Cubs Rumors

Odds & Ends: Jays, Haren, Nolasco, Lee, Hunter

By Mike Axisa | July 10, 2010 at 1:46pm CDT

Some links before Cliff Lee makes his Rangers' debut this evening…

Toronto has plenty of trade chips heading into the deadline, writes Bob Elliott of the Toronto Sun.
FoxSports.com's Jon Paul Morosi says that the Phillies, Dodgers, Reds, White Sox, Angels, and Yankees all had scouts in attendance for last night's Dan Haren–Ricky Nolasco matchup, though it's unclear how many (or if any) were there specifically to watch the righthanders.
Prospect maven Jim Callis of Baseball America said (via Twitter) that he considers the various packages offered to Seattle for Lee to be "a wash."
A's GM Billy Beane said that he doesn't anticipate "being that active at the trade deadline," according to John Shea of The San Francisco Chronicle. Ben Sheets (4.89 ERA, 6.6 K/9) hasn't built up the trade value Beane hoped he would when they signed him this winter, but there is always a market for starting pitching.
Joel Sherman and George A. King III of The New York Post heard that club officials from other teams were "irked" by the Mariners' actions during the Lee trade discussions. They also have info on some other prospects Seattle requested from the Yankees.
Sherman tweets that the Mariners wanted top outfield prospect Desmond Jennings from the Rays in a deal for Lee.
Torii Hunter told Ben Bolch of The Los Angeles Times that he wants to be a GM one day, and he thinks that Seattle broke an unwritten rule by trading Lee within the division.
Derrek Lee told The Chicago Tribune's Paul Sullivan that he wouldn't ask Cubs' GM Jim Hendry to trade him to a contender.
Lance Berkman told Bernando Fallas of The Houston Chronicle that it feels different to see the Astros in sell mode.

Odds & Ends: Lee, DeJesus, Padres, Drew

By Mark Polishuk | July 9, 2010 at 8:35pm CDT

Some news from around the majors tonight, including a bit more on (you guessed it), Cliff Lee joining the Rangers…

Newsday's David Lennon tweets that the Mariners/Mets negotiations for Lee fell through when Seattle wanted Ike Davis as part of the trade package.
The Mariners were after James Loney or Chad Billingsley from the Dodgers in a possible Lee trade, reports Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times. (Twitter link)
Most teams feel the Royals will wait until closer to the trade deadline before thinking about a David DeJesus trade, tweets ESPN's Buster Olney.
Dan Hayes of the North County Times reports (via Twitter) that the Padres have heard some inquiries about right-handed prospect Keyvius Sampson, among other notable minor leaguers in the San Diego system.
Jamie Samuelsen of the Detroit Free Press says the Tigers are virtually obligated to make a move at the trade deadline.
Blogger El Lefty Malo thinks the Giants should make an offer on Stephen Drew. Not a bad idea, but it's hard to believe that San Francisco would give up Jonathan Sanchez for Drew, as E.L.M. proposes.
Speaking of Drew, MLB.com's Jason Beck thinks that he's "a more realistic target" than Dan Haren in a potential Tigers/Diamondbacks trade.
Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette discusses the Pirates' international scouting system.
Milwaukee GM Doug Melvin says his team isn't in out-and-out "seller" mode, reports MLB.com's Adam McCalvy.
Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com writes that the Cubs could be contenders again in the near future.
And finally, Fangraphs' Matt Klaaseen pokes some fun at the newest members of the Miami Heat by predicting a familiar scenario for some of this winter's top free-agent outfielders.

Texas Has “Strong Interest” In Xavier Nady

By Mark Polishuk | July 9, 2010 at 8:04pm CDT

Now that Justin Smoak is on his way to Seattle, Bruce Levine of ESPNChicago.com reports that the Rangers are looking at Chicago's Xavier Nady. Chris Davis has already been called up from Triple-A to take over first base for Texas, though Davis was sent down in April due to his unimpressive .556 OPS in 53 plate appearances that necessitated Smoak's call-up earlier this season.

Nady, meanwhile, has a line of .233/.305/.361 line in 151 PA for the Cubs as he tries to recover from major elbow surgery last year. Nady is the last man on the depth chart in a crowded Cubs outfield, and has about $1.6MM still owed to him from the one-year deal he signed with Chicago last January. Nady can earn $2.05MM more due to games-played incentives, which the Rangers would also have to take into consideration should they have a more prominent role in mind for the veteran.

