If the Cubs were sellers right now

[Backtobanks]

Obviously the Cubs are nowhere near the point of selling right now and might not consider themselves sellers at the deadline either, but we could solve a lot of the Yankees' problems and take some of those great prospects (starting with Montero) off their hands.

 

From MLBTR:

•GM Brian Cashman told George A. King III of The New York Post that he isn't getting any calls about trades just yet. "I am not getting calls," said Cashman. "We have the farm system and money, but no calls ... The headache stuff is available. The quality stuff is not available."

•Within the article, King notes that the team could look for upgrades at DH, in right field, and for the pitching staff. He says the Astros "will listen" to offers for Brett Myers, but the Yankees "don't have a match." King speculates that Carlos Beltran, Michael Cuddyer, and Vladimir Guerrero could be potential trade targets.

 

Fukudome in RF, Ramirez/Soriano at DH, Dempster in the rotation, and Grabow in the bullpen.

[dew1679666265]

I don't think we have any players who could net Montero and i don't know of anything else particularly good the Yankees have in their system. Not that any of the players you mentioned would net much right now.

[davell]

Hmmm. Ramirez has a complete NTC and even if he agrees to be dealt, then his option next year kicks in at 16.5 mill. Considering his season to date and weigh that with what he's going to be owed for the following year if he's dealt and guess what? He ain't movin'.

 

Soriano? 3 years and 54 mill AFTER this season. He ain't movin'. Go ahead and bring up Vernon Wells got traded. Not happening again.

 

 

Fukudome? He's probably movable, but we'd probably have to pay some money out and still wouldn't receive much in return.

 

Grabow? Every team in baseball has one of them and ours is more expensive than the rest of them? Not exactly tradeable.

 

Dempster? His slow start has skewed his numbers a little, but he's paid alot and he's not exactly a HUGE value because of that anyway. Add in the bad start and the fact that he has a 15 mill player option on top of this year and he ain't going nowhere either.

 

Byrd was probably about the only piece we could have moved this year and he wouldn't have brought us a ton back either.

 

Top prospects from the Yankees? For THESE guys. Come on, man.

[Guancous]

Jesus Montero would be great at 1B for 6-15 years. 20 teams could easily outbid the Cubs for him. Doesn't fit.

[XZero771679666304]

Hmmm. Ramirez has a complete NTC and even if he agrees to be dealt, then his option next year kicks in at 16.5 mill. Considering his season to date and weigh that with what he's going to be owed for the following year if he's dealt and guess what? He ain't movin'.

 

Soriano? 3 years and 54 mill AFTER this season. He ain't movin'. Go ahead and bring up Vernon Wells got traded. Not happening again.

 

 

Fukudome? He's probably movable, but we'd probably have to pay some money out and still wouldn't receive much in return.

 

Grabow? Every team in baseball has one of them and ours is more expensive than the rest of them? Not exactly tradeable.

 

Dempster? His slow start has skewed his numbers a little, but he's paid alot and he's not exactly a HUGE value because of that anyway. Add in the bad start and the fact that he has a 15 mill player option on top of this year and he ain't going nowhere either.

 

Byrd was probably about the only piece we could have moved this year and he wouldn't have brought us a ton back either.

 

Top prospects from the Yankees? For THESE guys. Come on, man.

 

About the only piece that would net Montero would be Castro.

[TruffleShuffle]

what if we throw in brad snyder or casey coleman to go with soriano? maybe that would be enough for them to give up one of the best offensive prospects in baseball.

[Little Slide Rooter]

what if we throw in brad snyder or casey coleman to go with soriano? maybe that would be enough for them to give up one of the best offensive prospects in baseball.

You'd probably have to throw in a 3rd team for us to rip off as well.

 

 

As for Ramirez, I was not aware that his option automatically kicks in if he's traded. I wonder if hed waive that right to be traded to a contender. He's not going to net a Montero, but he could get us a solid return. Otherwise, Fukudome and Pena are our main trade chips. Kerry Wood could generate interest as well.

Also Reed Johnson if he keeps terrorizing lefties the way he has.

[GvilleCub]

Whenever the Cubs are pasted like today’s 10-Nil drubbing (congrats Barcelona!), I’m always disappointed to find out when Dumpster didn’t start. I feel bad when people like Wells and Coleman get pounded.

 

Actually, I hope Dumpster keeps improving his season stats because I really want the Cubs to be sellers, and I hope Rhino is the first one to go. KC needs all sorts of pitching help and they may want to make a move sooner than later. It’s too bad Alex Gordon is probably no longer available.

[KingCubsFan]

what if we throw in brad snyder or casey coleman to go with soriano? maybe that would be enough for them to give up one of the best offensive prospects in baseball.

