2008-2009 Cubs Offseason Thread

[SportsWorld]

MLB Trade Rumors:

8:01pm: Scott Miller of CBSSports.com says Jason Marquis and Angel Guzman (among others) could end up with the Padres in the three-team deal. The Padres could get J.A. Happ and/or Chris Coste from the Phils. Miller adds that the Phils are known to have interest in Mark DeRosa.

[Posey H8er]

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2008/12/c ... s-her.html

7:24pm: The Cubs met with Bradley last night, according to ESPN Deportes.

5:06pm: Cubs manager Lou Piniella asked Seattle reporters today whether Ibanez can play right field.

1:59pm: Jayson Stark says Ibanez and Abreu rank much higher than Adam Dunn and Bradley on the Cubs' list. They've checked in on all four free agents. As for Hermida, the Marlins want more than just prospects and the Cubs may not be able to do that. Stark adds that the Cubs' payroll is not frozen - they can temporarily go over budget assuming they can subtract payroll later.

Bradley is a hell of a hitter, but he could be a cancer on this team and cannot stay healthy for his life. If he can hit the same as he did last year then I wouldn't mind any right field defensive drawbacks.

[The Sheik]

Now thats a hot stove rumor.

Im a little confused though. Not sure who is exactly going where...as far as what our package to the Padres would look like if we gave up DeRo to the phillies.

You gotta think though that we would give up substantially less as far as prospects go.

[Posey H8er]

I just read a good point from one of these rumor sites. Since the Cubs have Fontenot, Derosa is free to play right for any Bradley suspensions or DL trips. Plus estimates for Bradley are supposedly around 10 million per year, which will probably be cheaper than a guy like Ibanez.

[SportsWorld]

http://hotstove.mlblogs.com/

LAS VEGAS - The legwork, complex and time-consuming, for a potential Jake Peavy trade to the Chicago Cubs has essentially been completed.

Now, all Padres general manager Kevin Towers needs is for his Cubs' counterpart, Jim Hendry, to give him the go-ahead to make the deal.

Towers said Monday night that he has facilitated a three-team and possibly a four-team deal that would send Peavy to the Chicago for a package of players.

"There's a package there that will satisfy us ... there's a deal in the way of names," said Towers, who carefully stated that no deal, even in principle, has been reached.

Towers, who had a discussion with Hendry earlier Monday, said he had been in contact with a third and a fourth team - believed to be the Orioles and Phillies - and has gotten both sides to agree to the players in play who could be moved in a deal.

Towers did say there might be some "haggling" over the players the Padres would get in return from the Cubs.

The Padres are looking for Major League-ready pitching in return for Peavy, whether it be from the Cubs or the other teams involved.

Towers said a deal "could happen quick" if Hendry and the Cubs agree to assuming not only Peavy's $11 million salary in 2009 but the remainder of the $63 million he's owed over the next four seasons.

[The Sheik]

I agree Posey.

Im kinda also starting to sour on Vitters a little. I just hope we start really doing our homework and building a farm. Im getting sick of the once ever 20 yrs star player.

If we go all in trade Vitters and others...get Peavy, sign Bradley, add some bench depth and just make a 2-3 yr run at this Im all for it.

I just worried that we dont have the make up to win the playoffs. This team has essentially not changed in 2 yrs. We've learned that Lilly chokes in the playoffs, Z is a coin toss the entire season and Lee and Soriano are worthless.

[The Sheik]

http://hotstove.mlblogs.com/

LAS VEGAS - The legwork, complex and time-consuming, for a potential Jake Peavy trade to the Chicago Cubs has essentially been completed.

Now, all Padres general manager Kevin Towers needs is for his Cubs' counterpart, Jim Hendry, to give him the go-ahead to make the deal.

Towers said Monday night that he has facilitated a three-team and possibly a four-team deal that would send Peavy to the Chicago for a package of players.

"There's a package there that will satisfy us ... there's a deal in the way of names," said Towers, who carefully stated that no deal, even in principle, has been reached.

Towers, who had a discussion with Hendry earlier Monday, said he had been in contact with a third and a fourth team - believed to be the Orioles and Phillies - and has gotten both sides to agree to the players in play who could be moved in a deal.

Towers did say there might be some "haggling" over the players the Padres would get in return from the Cubs.

The Padres are looking for Major League-ready pitching in return for Peavy, whether it be from the Cubs or the other teams involved.

