Cubs Likely To Sign Edmonds

TUESDAY: Gordon Wittenmeyer of the Chicago Sun-Times says the Cubs "appear poised to sign Edmonds after he clears waivers Wednesday." MONDAY: According to Dave van Dyck of the Chicago Tribune, the Cubs are "exploring the possibility" of signing center fielder Jim Edmonds. This was first reported by Bruce Levine of ESPN Radio 1000 yesterday evening. Edmonds, 37, was let go after hitting .178/.265/.233 in 103 plate appearances. It's hard to say whether Edmonds has anything left. He did hit relatively well in the last two months of 2007. Van Dyck says Edmonds would replace Felix Pie on the Cubs' roster.

Rosenthal's Latest: Lidge, Daniel Cabrera, Bonds, Edmonds

Ken Rosenthal has a new column up. I put the Griffey info in a separate post; let's discuss the rest. Rosenthal suggests that Brad Lidge would be harder to replace than Pat Burrell, and for that reason the Phillies will make a bigger effort to re-sign him. I imagine Phillies fans would prefer that course of action. The problem? The Phillies have little chance of offering four years, according to Jayson Stark. The Rangers will face a delicate situation in coming years: moving Michael Young to a different position. The chain reaction could make Hank Blalock available. Blalock has a...

Odds and Ends: Bay, Roberts, Cliff Lee

And here we have some random links I've collected over the past day or so. The Bucs will try to fill their open 40-man spots through low profile moves, not unlike the Jason Michaels one. They won't move Jason Bay or Xavier Nady until they're truly out of it. 4.5 games out of the wild card, they still have a prayer here on May 9th. Keith Law's top 60 prospects list for the June draft has been published. Shortstop Tim Beckham heads the list. Gordon Wittenmyer looks back on the Cubs players rumored to be traded for Brian Roberts. Juan...

Gammons' Latest: Bradley, Griffey, Padilla

ESPN's Peter Gammons has a new blog post to discuss. Gammons says Cubs manager Lou Piniella would like to add a left-handed hitting right or center fielder to bat fifth. Milton Bradley and Ken Griffey Jr. seem like long shots though. It's odd that the Rangers wouldn't want to move Bradley. Gammons notes that the Rangers wanted Mike Pelfrey, Aaron Heilman, and Deolis Guerra for Vicente Padilla in the offseason. Even as a negotiation starting point, that's a ton for Padilla.

Teams Scouting Griffey, Dunn

If the Reds slip out of contention in May, Walt Jocketty might begin to field offers for corner outfielders Ken Griffey Jr. and Adam Dunn. Both are paid well and have at least some control over trade destinations. According to MLB.com's Jim Molony, "a few teams are having their scouts keep an eye" on the pair in case they become available. The standard speculation for Griffey is that he could be traded back to Seattle after he gets his 600th home run with the Reds. Junior might be a nice boost in right field for the Ms if Wladimir Balentien...

Odds and Ends: Burrell, Pedro, Fukudome

Today's link collection. Jon Heyman notes that Pat Burrell only wanted to go to the Yankees or Red Sox when the Phillies tried to trade him a few years ago. They're not great fits, but perhaps Burrell will have those two clubs at the top of his list when he hits free agency. Ross Newhan looks at the Dodgers' trade of Pedro Martinez for Delino DeShields. He rates it the worst in franchise history. He also names the Brad Penny acquisition as the fourth-worst. Josh Kalk takes a look at Kosuke Fukudome's hot start for RotoAuthority. The Dodgers and Juan...

Heyman's Latest: Lofton, Owings, Sabathia

SI.com's Jon Heyman has a new column up. Heyman and Buster Olney both believe the Cubs should sign free agent Kenny Lofton to help fill in for Alfonso Soriano. However, Olney noted that the Cubs don't seem interested. Apparently the Yanks pushed hard to get Micah Owings in the Randy Johnson deal a few years ago. Ross Ohlendorf still looks interesting, at least. Heyman has heard whispers about C.C. Sabathia having arm problems but admits there's no real evidence. Sabathia threw 256.3 innings last year (postseason included), an increase of almost 60 IP over 2007.

