Happy Thanksgiving from the CCO.... The next twenty-four hours figure to be rather quiet throughout baseball but as the weekend comes to a close teams should start preparing for a busy start of the last month of the year. For the Cubs not only is Monday the deadline to offer arbitration to Kerry Wood and Bobby Howry but it is also the last day for prospective buyers to submit their bids to purchase the team. The Winter Meetings kick off a week from Monday on the same day Ron Santo will find out if the Veteran's Committee has finally voted him into the Hall of Fame. So to say the next two weeks should be rather fun to follow would be an understatement.
The Cubs have been front and center for the last month on one of the biggest names on the block this winter, Jake Peavy. And while several reports over the past few days have suggested the Cubs are out of the Jake Peavy sweepstakes, according to reports on Wednesday, the Cubs are still interested in Jake Peavy ....as well as Brian Giles? Here's the latest on Turkey Day....
Updated - 9:01am C.T. - A Third Team Might Have Been Found?
Jake Peavy
The first line in a report from Barry Rozner in the Daily Herald stated, "don't believe for a moment that the Cubs are out of the Jake Peavy derby." According to Rozner's report on Wednesday morning, not only are the Cubs still in the Peavy sweepstakes but "have become the leaders in the Peavy chase, mostly because Chicago is his first choice and the Cubs might be the Padres' only option."
Rozner pointed out that Jim Hendry needs "to move some payroll" and mentioned the name Jason Marquis. Rozner also stated the Cubs need to add the left-handed bat Lou Piniella wants in order to balance out the lineup. Jim Hendry "might also need help from the future or current owners."
Bruce Levine mentioned last weekend that the talks between Jim Hendry and Kevin Towers were tabled and Levine said at the time for 10 days. Reports have suggested a similar timeframe over the past few days and they all seem to center around the December 1st deadline for bids to be submitted to buy the team.
When asked about Jake Peavy, Kevin Towers told the San Diego Union-Tribune on Tuesday night that there was nothing new to report and "the only talks we've has is with the Cubs and I'm not expecting to hear anything until after the weekend."
Towers said there is not another team in the mix for Peavy right now.
Rozner ended his report with the following:
"So don't be fooled by the talk that the Cubs are done with Jake Peavy. Not only are they still interested, but they may also be the Padres' only chance....and Peavy's only choice."
Brian Giles
According to Bruce Levine, Brian Giles turned down a trade to the Cubs last year at the trading deadline but Barry Rozner reported, "the Cubs could kill two birds with one stone." Rozner suggested a deal with the Padres that would include Jason Marquis and a trade that involved Giles and Marquis would be equal financially. The Padres just picked up Giles' $9 million dollar option for 2009 while Marquis is scheduled to make $9.875 million next season.
Rozner threw out players such as Sean Marshall, Ronny Cedeno, Josh Vitters, Felix Pie, Mike Fontenot and Jose Ascanio that could be used in a trade with the Padres for both Jake Peavy and Brian Giles.
Mark Teahen
According to a report in the Kansas City Star, Mark Teahen is "on the Cubs' radar" but is not viewed "as a solution to their search for a left-handed power bat." The Star pointed out that would make Teahen a fallback option for the Cubs.
Rafael Furcal
The free agent shortstop met with the A's and looked at homes in the area according to a report from Ken Rosenthal....and multiple reports Wednesday night on XM Radio stated that Paul Kinzer has told the media that he and Rafael Furcal will narrow the list of teams interested in Furcal down to two on Monday or Tuesday.
Well, that's the latest....and I'm sticking to it!
Update - Hat tip to Gary J for the link.... According to a report from Tim Brown at Yahoo Sports, the Padres and Cubs "might have identified a third team" that would net the Cubs Jake Peavy. According to the report, Kevin Towers said he would talk to Jim Hendry after the holiday weekend.
Stay tuned....
