Lance Lynn’s recent Tommy John surgery has the Cardinals hunting for starting pitching. While Lynn’s injury is unfortunate, the Cardinals’ need for pitching couldn’t be better timed, given the strong market for starters, as Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch points out. This winter’s market has everything: superstars like David Price and Zack Greinke, interesting high-upside pitchers like Jeff Samardzija and Kenta Maeda, reliable mid-rotation types like Mike Leake and Wei-Yin Chen, and potential post-Christmas signees like Yovani Gallardo and Doug Fister. Here’s more from the Central divisions.
- The Cubs are interested in bringing back Samardzija, but the key to negotiations will be how much they value him compared to their other needs, Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune writes. They need a top starter more than they need Samardzija, says Sullivan, and at some point, they’ll also need to have money left over to extend Jake Arrieta.
- The Indians have a bit of depth that could help them withstand the departure of one of their young pitchers, and they could also look outside the organization for reinforcements if they make a trade. But they aren’t looking to deal Corey Kluber, Carlos Carrasco, Danny Salazar or Trevor Bauer unless they get obvious impact talent in return, MLB.com’s Jordan Bastian writes.
- The Indians have been in touch with free agent Shane Victorino, and whether they sign him or not, Victorino is the type of outfielder the team seems likely to acquire, writes Paul Hoynes of Cleveland.com. The Indians could probably sign Victorino to a one-year deal — a reasonable proposition for them, since they need outfield help in 2016 but have a number of potentially helpful outfielders in the minors (including Tyler Naquin and James Ramsey in the short term and Clint Frazier and Bradley Zimmer in the longer term) who could help in future seasons.
The Cubs don’t “need” a top starter any more than every other team in baseball. They had one of the best rotations in 2015. The idea that they have to add a true #1 starter is goofy.
I think a combo of lackey and zimmermann would help the cubs out or lackey plus trading some prospects for somebody
I think they are going to go this route instead of spending big on Price or Grienke. If they miss on Lackey and don’t sign Zimmy there will be a big trade coming.
I agree with you completely. They currently only have one open slot in their rotation, and that would be between the front end(Arrieta, Lester) and back end(Hammel, Hendricks). So do they need a top starter? No. Do they even need two starters? No. Granted they could always bump one of the back end guys to the pen if need be, but they both pitched well last season. So moving them from the rotation for a higher priced option would seem unnecessary. Hammel is set to become a free agent next offseason, and Arrieta needs to be paid as well. So maybe they’re afraid of losing both and not having any available options in free agency next year? A maybe, but an unlikely maybe. Arrieta will get paid by the Cubs unless he falls apart this year.
I personally think one good starter, whether via free agency or trade, is all they need. I doubt they go after one of the top three guys (Greinke, Price, Cueto) due to their cost, so I’m thinking they’ll pursue somebody from that next tier down (Zimmermann, Samardzija, Leake, Gallardo). My bet is on Zim unless his asking price becomes unreasonable. The Cubs will get a good starter no matter what. I guess we shall soon find out.
Yeah but I’ll bet anything they end up trading a SP (like Hendricks) for a CF before this off-season is over.
Based on….what, exactly? They have a large surplus of hitting talent in their farm system that they can trade for a cf. Unless of course your statement is just based on you reading that the marlins want a sp for ozuna.
yeah i kinda scrunched up my face when i read that part. if you can have arrieta and lester and still “need a top starter” then i guess everyone always needs a top starter
There isn’t one team in the league that wouldn’t be better with Greinke or Price in the rotation. However, at some point you reach the point of diminishing returns when you’re paying exorbitant sums of money to win games by three runs instead of two runs, and would be much better off with some solid mid-rotation types and improving other areas of your ball club.
The Indians shouldn’t be trading from their major league pitching and replacing with minor leaguers … they’re close enough to competing to trade minor leaguers for major league help. Not sure why everyone is focusing on the Indians Big Four SP’s rather than Zimmer, Frazier, and Naquin and all their other prospects.
I think the cubs could make the right package of prospects to trade for one of those pitchers.
Don’t think so actually. Indians need outfielders and so do the Cubs. Indians won’t be interested in guys years from the big leagues, and the Cubs’ system has been significantly thinned by graduations.
the cubs dont need of’s. they need a cf.
