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Cubs Rumors: Bradley, Grabow, Reed Johnson

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Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune and Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times discuss the Cubs' offseason plans in new articles today.

  • Both writers agree that unloading right fielder Milton Bradley (owed $21MM) is at the top of GM Jim Hendry's to-do list.  Wittenmyer's sources suggest the Cubs might be able to move Bradley without eating 80% of his contract.  Sullivan believes the Cubs could kill two birds with one stone by trading Bradley for their desired "RBI guy," one who carries an equally poor contract.  Magglio Ordonez and Jose Guillen come to mind for me.  However, the Tigers would have no motivation to make the swap and the Royals are not interested (it's a poor match on money and handedness anyway). 
  • Sullivan says lefty reliever John Grabow wants a three-year deal, and the Cubs "are likely to give it to him."  That'd be overpaying, based on last year's market for lefty relievers.
  • Sullivan believes Jake Fox and Mike Fontenot are trade candidates.  Fox might be a good fit with an American League club.
  • Will the Cubs opt for a cheap backup outfielder in Sam Fuld, or will they re-sign Reed Johnson?
  • Neither writer expects the Cubs to trade Carlos Zambrano.

Odds & Ends: Ibanez, Pettitte, Fontenot

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Your Saturday evening links, with more to come…

  • ESPN's Keith Law has made some significant changes to his Top 100 MLB Draft Rankings. It's subscriber-only, but a great read for those looking to catch draft fever.
  • Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times asks (and attempts to answer) a popular question: "What is going on with Raul Ibanez in Philadelphia?"
  • Benjamin Kabak of River Ave. Blues takes another look at Andy Pettitte's incentive-laden deal with the Yankees.  
  • Cubs manager Lou Piniella is high on Mike Fontenot at third base.  "Fontenot is honestly our best option there," Piniella told the Chicago Sun-Times.  "When we get Aaron Miles back [from the disabled list] it will help the situation too.  But we feel very comfortable with Fontenot at third, and we can use [Bobby] Scales and [Andres] Blanco at second."

Rosenthal’s Latest: Burnett, Garland, Aurilia

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8:22pm: John Mozeliak said tonight the Cardinals never engaged with Burnett’s agent.  A commitment of more than two years to a free agent starter is extremely unlikely.

3:40pm: Bernie Miklasz of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch says it’s "not true" that the Cardinals are players for Burnett.

8:30am: The latest from Ken Rosenthal:

  • The Cardinals are a serious bidder for A.J. Burnett.  They also pursued him back in 2005.  The Blue Jays would get the Cardinals’ #19 pick next June if they sign him.  However, Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch recently wrote that the Cards "are not expected to pursue the free agent pool’s bigger fish: C.C. Sabathia, Ben Sheets, A.J. Burnett and Derek Lowe."
  • The Mets have Jon Garland on the radar.  Jerry Crasnick likes Garland as a fit for the Cards.
  • The Brewers haven’t decided to increase their offer to C.C. Sabathia at this time, and won’t consider it until they meet with the big lefty.  A meeting is scheduled; Sabathia may grill the Brewers about their other offseason plans.  Rosenthal thinks Kerry Wood might make the most sense among free agent closers.
  • The Mets, Indians, and Cardinals are interested in J.J. Putz.
  • The Cubs are eyeing Rich Aurilia, but only if they happen to move Ronny Cedeno or Mike Fontenot.
  • The Nationals "aren’t terribly enamored" of Willy Taveras, contrary to previous reports.  The Nats instead have Carlos Gonzalez in their sights.

Cubs Rumors: Hermida, Bradley, Roberts

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7:24pm: The Cubs met with Bradley last night, according to ESPN Deportes.

5:06pm: Cubs manager Lou Piniella asked Seattle reporters today whether Ibanez can play right field.

2:16pm: The Tribune Company filed for bankruptcy today, but the Cubs were not part of the filing.

1:59pm: Jayson Stark says Ibanez and Abreu rank much higher than Adam Dunn and Bradley on the Cubs’ list.  They’ve checked in on all four free agents.  As for Hermida, the Marlins want more than just prospects and the Cubs may not be able to do that.  Stark adds that the Cubs’ payroll is not frozen – they can temporarily go over budget assuming they can subtract payroll later.

On a related note, Stark talked to a source who described interest in Jason Marquis as not even in nibble form yet.

