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Cubs Deals For Podsednik, Stewart Dead

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Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times reports that the Cubs will not be acquiring Scott Podsednik, and in fact chances were slim from the beginning.  I saw a recent poll where the majority of Cubs fans thought the Cubs should trade for an outfielder.  I disagree – I can’t see a waiver acquisition improving upon the in-house options.  The one possible exception I can think of is Matt Stairs.  Regardless of my opinion, the Cubs will apparently go with what they’ve got.

Similarly, the idea of acquiring Shannon Stewart should be dismissed.  According to the Contra Costa Times, Stewart’s continued presence in an A’s uniform means the deadline has passed for a trade.  Joe Stiglich notes that Stewart could net the A’s a high draft pick if he leaves via free agency.

Random Rumors And Signings

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We have a bunch of rumor-related tidbits today, and for now I’ll put them into one post.

  • There’s a mini-controversy afoot regarding Cubs lefty Will Ohman.  Ohman has indicated that the Cubs have been letting him pitch while hurt, and the Cubs contend that he never visited the trainer.  No matter who you side with, Ohman’s days in the organization are numbered.
  • The Cubs indeed won the Scott Podsednik claim, but the White Sox want a legitimate prospect in return.  I’ve heard Sean Gallagher mentioned.  There’s not much time for posturing here as the teams probably have until today or tomorrow to make a trade.  The White Sox were considered nontendering Pods last offseason, and he didn’t do anything this year that should’ve changed their mind.  Ozzie Guillen even called him "unreliable" publicly.  Kenny Williams should take what he can get and give the playing time to someone else.
  • Casey Fossum’s been released by the Devil Rays; he’ll hook on somewhere.  The little lefty used to throw in the mid-90s with Boston.  Not so much anymore, but he does boast one of the slowest curveballs you’ll find (slower than 50 mph).  Back in ’03, the Red Sox offered him to Toronto for Kelvim Escobar, unwilling to give up Trot Nixon.  He eventually went to Arizona in the Curt Schilling deal and later was traded to the Devil Rays for Jose Cruz Jr.  Fossum’s battled shoulder woes for most of his career, having labrum surgery in ’06.  He’s still only 29.
  • The Rockies signed Elmer Dessens to a minor-league deal.  They might have to throw the 34 year-old into the rotation for lack of better options. 
  • Carlos Silva wants to stay in Minnesota, and would sign at a discount before hitting the open market if the Twins are interested.  Unfortunately, a discount for a Silva-type these days might be three years, $18MM.  Jason Marquis’s contract was something of a benchmark.  If Silva backs it up to two years, $10MM, I can see the Twins going for it. 
  • Victor Zambrano now finds himself toiling for the Pirates’ Triple A affiliate.

Cubs Claim Scott Podsednik?

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UPDATE: Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune seems to indicate that the Cubs won the claim.

Several people have emailed me this morning about an ESPN Radio 1000 report.  Apparently the Cubs have claimed Scott Podsednik.  As with the Shannon Stewart situation, I’m currently unclear on whether the Cubs simply put in the claim on Pods or if they’ve been awarded it.

How Podsednik would help the Cubs is beyond me, but that’s why Jim Hendry gets paid the big bucks.  Podsednik makes another $860K or so this year, and might be a nontender candidate this winter.  By the way, this is where I believe the original rumor began.

Cubs Put In Claim For Shannon Stewart

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UPDATE: The San Francisco Chronicle verifies the claim.  Stewart has mixed feelings about it.

UPDATE 2: Buster Olney says has heard that the two sides will not be able to work out a trade.

UPDATE 3: Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune says many teams put in a claim for Stewart, and the winner is not yet known.

Several people have emailed me regarding a Bruce Levine report today on ESPN 1000.  It seems the Cubs may have won a waiver claim on Shannon Stewart, meaning the two teams have 48.5 hours to work out a trade.

The 33 year-old outfielder is having a solid year by his standards and has managed to stay healthy.  But with a .401 SLG, he doesn’t add much pop to the currently punchless Cubs squad.  I would imagine Stewart will be a Type B free agent, lessening the quality of the player going to Oakland in return.

