Offseason Rumors

[SouthSideRyan]

Yeah it seems pretty likely that Russell is somewhere else on opening day, and Sanchez seems like an interesting gamble to add depth for replacing him.

 

Speaking of the Yankees, have they soured on Austin Romine? He seems a bit of the odd man out with their glut of catching prospects and now McCann. Would love to snag him and give him the AAA at bats he needs.

 

With Baker and Whiteside, I doubt we pick up another minor league catcher

[Guest]

Yeah it seems pretty likely that Russell is somewhere else on opening day, and Sanchez seems like an interesting gamble to add depth for replacing him.

 

Speaking of the Yankees, have they soured on Austin Romine? He seems a bit of the odd man out with their glut of catching prospects and now McCann. Would love to snag him and give him the AAA at bats he needs.

 

With Baker and Whiteside, I doubt we pick up another minor league catcher

 

Romine is still a legitimate prospect, so I have no doubt that if they were able to add him that they'd cast aside one of those two, or send the loser to AA since there's no one of importance slated to catch there.

[WrigleyField 22]

Yeah it seems pretty likely that Russell is somewhere else on opening day, and Sanchez seems like an interesting gamble to add depth for replacing him.

 

Speaking of the Yankees, have they soured on Austin Romine? He seems a bit of the odd man out with their glut of catching prospects and now McCann. Would love to snag him and give him the AAA at bats he needs.

 

With Baker and Whiteside, I doubt we pick up another minor league catcher

 

Romine is still a legitimate prospect, so I have no doubt that if they were able to add him that they'd cast aside one of those two, or send the loser to AA since there's no one of importance slated to catch there.

We also have Cutler, but I agree they'd find room for a legit C prospect if needed.

[ctcf]

Barney to the Yankees now seems a bit more unlikely.

 

FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal reports that the Yankees are likely to sign Brian Roberts.

There's no word on the terms, but it'll likely be a one-year deal with a low base salary. Roberts would give the Yanks another option at second base along with Kelly Johnson, as the two could form a platoon following the departure of Robinson Cano. The 36-year-old is obviously a poor bet to stay healthy after averaging just 48 games played over the last four seasons.

[CubsWin]

Barney to the Yankees now seems a bit more unlikely.

 

FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal reports that the Yankees are likely to sign Brian Roberts.

There's no word on the terms, but it'll likely be a one-year deal with a low base salary. Roberts would give the Yanks another option at second base along with Kelly Johnson, as the two could form a platoon following the departure of Robinson Cano. The 36-year-old is obviously a poor bet to stay healthy after averaging just 48 games played over the last four seasons.

Yeah, I saw that. Welp, there likely goes that...

 

On the other hand, with Mark Ellis signing with the Cardinals, the Dodgers bench is woefully bereft of middle infielders at the moment. Right now, they've got Dee Gordon, Alex Guerrero (who hasn't played a game in the US), Juan Uribe (who will likely play 3B), Justin Sellers and Hanley Ramirez as the lone middle infielders on their 40-man. Barney would fit well as a defensive specialist and place holder for Guerrero. Depending on how desperate they get, targeting someone like Ross Stripling would be nice even it took adding something else to get him. Relief prospects Yimi Garcia or Jose Dominguez are exciting too.

[Guest]

I think the Cubs should hang on to Barney at least until Alcantara or Baez are ready. He had more value to the Cubs than he can fetch in a trade.

[Guest]

Jeff Passan @jeffPassan

Sources: Shin-Soo Choo turned down a seven-year, $140M contract from the Yankees, even after Jacoby Ellsbury signed. yhoo.it/1fEXkPp

[davell]

Jeff Passan @jeffPassan

Sources: Shin-Soo Choo turned down a seven-year, $140M contract from the Yankees, even after Jacoby Ellsbury signed. yhoo.it/1fEXkPp

Not good news. Kind of shows they don't give a [expletive] about staying under the luxury tax.

