Chicago Cubs Reliever Rumors
In the wake of Angel Guzman’s shoulder issues, the Chicago Cubs are being attached to a number of reliever rumors. Some are nothing new - the Cubs are still interested in Luke Gregerson from the San Diego Padres or Jason Frasor from the Blue Jays - but some are brand new.
The Cubs, who currently are scouting the Cactus and Graperfruit Leagues for a setup man, would be interested in both [Pedro] Martinez and [John] Smoltz “down the line,” according to a major-league source. FOX Sports on MSN.
It’s hard to know what “down the line” means, unless Smoltz and Martinez are currently seeking more money than they should be. Neither would be a terribly exciting addition, but they would add some veteran influence in the pen. Smoltz, who will turn 43 this year, has been exclusively a starter since 2004. He was brutal last year in Boston, but was adequate after moving on to St. Louis.
Martinez, 38, has exclusively been a starter in his career, but many believe if he’s got a future, it’s in the bullpen. He pitched just 9 games last year for the Phillies, but made the most of it.
As for the two trade targets, we’ve discussed Gregerson and Frasor at length before. The former is younger, on the upswing and under control for a couple years; the latter is in his mid-30s, had a career year last year, and is a free agent after this year. Take a wild guess at which one the Cubs will end up with. Either way, with Guzman out, you can bet that the asking price just went up.
ShareCubs Still Looking at Relievers, but Probably Not Kiko Calero
Although Chicago Cubs general manager Jim Hendry has gone back and forth on whether or not the Cubs are done making moves this offseason, he waivers the most when asked about the bullpen. There can be no doubt that he’d like to add another right-handed reliever if the right opportunity comes along. It’s been rumored recently that any addition would have to be by trade, and a recent shoot-down of the Cubs’ interest in signing free agent Kiko Calero may confirm that.
The Cubs are still looking for late-inning relief help, preferably right-handed. That said, they could open camp without adding anyone else and possibly make a deal during Spring Training. There were rumors the team was interested in free agent Kiko Calero, 35, but he missed time in 2008 because of a torn rotator cuff and was sidelined last season because of inflammation in his shoulder. Calero is looking for a two-year contract, and the Cubs are probably hesitant to do something like that considering his injuries. cubs.com.
Of course, if Calero’s options dwindle to having to sign a minor league deal or a $500k-ish one-year deal, it’s hard to imagine the Cubs’ interest won’t pick back up.
For now, the Cubs seem to remain most interested in snagging Jason Frasor from the Blue Jays or Luke Gregerson from the Padres. One move makes sense (Gregerson) and one looks like a Jim Hendry special (Frasor).
SharePlenty of Chicago Cubs Rumors Still Swirling
There can be no doubt that the bulk of the offseason movement is behind us - re-signing John Grabow, dumping Milton Bradley, and signing Marlon Byrd and Xavier Nady are the big moves for this year. Like ‘em or lump ‘em.
But that doesn’t mean that the Cubs are totally done making moves. Bruce Levine held his weekly SportsNation chat, and dropped a few tidbits of note:
- The Cubs are still interested in Adam Kennedy, but don’t have enough money. It’s hard to see what Kennedy brings to the table that a Mike Fontenot/Jeff Baker combination doesn’t already, so let’s be glad that the Cubs “don’t have enough money” to add a guy that probably only deserves to be getting a minor league deal anyway.
- The Cubs are “tapped out moneywise,” so any other moves will have to be via trade.
- The Padres really like Angel Guzman, and the Cubs really like Luke Gregerson. The Padres believe if Guzman can stay healthy, he could be their closer of the future. Gregerson was as good as Guzman last year, but is younger and cheaper in the near term, so if it was a straight up swap, I suppose it could make some sense.
You Are Cleared to Resume Hating Jim Edmonds
Remember when Jim Edmonds was a star for the St. Louis Cardinals?
Grr. We hated that guy. He was so … douchey. And so … cocky. When Carlos Zambrano threw at him - twice - Edmonds totally deserved it. Grr. We hated that guy.
But then, after being cast off by the San Diego Padres, the Cubs signed Edmonds to a low risk, low money deal. Then, to everyone’s surprise, he actually produced. And it really suck in Cardinals fans’ craws.
Hooray! We loved that guy!
Still, it felt … wrong. We’re a fickle sort, sure, but such instantaneous love for a guy we’d been trained for so long to hate was difficult to process.
Well I have good news, fellow Cubs fans: Jim Edmonds is making a comeback with the almost-equally-hated Milwaukee Brewers. Grr! We hate that guy!
Edmonds, 40, signed a minor league deal with the Brewers yesterday, who will have until late March to either place him on the Major League roster (and pay him $850k), or release him. At which time we can make a decision, again, as to whether he’s a good guy or a megadouche.
ShareA New Rumored Reliever Target for the Cubs: Luke Gregerson
As we noted earlier, the Chicago Cubs have two primary directives remaining in the offseason: get a fourth outfielder, and get a veteran reliever.
