Option-Less Players Dead to Cubs

Yet another rumor of the Cubs trying to move a player who is out of options. Some of our readers overheard on the radio that the Athletics and Rangers are having talks with the Cubs over Michael Wuertz. Moving Wuertz who is due to make $1.1M in 2009, would free up some salary and some space in the Cubs bullpen and make Kent Sterling a happy man. Under the assumption the Cubs carry 12 pitchers, their current staff would be:

Starters: Zambrano, Dempster, Lilly, Harden, Heilman

Relievers: Marmol, Gregg, Vizcaino, Wuertz*, Cotts*, Guzman*, Gaudin*

* players out of options

I'm guessing on Heilman being the 5th starter, but that wouldn't leave any room for the loser of the 5th starter battle (assuming Samardzija or Marshall are the other competitors), nor any of the non-roster invitees. And I think it would be wiser to try and move these guys before spring training rather than during. The other teams would probably prefer to have them working with their staff for the duration of camp and you don't risk a player getting hurt or sucking up joint so bad that they have almost no trade value and you have to cut them. There's the flip side where they pitch well and you still have to move them and could possibly get more, but there's not a lot of teams that have room on their 25-man roster by the end of spring training.

If the Cubs are dealing with the A's, can they get Sean Gallagher or Josh Donaldson back?

Tags: 
Cubs rumors
Michael Wuertz
Submitted by Rob G. on Sun, 02/01/2009 - 4:45pm
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Comments

Submitted by Charlie
on Sun, 02/01/2009 - 5:16pm

Wuertz for Donaldson? Done.

How many optionless relievers does it take to get back Gallagher?

I'd be fine with gettin E-Patt back too. Even if he's out of options--I gladly give him Gathright's roster spot.

Submitted by twhicke
on Sun, 02/01/2009 - 6:31pm

Let's trade all 4 of the optionless receivers for Gallagher

Submitted by crunch
on Sun, 02/01/2009 - 5:17pm

wow...is kent sterling a retard or just new to baseball?

did he cover cricket in india in 07?

i'm yet to see any 50-ish IP reliever that can kill 130+ million dollars of the 24 others on the team.

Submitted by Old and Blue
on Mon, 02/02/2009 - 1:08am

You probably hate Obama, too. There's no understanding the Idiocracy.

Submitted by ultrapeanut
on Mon, 02/02/2009 - 1:47am

Starting in left field, Old and Blue!

Submitted by Charlie
on Sun, 02/01/2009 - 5:30pm

I thought that the "Brain Cell Killing Articles" category was an idle threat. Clearly I have underestimated you, Rob.

Submitted by Rob G.
on Sun, 02/01/2009 - 7:37pm

http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/sports/schmuck/200...

I don't have a lot of inside info on this -- other than what I steal daily from Orioles beat writer Jeff Zrebiec -- but I've got to believe the Orioles nail down the deal for pitching reclamation project Rich Hill in the next day or two if they're going to do it at all.

Submitted by mastrick
on Sun, 02/01/2009 - 7:48pm

I'd like to see the Cubs move Wuertz. His stats are good but every time he comes into a close late inning situation I hold my breath.

Submitted by Cubster
on Sun, 02/01/2009 - 10:35pm

Jeff Zrebiec's reply (8:22pm):

The Orioles could announce as early as tomorrow that they will acquire left-handed starter Rich Hill from the Chicago Cubs for a player to be named later, according to industry sources. One source cautioned that the deal is not yet complete, but the Orioles are hopeful that it will be by early this week.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/baseball/bal-or...

Submitted by spongebob
on Sun, 02/01/2009 - 10:49pm

Why trade hill for a PTBNL now! Why not see if he can relinquish the demons during spring training...and if not then trade him for PTBNL. Sad....considering this time last year he and Pie would have gotten us Roberts!