[UK1679666180]

Jeff Passan @jeffPassan

Sources: Shin-Soo Choo turned down a seven-year, $140M contract from the Yankees, even after Jacoby Ellsbury signed. yhoo.it/1fEXkPp

Not good news. Kind of shows they don't give a [expletive] about staying under the luxury tax.

 

Bad news both ways, the Yankees don't care about budgets (unless they know something about A-Rod) and that Shoo might be wanting more unless he hates the Yankees/NYC.

[davell]

I've never bought in to us being truly in on Choo. Especially not at 7/140. If we make a giant FA signing, it's Tanaka or bust.

[Guest]

Jeff Passan @jeffPassan

Sources: Shin-Soo Choo turned down a seven-year, $140M contract from the Yankees, even after Jacoby Ellsbury signed. yhoo.it/1fEXkPp

Not good news. Kind of shows they don't give a [expletive] about staying under the luxury tax.

 

Bad news both ways, the Yankees don't care about budgets (unless they know something about A-Rod) and that Shoo might be wanting more unless he hates the Yankees/NYC.

 

 

It was before they signed Beltran.

[Guest]

Boras apparently asking for 7 years / $140 million for Choo.

Dan Szymborski ‏@DSzymborski 3 Dec

ZiPS WAR projection for Choo: 3.0, 2.8, 2.5, 2.0, 1.4, 0.7

Dan Szymborski ‏@DSzymborski 3 Dec

ZiPS only has Choo a 3.0 WAR player in 2014 and Steamer's got him at the same figure, so it's not a ZiPS outlier or anything.

 

if i'm interpreting his other tweets right, that basically gives him 6/66 valuation

 

 

This post really tempered my desire for us to go hard after Choo.

[Guest]

Boras apparently asking for 7 years / $140 million for Choo.

Dan Szymborski ‏@DSzymborski 3 Dec

ZiPS WAR projection for Choo: 3.0, 2.8, 2.5, 2.0, 1.4, 0.7

Dan Szymborski ‏@DSzymborski 3 Dec

ZiPS only has Choo a 3.0 WAR player in 2014 and Steamer's got him at the same figure, so it's not a ZiPS outlier or anything.

 

if i'm interpreting his other tweets right, that basically gives him 6/66 valuation

 

 

This post really tempered my desire for us to go hard after Choo.

Choo really needs to go to an AL team and be the new Edgar. He simply can't play the outfield anymore.

[sneakypower]

i don't believe that report for even a second

[UK1679666180]

Jeff Passan @jeffPassan

Sources: Shin-Soo Choo turned down a seven-year, $140M contract from the Yankees, even after Jacoby Ellsbury signed. yhoo.it/1fEXkPp

Not good news. Kind of shows they don't give a [expletive] about staying under the luxury tax.

 

Bad news both ways, the Yankees don't care about budgets (unless they know something about A-Rod) and that Shoo might be wanting more unless he hates the Yankees/NYC.

 

 

It was before they signed Beltran.

 

Their budget is separate than all, while I expected them to cruise way past the luxury tax, I expected them to stay close to their '13 payroll. I haven't looked hard at their budget but even with Rivera, Cano, Granderson, and Pettite no longer on the books, I can see them blowing last year's payroll way out of the water unless the A-Rod thing again.

[Cubswin11]

Jeff Passan @jeffPassan

Sources: Shin-Soo Choo turned down a seven-year, $140M contract from the Yankees, even after Jacoby Ellsbury signed. yhoo.it/1fEXkPp

Not good news. Kind of shows they don't give a [expletive] about staying under the luxury tax.

 

Bad news both ways, the Yankees don't care about budgets (unless they know something about A-Rod) and that Shoo might be wanting more unless he hates the Yankees/NYC.

 

 

It was before they signed Beltran.

 

Their budget is separate than all, while I expected them to cruise way past the luxury tax, I expected them to stay close to their '13 payroll. I haven't looked hard at their budget but even with Rivera, Cano, Granderson, and Pettite no longer on the books, I can see them blowing last year's payroll way out of the water unless the A-Rod thing again.

