Cubs Looking For Bullpen Help
The Cubs are looking for bullpen help now that right-hander Jeff Samardzija has won a spot in the rotation, reports ESPN's Buster Olney (on Twitter). Chicago recently set their rotation by optioning Travis Wood and Randy Wells to Triple-A.
Carlos Marmol and Kerry Wood make a fine end-game duo, but the rest of the Cubs' relief corps will feature guys like James Russell, Casey Coleman, and Rule 5 Draft pick Lendy Castillo. There are more clubs looking to buy bullpen depth this time of year than shop it, so it doesn't figure to be easy for the north-siders to shore up their middle relief situation.
Quick Hits: Padres, Luebke, Red Sox, Dodgers, Brewers
Friday night linkage..
- Several scouts not affiliated with the Padres now regard Cory Luebke as the team's best starter, writes Tom Krasovic of Inside The Padres. Luebke agreed to a sizable extension with the club earlier this evening.
- Red Sox CEO Larry Lucchino said today that GM Ben Cherington is "exploring" the team's options in regards to their compensation package for Theo Epstein, writes Gordon Edes of ESPNBoston.com. Boston would like to receive a different player from the Cubs after the injury suffered by Chris Carpenter.
- Steve Dilbeck of the Los Angeles Times writes that the public will ultimately pay for the Dodgers' massive sale price.
- Veteran infielder Cesar Izturis is relieved to have made the cut with the Brewers, writes MLB.com's Adam McCalvy.
Quick Hits: Red Sox, Damon, Axford
On this date 20 years ago, the Cubs released 29-year-old left-hander Jamie Moyer. The southpaw didn't pitch in the Major Leagues again that year, but he returned in 1993 and has since pitched 3,300 innings and won 233 games. His career isn't over yet, as the Rockies may add him to their rotation. Here are today's links…
- The Red Sox had complete access to Chris Carpenter's medical records before acquiring him from the Cubs, Nick Cafardo and Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe report. The reliever also passed two physicals earlier this year, so the Red Sox aren't likely to obtain a different player from the Cubs as compensation for Theo Epstein even though Carpenter underwent elbow surgery yesterday.
- ESPN.com’s Buster Olney wonders if the Indians could pursue free agent Johnny Damon instead of trading for Bobby Abreu (Twitter link). Dave Cameron of FanGraphs explores the Damon-Indians possibility and says it's hard to argue he’s a worse option than Abreu.
- The Brewers have exchanged figures with closer John Axford regarding a possible extension, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com tweets. "I'm not going to jump at anything," Axford said.
AL East Links: Rays, Epstein, O’s, Eveland, DePaula
Blue Jays prospect Anthony Gose stole second, third and home all during the eighth inning of the Jays' 3-2 win over the Red Sox today in Grapefruit League action. The young outfielder will begin the season in the minors but he's definitely drawing attention — Baseball America named Gose as baseball's 39th-best prospect in its preseason rankings.
Some news from around the AL East….
- With B.J. Upton and Sam Fuld starting the season on the DL, the Rays are looking for outfield help, reports Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (Twitter link).
- The Red Sox and Cubs seemed to have completed the compensation package for Theo Epstein's move to Chicago earlier today, but Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald hears from a team source that the Sox aren't quite satisfied. Chris Carpenter underwent elbow surgery on Wednesday and while the Red Sox believe the Cubs gave up Carpenter with no knowledge of any injury problems, Boston "is weighing its options" about whether the matter should be revisited.
- Dan Duquette told reporters (including Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun) that before Spring Training ends, the Orioles "have a few player contracts we need to resolve in camp, and we have had some tertiary trade discussions.”
- Connelly thinks Duquette will try to trade Dana Eveland (designated for assignment earlier today) if the Orioles think the southpaw will get claimed on waivers. Eveland, for his part, tells Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com (Twitter link) that he will accept a minor league assignment if he clears waivers and the O's wish to keep him.
- Rafael DePaula passed his physical and his Yankees contract is now official, reports Ben Badler of Baseball America. The right-hander initially signed a $500K deal with New York in November 2010 but his attempt to get a visa was delayed since DePaula used to play under a false identity and was suspended by Major League Baseball in 2009.
Braves Looking For Bench, Bullpen Depth
The Braves are still looking for a right-handed bench bat who can play the outfield or third base, and possibly also a reliever to replace the injured Arodys Vizcaino in the bullpen, reports MLB.com's Mark Bowman. With Chipper Jones injured, Martin Prado shifts to third base while Matt Diaz and Eric Hinske will platoon in left field, thus creating a hole in the Braves'' pinch-hitting corps.