Towers said a deal "could happen quick" if Hendry and the Cubs agree to assuming not only Peavy's $11 million salary in 2009 but the remainder of the $63 million he's owed over the next four seasons.

Brian Roberts all over again. Without a sesame street character attached to the note I dont know whether to believe it.

[Posey H8er]

http://hotstove.mlblogs.com/

Towers said Monday night that he has facilitated a three-team and possibly a four-team deal that would send Peavy to the Chicago for a package of players.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4pXfHLUlZf4

[The Sheik]

http://hotstove.mlblogs.com/

Towers said Monday night that he has facilitated a three-team and possibly a four-team deal that would send Peavy to the Chicago for a package of players.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4pXfHLUlZf4

[Posey H8er]

Bah there are so many different rumors. I am not going to start believing any of them completely until they are verified by other writers/sources. I'm read the Cubs may move Derosa in a deal, which would clear salary and get little Babe Ruth to play second base.

[Posey H8er]

Rotowire-

The San Diego Union-Tribune reports that the Padres have looked into getting Mark DeRosa from the Cubs to give to the Phillies in a Jake Peavy deal.
That's an interesting idea. DeRosa would start at second base if Chase Utley misses the start of the year and play left field otherwise. The Cubs can afford to give him up since they have Mike Fontenot to play second base. Still, as good as he was last year, they would almost certainly prefer to hold on to him. Dec. 8 - 10:44 pm et

[The Sheik]

Move Dero for Bradley basically. I like Fontenot getting more ABs, but thats a huge liability in trusting Kosucky full-time when Soriano or Bradley goes on the DL for a little bit.

[ChronicKerr]

Why would any of these other NL teams help us aquire Peavy while getting not much in return

[ChronicKerr]

http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/r ... gs_he.html

#2 and #13 pertain to the cubs..

A few things heard
Posted by Nick Cafardo, Globe Staff December 9, 2008 04:34 AM
LAS VEGAS - A few things heard while walking through the Bellagio Hotel early this morning at the Baseball Winter Meetings:

1. The Red Sox are one of a few teams mentiond by agent Tom O'Connell as interested parties for free-agent right-hander Carl Pavano, a former Red Sox farmhand. Florida seems to be the favorite. The Yankees are also in it....

2. Milton Bradley is in intense discussions with the Cubs.

3. The Tigers are eyeing Kerry Wood on a two-year deal.

4. The Mets were closing in on a three-year deal for closer Frankie Rodriguez.

5. The Dodgers are about to sign former Red Sox second baseman Mark Loretta and third baseman Casey Blake.

6. The Dodgers did at one time have interest in Jason Varitek.

7. The Brewers may not bring Gabe Kapler back because they need a left-handed hitter,

8. Talks were again heating up between the Padres and Cubs on Jake Peavy.

9. Saw Mike Pagliarulo, Ellis Burks, Lou Merloni, Mike Easler and Brian Daubach.

10, One Phillies official denies the presence of a three-year deal for Derek Lowe, while another major league source says Lowe likes the Phillies as a possible destination.

11. The Red Sox also have interest in free-agent righty Brad Penny.

12. Agent Alan Hendricks said the Dodgers interest in Andy Pettitte is real because of Joe Torre, Pettitte's former manager in New York. Says client Rogers Clemens is trying to keep a low profile.

13. If the Cubs obtain Jake Peavy, Jason Marquis or Rich Harden become trade bait.

14. Jim Leyland has grown a winter beard.

15. Rafael Furcal is talking to Toronto.

[The Sheik]

The Phillies, Mets and Cubs appear to have separated themselves from the pack of teams pursuing outfielder Raul Ibanez. Ibanez also is on the radar screen of the Braves and Angels. But the Braves have their pursuit of all their outfield options on hold until they find out whether they can sign pitcher A.J. Burnett. And the Angels would pursue Ibanez only if they fail to land their primary offensive target, Mark Teixeira.

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/blog/ind ... tings_2008

[The Sheik]

Jake Peavy Rumors: Tuesday
By Tim Dierkes [December 9 at 10:36am CST]

10:36am: Phil Rogers says the key to this potential four-team Peavy trade would be the Phillies or Orioles taking on Marquis and some of his contract. Rogers says "it will be a stunner if the Cubs don’t acquire Peavy."

