According to a report on Wednesday night from Ken Rosenthal, the Chicago Cubs "have emerged as the front-runner in the Peavy sweepstakes, perhaps ahead of the Braves, according to major-league sources."
Rosenthal reported earlier on Wednesday that the Cubs are willing to give Ryan Dempster a 4-year deal and according to Rosenthal, "a decision that should put them in good position to retain the free agent right hander."
As Rosenthal stated, "imagine a Cubs rotation that featured Jake Peavy, Carlos Zambrano, Ryan Dempster and Ted Lilly." Rosenthal did not mention Rich Harden in the list.
Ken Rosenthal reported the Cubs feel they can "absorb the 4 years and $63 million" left on Peavy's contract and resign Ryan Dempster for at least $50 million dollars over a 4-year span.
Will update if more information becomes available. Stay tuned....
Just to speculate...
If the Cubs do get their "dream rotation" with the signing of dempster and trading for peavy, where would it rank in the all time greatest rotations ever?
Charlie,
I was just thinking about that. The Braves rotations on the mid-90's were likely the best 1-5 since 5 man rotations became the norm. I've always thought the late 90's Braves rotation of Maddux, Smoltz, Glavine, Neagle, and Millwood was the best. I think Peavy, Zambrano, Harden, Dempster, and Lilly is close, but I'd still take the Braves over them.
If that happens....and they all stay healthy.....I can only think of one word.........DAMN!!!!!!
Check out the rotation of the 1966 LA Dodgers. Sandy Koufax, Don Drysdale, Claude Osteen and Don Sutton. And Phil Regan as a closer, not that they needed one with 52 complete games, 27 of them by Koufax. A team ERA of 2.62.
Of course that was a different time.
People were saying that the cubs had a good rotation in 04 and the world series bound team with clement zambrano wood prior Maddox but everyone knows the end to that hopefully they can do better because there staff is way better now than it was then
I'm too young to remember that Dodgers staff, but that one sounds unbeatable...The Braves staff of the mid/late 90's would be second.
And yeah, Zambrano, Harden, Peavy, Lilly, and Dempster would be an awesome rotation.