The Jose Veras signing makes sense for the Cubs since he comes at an affordable rate, has experience, and can groom the younger guys like Pedro Strop, opines Jesse Rogers of ESPNChicago.com (via Twitter). Earlier tonight, the Cubs agreed to sign Veras to a one-year, $4MM deal with a $5.5MM club option for 2015. Here's more out of the AL and NL Central..
- Before agreeing to his deal with the Cubs, Veras tells Brian McTaggart of MLB.com (on Twitter) that he also had an offer from the Mariners. The Rockies and Astros were also among the clubs with reported interest.
- Even after the Mike Pelfrey agreement, the Twins are maintaining dialogue with Johan Santana's representatives, according to Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN (on Twitter). For his part, Santana is very open to a return.
- Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel checked in with Brewers GM Doug Melvin and it doesn't sound like the club is closing in on a first base solution. "It's pretty quiet," said Melvin. "We know all the names. It's a small group. Nothing changes from one day to the next. Ike Davis is the one player people talk about. Other than that, there's not much available." Haudricourt also asked Melvin about Rangers' first baseman Mitch Moreland, but Melvin says that at last check, Texas said they won't move him.
- With multiple question marks, David Schoenfield of ESPN.com feels that the Pirates are likely to regress in 2014.
Johan may have been drafted by the Twins but I highly doubt he would go back there when they are years away from making another post season appearance.
Johan was drafted by the Astros. Twins picked him in Rule V
Burn!
Didn’t the Astros sign him as an amateur free agent instead?
This is the correct response. He was signed in 1995.
Then the Marlins picked him up in rule 5 and then got traded to the Twins for Jared Camp.
Though with missing all of 2013, how many teams are going to offer him a guaranteed spot? The Twins are looking for pitching everywhere, and Johan would have a good chance to make the opening day roster if healthy.
The Cubs bullpen will be a strength this year and the starters won’t be terrible but their offense might be the worst in the league
Defense is solid, pitching is becoming solid and deep. Offense…oh man lets just not go there.
The Cubs had one of the worst bullpens in baseball in ’13, and that was with them having one of the lightest workloads, so it’s not like they were leaned on too much. Luckily, the starting pitching wasn’t that bad or the Cubs would have finished with closer to 105, 110 losses. I’d say the starting pitching could be a strength and the bullpen won’t be terrible this year. And I believe as Starlin and Rizzo go, the Cubs offense will go.
Jose Veras will be traded to a contender in June/July.
Yeah melvin, it may be quiet now after you already let hart walk and missed out on morrison, loney, morse, morneau… oh, and juan fransisco isnt an intriguing option at first so stop talking him up and go get someone. middlebrooks, pill, davis, duda, moreland, murphy, even bringing back mcgehee would be better than fransisco.
None of the names you mentioned are any more intriguing than Francisco, Halton or Morris,.I don’t like how languid Doug is being this offseason, but it’s short-sighted to make a trade for an option that only fractionally more attractive than the ones we have now, It’s 3 1/2 months til the season. Lots can and will happen.
Its pretty clear they dont plan on using halton and morris this season..at least not to start the year..and fransisco full time would prolly break strikeout records. We’re talking about someone for a year or two, and any of those mentioned would be better than fransisco,
There are other options like valencia ..and now we hear about a possible interest in young. Ill be pissed if the pirates get a decent 1b and we don’t.
Oh nevermind on valencia. Hes gone too now.
Wait, how is middlebrooks not better than fransisco?? If he performs well he could take over 3b next year