I don't think the Nationals are trading Bryce Harper

[TruffleShuffle]

Whenever the Cubs are pasted like today’s 10-Nil drubbing (congrats Barcelona!), I’m always disappointed to find out when Dumpster didn’t start. I feel bad when people like Wells and Coleman get pounded.

 

Actually, I hope Dumpster keeps improving his season stats because I really want the Cubs to be sellers, and I hope Rhino is the first one to go. KC needs all sorts of pitching help and they may want to make a move sooner than later. It’s too bad Alex Gordon is probably no longer available.

 

i love that you take a 10-run beating and make it into a rant against dempster. i'm convinced that he banged your girlfriend or something.

[dew1679666265]

what if we throw in brad snyder or casey coleman to go with soriano? maybe that would be enough for them to give up one of the best offensive prospects in baseball.

I don't think the Nationals are trading Bryce Harper

 

He said one of the best, not the best.

[Little Slide Rooter]

Whenever the Cubs are pasted like today’s 10-Nil drubbing (congrats Barcelona!), I’m always disappointed to find out when Dumpster didn’t start. I feel bad when people like Wells and Coleman get pounded.

 

Actually, I hope Dumpster keeps improving his season stats because I really want the Cubs to be sellers, and I hope Rhino is the first one to go. KC needs all sorts of pitching help and they may want to make a move sooner than later. It’s too bad Alex Gordon is probably no longer available.

 

KC is in 3rd place, 8.5 games out and .460. Theyre not in much different of a position than we are. I dont see them making any moves. Their future may be bright, but their present is what it is. And the first part of your post really makes no sense.

[davearm2]

what if we throw in brad snyder or casey coleman to go with soriano? maybe that would be enough for them to give up one of the best offensive prospects in baseball.

I don't think the Nationals are trading Bryce Harper

 

He said one of the best, not the best.

There's only one best.

[Guest]

what if we throw in brad snyder or casey coleman to go with soriano? maybe that would be enough for them to give up one of the best offensive prospects in baseball.

I don't think the Nationals are trading Bryce Harper

 

He said one of the best, not the best.

There's only one best.

 

Anyone who continues to belabor this non-point gets banned forever.

[Tracer Bullet]

what if we throw in brad snyder or casey coleman to go with soriano? maybe that would be enough for them to give up one of the best offensive prospects in baseball.

I don't think the Nationals are trading Bryce Harper

 

He said one of the best, not the best.

There's only one best.

 

Anyone who continues to belabor this non-point gets banned forever.

 

Long live TT.

[TruffleShuffle]

captain semantics strikes again

[KingCubsFan]

what if we throw in brad snyder or casey coleman to go with soriano? maybe that would be enough for them to give up one of the best offensive prospects in baseball.

I don't think the Nationals are trading Bryce Harper

 

He said one of the best, not the best.

Read that too fast

[Little Slide Rooter]

Heres MLBTRs take

 

If The Cubs Become Sellers

By Tim Dierkes [June 1 at 8:07am CST]

At 23-30, the Cubs are 8.5 games back in the NL Central and eight back in the wild card. Their chance of making the playoffs is 1.1%, according to Baseball Prospectus. The team's front office has to start thinking about a potentially huge offseason and how they can improve and free up even more cash for 2012. Which Cubs might be available this summer?

 

Alfonso Soriano, currently on the DL with a strained left quad, always has to be presumed available. The 35-year-old left fielder is showing good pop, but with a walk rate down to 3.2% he's a one-trick pony. He earns $18MM per year through 2014, a contract I'd probably deem immovable if the Blue Jays hadn't managed to send Vernon Wells packing. Soriano has a full no-trade clause.

Also close to immovable is righty Carlos Zambrano, who earns about $18MM this year and next. He's pitched OK, with a reduced strikeout rate but the best control of his career. Pitching is always coveted at the trade deadline, but the Cubs would need Zambrano's consent to make a deal.

Third baseman Aramis Ramirez has been healthy this season but his power has been missing. He earns $14.6MM this year and his $16MM option for 2012 vests upon a trade. He also has full no-trade rights. A trade could be worked out if Ramirez displays power over the next six weeks or so, consents to a trade, and waives the '12 option. Stranger things have happened.

Outfielder Kosuke Fukudome has trade protection as well. At .432 he has the fourth-best OBP in the National League, though he has only six extra-base hits. He could help a lot of teams, but is known for his fast starts and has a troublesome $13.5MM salary.

Starter Ryan Dempster saw his ERA top out at 9.58 on April 28th. He then turned in a 3.08 mark in May. Dempster has a $14MM player option for 2012 with no buyout. This is a tricky one - he could get more total dollars and years on the open market, but he has a strong relationship with the Cubs and he wouldn't find a $14MM salary. Dempster must approve any trade.

First baseman Carlos Pena had an awful April, but smacked seven home runs in May. He's earning $10MM on a one-year deal and could be one of the better bats available.