Wurtz trade would open a spot for who? Shark can weight let him prove he needs to be in the MLB before dealing everyone...i'm just not getting all of this! I give up...what is Hendry trying to do..there needs to be some final end game here!

Can't they just ask Rickets and the others if they would be okay with getting Peavy...and if so just do it!

Submitted by Charlie
on Sun, 02/01/2009 - 11:06pm

"Wurtz trade would open a spot for who?"

A number of other players that could be of use to the club and/or can't really be sent down. Again, not rooting for the Wuertz trade, just saying.

I'm with you on Hill, though. If all you're getting is an extremely low-level prospect, then why not keep Hill a little while longer and see what happens? Stranger things have occurred.

Submitted by Rob G.
on Sun, 02/01/2009 - 11:53pm

supposedly the level of the PTBNL is going to be determined by how Rich Hill does with the O's, so it's really a no-loss proposition for the Cubs assuming they were never going to keep him.

if he sucks, they get some crappy prospect which might be more than if they just outright released and if he's any good in spring training, they get someone decent. No one was going to give up a a A prospect for a guy just based off his spring training anyway.

Submitted by Charlie
on Mon, 02/02/2009 - 9:32am

That's a strange setup for a trade. If he has an ERA under 3.80 can we demand Weiters?

Submitted by Dr. aaron b
on Mon, 02/02/2009 - 9:52am

Still makes zero sense to me.

If Hill can regain 2006-2007 form. Then he instantly becomes better than any of the

Marshall
Wolf
Looper

Crowd that keeps being bandied about. Is Hendry's new found love for all things "proven vet" really going this far?

Submitted by Andrew
on Mon, 02/02/2009 - 10:00am

Hendry's "new found love for all things 'proven vet'" is hardly new. Besides, I'd be really surprised if we do acquire Looper or Wolf at this point. We got Heilman instead.

It's all fine and good if Hill finds his 2007 form in Spring Training, but what do we do with him when he loses it in April and May? Ditch him then. And I suppose that's fine for some teams, but this team will probably need every 40-man spot it can get. The Cubs just don't have the time or the interest to see if Rich Hill is able to "get it" again.

Submitted by Dr. aaron b
on Mon, 02/02/2009 - 10:16am

My guess is that if he loses it in April or May we can either

A) Trade him for a PTBNL

B) Try and option him to Iowa to work on his game

Bottom line is that if all were getting is a low level PTBNL today. What's the rush in dumping him. Wait til mid March and see what you got.

Submitted by Andrew
on Mon, 02/02/2009 - 1:00pm

Because of the 40 man roster spot. I already said that.

Are we griping for griping's sake today? It's headcase Rich Hill. We're not gonna miss him.

Submitted by Rob G.
on Mon, 02/02/2009 - 11:07am

chances of Hill showing enough in spring training to not only win a spot but alleviate all fears that he'd ever revert to sucking again are pretty slim. And it's going to be a virtually impossible to move him once rosters start getting set or the season starts. Why would anyone trade anything for him knowing he'd just get cut?

Trade him now and at least you get some competition for him and get something.

Submitted by Dr. aaron b
on Mon, 02/02/2009 - 11:20am

If he sucked that bad in ST, then shouldnt we be able to slip him through waivers?

It's a moot point now. I just don't like the Buy High-Sell low trend that we keep seeing.

Submitted by rokfish
on Sun, 02/01/2009 - 10:49pm

i woulda traded wuertz yesterday for a bucket of whiffle balls

the other 3 i am all for keeping

Submitted by rokfish
on Sun, 02/01/2009 - 11:06pm

here is one wuertz and hart to

texas for

travis metcalf

Submitted by Cubster
on Mon, 02/02/2009 - 9:41am

lefty Ken Takahashi off the board, Bluejays nabbed the 40 year old reliever with a minor league deal

back in the day rumored to be on the brink of signing with the Cubs (but quickly denied)

http://home.kyodo.co.jp/modules/fstStory/index.php...

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