Cubs Rumors: Teahen, Edmonds, Marquis
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
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
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
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
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: Thursday
4:05pm: Ken Rosenthal has some of the names being offered by the Braves for Peavy. According to Rosenthal, the Braves are offering Yunel Escobar, either Jo-Jo Reyes or Charlie Morton and an unnamed player believed to be a top prospect. Rosenthal does not have any details on the Cubs’ package but notes that it is likely to be "fluid".
4:00pm: Chris De Luca has updated his earlier piece and now says Dempster is seeking five years, $70MM.
3:03pm: Peter Abraham says that Kevin Towers has told Peavy that he will be traded and that negotiations have been narrowed to three teams. The Yankees are not in the mix as all three clubs are in the NL. Abraham speculates that in addition to the Cubs and Braves, the third team could be the Astros or Cardinals.
11:27am: Chris De Luca says the Cubs are in heavy pursuit of Peavy, partially because of steep contract demands from Ryan Dempster. He’s heard Dempster wants five years, $75MM.
No deal is imminent, but De Luca wonders if pitchers Sean Marshall, Rich Harden, or Jeff Samardzija could be involved. Samardzija has a no-trade clause.
10:02am: ESPN’s Buster Olney says the Padres have interest in Braves prospect Jeff Locke. David O’Brien says the Padres want Tommy Hanson, but are willing to settle for Yunel Escobar and a few lesser prospects.
9:21am: Ken Davidoff is not buying the Feinsand/Yankees rumor. Joel Sherman agrees.
8:55am: Let’s kick off a new Jake Peavy post. Last we heard, Ken Rosenthal was suggesting the Cubs moved ahead of the Braves as the frontrunner.
Today, Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News says the Yankees’ chances for Peavy are improving as Kevin Towers struggles to find a match with an NL team on the pitcher’s list. Feinsand says Towers wants two pitchers and an outfielder for Peavy. He believes the Yanks could build a deal around Phil Hughes or Austin Jackson, though they might need to include Ian Kennedy as well. Brian Cashman seems a bit more open to trading Hughes than he was a year ago. The Padres aren’t interested in Robinson Cano.
Orioles Eyeing Cubs’ Marshall?
The Baltimore Sun’s Jeff Zrebiec says the Cubs offered the Orioles Ronny Cedeno, Sean Gallagher, Donald Veal, and possibly Jose Ceda for Brian Roberts earlier this spring. As you know, there are differing schools of thought on whether the Cubs took the initiative and made an offer. And Ceda’s inclusion is questionable.
Regardless, one player Baltimore may have in mind is pitcher Sean Marshall. The Cubs do not have room for the lefty in the rotation or the bullpen – always a situation conducive to trade rumors – and the Orioles had scouts in the stands yesterday, during Marshall’s start against the Rockies.
Marshall said he doesn’t pay any attention to those guys, however. "They’re there every day."
Sarah Green writes for the Boston Metro and UmpBump.com. She can be reached here.
Cubs-Orioles Roberts Talks Getting Serious
According to Jon Heyman of SI.com, the Cubs and Orioles are talking Brian Roberts trade again. A source of Heyman’s "indicated discussions were starting to get serious."
Heyman says one scenario has the O’s sending Jay Payton along with Roberts to Chicago. Although he’d fill the Cubs’ desire for a right-handed hitting fourth outfielder who can handle center, Payton has to have negative trade value with a $5MM salary for ’08 and a .668 OPS last year. The Cubs could send Jason Marquis back, but his two years and $19.25MM might be overcompensating for Payton’s bad contract.
Heyman names the usual suspects as possible Orioles targets: Sean Marshall, Sean Gallagher, Matt Murton, and Ronny Cedeno. Murton could again be stuck as a fourth outfielder in Baltimore; blocked prospect Eric Patterson might make more sense.
Brian Roberts Cubs Rumors
UPDATE, 1-9-08 at 6:06pm: WGN Radio’s Dave Kaplan checked in on this situation on his blog. He has "great sources" saying the price for Roberts is much higher than was previously reported. The Orioles want Rich Hill, Felix Pie, or Tyler Colvin. Hill is known to be off-limits.
UPDATE, 1-9-08 at 10:58am: Phil Rogers of the Chicago Tribune believes this deal "is almost certainly going to happen." He expects it to be for the same players Orioles Hangout mentioned. However, an Orioles official contacted Orioles Hangout to tell them their report was inaccurate.
UPDATE, 1-9-08 at 9:22am: Roch Kubatko (via a team spokesman) and Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun talked to Andy MacPhail and report that nothing has changed since last night on the Roberts talks and no deal is done.
FROM 1-9-08 at 7:53am:
Orioles Hangout is reporting that the trade of Brian Roberts to the Cubs is final. They’re saying it’s for Sean Gallagher, Sean Marshall, and Ronny Cedeno. I’ll update the post as info comes along.
Cubs Aggressively Pursuing Brian Roberts
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.