2:23pm: The deal remains probable but timing issues remain, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (via Twitter). The Cubs are likely to pay most of Byrd's remaining $6.5MM salary and Red Sox pitcher Michael Bowden is in play.
2:19pm: The structure of Byrd's deal could help the Red Sox' payroll for luxury tax purposes, writes Alex Speier of WEEI.com. If the Cubs sent $5.5MM to Boston to offset the outfielder's salary, then it would actually decrease the Red Sox' payroll number that sum would be subtracted from Byrd's $5MM average annual salary.
The veteran is set to earn $6.5MM in the final year of a three-year, $15MM deal.
1:34pm: Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine acknowledged to reporters that the club's talks with the Cubs are advanced, writes Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald. “The talks have been good talks, from what I gather,” Valentine said. “Ben [Cherington] will try to get as good a player as he can get.”
12:17pm: The Cubs have been actively attempting to trade Byrd according to WEEI.com's Rob Bradford. A trade with the Red Sox is not final, but Bradford hears that it is "probable." Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports (on Twitter) that Boston has looked at other outfield options as well.
10:59am: The Red Sox are close to acquiring Marlon Byrd from the Cubs, reports Nick Cafardo of The Boston Globe. Boston has been actively exploring the outfield market following Jacoby Ellsbury's shoulder injury.
Byrd, 34, has just three singles and one walk in 47 plate appearances this season, resulting in a .070/.149/.070 batting line. He hit .276/.324/.395 in 482 plate appearances last season while missing time with multiple fractures after taking a pitch to the face, an injury that occurred in Fenway Park. Byrd is in the final season of his three-year, $15MM contract and will earn $6.5MM this year. He is not in Chicago's lineup this afternoon.
Ellsbury's subluxed his right shoulder last week and there is still not timetable for his return. Carl Crawford is also on the shelf with wrist and elbow problems, leaving the Red Sox with an outfield of Jason Repko, Ryan Sweeney, Cody Ross, and Darnell McDonald. Byrd has played center field exclusively during his time with the Cubs, though he has experience in all three outfield spots.
If completed, this will be the first real trade between the two teams since Theo Epstein left the Red Sox to take over as Chicago's president of baseball operations. The two sides did work out the compensation package for Epstein, however.
Collusion!
he is not the answer….maybe we can throw Starlin Castro in that deal
^ Probably the funniest joke Ive heard in a long time. Thanks for helping my weekend start off on a laugh.
That awkward moment when Marlon Byrd and Alfredo Aceves meet in the dugout…
Almost forgot about that game last season.
Can’t say I’m a big fan of the move, but as long as nothing valuable goes back the other way I’m ok. I’d rather see Lin though.
Free Lin!
You are the man Davern and you post that enough?? Somebody will eventually take notice 🙂
My guess is Bowden is involved. There has to be a reason he has gone through waivers yet, and my guess is they are trying to work out a trade, so I think this would probably be it.
That’s a good observation, you might be right.
Hearing it might be a left handed reliever +1. Miller and Bowden maybe, with the Cubs picking up the majority of Byrd’s contract. With Hill almost back I don’t see a need (or a roster spot) for Miller, and they would likely lose Bowden for nothing anyway (DFA’d).
Miller + Bowden even would work. It would give Miller a job to boot, Hill will be back soon. Just hope it also means Thomas isn’t on the roster an extra day too long and the Cubs still pay most of his (Byrd’s) contract.
I’m guessing Thomas only has a job until Hill comes back. And if they are getting two guys who can pitch for their ML team, right now, I would have to think that they would be picking up a big chunk of the salary.
You gotta be kidding me
This is out and out desperation.. Refuse to play Sweeney full time and won’t give Lin a chance, but stick with useless mcDonald and repco and now go out and look for old geezer Byrd? What major mistake is next?
IF they had to get someone, why not someone who could actually be of use like crisp, rather than this washed up guy?
I just hope if they do get him that Epstein pays 85% plus of his 6.5m and they send him nothing, cause that’s what he is worth.
No, that’s not what he’s worth, but thanks for trying.
