And We Shall Rumor...

Submitted by Rob G. on Tue, 11/11/2014 - 12:44pm

The GM Meetings have begun and every agent wants the Cubs excess in their clients' pockets.  So where we at...

- Russell "31-year-old Career Year" Martin wants Brian McCann money, something in the vicinity of 5/75-80M. Beefy seems to be just fine back there, don't you think?

- The Phillies are allegedly in blow-up mode, but beyond Cliff Lee or Cole Hamels, can't imagine there's much for the Cubs to look at. Hamels DID NOT put the Cubs on his list of teams he could block a trade to, but the Phillies are asking for 3 top prospects and I don't think they mean Alcantara, Edwards and Vogelbach.

- There's some ruminations that the Red Sox will end up bringing Jon Lester back, potential price tag in the 6/120M range.

- Theo isn't too keen on drawing too many conclusions from one post season and is still focused on upgrading the rotation rather than the bullpen.

- Theo also mentioned that he doesn't see any international free agents as an obvious fit with the Cubs.

- A few days back, Patrick Mooney mentioned that the Cubs would probably prefer Lester or Shields over Scherzer and throws out Andrew Miller's name as a possibility.

- Justin Upton has the Cubs as one of 4 teams on his no-trade list, he might not want to play here or he might just be looking for leverage.

- Torii Hunter was linked to about 10 teams, one being the Cubs. I think we'd all be surprised if that happened.

- The Mets are gonna look at trades to upgrade at shortstop and Starlin Castro's name is a natural fit, but the Mets are notoriously difficult to deal with and Andy Martino of The Daily News says, "it has so far been difficult, if not impossible, for the Mets and Cubs to agree on Castro’s trade value."

Tags: 
Cubs rumors

Comments

Submitted by Charlie  on Tue, 11/11/2014 - 1:13pm  
Hey, Rob--I realize that you are just collecting info from around the internet, but isn't the following the entire Mooney mention of Cubs preference for Lester or Shields over Scherzer: The Cubs are believed to prefer Lester or James Shields to Scherzer. Ambiguous passive voice and all. I'm not sure I get a preference for Lester or especially Shields over Scherzer, unless it's based primarily on the perception that Scherzer will get the biggest offer of the 3 and that Shields will get the smallest offer of the three.

Submitted by Rob G.  on Tue, 11/11/2014 - 1:29pm  

not sure what you're asking me about there? The entire mention is this.

The Cubs are believed to prefer Lester or James Shields to Scherzer. People around the team say lefty Andrew Miller would make a lot of sense as the new lights-out reliever. Peavy can sing “Go Cubs Go” but otherwise makes little sense on the North Side heading into his age-34 season. 

Did I summarize it poorly?

Submitted by Charlie  on Tue, 11/11/2014 - 2:12pm  
I was unclear. It's not really a question for you so much as me questioning Mooney. I wondered (but didn't really ask) where has this preference for Lester or Shields over Scherzer been stated? What are the sources? Or is this pure speculation? Too many articles state whatever claim they like while hiding behind the passive voice. Or, to Mooney, THIS PARAGRAPH IS BAD AND YOU SHOULD FEEL BAD.

Submitted by Rob G.  on Tue, 11/11/2014 - 2:26pm  

ah got it...pretty sure reporters are quite creative in how they attribute something. In this example, it said "Cubs are believed" which could mean Theo or Jed, could mean an agent claimed to have talked to Theo or Jed, could mean the secretary passed something along, could mean a scout heard something from someone, could mean the Cubs are known to want a SP and have some ties to Shields (through Maddon) and Lester (through Theo and Jed) and Mooney needed a column idea..who the 'eff knows?

Submitted by Rob G.  on Tue, 11/11/2014 - 1:24pm  

http://espn.go.com/sportsnation/chicago/chat/...

Jesse Rogers seems hellbent on the Cubs signing Martin.

says keep an eye out on Jason Heyward if he becomes available and says Cubs brass know that next year is very unlikely the year, offense will need time to grow.