If Texas did acquire the right-handed hitting Nady, it would make sense to platoon him with the left-handed hitting Davis (who has a career .671 OPS against lefties). The Rangers were, however, willing to install a rookie as the everyday first baseman when they called up Smoak, so it's reasonable to think that they'd still show some faith in Davis by letting him take some cuts against major league southpaws. Davis had a whopping .958 OPS for Triple-A Oklahoma City so perhaps he's gotten his confidence back.

Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Mets, Red Sox, Meek, Giants

By Mike Axisa | July 9, 2010 at 7:32pm CDT

On this date eight years ago, Major League Baseball's 73rd All Star Game ended after 11 innings in a 7-7 tie when both sides ran out of pitchers. Shortly thereafter, commissioner Bud Selig ruled that the All Star Game will determine home field advantage in the World Series, a still unpopular decision. The American League has won every Midsummer Classic since then, and 12 of the last 13 overall (the tie being the one exception).

This year's All Star Game is still four days away, so here are some links to keep you occupied until then…

Mets Paradise examines some trade scenarios for the Mets involving Ted Lilly and Octavio Dotel.
The Bottom Line finds some relievers on the trade market that could entice the Red Sox.
MLB Depth Charts lists (almost) every club's nearly big league-ready trade chips.
Pittsburgh Lumber Co. looks at the possibility of the Pirates turning Evan Meek, an All Star, into a starting pitcher.
The Dugout Report wonders if the Bengie Molina trade means the Giants are going for it, or packing it in.
Meanwhile, More Hardball catches up with the three Molina brothers.
River Ave. Blues lays out the case for the Yankees to acquire Kerry Wood.
Examiner looks at the consequences of Jake Peavy's injury for the White Sox.
The Baseball Opinion reviews the Mark Mulder trade following the lefty's retirement.

If you have a suggestion for this feature, Mike can be reached here.

Mets Will Turn To Ted Lilly

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | July 9, 2010 at 11:36am CDT

Cliff Lee is coming to New York, but he isn't the left-handed starter the Mets are focused on. Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports (via Twitter) that the Mets will 'turn strongly' to Cubs starter Ted Lilly now that Lee is on the brink of joining the Yankees. As Sherman explains here, the Mets do like Roy Oswalt – they just aren't comfortable paying the vast majority of his salary and giving up good prospects.

Lilly, a free agent after the season, has about $5.6MM remaining on his 2010 contract. The 34-year-old has a 3.76 ERA with 6.2 K/9 and 2.1 BB/9 and projects as a Type A free agent.

Jon Heyman of SI.com says the Mets are more likely to add Lilly than Oswalt or Dan Haren, but says the Cubs have yet to make their left-hander available (Twitter link). Heyman points out that Lilly's average fastball velocity has dropped from 87 to 86 mph.

Cubs Looking To Move Cumbersome Salaries

By Mike Axisa | July 8, 2010 at 10:32pm CDT

The Cubs are finally starting to get serious about making trades, and The Chicago Tribune's Fred Mitchell and David Kaplan hear that the team is picking up their efforts to shed some "cumbersome salaries." Ownership is also expected to address the media about the team's direction at some point.

"It has been very difficult for the family and the team the first half of the season," chairman Tom Ricketts told season ticket holders. "This is not where the family wanted to be in the first half of the season."

Kosuke Fukudome, who has close to $20MM left on his deal, probably represents the most "movable" of the big salaries, since the team is unlikely to find a taker for Alfonso Soriano ($62MM left) or Carlos Zambrano ($45MM) without eating a significant portion of their contracts.

Derrek Lee is owed approximately $6.2MM the rest of the season, Ted Lilly a touch less. Those two are probably Chicago's best hope for clearing payroll, though the savings will not extend beyond this season since both are scheduled to become free agents this winter. The Cubs have over $103MM in salary obligations for 2011, and more than $62MM for 2012.

