Cubs Rumors

NL Central Notes: Pujols, Beltran, Cubs, Aoki

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | January 16, 2012 at 3:39pm CDT

The Reds signed a catcher today and the Pirates avoided arbitration with a pair of pitchers. Here are some more notes from the NL Central…

Cardinals chairman Bill DeWitt Jr. said this weekend that his team must stay within certain financial limitations to put a competitive team on the field year after year, Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. The Cardinals would have liked to retain Albert Pujols, but keeping him wasn’t necessarily realistic. “It's how much can I afford to pay one player and put together a team that's going to be competitive? That's the whole jigsaw puzzle that all teams have,” DeWitt said.
Carlos Beltran said the Indians, Rays and Giants were among the finalists for his services this offseason, MLB.com's Matthew Leach reports. Beltran said another team offered a three-year deal worth less money, B.J. Rains of FOXSportsMidwest.com tweets.
Cubs director of scouting and player development Jason McLeod said he's looking forward to meeting with his scouts this week to find ways of drafting more effectively under the new collective bargaining agreement, according to Carrie Muskat of MLB.com.
Tom Haudricourt on the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel tweets that there's an expectation that the Brewers will sign outfielder Norichika Aoki. They have until 4pm CDT tomorrow to sign Aoki, or else he’ll be returned to the Yakult Swallows and the Brewers will get their $2.5MM posting fee back.

Quick Hits: Wood, Soriano, Yankees, Moreland, O’s

By Mike Axisa | January 14, 2012 at 11:01pm CDT

Some links as Saturday turns into Sunday…

Before re-signing with the Cubs, Kerry Wood agreed to a deal with another club and was preparing for his physical when the Cubs swooped in according to Bruce Levine of ESPN Chicago. Levine hears that the Reds were most interested in Wood before he re-signed with Chicago, but it's unclear if they're the team he had the agreement with.
As many as eight teams have inquired about Alfonso Soriano, reports Levine. Most of those clubs are American League teams. Levine says Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts reiterated that he'll to eat most of the money owed to Soriano to facilitate a trade.
Marc Carig of The Star Ledger wonders if the Michael Pineda trade is a sign of things to come for the Yankees, who could opt to trade for pitching in the future rather than sign free agent arms to long-term deals.
"All I can do is worry about getting healthy and being a part of this team next year," said Rangers first baseman Mitch Moreland to FOXSportsSouthwest.com's Anthony Andro when asked about the Prince Fielder rumors (Twitter link).
“Our minor-league system is in the bottom ten-percent in the industry in terms of signing players at the amateur level and developing them for the big leagues," said Orioles GM Dan Duquette to Rich Dubroff of CSNBaltimore.com. "That’s what needs to improve over the next couple of years.”
The Orioles have signed utility man Peter Fatse away from the independent Newark Bears, reports Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com. The 24-year-old spent two seasons in the Brewers' farm system before hitting .279/.348/.418 with five homers in 284 plate appearances for Newark last season.

Prince Fielder Rumors: Saturday

By Steve Adams | January 14, 2012 at 7:11pm CDT

Yesterday it was reported that the Cubs aren't out on Prince Fielder, despite acquiring Anthony Rizzo. Fielder met with the Rangers, who, along with the Nationals and Cubs, could offer a six-year contract with an average annual value in the $22-24MM range. Fielder and Yu Darvish may not be mutually exclusive for Texas, but they may need to choose whether to invest in Fielder or Josh Hamilton long-term. Here are today's rumors:

Talks between the Nationals and Fielder are back on according to Pete Kerzel of MASNSports.com, and Washington is "again making a strong pitch" to sign him.
Signing Fielder is "just not going to happen" for the Cubs, manager Dale Svuem told reporters, including Chris De Luca and Godron Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times (Twitter link).
Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel tweets that the Rangers were impressed with how trim and fit Fielder looked in their meeting yesterday.
Nolan Ryan says the Rangers' meeting with Fielder yesterday was just to see where he was at in the free agent process, tweets Anthony Andro of FOX Sports Southwest. Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star Telegram also tweets that the talks were preliminary.

Tigers Say Reported Interest In Garza Is Overstated

By Zachary Links | January 14, 2012 at 2:11pm CDT

The Tigers say that their interest in Matt Garza is grossly exaggerated, tweets Bob Nightengale of USA Today. Furthermore, the club won't part with its prized prospects to land the Cubs hurler.

Earlier this week, it was reported that the Cubs and Tigers were discussing a trade involving the right-hander. The Tigers, according to the report, were open to dealing top prospects and it has been said that the club would part with pitcher Jacob Turner in the right trade.

Yesterday, ESPN.com's Jayson Stark wrote that rival teams don't believe the Cubs will trade Garza until July, when there are fewer alternatives on the open market. Meanwhile, president of baseball operations Theo Epstein contends that he thinks "very highly" of the 28-year-old.

