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Per pipeline, those are 5 top-18 prospects.  2, 6, 12, 16, 18. 

Rich haul for Washington in that trade, just like Brewers got a rich haul for Peralta. 

I don't think any of those Rangers guys were top 100.

Cubs sign Chas McCormick, formerly good now bad ex-Astros OF, to a minor league deal. Jed remains absolutely obsessed with Astro castoffs. On the plus side, McCormick is pretty good all over the OF. But the bat has been absolutely unplayable the past two seasons.

Nah, not a castoff so that's a no-go.

As I said, minor league deal. No risk, in effect.

Wow, Carlson was a top-20 prospect in most of the major media places for two years.  4-6 years ago, who'd have guessed he'd be a minor-league contract bust at this point.  Good reminder that lots of young guys never do get better. 

What is Jed saving it for?  Pretty sure he's got some $$ left to spend.  When I asked that question earlier, though, I knew he was saving it for something, some ticket or other, and he wasn't just saving to cut budget and leave it unspent.  But now, with whatever variable amount remains, I'm not sure he'll spend it, or save it for a rainy day.  I suspect that he's got some discretionary $$ that he's free to spend *IF* he finds a deal that he thinks will help; but that it's not use-it-or-lose-it; and if he doesn't get a somebody on a decent-value deal that he likes, he may well just leave that $$ unspent and save it for a rainy day. 

Maybe Gallen is who he's saving it for, *if* on a deal Jed likes?  Maybe it's Andujar?  Or yeah, maybe he'll just save it.   

Heyman mentions Az, Orioles, and Cubs as three teams interested in Gallen.  Nothing new there.  Suggests Gallen may decide fairly soon. 
-Baltimore has been pretty prioritized on adding pitching.  Trade a bunch for Baz, added Helmsley, resigned Eflin, Kittredge.  But they've been in the rumor for pursuing one of the ticket pitchers all along, including Valdez.  Guessing O's, Gallen, and Boras will wait till Valdez decides. 

It's weird, but I am feeling a level of trust for the Cubs pitching scouting.  I've always respected Hottovy, and he's often gotten decent results from questionable guys.  And other than the ancient Neris and Pressly, Cubs scouting hasn't really whiffed on many of their pitching pickups?  Boyd, Rea, Taillon, Steele they've done pretty well.  Were kinda right on Luzardo. Horton and Wiggins too, guessing it's more than just amateur scouting looking at top picks.  So, we're mostly used to thinking Cubs are dumb and always make bad decisions; but I'm kinda in a trusting mood regarding pitching?  So, *IF* Cubs pitching scouting thinks Gallen is OK, and that they can get good production from him, I'm kinda duped into trusting them and hoping that *IF* they do sign him, that there are reasons to hope he might be pretty good, and might crack their playoff rotation?  I also kinda like that Az is still favored to resign Gallen.  If they just saw him be lousy with his 4.7 ERA, they should be the first to know that he's cooked.  So if they don't think he's cooked, that kinda reaffirms the Cubs in thinking he isn't cooked?