Cubs Pitching Search Rumors: Going for Two, Shields, Ross, Price, Samardzija, Cueto, More

Dec 01, 2015

A quick hit pass on the many Cubs-related pitching rumors making the rounds …

In a couple good local reads about the Cubs’ ongoing search for pitching, each of Patrick Mooney and Mark Gonzales give off the vibe that the Cubs’ approach to adding pitching this offseason will avoid the David Price/Zack Greinke tier in favor of other options. To be sure, neither flatly rules out the Cubs pursuing David Price, it just seems like the less likely move at the end of the day. [UPDATE: Indeed, Price has reportedly agreed to sign with the Red Sox.]

That squares with our sense around here, and my thinking about where the Cubs are right now has always pushed me in favor of them adding two starting pitchers – either two mid-tier types or a mid-tier type and a trade target, if the Cubs can pull it off – and having decent money leftover to spend on a positional player in the outfield, rather than consolidating all of that spending into a single arm. With virtually no quality big-league ready starting pitching depth in the upper minors, the Cubs have to do what they can this offseason to lengthen the rotation. Yes, Price would make the Cubs’ rotation better. But his addition could also make them more vulnerable to ugly churn if there are injuries. Adding two quality starters, to me, over the course of a full season, probably does more to help the Cubs (and also reduces the downside risk, and preserves flexibility, a few years down the road).

Bruce Levine writes about the Cubs’ pursuit of starting pitching, and he, too, sees the Cubs as more likely to add a couple starters – a mid-tier free agent and a trade piece – than one big-timer. One interesting addition in his article is the suggestion that the Cubs could talk to the Padres about James Shields. We know that Shields was a Cubs target last offseason, and then there were some rumors at the Trade Deadline, but the clear problem with Shields is that his backloaded contract now looks brutally bad, and he’s coming off a year in San Diego where his performance and velocity were both way down. At 34 next season, you have to wonder how much Shields is going to give you. Certainly, the Cubs couldn’t give up anything of real value to acquire him AND they would have to have the Padres eat a huge chunk of his remaining contract. Could Shields be a solid 4/5 for the Cubs for a couple years? Sure. But it’s very hard to see a deal coming together.

[adinserter block=”1″]

Other Padres starters like Tyson Ross or Andrew Cashner seem slightly more likely, but Gonzales’s piece referenced above also includes a note that any momentum on a Tyson Ross deal was tempered by the huge return the Padres got for Craig Kimbrel. If that’s what they want again in a Ross deal, it’s not going to come from the Cubs.

If not Tyson, what about his brother Joe? Nick Cafardo talks about the 22-year-old righty possibly being made available by the Nationals to upgrade their roster elsewhere, which would be mighty interesting. It seems unlikely the Nats would actually move Ross, what with both Jordan Zimmermann and Doug Fister departing, but … yeah. He’s intriguing, to say the least.

Mooney’s piece referenced above also mentions that there could be a four-year, $75 million floor on a Jeff Samardzija deal, which is a healthy commitment for a guy coming off one of the worst seasons in baseball. I’m a big fan of the Cubs reuniting with Samardzija, but 4/$75M starts to get into a range where I’m not sure you’re taking a calculated risk to capture upside so much as actually paying for that upside as though it’s guaranteed to happen.

Jon Heyman surprised some folks – including me – with this tweet:

cueto also has received interest from dodgers, giants, cubs and red sox. so the numbers are on his side.

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) November 30, 2015

“Received interest” is vague enough to keep this in the realm of possibility, but beyond the normal checking-in-on-everyone stuff, it seems very unlikely that the Cubs will seriously pursue Johnny Cueto, especially after he rejected a six-year, $120 million offer from the Diamondbacks reportedly in search of something closer to $140 to $160 million.

I actually believe this to be true with respect to David Price, but comfort/NL/etc. is almost certainly not going to make up for tens of millions of dollars in difference:

Price ex-teammates think a city he likes, the NL, being able to hit will be among factors more important than the last $$$$.

— Peter Gammons (@pgammo) November 30, 2015

And on the other big arm on the market:

Zack Greinke's market is quietly heating up, says a source. #Dodgers, #SFGiants both looking for some clarity.

— Jerry Crasnick (@jcrasnick) November 30, 2015

It's believed Greinke is looking for a $30M annual payout. He's 32, so length of the deal will be an issue.

— Jerry Crasnick (@jcrasnick) November 30, 2015

Yesterday, if you missed it, much more on the Braves’ asking price for Shelby Miller, and the possibility they could move Julio Teheran. And today, a report emerged that the Braves are very into Jorge Soler.

written by

Brett Taylor

Brett Taylor is the Lead Cubs Writer at Bleacher Nation, and you can find him on Twitter at @BleacherNation and on LinkedIn here. Brett is also the founder of Bleacher Nation, which opened up shop in 2008 as an independent blog about the Chicago Cubs. Later growing to incorporate coverage of other Chicago sports, Bleacher Nation is now one of the largest regional sports blogs on the web.

more cubs news

Chicago Cubs

Pre-Gamin’: Cubs at Reds (6:10 CT) – Lineups, Broadcast Info, Game Thread

CUBS LINEUP — The Cubs have won two games in a row - but just barely (and against the worst team in MLB). Let's see if they can deliver a more convincing victory in the first of four games against...

Michael Cerami

Jun 06, 2024

Chicago Cubs

Nick Madrigal Broke His Hand In His First Game At Triple-A Iowa

[Ankin_law] Whether you felt he should be sent back down to Triple-A Iowa or not, and whatever you think of his future role with the Chicago Cubs, I don't think you can feel anything but bad about what happened to...