Ryan Sweeney career v. LHP: .229/.301/.284 .586 OPS
Darnell McDonald career v. LHP: .277/.340/.437 .777 OPS
That’s almost a 200 point difference in OPS.
Career stats are far more relevant than 15 games in 2012.
Sweeney should almost never see PAs vs. LHP and rightfully belongs on the bench against them.
Darnell McDonald flat out doesn’t belong on a MLB team period is the difference, along with Jason Repco.
What you handily left out is that Sweeney can play very good defense and mcDonald is pathetic.
MacDime*
in an ideal situation with ellsbury/crawford healthy, you’re right: repko and mcdonald should be cut.
however, when your available options are ross, sweeney, mcdonald, repko, and lin, the best outfield you can put together with that bunch is Ross in LF, Lin in CF, and a Sweeney/McDonald platoon in RF with repko dfa.
Matt Garza, your up next!
Oh Yea!!!! (kool-aid man style)
More bad decision making by Ownership…..All they care about is money..and the best part is they know that people will keep going so they don’t have to make big moves…they made Fenway into an attraction to make money…I feel bad for Ben that he can’t spend
Im pretty sure they arent going to give a first time GM full signing ability when it comes to the checkbook.
no, I just can’t believe Lucchino, Warner, and Henry stood there yesterday at the anniversary like everything was OK
They stand there like Tom Ricketts does and see’s all the suckers fill the seats no matter what kind of garbage they send out on to the field. All they see is $$$$$$
did you expect them to not attend the anniversary because the team is playing terribly?
small sample size
“All they care about is money” That’s why they are trading for an overpaid backup outfielder? Makes perfect sense.
no, they care about making money and they know they don’t have to make big moves because they know the seats will be filled everyday…
They know they don’t need to make big moves because Crawford will be back in a couple weeks, and Ellsbury will be back in a few weeks after that. They know they don’t want to make big moves at this point because it would take some serious talent to make them happen (their best prospects, the ones they are counting on later this year and next year to contribute here). They know they can’t make big moves right now because those guys aren’t available right now. They know they shouldn’t make big moves right now because you never know what those prospects might get you at the deadline, when more players become available. They also know they shouldn’t make big moves right now because once players start coming back they wont have any place to play all of them, so the trade would have been a waste.
And lastly, they know they shouldn’t make big moves cause you don’t want to be tied up money-wise for next offseason, when they will have a better chance to actually sign some players.
even if they had the Astros roster they still will have the seats filled…that’s what I mean
That’s fine, but that doesn’t say anything about the Red Sox ownership, that just speaks to the loyalty (or obliviousness) of the fans. The Ownership hasn’t acted like (or taken advantage of the fact that) the fans would show up no matter what.
Don’t count on Ellsbury being back so soon. His long term value supersedes his value in 2012.
6-8 weeks was the prognosis and if he’s deemed ready by then there’s no reason he wont be back. If he’s ready it wont hurt his long term value.
Ellsbury and Boras will be the ones making the decision for his return; not that Sox. You can absolutely guarnatee that which is why I suspect his return to be longer than the projected 6-8 weeks.
First of all, the Red Sox and Ellsbury will decide when he comes back, and as far as Ellsbury and Boras are concerned the sooner he comes back the better. He needs to show that he isn’t fragile, and last year wasn’t a fluke, so they want him out there playing, not sitting on the DL. I’m sure Boras sees the dollar signs flying out the window every day Ellsbury sits on the bench not playing.
they don’t need offense, they need starting pitching…Sweeney has been playing well, Ross is good in the outfield….what about Garza or Dempster
I’ve got a feeling the Cubs will be holding on to Garza.
no crap, the red sox dont need bats they need pitching that’s all im sayin
What they really need is for the players currently on the team to actually play the way they are capable of playing.
Most relevant post here and to the point.
That and some correct roster moves of players the team already possesses and they could.would be much better and you have to wonder who (Lucchino/Valentine/Cherrington??) is responsible for keeping people like Thomas and Repco on the roster at all while Bowden and Lin are not.
Yeah, I still don’t get Thomas being on the roster at all. While I didn’t like the choice of Repko over Lin, it was at least defensible. I also think Valentine’s in-game management has been absolutely terrible so far.
