a wanted man?

Despite winning 14 of 19, the Chicago Cubs are still buried in the depths of the National League Central and figure to be sellers as the July 31 trade deadline approaches. One of the players who figures to attract a fair bit of attention from the buyers is former Mississippi State standout Paul Maholm. The veteran — and, yes, crafty — left-hander has pitched as well as anybody of late, winning four straight with a 0.89 ERA. For the year, he is 8-6, 4.09. Maholm “escaped” Pittsburgh as a free agent in the off-season, signing a one-year, $4.75 million deal (with a team option) with the Cubs. It’s a good bet he’ll be wearing a different unie soon. P.S. Jackson’s Seth Smith had a big two-run hit in Oakland’s 4-3 win over the New York Yankees late Thursday. Keep an eye on those Swingin’ A’s, just 7 ½ back in the American League West.