This is a hell of a trade rumor, and it’d be wrong not to pass it along. According to the blog Bleed Cubbie Blue:
"The Cubs are reportedly "in discussions" with the Yankees for a deal in which the principals would be Aramis Ramirez…and Alex Rodriguez…This deal, if it happens, might also include Jacque Jones, and other lesser players including prospects on both sides.
This same source told me that the White Sox are "close" to acquiring Andruw Jones from the Braves; the price would be Brian Anderson and young pitching. That deal would also make sense for both sides.
If the A-Rod to the Cubs deal happens, also expect Todd Walker to be moved (maybe to the Tigers), and at that point A-Rod moves back to SS, Ronny Cedeno to 2B, and the Cubs get a placeholder 3B until they can either sign one or trade for one in the offseason."
Just to reiterate, all of the above comes courtesy of Bleed Cubbie Blue. My own personal feeling is that the rumor did indeed originate from a legitimate source. Now let’s take a closer look.
As you may know, A-Rod’s contract deserves a webpage unto itself. As far as I can tell, the Yankees, or any other team, would owe him $16MM annually through 2010. Based on projections, that’s pretty close to fair value.
Aramis Ramirez was given the unfortunate ability to opt out of his current deal and become a free agent after this season. Even if 2006 is an off-year, I think he could top the three years, $33.5MM he’s owed in the deal. 1060west sums it up: Ramirez will probably test the market given the weak class at the position.
As for the other rumor – Jones would certainly be a sweet pickup for the White Sox. Brian Anderson has been terrible this year, but he was the organization’s best prospect entering the 2005 season according to Baseball America. The Sox have some decent if not spectacular pitching prospects, so this one isn’t out of the realm of possibility. Plus, there’s always Brandon McCarthy.
It will be interesting to see if this one picks up enough steam to catch the eye of the Chicago print media. They will undoubtedly dismiss it as an Internet rumor and not credit BCB as the source.