Atlanta has been connected to Xavier Nady, Marlon Byrd and Will Venable within the last week. David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that the Braves also have interest "a couple of lesser available Cubs" as well as Byrd. If these "lesser Cubs" are relievers, I'm not sure Chicago is a fit as a trade partner, given that the Cubs are themselves trying to figure out their bullpen. An outfielder is probably an easier pickup for the Braves than a third baseman, as they'd be competing with the Phillies, Athletics and Twins, among others looking for infield help.
Right-hander Cory Gearrin (who has 18 1/3 Major League innings under his belt) and rookie southpaw Yohan Flande are projected for the two remaining spots in Atlanta's bullpen, so there's certainly room for the Braves to add another experienced arm into the mix. Off the top of my head, the Rangers are shopping Mark Lowe and Koji Uehara, though they're looking for a right-handed hitting bench bat themselves.
Cubs, Red Sox Finalize Epstein Compensation
After a months-long wait, the Cubs and Red Sox have finalized the compensation for Theo Epstein. The Red Sox sent 19-year-old prospect Jair Bogaerts to the Cubs to complete the deal, MLB.com's Carrie Muskat reports.
The Cubs sent relievers Chris Carpenter and Aaron Kurcz to Boston as compensation for Epstein earlier in the offseason. Carpenter will undergo elbow surgery, but the Cubs say the operation wasn't caused by a pre-existing condition. “It’s certainly something we had no knowledge of,” GM Jed Hoyer said, according to Muskat. “I don’t think he had any elbow issues for the last two years. It’s unexpected and unfortunate."
Bogaerts completed his second pro season in 2011. The first baseman posted a .288/.387/.404 line in 186 plate appearances in the Dominican Summer League. He is the brother of top Red Sox prospect Xander Bogaerts.
Rosenthal On Byrd, Bernadina, Snider
March is generally a quiet time for trades, but there's often a flurry of activity toward the end of the month. Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports has the latest rumors from around the Major Leagues…
- At this point a trade involving Cubs center fielder Marlon Byrd is unlikely. The 34-year-old has been drawing some interest this spring, but a trade in July seems more realistic.
- Rival officials say Roger Bernadina isn’t a favorite of GM Mike Rizzo’s. The Nationals could part with Bernadina and rely on Rick Ankiel and Brett Carroll in center field until Bryce Harper’s ready for his MLB debut.
- Travis Snider isn’t drawing much trade interest, even though rival clubs like him. The Blue Jays are reluctant to trade the 24-year-old left fielder when his value is low, especially since they may need him at some point in the season.
- The Diamondbacks seek a long-term solution at catcher and have targeted 10-15 possible trade candidates. Miguel Montero's expected to test free agency after the 2012 season.
Quick Hits: Byrnes, Hoyer, Cain, Mets, Chamberlain
Ten years and one day ago today, the Marlins traded Matt Clement and Antonio Alfonseca to the Cubs for Julian Tavarez, Ryan Jorgensen, Jose Cueto, and Dontrelle Willis. Willis alone made the deal worthwhile for the Fish. Here's the latest from around the league…
- When Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein first called former Padres CEO Jeff Moorad for permission to speak to a member of his front office, he asked about assistant GM Josh Byrnes according to Dan Hayes of The North County Times. Epstein was instead allowed to speak to GM Jed Hoyer because "he was the GM of a last-place team," said Moorad.
- There has been some recent "back and forth" between the Giants and Matt Cain about a contract extension, reports Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com. Cain did say that his upcoming free agency is "an exciting part of your career."
- Outfielder Mike Baxter, catcher Mike Nickeas, and lefty Danny Herrera are front-runners for roster spots with the Mets, writes ESPN New York's Adam Rubin. Baxter and Herrera are not on the team's 40-man roster.
- Yankees GM Brian Cashman declined to comment when asked about Joba Chamberlain's contract situation according to Marc Carig of The Star-Ledger (on Twitter). The right-hander suffered an open dislocation of his right ankle playing with his son last week and could miss the season.
- When the Blue Jays and Athletics discussed Gio Gonzalez this offseason, Oakland asked for 19-year-old right-hander Noah Syndergaard according to Jeff Blair of The Globe and Mail. Baseball America ranked Snydergaard as Toronto's seventh best prospect in December.
Marlon Byrd Drawing Interest
Cubs center fielder Marlon Byrd is drawing interest from two National League teams, Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times reports. The Cubs offered Byrd to the Nationals for pitching and the Braves are also discussing the 34-year-old.
GM Jed Hoyer has said he won’t be surprised if the Cubs make a move leading up to Opening Day. The team currently appears to be listening to offers for Byrd rather than shopping him, according to Wittenmyer.
Byrd posted a .276/.324/.395 line in 482 plate appearances in 2011, his second season in Chicago. He earns $6.5MM in 2012 and hits free agency next winter. The Fielding Bible Volume III describes Byrd as a reliable if unspectacular center fielder who makes up for an ordinary throwing arm with good reads and a quick release.