Quick Hits: Soriano, Pedro, Indians, Crisp, Tigers

By Mark Polishuk | January 14, 2012 at 12:06am CDT

The first few items of this post concern Alfonso Soriano, Pedro Martinez and Manny Ramirez. Are we sure it's 2012? As we wrap up a busy Friday the 13th, here are a few items to take us into the weekend…

Alfonso Soriano reiterated that he is willing to waive his no-trade clause, but only if the Cubs deal him to a contender, reports ESPN Chicago's Bruce Levine. Soriano is owed $54MM through 2014 and the Cubs are reportedly willing to pay most of that salary in a possible deal.
Pedro Martinez tells Brian MacPherson of the Providence Journal that a few teams contacted him about a possible comeback last season, but the future Hall-of-Famer firmly stated he isn't making a comeback.
Indians GM Chris Antonetti told a group of reporters (including MLB.com's Jordan Bastian) that the Tribe wasn't interested in bringing back Manny Ramirez, saying Ramirez was "not a positional fit." While it could be argued Ramirez would be a nice right-handed complement to current Cleveland DH Travis Hafner, it's easy to see why a team would want to steer clear of Ramirez's baggage.
From the same media session, Antonetti said it isn't "imperative" that the Indians acquire a first baseman. "I think we feel good about the foundation of players that we have," Antonetti said. "We're in a good spot, but certainly we'd like to improve upon that." Yesterday, we heard the Tribe was interested in free agent Carlos Pena.
The Dodgers never spoke to free agent outfielder Coco Crisp, GM Ned Colletti tells Steve Dilbeck of the L.A. Times. It's hard to imagine the Dodgers matching the two-year, $14MM contract Crisp received from the Athletics, but then again, the A's are one of the few teams under even tighter budget restraints than the Dodgers.
The Tigers have been so quiet this offseason that MLive.com's Ian Casselberry figures the club may be better off waiting until the season begins to make upgrades.
Bill Center of the San Diego Union-Tribune discusses the latest Padres news and answers questions from fans in his weekly online chat.
On a one-year, $8MM contract, Roy Oswalt could be "the biggest bargain of the winter," opines Fangraphs' Dave Cameron.
Tyler Kepner of the New York Times unveils his "Unsigned All-Star Team" of the offseason's most notable remaining free agents.

East Notes: Red Sox, Maddon, Wright, Orioles

By Mark Polishuk | January 13, 2012 at 11:14pm CDT

We know it's been quite the busy day for New York baseball, but let's see what else is happening in both the AL and NL East…

The Yankees' big acquisitions of Hiroki Kuroda and Michael Pineda could mean the Red Sox may have to counter by signing Roy Oswalt or getting involved in the Matt Garza trade market, writes Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe.
The Red Sox were interested in Kuroda but couldn't sign him without finding payroll space via another roster move, reports WEEI.com's Rob Bradford. Bradford also notes the Sox wouldn't have been able to outbid the Yankees for Pineda since the Mariners didn't value any of Boston's prospects as much as they valued Jesus Montero.
The Red Sox and Yankees were both talking to the Mariners about a Felix Hernandez trade but the M's weren't interested, reports Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com (Twitter link).
Joe Maddon's increasingly likely contract extension with the Rays may not be worked out until the manager returns in late January from a European vacation, reports Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times (Twitter link).
Mets third baseman David Wright said "it's going to be a pain" listening to his name come up in trade rumors all summer, during an interview with Cliff Floyd and Mike Ferrin of Sirius XM Radio. ESPN New York's Adam Rubin has a partial transcript of the interview.
The Orioles have not had "substantive talks" with the Cubs about Alfonso Soriano, tweets Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports.
Eduardo A. Encina of the Baltimore Sun looks at some of the Orioles' remaining free agent possibilities.
Braves GM Frank Wren tells David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Twitter link) that he doesn't expect to make a trade before Spring Training. "Every day that goes by it’s probably less likely. It doesn’t mean you stop trying," Wren said.

Prince Fielder Rumors: Friday

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | January 13, 2012 at 9:52pm CDT

Prince Fielder will sign before Spring Training, but he probably won't agree to a long-term deal with the Dodgers or Marlins, or a one-year deal with the Brewers, according to yesterday's reports. Here are today's Fielder rumors, with the most recent updates up top:

