7/24 Trade deadline countdown

With the trade deadline one week away, Cubs manager Mike Quade said he expects his players to ignore the rumors.

“Show up every day and focus on who we’re playing,” Quade said Sunday about what their approach should be. “Everybody deals with stuff differently, whether it’s speculation or reality.

“I do think that when I look at the veterans who are here, this is not their first rodeo,” he said. “This is not stuff they haven’t experienced before, whether it’s them personally or a teammate. I suppose [the rumors are] out there but I would expect them not to be distracted at all.”

Last year, the Cubs dealt pitcher Ted Lilly and infielder Ryan Theriot to the Dodgers at the trade deadline in exchange for Blake DeWitt and two Minor League pitchers.

– Carrie Muskat