Cubs acquired infielder Jeff Baker from the Rockies for RHP Al Alburquerque.
Baker is available to play in Thursday night's game against Milwaukee. Baker hit .268 with 12 home runs in 104 games last year, but he has had a rough 2009. Baker has been on the disabled list since April 29 with a sprained left hand and was working his way through a minor league rehab assignment when the trade was consummated. He was batting just .130/.167/.217 through 23 at-bats before being shelved. The Cubs activated Baker from the DL and he could get at-bats because of the injury to Aaron Miles.

Cubs designated outfielder Ryan Freel for assignment.
Chicago needed to make room for newly-acquired infielder Jeff Baker. Freel batted only .143/.226/.143 in 28 at-bats for the Cubs this year.
-rotoworld for both



Atleast I have no idea who Al Alburquerque is. No idea whatsoever. Hopefully he sucks as much as Rocky Cherry, another awesome name from the old Cubs system. But these Kenny Williams-like signings/trades are worthless. Gathright? Freel? Baker? We're not catching lightening in a bottle with any of these scrubs. Why waste the time. And when we bring these guys in only to give them 28 abs to prove themselves, it looks like we're wasting time anyway. If we were playing some of these scrubs, it'd be one thing, but to sit on our bench and be DFA'd for the next batch ...completely pointless. Fat **** Hendry better hope all of his other recent FA signings can get it together soon and we still push for the playoffs.