The Chicago Cubs today acquired Gold Glove infielder Cesar Izturis from the Los Angeles Dodgers in exchange for right-handed pitcher Greg Maddux.

Izturis, 26, owns a .979 career fielding percentage (2632 TC/54 E) in 630 games, including a .989 mark (185 TC/2 E) at second base and a .980 mark (2357 TC/48 E) in 559 games at shortstop. He won the Rawlings Gold Glove award in 2004, logging a .985 fielding percentage (674 TC/10 E) as the Dodgers everyday shortstop.

Izturis was named to the 2005 National League All-Star team thanks in part to his club-record 75 hits over the first two months of the season. His year was cut short with degenerative arthritis in his right elbow, which required season-ending Tommy John surgery on September 16.

This season, the switch-hitter has batted .252 (30-for-119) with seven doubles and 12 RBI in 32 games after returning from the 60-day disabled list on June 20. He has seen action at second base, third base and shortstop this season.

Maddux, 40, is 9-11 with a 4.69 ERA (71 ER/136.1 IP) in 22 starts this season. He ranks in the top-10 in numerous Cubs franchise records, including fourth with 1,305 strikeouts and fifth with 298 starts, while his 133 victories ranks 13th.

Maddux signed with Chicago as a free agent prior to the 2004 season, rejoining the club he had left after the 1992 season. He’s compiled a 38-37 record with a 4.26 ERA (272 ER/574.0 IP) in 90 starts since his return. For his career, Maddux is 327-200 with a 3.06 ERA in 665 career games (661 starts) over 21 Major League seasons. His 327 career wins rank 12th in Major League history.

The Chicago Cubs today traded infielder Todd Walker and cash considerations to the San Diego Padres in exchange for minor league right-handed pitcher Jose Ceda.

Ceda, 19, was signed by the Padres as a non-drafted free agent in November of 2004. The 6-4, 207-pounder was quick to post strong numbers, going 4-2 with a 1.50 ERA (10 ER/60.0 IP) in 13 games (nine starts) for the Padres Dominican Summer League Team in 2005. He limited opponents to a .174 batting average against (38-for-218) while striking out 83 and walking just 29.

This season with the Padres Arizona League club, Ceda has gone 2-0 with a 2.00 ERA (4 ER/18.0 IP) over his last six games (three starts) while holding opponents to a .200 average.

In just 89.0 career innings of work, the Santo Domingo, D.R., native has struck out 114 batters while allowing 58 hits and walking 40.

Walker, 33, signed with the Cubs as a free agent prior to the start of the 2004 season. The left-handed batter hit .286 (311-for-1087) with 33 home runs and 130 RBI in 333 games with Chicago. Walker was batting .277 (88-for-318) in 94 games with the Cubs this season.

It’s looking like Greg Maddux pitched his last game for the Cubs, the Dodgers have increased their pursuit and offers for the soon to be Hall of Famer.  According to current reports, the Cubs would pick up ~3 million for Maddux’s remaining 3.2 million contract and would receive two highly ranked prospects from LA, one being a positional player and the other a pitcher.

With the Cubs willing to eat a good chunk of the Maddux’s salary, they are expecting to get a top flight prospect along the lines of Matt Kemp, Delwyn Young, Joel Guzman, Greg Miller, Joel Hanrahan,  Justin Orenduff, along with a upperlevel midgrade prospect.  My hope is that we’re able to get an elite positional prospect out of the Professor, it might be a dream, but teams aren’t getting scared as the soft deadline approaches.