As you wind down your evening, Phil Rogers offers an interesting tidbit in the afterglow of Jake Arrieta’s Cy Young win:
Theo Epstein and Jeff Samardzija hanging together tonight in Chicago. Cubs have an interest in him. #HotStove #Cubs
— Phil Rogers (@philgrogers) November 19, 2015
How much does that mean? Not necessarily a ton. These guys had a working relationship for a number of years, and they’re both in the Chicago area. Maybe hanging out is just hanging out.
Though, given the time of year and the persistent rumors of the Cubs’ interest – indeed, reported mutual interest – in getting the band back together, you’ve got to wonder if there’s some recruiting going on. Also, the Cubs’ front office has been known to do a bit of in-person recruiting on the free agents they are pursuing, so, if it’s true that the Cubs are interested in Samardzija – which seems very likely – then there could be something here.
Samardzija, 30, declined a qualifying offer from the White Sox, so he’ll cost a draft pick to sign. But, coming off a very down year on the South Side, it’s possible that Samardzija – who is still all kinds of talented, and succeeded with the Cubs – could be a relative bargain.
We’ll see if the sides engage in actual substantive talks any time soon, but it’s possible that Samardzija’s market could be slow to develop, given the disparity in possible valuations out there.