Random Rumors: Erstad, Gagne, Podsednik

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Here’s a smattering of random rumors.

  • The Twins have tried and failed to acquire Mike Piazza, Jermaine Dye, and Kevin Mench.  Instead of Dye, the White Sox offered up 33 year-old outfielder Darin Erstad, he of the .671 OPS. The Twins passed.
  • Eric Gagne will apparently earn Type A status as a free agent, despite pitching only two innings in 2006.  Rob Bradford has the details.  This was apparently a big factor for the Red Sox in making the deal.
  • The Chicago Sun-Times debunks a rumor that the Cubs are trying to trade for Scott Podsednik.  How come I wasn’t told about this rumor previously?  Who started it?  I feel left out. 
  • The Pirates and Tigers are still talking about Jack Wilson.  Apparently the deadline version of the deal died when the Bucs asked for Craig Monroe.  Really?  The deal died over that guy?
  • Gordon Edes has a Major League source indicating that the Orioles are "the kind of team that might have interest" in Wily Mo Pena.  That’s not the same as saying that they do have interest, however.

Cubs Considering Outfielders

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Multiple readers have emailed me about a radio report on WSCR 670 The Score out of Chicago today. According to the report, the Cubs are considering multiple trade possibilities to fill the monthlog gap left by Alfonso Soriano’s quad injury.  On the radar: Craig Monroe, Matt Stairs, Jeff Conine, and Adam Dunn.  Additionally, Cubs GM Jim Hendry came out and said today that he’s working the phones to find some help.

Contract situations of each player:

Monroe – $1.5MM left in ’07, should earn $5MM+ in ’08 before reaching free agency
Stairs – $267K left in ’07, free agent after season
Conine – $630K left in ’07, free agent after season
Dunn – $3.3MM left in ’07, free agent after season if traded

Monroe is the right-handed Jacque Jones, contract situation and all.  He’d be a poor and mildly expensive addition.  He’d probably clear waivers.

Stairs is doing what he does best, mashing righties.  He’s having his best season since 2003.  He’s not earning much and has no ’08 commitment.  He played for the Cubs in ’01 and did a decent job. The problem?  He might be claimed off waivers before he gets to the Cubs.  Jim Hendry really should’ve made this deal in July.  Every AL team will have a crack at him first on waivers.  Plus the Jays might fancy themselves contenders at six games out of the wild card. 

Conine is on the last leg of his career and doesn’t really offer anything Matt Murton doesn’t.  I don’t really see the point but this pickup seems most likely.

Dunn is the most intriguing and also by far the least likely option here.  The Cubs would have to give up some good players and pay out a decent chunk of salary for less than two months of Dunn.  They’d also have to do something ugly like put him in right field when Soriano comes back.  I don’t see this happening. 

Multiple Teams Looking At Kielty

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UPDATE: The Red Sox signed Kielty.

Bobby Kielty is a 31 year-old switch-hitting outfielder.  He can typically draw a few walks and hit lefties.  He can handle the corner outfield positions but hasn’t played center with any regularity since 2002.  Kielty is a free agent now after being released by the A’s.

According to the Boston Herald, Kielty is receiving interest from the Red Sox, Yankees, Cubs, Diamondbacks, and Astros.  The Herald mentions Kielty’s ties to New England, while the San Francisco Chronicle considers him the favorite.  Question: why would the Astros be interested?

Zambrano Wants To Sign With Cubs

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Cubs ace Carlos Zambrano says he’s ready to sign; the Cubs just need to put a reasonable contract offer in front of him.  He’d sacrifice the chance to hit the open market after the season.  It appears that five years and $90MM would get the job done.  Zambrano would be likely to exceed Barry Zito’s 7/126 on the open market, so this is a discount.  He’d still be the highest-paid Cub. 

Back in April, it was five years, $80MM.  The Cubs have cost themselves $10MM by waiting, and that amount will continue to increase if Zambrano finishes strong and/or actually gets to free agency.