If the Cubs traded Byrd, Reed Johnson and Joe Mather could get more playing time in the short-term. Top prospect Brett Jackson is “ready to play here for sure," in the opinion of manager Dale Sveum. Jackson figures to be an option for the Cubs at some point in 2012, even if he needs some more minor league seasoning.
Offseason In Review: Chicago Cubs
The Cubs' new front office took a modest approach toward free agency, instead making several aggressive trades with a eye on the long-term.
Major League Signings
- Ryan Dempster, SP: one year, $14MM. Player option exercised.
- David DeJesus, RF: two years, $10MM. Includes $6.5MM club option for 2014 with a $1.5MM buyout.
- Paul Maholm, SP: one year, $4.75MM. Includes $6.5MM club option for 2014 with a $500K buyout.
- Kerry Wood, RP: one year, $3MM. Includes $3MM club option for 2013.
- Reed Johnson, OF: one year, $1.15MM.
- Total spend: $32.9MM.
International Signings
- Gerardo Concepcion, P: $6MM. Also Yasiel Balaguert, Carlos Martinez.
Notable Minor League Signings
- Shawn Camp, Manny Corpas, Alfredo Amezaga, Rodrigo Lopez, Trever Miller, Jason Jaramillo, Joe Mather, Bobby Scales, Matt Tolbert, Edgar Gonzalez, Ryan Rowland-Smith, NatE. Robertson
Trades and Claims
- Acquired 3B Ian Stewart and RP Casey Weathers from Rockies for OF Tyler Colvin and IF DJ LeMahieu
- Claimed RP Lendy Castillo in Rule 5 draft from Phillies
- Acquired SP Travis Wood, OF Dave Sappelt, and IF Ronald Torreyes from Reds for RP Sean Marshall
- Acquired SP Chris Volstad from Marlins for SP Carlos Zambrano and $16.45MM
- Acquired 1B Anthony Rizzo and SP Zach Cates from Padres for P Andrew Cashner and Of Kyung-Min Na
- Claimed IF Adrian Cardenas off waivers from Athletics
- Acquired executive Theo Epstein and a player to be named later from Red Sox for RP Chris Carpenter and P Aaron Kurcz
- Claimed P Frankie De La Cruz off waivers from Brewers
Notable Losses
- Aramis Ramirez, Carlos Pena, Koyie Hill, Tyler Colvin, DJ LeMahieu, Sean Marshall, Carlos Zambrano, Andrew Cashner, Kyung-Min Na, Chris Carpenter, John Grabow, Doug Davis, Ramon Ortiz, Ryan Flaherty, Marwin Gonzalez
Jim Hendry and Theo Epstein became GMs within months of each other in 2002, aiming to bring championships to teams with long histories of losing. Hendry fell short with the Cubs, creating three playoff teams in nine years and failing to reach the World Series. Epstein reached the playoffs twice as often in the same amount of time with the Red Sox, winning it all twice. But after missing the playoffs the last two years in Boston — and in epic fashion in 2011 — Epstein was ready for a new challenge and the Sox were willing to let him go with a year remaining on his contract. Cubs owner Tom Ricketts, long an admirer of the Red Sox model, signed Epstein to a record-setting five-year, $18.5MM contract to become the team's president of baseball operations.
The Cubs-Red Sox connections lasted all offseason. Both teams interviewed Dale Sveum, with the Cubs bringing him aboard as their new manager. The teams had difficulty determining what the Red Sox should receive as compensation for Epstein. Eventually, hard-throwing relief prospect Chris Carpenter was deemed acceptable as the main piece of compensation.
The hiring of Epstein allowed the Cubs to pull off the unthinkable: luring a second standing GM in the Padres' Jed Hoyer. In two years on the job in San Diego, Hoyer had created a surprising 90-win team in 2010 and crafted one of the game's best farm systems. Assistant GM Jason McLeod, who led the Red Sox and Padres through many excellent drafts, joined Hoyer and Epstein in Chicago. With the former Boston trio, Ricketts created a stronger Cubs front office than most thought possible.
With a middling farm system and openings at the corner infield spots, right field, and the rotation, the new Cubs front office had their work cut out for them. The team had offseason payroll flexibility, but Epstein and company recognized the team is a long shot for 2012 contention. They attacked the roster by balancing short and long-term acquisitions.