Cubs May Have Use For Murton After All

One of the players most-rumored to be traded in the past month is Matt Murton after he failed to make the Cubs opening day roster and was sent to AAA. Now it appears the Cubs may have a use for Murton after all, recalling him from the minors today. Jon Greenberg notes that Murton is still not an everyday player but could get an occasional spot-start in the outfield as well as regular pinch-hit at bats. Earlier this week, Ken Rosenthal noted that the Rays were still interested and earlier this month wrote of the Padres also pursuing the outfielder....

Odds and Ends: Lugo, Murton, Scherzer

A handful of random links... Josh Kalk did a guest post at RotoAuthority, using PITCHf/x data to analyze C.C. Sabathia's early struggles. Nick Cafardo comments on Julio Lugo's unimpressive Red Sox career, noting that Jed Lowrie is nipping at his heels. Is there any chance the Sox consider guys like Orlando Cabrera or Rafael Furcal this winter? Christina Kahrl believes leaving Matt Murton in Triple A was the right move. White Sox beat reporter Joe Cowley explains that real baseball is different from fantasy baseball. The Scherzer Watch begins, especially for fantasy leaguers. Joe Sports Fan offers their list of...

Rosenthal's Latest: Crisp, Murton, Lowrie

Ken Rosenthal, your favorite hot stove reporter, has a new article up. Let's discuss. The Red Sox seem inclined to keep Coco Crisp unless they're blown away with an offer. Jayson Stark noted last week that the Sox don't want to eat any of the $11MM owed to him. The Rays still like Matt Murton, and are not content with Nathan Haynes as their only outfield acquisition. Rosenthal says the Cubs are asking for a lot for the 26 year-old, who is hitting .333/.487/.333 in 30 Triple A at-bats. Rosenthal notes that Jed Lowrie is pretty well blocked in Boston...

Rosenthal's Latest: Roberts, Jones

Ken Rosenthal of FoxSports.com has his latest video "Rosenthal's Full Count" up and running. First, Rosenthal calls Andruw Jones the "early candidate for worst free agent signing" noting that Jones is now batting 7th. Rosenthal goes so far as to say that the Dodgers' best outfield right now includes Juan Pierre and does not include Jones...The Dodgers are truly lucky to have Andre Ethier and Matt Kemp on the cheap right now ($840K combined), because Jones ($14.1M) and Pierre ($8M) are a lot of dead contract weight for one outfield. And we can thank Rosenthal for keeping Brian Roberts in...

Odds and Ends: Deeds, Tejada

Some random tidbits for you; I may add to this post if I find a few more. RotoAuthority analyzes the hottest fantasy baseball pickups from this week. The Twins completed the Craig Monroe deal by sending 25 year-old outfielder Doug Deeds to the Cubs. He looks like a long shot to make the Majors. Monroe hasn't looked like much of a big leaguer lately, either. Richard Justice notes that the Cardinals targeted Miguel Tejada this winter but couldn't get it done. As if they needed any more steroid stigma. It's interesting to see the Tejada deal looking so good for...

Stark's Latest: Roberts, Crisp, Loretta

ESPN's Jayson Stark has a new Rumblings and Grumblings column up. Let's examine some of the hot stove material. There's nothing cooking with the Cubs and Brian Roberts. The O's still intend to trade Roberts this year, along with pretty much all of their other veterans. Their hot start is unlikely to halt the farm sale. The Red Sox don't want to eat any of the $11MM owed to Coco Crisp over the next two years, and for now there are no trades in the works. Roberts, Crisp, and Joe Crede were three trades we all expected to go down....

Phils Designate Lahey For Assignment

Earlier today, the Phillies activated closer Brad Lidge from the 15-day DL and, to make room for him on the roster, designated young right-handed reliever Tim Lahey for assignment as foreseen. He'll now be looking for his fifth job in as many months. The wandering Lahey has already been part of the Cubs, the Rays, and the Twins. He's still relatively new to pitching, having been converted by the Twins from catching. He posted a 3.45 ERA in 78 and a third innings at AA New Britain last year, and gave up three runs in three innings at AAA Rochester....