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A little something to add to the Peavy-ness from Tim Brown at Yahoo Sports...
http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=ti-peavycubs112608&prov=yhoo&type=lgns
Basically comes down to a statement by Towers on Wednesday night that he may have identified a possible fit for a third team in a trade with the Cubs and that he'd talk to Hendry after the holiday.
Sounding more and more like this trade is a matter of when and not if... but GM's have never been the most forthright bunch LOL
If this trade happens... and they are able to clear salary at the same time I'd be thrilled. Plus with Lou's comments that he has a full rotation, it would seem logical that a starting pitcher would be outbound. Anyone want to place bets on Marquis being part of a deal?
Peavy, Z, Lilly, Demp, Harden? Wow.
Trading Marquis is a number one priority. He fared decently in 2008 due to extensive rest periods during the latter half of the season. Marshall and Fontenot are great talents who supply a left arm and a left- side bat that are inexpendable. They should not be traded.
A few thoughts...
* That would be a huge pick-up if Hendry was able to land Peavy. What a rotation!
* I'm not enamored with Giles, Maybe 3 years ago plus the guy didn't want to come here last July.
Happy Thanksgiving to all!
I have been quiet since the end of the year but check in daily to see a group of the best general managers in the world! lol
I am hoping that next year we will be giving thanks for having a World Series Champ. As always, GO CUBS!
Hey Jim tp...[happythanks giving to all]...I agree with your few thoughts there!
Sounds promising on the Peavy front. Vitters to a third team for a top SP prospect and then that prospect, Pie, Cedeno, and Marshall to SD for Peavy makes a lot of sense.
Happy Thanksgiving to all. I just put our 21 pounder in the oven even though our daughters family of 5 won't be coming from Louisville due to our grandson's contagious illness. So stop by if you run out of bird at your house.
I didn't think much of Barry Rozner's column referenced on the previous topic. Moving Marquis to the Pads to offset Giles salary doesn't lower the Pads salary (a must according to most sources). Giles was OK last year at .305-12-63, but he was .271 and .263 in '07 and '06. He will start the season at age 38, and there should be a better solution available.
Rosner says the Pads need bodies and cites Cedeno, Pie and Ascaino along with bodies plus, Fontenot and Vitters. The Pads can get a lot of "bodies" on the cheap, and they have two good young third baseman already on the 25 man roster in Kouzmanoff and Headley. Rozner says the Cubs may be the Pads only choice which is not likely.
I'm wondering if I scooped the other great journalists by identifying the "Third Team" yesterday on the previous topic. That would be the Red Sox. My sources (M. I. and J. G.) say the three way deal:
Sends Marshall, RHP Bowden; AA, SS Yamaico Navarro and Pie to the Pads. Marshall and Bowden are ready to start.
The Cubs get Peavy, Sox #5 prospect, CF Josh Reddick and Sox AAA, lefty reliever, Hunter Jones and the Pads right handed reliever, Evan Scribner (A ball). Redick, a lefty hitter, was .347-17-59 in 312 AB's at High A last season.
And the bad news is that Carlos Zambrano goes to the Red Sox along with young prospects, Rhee and Cedrick Hunter, the Pads #8 CF. The Cubs then have the $9.5 mil, 2009 salary difference between Z and Peavy to help get the lefty bat we need. Z has interest because the Red Sox promise to use hinm as a DH too.
I've said this on other post, and will say it again. I think everyone will very disappointed in Peavy if we get him. His (last 3 years) road ERA is a full run higher (3.73) than at home. I think that is very significant when you consider that Petco is BY FAR the best pitching park in baseball. An ERA of 3.73 is decent but it doesn't scream "ACE" at you. And for the $15-18M / yr in salary plus the depletion of the farm system that it will be requird to snag him, I still don't think its a good gamble. PLUS, he's had some arm problems the last 2 years. That's another HUGE red flag IMO. I say no, no, no, to Peavy.
Be careful what you wish for.
I say spend the money on a good LH RF or a real good bullpen arm like Fuentes....or heck, bring back Woody.
Just my .02 cents
Happy Turkey day.
Thanks for the hat tip Neil :-)