NL Central news

Even though it has been a slow day for Brewers rumors, we do have a couple news-worthy happenings in the NL Central. Here's what's been going on:

• According to the Chicago Sun Times, the Cubs put a substantial offer on the table that would have sent both Erik Bedard and Brian Roberts to Chicago for seven Chicago players. Peter Angelos supposedly killed this 7-for-2 deal because Baltimore does not want to package the two players together in one deal. It is also well known that Roberts is one of Angelos' favorite players on the team, so some believe that Roberts has never been in danger of being moved.
  
  Roch Kubatko, from the Baltimore Sun, finds these rumors to be unfounded. He reiterates that Baltimore does not wish to package the two players in one deal. I'm assuming that Baltimore feels they can get a bigger haul if they separate the two deals. I don't know if they would get 7 players in return, but they would most likely get more top prospects. Interestingly enough, he says that Lou Pinella said that the Cubs will mostly likely not be acquiring an infielder through a trade. Kubatko does say, however, that the Cubs would be willing to move Rich Hill if they could get Bedard and Roberts together. I think that was a given, though. Chicago would not be able to pry both of those players out for just prospects.
• The Cincinnati Reds signed LHP Jeremy Affeldt to a one-year, $3M deal yesterday. They're hoping that they can use Affeldt in the back-end of the starting rotation, but if that does not work out, they will put him in the bullpen. Affeldt was a part of the Colorado Rockies squad last year that performed so well down the stretch.
  
  Affeldt was 4-3 last year with Colorado, posting a 3.51 ERA. There's no questioning that he has the stuff to hold down the fourth or fifth spot in the Red's rotation. He has had control problems, however. In 59 innings pitched last year, Affeldt had 46 Ks. That's very impressive for a middle reliever. His control problems shows through his 33 walks given up, though. Overall, its a low-risk, high-reward type of signing for Cincinnati.