Odds & Ends: Pirates, Cardinals, Padres, Oswalt

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | July 8, 2010 at 5:42pm CDT

Some links for Thursday, a day that has even the most intense baseball fans wondering about LeBron James' decision…

MLB.com's Jenifer Langosch reviews all of the players Pirates' GM Neal Huntington has acquired after they were designated for assignment by another team. The best of the lot: Delwyn Young.
Tony LaRussa is happy with the Cardinals' recent bullpen additions, according to MLB.com's Matthew Leach. St. Louis added Mike MacDougal today and Renyel Pinto about two weeks ago.
Padres GM Jed Hoyer confirmed to Jim Bowden of Sirius XM Radio that the Padres have payroll flexibility and would like to add a well-rounded hitter and a starting pitcher (all Twitter links).
Peter Gammons notes a Corey Hart–Mike Minor rumor (via Twitter). The Braves are interested in Hart and other right-handed hitting outfielders, but Hart tells MLB.com's Adam McCalvy that he wants to stay in Milwaukee.
The Mets, Phillies, Rays and Dodgers are among the teams watching Roy Oswalt today, according to MLB.com's Brian McTaggart (Twitter link).
Matt Cerrone of MetsBlog hears that the Mets, Phillies and Rangers are among the many teams eyeing Ben Sheets.
Yahoo's Steve Henson dials the clock back to 1999 and takes a look at the little league team that included Stephen Strasburg and Mike Leake.
Cubs draftee Matt Szczur has a deal that will give him an additional $500K if he gives up football, according to Jim Callis of Baseball America.
Jamey Newberg says the Rangers should seriously consider trading Chris Davis or Justin Smoak if there's a real chance to improve the club.
Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports that the D'Backs will listen to offers for Dan Haren, but will likely have to be blown away to deal him (Twitter link).
Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun asks Orioles fans: should the O's have any untouchable players in trade talks this year?
Billy Wagner repeated something he said earlier in the year, telling Ray Parrillo of the Philadelphia Inquirer that he intends to retire after 2010.
Phil Sheridan of the Philadelphia Inquirer says the Phillies – like every other team in baseball – would be better with Cliff Lee.
David Ortiz tells John Tomase of the Boston Herald that he hopes to talk to the Red Sox about staying in Boston after this season. The Red Sox hold a $12.5MM option for Big Papi in 2011.

Cubs Are Getting More Serious About Trades

By Mike Axisa | July 7, 2010 at 5:19pm CDT

The Cubs have yet to declare themselves buyers or sellers despite a 37-47 record, but Ken Davidoff of Newsday tweets that the team is starting to get "more serious" about making deals. Davidoff also mentions that the Mets "like the idea" of adding Ted Lilly to their rotation while assuming the $6MM left on his contract in order to give up fewer prospects in a trade.

Lilly is just one of several pieces the Cubs could shop, along with Ryan Theriot, Mike Fontenot, Jeff Baker, Derrek Lee, Kosuke Fukudome, and Xavier Nady. The Giants could have interest in Theriot and Chicago tried to push Fukudome on the Red Sox, but nothing has materialized just yet.

The Mets have expressed interest in adding a quality starter, and Lilly would certainly fit the bill. There is some uncertainty about the team's ability to add payroll however, so whether or not they can actually take on Lilly's salary remains to be seen.

Cubs Rumors: Theriot, Trades, Piniella

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | July 7, 2010 at 8:34am CDT

Jim Hendry's peers recently told ESPN that the Cubs GM is an easy person to make trades with. If the 36-47 Cubs decide to sell, Hendry's phone could be ringing non-stop, but the Cubs aren't there quite yet. Here's the latest on the North Siders:

A few weeks ago Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News heard that the Giants could have interest in Ryan Theriot, but the Giants now say Theriot's name hasn't come up in trade talks.
Hendry may not have committed to selling, but manager Lou Piniella thinks the Cubs will get younger this month. ''We probably will be sellers,'' Piniella told the Chicago Sun-Times.
Piniella told Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune that he will finish managing this season, but won't take another managerial job afterwards. "I know that this will be my last managing job," Piniella said. "I do know that for a fact."

Odds & Ends: Zambrano, Millwood, Orioles, Ausmus

By Zachary Links | July 3, 2010 at 10:13pm CDT

Let's check out some tidbits from around the web on this Fourth Of July eve..

Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle thinks that a swap of Carlos Zambrano and Aaron Rowand would make sense.
A source told Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (via Twitter) that the Tigers have not inquired on Kevin Millwood even though they need pitching. Earlier this week we learned that the Mets aren't interested in the veteran either.
It will be interesting to see what Eric Wedge does if he's offered the O's job, writes Paul Hoynes of The Plain Dealer. Wedge and Buck Showalter are believed to be the favorites for the position.
Brad Ausmus, 41, isn't ready to call it a career yet, writes MLB.com's Ken Gurnick.

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