Cubs Rumors

Amateur Draft Signings: Tuesday

By Mark Polishuk | June 22, 2010 at 7:19pm CDT

Here's the round-up of today's mass signings and individual agreements between teams and players from the 2010 Amateur Draft. The list of first-rounders and supplemental round picks to sign can be found here.

Pittsburgh has signed 14th-rounder Bryce Weidman and 22nd-rounder Adalberto Santos, reports Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com.
John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer reports that the Reds have signed two more of their picks.
Dylan Hernandez of The Los Angeles Times tweets that the Dodgers signed their second and seventh round selections — namely, right-hander Ralston Cash and right-hander Ryan Christenson.
The Cubs agreed to terms with five draft picks today, according to a team press release. Third-rounder Micah Gibbs was the highest-drafted player amongst the new Cubs.
Corey Brock of MLB.com tweets that the Padres signed fifth-round pick Rico Noel and eleventh-rounder Brian Guinn.
A Padres team press release confirmed the signings of Noel and Guinn, and also announced that the club had agreed to terms with six other draft picks.
Anthony Andro of the Dallas Morning News reports that Texas agreed to terms with sixth-rounder Brett Nicholas.
According to an Angels press release, the team has signed second-rounder (81st overall) Daniel Tillman, a right-handed pitcher from Florida Southern College.
Chris Sale passed his team physical and thus his contract with the White Sox was officially announced by the club today, via press release.

Odds & Ends: D’Backs, Manny, Mets, Silva, Rangers

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | June 22, 2010 at 12:26pm CDT

Links for Tuesday before the Angels and Dodgers face off in Anaheim…

Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports breaks down the trade candidates on the D'Backs. How many of these players will be moved? One person in the D'Backs organization put the over-under at two.
In an appearance on WEEI, Peter Gammons suggested Manny Ramirez will be earning $5-6MM in the American League next year. Click here for more on Ramirez's free agent stock.
Mets starters Mike Pelfrey and Johan Santana told Peter Botte of the New York Daily News that they would be pleased if the Mets added an ace like Cliff Lee or Roy Oswalt, even though R.A. Dickey, Jon Niese and Hisanori Takahashi have pitched well.
As Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times points out, the disappointing Cubs would be doing much worse if not for their acquisition of Carlos Silva.
Tim Cowlishaw of the Dallas Morning News says the Rangers wouldn't have to fear the Yankees, Red Sox or Twins if they add an ace pitcher.
Woody Paige of the Denver Post suggests a number of paths the Rockies could choose if their next nine games don't go well. Among the many options Paige suggests: trade for Dan Uggla.

Odds & Ends: Sheets, Matthews Jr., Cubs, Red Sox

By Luke Adams 2 | June 21, 2010 at 9:33pm CDT

A few more links for Monday night….

A scout tells John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle (Twitter link) that he didn't know of any teams scouting Ben Sheets this past weekend.
John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer tweets that there's no risk to the Reds signing Gary Matthews Jr., but that he still wouldn't do it.
Jack Moore of Fangraphs explains how he thinks the Cubs should approach the trading deadline.
The Red Sox will have the financial flexibility to make a move or two this summer in part because of their abundance of homegrown pitching talent, according to MLB.com's Peter Gammons.
Bob Ford of the Philadelphia Inquirer says the Phillies may need to acquire an arm for the back of their bullpen.
With July 31st fast approaching, MLB.com's beat writers are fielding a slew of questions about possible trades. Check out mailbags from Anthony Castrovince (Indians), T.R. Sullivan (Rangers), Joe Frisaro (Marlins), and Chris Haft (Giants) for their thoughts on the trade market.

Odds & Ends: Mejia, O’s, McGuire, Rangers, Valverde

By Luke Adams 2 | June 20, 2010 at 3:48pm CDT

Links for Sunday….

