Kaplan: Cubs 'kicking the tires' on SP James Shields

[Shawon0Meter]

The last major unsigned free agent has yet to find a home, and the Cubs may be a possible destination.

CSN's David Kaplan is reporting that the Cubs are "kicking the tires" on landing James Shields, who helped guide the Kansas City Royals to the World Series in 2014.

According to Kaplan, Shields has given indication that he will make a decision by the end of the week, and the Cubs are among the teams he's considering.

Shields, 33, registered a 14-8 record last season with a 3.21 ERA. In four postseason starts, he compiled a 2-2 record and finished with a 2.88 ERA.
http://www.csnchicago.com/cubs/kaplan-cubs-kicking-tires-sp-james-shields

 

[Shawon0Meter]

David Kaplan
Cubs have been waiting to see where market goes+Shields has interest. There are several others involved but history w/Maddon is a factor.



Seems pretty obvious there's nothing to see here. There's probably 20 teams "kicking the tires" in case Shields' price gets crazy low which is exactly why it won't get crazy low.

 

[SilenceS]

Dude, I was hoping we did this. He is not getting the contract he wants and the Cubs could be a perfect fit. He would boost us big time and I think for pretty reasonable price considering how good he has been. The Red Sox and the Giants are out. He has a couple of offers in his hand and will decide before the end of the week.

Rotation:
Lester
Shields
Arietta
Hamels
Hendricks/Wada/Wood/Jackson/Turner

We also have CJ Edwards and Pierce Johnson not for offer. That could be a scary rotation.

 

[Bear Pride]

Dude, I was hoping we did this. He is not getting the contract he wants and the Cubs could be a perfect fit. He would boost us big time and I think for pretty reasonable price considering how good he has been. The Red Sox and the Giants are out. He has a couple of offers in his hand and will decide before the end of the week.

Rotation:
Lester
Shields
Arietta
Hamels
Hendricks/Wada/Wood/Jackson/Turner

We also have CJ Edwards and Pierce Johnson not for offer. That could be a scary rotation.

I have been secretly holding out for any possibility for the Cubs to put this big :flipa: to all the naysayers of the Cubs the past few years. The longer he stayed unsigned, the more I got excited. It would be a nice climax to the Cubs orgasm of an off season! :cum:

 

[ChiSoxCity]

Dude, I was hoping we did this. He is not getting the contract he wants and the Cubs could be a perfect fit. He would boost us big time and I think for pretty reasonable price considering how good he has been. The Red Sox and the Giants are out. He has a couple of offers in his hand and will decide before the end of the week.

Rotation:
Lester
Shields
Arietta
Hamels
Hendricks/Wada/Wood/Jackson/Turner

We also have CJ Edwards and Pierce Johnson not for offer. That could be a scary rotation.

You mean Hammel, not Hamels, right?[emoji2]


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[Shawon0Meter]

No doubt he would improve the Cubs, he'd improve any team, but I prefer the Cubs not get him in a way. The price is going to be significant even if it's less than expected and I don't know if Wrigley is the best fit for him. Next year's free agent class could be pretty nice and I'd be ok with the Cubs waiting around for that because this signing would definitely affect spending over the next couple years.

Not that I'd be mad if they do get him.

This is where Cubs fans think we have a chance...and then the Cardinals swoop in, right? lol

 

[DewsSox79]

i could see it happening. i could also see the cards getting him but imo the cubs need shields more.


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[TL1961]

You mean Hammel, not Hamels, right?[emoji2]


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No, Cole is NEXT week's move.

 

[TL1961]

No doubt he would improve the Cubs, he'd improve any team, but I prefer the Cubs not get him in a way. The price is going to be significant even if it's less than expected and I don't know if Wrigley is the best fit for him. Next year's free agent class could be pretty nice and I'd be ok with the Cubs waiting around for that because this signing would definitely affect spending over the next couple years.

Not that I'd be mad if they do get him.

This is where Cubs fans think we have a chance...and then the Cardinals swoop in, right? lol

I'd like to have Shields in 2015, but I would hate to have him hurt our chances of getting the really big fish after the season.

If they give him close to $20 - or even over $15 - it would hamper them getting a Zimmerman, Price, Cueto, etc.

I am still worried the Cards may sign him. But he is also said to want to stay out west, so maybe SF or SD.

 

[Parade_Rain]

I'd rather sign Shields and then worry about it hampering signing someone next season later. What a nice problem to have.

 

[Boobaby1]

i could see it happening. i could also see the cards getting him but imo the cubs need shields more.


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The Cubs could parlay this into not only gaining a pitcher, but losing only a 2nd round draft pick.

Next off-season r at the deadline, they will lose their 1st rounder more than likely, plus, it will cost a ton in either money or prospects for the pitchers out there. The Cubs could also hold out and see which teams suffer injury problems in ST, and then dump off the remaining parts like Wood, Castillo, and possibly E-Jax for either more youth, bullpen arms or whatever.

I would rather have anyone not named the Cardinals pick up Shields however.

 

[DewsSox79]

the problem with shields in chicago that I was worried about was the hr rate. im not a fan of that. would it make the cubs better? sure. the best part about it is it takes pressure off of arrietta. he is being held to this high standard from sample sizes that he needs to prove he can be a top end guy. shields would lessen the pressure of arrietta having to work on being what he was the 2nd half of the season. Arrietta has never come close to 200 innings and has never been a good pitcher until last year where he topped a career high of 151 IP and WAR was off the charts. The cubs should get shields just because arrietta seriously hasnt gone passed a sample size.