Southpaw John Grabow is earning $4.8MM this year. He hasn't been anything special against lefties and hasn't been used as a specialist. He'd be hard to move.

Reliever Kerry Wood has been decent this year and would be a popular trade deadline target. However, he took a big discount to come back to Chicago at $1.5MM, so he'll probably only be dealt if that's his preference.

Extra outfielder Reed Johnson is having a strong year in a limited sample, but he's on the DL due to back spasms. If healthy, the Cubs figure to be open to moving him.

The Cubs have a lot of overpaid, somewhat useful players. Guys like Dempster and Pena could generate a lot of interest, but in general GM Jim Hendry would have to assume salary to have another active trade deadline. The Cubs were willing to eat $4.2MM in salary to move Derrek Lee, Ted Lilly, and Ryan Theriot last year. Would Hendry resist another fire sale, knowing that those moves could be his last as Cubs GM? Would the Cubs install someone else to conduct the proceedings, as the Diamondbacks did last year?

[davearm2]

JMHO of course, but eating salary should be a total non-issue for the Cubs (and virtually any other team), especially on guys with expiring contracts. It's a sunk cost.

 

The issue is one of, would you rather get more salary relief and lesser prospects, or less salary relief and better prospects? It's impossible to generalize an answer to that one.

[dew1679666265]

JMHO of course, but eating salary should be a total non-issue for the Cubs (and virtually any other team), especially on guys with expiring contracts. It's a sunk cost.

 

The issue is one of, would you rather get more salary relief and lesser prospects, or less salary relief and better prospects? It's impossible to generalize an answer to that one.

 

It depends on the player - which I think is what you're saying here. Should some team decide it wants Soriano, I'd take a couple of low-ceiling A ball guys if the other team will eat a large chunk of the money. If it's Pena or Kosuke, I'd eat much more of their salary if it would get us better prospects.

 

Dumping salary shouldn't be that large a concern for this team, however, considering how many prospects we have coming up and how much salary we're already freeing up in the near future.

[TruffleShuffle]

if a team soriano's contract i'd give them prospects to go along with him.

[imb]

what if we throw in brad snyder or casey coleman to go with soriano? maybe that would be enough for them to give up one of the best offensive prospects in baseball.

I don't think the Nationals are trading Bryce Harper

 

He said one of the best, not the best.

 

what does mike trout have to do with this

[SouthSideRyan]

what if we throw in brad snyder or casey coleman to go with soriano? maybe that would be enough for them to give up one of the best offensive prospects in baseball.

I don't think the Nationals are trading Bryce Harper

 

He said one of the best, not the best.

 

what does mike trout have to do with this

 

BAN HIM TT

[XZero771679666304]

JMHO of course, but eating salary should be a total non-issue for the Cubs (and virtually any other team), especially on guys with expiring contracts. It's a sunk cost.

 

The issue is one of, would you rather get more salary relief and lesser prospects, or less salary relief and better prospects? It's impossible to generalize an answer to that one.

 

It depends on the player - which I think is what you're saying here. Should some team decide it wants Soriano, I'd take a couple of low-ceiling A ball guys if the other team will eat a large chunk of the money. If it's Pena or Kosuke, I'd eat much more of their salary if it would get us better prospects.

 

Dumping salary shouldn't be that large a concern for this team, however, considering how many prospects we have coming up and how much salary we're already freeing up in the near future.

 

In another year all we'll still have of significance is Soriano's contract, which is nigh unmovable. And maybe Pujols' or Fielder's contract.

 

It'd be nice to get something for a few of these expiring contracts, but it wouldn't be much.

[Guest]

JMHO of course, but eating salary should be a total non-issue for the Cubs (and virtually any other team), especially on guys with expiring contracts. It's a sunk cost.

 

The issue is one of, would you rather get more salary relief and lesser prospects, or less salary relief and better prospects? It's impossible to generalize an answer to that one.

 

It depends on the player - which I think is what you're saying here. Should some team decide it wants Soriano, I'd take a couple of low-ceiling A ball guys if the other team will eat a large chunk of the money. If it's Pena or Kosuke, I'd eat much more of their salary if it would get us better prospects.

 

Dumping salary shouldn't be that large a concern for this team, however, considering how many prospects we have coming up and how much salary we're already freeing up in the near future.

Even if it's those guys, it's still an open question. If the team could save, say, $3m in additional money by taking lesser prospects and invest that money in overslotting in the draft or signing international FA's, would that be better than taking incrementally better prospects back in the trade? I'd think it's really hard to give a firm answer to that one without knowing the gap between the prospects, how close to the bigs, etc.

 

However, this draft is one that is going to be prime for overslotting given the depth of talent available. I'd love to see the Cubs take a bunch of overslot guys in the draft in anticipation of being in the position of saving as much as possible from the Pena, Kosuke & other contracts.