ESPN's Adam Rubin tweets that the Mets have optioned Jenrry Mejia to Double-A Binghamton, where he will start their game on Wednesday.
Jeff Zrebiec tells us that Buck Showalter will interview for the Baltimore managerial job this week, and Eric Wedge will likely receive a second interview. The club has yet to ask the Mets for permission to interview Bob Melvin.
MLB.com's Jordan Bastian quotes Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos saying that despite first-round pick Deck McGuire's lack of participation in a media conference call, he's excited to have been drafted by Toronto. Anthopoulos says that negotiations, however, could go down to the wire as they did in 2009 with Chad Jenkins.
Rangers manager Ron Washington feels that his team could use another front-line starting pitcher, according to MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan. Texas has recently seen both Derek Holland and Rich Harden land on the disabled list.
Nick Piecoro tweets that the D'Backs offered Jose Valverde a two-year deal worth about $10MM before he signed for two years and $14MM with Detroit. The story spawns from some heated comments that were exchanged between Valverde and former teammate Miguel Montero.
Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times thinks Dan Haren would be a "perfect fit" for the Angels.
The Cubs will soon face a decision on whether to become buyers or sellers, writes Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune.
Within a mailbag for the Cleveland Plain Dealer, Paul Hoynes says that a little salary relief is the best the Indians could hope for in a Kerry Wood trade.
Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch details how the Cardinals will handle their starting rotation for the time being. Even after signing Jeff Suppan, the club will be short-handed while they wait for Brad Penny to get healthy.
The Tigers should exercise patience when it comes to acquiring a shortstop, according to Lynn Hennig of the Detroit News.
Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports tweets that the Tigers will have to think about trading for a starting pitcher, with Rick Porcello heading to Triple-A.

Amateur Draft Signings: Saturday

By Mike Axisa | June 19, 2010 at 8:47pm CDT

Here are the latest updates on which picks have signed with the clubs that selected them in last week's draft. Keep tabs on which first rounders and sandwich picks have signed by checking out our detailed breakdown.

Tracy Ringolsby of Inside The Rockies reports that Colorado has signed fourth round pick Russell Wilson, though terms of the deal are unknown.
The Cubs have signed 15 players according to MLB.com's Carrie Muskat, including seven of their first 14 selections. They also finalized their deal with first rounder Hayden Simpson.
MLB.com's Ken Gurnick reports that the Dodgers have signed three more draft picks, and that the club remains optimistic that they will be able to get first rounder Zach Lee under contract.
Bill Shanks of FoxSportsSouth.com passes along word of two more draft pick signings by Atlanta, bringing their total to 28.
The Orioles have agreed to a deal with fourth rounder Trent Mummey, tweets MLB.com's Brittany Ghiroli. He still has to pass a physical.

Cubs Agree To Terms With Hayden Simpson

By Luke Adams 2 | June 17, 2010 at 5:25pm CDT

The Cubs have reached an agreement with first-round draft pick Hayden Simpson, according to MLB.com's Carrie Muskat (via Twitter). The deal is pending a physical, but the team could officially announce the signing by Saturday.

Jim Callis of Baseball America reports that Simpson will receive a signing bonus of $1.06MM, well below MLB's recommended figure for the draft slot.

The club's selection of Simpson at 16th overall in last week's draft surprised many, including the college right-hander himself. Although Baseball America ranked the Southern Arkansas pitcher 191st overall in their list of the top 200 amateur prospects, Mark Potash of the Chicago Sun-Times points out that Cubs scouting director Tim Wilken "has a history of taking players based on his ratings and not Baseball America's."

Odds & Ends: Chipper, Cubs, Lowell, Mets, Tigers

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | June 17, 2010 at 4:04pm CDT

Links for Thursday, as Ubaldo Jimenez keeps winning…

Chipper Jones may have decided on his future; David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports (via Twitter) that the Braves will hold a press conference for Chipper at 5pm CST today.
The Cubs seem close to signing first rounder Hayden Simpson, according to MLB.com's Carrie Muskat.
Rob Bradford of WEEI.com reports that the Red Sox are not close to dealing Mike Lowell to the Rangers or Twins.
The Red Sox want the Twins and Rangers to pick up salary in a Lowell deal, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (via Twitter). The Twins and Rangers are still reluctant to pay much of the $7MM remaining on Lowell's contract.
Pat Andriola of FanGraphs says Jake Westbrook could be a good fit for the Mets, who are looking for starting pitching.
A Tigers official tells Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports that things have been “quiet” on the trade front so far.
Cubs GM Jim Hendry told Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune that he has "no intention of firing Lou Piniella."
Miguel Montero tells Alex Speier of WEEI.com that he was flattered by the interest Boston had in trading for him after the 2008 season. Speier hears that the Red Sox and D'Backs, who were never on the brink of a deal, were discussing a swap based around Michael Bowden or Daniel Bard.
If you've ever wondered what it would be like to watch a game beside Padres GM Jed Hoyer, check out this profile by Tim Sullivan of the San Diego Union-Tribune. Within the piece we hear that Hoyer would like to make San Diego an especially appealing destination for pitchers.
ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick examines the Padres' amazing pitching and points out that manager Bud Black and Hoyer were pitchers themselves.