11:57am: Bruce Miles of the Daily Herald adds more Cubs nuggets.  The Cubs are not looking to trade Mike Fontenot.  However Ronny Cedeno is available and could even be a non-tender candidate if the Cubs can’t find a match.

1:33am: Before trying to complete a Jake Peavy deal, the Cubs want to find a left-handed hitter.  Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times outlines a few targets.

Wittenmyer says Jeremy Hermida is high on the Cubs’ list (they’re not alone).  They’re also eyeing free agent Milton Bradley, who declined the Rangers’ offer of arbitration last night.  Manager Lou Piniella likes Raul Ibanez, and Wittenmyer likes Bobby Abreu.  The Cubs are still fond of Brian Roberts.  They also might consider acquiring a shortstop, which would create a surplus at second base.

The Cubs discussed Khalil Greene with the Padres before he was sent to St. Louis, even though Greene bats from the right side.

Jake Peavy Rumors: Monday

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8:42pm: Towers gave Tom Krasovic a Peavy update.  Towers believes that the Braves’ unwillingness to grant Peavy a no-trade clause remains on obstacle in that potential match.  Plus, a Krasovic source wonders whether Peavy would even OK a trade to Atlanta.

Krasovic adds that the Cubs and Padres discussed a 5-for-1 deal, where the Orioles would be involved to route more pitching to San Diego.  However, Towers noted the Cubs’ current payroll concerns.

10:35am: Murray Chass snagged a good quote from Padres GM Kevin Towers regarding the Jake Peavy trade talks:

"I would say the Cubs are still in it.  Lou said they’re not in it, but their general manager says they’re in it. The Dodgers have bigger fish to fry. That’s not to say they might not circle back later in the winter. Our primary goal is to trade Peavy."

One Cubs source spoke of a "two-year window to win," according to Dave van Dyck of the Chicago Tribune.  Chass quotes Towers as seeking established players back for Peavy, which is why the Cubs would need to get a third team involved.  Van Dyck says the Cubs hope to hang on to Mike Fontenot and Sean Marshall.

Cubs Rumors: Teahen, Edmonds, Marquis

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Earlier today I spoke with a source familiar with the Cubs’ thinking, and dug up enough info for a fresh post.

  • While Mark Teahen is a player of interest for the Cubs, they certainly won’t be trading Mike Fontenot and Sean Marshall for him.  The Cubs don’t consider Teahen the middle of the order bat they require.
  • Royals outfielder David DeJesus also interests the Cubs, but the source has the impression Dayton Moore would have to be overwhelmed to trade him.  There seems a good chance DeJesus stays put this winter.
  • The Cubs aren’t keen on bringing Jim Edmonds back for 2009.
  • There are no perfect fits for the right field vacancy, and the Cubs are willing to sacrifice some defense to add that middle of the order lefthanded hitter.
  • The Cubs are hoping a market forms for Jason Marquis, and are willing to eat salary "within reason."  They would be content with Marquis as their fifth starter if nothing surfaces.  I couldn’t get any specifics, but the Cubs do feel that they have reasonable options to clear payroll other than trading Marquis.
  • Teams around baseball are wary of certain Type A/B free agents accepting offers of arbitration.  Expect the Cubs to figure out where Kerry Wood stands before deciding whether to offer.

Cubs Rumors: Ibanez, Abreu, Teahen

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Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times has a couple of new Cubs articles up, here and here.

  • Manager Lou Piniella would prefer the Cubs acquire a middle of the order hitter over a leadoff man, if only one can be acquired.
  • Piniella had kind words for possible free agent target Raul Ibanez.
  • Piniella continued to dismiss the idea of the Cubs pursuing Jake Peavy (despite recent comments from Padres GM Kevin Towers).
  • He’d like to give Mike Fontenot more playing time in 2009, which would help balance the lineup.  In the spring the Cubs will see if Fontenot can chip in at shortstop.
  • The idea that the Cubs can only move Alfonso Soriano down in the order if they acquire a known leadoff man lives on.
  • Anthony McCarron of the New York Daily News reported on Friday that the Cubs had expressed interest in Bobby Abreu.  Wittenmyer says that’s not true.
  • Wittenmyer also reports a lack of movement on the Mark Teahen front, suggesting Phil Rogers’ recent report of Kansas City’s focus on Sean Marshall and Fontenot "continues to ring of hollow speculation."

