Lukewarm Stove: Samardzija, Granderson, Price, Tanaka, Saltalamacchia, More

Dec 05, 2013

If there were ever a week where the “lukewarm” stove joke felt completely out of place, this was the week …

Diamondbacks GM Kevin Tower concedes, per Nick Piecoro, that the D-Backs are more likely to pick up a starting pitcher in trade than in free agency. And, I’d add that, given their desire for a top starting pitcher, as well as their financial constraints (they might have only another $10 million left to add a pitcher and a bat (David Price is going to make $13+ million in arbitration in 2014)), Jeff Samardzija continues to look like a slam dunk fit for them. Of course, if the Diamondbacks continue to refuse to talk about top pitching prospect Archie Bradley, they aren’t a slam dunk fit for the Cubs. Does a Tyler Skaggs, Adam Eaton, Randall Delgado package still intrigue you, though? Sure it does. Gets you listening, at least. Appropriately, Baseball America just today released their top 10 list for the Diamondbacks’ farm system. Start proposing your crazy packages!

Speaking of Samardzija, Atlanta beat writer David O’Brien tweeted at length today about the Braves’ interest in picking up a pitcher like Samardzija. It’s hard to tell if O’Brien is reporting that there’s interest, or speculating that the Braves should have interest, but it’s pretty clear he thinks there’s a match there. Not quite as pitching rich as they one were at the prospect level, the Braves still have plenty of intriguing trade chips, starting at the top with 2012 first round pick Lucas Sims. He’s a tall, 19-year-old righty who tore up A-ball last year, who figures to appear at the back end of many top 100 lists this year. You almost certainly wouldn’t get Julio Teheran in a Samardzija deal, but the Braves may have to be willing to dip into their big league pitching pool to make a fit. But, at some point, then you’re just robbing Peter to pay Paul.

The Cubs are expected to listen to offers for Samardzija next week at the Winter Meetings, by the way. Expect a rumor or two.

And speaking of Samardzija and starting pitcher trades, Jeff Passan reports that Seattle Mariners, Los Angeles Dodgers, Los Angeles Angels, Pittsburgh Pirates, Texas Rangers, Arizona Diamondbacks and Toronto Blue Jays are among the teams with interest in David Price, should the Tampa Bay Rays start to shop him (which they will). There’s a whole lot of chatter that the Mariners are willing to put together an over-the-top package for Price (one including big-time pitching prospect Taijuan Walker, and much more), which would be good news for several reasons: (1) A Price deal leaves Samardzija ostensibly as the best trade target left in the pitching market; (2) the Mariners haven’t been connected to a Samardzija deal, so the market for him wouldn’t decrease (although … why haven’t the Mariners been connected?); and (3) an over-the-top package for Price could counteract any perception issues created by the weak Doug Fister package. Ideally, on that list of teams interested in Price, you’d see the lefty going to the Dodgers, which would take them out on Masahiro Tanaka. With the Yankees potentially out thanks to the posting system changes, maybe that leaves the Cubs the favorite?

Speaking of Tanaka, his team’s president is publicly saying he’s not sure if, under the new $20 million max bid posting system, his team is going to post Tanaka at all. We’ll see. Even if he’s not posted, the net impact to the Cubs is neutral. While whatever percentage chance they had of landing Tanaka (20%? 30%?) goes to zero, the market for Jeff Samardzija ticks up just a bit.

The Yankees have reportedly agreed to a $3 million, one-year deal with Kelly Johnson, by the way. Their available dollars shrinks just a little bit more. Accept your offer, Hiroki Kuroda …

There was so much craziness on Tuesday in terms of trades and major signings that there never was a great opportunity to note that the Marlins signed Jarrod Saltalamacchia for three years and $21 million. The Cubs were tied to some Salty rumors earlier in the offseason, but they faded quickly when they were put under the microscope. Salty gets to go home to Miami (until July at least), and the last significant catcher is off of the market. Color me very happy that the Cubs got George Kottaras when they did. The back-up catcher market is a wasteland at this point.