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[2323]

Eine von vielen.

 

[TC in Mississippi]

At a super cheap price would Shields be nice? Sure, 3 years $55 million maybe? The thing is that's not going to happen it's going to be 4/$75 or $80 and not only do I not see the Cubs doing that it would seem to beyond their budgetary constraints.

 

[CSF77]

I wouldn't worry about any lenght of deals here. The Cubs have enough of a market to support a signing here. We forget that we are talking about a top 5 market in baseball.

That said Cotts has them at 111,454,524 for the year. 82 mil committed for 2016.

Next year they have Fowler's 9 mil off the books with Almora potentially stepping up. That 9 mil can go towards Shields.

If I'm the Cubs I'm putting 9 mil to him this year to cap payroll at 120 mil. The next year I'm increasing the per year by 9 mil that is freed up by Fowler leaving via F/A.

Jackson IMO will be a very expensive MR at 13 mil per for 2 years. So I could see a 3 year offer to Shields. 9 mil first year. 18 mil 2nd and after Jackson is off the books a final payday of 28 mil. That puts him at 55 mil and doesn't increase payroll over 120 mil.

Now on next year's F/A class. They can't worry about stuff like that. Next year happens when it does and the Cubs need to be good before any F/A will want to sign anyways.

 

[TC in Mississippi]

I wouldn't worry about any lenght of deals here. The Cubs have enough of a market to support a signing here. We forget that we are talking about a top 5 market in baseball.

That said Cotts has them at 111,454,524 for the year. 82 mil committed for 2016.

Next year they have Fowler's 9 mil off the books with Almora potentially stepping up. That 9 mil can go towards Shields.

If I'm the Cubs I'm putting 9 mil to him this year to cap payroll at 120 mil. The next year I'm increasing the per year by 9 mil that is freed up by Fowler leaving via F/A.

Jackson IMO will be a very expensive MR at 13 mil per for 2 years. So I could see a 3 year offer to Shields. 9 mil first year. 18 mil 2nd and after Jackson is off the books a final payday of 28 mil. That puts him at 55 mil and doesn't increase payroll over 120 mil.

Now on next year's F/A class. They can't worry about stuff like that. Next year happens when it does and the Cubs need to be good before any F/A will want to sign anyways.

I'd go for that backloaded deal if I'm Chicago but if I'm Shields and somebody doesn't step up with 4/$75 pretty soon I'm content to sit back and wait for an injury. That's pretty cheap for a bonafide #2 starter. Detroit, St. Louis, LA Angels and maybe even SF would devastated with the loss of on of their top 3 starters. Any would come up to 4/$80 if they lose a guy I would think.

Also I think this front office is playing for 2016 anyway with 2015 as a development year. They'd like to win this year but it really isn't a requirement. I also don't think the Cubs ultimately plan on a FA TOR guy next year as so many think and even if they are I don't think winning in 2015 makes them any more or less attractive a destiantion, not with Joe Maddon and the #1 farm system in the game.

 

[CSF77]

I'd go for that backloaded deal if I'm Chicago but if I'm Shields and somebody doesn't step up with 4/$75 pretty soon I'm content to sit back and wait for an injury. That's pretty cheap for a bonafide #2 starter. Detroit, St. Louis, LA Angels and maybe even SF would devastated with the loss of on of their top 3 starters. Any would come up to 4/$80 if they lose a guy I would think.

Also I think this front office is playing for 2016 anyway with 2015 as a development year. They'd like to win this year but it really isn't a requirement. I also don't think the Cubs ultimately plan on a FA TOR guy next year as so many think and even if they are I don't think winning in 2015 makes them any more or less attractive a destiantion, not with Joe Maddon and the #1 farm system in the game.

The same was thought of with Garza.

That stance is in regard of selling prospects in trade. They have already proved that they are willing to spend now.

 

[TC in Mississippi]

The same was thought of with Garza.

I'm not sure I follow. Garza was a younger pitcher when he signed for 4/$50 million with Milwaukee but he also came with baggage. His teammates were said to have actively disliked him. Have never heard a whisper of that with Big Game James. Again though I'm not sure I got your point, maybe I misunderstand. Also Shields has been one of the best pitchers in baseball over the last 4 years compiling a WAR of 15.3 in those years. In the 4 years leading up Garza's deal his WAR was 5.4.

 

[CSF77]

Point is most felt he ended up far below with what was expected. Most thought he would have got a 96 mil deal.

The bad team mate thing never heard any of that stuff.

Age is a big factor here. Cubs are paying for what he will do not for what he has done.

 

[beckdawg]

I don't think this is a very likely signing but I would throw out this idea. If the cubs were to sign Shields to a 1 year deal for him to hopefully establish a market next year(think Santana's deal with ATL) it opens up the interesting possibility of trading this years second round pick for presumably a first round pick the following season or if they were so inclined to trade him in a non-competitive season they likely make out with a better talent than a 2nd round pick at the deadline.

If Shields can't get the deal he wants that sort of becomes win win for both sides especially if the cubs trade him thus making him cost nothing in terms of draft compensation.