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Cubs Rumors: Wolf, Bako, Hill, Pie

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A few Cubs notes from Bruce Miles of the Daily Herald…

  • Randy Wolf "remains a possibility" for the Cubs.  Wolf should generate decent interest if he’s willing to sign for one year.  He probably expected more after making 33 starts for the second time in his career.  A Jake Peavy deal appears unlikely by Opening Day, says Gordon Wittenmyer.
  • The Cubs are unlikely to re-sign Henry Blanco, but Paul Bako remains on the radar.  So far it’s Koyie Hill for the Cubs’ backup catcher job.
  • Out of options: Rich Hill, Felix Pie, and Ronny Cedeno.  Hill and Pie are good candidates to be dealt before Opening Day.  Angel Guzman is also out of options, but he has a shot at cracking the team’s bullpen.

Levine On Young, Dye, Poreda, Peavy, Heilman

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ESPN Radio’s Bruce Levine has some good info tonight.

The White Sox are seeking a top-of-the-order hitter, and they’ve discussed Michael Young with the Rangers.  The Rangers asked for Jermaine Dye and Aaron Poreda, and the Sox are unwilling to trade Poreda.  The Rangers like Dye, so maybe the two teams will find a match on players.  Young is owed roughly $60MM over the next five years.

If the Cubs are to restart their talks for Jake Peavy, the new ownership groups for both the Cubs and Padres will have to be willing.  Levine also notes that the Cubs have an eye on Mariners pitcher Aaron Heilman, a player they’ve shown interest in before.  Levine speculates that Ronny Cedeno could be a fit for Seattle.

Jake Peavy Rumors: Tuesday

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11:07pm: Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune has Phillies sources saying the deal is in place if the Cubs will pull the trigger with the Padres.  Sullivan also talked to chairman Crane Kenney, who implied the Cubs included Peavy’s contract within projected budgets to bidders.

Sullivan adds that the Cubs have not had talks for Bobby Abreu yet.

9:17pm: Stark says there’s no way such a complicated trade will get done before the end of the Meetings.  He adds that extra teams are not necessarily requirements.  The Cubs will need to move a contract and get ownership approval, though.

8:39pm: Ruben Amaro Jr. came close to acknowledging the Phils are involved in the Peavy deal, says Jayson Stark.

8:31pm: Jeff Passan: the lone holdup in this complicated trade is the Cubs moving Marquis.  A deal is not imminent, though, according to Towers.

7:26pm: Brock talked to Towers, who met today with Hendry and said a trade seems more likely today than it did yesterday.  They’ll meet again tonight.  If a deal is reached, it’d be announced after Thursday’s Rule 5 draft.  Brock says the Phillies are believed to be the third team.

3:31pm: MLB.com’s Corey Brock says nothing is imminent and the Cubs appear reluctant.

2:25pm: The saga continues…Kevin Towers does not think this deal lost steam in the last 24 hours, according to Yahoo’s Tim Brown and Gordon Edes.  However, they say the Cubs are having second thoughts about this four-team mess.  The Cubs source says the price is too steep for them right now and they’re looking at another short-term option for the rotation (Randy Johnson maybe).

2:02pm: Tom Krasovic says the Padres are not seeking J.A. Happ or Chris Coste as has been previously rumored.  Also, Ronny Cedeno is not the Padres’ first choice to replace Khalil Greene at short.  Krasovic adds that the Braves apparently are now happy the Padres didn’t take their offer for Peavy.

Kras adds that the Padres did some fact-finding with Mark Grudzielanek’s agent.  Grudz wants to play for a winner though.

1:10pm: Roman Modrowski of the Chicago Sun-Times says Peavy sang "Go Cubs, Go" at a Vegas bar last night.  Good times.  But did Roy Oswalt sing along?  Also, Modrowski believes the Cubs would be willing to eat as much as $6MM of Marquis’ $9.875MM.

Jayson Stark says an Aaron Heilman-Marquis deal appears unlikely, as the sides cannot agree on what portion of Marquis’ contract the Cubs would assume.

12:08pm: Rosenthal says the Cubs maintain they’re not close on Peavy.  And they still need to identify their new owner before a deal can get done.  The Cubs are mulling Randy Johnson as a backup plan, and continue to prioritize the lefthanded bat.

10:36am: Phil Rogers says the key to this potential four-team Peavy trade would be the Phillies or Orioles taking on Marquis and some of his contract.  Rogers says "it will be a stunner if the Cubs don’t acquire Peavy."

1:00am: Chris De Luca says a source close to Jim Hendry characterized a Peavy deal as "very close."  De Luca’s sources say a Cubs-Orioles component is set (Felix Pie for Garrett Olson).  This runs counter to Roch Kubatko’s report below.  De Luca says the Cubs still want to trade Marquis and acquire a lefthanded hitter before closing the Peavy deal.

