Cubs Outfield Situation: Crisp, Johnson, Byrd

Quite a bit of info is floating about this evening regarding the Cubs' quest to add an outfielder. Let's put it all together. SI.com's Jon Heyman names Coco Crisp, Jay Payton, Marlon Byrd, and Brandon Inge as possible targets. Inge makes the least sense given his salary and the Tigers' need for him while Curtis Granderson is out. ESPN's Jayson Stark confirms Ken Rosenthal's assertion that the Cubs are leading the pack for Reed Johnson. Stark speculates that such an acquisition could prompt the Cubs to trade Matt Murton. ESPN's Peter Gammons says Red Sox scout Allard Baird is currently...

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...

No Recent Brian Roberts Talks

SI.com's Jon Heyman wrote on Monday that the Cubs and Orioles had resumed talks for Brian Roberts. However, Cubs GM Jim Hendry came out on Wednesday and said he hadn't had any trade talks for five or six days. Tonight, the Baltimore Sun's Jeff Zrebiec chimes in, confirming Hendry's statement of inactivity. Zrebiec was able to confirm from two sources that the Cubs offered Ronny Cedeno, Sean Gallagher, Donald Veal, and another unknown player for Roberts. The teams can't agree on the fourth player, and the O's may want a fifth too. The Orioles are said to like top Cubs'...

Cubs-Orioles Roberts Talks Getting Serious

According to Jon Heyman of SI.com, the Cubs and Orioles are talking Brian Roberts trade again. A source of Heyman's "indicated discussions were starting to get serious." Heyman says one scenario has the O's sending Jay Payton along with Roberts to Chicago. Although he'd fill the Cubs' desire for a right-handed hitting fourth outfielder who can handle center, Payton has to have negative trade value with a $5MM salary for '08 and a .668 OPS last year. The Cubs could send Jason Marquis back, but his two years and $19.25MM might be overcompensating for Payton's bad contract. Heyman names the...

Theo Epstein WEEI Interview: Crisp, Santana

WEEI recently posted an interesting interview with Red Sox GM Theo Epstein. Epstein was frank with his answers and didn't duck questions. A few points of interest: Epstein observed a "horrible free agent market, bereft of talent." The one surplus he noted was center field, which he feels resulted in the lack of a trade market for Coco Crisp (the best defensive center fielder in the game last year, according to Epstein). Epstein said he learned his lesson with Jay Payton and does not want to be forced to trade Crisp as he was Payton. He won't deal Crisp from...