The Cubs made two significant deals Tuesday with signing Ben Zobrist and trading Starlin Castro to the Yankees for Adam Warren and a PTBNL. And the Cubs are reportedly not done.
The front office would still like to add pitching to the roster and possibly acquire an outfielder either through a free agent signing or trade.
Theo Epstein said Tuesday after the Zobrist and Castro-Warren deals were announced that there “is still the potential” for the front office to sync up another free agent signing and a trade.
The Cubs have been connected heavily to Jason Heyward and Alex Gordon. The Cubs are interested in both and are believed to have room in the payroll to sign one of the Gold Glove outfielders.
Bruce Levine added a new twist to the front office’s off-season plan. According to Levine, the Cubs might be talking to the Rockies about Carlos Gonzalez.
Carlos Gonzalez has two years left on the seven-year, $80 million extension he signed with the Rockies in January 2011. Gonzalez is owed $17 million for 2016 and $20 million in 2017. Gonzalez’s contract also includes a $1 million assignment bonus if traded and a performance/incentives bonus package. Gonzalez is guaranteed $38 million over the next two years if he’s traded.
Gonzalez turned 30 in October and is coming off a career-high 153 games played this past season. Gonzalez batted .271/.325/.540 with 25 doubles, two triples and 40 home runs for a .864 OPS. Gonzalez had 150 hits with 46 walks and 133 strikeouts in 554 at bats.
After struggling in the first half, Gonzalez batted .285/.337/.638 in his last 71 games with nine doubles, one triple and 27 home runs for a .975 OPS.
Outside of Coors Field, Gonzalez hit .243/.294/.464 with 10 doubles, two triples and 16 home runs for a .758 OPS. And for his career, the home-road splits are what would be expected.
Carlos Gonzalez has hit .324/.382/.604 with a .986 OPS in 460 games at Coors Field and just .255/.310/.441 with a .752 OPS in 454 road games.
Defensively, Gonzalez played only right field this past season, lined up 48 times in left field in 2014 and has not played center field since 2011. Gonzalez has played a majority of his games in left field (456) while seeing significant time in right field (286 games) and center field (200).
The front office is exploring numerous options to improve the roster. Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer said it would be a wild Winter Meetings … and there are still 36 hours left before the end of baseball’s annual gathering.