By Tim Dierkes | at
According to Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune, Mark Prior "seems headed for the non-tender list" unless the Cubs pull off a trade or Prior concedes to an option year for 2009.
The 27 year-old hasn’t started a big league game since August 10th, 2006. If he becomes a free agent, I imagine many teams would view him as a low-risk, high-reward option. The Padres have cooled on him, though.
By Tim Dierkes | at
UPDATE, 12-11-07 at 10:43pm: MLB.com’s Carrie Muskat says the deal is for four years and $48MM.
FROM 12-11-07 at 9:40pm:
Dave Kaplan of WGN Radio reports that the Cubs have signed Kosuke Fukudome to a four-year deal. Kaplan says it’s for about $50MM, maybe a hair more. Fukudome will be a free agent after the fourth year; there will be no arbitration.
The Cubs got their man for right field; he’ll provide a strong dose of OBP. The quality of available right fielders drops off drastically after Fukudome. The deal isn’t without risk, obviously, since Fukudome is untested in the Majors. Peter Gammons talked to a GM who described Fukudome as "a cross between Ichiro and a young, healthy Mark Kotsay."
By Tim Dierkes | at
UPDATE, 12-11-07 at 10:48am: Just talked to a good source on this stuff. He told me Fukudome wants five years, despite what we’ve read. The Cubs don’t expect he’ll sign for $50MM for five years, and are offering that amount over four. They’re having an internal debate about stretching it to a five-year, $65MM offer. Jim Hendry wants to stop at four years though.
FROM 12-11-07 at 10:03am:
Interesting piece of information from Tom Krasovic today – he says the Cubs are willing to offer close to $50MM for Kosuke Fukudome. They really want this guy and have built their offseason plan around him.
It’s hard to believe the Cubs would offer that amount for three years; that would be $16.6MM annually to someone who’s never played in the Majors. I could definitely see the Cubs putting out a four-year, $50MM offer though. Who knows how much validity there is to the idea that Fukudome wants three years and only three years.
The Padres have gone at least three years and at least $10MM annually, but it could be more on both accounts. Kevin Towers says the team’s offer was final. He sees Fukudome landing in Chicago or San Diego. That might mean he considers the White Sox to be in the mix as well.
By Tim Dierkes | at
UPDATE, 12-11-07 at 8:27am: Official word comes from the man himself – he’ll try his hand in the Majors in 2008.
UPDATE, 12-10-07 at 10:04pm: Here’s the latest from the Sun-Times. Urbon won’t hear from Fukudome until sometime later tonight. He’ll contact MLB teams on Tuesday at the earliest with the news. From that point, a deal might only take a day or two.
UPDATE, 12-10-07 at 2:30pm: This is getting annoying…Fukudome will decide whether to come to MLB tonight. We all expect him to come, so it’s been a lot of back and forth for nothing.
UPDATE, 12-9-07 at 12:14am: He’s coming this time, for real.
UPDATE, 12-7-07 at 8:08pm: Just listened to Dave Kaplan talking to Fukudome’s agent, Joe Urbon, on Sports Central/WGN 720. Urbon says Fukudome may decide whether to play in the U.S. on Monday. The process would move "very quickly" soon after that for Fukudome to decide on a team.
UPDATE, 12-7-07 at 8:03pm: Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times spoke to Fukudome’s agent. He hasn’t decided yet. He will make a choice Monday or Tuesday, and would let the interested Japanese teams know first.
FROM 12-7-07 at 2:40pm:
In case there was any question, Ken Rosenthal reports that Kosuke Fukudome will announce that he’s leaving Japan for an MLB team.
Rosenthal says it’s down to the Cubs, Padres, and what I like to call a Mystery Team. The Rangers, Giants, and White Sox are candidates. And although Rosenthal doesn’t mention them, the Royals could be in the mix. Ken Davidoff reported on Wednesday that Fukudome had narrowed his choices to the Cubs and Royals (though it’s known that the Padres made a substantial offer). Note that Davidoff’s article came out after news of the Royals’ Jose Guillen signing broke.
By Tim Dierkes | at
Tom Krasovic of the San Diego Union-Tribune has a new column up, chock full of Padres rumors. Let’s discuss.
By Tim Dierkes | at
We thought we had 12 teams in on Erik Bedard when the Red Sox were connected to him today.
However, Bruce Miles of the Daily Herald says Bedard is not on the Cubs’ radar screen. The New York Post’s Joel Sherman had thrown them into the mix on Tuesday. So it looks like we’re down to 11 teams for Bedard.
Two years ago, the Cubs seemingly offered Mark Prior for Bedard and Miguel Tejada. My, how times have changed.
By Tim Dierkes | at
Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago-Sun Times checks in with the latest Cubs buzz.
By Tim Dierkes | at
UPDATE, 12-6-07 at 7:39pm: Sandy Alderson was on 1090 AM XX Sports Radio tonight. He said the Padres gave Fukudome one of the top two or three offers the team ever proposed. An answer from Fukudome is expected tonight or tomorrow.
FROM 12-6-07 at 2:23pm:
According to Tom Krasovic of the San Diego Union-Tribune, it "sounds like the Cubs might go as high as $12-15MM per year" for outfielder Kosuke Fukudome. He adds that Fukudome would have to be willing to take less money to play on the West Coast if he is to become a Padre. Many players have before, so don’t go buying those Fukudome Cubs jerseys just yet.
Krasovic also has a note on Andruw Jones. Apparently the only other concrete offer outside of the Dodgers was a two-year, $22MM one from the Royals.
By Tim Dierkes | at
As usual, Evan Grant has the latest Rangers hot stove buzz.
By Tim Dierkes | at
UPDATE, 12-5-07 at 10:58pm: The Baltimore Sun guys have more. The Cubs have a significant offer on the table, and it may include Gallagher and Matt Murton (but not Hill or Pie). The Cubs will have to do better than just Gallagher and Murton, I imagine. According to Jayson Stark, the Cubs would have to be blown away to trade Hill or Pie.
UPDATE, 12-5-07 at 10:03pm: ESPN Radio 1000’s Bruce Levine checks in to add that Ronny Cedeno would likely be involved in a Roberts deal.
UPDATE, 12-5-07 at 9:39pm: ESPN’s Amy Nelson says Hill is not part of the Roberts talks. Marshall, Gallagher, Felix Pie, and Donald Veal may be in the mix though.
UPDATE, 12-5-07 at 8:17pm: ESPN’s Steve Phillips says the Orioles "would get Rich Hill and Sean Marshall" for Roberts. Not sure if that means the Cubs offered it. Seems like a lot, but I am an unabashed Rich Hill fan.
FROM 12-5-07 at 5:31pm:
Dan Connolly and Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun are reporting that the Cubs are aggressively pursuing the Orioles’ Brian Roberts.
A three player deal is on the table, so I assume the Cubs would send two players over. It’s known that they’d send a starting pitcher, but we don’t have names yet. The authors note that the Orioles have been fond of Rich Hill and Sean Gallagher in the past. Keep in mind that a trade of Roberts would require Peter Angelos’ approval. Per Zrebiec, Angelos would have to be "totally overwhelmed" with an offer.
The authors also note that the Orioles have talked to Tadahito Iguchi’s agent in anticipation of a possible Roberts trade. The Padres and Dodgers would join the Orioles as his top three choices.
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