Tampa

[Tim]

So...

 

Someone mentioned that there are tweets about talks between the Cubs and Tampa heating up?

[Clem Fandango]

Chicago Cub-Times

‏@ChicagoCubTimes

Rumor Mill: Cubs could be making a trade with the Tampa Bay Rays and it could even happen today.

 

12:33 PM - 18 Jan 2016

 

That's all I see, and it's not an official source of anything.

 

Cafardo a couple days ago posted this...

 

It’s getting deep into the offseason and plenty of deals could still be made before spring training.

 

For example, the Rays and Cubs seem to line up for a trade. Tampa Bay could deal either Jake Odorizzi or Alex Cobb if Chicago is willing to give up Javier Baez or Jorge Soler.

 

Cubs president Theo Epstein is trying to turn Baez into a younger Ben Zobrist, while Soler has big-time slugging potential, though he isn’t the greatest right fielder. The Rays need controllable young hitters and Soler and/or Baez would fit very nicely in their lineup.

 

The Cubs have the look of a World Series team. They added a great defender and lefthanded swinger in Jason Heyward, added a veteran presence to the lineup in Zobrist, and John Lackey will join NL Cy Young winner Jake Arrieta and Jon Lester in an excellent top three. They could use another young, controllable pitcher and the Rays have what they want.

 

But that's nothing we don't already know

[UMFan83]

Julie DiCaro said her source told her talks are heating up too

[SRQCub]

Living just south of Tampa, I have been hearing it from Rays fans for a few days. They expect to deal Cobb for Soler.

 

Fans are generally dumb, though.

[Gilby]

If the prices for guys like Jackson and Fowler have been dropping, it could make sense to do something like Soler for Snell. We might not need more pitching for 2016, but we will soon. Snell is really, really good and could still help this year. I'd be scared to trade Soler, but I'd understand if the FO thinks there are enough red flags.

 

Coghlan not being at the convention makes me think it could just be something small like a trade for Jennings though.

[Tim]

I would get it if they did a trade like that, but I still wouldn't be happy with trading either Baez or Soler for a minor league prospect. Heck, I wouldn't be happy with trading either one of them for McGee, either.

 

There are deals for combinations of players that I could live with, though.

[Tim]

So...yeah. Stuff I said earlier that got wiped out.

[Cubbie Swagger]

So these Tampa pitchers are supposed to be significantly better than Hammel and/or Hendricks, right? What about Warren? I'm sort of surprised we're still looking at starting pitchers.

[Thusly Boned]

So these Tampa pitchers are supposed to be significantly better than Hammel and/or Hendricks, right? What about Warren? I'm sort of surprised we're still looking at starting pitchers.

 

I'm not. Arrieta, Hammel and Lackey aren't under control forever (and it's unclear whether Hammel will ever be able to maintain performance over a full season). Nabbing a younger, cost controlled starting pitcher is still something I'd like to see happen (especially if it can be done without trading Soler or Baez).

 

Is it a desperate need? No, but quality SP depth is not the strength of the franchise, either.

[Cubbie Swagger]

So we're talking about getting people to stick in AAA, then? My point was that we already have more than 5 starters.

[Sammy Sofa]

we already have more than 5 starters.

 

http://cdn.makeagif.com/media/1-21-2015/rPgksC.gif

[David]

So we're talking about getting people to stick in AAA, then? My point was that we already have more than 5 starters.

 

Agreed. And don't see a need to trade hitting for a middling pitcher just because of youth and cost control. They can address the back of the rotation on a year to year basis pretty easily. I'm more concerned with what happens at the top of the rotation in 2018 when Lester is 2 years older and Arrieta's no longer cheap and ours. But that might as well be light years away in pitching terms.