12:41am: Ken Rosenthal’s source says the Cubs’ attempts to bring in a third team have involved "probably 20 names with four to five clubs."  So it’s not necessarily DeRosa or the Phillies.  Rosenthal says an agreement is still not close.

12:30am: To summarize yesterday: Kevin Towers has facilitated an apparent three-team Jake Peavy trade that he will present to the Cubs.  I say three because Roch Kubatko says the Orioles don’t know of any agreement.  So the best guess right now (based on reports) is that the Cubs would send Mark DeRosa to the Phillies, and both teams would send young players to the Padres.  The Cubs could offload Jason Marquis in the deal, and the savings from Marquis and DeRosa would seem to neatly equal Peavy’s $11MM salary for ’09.

Jake Peavy Rumors: Monday

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11:02pm: Jim Salisbury backs up the idea that the Phils could receive DeRosa and the Padres could get Happ.  It’s worth noting that the Cubs could trim $5.5MM off the payroll by sending out DeRosa and using Fontenot at second base.

10:31pm: MLB.com’s Lyle Spencer says the Angels have not taken themselves out of the Peavy sweepstakes. 

Also, Tom Krasovic of the San Diego Union-Tribune supplies more info.  A third team would definitely be involved in a Cubs trade.  DeRosa could wind up a Phillie, and Michael Wuertz is a new name of interest for the Padres.  Peavy’s agent Barry Axelrod said again that Peavy will require a full no-trade clause upon a deal.  One more thing – Towers said trading Peavy could free up money for Trevor Hoffman.

9:00pm: MLB.com’s Corey Brock says the legwork on this trade "has essentially been completed."  No deal has been reached, but Towers says he’s facilitated a three or possibly four-team deal.  The third and possibly fourth teams (Orioles, Phillies) have agreed to players.  There could be some haggling remaining on players sent from the Cubs to Padres.

Brock says all Towers needs now is the go-ahead from Hendry.  Peavy, by the way, was spotted at the Meetings.

8:35pm: Jayson Stark gives his take on the Peavy-Cubs situation.  He says Hendry is dealing with restrictions due to the team’s ownership situation, despite his comments.

8:01pm: Scott Miller of CBSSports.com says Jason Marquis and Angel Guzman (among others) could end up with the Padres in the three-team deal.  The Padres could get J.A. Happ and/or Chris Coste from the Phils.  Miller adds that the Phils are known to have interest in Mark DeRosa.

6:53pm: Rosenthal says the Phillies are now in the mix as a possible third team in a Peavy trade.  Those talks are preliminary.  Rosenthal says the Cubs can’t complete a deal for Peavy until their new owner is decided.

5:33pm: Roch Kubatko says the O’s are still interested in Pie, but may only get him for Olson straight up if Olson is to be flipped to San Diego in a Peavy trade.

2:37pm: Joel Sherman learned from Towers that if he doesn’t reach an agreement on a Peavy deal with the Cubs at the Meetings, he will keep the pitcher to start the season.  The Dodgers are apparently the only other team to which Peavy has approved a trade.

Sherman adds that the Cubs "are willing to let [Peavy] keep his no-trade clause."  Not sure if Sherman is trying to say the Cubs would replace Peavy’s partial no-trade rights for 2011 and part of 2012 with full no-trade powers.

2:33pm: Kevin Towers told Ken Rosenthal he’s talking to only the Cubs about Peavy.  He expects to have a good idea on whether to drop it or move forward by the end of the Meetings.  Towers approached Ned Colletti but talks didn’t get far.

12:22pm: Jerry Crasnick says Kevin Towers and Peavy’s agent Barry Axelrod drove together for the 4.5 hour ride from San Diego to Las Vegas, but Axelrod says they only talked about Peavy for about three minutes.  Also, Axelrod brought a sweet mix CD.

11:44am: Bruce Miles of the Daily Herald says the Cubs and Padres did not talk about Peavy on Sunday but will today.  He’s heard the Padres might be concerned with Vitters’ hand/wrist.

1:14am: Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times says the Cubs first want to trade Jason Marquis and acquire their left-handed hitting outfielder before Peavy.  Wittenmyer’s sources do believe the Cubs will eventually acquire San Diego’s ace.  However, his sources say the Tom Krasovic report about a five-for-one framework being in place is exaggerated.

Wittenmyer hears that the Orioles would be willing to swap Garrett Olson for Felix Pie; the Cubs would then send Olson to the Padres in the Peavy deal.

