Cubs Rumors

Latest On Rotation Battles

By Tim Dierkes | March 22, 2011 at 11:11am CDT

Rotation battles are being decided left and right. Here's the latest.

Scott Baker will serve as the Twins' fifth starter and Kevin Slowey will work out of the bullpen, tweets Kelsie Smith of the St. Paul Pioneer Press. Slowey was highlighted by MLBTR's Ben Nicholson-Smith as a potentially available starter, and the Twins appear willing to listen. With Kyle Gibson on the horizon, can the Twins spare the depth?
Barry Enright made the Diamondbacks' rotation, reports MLB.com's Steve Gilbert. Assuming Joe Saunders makes the cut, that leaves Armando Galarraga and Aaron Heilman duking it out for the right to fill in for Zach Duke. If Heilman sneaks into the rotation, the D'Backs have to decide by March 28th whether they want to pay Galarraga $2.3MM as their long man. If they cut him by then they'd only owe him about $569K.
Bartolo Colon went six strong innings for the Yankees last night, and Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports figures this means he'll make the team somehow. Colon and Freddy Garcia have opt-out dates of March 31st and March 29th, respectively. Ivan Nova probably has the fourth starter job, leaving Colon, Garcia, and Sergio Mitre for two spots.
The Cubs are meeting today and could decide on their fifth starter, reports Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times. If Andrew Cashner gets the nod, I can see the Cubs trying to dump Carlos Silva.

Luis Castillo Rumors: Friday

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | March 18, 2011 at 11:00pm CDT

The Mets released Luis Castillo this morning, which means they're responsible for $6MM less the MLB minimum if he signs with another team. That's exactly what the second baseman intends to do, so we're going to keep track of which teams have potential interest right here:

The Cubs are interested in Castillo, a source told Enrique Rojas of ESPNdeportes.com.
The Orioles have "zero" interest in Castillo at this point, according to Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun (on Twitter).
The Marlins have spoken internally about re-acquiring Castillo, according to Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald. Castillo would be a candidate to play second base in case Matt Dominguez doesn't make the team and Omar Infante shifts to third base.
The Dodgers have no interest in Castillo, according to Dylan Hernandez of the LA Times (on Twitter).
Asked about potential interest, Phillies assistant GM Scott Proefrock said "that remains to be seen," according to MLB.com's Todd Zolecki (on Twitter).
Dave Cameron of FanGraphs argues that Castillo could hold down Philadelphia's second base job while Chase Utley recovers. Castillo isn't a long-term answer, but he could do enough to help the Phillies.
Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports expects that Castillo will sign shortly after clearning waivers on Sunday, and he confirmed that the Phillies, Marlins and Cubs are thought to be in on the veteran second baseman. Rosenthal added that the O's could be interested, depending on how Brian Roberts progresses with his back injury, and he tweeted that the Rockies are not in the mix.

Felix Hernandez’s No-Trade Clause

By Tim Dierkes | March 16, 2011 at 1:39pm CDT

Mariners ace Felix Hernandez can block trades to ten teams, and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports learned eight of them: the Yankees, Mets, Red Sox, Cubs, Angels, Dodgers, Rangers, and Phillies. Morosi adds:

We shouldn’t infer from that list that Hernandez wants to avoid large-market clubs. Rather, astute players (and agents) will often protect against trades to high-revenue teams, because those clubs (a) are most likely to be interested in acquiring expensive players and (b) have the wherewithal to offer financial inducements that encourage players to waive the clauses.

Hernandez, 25 next month, is owed $70.5MM over the next four years under the contract he signed in January of 2010. Many teams would salivate if he were made available, but GM Jack Zduriencik recently told SI's Jon Heyman, "He's not going anywhere. We've got him. We'll keep him. We're not going to move him."

I don't see any reason to doubt Zduriencik or expect him to change his mind. 2011 may be a regrouping year for the Mariners, but they're surely expecting to contend before 2014.