Doesn't think Cubs will end up signing Shields, Lester or Scherzer, says Lester wants to win now and doesn't think Cubs are there quite yet.

Some other names mentioned: Nick Markakis, Mike Morse, Gomes, J. Hammel

Submitted by jacos  on Tue, 11/11/2014 - 1:30pm  
Lest we forget.. Jesse Rogers is an idiot

Submitted by Rob G.  on Tue, 11/11/2014 - 1:32pm  

on that Heyward mention, would you trade Soler for Heyward?

Heyward is 2 1/2 years older than Soler. Left-handed bat would be nice in that lineup somewhere.

Not saying I could pull that trigger, but it's intriguing.

Submitted by jacos  on Tue, 11/11/2014 - 1:41pm  
Heywards frame is too big for OF, will break down need to be DH/1b sooner then later. I like Soler club control, lh bat not big a deal to me.

Submitted by Rob G.  on Tue, 11/11/2014 - 1:43pm  

Heyward listed at 6'5", Soler at 6'4", one of them has been injured a lot, it isn't Heyward.

If they would get so lucky to make the playoffs, they'd get eaten alive by good bullpens without a good L/R mix imo. Also Heyward's defense has been rather exceptional to this point with good on-base skills.

Power has been disappointing though.

Submitted by jacos  on Tue, 11/11/2014 - 1:51pm  
Heyward listed 245 Soler listed 215 Soler with better nutrition will be okay in long run. Why would Braves be keen on moving him?

Submitted by Rob G.  on Tue, 11/11/2014 - 1:58pm  

I'm not sure keen is the right word, Heyward is a FA after next season and Braves seem to have realized they need to do a minor rebuild before they go into their new stadium. I imagine the asking price for Heyward would be quite steep, his WAR numbers since his rookie year have been (4.6, 2.0, 6.3, 3.4 and 5.1). That's a damn good player who is going to be playing his age 25 season next year and any smart GM is gonna take a look if the Braves make him available, which is what I got Rogers was hinting at.

Ultimately no one knows what the Braves are asking for and if he'll be traded, but good players are offered up all the time and we're never sure why.

Submitted by jacos  on Tue, 11/11/2014 - 2:02pm  
Unless it's the Marlins or Oakland, if they are offering a player like that up that should be a red flag.

Submitted by Rob G.  on Tue, 11/11/2014 - 2:05pm  

Justin Upton was a helluva get for the Braves.

I think much like Castro, teams will find the price too steep as is the case most of the time.

Submitted by jacos  on Tue, 11/11/2014 - 2:13pm  
Add the Rays to the list too. Teams that can afford players don't trade them like that. Braves new stadium is being paid by the county.

Submitted by jacos  on Tue, 11/11/2014 - 2:16pm  
I'd trade Baez for Heyward.

Submitted by Rob G.  on Tue, 11/11/2014 - 2:22pm  

throw in Olt too!!!!

think it would take 3 very good prospects to get Heyward with a Baez or Soler type being the centerpiece.

Submitted by jacos  on Tue, 11/11/2014 - 2:28pm  
You had to go there, didn't you?

Submitted by jacos  on Tue, 11/11/2014 - 1:30pm  
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!! http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2014/11/11/levine...

Submitted by crunch  on Tue, 11/11/2014 - 1:39pm  
theo already made that mistake once.

Submitted by Rob G.  on Tue, 11/11/2014 - 1:41pm  

rather stick with Alcantara, but Crawford should be a useful 2 WAR player going forward. All depends on the deal.

I think last year the average rate was about $6M per WAR, and Crawford is owed over $20M+ the next 3 seasons. If Dodgers pay about $8-10M per year and Cubs give up some bullpen arms? Not sure I'd do it, but not terrible either.

Crawford seemed comfortable being rotated in that Dodger OF last year, could be helpful.

