Stuff Goin’ Down: Markakis Reportedly to Braves, Saunders and Happ Traded

Well, things just picked up. No, it’s not quite Russell Martin signed and Jason Heyward traded in a five-minute span, but two bits of news did pop up at nearly the same time.

The Braves, who are in the middle of one of the head-scratchingest offseasons in baseball, have signed outfielder Nick Markakis, according to Jeff Passan:

Although Markakis was never connected to the Cubs – and, I gotta be honest, I was never particularly interested in them being so connected – his signing with the Braves would have a tremendous market impact. The Braves, until the last day or two, weren’t expected to be going for an upper tier bat, which means Markakis going to Atlanta could leave some teams scrambling. The Orioles, most notably, are now going to have to deal with losing both Nelson Cruz and Markakis.

I’m still interested in seeing the Cubs pick up an outfielder in trade – perhaps one of the Red Sox’s many options? or Dodgers? – which could be impacted by this signing, because maybe now the Braves are even more aggressive in shopping Justin Upton and Evan Gattis. Bear in mind, I don’t see the Cubs getting either of those guys, but we’re talking about the affect at a market-wide level. I’ll have to think some more on this, because I didn’t see Markakis going so swiftly to the Braves.

And speaking of outfielders picked up in trade, it’s the Blue Jays getting Mariners cast-off Michael Saunders, and at a very cheap price:

Happ, 32, has been a below-average starter for a while now, but I guess he’s serviceable at the back of the rotation. He’s scheduled to make $6.7 million in 2015 before reaching free agency, however, which makes me question how valuable he really is. Travis Wood and Tsuyoshi Wada, for example, would seem to be much more valuable.

That doesn’t mean I’m too upset about the Cubs not making a move for Saunders, though I’ve discussed him before. The trick is that Saunders, although cheap and productive, is pretty much a pure platoon lefty. That’s hard for the Cubs to accommodate, what with Chris Coghlan already kind of filling that role, and Jorge Soler implanted at the other corner outfield spot. If the Cubs aren’t picking up a starter in the outfield, then, a platoon lefty isn’t really the best fit.

So, the questions: do the Blue Jays look to add a starter now? They were already looking, but maybe now there’s a little more urgency (and they just saved a lot of money). Do the Mariners back away from the pitcher market?

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.

more cubs news

WAKE UP, BASEBALL IS BACK

The day has arrived. Opening Day. The most glorious day on the baseball calendar, save for the day of each Chicago Cubs World Series win, of course. See, I get to say things like that on Opening Day. Maybe the...

Wrigley Field is Gonna Be Lit This Year (As in New Colored Lights!)

Last year, the Cubs started using their new LED outfield lights to do a little dancing display during 'Go Cubs Go,' lighting along with the song and throwing in a W. It was very fun and I liked it. This...

The 2024 Chicago Cubs for Dummies

Boom. We made it. The offseason is over, and the Cubs regular season - and those elevated expectations - begins tomorrow. But in case you slept through the winter, I'm here to catch you up on everything you need to...

Why Craig Counsell Wanted Miles Mastrobuoni on the Cubs’ Bench

I don't know why Miles Mastrobuoni bugs some folks, but it's probably heavily-weighted toward his small-sample, bad-batted-ball-luck start last year, and that time he didn't dive while playing in right field. It can be hard to shake initial impressions, I...

Kinda Sounds Like Craig Counsell May Have a Set Top Three in the Batting Order

New Chicago Cubs manager Craig Counsell has said, generally, his batting order philosophy is the very simplistic (and very correct): just get your best hitters the most at bats. Sure, there's some play in that to set up good match-ups,...

Los Angeles Dodgers Signing Will Smith to a TEN-YEAR Extension

The Los Angeles Dodgers have done it again. And by it, I mean they have signed a funkily-structured contract that is going to leave some folks annoyed. The Dodgers are extending catcher Will Smith on a DECADE-long deal with a...

