Minor moves offseason thread

[Little Slide Rooter]

I guess they figure that middling at best rotation depth is more important and/or harder to come by than high ceiling bullpen depth. I guess they're right, especially if they plan on trading a starter.

[davell]

Kazmir to the Indians on a minor league deal. I wish we had gotten him, but he has a legit shot at making the Indians rotation.

[Clem Fandango]

I kind of forgot Scott Kazmir was a human being that existed.

[Little Slide Rooter]

@BleacherNation: Had heard about 1st 2, but not Nelson RT @eddymk: Cubs sign RHPs Drew Carpenter & Cory Wade as well as 1B Brad Nelson to minor league deals.

 

Nelson will no doubt fill the traditional role of AAAA masher. Not sure he brings anything to the table that Justin Bour cant. Didn't realize that he was a top 50 prospect once upon a time though.

[Cubswin11]

Kazmir to the Indians on a minor league deal. I wish we had gotten him, but he has a legit shot at making the Indians rotation.

He hasn't done anything meaningful in the last 3 years

[Little Slide Rooter]

Kazmir to the Indians on a minor league deal. I wish we had gotten him, but he has a legit shot at making the Indians rotation.

He hasn't done anything meaningful in the last 3 years

 

What's more important than that is that everyone seems to be in the market for starting pitching, and nobody was willing to give him a guaranteed big league deal.

[Clem Fandango]

That's not really important at all

[Little Slide Rooter]

Sure it is. With a guy that offers the reward that Kazmir does, if anyone felt comfortable with him, couldn't they give him a low base/incentive heavy big league deal?

[Schwarber Fan]

Swisher to Indians

[Mike Aller]

Swisher to Indians

I'm irrationally excited, because he's a buckeye. But he's basically white Choo with more power and a worse arm.

[Clem Fandango]

Sure it is. With a guy that offers the reward that Kazmir does, if anyone felt comfortable with him, couldn't they give him a low base/incentive heavy big league deal?

 

He hasn't been effective since 2008, he hasn't pitched in the majors in nearly 2 years, his velocity disappeared, and he pitched in the Independent leagues this past season at the age of 28 to the tune of a 5.34 ERA and a 1.67 WHIP...

 

And you're wondering why he couldn't get a guaranteed MLB deal? You're right that people are in the market for starting pitching, and even some reclamation projects like the Cubs have been doing... but those are guys who were effective to some degree but fell on bad luck or are recovering form an injury the previous season, or are still young with room for improvement, etc.

 

Scott Kazmir is none of those things, he's [expletive] toast. If he wasn't he would've been pitching in the minors somewhere this past season.

[Sosa21MVP]

Swisher to Indians

 

$56 million for 4 years.

[davell]

Acvording to Passan, Cubs get Hisanori Takahashi on minor league deal with no roster invitation. Solid move. Kind of surprised he didn't get a major league deal. My guess is Howell is off our radar now.

[Little Slide Rooter]

Acvording to Passan, Cubs get Hisanori Takahashi on minor league deal with no roster invitation. Solid move. Kind of surprised he didn't get a major league deal. My guess is Howell is off our radar now.

 

Apparently you can't find a good middling LOOGY in the states anymore.

[davell]

Re-signed Chapman and Putnam on minor league deals. Tons of bullpen depth not on 40 man. I'll guess that when Villanueva is added, Lendy Castillo gets DFA'd. He's had a bad winter season and we've got plenty of bullpen options, to where if someone actually claimed him, I doubt we care.

[CubsWin]

Re-signed Chapman and Putnam on minor league deals. Tons of bullpen depth not on 40 man. I'll guess that when Villanueva is added, Lendy Castillo gets DFA'd. He's had a bad winter season and we've got plenty of bullpen options, to where if someone actually claimed him, I doubt we care.

Yeah, the only other option is Campana or a trade, unless the Cubs don't really care about having more than two left-handed pitchers...

[kujay]

So we signed Dontrelle. Okay then.

[Post Count Padder]

Dodgers sign JP Howell to a one year deal

[Clem Fandango]

Dodgers sign JP Howell to a one year deal

 

A little surprised he was only able to get a one year deal. Would've very much liked the Cubs to get him.

[Derwood]

Cubs re-signed Zach Putnam

[Little Slide Rooter]

Kosuke Fukudome Signs With Hanshin Tigers

By Mike Axisa [January 9 at 2:52pm CST]

Outfielder Kosuke Fukudome signed with the Hanshin Tigers earlier this offseason according to a Sponichi report passed along by Patrick Newman at NPB Tracker. The Octagon client received a three-year deal worth roughly $5.5MM.

 

Fukudome, 35, hit .171/.294/.195 in 51 plate appearances for the White Sox last year before being released at midseason. He signed a minor league deal with the Yankees and hit .276/.440/.378 in 166 Triple-A plate appearances to close out the season. Fukudome is a .258/.359/.395 career hitter at the big league level with the Cubs, Indians, and ChiSox.

 

 

[neely crenshaw]

Kazmir to the Indians on a minor league deal. I wish we had gotten him, but he has a legit shot at making the Indians rotation.

He hasn't done anything meaningful in the last 3 years

 

most of our team falls into that catagory....

[Cubswin11]

Kazmir to the Indians on a minor league deal. I wish we had gotten him, but he has a legit shot at making the Indians rotation.

He hasn't done anything meaningful in the last 3 years

 

most of our team falls into that catagory....

Soooo the answer to fixing our team that hasn't done anything meaningful over the last 3 years is to add more players whom haven't done anything meaningful over the last 3 years?? Got it, Smart!

Edited January 10, 2013 by Cubswin11

[Thed Hoyerstein]

Kosuke Fukudome Signs With Hanshin Tigers

By Mike Axisa [January 9 at 2:52pm CST]

Outfielder Kosuke Fukudome signed with the Hanshin Tigers earlier this offseason according to a Sponichi report passed along by Patrick Newman at NPB Tracker. The Octagon client received a three-year deal worth roughly $5.5MM.

 

Fukudome, 35, hit .171/.294/.195 in 51 plate appearances for the White Sox last year before being released at midseason. He signed a minor league deal with the Yankees and hit .276/.440/.378 in 166 Triple-A plate appearances to close out the season. Fukudome is a .258/.359/.395 career hitter at the big league level with the Cubs, Indians, and ChiSox.

 

 

 

Yuck, that didn't work out too well. Still will never forget his opening day home run and awesome first half of 2008.

[davell]

Valbuena gets 930k on a one year deal and Lillibridge and Darnell McDonald sign minor league deals.