Brett Taylor

Jun 06, 2024

Chicago Cubs

Unfortunately, We Need to Talk About Yan Gomes and the Cubs’ Options at Catcher

Hand up. I didn't think Yan Gomes would be this big of a problem 2024. In fact, I was pretty excited about the guidance and leadership he was likely to provide — in addition to the actual in-game value —...

Michael Cerami

Jun 06, 2024

Chicago Cubs

MLBits: Skenes-Ohtani Lived Up to the Billing, the Reds Aren’t Dead Yet, More

Paul Skenes is a SoCal native who watched Shohei Ohtani play for the Los Angeles Angels for the last half-decade. On Wednesday, he squared off with him for the first time. That and more in today's MLB Notes. Skenes vs....

Patrick K. Flowers

Jun 06, 2024

Chicago Cubs

Can Ian Happ Keep Up His Cincy-Heroics? Cubs vs Reds Series Preview

Cubs vs Reds — The Cubs did not have a great time facing the Reds last weekend, squeezing out just one win over three games despite Javier Assad and Justin Steele both throwing in that series (as well as Ben...

Michael Cerami

Jun 06, 2024

Chicago Cubs

Cubs Farm Report | June 6, 2024: No Shortage of Offense for Iowa, Triantos Powers the Smokies, More

There was no shortage of offense for Iowa in a doubleheader split with Toledo, and the Smokies topped the Barons thanks to a solid day for James Triantos. That and more in today's Cubs Farm Report. Cubs Farm Report |...

Patrick K. Flowers

Jun 06, 2024

Chicago Cubs

Things Have Gone So Very Badly for Two of the Late-Signing Starting Pitchers

I knew it'd been a rough start to the year for new Giants lefty Blake Snell and new Diamondbacks lefty Jordan Montgomery, but it kind of came to a head in Montgomery's last outing. It was bad, bad, bad: https://twitter.com/BNightengale/status/1798454426551959906...

Brett Taylor

Jun 06, 2024

Chicago Cubs

If You Eject Nico Hoerner Over Balls and Strikes, You Probably Screwed Up

Nico Hoerner not only has a very good sense of the strike zone, he almost never beefs too much even when that strike zone gets expanded by a generous home plate umpire. Sure, he'll express some frustration about a bad...

Brett Taylor

Jun 06, 2024

Chicago Cubs

More Walk-Off Fun, Tauchman an All-Star, Morel, Wesneski, Neris, and Other Cubs Bullets

I don't know how much special-ness you could ascribe to a two-game sweep of one of the worst teams in recent memory, but it certainly would've been a nightmare if the shoe had been on the other foot. So obviously...

Brett Taylor

Jun 06, 2024

Chicago Cubs

Wake Up and Watch the Cubs Come Back (Again) to Beat the White Sox Late (Again)

Just like the night before, maybe the Chicago Cubs shouldn't have HAD to pull off a big comeback against the Chicago White Sox - quite literally one of the worst teams in baseball in the last 50 years - but...

Brett Taylor

Jun 06, 2024

Chicago Bears

Caleb Williams Rookie Contract Status Update: When Will He Sign?

Here's how peaceful things are at Halas Hall: Caleb Williams, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, has yet to sign his rookie contract. And yet, there have been no whispers of a holdout and no buzz...

Luis C. Medina

Jun 06, 2024

Chicago Bears

How and When You Can Get Chicago Bears Training Camp Tickets

Summer break is underway for the Chicago Bears. Next up, training camp! The Bears just announced their training camp schedule, so clear your calendars. Chicago Bears 2024 Training Camp Practice Schedule These are the dates in which Chicago's football team...

Luis C. Medina

Jun 06, 2024

Chicago Cubs

Nick Madrigal Broke His Hand In His First Game At Triple-A Iowa

Brett Taylor

Jun 06, 2024

Chicago Bears

Summer Break Begins Now For the Chicago Bears

The 2024 season promises to be an entertaining one for the Chicago Bears and their fans. This team has games on Sunday Night Football, Monday Night Football, and Thursday Night Football on its schedule. It also has a trip to...

Luis C. Medina

Jun 06, 2024

Chicago Bulls

NBA Mock Draft Roundup: Experts Can’t Seem to Agree on Who Goes to the Bulls

Draft season is officially upon us, and it’s a big one for Arturas Karnisovas and Marc Eversley. Not only is their team stuck in the mud after back-to-back losing seasons, but this year will mark only their third first-round pick...

Elias Schuster

Jun 06, 2024

Chicago Blackhawks

And Then There Were Six: Utah’s NHL Franchise Narrows Potential Names

We're one step closer to a name for the new NHL franchise in Utah. The artist formerly known as the Arizona Coyotes announced the six finalists for the new name of the team, which it will assume for the 2025-26...

Matt Rooney

Jun 06, 2024

Chicago Cubs

Pre-Gamin’: Cubs at Reds (6:10 CT) – Lineups, Broadcast Info, Game Thread

Michael Cerami

Jun 06, 2024

Chicago Cubs

MLBits: Skenes-Ohtani Lived Up to the Billing, the Reds Aren’t Dead Yet, More

Patrick K. Flowers

Jun 06, 2024

Picks

Padres vs. Diamondbacks Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats & Best Bets – Thursday, June 6, 2024

The San Diego Padres (32-33) and Fernando Tatis Jr. (four hits last time out) are favored (-121) on the moneyline for their matchup with the Arizona Diamondbacks (29-33) on Thursday at 9:40 PM ET on ARID.Randy Vasquez will get the...

Data Skrive

Jun 06, 2024

Chicago Cubs

Cubs Pitching Search Rumors: Going for Two, Shields, Ross, Price, Samardzija, Cueto, More

Read More

more cubs news

Latest News

more cubs news

Most Popular

Most Popular

Latest News

Most Popular

Most Popular