1:00am: Chris De Luca says a source close to Jim Hendry characterized a Peavy deal as "very close." De Luca's sources say a Cubs-Orioles component is set (Felix Pie for Garrett Olson). This runs counter to Roch Kubatko's report below. De Luca says the Cubs still want to trade Marquis and acquire a lefthanded hitter before closing the Peavy deal.

12:41am: Ken Rosenthal's source says the Cubs' attempts to bring in a third team have involved "probably 20 names with four to five clubs." So it's not necessarily DeRosa or the Phillies. Rosenthal says an agreement is still not close.

12:30am: To summarize yesterday: Kevin Towers has facilitated an apparent three-team Jake Peavy trade that he will present to the Cubs. I say three because Roch Kubatko says the Orioles don't know of any agreement. So the best guess right now (based on reports) is that the Cubs would send Mark DeRosa to the Phillies, and both teams would send young players to the Padres. The Cubs could offload Jason Marquis in the deal, and the savings from Marquis and DeRosa would seem to neatly equal Peavy's $11MM salary for '09.

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/

[The Sheik]

The anticipated absence of Chase Utley for an extended period has prompted the Phillies to become involved in the Cubs' pursuit of the Padres' Jake Peavy. The Philadelphia Inquirer said as much in its Tuesday editions, reporting the Phillies seek to acquire versatile Mark DeRosa from the Cubs.

The newspaper said the Phillies were working on a complex trade that would import the player who would provide insurance for Utley at second base and fill, at least partially, the club's vacancy in left field.

DeRosa, the one-time quarterback for Penn, would move from the Cubs to the Phillies. The Phillies would send pitcher J.A. Happ to the Cubs, possibly with another prospect. The Cubs would move Happ, the second prospect and more to the Padres in a package for pitcher Peavy, the 2007 National League Cy Young Award winner.

Utley, the All-Star second baseman, underwent surgery on his hip and is expected to miss at least two months of the season. The void in left field is the result of Pat Burrell filing for free agency. Burrell is not expected to re-sign with the Phillies.

DeRosa, 34 in February, appears to be an ideal fit for the Phillies. He batted .285 with 21 home runs and 87 RBIs in 149 games for the Cubs last season, playing six positions including second base (96 games) and left field (27). He is signed for 2009 season for $5.5 million.

The newspaper also reported the Phillies retain interest in left-handed-hitting, free agent outfielder Raul Ibanez to play left. However, Ibanez would make the Phillies batting order unbalanced once Utley returns. Utley and Ryan Howard also bat left-handed, and without Burrell, the club would lack a right-handed power presence

Opponents would be more likely to throw left-handed pitching at the Phillies when
possible, and that seemingly would serve to defuse Howard's potent home run bat.

http://hotstove.mlblogs.com/

[ChronicKerr]

12:08pm: Rosenthal says the Cubs maintain they're not close on Peavy. And they still need to identify their new owner before a deal can get done. The Cubs are mulling Randy Johnson as a backup plan, and continue to prioritize the lefthanded bat.

[ChronicKerr]

Full article

http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/8917 ... Peavy-deal

Cubs say they're not close on Peavy dealby Ken Rosenthal


Ken Rosenthal has been the senior baseball writer for FOXSports.com since Aug. 2005. He appears weekly on the FSN Baseball Report and MLB on FOX.

Updated: December 9, 2008, 1:15 PM EST

LAS VEGAS - The Cubs maintain that they are "not even close" to a trade for Padres right-hander Jake Peavy and continue to mull a run at free-agent lefty Randy Johnson if the price for Peavy proves too steep.

The Cubs' first priority remains the acquisition of a left-handed hitter; they are considering trades for players such as the Marlins' Jeremy Hermida and free agents such as Milton Bradley, Raul Ibanez and Bobby Abreu.

No deal for Peavy can be completed until the Cubs' new owner is identified; the new owner would need to approve the addition of the four years and $63 million remaining on the pitcher's contract.

The Phillies have emerged as the potential third team in the Peavy discussions, with the Padres targeting Phillies lefty J.A. Happ and Cubs infielder/outfielder Mark DeRosa emerging as a possibility for the Phillies.

The Cubs would need to move right-hander Jason Marquis to clear payroll and roster space for Peavy. Marquis could go to the Padres as part of the deal or to another club in a separate trade.

[ChronicKerr]

If we have to wait for a "new owner's permission" then this deal isn't going to get done.