12:54am: According to SI.com’s Jon Heyman, Padres GM Kevin Towers "envisions a way to do a [Jake Peavy] deal now only with the Cubs."  We’ve heard rumors of the Padres and Cubs trying to rope in the Orioles or Rays as a third team. 

Heyman adds that Peavy would approve a trade to Chicago "without any significant reworking of his contract or other major concessions."  Does that imply that the Cubs would not have to guarantee Peavy’s 2013 option ($22MM) or grant him a full no-trade clause?

Keep in mind that despite all the virtual ink that will be spilled on Peavy over the next four days, Jayson Stark sees "just about a zero chance" he’s dealt at the Meetings.  Still, the Cubs and Padres seem to already have a framework in place involving Sean Marshall, Kevin Hart, Josh Vitters, and maybe Ronny Cedeno.

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.

Perrotto’s Latest: Dye, Jenks, Werth, Madson

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THURSDAY: David Lennon of Newsday talked to a source who said there’s "nothing there" in regard to the rumor of a Dye and Jenks to the Mets blockbuster. Joel Sherman talked to a few Mets officials who called the rumor nonsense.  Sherman says Martinez is "all but untouchable."

WEDNESDAY: Let’s dig into the latest column from John Perrotto of Baseball Prospectus.

  • Perrotto speaks of whispers of a possible White Sox-Mets blockbuster.  The Mets would receive Jermaine Dye and Bobby Jenks and the White Sox would receive Fernando Martinez among others.
  • Regarding the Orioles’ possible involvement in a trade that would send Jake Peavy to the Cubs, Perrotto says Baltimore seeks Ronny Cedeno and Felix Pie from Chicago.
  • Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr. has spoken to outfielder Jayson Werth and setup man Ryan Madson about contract extensions.  Madson might be a tough one as he’s represented by Scott Boras (who recently compared him to Mariano Rivera).  Both players are under team control for one more season.
  • The Red Sox are considering free agents Willie Bloomquist, Jay Payton, and Mark Loretta as possible bench additions.  A return to Boston seems to be Payton’s preference.
  • Perrotto believes the only player seriously considering accepting arbitration is Darren Oliver.  Oliver’s already seen the Reds drop out of the mix due to the draft pick price.
  • Perrotto says the Tigers and Orioles are showing interest in Jack Wilson, while the Dodgers have backed off.

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.

Jake Peavy Rumors: Tuesday

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9:58pm: Peavy apparently rejected one trade, to an American League team with a small ballpark.

12:12pm: David O’Brien says Braves and Padres officials met Sunday and Monday to talk Peavy, discussing proposals not including Tommy Hanson.  The Braves remain the favorite.

12:08pm: Brewers GM Doug Melvin says he is not engaged in talks for Peavy.

10:32am: Joel Sherman says the Yankees have shown no early movement toward Peavy.  Free agents just make more sense.  Still, Jay Paris snagged some good quotes from Axelrod and Towers about the Yankees possibility.

8:52am: Peavy’s agent, Barry Axelrod, says they have not given approval for the Yankees or Angels.  Axelrod reiterated that the Yankees would have to pay a premium (likely an extension).  Towers said he doesn’t believe the Angels would have to pay the same premium.

8:35am: Towers also doubts Peavy would approve a trade to Milwaukee.

8:03am: Let’s kick off a fresh post for today’s Jake Peavy rumors.  A reminder of the latest news: Peavy has preapproved the Yankees and Angels, bringing his total to seven teams.  Padres GM Kevin Towers indicated that Peavy would not approve a trade to Boston.

Towers referenced the Dan Haren and Mark Teixeira deals while indicating he wants quality over quantity back.  CBS’s Scott Miller has info on some players discussed.  He says Felix Pie, Ronny Cedeno, and Rich Hill are available from the Cubs.  With the Dodgers, Chad Billingsley and James McDonald have been discussed.  We know Towers wants more from the Dodgers, but Billingsley seems unlikely.

More Peavy: Yankees, Angels, Cubs

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10:37pm: Dave van Dyck of the Chicago Tribune comments on the Cubs’ interest in Peavy.  There’s not much new here – if the Cubs can’t re-sign Ryan Dempster, they could take a crack at Peavy.  Van Dyck has an unconfirmed rumor of a Cubs offer of Felix Pie, Ronny Cedeno, and others.  The others would be pretty important in such a scenario.

Van Dyck makes a good point in that the Cubs might have to dive into the pool of second tier free agent starters if they can’t get Dempster or Peavy.

8:42pm: Padres GM Kevin Towers recently spoke to the press, stating that Jake Peavy has approved two AL teams in addition to his known five NL clubs.  The Yankees and Angels are now possibilities.  If there were to be any acceptable AL teams, it figured to be these two based on earlier rumblings.

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