Johnny Cueto Reportedly Rejected a Huge Offer from the Diamondbacks and Other Bullets

johnny cueto righty redsThe annual follow up to Black Friday is Cyber Monday, which used to make some sense in the more nascent days of online shopping. But now that Black Friday exists as much online as it does in the bricks and mortar stores, Cyber Monday is mostly just an extension of the sales that were already going on.

But, hey, who doesn’t like sales? And since BN has a relationship with Amazon whereby it receives revenue any time you shop at Amazon via the links at BN, I’m going to remind folks that there are great deals today at Amazon for Cyber Monday.

Included in the Cyber Monday sale? Collectibles, which includes Chicago Cubs collectibles. So many cool autographs, framed stuff, etc.

  • Jordan Zimmermann reportedly has agreed to a five-year, $110 million deal with the Tigers, but that level of commitment might not quite be enough to get another pitcher on the same tier of free agency. According to a report out of Arizona, Johnny Cueto rejected a six-year, $120 million offer from the Diamondbacks. That rejection is notable is so many regards: (1) Cueto arguably has a little more upside than Zimmermann (and doesn’t cost a draft pick), but similar potential injury concerns on a long-term deal; (2) the AAV of Zimmermann’s deal was $22 million, whereas that offer to Cueto would be just $20 million, even if he’s getting the extra year; (3) how much more can Cueto realistically expect to get in such a crowded market?, and (4) clearly, the Diamondbacks really do have money to spend on pitching (though Ken Rosenthal suggests Cueto may have been a special case).
  • We’ve discussed before how the Diamondbacks’ plans for this offseason intersect with the Cubs – they’re strong and young on the positional side, with a clear need for impact pitching. That could come via spending on a guy like Cueto, or it could come via a trade involving the type of arms the Cubs might be considering. In that regard, since the Cubs are not presently looking at Cueto, it probably would have been a good thing to see the Diamondbacks land Cueto on that deal. Will the sides keep talking or will the Diamondbacks now move on? Again, I can’t help but wonder if Cueto can realistically get much more – maybe six years at a slightly higher AAV? Or did he not want to pitch for the Diamondbacks? I’d expect the D-Backs now to turn their attention more to the second tier of starters and the trade market, both places where the Cubs are likely to be swimming, which could further impact the prices there.
  • Will 2016 be the year Armando Rivero finally breaks into the big leagues:
  • Also, love for Cubs prospect Ian Happ:
  • If you missed it last night, I looked at where the Cubs have been so far this offseason, and what’s coming.
  • And this morning, your weekend catch-up. If you took a long holiday, see what you missed.
  • 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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