The Stretch: 2024 MLB Season Preview

On Monday, during a team-building conversation with some of the Bleacher Nation and Betsperts Media Group folks, we discussed sports—shocking, I know—and Brian Twining asked the group what their favorite sport was. For me, it's baseball. There's no debate. I...

We Have to Talk About Some of the “Deals” the Cubs Sat Out in Free Agency

This week, in a conversation with Jon Greenberg at The Athletic, Cubs President Jed Hoyer made an honest and sober (but also moderately disappointing) admission about the 2024 Chicago Cubs: "We need to perform probably at or a little bit...

The Chicago Cubs Are Reportedly Now Worth Over $5 Billion

Given all the tumult in the baseball broadcasting world, and the uncertain future for that portion of revenues, you'd be forgiven for expecting that MLB franchise valuations would slow their recent surge. But, according to Sportico at least, you'd be...

Reds Second Baseman Matt McLain Had Shoulder Surgery

The injury to Matt McLain's shoulder issue obviously wound up being worse than he and the Cincinnati Reds had been hoping. The damage to his left (non-throwing) labrum ultimately required surgery: https://twitter.com/m_sheldon/status/1772993402604339478 When the hope is that a guy can...

Latest News

Rangers vs. Cubs Probable Starting Pitchers – March 28

The Texas Rangers (0-0) and the Chicago Cubs (0-0) square off on Thursday at Globe Life Field for Opening Day. First pitch is at 7:35 PM ET.The Rangers will call on Nathan Eovaldi against the Cubs and Justin Steele.Rangers vs....

Best NBA Prop Bets Today – March 28, 2024

The Boston Celtics and the Atlanta Hawks take the court for one of two exciting matchups on the NBA slate today.Looking for NBA player prop bets for today's games? This article includes NBA player props for every matchup, so take...

Who Is In The Sweet 16? Updated Bracket, Odds to Win, and More

It has been a great March Madness so far and we have more great matchups in the Sweet 16. Check out what teams are in the Sweet 16, odds, and more as the college basketball season rolls on. Latest March...

Today’s March Madness Schedule: Updated Bracket, TV Channels for Every Game

The Sweet 16 is here as March Madness brings us some great matchups tonight! Check out today's March Madness schedule along with game times, TV channels, and more as the college basketball season's biggest games continue. The Sweet 16 Begins...

2024 MLB Mock Draft: Opening Day Mock Draft Projections

Happy Opening Day! As the new baseball season begins, and hope is present among most fanbases, why not take a look at a new 2024 MLB Mock Draft? Various mock drafts meticulously analyze potential picks, emphasizing the abundance of talent...

WAKE UP, BASEBALL IS BACK

The day has arrived. Opening Day. The most glorious day on the baseball calendar, save for the day of each Chicago Cubs World Series win, of course. See, I get to say things like that on Opening Day. Maybe the...

Pac-12 Basketball Predictions, Computer Picks and Best Bets | March 28

There is one game featuring a Pac-12 teams on the Thursday postseason college basketball schedule, the Clemson Tigers versus the Arizona Wildcats. Make sure you check out below for today's best bets!How to Bet on Pac-12 Games[lasso rel="draftkings-promo-1" id="299003"]Best Pac-12...

Rays vs. Blue Jays Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats & Best Bets – Thursday, March 28, 2024

The Tampa Bay Rays open their season as -132 favorites in a home matchup with the Toronto Blue Jays on Thursday at 4:10 PM ET, live on MLB Network.Zach Eflin will get the ball for Tampa Bay while Toronto will...

Astros vs. Yankees Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats & Best Bets – Thursday, March 28, 2024

The Houston Astros look to start their season with a win as home favorites (-155) in a season-opening matchup with the New York Yankees. First pitch is on Thursday at 4:10 PM ET on YES, live from Minute Maid Park.Houston's...

Tigers vs. White Sox Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats & Best Bets – Thursday, March 28, 2024

The Detroit Tigers open their season as -173 favorites in a road matchup with the Chicago White Sox on Thursday at 4:10 PM ET, live on BSDET.Detroit's Tarik Skubal and Chicago's Garrett Crochet have been named the starters for this...

more cubs news