I don’t think the Cubs will be extending Arrieta. Too much money to invest in a pitcher who is almost 30. I just don’t see it.
maybe like a 4 – 5 years 110-130 mill could but he’s a boras client. so it’s going to be tough
I don’t think they should extend Arrieta at all. Too much money to risk at Arrieta’s age.
true and maybe last year was just a one hit wonder, have to see if he can have the same magic.
His 2014 season was really good as well…
Unfortunately his agent is that No good waste of space Scott boras. He’ll do everything in his power to pry Arrieta and Bryant from Chicago. I don’t see Bryant ever leaving he’s a lifer type of player.
Samardzija would be a very good fit for the Pirates. Unfortunately, the have the cheapest owner in baseball who has zero interest in spending money to improve the team despite the fact they are World Series contenders.
they have taillon glasnow and kingham coming up in the system but I think they could sign doug fister or mat latos
Kingham had TJ last May, so doubtful he sees the Majors this year. Taillon has pitched in something like 8 games the last two years due to injuries, and Glasnow is nowhere near ready due to his bad control. Plus, they need pitching help now not after Super Two passes in June (cheapness shines through yet again). Might be buried by then with this current rotation and bullpen.
I never did understand how they are a “small market” team.
Same with St. Louis.
Given the area and how well attended they are, they should at least be middle of the pack.
Doesn’t a reunion with Sizemore make more sense for the Indians than Victorino?
i saw an interview where victorino said he finally feels healthy for the first time since 2013 and is getting in shape instead of rehabbing, going back to switch-hitting (as the post notes), etc this winter hoping to go back to a full-time job.
of course they always say that. but if you’re going to sign a washed-up veteran, they tend to have up & down cycles based on health & it’s good to try and catch them on an upswing. he’s still probably a decent player as long as his body is in one piece. always a fair chance he’ll injure something else but you could get a decent run out of him for a few months, and he’s cheap. so it makes sense for cle
I think they (Cubs) need to stay with the girl that they bought to the prom – keep the youth together are pitching a year away at most -Edwards-P.Johnson -Stennett-Williams-Jen hoTseng-
edwards is basically bullpen only. pierce johnson is almost ready but all the other names are multiple years away with williams and tseng having back end starter ceilings anyway.
Cubs have enough money to sign Lackey, Samardzija, even Gordan, and still be able to extend Arrieta if/when the time comes. The Cubs rough payroll of $120MM could totally be higher, especially considering Edwin Jackson’s $11MM dead weight will be up after 2016. Also Lackey’s likely contract of three years would be up when Arrieta’s arbitration years are up and the hefty extension begins.
Yes they do have enough money but at some point they are going to want to extend some of these kids that carried them so far last season. They will settle on a couple true #3 starters this offseason.
“Extending Arrieta” means adding $20m to the annual payroll. He made $5m last year, and no way at his age he’s signing an extension that isn’t in Scherzer/Greinke territory.
Yes, Arrieta’s extension will be hefty but not during the arbitration years of the extension (2016-2018). It is MLBPA desires to have a contract that appropriately adjusts for arbitration – this is in order to raise arbitration and use it as a reference point for future use.
I think the Cubs should just trade for Tyson Ross
No way! Padres will want to much and he won’t be worth it.
The Cubs would have to give up Baez to get Ross so just give up Baez and vogelbach for carasco who has less chance for injury and is just better.
Baez by himself isn’t going to get Ross and “adding” Vogelbach doesn’t measurably increase the value of the trade package.
Also this. Many orgs have a guy like Vogelbach sitting around. No position power hitter who’s probably stuck at 1B or DH if he makes the show. Very little trade value. There are 2 or 3 guys of this ilk and quality in the Rule 5 draft this year.
I think he has decent value, just not enough to headline a deal. The man can hit, and hitters are always in demand.
this is not true. vbach is probably a top 150 prospect in all of baseball. walk rate translates well and he walks a ton. he got hurt last year or would be knocking on the door.
Take whatever you’d trade for Stephen Vogt, reduce the offer by about 50% and you’ve got Vogelbach’s trade value.
Cubs fans need to get over how much they think Baez is worth. What he has going for him is he’s cheap, and can hit some home runs as a middle infielder. So some teams will want to take a flyer. Beyond that, he’s kind of a bust and there’s no way on this Earth he brings an in-his-prime starter like Ross back.
