Knowing that Tyler Colvin is set to take over as an almost full-time starter in right field, and that Xavier Nady is to be the team’s primary back up outfielder, the Chicago Cubs are going to be pretty transparent in their desire to move Kosuke Fukudome. Despite his heroics last night, he’s a player without a spot on this team, and he costs a whole lot of money on the bench.
Recently, the Cubs went so far as to approach the Red Sox – who’ve got some outfield issues due to injury – about a trade for Fukudome.
Sources in both leagues told McAdam that the Red Sox did not engage the Cubs in talks because of the $21MM remaining on Fukudome’s contract. The Cubs are apparently unwilling to take on much of the $13MM Fukudome makes this year or the $13.5MM he makes next year.
The Red Sox are debating whether to rely on internal options like Daniel Nava and Darnell McDonald or pursue outside help to fill in while Jeremy Hermida, Mike Cameron and Jacoby Ellsbury are injured. They never exchanged names with the Cubs, according to McAdam. MLBTradeRumors.com.
That the Red Sox were not willing to engage in discussions “because” of the money left on Fukudome’s deal implies that the Cubs were not willing to eat much of his contract in order to trade him. This, of course, is going to be a shoot-yourself-in-the-foot approach for the Cubs, as no team is going to be willing to take on an appreciable amount of the $20 million owed to Fukudome over the next year and a half.
I didn’t think anyone would take on Bradley and his salary and that worked out pretty well for the Cubs, so we can hope can’t we???