NL Central Notes: Cubs, McClellan, Wallace, Rogers

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | March 15, 2011 at 10:00pm CDT

Notes from the NL Central as Opening Day draws closer…

Patrick Mooney of CSNChicago.com hears from Cubs sources that the team isn't talking to the Rangers about Michael Young. The Cubs maintain that they’re comfortable with Jeff Baker and Blake DeWitt at second base.
Kyle McClellan solidified his bid to become the Cardinals' fifth starter today. As MLB.com's Matthew Leach reports, the converted setup man pitched five shutout innings against the Braves, which presumably lessens the chances that the Cards look outside of the organization for starting pitching. I took a look at McClellan's role in St. Louis last week.
Brett Wallace collected four hits and drove in seven today, according to MLB.com's Brittany Ghiroli. The Astros acquired the first baseman from the Blue Jays last summer after obtaining Anthony Gose from the Phillies in the Roy Oswalt deal. Wallace is vying to become Houston's everyday first baseman.
As MLB.com's Adam McCalvy reports, the Brewers optioned pitching prospect Mark Rogers to Triple-A today because they weren't confident his shoulder stiffness would go away in time for the season. Once he's at full strength, Rogers remains a candidate to fill in for Zack Greinke, who is expected to miss a few starts with a fractured rib.

Heyman On Castillo, Beltre, Belisario, Ackley

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | March 14, 2011 at 4:35pm CDT

Carlos Silva looks like he has earned a release based on his spring performance, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com. Like Oliver Perez, Silva is set to earn $12MM in 2011. Here are the rest of Heyman’s rumors, including the latest on another candidate to be released…

Heyman hears that Luis Castillo has looked better than the others in competition for the Mets second base job. Castillo's performance and the lack of a standout alternative may reduce the chances that the Mets release him.
When Rangers GM Jon Daniels asked Adrian Beltre why two of his best seasons came in contract years, Beltre’s response was succinct: “I wish I [expletive] knew.”
Ronald Belisario is having trouble getting a visa, so the Dodgers aren’t counting on him this year.
Mariners GM Jack Zduriencik says Dustin Ackley, the second overall pick in 2009, has “a shot” to make the team out of Spring Training.

Quick Hits: Looper, Turpen, Moyer, CBA, Nationals

By Luke Adams 2 | March 13, 2011 at 10:47pm CDT

Our condolences go out to the friends and family of Mitchell Page, a former outfielder and hitting coach who passed away Saturday. Page was the runner-up to Eddie Murray in a close vote for AL Rookie of the Year in 1977 and, more recently, served as a hitting coach for the Cardinals and Nationals. Here are today's links:

According to Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times, scouts watching the Cubs this weekend "seemed more interested in what [Braden] Looper’s status was than whether the fat-salaried [Carlos] Silva could be had." If things don't work out with Chicago, however, Looper would likely just return to his family.
One of the Yankees' Sunday roster moves involved returning Rule 5 pick Daniel Turpen to the Red Sox, as Chad Jennings of the Journal News notes.
Jamie Moyer still intends to attempt a comeback in 2012, writes Phil Sheridan of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Moyer, who is recovering from Tommy John surgery, is realistic about the factors working against him: "I want to give this a chance and see what happens. If it doesn't work out, so be it."
CBA talks are ahead of schedule, with the second round of collective bargaining set to occur in the next few weeks, according to MLB.com's Barry M. Bloom.
Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post explains why the Nationals aren't considering releasing Nyjer Morgan.
In another article for the Post, Kilgore says the Nationals are having trouble evaluating Rule 5 pick Elvin Ramirez due to health issues.

Cafardo’s Latest: Young, Pedro, Red Sox, Hatteberg

By Luke Adams 2 | March 13, 2011 at 11:40am CDT

The Phillies' health issues and the Red Sox' depth makes the two teams logical trade partners, says Nick Cafardo in his newest column for the Boston Globe. The Red Sox have spare infielders and outfielders they could offer Philadelphia to offset the injuries to Chase Utley and Domonic Brown. While the Sox and Phils are already the Vegas favorites to meet in the 2011 World Series, Cafardo wonders if a trade between the two sides could help that matchup happen. Here are the other items of interest from the Globe's Sunday Baseball Notes:

If the Rangers were willing to eat some salary, a Michael Young deal "could be made" with the Cubs. As we heard this week, the Cubs probably can't afford to take on Young's contract, but, despite his defensive shortcomings, he would make some sense for Chicago at second base.
Pedro Martinez says he's in good shape and has yet to rule out pitching somewhere in 2011. He thinks it would take him about six weeks to get ready if he were to make a comeback.
Cafardo cautions that the Red Sox' starting pitching depth isn't as strong as it seems. Given Daisuke Matsuzaka's performance this spring, Cafardo thinks it would be prudent to keep Tim Wakefield around, just in case.
The Red Sox are seeking a big-league-ready catcher they can keep in Triple-A in case of injury. Cafardo speculates that Rangers backstop Kevin Cash, a player the Sox have "always loved," could be a fit.
Matt Albers is out of options, making him potential trade bait for the Red Sox. As Cafardo points out, the Sox would rather avoid exposing the right-hander on waivers to a team like the Rays.
Scott Hatteberg is currently working as a special assistant to Billy Beane in Oakland. Agent Joe Urbon feels that Hatteberg's future could include a job as a manager, a possibility the former Athletic sounds willing to explore. "It’s something I could envision down the road," Hatteberg said. "As a catcher, you’re always involved in so many facets of the game that you get an idea of what it’s like."

Yankees, Nationals Scouting Carlos Silva

By Luke Adams 2 | March 12, 2011 at 8:34pm CDT

The Cubs have been watching Carlos Silva's spring starts closely as they decide whether he deserves a spot in their starting rotation, but Chicago hasn't been the only team following Silva's progress. According to Bruce Levine of ESPNChicago, the Yankees and Nationals are among the clubs scouting the right-hander.

When the Cubs acquired Silva in exchange for Milton Bradley last winter, the Mariners agreed to send $9MM to Chicago in the deal. Seattle will pay $5.5MM of that money this season, reducing the weight of Silva's $11.5MM salary on the Cubs' payroll. Still, given the presence of younger, cheaper starting options, it makes sense that the Cubs would move Silva for a decent offer.

Levine reported last weekend that scouts were on hand to watch Silva's earlier spring start, in which he allowed six runs in the first inning and had a dugout confrontation with Aramis Ramirez. The scouts who watched Silva pitch today presumably came away a little more impressed, as the 31-year-old turned in his best performance so far this spring.

NL Central Notes: Brewers, Cubs, Hendry, Pujols

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | March 11, 2011 at 1:57pm CDT

Notes from the NL Central as we wish the best of luck to all those affected by the earthquake in Japan…

Brewers reliever Takashi Saito won't have to return to Japan, since his family has been safely accounted for, according to MLB.com's Adam McCalvy (on Twitter).
Outfielder Brett Jackson headlines MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo's list of the top 10 prospects in the Cubs organization.
Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times shows that the Cubs–White Sox rivalry doesn't seem fierce now, since White Sox GM Kenny Williams supports the Cubs and Cubs GM Jim Hendry has nice things to say about the White Sox.
Baseball writers at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch weigh in on the following question: will Albert Pujols play even better than usual in 2011? The Cardinals slugger is months away from hitting free agency for the first time in his career.

Rangers, D’Backs Discussed Michael Young Again

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | March 10, 2011 at 8:19am CDT

The Diamondbacks made another attempt to acquire Michael Young from the Rangers last week, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Though Young has asked to be traded, there’s no guarantee that he would approve a move to the D’Backs, one of the teams to which he can veto trades. However, one source told Rosenthal that Young would be willing to join the D’Backs and play third base.

Young has a list of ten teams to which he would approve a trade, according to Rosenthal: the eight teams that can acquire him without approval plus the Phillies and the Cubs. Young can’t block trades to the Rockies, Angels, Dodgers, Padres, Cardinals, Twins, Yankees and Astros, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports.

Young is expensive – he’ll earn $16MM for each of the next three seasons – but the Rangers don’t want to compromise their chances of winning in 2011 by dealing him. Young’s contract makes him unattractive to both the Phillies and the Cubs. The Phillies don’t have much room in their budget, so acquiring a $16MM player is unrealistic. The Cubs wouldn’t find it much easier to make the financial side of the deal work.

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