Rogers’ Latest: Royals/Cubs, Peavy, Phillies

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Phil Rogers of the Chicago Tribune has an interesting piece covering many topics throughout MLB:

  • The Royals are specifically eyeing Sean Marshall and Mike Fontenot as targets while discussing a trade for Mark Teahen with the Chicago Cubs. We’ve heard some conflicting reports recently about whether or not this trade was actually being talked about. Teahen could fill the Cubs’ right field vacancy, but his offensive struggles since moving to the outfield have been well-documented.
  • Houston could still be a dark-horse candidate for Jake Peavy. Roy Oswalt has been telling Peavy the two of them could make Houston contenders together. I can’t see a sensible package coming from Houston without opening new holes, however.
  • The Phillies don’t plan on making any drastic moves, despite Chase Utley and Pedro Feliz undergoing surgery.
  • The Dodgers and Tigers are both interested in Orlando Cabrera.

Jake Peavy Rumors: Monday

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Summing up this weekend’s Jake Peavy information…

  • David O’Brien noted that the friendship between Padres GM Kevin Towers and Peavy’s agent Barry Axelrod has raised some eyebrows.  O’Brien also learned that Peavy’s concern over Yunel Escobar being in the deal was overblown – it’s more a general concern that the pitcher joins a strong team.
  • On Saturday, Ken Rosenthal had the Braves and Cubs as frontrunners with the Yankees and Dodgers on the backburner.  He said the Padres discussed keeping Peavy if offers do not suffice.  The Braves were said to be growing impatient.
  • Astros owner Drayton McLane indicated the Padres’ demands for Peavy were too high for his club – "multiple players and some of our best players."
  • Chris De Luca of the Chicago Sun-Times had it as a race between the Cubs and Braves, with the Dodgers a long shot.  De Luca said no other teams will be considered at this point.  A Cubs deal would apparently include Sean Marshall, and possibly Kevin Hart and Mike Fontenot.  Jeff Samardzija is not in the mix.
  • Dave O’Brien says the Braves’ offer looks something like this: Escobar, Gorkys Hernandez or Jordan Schafer, and one or two pitching prospects (possibly Charlie Morton or Jo-Jo Reyes among them).  Tommy Hanson is not in the mix.  O’Brien agrees that it’s between the Braves and Cubs, and likes the Braves’ package more.  O’Brien expects a deal before Thanksgiving, which is November 27th.

Jake Peavy Rumors: Friday

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1:47pm: This Scott Miller column is from yesterday, but it has some good info.  Miller’s source believes the Braves are the frontrunners for Peavy and are willing to include Gorkys Hernandez.  Additionally, the source said the Cubs are very aggressive and the Dodgers are making a strong pitch.

12:53pm: Bruce Miles of the Daily Herald says Samardzija is not on the table and has a full, not partial, no-trade.  Additionally, the Cubs have not thrown Fontenot into the mix.  Miles gives a 50-50 chance of the Cubs getting Peavy.

9:39am: GM Kevin Towers expects to trade Jake Peavy before the winter meetings, saying, "The train’s kind of left the station."  Continuing the metaphor, Barry Axelrod said, "The only thing we’ve got is a brake."

According to Yahoo’s Jeff Passan, the Cubs have moved in front of the Braves in the battle for Peavy.  Passan says the Padres want Jeff Samardzija (who has a limited no-trade clause), and the Cubs could also include players such as Felix Pie, Sean Marshall, Ronny Cedeno, Kevin Hart, and Donald Veal.  Chris De Luca of the Chicago Sun-Times suggests Rich Harden or Mike Fontenot could be involved.  De Luca notes that a Peavy trade would probably prevent the Cubs from acquiring Brian Roberts.  ESPN’s Buster Olney believes Josh Vitters would have to be involved, while the Daily Herald’s Bruce Miles adds Jose Ceda, Welington Castillo, and Mitch Atkins as possibilities.  Miles does not see the Cubs as a player for C.C. Sabathia, by the way.

The Padres would prefer a deal with Atlanta, but can’t pry Tommy Hanson loose.  The Braves are willing to trade Yunel Escobar, Charlie Morton, and Jordan Schafer.

Meanwhile, Tom Krasovic at the San Diego Union-Tribune says Peavy and Barry Axelrod are concerned about the Braves’ shortstop situation if they are to include the defensively-talented Escobar.  Perhaps the Braves could sway them by outlining some contingency plans at the position.

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