Cubs, Sox Still Like Crisp

Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe writes that the Cubs and White Sox "have shown the most consistent interest" in center fielder Coco Crisp. Nothing appears imminent, as the teams haven't found any kind of match on players. Cafardo says the Cubs have found the asking price prohibitive. A week ago, Peter Gammons suggested Sean Gallagher and/or Matt Murton could be in the mix. The Cubs are currently using Felix Pie and Reed Johnson in center; the White Sox used Alexei Ramirez on Opening Day. As the season progresses we could see the Sox try Nick Swisher, Brian Anderson, and...

Rosenthal's Latest: DeWitt, Murton, Vargas, Hatteberg, Pena, Baek, Piazza

Ken Rosenthal has his latest column up at FoxSports.com. As usual he is not shy about stirring up rumors. Let's take a look at what the rumor-guru has to say: Rosenthal notes that the Dodgers will go with Blake DeWitt at third base who has never played a game above AA. This comes after the Dodgers failed to acquire either the Astros' Mark Loretta, who was unavailable and the Royals' Esteban German, who was too expensive. The Royals were asking for the Dodgers' third best prospect, shortstop Chin-Lung Hu. He indicates that the Padres and the Rays are pursuing Matt...

Odds And Ends: Lahey, Gibbons, Freel

A couple minor notes this morning... The Phillies claimed reliever Tim Lahey off of waivers from the Cubs. Lahey was the top pick in the Rule 5 draft from the Twins' system. The Cubs had to expose Lahey to waivers prior to offering him back to the Twinkies. Rule 5 rules still apply with the Phillies, so Lahey must remain on their 25-man roster all season or be offered back to Minnesota. John Fay notes that after the Reds latest round of cuts the roster sits at 26 which could open the door for a trade. He doesn't offer any...

Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Matt Murton

Yesterday, Tim asked the question, "Who Wants Matt Murton?" As we await the answer to that question, only one thing is clear, the Cubs don't. Surprising for a player that is only 26 and PECOTA projects to have an .821 OPS, 19.8 VORP and 2.4 WARP in 2008 assuming he can find a team that will give him big league at bats. With only two years of service time, Murton is still a year from arbitration and four years from free agency, so he should be able to command a solid relief pitcher in return. Let's take a look at...

Who Wants Matt Murton?

26 year-old Cubs outfielder Matt Murton is very much available now that they've signed Reed Johnson. PECOTA gives Murton a .295/.359/.462 projection for '08; ZiPS says .289/.360/.465. Here are the league averages from 2007: AL left fielder: .275/.335/.426 NL left fielder: .278/.358/.478 AL right fielder: .288/.359/.465 NL right fielder: .275/.344/.442 These numbers are presented in the form of batting average/on-base percentage/slugging percentage. You can see that Murton is comfortably in the league average offensive range for a corner outfielder. He'll be arbitration-eligible for the first time after this season. Let's look at some trade possibilities. (As for what the Cubs...

Roberts-Cubs Deal Off The Table

I think we can finally put this one to rest, at least for a few months. Andy MacPhail told reporters that "a Brian Roberts deal with the Cubs is off the table," according to Paul Sullivan. You can argue the semantics - dead, impasse, off the table - but it doesn't look like anything's happening anytime soon. Sullivan doesn't see it reviving before July. Since the Orioles couldn't match up with the Cubs, it might make sense for MacPhail to start engaging other teams about Roberts.

Cubs Sign Reed Johnson

1:48pm: The Chicago Tribune says the deal is for $1.3MM. BP's Nate Silver weighs in on the move here. 12:35pm: Levine now reports that the Cubs have signed Johnson. For a team focused on winning now, it's not a bad move. Only drawback might be the Murton situation. Meanwhile, Evan Grant says the Rangers reduced their demands for Marlon Byrd but the Cubs still decided to pass. 11:41am: It's all Reed Johnson, all the time here at MLBTR. Bruce Levine of ESPN 1000 says the Cubs will make a contract offer to Johnson once he clears waivers about twenty minutes...

Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Reed Johnson

On Sunday the Jays released Reed Johnson, but he will not remain unemployed long as several teams need help in the outfield or on the bench. Ken Rosenthal notes that the Cubs, Red Sox, Rays and Rangers have shown interest in Johnson, while Jim Baubach added the Mets to the equation. That is a lot of interest in a player that has 42 home runs, 28 steals and a career OPS+ of 95 in 4.5 seasons. Then again, with one week prior to the regular season, there are not a lot of options available. It's not like a player that...

