The Return of Matt Murton? and Other Increasingly Rumory Bullets

It’s the nominal New Year’s Holiday, which means … nothing here at BN. It’s just another day full of Chicago Cubs news and rumors. But we can watch college football while we discuss them. The latest on Prince Fielder and Matt Garza later today, but, until then, Bullets of an equally rumorish disposition …

  • The Chicago Cubs continue to have interest in Cuban outfielder Yoenis Cespedes (and Jorge Soler), who could finally reach free agency as soon as this week. The sense you get on how much Cespedes will get is something in the $40 to $50 million range (over six years, presumably), and Soler will probably get about $20 million (most of which will probably be a signing bonus). The same article notes that the competition for the duo will be serious, and will include a large number of teams, which could now include the other team in Chicago, after they saved some money moving Carlos Quentin. There aren’t many opportunities to acquire big-time young talent for nothing more than money – and it’s only going to become more difficult starting next year – so here’s hoping the Cubs bid aggressively.
  • A number of folks speculated/suggested/wondered about the Cubs’ signing of two other Cuban prospects last week, and how that might impact their pursuit of Cespedes and Soler. After all, the adjustment from Cuban life to American life can be among the more difficult transitions, and maybe the Cubs are bringing in some friends to help Cespedes and Soler along? Sorry to be a buzz kill, but I just don’t see it. First, Cespedes and Soler are – wisely – going to take the offer from the highest bidder. Obviously this isn’t a posting system, so they don’t have to take the high bid, but, given that this may be their only chance to cash in, they’d be foolish to leave money on the table – a point I’m certain their respective representatives will make clear to them. Second, the levels in the Cubs’ organization that Cespedes and Soler would be playing at (perhaps AAA and/or the bigs for Cespedes, and maybe High A for Soler) are higher than the levels at which Balaguert and Martinez will make their debuts. In other words, there’s no reason to believe that Cespedes and Soler would even see the other guys the Cubs signed, let alone be around them enough to help with their adjustment to the U.S. Indeed, the only connection I see here? The Cubs are looking to pick up as much quality international amateur talent as they can right now. That’s it.
  • Andre Ethier for the Cubs? Phil Rogers thinks so, even if it doesn’t make much sense. “Andre Ethier, who is one year away from free agency, is high on Theo Epstein’s wish list. He’s the type of guy the Cubs president might look to acquire at midseason in the hope of keeping him around, like the Reds did with their surprising trade for Scott Rolen in 2009.” The Cubs are expected to be weak in 2012, making an Ethier acquisition unlikely. Further, if Ethier is traded midseason, he can no longer qualify for draft pick compensation if he leaves in free agency. That means the price the Dodgers could get for him at the trade deadline would be depressed, particularly from a team like the Cubs would probably wouldn’t need him for a postseason push. This suggestion of a trade – as opposed to the Cubs maybe pursuing Ethier next offseason – is plainly bizarre.
  • The Tribune’s David Haugh says the Cubs’ WGN TV contract expires in 2014, and the CSN contract in 2019. The latter expiration date had been rumored (but, frankly, I’d hoped it was much earlier). It’s fair to wonder now whether the Cubs won’t have any games on WGN after 2014, and instead will make a little more money by shifting coverage almost exclusively to CSN, with an eye toward their own network in 2020. Obviously a lot can happen in the intervening years, so it’s probably not worth speculating too rampantly at this point.
  • The Chicago sports year in review video from ESPN.
  • George Offman says the Cubs might be interested in bringing Japanese star, and former Cubs outfielder, Matt Murton back to the States. Murton, 30, is one of the best hitters in Japan, and was a relatively average hitter when he played in the US in his mid-20s. He could probably be a decent 4th outfielder, but the Cubs’ outfield is starting to look a bit crowded already, with DeJesus, Byrd, Soriano, Sappelt, Johnson, Campana, and Jackson already available as options, and the Cubs still considering someone like Coco Crisp. Think the Cubs are planning to move Soriano and/or Byrd? Yes. It seems rather obvious at this point.
  • written by

    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.

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