NEWSLETTER
Yesterday, the rumors about the Chicago Cubs and Tampa Bay Rays discussing a Javier Baez trade were unquestionably “hot”. It had the feel of inevitability, either involving Baez or another player, and either with the Rays or another team. It just seemed like something was going to happen.
Well, it hasn’t happened yet, and the word of the day is “cool”:
Hearing there may be some cooling in #Rays–#Cubs talks involving Baez and Cobb. Seems to be over additional pieces.
— Marc Topkin (@TBTimes_Rays) December 8, 2015
Talks between #Rays and #Cubs about SP (Cobb in particular) not dead, but cooled considerably. Chicago working on much: SP/Heyward/etc
— Joel Sherman (@Joelsherman1) December 8, 2015
One thing that developed later in the day yesterday was a feeling that the Rays weren’t the only game in town for the Cubs if they were going to consider offers on Baez (or Jorge Soler, for that matter).
[adinserter block=”1″]Perhaps, then, as much as the Cubs appear to like Cobb, it was all the more reasonable for them to want a good bit more than just a season-and-a-half of a Tommy John recovering pitcher for six years of Baez’s present value and upside.
Based on Topkin’s tweet, you get the sense that the Cubs and Rays agreed that Baez would be going to the Rays and Cobb would be coming to the Cubs, but couldn’t agree on how to make the deal work beyond that. It’s fair to assume the Cubs would be asking about relievers (Jake McGee and Brad Boxberger, for example) and maybe about outfielders, too (Desmond Jennings?). Would Cobb and McGee be enough for the Cubs? Too much for the Rays? For me, I’d want a good bit more than that for Baez, and maybe that’s where the talks ran into trouble.
There’s still a long afternoon and evening ahead, and then two more days of meetings. Once again I say: I doubt we’ve heard the last of this particular vein of rumors.