To the latter directive, a new name has surfaced. According to Bruce Levine, the Cubs are taking a look at San Diego Padres reliever Luke Gregerson. Gregerson, 25, was very good in his rookie year with the Padres, putting up a 3.24 ERA in 75 innings, while striking out 93 and walking just 31. You could understand why the Cubs would be interested, despite Gregerson not being, you know, a veteran.
But that said, why would the Padres trade him? He’s on a renewable (read: uber cheap) contract for the next two years, and then he’ll hit arbitration for three years. The Padres, a team with a limited budget, should want a guy like Gregerson even more than the Cubs. That means to acquire him, the Cubs would have to give up some serious talent.
ShareJim Hendry Hearts Relievers: Chicago Cubs are Still Considering Heath Bell
Chicago Cubs general manager Jim Hendry continues his relentless pursuit of a right-handed reliever. But at least this rumor involves a slightly more dominant type.
According to sources, the Cubs are kicking the tires again on Padres closer Heath Bell, as they did at the winter meetings. He would strengthen the bullpen, but Lou Piniella would be back to juggling two would-be closers in Bell and Carlos Marmol, who went 11-for-11 in save situations after Piniella gave him the job. chicagotribune.com.
If you recall, the Cubs have had a long dalliance with Heath Bell - there were rumors of interest before the 2009 season, and then again during the 2009 season. Bell, 32, has been dominant in two of the last three seasons, and was pretty good in the third. He made just over $1 million last year, his first year of arbitration, and should get a significant raise this year.
There are two concerns with Bell: 1.) he led the National League in saves last year, his first as a closer - how do you make that guy a set-up pitcher, rather than the closer? You don’t. Carlos Marmol gone’ be pissed; and 2.) he has averaged an insane 80+ innings per season - all out of the bullpen - over the past three years.
Bell’s cost would make for an interesting discussion. Previously, the Padres had asked the Cubs for a king’s ransom, including at least one of their top prospects (at the time, it was Josh Vitters and Andrew Cashner). Given how much Bell is set to make in arbitration - topping $5 million wouldn’t be a shock - you would have to wonder whether that cost in trade would drop.
ShareNo Threeway Trade Between Cubs, Red Sox, and Padres - For Now
Rumors swirled Monday and yesterday that the Chicago Cubs, Boston Red Sox, and San Diego Padres were discussing a trade that would see the Cubs net, among other possibilities, Jacoby Ellsbury to man center field next year. Those rumors may have been overstated.
Speculation that the Cubs, Red Sox and Padres have talked about a three-way trade that would send Jacoby Ellsbury and Clay Buchholz to the Cubs was shot down on Monday.
Although the Red Sox and Cubs have talked recently about other matchups, a deal that would send pitcher Andrew Cashner and Josh Vitters as well as a third minor-leaguer to San Diego, which would send first baseman Adrian Gonzalez to Boston, has not been broached. ESPN Chicago.
Perhaps the most interested thing to note is not that the three-way trade was shot down, but instead is the notion that the Cubs and Red Sox have indeed talked trade. Landing both Ellsbury and Buchholz would be a coup for the Cubs, but the question remains: if not absolutely necessary in order to land Adrian Gonzalez, why would the Red Sox trade these two young, cheap, successful players?
It’s worth pointing out that Buchholz’s career has nearly mirror Ellsbury’s in terms of hype: he came up in 2007 for part of the season, and was dominant. The hype machine exploded. But then he was actually quite bad in his time with the Sox in 2008, before settling in to “pretty good” this past season. He was, of course, just 24, so his best days may very well be ahead of him yet. Which is, of course, why I’d hardly expect him to be traded to the Cubs.
ShareCubs Probably Aren’t Getting Heath Bell
Jim Hendry has said that the Chicago Cubs are looking for another reliever, preferably a veteran righty. As horrible an idea as we’ve repeatedly said this is, we don’t really call the shots. And if the Cubs absolutely had to pick up a reliever, they could do worse than the Padres’ Heath Bell.
But he may not actually be on the radar.
The Cubs scoffed at a Chicago-based report suggesting shortstop Ryan Theriot or catcher Geovany Soto might be traded for San Diego closer Heath Bell — an arbitration-eligible righty who figures to make more in 2010 than Theriot and Soto combined. ”Sometimes you just have to laugh,” Hendry said of the internet-age rumor barrage. CHICAGO SUN-TIMES.
Trading Soto for Bell would be beyond comically terrible, so that one is, as Hendry said, laughable. Theriot is less-so, particularly if he’s just going to be shifted to second base in the near future.
Either way, you’ll note that the rumor Hendry denied is Bell for one of Soto or Theriot. He did not deny the Cubs’ interest in Bell. This will be a situation to monitor, just as it was earlier in the year when the Cubs briefly pursued Bell.
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