Bedard To Mariners? Roberts Next?

The drama may end soon, Cubs fans. According to a report out of Seattle the Mariners have traded top prospect Adam Jones, George Sherill, and Chris Tillman for Orioles ace Erik Bedard. This is a good thing a for Cubs fans. The reason it is good, since the Mariners traded Jones to the Orioles that means Baltimore has acquired their outfielder, and would no longer ask for Pie in a trade for second baseman Brian Roberts. This now lets the Orioles focus on trading Roberts. The Orioles have reported they would like to trade Roberts by the end of the week. Now hopfully we can find a way to get Khalil Greene and Brian Roberts. Roberts would mean a 4 to 5 win increase in '08. Greene has insane numbers aaway from Petco, and in my opinion would excel in a hitter friendly park like Wrigley. Greene would also add a 25+ home run hitter in the 6 or 7th spot in the line-up. Hopefully we can work something out and at least get one of the two.

A Quick Update

• Jim Hendry has admitted to be actively shopping Left Fielder Matt Murton. The team who has shown the most interest is the Padres. Maybe we can pull Khalil Greene off their hands?


• The deal for Brian Roberts is rumored to be back on, again. Phil Rogers reports, through a very highly placed source, that the 7-2 rumor involving Bedard and Roberts is back on. Sources say that there could be a 3 team blockbuster in the works that would send Marlon Byrd, Erik Bedard and Brian Roberts all to the Cubs. The Baltimore Sun thinks the Cubs do not have the farm system to give the Orioles what they want. Reports indicate that it would have to match the caliber of players the Tigers gave up for Willis and Cabrera. The Cubs have said they would be willing to trade Rich Hill for Bedard and Roberts.


• Marlon Byrds name has popped up again. The Rangers have a ridiculously high price tag for Byrd. It is reported that they have asked for Sean Gallagher in return for Byrd. Which in my opinion is completely ridiculous.

Hopefully we get a deal done soon for someone

Weurtz Avoids Arbitration

Michael Wuertz avoided arbitration with the Cubs Monday. The deal is worth $860,ooo over one year. Wuertz went 2-3 last season with an ERA of 3.48, rather solid in my opinion. Wuertz was the only arbitration eligible player for the Cubs this year. Great deal, he is a quality reliever and we got him for a cheap amount, which is awesome these days.

Angelos Nixes Trade

According to Rotoworld, Peter Angelos nixed a 7-2 trade, that involved Brian Roberts and Erik Bedard coming to the Cubs for seven prospects. The rumored prospects in the deal are Sean Gallagher, Sean Marshall, and Felix Pie. The other four are not specified. I want Brian Roberts, but I don't think it is worth trading seven people for both. I would obviously want both, but I am not interested in trading our entire farm system for just two players.
-JC

Byrd Talks Pop Up Again

According to MLB.com's T.R Sullivan, the Cubs have contacted the Rangers about a possible swap for outfielder Marlon Byrd. The trade could cost a fan favorite, Matt Murton. Sullivan cautions that these talks are only in there first stages. Byrd,30, recently avoided arbitration with the Rangers. The deal was only worth $1.8MM, and Byrd would hit free agency in '09.
The thing I do not like is that we would have to give up Murton. I am a fan of him and would like to see him develop some more and become a star. He is only 26.

Cubs Sign Shingo Tukatsu

The Cubs made a rather minor move today by signing pitcher Shingo Tukatsu, to a minor league deal. Takatsu, 39, spent all of 2004 and part of 2005 in the south side of Chicago. In 99 games in the majors with the Sox and the New York Mets, Takatsu collected 27 saves over 98 2/3 innings, with an ERA of 3.38. Terms of this deal were not released. Like I said a rather minor move, but he could perform in Spring Training and earn a roster spot in 2008.

Cubs Sign Lieber

According to Fox Sports' Ken Rosenthal, the Cubs have signed pitcher Jon Lieber to a 1 yr/$3.5M deal. Lieber, who turns 38 on April 2,played four seasons with the Cubs, before signing with the Yankees in 2004, then with the Phillies in 2005. He spent the past three seasons with the Phillies, but missed the second half of last season after suffering a ruptured tendon in his right foot. Since Lieber missed half the season, last season, he managed to go 3-6, with a 4.73 ERA. When healthy, like he did with the Phillies in 2005, he is capable to win about 15 games and average an ERA of about 4.20. With the signing of Lieber could mean a trade for Marquis could be in the works. Or it could mean Dempster would just simply move back into the bullpen.

