IF Cubs DID INDEED Trade Ryan Dempster to Braves, How It Impacts Pirates

New Update:  According to MLB sources, Ryan Dempster has been traded to the Atlanta Braves. According to his twitter account, Dempster said he hasn’t been traded.

One would guess that the deal was shutdown by Dempster, who has the ultimate power in nixing a deal.  Where there is smoke there should be fire….

If indeed Dempster has been traded, the tomahawk chopping Atlanta fans just got what their team desperately needed.  The Braves pitching staff is struggling so badly that they have rolled the dice with Ben Sheets. Unfortunately, the Sheets experiment has worked. Let’s trust the Dempster Project doesn’t.

Make no mistake, the Pirates wanted Dempster. He’s one of the top pitchers based on how he is pitching this season.

In the short term, if the deal is true, the Pirates seem like they have caught a break and will miss out on seeing Dempster for the matinee game on Wednesday. The businessman’s special has the Pirates sending Kevin Correia to the mound. Now it appears that the Cubs could use their return from the Braves in that spot or go to Casey McGillicutty.

Either way, the chances of a Bucco series win just went up several notches in Vegas.   But the big impact will be felt in how much Dempster can improve the Braves chances at chasing down a playoff spot.

Also don’t forget the impact in the Cubs clubhouse with this move. Dempster is a legend in that city…but really in their clubhouse.   The Pirates play the Cubs in two of their next three series–kicking off tonight.  I’m sure the vets in the Cubs dugout are all fired up for the series tonight after this move.  It wasn’t a mistake the team is on the road when the deal went down, nice work boy wonder.

Dempster is the player Sean Casey said was the best teammate he ever had. It’s a shame the Bucs weren’t on his Dodgers first, Braves second wishlist. We think he could have helped, now we’re forced to root against him. And maybe we find ourselves rooting against him when the season is on the line if everything works out for the Pirates…no jinx, no jinx.