The Cubs flirted with star first base free agents Albert Pujols and Prince Fielder, but it's unclear whether they were ever serious. Ultimately, the team's modest free agent approach brought in DeJesus on a two-year deal and Maholm, Wood, and Johnson on one-year pacts. The Cubs secured club options on Maholm and Wood, making them possible two-year signings, while DeJesus has a third-year option. Given the lack of offense he provided the Athletics, DeJesus didn't come at a bargain price for the Cubs. Still, the 32-year-old will be worth the money if he bounces back in his first extended National League exposure. Maholm adds depth to what had been an extremely shallow 2011 rotation. He's a back-end type starter, but the Cubs limited risk with a one-year deal. The same applies to Kerry Wood, a fan favorite.
The Cubs' ho-hum free agent acquisitions were countered by several aggressive trades. Re-signing 33-year-old Aramis Ramirez on a pricey three-year deal didn't make sense for the Cubs. Instead Epstein and Hoyer made a change-of-scenery deal with the Rockies, sending Colvin for Stewart as the trade headliners. Stewart, 27 in April, is a former first-round pick who is potentially under team control through 2014. He'll be an upgrade over Ramirez defensively, and provides pop against righties. He's likely to strike out plenty, struggle against southpaws, and spend some time on the DL, however. Those warts made Stewart available, but given the internal and external third base alternatives, he's a decent flyer.
By trading Marshall to the division-rival Reds, Epstein and Hoyer attempted to add some long-term pieces in exchange for one year of an elite reliever. Travis Wood, 25, could reside in the middle of the Cubs' rotation for the next five years. ESPN's Keith Law sees Wood as a potential league-average starter, though the flyball-prone lefty has work to do to return to that point. He seems unlikely to make the Cubs' 2012 Opening Day rotation. Sappelt profiles as a future fourth outfielder, while the 5'7" Torreyes is far from the Majors and could be a singles-hitting second baseman in the best case. A controlled, useful starter plus other pieces will always beat one year of a reliever in a value sense, though I wonder if the Cubs should have aimed for at least one player with more upside in this trade.
I discussed unloading Carlos Zambrano in August, with the expectation that the Cubs should expect a low-value player in return. Zambrano came with temper-related baggage, declining performance, and a huge salary. Getting Volstad was a huge win. The groundballing 25-year-old seemed to quietly come into his own last year, posting a 3.84 SIERA in 165 2/3 innings. There's a legitimate case to be made that Volstad is better than Zambrano right now, and the Cubs have Volstad potentially through 2014.
29-year-old career minor leaguer Bryan LaHair won the International League MVP in 2011, but it wasn't enough to quiet talk that the Cubs should or would pursue Pujols or Fielder. That talk ended for good when the Cubs acquired Rizzo (pictured) from the Padres, mainly for Cashner. Epstein and Hoyer have loved Rizzo for a long time. They drafted him for the Red Sox in '07, and Epstein traded him to Hoyer in the Adrian Gonzalez trade in 2010. Keith Law and Baseball America consider Rizzo one of the 50 best prospects in baseball, and LaHair gives the Cubs the flexibility to make sure Rizzo is ready before promoting him as their long-term first baseman. Acquiring a player like Rizzo requires a valuable asset, and the Cubs surrendered one of their most interesting young big-league ready pitchers in Cashner. Cashner began 2011 in the Cubs rotation but missed most of the season with a rotator cuff strain. If he's destined for a permanent relief role, as some believe, it's hard not to favor the Cubs in this trade.
Both the Red Sox and Padres ranked within the top nine for draft spending from 2009-11, so Epstein and Hoyer clearly believe in investing in amateur talent. The new collective bargaining agreement will severely restrict the Cubs and other teams from spending big on the draft and internationally, so Epstein and Hoyer overspent on free agent Cuban lefty Gerardo Concepcion while they still could. The Cubs would argue the assertion that they overpaid for Concepcion, but Jim Callis of Baseball America says he "projects more as a No. 4 starter than as a front-of-the-rotation option" and is not a top 100 prospect overall. Maybe the Cubs are choosing certainty over upside with guys like Travis Wood and Concepcion, or maybe they disagree with the industry and see bigger things for these lefties.
The Cubs have some extra rotation depth at the moment, having held onto righty Matt Garza despite trade interest. The 28-year-old is under team control for two more years, though he won't be cheap in 2013. If the price is right, the Cubs are amenable to extending Garza, their de facto ace.
Expectations are low for the 2012 Cubs, as rebuilding the team the right way is considered more than a one-offseason project. Given the size of the payroll and fan base, Epstein and Hoyer did not choose a complete rebuild, but they're going younger at the infield corners and staying young in the rotation. It'll be interesting to see how they react this summer or in the 2012-13 offseason if the Cubs are better than expected this season. When Hoyer's Padres exceeded expectations in 2010, he didn't deviate from his long-term plan, avoiding trading top prospects at the deadline and following through on the Adrian Gonzalez trade after the season. I expect something similar from the Cubs, who still have a few decent trade chips.
Photo courtesy of Icon SMI.