Rumors Keep Rollin' In

[waldo7239117]

I never would have thought the pirates would be wanting to buy from the cubs. baseball is a weird game.

In hoping to try and coax Jim Hendry is a trade.

 

[waldo7239117]

Jeff Baker is said to be not available by any means. I seriously don't get it, I know he's a lefty killa' and cheap but you have to listen and maybe get surprise by an offer. The Red Sox have good amount of interest and still have good mid-tier prospects.

 

[dabynsky]

Latest rumors from MLB Trade Rumors:

Cubs GM Jim Hendry aims to limit his trades to players he knows won't be returning next season, he told Rick Brown of the Des Moines Register. Hendry explained:

"Why would we trade anybody who we think is going to help us next year or the years after? I would say if we move anyone it would be somebody we clearly knew wouldn't be back. We're not going to move people that we think are going to help us. Why would I trade Sean Marshall? Why would I trade Darwin Barney? Those calls kind of stop quickly. It makes no sense."

The next logical question is which Cubs players clearly won't be back. Aramis Ramirez won't be accepting a trade this month, and Ryan Dempster has full no-trade rights as well. Kerry Wood probably has a say in whether he's dealt. That probably leaves Kosuke Fukudome, Carlos Pena, John Grabow, and Reed Johnson as the Cubs' main trade candidates. However, I'm guessing the Cubs haven't ruled out re-signing Pena, so he's not a lock to be dealt.

An August trade appears possible for Ramirez, based on his agent's comments yesterday to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Paul Kinzer said that when his client's children return to the Dominican Republic in August for the start of school, "that could possibly loosen up" Ramirez's stance. Ramirez's $16MM option for 2012 technically becomes guaranteed upon a trade, but Kinzer said his client would want the option dropped. The agent does not feel the request would pose a problem for most teams.

There's also left fielder Alfonso Soriano, whose contract pays $18MM a year through 2014 and makes him virtually immovable. Talking to Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times, Soriano wasn't even aware he has a no-trade clause. But he did say he'd waive it to go to a contender.

 

[cubsneedmiracle]

I think right there just answered who our first baseman is for next year.

Pena.

 

[daddies3angels]

So another 90+ loss season next year

 

[waldo7239117]

Rumors...

Jon Heyman mentions Carlos Pena is surely to be moved.

The Pirates made a play for Carlos Pena but the price was too high for their liking.

 

[dabynsky]

I'm guessing the price tag was too high in the sense that they actually had to part with something of any value. I doubt the Cubs were asking for Taillon or Starlin Marte, but I am guessing the Pirates are trying to just take on salary in any deal and not give up prospects.

 

[Captain Obvious]

I think right there just answered who our first baseman is for next year.

Pena.

How? He said "I'm guessing." Pure Speculation.

 

[daddies3angels]

#cubs offering to pay big bucks to trade zambrano or soriano. Says rival: "they'd have to pay 95 pct." #tradedeadline

Twitter

if Ricketts dont count the 95% against payroll next year that would be huge move for Cubs but if he does might as well keep them.

 

[dabynsky]

If we are paying 95% and not getting anything in return, how does that help this team? As much as I understand the anger towards Soriano and Zambrano, they do some positive things on the baseball field. And if you are paying for them, why not enjoy the little benefit they provide?

And Ricketts is a business man. He isn't going to pay for those guys to be playing somewhere else and then tell Jim Hendry or whoever is in charge next offseason, "well you got an extra 38 million to play with now."

 

[daddies3angels]

If we are paying 95% and not getting anything in return, how does that help this team? As much as I understand the anger towards Soriano and Zambrano, they do some positive things on the baseball field. And if you are paying for them, why not enjoy the little benefit they provide?

And Ricketts is a business man. He isn't going to pay for those guys to be playing somewhere else and then tell Jim Hendry or whoever is in charge next offseason, "well you got an extra 38 million to play with now."

I agree i dont see Ricketts just counting that money off the books. So i also rather just keep them. Why pay another team to reap the benifits of the players. They not worth what they making but still productive MLB players.

 

[dabynsky]

I agree i dont see Ricketts just counting that money off the books. So i also rather just keep them. Why pay another team to reap the benifits of the players. They not worth what they making but still productive MLB players.

The bolded part is the biggest thing one has to remember about the situation. If the Cubs are paying most of the salary and get an interesting prospect or two for either than it is a completely different situation. But the consensus has semed to be the Cubs pay virtually everything, get nothing in return and possibly having to include an attractive piece fo their own to trouble another team to take either.

 

[daddies3angels]

The bolded part is the biggest thing one has to remember about the situation. If the Cubs are paying most of the salary and get an interesting prospect or two for either than it is a completely different situation. But the consensus has semed to be the Cubs pay virtually everything, get nothing in return and possibly having to include an attractive piece fo their own to trouble another team to take either.

Agreed. Only way i pay that much to lose 1 of those 2 players is if they get couple nice prospects or if Ricketts doesnt count that money being on the books for next offseason. If he did that Cubs could really spend some money lol

 

[Anno Catuli]

it helps the team because the Cubs would get to play the youth that the fans have been begging for

 

[dabynsky]

it helps the team because the Cubs would get to play the youth that the fans have been begging for

What youth are we talking about? Brett Jackson is going to have a spot at the end of this year with or without Soriano. What pitcher do you want to take Carlos Zambrano's spot? Casey Coleman, Jay Jackson, or whatever crap has been pitching at AAA. Younger doesn't mean better.

 

[Anno Catuli]

As far as paying the contracts, I have always been of the mindset that the more money you pay, the better the prospects you get.

If the other team takes the whole deal, give me a 40 year old A ball player

If we pay almost all of it, give me back at least one MLB ready player

 

[nwfisch]

To be fair dabynsky, the Cubs can't get much worse.

 

[Anno Catuli]

What youth are we talking about? Brett Jackson is going to have a spot at the end of this year with or without Soriano. What pitcher do you want to take Carlos Zambrano's spot? Casey Coleman, Jay Jackson, or whatever crap has been pitching at AAA. Younger doesn't mean better.

Younger doesn't mean better, only cheaper.

Some fans don't care about talent though. Some fans are begging for Tony Campana to get regular playing time.... that should tell you about some fans desires. They seem to want scrappy over talent

 

[dabynsky]

As far as paying the contracts, I have always been of the mindset that the more money you pay, the better the prospects you get.

If the other team takes the whole deal, give me a 40 year old A ball player

If we pay almost all of it, give me back at least one MLB ready player

But that is what we have been saying the whole time. The talk is that the Cubs would have to pay virtually the whole contract and get nothing in return. That doesn't make this team better. Some people are advocating just cutting Soriano which doesn't make sense either. If I can get out of half of that deal for Soriano I jump for joy, heck I'd probably even do it for nothing if we got out of 60-70% of the deal. But if we are paying 95% and getting nothing back that makes this team worse not better.

 

[Anno Catuli]

But that is what we have been saying the whole time. The talk is that the Cubs would have to pay virtually the whole contract and get nothing in return. That doesn't make this team better. Some people are advocating just cutting Soriano which doesn't make sense either. If I can get out of half of that deal for Soriano I jump for joy, heck I'd probably even do it for nothing if we got out of 60-70% of the deal. But if we are paying 95% and getting nothing back that makes this team worse not better.

If we get nothing of value back, we are better off keeping him. I just haven''t heard anything about who might come back.