Odds and Ends: Giles, Crisp, A-Rod

Nothing huge cooking this morning, so here are some odds and ends. Doesn't look like the Dodgers will acquire Marcus Giles. Rany Jazayerli writes about how Kansas City is home to many of the country's best baseball journalists. On a related note, the Star's Sam Mellinger has a chat with Brian Bannister on his blog. Coco Crisp rattles off the trade rumors he's heard: Cubs, Sox, A's, Padres. No deal appears imminent, though Crisp was healthy enough to pinch-run this morning. John Harper snags an exclusive with Alex Rodriguez. A-Rod admitted he chose the Rangers over the Mets for money...

Cubs' Talks For Roberts Reach Impasse

According to Ken Rosenthal, the Cubs are unlikely to acquire second baseman Brian Roberts prior to the start of the season. Jim Hendry and Andy MacPhail apparently could not find a match for the players involved. The Cubs have also been scouting the Nationals; Felipe Lopez may be Plan B. Shortstop is the main position where the Cubs are questionable. It sounds like Hendry's priority may now be finding outfield help, with Reed Johnson atop his list. The Cubs don't want to enter the season without a backup plan for Felix Pie.

Who Wants Reed Johnson?

3:40pm: Ken Rosenthal says the Cubs are "showing the heaviest interest" in Johnson. Johnson does make sense for the Cubs, playing center when the team faces a lefty. It might hold Felix Pie back slightly, but it's a win-now move. Rosenthal says the Red Sox, Rays, and Rangers are the other teams in on Johnson. It's definitely surprising to see the Sox and Rangers in the mix as neither club is light on outfielders. 9:40am: If 31 year-old outfielder Reed Johnson clears release waivers, he's going to be a hot commodity. Already, the expected three teams have been named as...

Could Cubs Switch From Roberts To López?

Nationals infielder Felipe López has been adamant about being their starting second baseman, but word out of National's camp is that Ronnie Belliard is their guy at second. López has played some short this spring, but Cristian Guzman has that position locked up, which all but ensures López a backup role and a warm seat in the bench. López isn't too happy about that, but will he demand a trade? The Nats' front office says it won't be forced into making a deal. However, according to the Washington Post, the Nats are indeed actively shopping López. The Cubs had scouts...

Orioles Eyeing Cubs' Marshall?

The Baltimore Sun's Jeff Zrebiec says the Cubs offered the Orioles Ronny Cedeno, Sean Gallagher, Donald Veal, and possibly Jose Ceda for Brian Roberts earlier this spring. As you know, there are differing schools of thought on whether the Cubs took the initiative and made an offer. And Ceda's inclusion is questionable. Regardless, one player Baltimore may have in mind is pitcher Sean Marshall. The Cubs do not have room for the lefty in the rotation or the bullpen - always a situation conducive to trade rumors - and the Orioles had scouts in the stands yesterday, during Marshall's start...

Tigers Said To Be Targeting Wuertz; Cubs Disagree

The Detroit Tigers have some last-minute shopping left to do to shore up their bullpen. As you learned on Friday, Jon Paul Morosi noted the Tigers' interest in righty Mike Wuertz and the Cubs' fondness for Brandon Inge and Marcus Thames. Inge, it's worth noting, has seen time at catcher, third base, and all three outfield positions---and as of this spring, even shortstop. The Chicago Sun-Times, however, says Inge and Thames "make no sense for the Cubs" and that the Cubs have as of yet had no discussions with the Tigers about a deal for Wuertz involving those players. (For...

Tigers Interested In Wuertz

According to Jon Paul Morosi of the Detroit Free Press, the Tigers are targeting Cubs reliever Mike Wuertz. He notes that the Cubs like Marcus Thames and Brandon Inge. Thames' inability to play center and Inge's contract could be issues though, in my opinion. Wuertz, 29, is an underrated reliever with a nasty slider. Given the state of Detroit's bullpen, he could see save chances if acquired. This was his first year of arbitration eligibility, and he settled at $860K. Wuertz is pretty far down in the Cubs' bullpen pecking order, for some reason.

