Latest Trade Rumors

[RamCub]

Cubs & Astros

P Travis Wood for OF Dexter Fowler

With the addition of Evan Gattis to play mostly LF and with George Springer in RF, this would open up CF for Marisnick and/or Grossman.

Cubs & Rangers

C Wellington Castillo for OF Leonys Martin

Rangers need a catcher.

For the Cubs, we either get the switch-hitting Fowler or lefty-hitting Martin for a top of the line-up leadoff hitter who can steal bases and another veteran Joe Maddon can use with match-ups.

 

[Johnny Sleeper]

I'd prefer Martin. He is better defensively and while he should be more a platoon player he hits RHP at a .282/.337/.388 rate. Fowler is better against LHP, but he has hit RHP at a .264/.366/.416 rate so he is clearly an everyday bat. Getting both would be nice as that could put Martin in CF with Fowler in LF, where his defense would play well. It would allow Maddon to use Alcantara like he did Zobrist. Alcantara could play CF against LHP and move around the field giving guys a day off getting 4-5 games a week.

Adding both would also give good insurance in case Soler's leg issues come back. It would give another 2B option, Alcantara, if Baez struggles to the point of needing to be sent back down. He could play SS if Castro gets hurt, etc.

 

[anotheridiot]

every gm knows we need to get rid if castillo, kinda think it will take more to make that trade.

 

[RamCub]

It was being reported today that the Rockies have put Charlie Blackmon on the block in order to acquire much needed pitching. Apparently, no free agent pitchers will go to Colorado.

May I suggest Travis Wood and Pedro Strop for Blackmon and a minor leaguer?

 

[Johnny Sleeper]

If the Rockies are dumb enough to do that I'd love it. I just find it hard to believe that Wood has any trade value. He should be a bullpen arm that only faces LHH. He can't get RHH out. I only think Fowler is possible because the Astros are a very poorly run organization.

 

[anotheridiot]

It was being reported today that the Rockies have put Charlie Blackmon on the block in order to acquire much needed pitching. Apparently, no free agent pitchers will go to Colorado.

May I suggest Travis Wood and Pedro Strop for Blackmon and a minor leaguer?

How about Action Jackson instead. His first year with a team is usually closer to .500. Its his second year that usually gets him dealt. Even if we have to pay half of his salary. There is not gonna be a place for Jackson on this team other than blowouts, and even now, there wont be as much doubt about coming back when this team can go back to back to back. Cant pay all those millions to a once a week if lucky bullpen arm when Maddon is gonna want to use his pen. He isnt used to double switches and the pen might get beaten down til he gets used to it.

My opinion there are two players we need to move. Castillo and Jackson. They need to be dealt before we deal players that have a spot on this team.

 

[Johnny Sleeper]

EJax makes a bit more sense for Colorado. Wood is an extreme fly ball pitcher and that would be terrible in Colorado. However, I don't see Colorado being stupid enough to take either for Blackmon or any other asset. Maybe EJax and $10M to the Rockies for a B-/C+ type prospect.

 

[RamCub]

Cubs acquired Dexter Fowler for Dan Straily and Luis Valbuena.

I love the deal. I preferred Fowler over Leonys Martin only because I believe Fowler will hit better and he already knows the pitchers in the National League. Martin would have had an adjustment period.

Straily and Valbuena were complimentary pieces and Straily would have probably begun the season in the minors. Also, we still have Travis Wood and Pedro Strop for future moves.

 

[anotheridiot]

I was as tired of Valbuena as I was of the Theriot days. We still have De Lastella from the Braves we got earlier that is supposed to help with OBP, he might end up in AAA. Olt should start the year at third waiting the three weeks for Bryant. I'd almost rather see Christian Villanueva as the late inning third baseman, he is out best hands guy in the system.

Watched that opening video from the convention, so many of those guys shown producing as our future in , Coghlan, Alcantara, Valbuena might not even be here.

 

[RamCub]

Olt, La Stella, and Villanueva are great insurance for our infield. I still hold out hope that we make a serious offer for Hamels considering what the going rate for free agent pitchers is.

Castillo, Wood, and Strop can help the Phillies now. Villanueva, Lake, and Pierce Johnson would bring more youth to their organization. Those six in a deal for Hamels and catching prospect Tommy Joseph would be ideal.

 

[anotheridiot]

people seem pissed about Valbuena. We picked him up off waivers from cleveland, he didnt even cost us anything and he nets Fowler. Straily was a throw in project arm. Whatever does not make Hendricks earn a spot in the rotation is good for me. He should be penciled in the rotation. Straily would just be pushing him out.

