveum said before Friday's game.Garza and Dempster's names have been linked a plethora of reports over the past couple of months, and for two veteran guys with families to think about, the rumors can grow tiring.
However, Sveum says he doesn't believe his players' performances are affected."I don't think it ever impacts wins or losses," he said. "It's in the media, whether it's all 25 guys' names or not. You just never know how that works out. It's part of the game. I think once these guys cross the line -- even in batting practice -- none of that stuff comes into play."Off the field, it's something that's there. It's been there for a long time. You have to deal with it and understand that rumors are rumors and until it happens, it ain't no big deal," he added.Sveum, a first-round pick of the Brewers in 1982, has been around the game for almost three decades, both as a coach and player. He's been traded, released and seen other guys go through the same."That's the course of the game sometimes -- the rumors and everything," he said. "I've been on teams where there's a little bit of talk or a lot of it and then you get to the trading deadline and wow, nothing happens."When you do deals and all that stuff, you still have to get something in return. There's not always the perfect deal out there. The team that wants your players has to have the right scenario that you want to get back, too."So sometimes everything can fall apart as well as good things happening, too. You can have the in-between, you can have a fire sale, or you can have nobody get traded."This season will be different than years past, as the addition of the second Wild Card in each league creates another playoff spot teams can vie for. There are currently 22 teams across the league that are within six games of a Wild Card spot. Sixteen of those teams are within 1.5 games."There's no question the extra Wild Card is impacting things," Sveum said. There's 20 teams right now that are capable of getting into the playoffs with that extra team."There's going to be more talk and more teams that say 'OK, if we put this piece of the puzzle together, we have a lot better chance of getting to the postseason.' So there's definitely more teams involved now."The Cubs entered the All-Star break hot, winning nine of their last 13 games. The streak helped them climb out of the cellar in the NL Central, as they begin play Friday a half-game up on the 33-53 Astros.The Cubs are 8-4 since Anthony Rizzo was called up, and his presence in the three-hole and at first base has allowed Sveum to find a better balance in the lineup."Consistency," he said. "That's what we were able to do the last two weeks -- put together a lineup, put together the back end of the bullpen. Being able to mix and match with Manny Corpas, Shawn Camp and James Russell and Carlos Marmol's doing a good job in the closer's role."Those are the things you just try to establish. You end up winning a lot more games that way."With the Cubs as one of the only MLB teams considered "sellers" at the deadline, consistency may be short-lived for Sveum and this team.

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