Three CF Options For Cubs

SI.com's Jon Heyman reiterates the Cubs' concern with Felix Pie, setting out the three main trade candidates for the team. Coco Crisp probably won't get dealt until he proves he's healthy. Even then, as I've said, $11MM over two years is a lot for a fourth outfielder. The Cubs may have competition from the Rays and A's for Crisp. Jay Payton would be a salary dump given the $5MM owed to him this year. The Cubs could take him while passing off the $16.25MM owed to Jason Marquis. The Cubs would love to move Marquis, though Jon Lieber's willingness to...

Stark's Latest: Roberts, Fuentes, Lofton

ESPN's Jayson Stark has a new blog post jam-packed with hot stove rumors. The Cubs are getting frustrated with the Brian Roberts situation, wondering if they'll ever complete this trade. The Orioles are scouting players but still haven't given the Cubs the names they crave. I got the exact same vibe from the source who told me Jose Ceda's inclusion was never proposed by the Cubs. The Tigers and Phillies are both hunting for bullpen help; Detroit's sights are set higher than Philadelphia's. Unwanted players such as Wes Helms and Brandon Inge aren't in demand. And while Marcus Thames is...

Nationals' Surpluses Could Lead To Trades

Nationals GM Jim Bowden signed veterans Dmitri Young and Ron Belliard to curious two-year extensions last year. He's now faced with a logjam at two infield positions. Ben Goessling of the Washington Times describes the first base battle between Young and Nick Johnson, who get along well. Johnson has more trade value, given his age. Neither player is a lock for 150 games though. Johnson is injury-prone, but his perennial .400 OBPs are appealing. He and Young are both signed through '09; Young has a vesting option for '10. The Yankees or Mets could be in the market for Johnson...

Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Rule 5 Draftees

Last year the Reds selected Josh Hamilton in the Rule 5 draft despite only 23 games above Single-A and only 15 games anywhere since 2002 (actually the Cubs picked Hamilton and traded him to the Reds the same day). Hamilton went on to hit .292-19-47 in 90 games. This year, 18 players were chosen in the Rule 5 draft (14 pitchers). These players must remain on the 25-man roster all season or be offered back to their original club for $25K. By my count, three players (Sergio Valenzuela, Lincoln Holdzkom, Jose Capellan) have already been offered back to their original...

Odds and Ends: Dan Johnson, Baldelli, Soria

Let's round up some linkage. Last Thursday I appeared on WVOX 1460 out of New York with Russell Mafes. You can download the file here (it's about 12 mb and 16 minutes long). Jim Hendry is very candid about the Cubs' desire to add a right-handed hitting outfielder who can handle center. Mike Sweeney's success and good health could mean Dan Johnson is on his way out of Oakland. Jim Salisbury says the Phillies might have taken Rocco Baldelli 15th in the 2000 draft instead of Chase Utley, if they'd had the chance. Would the Mets or Dodgers have taken...

Should The O's Hang On To Roberts?

Following the Miguel Tejada and Erik Bedard trades, most assumed that the next Baltimore player to go would be Brian Roberts. There were conflicting reports yesterday regarding whether or not the Cubs offered 21-year old reliever Jose Ceda, but today it appears that nothing is imminent. Peter Schmuck of the Baltimore Sun sees no activity either, and offers his opinion that the Orioles may be better off beginning the season with Roberts in the lineup: The chances of the Orioles obtaining full value for him in trade might actually increase if he gets off to a good start, and the...

Cubs Did Not Offer Ceda

FRIDAY, 7:42pm: I have it on good authority that Ceda has not, in fact, been added to any kind of offer to Baltimore. With minor league games having begun today, the O's are still doing their due diligence. Dave van Dyck's sources agree that no deal is imminent. FRIDAY, 7:13am: We've actually got some movement this morning on the Brian Roberts front. According to Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times, the Cubs have added hard-throwing 21 year-old reliever Jose Ceda to their offer. They'd also send Sean Gallagher, Ronny Cedeno, and Donald Veal to Baltimore. The Cubs had been holding...

Cubs Still Talking To Rangers About Byrd

MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan writes today that the Cubs' talks for Marlon Byrd still have some life. Not much has changed - the Cubs would give up Matt Murton, but the Rangers wan