An executive tells ESPN's Buster Olney (Twitter link) that the Cubs, Nationals and Rangers could receive a Fielder contract structure of six years and $22-$24MM per season, but with an opt-out clause after three years.
The Rangers' pursuit of Fielder may come down to whether they believe Fielder or Josh Hamilton is the better choice for a multiyear contract, writes Richard Durrett of ESPN Dallas.
Fielder will travel to see several teams in the next few days, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com tweets.
The Rangers are meeting with Fielder at a Dallas area hotel today, Bob Nightengale of USA Today tweets. It sounds as though the Rangers don't consider Fielder and Yu Darvish mutually exclusive. Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram hears that the Rangers are interested in Fielder in case they don't sign Darvish (Twitter link).
One executive who speaks with the Nationals regularly tells ESPN.com’s Jayson Stark that he’s confident Fielder will end up in Washington. GM Mike Rizzo and the team’s owners won’t sign a nine or ten-year deal and may not offer the first baseman a no-trade clause, however.
The Cubs are not totally out on Fielder, Stark reports. If agent Scott Boras needs a deal somewhere, the Cubs would be open to an agreement on their own terms.
One observer tells Stark that Boras and Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria chatted briefly at this week’s owners’ meetings and that reports of a meeting are overblown.
Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports explains that Boras has been shut out of the big money so far this offseason and argues that the agent can turn things around by finding a massive deal for Fielder.
Thomas Boswell of the Washington Post explains how Boras could represent almost the entire Washington lineup within a couple of seasons if the Nationals sign Fielder.
Tom Verducci of SI.com explains that local and national TV revenues can help the Nationals add Fielder while keeping Jayson Werth and Ryan Zimmerman in place even as their contracts escalate.

Cubs Agree To Contract With Kerry Wood

By Mark Polishuk | January 13, 2012 at 5:39pm CDT

The Cubs and veteran reliever Kerry Wood have agreed to a one-year contract that also includes an option for 2013. The contract will pay Wood $3MM next season, according to Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times (via Twitter) with the 2013 option also worth $3MM. The new deal was announced with a bit of theatricality at the Cubs fan convention, as Wood then stepped onto the stage to a raucous ovation from fans.

Wood's return to Chicago was considered a foregone conclusion but negotiations hit a snag earlier this week, which drew the Phillies and Reds into the Wood market. Things appeared to clear up by Wednesday, however, when FOX Sports' Jon Paul Morosi reported the two sides were close on a one-year deal with an option for 2013.

Wood posted a 3.35 ERA, 10.1 K/9, 3.7 BB/9, 0.88 HR/9, and 35.8% groundball rate in 51 innings for the Cubs last year. He missed time with a blister, and also saw his season end about a week early due to a torn meniscus in his left knee. With Carlos Marmol tying for the MLB lead with 10 blown saves last year and Sean Marshall now with the Reds, Wood will be next in line to close for the Cubs if Marmol falters.

MLBTR's Tim Dierkes contributed to this post

Quick Hits: Playoffs, La Russa, Ordonez, Wood

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | January 13, 2012 at 4:48pm CDT

On this date in 2005, the Mets signed Carlos Beltran to a seven-year, $119MM contract. Beltran enjoyed some tremendous seasons and endured some difficult moments with the Mets, who traded him to San Francisco last summer. Here are today's links…

An extra wild card team is far from a sure thing for 2012, tweets ESPN's Jayson Stark, as "big scheduling obstacles remain" to be worked out before baseball can expand its playoffs for this fall.
Tony La Russa has been "informally offered" Joe Torre's old job as MLB's executive vice president for baseball operations, reports USA Today's Bob Nightengale (via Twitter). La Russa has given no indication that he is interested in the job.
Magglio Ordonez intends to play in 2012, Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports reports. The free agent outfielder is making progress in his recovery from right ankle surgery.
Kerry Wood said on the Waddle & Silvy Show on ESPN 1000 that there's "nothing new" to report on his near-deal with the Cubs.
Dan Johnson, the unlikely hero of the Rays’ exhilarating comeback in the final game of the regular season, tells Joe Christensen of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune that he’s still looking for a job.
Dodgers scout Carl Loewnstine continues working as he battles bone cancer, Bob Nightengale of USA Today writes. Loewnstine will be honored this weekend at a banquet benefiting the Professional Baseball Scouts Foundation in California.
Red Sox GM Ben Cherington and David Laurila of FanGraphs discussed the role of information in the decision making process of an MLB front office.
The Red Sox don’t expect to offer guaranteed deals to free agent pitchers, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com tweets. The asking price for Hiroki Kuroda and Roy Oswalt is dropping, but those pitchers aren’t likely to sign in Boston, Heyman writes.

Cubs To Sign Alfredo Amezaga

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | January 13, 2012 at 3:32pm CDT

The Cubs have agreed to sign Alfredo Amezaga to a minor league deal, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports tweets. The Sparta Group represents the 33-year-old utility player.

Amezaga appeared in 40 games with the Rockies and Marlins in 2011, playing short, second, third and both outfield corners. He posted a .182/.247/.195 line in 87 plate appearances, but owns a career line of .247/.307/.333 in nine seasons with the Angels, Rockies, Pirates and Marlins. His most productive years came from 2006-08, when he posted a .675 OPS as a super utility player in Florida.

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