According to a report from Jon Paul Morosi, the Cubs are telling team they are willing to listen to offers for Jeff Samardzija, Jason Hammel, Edwin Jackson and Jake Arrieta. Morosi pointed out the Cubs are not looking to trade all four starters.
The front office is doing its due diligence and trying to determine the value for each of the starting pitchers. According to Morosi, the Cubs will determine its course of action once the front office gauges interest throughout the league in the four starters.
Edwin Jackson is owed a lot of money on the four-year contract he signed. And teams were reportedly interested in Jackson before his horrible start in San Diego on May 23 in which he gave up eight runs on nine hits in four innings to the light hitting Padres. Jackson has struggled mightily since the start in San Diego and is 1-2 in his last three starts with a 6.32 ERA and a 1.85 WHIP.
Edwin Jackson is owed the remainder of his $11 million salary for this season and $11 million in both 2015 and 2016. Jackson signed a four-year, $52 million contract with the Cubs in December of 2012 that included a $8 million signing bonus and called for annual salaries of $11 million per season through 2016.
Jake Arrieta is arbitration eligible for the first time in 2015 and would draw interest from more teams according to Jon Paul Morosi. While the Cubs may be willing to listen, Arrieta is making only $544,500 this season and would likely be looking at a bump in pay to around the $3.9 million that Travis Wood received in his first year of arbitration eligibility.
Arrieta has been very good of late and has worked well with Chris Bosio since he was acquired from the Orioles last July. Arrieta is 1-0 in his last three starts with a 0.51 ERA and a 0.91 WHIP (one run on 12 hits with four walks and 12 strikeouts in 17 2/3 innings).
The Cubs have been listening to offers for Jeff Samardzija and Jason Hammel. Jon Paul Morosi has to report what he is told.
It should not be a surprise that the Cubs “are telling teams they are willing to listen to offers” for the four starting pitchers. The front office should be willing to listen to any team that makes an offer for a player.
Jeff Samardzija
Ken Rosenthal, during an interview on Inside Pitch (MLB Network Radio) Monday afternoon, said he was told a week and a half ago the Giants were not looking to add a starting pitcher. San Francisco has five starting pitchers and does not plan on making Tim Lincecum a $17 million reliever. Rosenthal stayed consistent in his belief that the Orioles, Blue Jays or Red Sox make the most sense for Jeff Samardzija.
Jon Heyman weighed in on the Samardzija and Hammel rumors Monday morning. Heyman said it’s a 99 percent chance that Jason Hammel gets traded while moving Samardzija “isn’t as much of a sure thing.” Heyman thinks if Jeff Samardzija gets traded it will be later in July and he’s “sure the Cubs will be looking to get more” than they received for Matt Garza.