But what it all boils down to is guys underperforming. Youkilis is way better than he’s played so far, Pedroia is better than he’s played so far, Gonzalez is better than he’s palyed so far, Lester Beckett and Buchholz are all way better than they’ve play so far. The only players who have played as well as they are capable of playing (or better in a couple of cases) are the role players/back ups, and Ortiz.
ya, I know lol
They’re not going to compete until after Garza hits free agency.
If someone offers them a nice package, hands down they should trade him.
unless they resign him
Byrd hasn’t been the same ever sense he got hit on the head last season.
i agree 100%
I guess any hard feelings for the Theo trade has been squashed already.
Troll Theo at it again…first he gets us to take an injured pitcher for him…now this….Ben needs to learn to just say no.
we should give him Melancon and sign JD Drew to a big contract and trade Drew with him for payback
Thanks Disqus
What the eff
Byrdman!!!
Not the Chicago team I expected them to be trading with.
Jeez Theo, talk about selling low
He’s 3/43 and has 10 hitless games already. And April has historically been his best month. If this happens, I’m gonna be pretty angry.
Sorry to say but I think Ben is no match for Theo. What, or whoever we send to the cubs for Byrd is a bad move. Byrd is hitting less than Repko or MacDonald, and Theo already took Ben to the cleaners once, why would Ben go back for more abuse.UNLESS, we send Lackey for Byrd plus 5 mil!!
Can he pitch?
If he could, he’d already be pitching for the Cubs
imagine how bad byrd will be in the AL east
Ughh that makes no sense. Byrd isn’t a starting pitcher. Virtually every hitter that plays in the AL East improves their numbers.
The real compensation for Epstein.
HAHA. If that is the case and they just give up the DFA’d Bowden, plus the Cubbies even pay most of his salary? Boston still loses. LOL
I’m fine with the trade. Byrd is so overrated it’s scary, but it will be nice to see someone not named Repko/McDonald starting…
PS – Man will it be awkward with Aceves..
i like McDonald, he proved he can be a good player…Repko no
If McDonald was released tomorrow, I would celebrate. Preferably by throwing a ball in the air and then dropping it. It only seems right.
yeah….there are way better options in the minor league system
Than McDonald? Yeah, there probably are.
If Marlon Byrd is traded to the Red Sox does Brett Jackson get called up?
Tony Campana was recalled from Iowa.
What’s next alfonso soriano
Getting ugly already, they should have signed Byrd 2 years ago instead of Cameron, but it’s not enough of an upgrade over anyone they already have to give up anyone.
WOW how the MIGHTY HAVE FALLEN boy look at the Red Sox now Byrd how laughable is that what the The Bloody Sox OOOOOOOO sorry the Red Sox are not even capable of obtaining a player who even has a sliver of talent left ROTFL.
I guess they should have not traded all there better prospects away again ROTFL.
Ridiculous. The Red Sox have the talent to trade for a top outfielder, but they don’t have the need, and there wouldn’t be any available at this point in the season anyway.
Not that I expect you to understand or accept anything I say…
ROTFL, agree with you though, where will he play when CC & Ells gets back? Bench or RF & have Ross on bench?
There’s going to be a roster crunch in the OF come mid-season, that’s for sure. Ellsbury in CF, and Crawford in LF are locks; that leaves Ross, Sweeney, Byrd (assuming the deal goes through), McDonald, and Kalish in AAA possibly/probably knocking at the door. My guess is that the best OF would be Crawford, Ellsbury, Ross (or Kalish if he is healthy and playing well), the question becomes what do you do with the rest of them?
Guys, haven’t you heard, the word?
Byrd Byrd Byrd, Byrd is the word
Byrd is the word to be heard?
Don’t be absurd.
Word.
Who would be the centerfielder for the Cubs once Byrd leaves?!?!
” If the Cubs sent $5.5MM to Boston to offset the outfielder’s salary,
then it would actually decrease the Red Sox’ payroll number that sum
would be subtracted from Byrd’s $5MM average annual salary.”
Now this is starting to make sense.
Poor Marlon. Out of the frying pan, into the fire.
The deal is Byrd for Bowden and a PTBNL w/the Cubs eating most of Byrd’s salary.