They are $50 million below last years right now, I don't think they are going to blow last years payroll out of the water. I just don't see the moves they could make to "blow it out of the water." Even if they'd add like Choo, Garza and Tanaka they probably will come in right around where they were last year. They probably add one more expensiveish SP and then ancillary parts.

[KingCubsFan]

Boras apparently asking for 7 years / $140 million for Choo.

Dan Szymborski ‏@DSzymborski 3 Dec

ZiPS WAR projection for Choo: 3.0, 2.8, 2.5, 2.0, 1.4, 0.7

Dan Szymborski ‏@DSzymborski 3 Dec

ZiPS only has Choo a 3.0 WAR player in 2014 and Steamer's got him at the same figure, so it's not a ZiPS outlier or anything.

 

if i'm interpreting his other tweets right, that basically gives him 6/66 valuation

 

 

This post really tempered my desire for us to go hard after Choo.

Choo really needs to go to an AL team and be the new Edgar. He simply can't play the outfield anymore.

He's never been rated highly defensively, but he played out of position last year, and I believe had some sort of leg injury the year before that hampered his mobility. Defense aside, I'd still be interested in him given that he's so good at the Cubs' one glaring offensive weakness: getting on base.

[davell]

Keep in mind, they've got Robertson, Gardner, and Nova in arb. That's close to 15 mill thats unaccounted for. If you add in Tanaka, Choo, and Garza, lets say at 20, 20, and 15 AAV, you're up to 247 mill, which DOES kind of blow last year out of the water. Take away A-Rod's 26 and its palatable, I guess, but still an increase.

[Guest]

If the NL is going to adopt the DH within the next couple years, I could get behind signing Choo. If he got signed to a contract where we could play him in the OF for a couple years and then trade him to an AL team without getting hosed, I could get behind signing Choo.

 

Failing either one of those...I'm all in on Tanaka.

[SouthSideRyan]

i don't believe that report for even a second

 

Yeah, Boras represents both, I can't imagine him expecting an Ellsbury contract for Choo

[Guest]

I'm a big enough believer in Choo's bat, and think he's capable enough to not throw away 15 runs in LF defense that I think he's a pretty good gamble. I have a hard time not seeing the bat being interesting to an AL team 3-4 years down the line if the defense collapses, so I'm not worried about the position he'll play either.

 

That said, 7/140 is not a really good idea. Hopefully this is Boras trying to leak an offer no one has come close to in order to avoid Choo becoming this year's Bourn. There's enough teams out there that I'm not optimistic of Choo being a Cub, but he clearly seems to be everyone's plan B at the moment, so if the dominoes fall a certain way it could happen.

[Clem Fandango]

I really hope the Cubs are in on this somehow, but I doubt it...

 

Nick Franklin is drawing "strong interest" from multiple teams, per Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.

The Mariners have reason to listen on Franklin, as they signed Robinson Cano to play second base and are said to prefer fellow youngster Brad Miller at shortstop. Franklin failed to impress in his major league debut last season, but he's still just 22 and was ranked as the No. 79 prospect in baseball heading into the 2013 season by Baseball America. It wouldn't be surprising if he was on another roster come Opening Day.

[Guest]

Ackley's the Mariner's 2B you want. Franklin doesn't have nearly the pedigree and really doesn't project to be any better than Barney next year.

[Clem Fandango]

Ackley's the Mariner's 2B you want. Franklin doesn't have nearly the pedigree and really doesn't project to be any better than Barney next year.

 

Doesn't sound like they're intending on moving Ackley though. I've also completely soured on Ackley and genuinely think Franklin is a more valuable player than Ackley at this point.

[OleMissCub]

@Ken_Rosenthal

Mentioned Suzuki as possibility for #Twins. Per sources, #Cubs, #Mariners also have shown interest. @FeinsandNYDN first reported #Cubs.