Ryan Dempster Dominates Minnesota Twins and Improves Trade Value in the Process

Ryan Dempster was absolutely dominant on Sunday against the Minnesota Twins, helping the Chicago Cubs to just their second victory in 10 games. Ironically enough, both victories were by Dempster.

Dempster struck out six over eight shutout innings while allowing just four hits and one base on balls. It was his second straight win after going 18 consecutive starts without recording a victory.

He has now held opponents scoreless over 15 straight innings, a mark that has spanned his last two starts.

The Cubs were in desperate need of a win. The team now sits at 20-40—last in the NL Central—and is on pace for the worst season in franchise history.

The team's worst record is 59-103, a record that was reached twice in 1962 and 1966.

Needless to say, every win counts.

While the Cubs are looking to not lose 100-plus games this season, they also have to be realistic. They are clearly rebuilding, and trading away their veteran talent would be a nice step towards building a better team a few years down the line.

One such trade candidate is Dempster, and he improved his already strong trade value with his dominant performance Sunday.

Teams looking for a veteran No. 3 starter would be wise to consider Dempster. He will be a free agent after the season and likely won't command more than a few mid-level prospects in return.

On the season, Dempster is 2-3 with a sparkling 2.31 ERA over 74 innings.