Cubs' GM Hendry: There's 'no trade to talk about'

LAS VEGAS - Cubs general manager Jim Hendry worked multiple fronts Wednesday, and with the winter meetings ending today, a couple of things neared critical mass.

On the Jake Peavy front, word out of the San Diego Padres camp is that GM Kevin Towers feels the ball is squarely in the Cubs' court and that Towers hopes he knows by today whether the two teams have at least the makings of a trade.

Earlier this week, Towers had set today as the day he either wanted to see additional progress made or say Peavy would stay with the Padres. That doesn't seem realistic, as San Diego ownership is serious about reducing its payroll.

"There's no trade to talk about," Hendry said.

That was the case at the moment, but in addition to talking with the representatives for free-agent hitters Milton Bradley and Raul Ibanez, Hendry pushed on with trying to land Peavy.

One of the Cubs' chief bargaining chips in what may turn out to be a multiteam trade is infielder-outfielder Mark DeRosa, who has drawn serious interest from the Phillies and the Twins.

The Cubs seem more than ready to trade DeRosa, who has one year and $5.5 million left on his contract.

That ostensibly would open up more playing time for Mike Fontenot at second base, giving the Cubs to go with the left-handed bat they seem confident they'll acquire sometime this winter.

That left-handed bat is the top priority for not only the Cubs, but especially for manager Lou Piniella. Hendry said he felt "more clear" Wednesday on the "outfield potentials," but he added no formal offer has been made to a hitter.

"We've always assured Lou that we'll get somebody," Hendry said. "We don't need Lou to confirm that we'd like to get a left-handed hitter. We'd like to. We're all on the same page.

"I told him the same thing I told you guys. I don't know what the time frame is, but we're going to get a good left-handed hitter."

Bradley and Ibanez appear to be well ahead of Bobby Abreu in the mix of players in whom the Cubs have interest. Ibanez bats left-handed, and Bradley is a switch hitter.

The Peavy situation is a complicated one, not only because the Cubs may have to trade DeRosa to one team, who would then send prospects to San Diego in addition to what the Cubs would send, but because the Cubs need to clear payroll space for Peavy.

The Cubs want very much to trade pitcher Jason Marquis, who has one year and $9.875 million left for 2009 on his contract.

The Padres don't really want Marquis, especially if it means taking on his whole contract, but they could "flip" him to another team if it meant they'd be rid of Peavy, who has a guaranteed $63 million coming over the next four years.

Marquis has been a major sticking point in this deal, and if the Cubs and the Padres weren't at a stalemate Wednesday, certainly the momentum seemed to have ebbed.

If a deal can't be done - and opinion among those in the game is split on it - the Cubs reconfirmed Wednesday they have interest in veteran left-hander Randy Johnson on a one-year deal.

"There are so many different variables that could happen," Hendry said. "The good news is, in the end we feel like we'll have good results for our baseball team before we get to spring training."