With the Cubs contending and enjoying skyrocketing revenues, Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times wonders why these added resources haven’t translated to extra payroll for the baseball operations department. It’s possible payroll won’t truly rise to the level of other big-market teams until the Cubs renegotiate their next TV contract, which is due to expire in four years. With revenues booming, Wittenmyer reports that president of business operations Crane Kenney has signed a contract extension that will keep him with the organization through at least the 2020 season. Here’s some more from around the NL Central…
- Starlin Castro was told after the season that he wouldn’t be traded, Wittenmyer reports, as the Cubs believe him to be a major building block for their 2016 roster. Castro’s name has swirled in trade rumors for the last two years, most recently in discussions with the Yankees for Brett Gardner just a few weeks ago. If the Cubs indeed do plan to keep Castro (barring an unexpectedly great offer, of course), that would seem to make Jorge Soler the team’s top trade chip among position players.
- Miguel Montero could also be a trade candidate, as Wittenmyer hears from a source that the team is now considering the possibility of moving the catcher to free payroll space. Moving the $28MM remaining on Montero’s deal through 2017 could save enough money for the team to make a big-ticket splurge on the likes of a Jason Heyward. The issue with dealing Montero is that it leaves the Cubs very thin at catcher, as the slugging Kyle Schwarber is still very much a work in progress behind the plate.
- While the Pirates have been interested in Scott Kazmir in the past, Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (Twitter link) believes the rising costs of free agent pitching will put the lefty out of the Bucs’ price range.
- In another tweet from Biertempfel, he hears that the Mets and Orioles “still have at least lukewarm interest” in Neil Walker. Pittsburgh and Baltimore have discussed Walker “off and on” during the winter, while New York is a new player in connection with Walker’s services. The Mets are likely to have a hole at second base with Daniel Murphy’s departure, though Walker’s MLBTR-projected $10.7MM salary in arbitration may be as much of an issue for the budget-conscious Mets as it is for the Pirates.
- The Rangers have shown interest in Brewers catcher Jonathan Lucroy, Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports. The Brewers are receiving “plenty of action” on Lucroy from several teams but it would take a huge offer to entice Milwaukee to part with the former All-Star.
- From that same piece, Haudricourt opines that it would make sense for the Brewers to trade Jean Segura sooner rather than later. Dealing Segura would open the door for prospect Oswaldo Arcia at the shortstop, and the Crew could use Jonathan Villar and Yadiel Rivera at short until Arcia was ready for the majors. That said, Haudricourt feels Adam Lind is the far more likely Brewer to be dealt during the Winter Meetings.
I think you meant Orlando Arcia as being the shortstop prospect for the Brewers. Oswaldo Arcia is an outfielder for the Twins.
Sign Kazmir to bolster the rotation,bring up Almora for centerfield.Yes,Almoras bat isnt there yet,but he is the best defensive player the Cubs have and can lock down centerfield.Or like reports have said,use Baez in centerfield with his athletic ability..If Baez doesnt get traded and I think he shouldnt,well see how well he does in CF in winter ball.I just think the Cubs are making a mistake selling low on Baez.Just my two cents
I think you meant Orlando Arcia being the shortstop prospect for the Brewers. Oswaldo Arcia is an outfielder for the Twins.
Oswaldo Arcia plays for the Twins not the Brewers
Yeah, should be the younger brother Orlando Arcia.
I think they are talking about the shortstop/second base, prospect for the Brewers, not the outfielder for the Twins
it’s altogether possible that the Cubs, despite having other revenue streams, and despite having wealthy ownership, have a business model where a reasonable return of investment is desired. The Ricketts family has other businesses, and they have other interests–and particularly in politics, where they are very large contributors–Joe Ricketts gave $5M to Scott Walker alone. So far, despite the comparative tight-fistedness, the team seems to have done good for itself by tanking first and then rebuilding with younger players. It would be good for baseball to have a Cub World Series win (and that’s speaking as a Yankees fan)
When the Ricketts bought the team from the Tribune Company, part of the deal was that they’d have to take on a lot of the Trib”s debt. It amounted to about $580 million. The debt payments were a big part of the low payroll approach to the rebuilding process and why the Cubs can’t just throw $200M at every David Price on the market.
That debt will be paid off in 2019, the same year the new TV deal is expected to be in place. After that, the Cubs should be flush with cash and able to compete with the Dodgers for the top payroll in baseball. It should allow them to keep homegrown talent due for major contract extensions in 2020-21 and sign top free agents for the foreseeable future.
Rangers should trade for Jonathan lucroy
I don’t think catcher depth is at heart in the team’s reluctance to ditch Montero. His defense has regressed in the last few years that he’s not really an effective backstop. Hard to think hanging on to him trumps a Heyward signing. The reality is Montero has no value as a bad catcher on a big contract. Its the same reason Castro is staying a Cub. He’s owed a lot of money and nobody values him.
The Cubs are having a horrible offseason because they overvalue their own players. They have guys owed big money that no one else wants and young players with holes in their games, like Schwarber. I think they thought they could not go after the marquee starters in the trade market and easily pick one up from their assortment of high priced players and are learning that teams don’t value them or place negative value on them. Realistically (because Bryant and Russell aren’t being traded), only Soler has high trade value. Scwarber has value but as a DH so it’s not as high as the Cubs would want. And most teams have soured on Baez.
^That should read go after marquee starters in the trade market. Take out “not”
I think it’s short-sighted to give up on Schwarber as a serviceable LF or even catcher after just half a season. He’s accrued more games in LF in the Majors than he did in the Minors. His bat will more than make up for even below-average defense in LF, but I think given time to actually develop out there, his athleticism will get him by for several years.
I think it’s beyond delusional to view him as an option behind the dish. It’s not like he’s shifted to catcher or recently started playing baseball. He’s been catching all his life and has never been,decent at it at any level. That isn’t a knock, that’s just what he is and always has been. It’s not all going to come together 15 years later.
With left field, yeah he’s relatively new to it. He’s also not a great athlete as baseball players go. Even if his instincts take to the position, that won’t be for many years and the upside is pretty low. Realistically, as an outfielder his ceiling would still be amongst the worst defensively. And by the time he’s decent enough at it that he isn’t absolutely killing you out there (like he is now), he’ll be on his way to seeing what athleticism he has regress. Realistically if the Cubs are trying to compete for a title, he can’t be on the roster. Even if they feel someday he’ll be okay in the field. For the few years down the road he’d be viable, it’s not worth the investment.
This, of course, is based on the NL not having the DH. If that changes, his value skyrockets.