80 games in the show. this whole calling him a bust is premature. but thats common in a lot of guys i hear.
I would rather trade for one of the indians pitchers, under control for more years with ross only under control for 2 years I believe.
Good. Then the Chicago Cubs should give up on their stranglehold on their infielders and get someone who can actually solve their pitching woes… if the Cubs do not elect to solve their problems via free agency.
Their pitching woes, huh? There’s a very short list of teams with better pitching than the Cubs.
Baez isn’t going anywhere. That’s like the cubs trading Schwarber it’s flat out dumb to consider it. Trade Castro for sonny Gray. Billy beane traded Donaldson for next to nothing so I’m sure he’ll pull the trigger on Gray for Castro.
The Cubs should trade for a young starter, sign a #2/3 pitcher like Lackey or Samardzija, and fill the hole in CF with someone like Denard Span.
However, if I’m giving up a draft pick for Lackey or Samardzija, I’d want to get another QO’d free agent too.
They have 2 “first round” draft picks; their normal one, plus one for losing fowler. I’d be shocked if they sign 2 players that have QOs, and to be honest, I would really try to avoid signing one at all if possible. Explore the trade market.
Very true, they do have two first-round draft picks, but if you are going to spend one then you should really consider spend another as you would only give up your 2nd draft pick.
I think Zimmerman, Leake, or Fister would be good fits in St. Louis.
In what way other than “they’re good pitchers”?
I don’t know his thinking, but my guess would be that with Wainwright coming back and a decent rotation to begin with, a second tier starter would be good even with Lynn out for the year. Would a guy like Price or Greinke be preferred? Probably but with a decent rotation to begin with, he might be thinking from the standpoint that they are 3/4 guys in a rotation which wouldn’t be a huge dropoff from Lynn.
If the Cardinals are going to pick up a FA starter, they seem like they’d be in the right price range, and the kinds of pitchers that always seem to find their way to StL.
My guess is the Cubs sign one free agent SP and either trade for one or sign an International FA SP like Maeda or Sierra who can help this year. They’ve stated they want SP depth throughout the system so the International route sounds likely regardless of what they add at the big league level. I could definitely see Soler to the Indians and signing someone like Gordon for RF
The Cubs absolutely need 2 starters. I would pass on Lackey, too old.
I suspect they’ll buy one and trade for another. If you only pick up one, and one guy goes down, you’re back to where you started. Shark, Zimmerman, Cueto, Leake, and maybe trade for Carrasco, Quintana, Ross, etc. I don’t think they’re going to drop the coin on Price or Greinke.
I think all the cub fans are drinking too much Arietta koolaid one good year does not make him a superstar
How about one very good year, followed by one historic year?
10 and 5 with <160 innings in my book is good and agreed his 2015 year was historically excellent but I still think….
no quoting win loss in relation to quality of pitching please. his peripherals were excellent, so hardly a case of luck. sure now that he has thrown his highest innings total of his career his velocity should be watched. but i think he will put up a similar fip next year.
But you still think….its 1990.
If the Cardinals miss out on Price and lose Lackey I’d like to see them go after Zimmerman for the rotation or bundle Matt Adams and Peter Bourjos for a trade somewhere
Cubs fans don’t want Jeff samardzija back. He had an awful seaaon I don’t expect him getting more then 3 or 4 years. And maybe 60 mil. Give him a 2 year with an opt out and 2 year options of he does great the deal becomes a 4 year deal. Up to 85 mil. Cubs need to focus on Cueto and Zimmerman. Maybe both.
Cleveland ought to deal a pitcher for Javier Baez and plug him in at 3rd.
The Cubs should not sign Jeff for four years. I’d rather the Cubs sign Lackey on a two year deal.
Jeff is an innings eater, no doubt. But he hasn’t been a solid pitcher over his 8 years, pitching to a 7.1 WAR over that period.
there are much better starters coming off much better 2015 seasons and, at the same time, have had better careers.
Big pass on Jeff.
Reality is, the Cardinals don’t even have a chance to sign Price. The Red Sox are willing to pay 30-40mm and he actually wants to pitch in Chicago. I hope the Cards forget about Price and move to Grinke.