The Mets and Curtis Granderson are getting closer to an agreement, though it’s not a lock at this point, partly because the Mets apparently aren’t sure whether they have to go to four years for the 33-year-old outfielder. The Cubs were at one time lightly connected to Granderson, but, at three or four years and $16 or $17 million per year (plus a second round draft pick), he’s investment the Cubs would probably be better rolling over to next year.

The Royals picked up Norichika Aoki from the Brewers for lefty Will Smith. No immediately obvious Cubs impact here, other than to note that the Royals continue to push for the best possible big league roster they can have by next year. They still don’t have the best rotation, and it’s fair to wonder whether they could be involved in a Samardzija deal.

Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos talks candidly about putting trades together (no specifics), and it’s an interesting peak behind the curtain, particularly in light of a deal like the Doug Fister trade, where no one could seem to understand how the Tigers couldn’t do better. Very interesting background read.

You are reminded, as the hot stove continues to roar, you should “like” BN on Facebook, if you’re into the Facebook thing.

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

Pablo Aliendo Goes Way Deep, Alexander Canario Goes Way Grand

Pablo Aliendo gave the Tennessee Smokies an early lead on Tuesday night. Matching up with the Rocket City Trash Pandas, Aliendo sent a ball deep into left field during the 2nd inning. The homer gave the Smokies an early 1-0...

Elias Schuster

May 14, 2024

Chicago Cubs

Nico Hoerner Was Scratched Just Before Tonight’s Game Started

You know that expression, when it rains, it pours? This is like that, except instead of raining, it is pouring deluxe turds. Just an absolute monsoon of shit. Another Cubs injury issue to another key Cubs player: https://twitter.com/maddie_m_lee/status/1790522697002455532 So, Nico...

Brett Taylor

May 14, 2024

Chicago Cubs

Pre-Gamin’: Cubs at Braves (6:20 CT) – Lineups, Broadcast Info, Game Thread

CUBS LINEUP — The Cubs were shutout in the opener against the Braves last night. And it doesn't figure to get any easier against a resurgent Chris Sale tonight. Here's how Craig Counsell will line 'em up against the 35-year-old...

Michael Cerami

May 14, 2024

Chicago Cubs

Adbert Alzolay Update: Imaging Results, Timeline, and a Sprinkle of (Unexpected) Optimism

I had the weirdest reaction to what is objectively bad injury news on Adbert Alzolay just now. According to Meghan Montemurro, medical imaging confirmed that Adbert Alzolay has a right flexor strain. While I should have been upset to learn...

Michael Cerami

May 14, 2024

Chicago Cubs

Jed Hoyer Speaks: New Reliever, Bullpen Issues, Imanaga, Morel, Swanson, Bat Data, More

The Chicago Cubs' President of Baseball Operations just hopped on 670 The Score On the Bernstein & Holmes Show, discussing a number of Cubs-related items. He led things off with a discussion of newly-acquired reliever, Tyson Miller: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hes1lI-8ZCI So, then,...

Brett Taylor

May 14, 2024

Chicago Cubs

Shota Imanaga Favored for NL Rookie of the Year, Cy Young, MVP, Nobel Peace Prize, and an Oscar

There is nothing Shota Imanaga can't do. Going up against one of the best teams in baseball — and best overall offenses versus LHP — on the road, without his best stuff, Shota Imanaga tossed 5.0 scoreless innings in Atlanta, with...

Michael Cerami

May 14, 2024

Chicago Cubs

MLBits: Shōta and ReyLo Duel, New MLB Pipeline Top 100, Investigating the New Statcast Swing Metrics, More

Baseball's top two pitchers in the ERA department squared off last night and did not disappoint—that and more in today's MLB Notes. Shōta Imanaga Was Awesome (Again), But So Was Reynaldo Lopez I've watched a lot of Reynaldo López, given...

Patrick K. Flowers

May 14, 2024

Chicago Cubs

Cubs Farm Report | May 14, 2024: Top 25 Prospect Stock Report

The Chicago Cubs minor league affiliates were off on Monday, so it's time to take stock of some recent hot (and not-so-hot) performers inside the Cubs Top 25 prospects down on the farm in today's Cubs Farm Report. Cubs Farm...