 

[RamCub]

Our rotation is currently Lester, Arrieta, Hammel, Hendricks, and Wood. Cole Hamels would put us in the race for postseason victories.

Valbuena made himself valuable as a lefty hitting 3B. However, his time was up with Bryant coming up.
Straily's ball wass too flat with no movement on it.

 

[Johnny Sleeper]

In a vacuum, Valbuena is a more valuable player than Fowler. Fowler give the Cubs a much needed lead-off hitter. However, Fowler should play LF not CF. Fowler is a bad defensive CF and that is why some do not like the trade. Everything I've seen points to Fowler playing CF and Alcantara being a Zobrist type. That means Alcantara will start the year at 3B and then move around after Bryant comes up around 3 weeks into the season.

I see Straily as irrelevant as he was a lottery ticket acquisition and it seemed unlikely that he would earn a rotation spot. Hopefully, after Bryant comes out they play Fowler in LF and Alcantara in CF. that would be a good defensive alignment. If there is an injury in the infield before mid-June, when Russell should be ready to come up, they could move Alcantara to that spot and have Fowler in CF for a while. I like the flexibility they have given Maddon. It is very likely that Alcantara would be the better CF this year between him and Fowler. Fowler, however, would be an upgrade in LF.

The minimal upgrade to the offense doesn't off-set the huge drop in CF defense. Then you also have to look at the fact that you gave up two years of Valbuena who can play multiple positions above average and provide above average offense for one year of Folwer who is only marginally better offensively and much worse defensively if they keep him in CF.

 

[anotheridiot]

Fowler can lead off and he gets on base at a .375 clip. We really needed a leadoff hitter. This is also pointing at the fact that Almora may never be what they expected. Just thought Coughlan hit well enough to get another shot, but its pretty much selling this build but bringing in some better options.

 

[stammer78]

I think a move for Hamels would be expensive for what the Cubs would get. Wrigley is not known much for its pitching qualities. I think we need to get men on base like fowler and Soler at Leadoff and #2. With Rizzo Castro and Baez following them at 3, 4, and 5. I think the Cubs should shop Castillo out due to the overabundance of catchers for some quality minor league bats. Then just leave the market be for a bit. Any idea what Shields' camp is waiting for?

 

[RamCub]

I think Shields wants two things:

1) A team with an excellent chance at making the playoffs

2) A city he really wants to live in

This is probably the only time in his career where he will be able to dictate his future.

Regarding the contract and its length - all the offers will be pretty close in the end so this factor I believe is less important than the two factors I listed above.

He just might have to wait until an injury strikes a team that meets the first two factors and needs him to replace a starter hurt in spring training and is out for the year.

 

[anotheridiot]

I think Shields wants some team to be interested in him or maybe he just wants to stay in KC and arent taking any meetings until the royals say no.

 

[Johnny Sleeper]

Shields is waiting on money. He wants $110M and it is unlikely anyone is willing to give him more than 4yrs and $90M.

 

[stammer78]

I believe when all is said and done, Shields will be a Royal for about 75 mill 4 years. No one wants to give him nowhere near what he is asking for.

 

[Johnny Sleeper]

The Cuba have officially "missed" on Shields. I'm not upset about that, although the contract did end up being what I would consider reasonable. I would like them to add another proven starter before the season, but that looks unlikely at this point. Lester is really the only proven 200 inning quality pitcher they have. Arrieta should take the next step forward and build on last season, but I hate to count on him to top his career high in innings by 40+ just to have a quality rotation.

Hammel has had two solid seasons in his career and hopefully whatever he found last year sticks the next 2 years. Hendricks and Wada are unproven and while I have hope that Hendricks can outperform his stuff and raw talent I don't like it being a requirement for the team to make a playoff run. Any injury and you looking at being forced to throw Edwin Jackson, or someone equally concerning, into the rotation. I would much rather have had Wada in the role of Carlos Villanueva the last few years where he could move into the rotation in the event of an injury instead of looking like the best option for the last rotation spot.

Lester, Arrieta, Hammel, Hendricks and Wada looks decent on paper. However, almost every team has to deal with injuries to starters during the season and after those 5 it doesn't look so good on paper. EJax, Turner, Doubront and/or Wood making starts is not an ideal situation. It's not going to be fun if Hammel and Arrieta are limited to their career averages of 129 and 115 innings.