Zambrano has bounced back from a lousy start, and now his numbers are in line with career marks.  I have to admit that in May I suggested that even 5/80 was a bad idea for the Cubs.  Has Zambrano’s performance since then changed my mind?  It certainly makes the decision tougher.  I don’t have a good answer here; it depends on what the Cubs would do with the money if they let Z walk.      

Latest On Eric Gagne: Brewers Jump In, Red Sox Leading

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Deadline day!  I’ll be with you nonstop until the trading is done.  Eric Gagne is the big name to watch, unless things heat up with Adam Dunn and Jermaine Dye.

  • UPDATE: Ken Rosenthal mentioned in his recent column that the Brewers are one of the 12 teams that can acquire Gagne without his permission.  So to review:  the Yankees, Mets, Angels, Brewers, and eight other unknown teams can acquire Gagne without his permission.  He’d need to consent to trades to the Tigers, Indians, Phillies, Red Sox, and 13 other unknown clubs.
  • UPDATE: Gordon Edes of the Boston Globe is hearing that the Rangers may prefer to hold onto Gagne and try to sign him to an extension.
  • Brewers GM Doug Melvin called up Jon Daniels to see what it would take to add Eric Gagne to his bullpen.  We don’t know whether Gagne must consent to a trade to Milwaukee, but I’d guess he does have veto power with them.  Francisco Cordero leads all of baseball in saves, so would Gagne set up for him?  Melvin would have to pay up both in prospects and salary.  The Brewers have some pretty good chips like Manny Parra, Carlos Villanueva, and even Rickie Weeks (could he move to center field?)  Tom Haudricourt says the Mets, Yankees, and Red Sox are also in on Gagne.
  • SI.com’s Jon Heyman pegs the latter three as the suitors, with Boston in the lead even though Gagne would need to approve a trade there.  The Red Sox will try to find a deal that doesn’t involve Clay Buchholz or Jon Lester.   The Yankees won’t give up Joba or Hughes for Gagne, but maybe they’ll crack on Ian Kennedy.  The Mets won’t trade Carlos Gomez for him. 
  • The Boston Herald says the Red Sox made a substantial offer for Gagne, which certainly did not include Buchholz, Jacoby Ellsbury, or Justin Masterson.  Jeff Horrigan talked to one GM who said Boston’s offer was the best.
  • The New York Daily News has the Cubs in on Gagne as well.  Mark Feinsand says the Yankees turned down a weekend proposal from the Rangers that included Alan Horne for Gagne.  Feinsand says Kennedy is not up for discussion but guys like Tyler Clippard, Matt DeSalvo, Jeff Marquez, Chase Wright, and Scott Proctor are available.  The Yankees have their eye on Al Reyes as a backup plan but the Rays don’t want to trade him within the division.  Feinsand believes the Red Sox would do David Murphy and Kason Gabbard for Gagne.  Of course they would.
  • The New York Post talked to a scout who believes there’s a 75% chance Gagne is dealt today.  The Indians and Tigers appear to be out of the mix.  Scott Boras remarked yesterday that Gagne only wants to go where he can close.  But it’s not entirely up to Gagne now is it, Scott? 
  • Newsday confirms the Yankees, Mets, Red Sox, and Brewers as the finalists for Gagne.  Kat O’Brien adds Dan Wheeler as another name the Yanks will consider if they don’t get Gagne.  The Yanks could relent and give up Melky Cabrera or Brett Gardner to get Gagne. 

Cubs, Braves, D’Backs, Mets Interested In Carlos Silva

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According to Phil Rogers of the Chicago Tribune, the Cubs have some interest in adding Twins’ starter Carlos Silva for some rotation insurance.  Despite the lack of strikeouts, I think Silva could put up an ERA below 4.50 in the NL Central.

La Velle E. Neal III of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune mentions the Cubs, Braves, Mets, and Diamondbacks as teams that like Silva.  He could be used as a starter or reliever. 

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