I really like do not like this signing unless we move Marquis. My reasoning is this. I think we need to give Gallagher the fifth starter role if he is ever going to get developed. I think

this is an ok signing.

Not So Fast...

...The talks with the Orioles are back on; or maybe they were never actually off. Anyway, Phil Rogers over at the the Chicago Tribune has reported that the Orioles will remain in talks with the Cubs and the Mariners for players Brian Roberts and Erik Bedard. Phil Rogers believes that the holdup in the Rogers deal may exist over Tyler Colvin and Felix Pie. Rogers thinks that if either player is involved in a trade, it will be for both Roberts AND Bedard. I say send over Colvin in a package for both of them and call it done. Easier said than done probably, but this would solve two pretty big needs and would help the club immensely. Hopefully this happens soon, to turn speculation into fact.

-NC

A Quick Update

According to Bruce Levine of ESPN1000,

• Trade talks between the Cubs and Orioles for Brian Roberts are OFF. This could very well be a false report because Levine has been wrong about a few things in the past.
• The Cubs are looking to trade for Rangers CF Marlon Byrd. Byrd batted .307 last year with the Rangers while playing in 109 games. He would likely platoon with Pie next season.
• The Cubs are apparently after Jon Lieber. I would rather take my chances with Marquis at this point. Hopefully Gallagher can take one of the remaining two spots open in the rotation.

Thats it for now. Its been a pretty slow past few weeks. We'll update again once something noteworthy happens!

Roberts Deal Done? Not So Fast...

According to Orioles Hangout, a deal was done for Brian Roberts to the Cubs in exchange for Sean Gallagher, Sean Marshall, and Ronny Cedeno. I am now learning that this rumor is inaccurate and false. Phil Rogers of the Chicago Tribune adds, that a trade for Roberts will "Almost certainly happen."
We will keep you posted as song as anything happens for Roberts. So cross your fingers and hope a deal gets done soon.

Cubs Targeting Lieber?

According to Bruce Levine, the Cubs could be looking to sign Jon Lieber. Lieber, a former 20 game winner for the Cubs, could be a capable 5th starter for the Cubs. I wouldn't really like this signing. Why not go after a guy like Bartolo Colon if you were interested in signing a guy coming off an injury? Colon would present more upside than Lieber would. I would rather have Gallagher to be the 5th starter than either of them anyway.

Pagan Traded To Mets

The Cubs have sent outfielder Angel Pagan to the Mets in exchange for minor leaguers Ryan Meyers and Corey Coles. Meyers, 22, went 1-4 with 13 saves and a 2.79 ERA in 41 relief appearances with New York's Class A Savannah and Port St. Lucie in 2007. The six-foot-five, 204-pound Meyers struck out 55 batters and walked only 16 in 51.2 innings while limiting opponents to a .229 batting average.
Coles, 25, batted .286 with 14 doubles, one home run and 31 RBI during three stops in the Mets minor league system last year. The lefty spent most of the 2007 season with Double-A Binghamton and batted .296 with a .352 on-base percentage in 66 games. Coles earned 2006 Florida State League All-Star honors when he batted .341 in 124 games with Port St. Lucie, the 11th-highest batting average in all of minor league baseball, and a .407 on-base percentage, second best in the league. He is a career .306 hitter in 397 games in the minors.

Cubs Interested In Another Japanese Player?

According to the East Windup Chronicle the Cubs are interested in acquiring Japanese superstar and, Nippon Ham Fighters pitcher Yu Darvish. This would not be for this season, but for the 2009 season. The Cubs are not in the lead to sign him, the Yankees are. Along with the Cubs, the Dodgers and the Mets have him on their radar as well. According to the report, Daisuke Matsuzaka's $8.6MM salary would be the floor with Darvish. And they are guessing his posting fee would easily exceed Dice-K's $51.1MM.
Two huge questions remain. Are the Fighters actually considering posting Darvish after the '08 season? The loss of such a popular player would be a huge hit for Japanese baseball. Also, does Darvish even want to play in the U.S.? Like I said two huge questions.

Darvish is 21 years old with loads of potential. He is listed at 6'5" and 185 pounds. In '07 with the Fighters, Darvish went 15-5, with 210 strikeouts 1.82 ERA. His total numbers for his 3 year career are 32-15 377 K's and a 2.53 ERA. Those numbers would be an instant upgrade to the Cubs pitching staff.

This would be an awesome move, and I would applaud the Cubs for making this move.