Jeff Samardzija Rumors

Cubs Not Looking To Retain Rich Harden?

The Chicago Tribune's Paul Sullivan writes that the Cubs have no plans to bring back Rich Harden, as alluded to by manager Lou Piniella. Prior to losing the final road game of the season to the San Francisco, Piniella ran down the 2010 rotation. "You look at our starting pitching here for next year," Piniella said. "You've got (Carlos) Zambrano, you've got (Ryan) Dempster, you've got (Randy) Wells, you've got (Ted) Lilly, you've got (Tom) Gorzelanny, and you've got (Jeff) Samardzija...And if this kid keeps improving, he'll be right in the mix. So we've got six nice arms." Gordon Wittenmyer...   Continue Reading

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Cubs Release Gaudin, Option Samardzija To AAA

Gordon Wittenmyer is reporting, via Twitter, that the Cubs have released Chad Gaudin and optioned Jeff Samardzija to AAA, giving the final two spots in their bullpen to Angel Guzman and Rule 5 pickup David Patton. Gaudin, 26, came to the Cubs in the Rich Harden trade in 2008, but the league change was not kind to him. He posted a 6.26 ERA through 27.1 innings, though he did manage to fan 27 hitters as well. This Spring has been a disaster for Gaudin; he's allowed 19 ER through just 16.2 innings, while posting a 12:10 K:BB ratio and surrendering...   Continue Reading

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Odds And Ends: Heilman, Pedro, Twins

A few more links for Wednesday... Ryan Howard said a long-term deal with the Phillies would be "beautiful," for what it's worth. The New York Times' Ben Shpigel comments on the Aaron Heilman deal and its effect on new teammate Jeff Samardzija. Marty Noble of MLB.com learned that Mets GM Omar Minaya met with Pedro Martinez in the Dominican Republic today, but did not make an offer (and re-signing him remains a long shot). Yahoo's Tim Brown has the roundup on the Twins' hot stove happenings. Matthew Cerrone of MetsBlog.com takes on the Manny Ramirez-to-Mets conspiracy theorists.   Continue Reading

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Jake Peavy Rumors: Monday

Summing up this weekend's Jake Peavy information... David O'Brien noted that the friendship between Padres GM Kevin Towers and Peavy's agent Barry Axelrod has raised some eyebrows. O'Brien also learned that Peavy's concern over Yunel Escobar being in the deal was overblown - it's more a general concern that the pitcher joins a strong team. On Saturday, Ken Rosenthal had the Braves and Cubs as frontrunners with the Yankees and Dodgers on the backburner. He said the Padres discussed keeping Peavy if offers do not suffice. The Braves were said to be growing impatient. Astros owner Drayton McLane indicated the...   Continue Reading

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Jake Peavy Rumors: Friday

1:47pm: This Scott Miller column is from yesterday, but it has some good info. Miller's source believes the Braves are the frontrunners for Peavy and are willing to include Gorkys Hernandez. Additionally, the source said the Cubs are very aggressive and the Dodgers are making a strong pitch. 12:53pm: Bruce Miles of the Daily Herald says Samardzija is not on the table and has a full, not partial, no-trade. Additionally, the Cubs have not thrown Fontenot into the mix. Miles gives a 50-50 chance of the Cubs getting Peavy. 9:39am: GM Kevin Towers expects to trade Jake Peavy before the...   Continue Reading

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Jake Peavy Rumors: Thursday

4:05pm: Ken Rosenthal has some of the names being offered by the Braves for Peavy. According to Rosenthal, the Braves are offering Yunel Escobar, either Jo-Jo Reyes or Charlie Morton and an unnamed player believed to be a top prospect. Rosenthal does not have any details on the Cubs' package but notes that it is likely to be "fluid". 4:00pm: Chris De Luca has updated his earlier piece and now says Dempster is seeking five years, $70MM. 3:03pm: Peter Abraham says that Kevin Towers has told Peavy that he will be traded and that negotiations have been narrowed to three...   Continue Reading

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