Headlines

Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Cubs Rumors

Quick Hits: Braves, Blue Jays, Soriano, Weaver

By | at

Earlier this evening, Braves General Manager Frank Wren confirmed that he is on the lookout for a shortstop.  "We’re moving along. Hopefully in the next day or so we’ll get to the end of it," said the GM, according to David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (via Twitter).  Here's more from around baseball..

  • The Blue Jays‬ are more focused on improving their starting rotation than their bullpen right now but are interested in upgrading both, tweets Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports.  Toronto is said to be among the clubs interested in Cubs starter Matt Garza.
  • Buster Olney of ESPN.com (via Twitter) speculates that Alfonso Soriano would be an interesting get for the Rays if the Cubs were willing to absorb about 90 percent of the money owed to him.
  • Angels pitcher Jered Weaver has no regrets about staying with the Halos for less money than he could have gotten elsewhere on the open market this offseason, writes Bob Nightengale of USA Today.
  • Phillies assistant GM Marti Wolever isn't “overly disappointed” about not signing second-round pick Alec Rash, writes Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com.  “We’ll get an extra second-rounder next year,” he said of the right-hander. “We liked [Rash], but he didn’t pitch well this summer. We made a fair offer. He’s going to school."

Draft Notes: Pirates, Athletics, Orioles, Cubs, Indians

By | at

Teams have until 4pm CDT to sign their picks from this year's Rule 4 draft, so teams and advisors are in for a busy afternoon. We'll track the draft-related news here:

  • Third round selection Avery Romero signed with the ‪Marlins‬ for $700K, Conor Glassey of Baseball America tweets.
  • The Pirates signed 17th rounder Hayden Hurst for $400K, Callis tweets. Hurst appears to have obtained the second-biggest deal for players selected after the tenth round.
  • The Athletics signed second round selection Nolan Sanburn for $710K, Jim Callis of Baseball America tweets.
  • Top Orioles pick Kevin Gausman is in Baltimore and a press conference will be held at 5pm CDT if the sides agree by today's 4pm CDT deadline, Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun tweets.
  • The Cubs announced that they signed second round selection Duane Underwood. The high school right-hander doesn't turn 18 until next week. The Cubs reportedly agreed to a $1.05MM deal with Underwood.
  • The Indians signed eighth round selection Caleb Hamrick, Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports (on Twitter). The high school right-hander obtained a $180K bonus.
  • You can track every unsigned selection at Baseball America. The list includes the four remaining unsigned first rounders: fourth overall selection Gausman (likely to sign with Orioles), eighth overall selection Mark Appel (Pirates), 16th overall selection Lucas Giolito (Nationals) and 25th overall selection Richie Shaffer (nearing deal with Rays). 
  • The Orioles' expected agreement with Gausman will be worth "around" $4.2MM, Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports reports.
  • It's unlikely the Pirates will sign Appel, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports. Heyman suggests there's a possibility of intervention from MLB officials.
  • The Marlins agreed to sign first round selection Andrew Heaney, in case you missed it.

Stark On LaHair, Encarnacion, Orioles, Vargas

By | at

Here's some news from the Twitter feed of ESPN's Jayson Stark…

Teams Calling Red Sox About Outfielders

By | at

Teams are calling the Red Sox about the availability of “several” outfielders, Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald reports. The Red Sox are “open-minded” about trading away an outfielder now that Jacoby Ellsbury and Carl Crawford are nearly ready to return to the MLB roster.

Ryan Sweeney and Daniel Nava could be trade chips for the Red Sox, but the team is “not looking to move Sweeney,” Silverman reports. Scott Podsednik and Ryan Kalish are at Triple-A, and Cody Ross fits well with Boston’s current needs.

Though the Cubs aren’t interested in Sweeney, the Red Sox are eyeing a pair of Cubs pitchers. Boston has expressed preliminary interest in Matt Garza and Ryan Dempster, but is “not fully engaged yet,” Silverman reports. I recently previewed the trade market for starting pitchers and outfielders.

Brian MacPherson of the Providence Journal explained how Boston’s 40-man roster will impact the team’s next few weeks. The Red Sox are far more likely to trade surplus players such as Sweeney, Kelly Shoppach or Matt Albers than make major changes this month, MacPherson writes.

East Notes: Gee, Mets, Garza, Jones

By | at

Here's a look at items out of the AL and NL East..