Patrick K. Flowers

May 14, 2024

Chicago Cubs

Did You Ever Wonder What Happened to Frank Schwindel?

I've gotten back into baseball cards, which, among other things, sends me down a lot of Memory Lanes. You pull a particular card, you think about that player, and you have various memories. It's part of the fun. The other...

Brett Taylor

May 14, 2024

Chicago Cubs

Shotamania, Counsell Boot, Rotation, Wesneski, Happ, and Other Cubs Bullets

I hope your Tuesday is treating you well. So far so good on my end ... Shota Imanaga dealt with more traffic last night than he has thus far in his debut MLB season, but hey, that's a ridiculous Braves...

Brett Taylor

May 14, 2024

Chicago Cubs

Pablo Aliendo Goes Way Deep, Alexander Canario Goes Way Grand

Elias Schuster

May 14, 2024

Chicago Cubs

Nico Hoerner Was Scratched Just Before Tonight’s Game Started

Brett Taylor

May 14, 2024

Chicago Bears

WATCH: Caleb Williams is Already Making Connections with DJ Moore and Keenan Allen at Halas Hall

Caleb Williams clips, however brief, will always grab my attention. Because while I can tell myself over and over again that I will not get googly eyes over spring practice videos, the reality is that I can't wait to see...

Luis C. Medina

May 14, 2024

MLB

How to Watch Phillies Games: Full 2024 Schedule, Live Stream and More

If you are a Philadelphia Phillies fan and looking to catch their games, you can watch most of them on TV with a cable subscription or via streaming with one of the many different apps. Let’s break down the cable...

Brian Twining

May 14, 2024

Chicago Blackhawks

Connor Bedard Scored Again for Canada

Oh hey! Blackhawks' star Connor Bedard scored his fifth goal of the World Championships for Canada on Tuesday afternoon. https://twitter.com/BN_Blackhawks/status/1790468565675483262 Bedard helped Canada sprint to a 6-1 lead... which evaporated as Austria scored five unanswered goals in the third period...

Tab Bamford

May 14, 2024

MLB

How to Watch Yankees Games: Full 2024 Schedule, Live Stream and More

The Bronx is booming! Yankee Stadium crackles with energy as the New York Yankees chase another World Series title. Whether you're a die-hard Yankees fan bleeding pinstripes or a baseball enthusiast captivated by the American League East race, their remaining...

Brian Twining

May 14, 2024

Chicago Cubs

Adbert Alzolay Update: Imaging Results, Timeline, and a Sprinkle of (Unexpected) Optimism

Michael Cerami

May 14, 2024

Chicago Bears

Kiran Amegadjie Reportedly Signed His Rookie Deal (UPDATE: It’s Officially Official)

Chicago Bears offensive tackle Kiran Amegadjie is reportedly signing his rookie deal. NFL reporter Aaron Wilson has details on the contract, which includes: A $1.121 million signing bonus Annual workout bonus of $50,000 per year from 2025-27 Total deal worth...

Luis C. Medina

May 14, 2024

News

2024 PGA Championship Prize Purse and Payout Breakdown: How Much Money Does the Winner Make?

The countdown has begun for the highly anticipated PGA Championship. As the second major of the 2024 calendar, this prestigious event will grace the Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Kentucky, from May 16-19. This year marks the 106th edition of the championship,...

Ryan Noonan

May 14, 2024

Chicago Bulls

Lonzo Ball Shares a Very Optimistic (Nearly Unbelievable) Update on His Rehab

Lonzo Ball's new podcast "What an Experience" didn't avoid the elephant in the room. Within the first few seconds of the inaugural episode, Ball addressed his current health status and provided an update on his return to play. To be...

Elias Schuster

May 14, 2024

Lukewarm Stove: Samardzija, Granderson, Price, Tanaka, Saltalamacchia, More

Read More

more cubs news

Latest News

more cubs news

Most Popular

Most Popular

Latest News

Most Popular

Most Popular