Cubs Approached Red Sox About Fukudome

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | June 17, 2010 at 3:08pm CDT

The Cubs recently approached the Red Sox about Kosuke Fukudome, according to Sean McAdam of CSNNE.com. Sources in both leagues told McAdam that the Red Sox did not engage the Cubs in talks because of the $21MM remaining on Fukudome’s contract. The Cubs are apparently unwilling to take on much of the $13MM Fukudome makes this year or the $13.5MM he makes next year.

The Red Sox are debating whether to rely on internal options like Daniel Nava and Darnell McDonald or pursue outside help to fill in while Jeremy Hermida, Mike Cameron and Jacoby Ellsbury are injured. They never exchanged names with the Cubs, according to McAdam.

The Cubs would like to deal Fukudome, according to recent FOX Sports reports. The 33-year-old is batting .281/.373/.456 with six homers. So far in his two-plus years in the majors, Fukudome has hit better in the first half (.798 OPS) than in the second (.736 OPS).

Odds & Ends: Lee, Orioles, Cubs, Oswalt, Chipper

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | June 16, 2010 at 2:56pm CDT

Links for Wednesday, before Pedro Alvarez makes his MLB debut…

Jack Curry of the YES Network (via Twitter) hears from a baseball official that the Phillies are interested in adding a starting pitcher. Curry specifically names Cliff Lee, though I can't imagine the team re-acquiring him just a few months after shipping him to Seattle.
The Orioles have contacted Buck Showalter about managing the team, according to Tim Kurkjian of ESPN.com.
The Cubs hired a statistical analyst for the team's baseball operations department, according to ESPN.com's Bruce Levine.
Jon Heyman of SI.com hears that it's an "extreme long shot" that the Rangers acquire Roy Oswalt.
One GM told ESPN.com's Buster Olney that teams are now demanding big returns for players who will eventually be traded for less.
DJ Bean of WEEI.com introduces us to Red Sox fourth rounder Garin Cecchini, who told every major league team he wouldn't sign for less than mid-first-round money. Specifically, Cecchini wants $1.75MM, according to Bean.
White Sox GM Kenny Williams told Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune that he hasn't given up on his team and wants to see how it fares over the course of the coming week.
Chipper Jones' agent, B.B. Abbott, told Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports that Chipper will "absolutely not" retire during the season.
The Yankees released David Winfree from their Triple A team, according to Donnie Collins of the Times-Tribune.
Joel Sherman of the New York Post points out that the Yankees won't have to pursue free agents Carl Crawford and Jayson Werth if Brett Gardner, Nick Swisher and Curtis Granderson keep playing this well.

Odds & Ends: LaRoche, Lee, Nationals, Simpson

By Mark Polishuk | June 15, 2010 at 8:18pm CDT

It was on this day in 1938 that Reds lefthander Johnny Vander Meer became a baseball immortal by throwing his second consecutive no-hitter. What better way to commemorate the Vanderversary than with some news items?

Adam LaRoche is prepared for another summer of hearing rumors and possibly being traded again, reports Brian MacPherson of the Providence Journal.
What would be fair value for Cliff Lee? Fangraphs' Dave Cameron breaks down the question.
ESPN.com's Jayson Stark is impressed by how the entire Nationals franchise seems to have turned around in a year's time.
Hayden Simpson seemed to be a reach for the Cubs as the 16th overall pick, but Mark Potash of the Chicago Sun-Times thinks that Chicago scouting director Tim Wilken's past drafting record "has earned [him] the benefit of the doubt." Maybe so, but implying Simpson could be "the next Roy Halladay" is a bit much.
Had the Dodgers picked up a veteran starter or two in the offseason, the L.A. Times' Steve Dilbeck says the team could've avoided using so many young arms to plug holes in their injury-plagued rotation.
Omar Minaya hinted that the Mets could add a starting pitcher, but "is reluctant" to do so at the expense of dealing promising minor leaguers, reports Andy Martino of the New York Daily News.
R.J. Anderson of Fangraphs thinks the Marlins will likely be sellers at the trade deadline. Responding to Anderson's story, Juan C. Rodriguez of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel agrees, but thinks a potential deal could bring back more than just prospects for the Fish.
Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette chats with Pirates fans and covers a few hot stove topics, including the likelihood of Zach Duke being dealt.
Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times reports (via Twitter) that Ozzie Guillen thinks "it was a good sign" that A.J. Pierzynski wasn't traded before his ten-and-five rights kicked in. Guillen believes the non-deal "sends a message to the Sox players that there is still time to fix things."

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