"The Cubs have not spoken to teams about trading anyone, sources said Monday, though things could change drastically over the next two or three weeks if they don't come out of their slump.

Despite Sunday's intense 1-0 win over the White Sox, the Cubs are still 7½ games behind division-leading Cincinnati and have lost eight of their last 12 games against four sub-.500 teams in Pittsburgh, Houston, Milwaukee and the Sox. There is no good reason to play out the string with the current roster if they're out of contention in July, especially with a bloated payroll that's in dire need of trimming.

Among those considered prime trade bait are Derrek Lee, Ted Lilly, Kosuke Fukudome, Tom Gorzelanny and Xavier Nady, though Lee and Fukudome have no-trade protection. The Cubs have not asked either Lee or Fukudome to waive their no-trade clauses, though Lee would probably be willing to do so for the right team."