  • Mets right-hander Dillon Gee will undergo potentially season-ending surgery on Friday to repair artery damage in his shoulder, a source told Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com.  Gee should be able to throw in six to eight weeks but the best case scenario would be a late September or October return if the Mets reach the playoffs.
  • Rays pitcher David Price hopes that former teammate Matt Garza finds his way back to the American League East, writes Alex Speier of WEEI.com.  The two hurlers speak on a daily basis and Price wants to see his friend in person more often during the course of the season.
  • Chipper Jones said he might work in television or consult for the Braves once he retires following the 2012 season, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports.  However, he insists that he won't change his mind about retiring, no matter how well he plays from here on out.  “To be honest, I don’t want the lifestyle anymore,” Jones said. “I don’t want the schedule, the major league schedule anymore. I’ve been living out of suitcases for 23 years.”

Minor Moves: MacDougal, Olsen

By | at

The latest minor moves from around MLB…

  • The Cubs released right-hander Mike MacDougal, Matt Eddy of Baseball America tweets. The Cubs signed MacDougal to a minor league deal in May after the Dodgers released him. The 35-year-old, who signed a one-year, $1MM deal before the season, posted a 7.85 ERA with more walks than strikeouts in 19 appearances for the Cubs' top affiliate.
  • The White Sox released left-hander Scott Olsen, Eddy tweets. The White Sox signed the 28-year-old to a minor league deal in January. Olsen, who has battled shoulder injuries in recent years, appeared in just three minor league games for the White Sox before being released.

Cubs Sign Albert Almora

By | at

JULY 11th: The Cubs have officially announce the signing in a press release. Almora will report to the team's complex in Mesa.

JULY 9th: The Cubs have agreed to sign first round selection Albert Almora, Jim Callis of Baseball America reports (on Twitter). The high school outfielder obtains a $3.9MM bonus.

MLB recommended a $3.25MM bonus for Almora, the sixth overall selection in last month's draft. The outfielder has lots of tools and polish, Callis notes. The Cubs have now agreed to terms with their first 20 selections from the draft. Just six first round selections remain unsigned with four days to go before this Friday's deadline for signing draft picks.

Dodgers, Cubs Discussing Dempster, Garza

By | at

The Dodgers and Cubs are discussing possible trades that would send either Ryan Dempster or Matt Garza to Los Angeles, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports. The Dodgers are seen as a favorite to acquire Dempster, and they’ve also had conversations about Garza. 

The Dodgers are expected to pursue upgrades aggressively in their first summer under new ownership. They have the resources to take on large contracts like Dempster’s ($14MM) and Garza’s ($9.5MM), but the Cubs prefer to obtain talent in trades even if it means getting less salary relief.

Dempster, 35, recently returned from the disabled list. He has a league-leading 1.99 ERA with 7.3 K/9 and 2.3 BB/9 in 86 innings and will hit free agency this coming offseason. Garza, 28, has a 4.32 ERA with 8.3 K/9 and 2.8 BB/9 in 93 2/3 innings. He’ll go to arbitration once more next winter and hit free agency following the 2013 campaign.

Red Sox Notes: Sweeney, Bard, Aviles, Ross

By | at

The Red Sox head into the All-Star break 2.5 games out of the Wild Card race with a 43-43 record. Here are the latest notes and rumors surrounding the team:

Knobler On Tigers, Hamels, Upton, Royals

By | at

Rival executives are divided on what the Tigers need to acquire for the second half of the season, Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com reports. Some say the Tigers need a pitcher, others say they should acquire a second baseman and others believe they don’t need to make a major addition. Here are more of Knobler’s notes, starting with the Tigers:

  • Detroit has shown some interest in Matt Garza, but Tigers people suggest a deal is fairly unlikely, according to Knobler. The Tigers don’t seem enthused about the possibility of trading for Marco Scutaro, though they’ve shown some interest in him.
  • The Phillies have identified about four teams that would be a fit for Cole Hamels and they’re saying they'd want players who are close to contributing in the Major Leagues. However, the Phillies aren’t ready to deal the left-hander yet.
  • Scouts believe the Diamondbacks are serious about listening to offers for Justin Upton.
  • The Royals had been considering the possibility of becoming midseason buyers this year. They don’t intend to give Jonathan Broxton or other players away because they “badly want” to win games in the second half, Knobler writes.
  • The 43-43 Athletics see themselves as sellers, rather than contenders, Knobler reports. A’s people are hoping Brandon McCarthy pitches well and increases his trade value when he returns from the disabled list.
  • Scouts are unimpressed by Cubs pitching prospect Gerardo Concepcion, Knobler notes.
Show all

MLB Trade Rumors is not affiliated with Major League Baseball, MLB or MLB.com

Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information

hide arrows scroll to top