Submitted by Cubster  on Tue, 11/11/2014 - 1:51pm  
and that would free up the EJax money/roster slot

Submitted by Rob G.  on Tue, 11/11/2014 - 2:08pm  

not sure I'm following...

if someway Cubs took on Crawford and paid 3/36M plus prospects with Dodgers paying the rest around 3/24 (he's owed a little over $60M the next 3 years), how does that free up money for Edwin for the Cubs?

Now if Cubs pawned Edwin off on the Dodgers and a bullpen arm while taking Crawford's contract back with a little money help from Dodgers that would be neat, but don't see the Dodgers doing that, although Edwin did play for Rays once upon a time. I don't get Dodgers are just trying to dump Crawford or any of their outfielders at this point.

Submitted by jacos  on Tue, 11/11/2014 - 1:54pm  
How about giving Ichiro a flier?

Submitted by Rob G.  on Tue, 11/11/2014 - 2:02pm  

to do what? usher?

Ichiros' just above replacement level at this point and not sure he'd stay above it next season. I'd stick with Coghlan in that case.

Submitted by Rob G.  on Tue, 11/11/2014 - 4:51pm  

sorry if 3/44, but ~swoon~

http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2014/11/06/maddon...

If you don’t have that guy [Rivera or Percival were examples he used], it’s about leverage situations and matchups and who’s the better guy right now. The difficulty with that is you have to have those conversations in spring training. Before you ever leave camp, you tell different guys, ‘Listen, you’re not just a seventh-inning guy, you’re not just the eighth-inning guy. You’re the guy based on this part of the lineup or that part of the lineup. These are your strengths.’ So you build your bullpen that way.

Submitted by Old and Blue  on Tue, 11/11/2014 - 5:29pm  
Free agency sucks. I'm just gonna sign Melky Cabrera and call it a day.

Submitted by crunch  on Tue, 11/11/2014 - 6:00pm  
this thread features c.crawford and j.heyward...both guys who's WAR intoxicates some, but scares the hell out of others when it's time to pay "market value." They both benefit (crawford at the time of his BOS signing) from D-heavy values and injury could easily harm what else they're doing both at the plate and in the field. there's also the whole thing some buy into about OF D being grossly overrated in WAR for some reason, but that's another long post. couple of near/sub-.800 OPS guys who managed to wrangle 4-6 WAR values for a stretch of years. crawford wasn't even that good of a LF'r...good, yeah, but not good enough to balance the bat and contract. a huge * on crawford was that so much of his power showing came from an unusual slew of triples and his speed gave him many hits that would ordinarily be outs. take away that speed via injury or decline and almost every aspect of his value tanks. his agent should get an award from other agents for being able to snag him 7 years and $140m.

Submitted by Rob G.  on Tue, 11/11/2014 - 6:07pm  

most of Crawford's pre-Boston WAR value DID NOT come from his defense actually and if he had just regressed to a 3-4 WAR player, he would still be decent value at $20M per season. He obviously couldn't stay healthy and his speed tanked almost immediately.

Theo spent money though, I believe this makes a good move by your rules.

Submitted by crunch  on Tue, 11/11/2014 - 6:20pm  
you're right about the D thing with crawford...i though he was pulling 1-2 off his D. to the bigger point i was trying to make...his game hinges on leg health on so many aspects aside from his contact...which is singles-hitting contact with a very mild power stroke. it's one thing when you're taking a small gamble, but 7/140 was one hell of a gamble given the foundation of the player and his position on the field (LF). also, theo money spend good ugg ugg ugg *waves caveman club around* money good spend ugg ugg ung. there, by your rules that's pretty much what was written about my view of the ricketts/cubs/theo-corp if you want to sum up the point. =p

Submitted by Rob G.  on Tue, 11/11/2014 - 7:46pm  

speaking of bad contract swaps, BJ Upton out there. 3/45M 'ish left.

rather keep Edwin.

Submitted by crunch  on Tue, 11/11/2014 - 8:06pm  
speaking of rumor... "Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times reports that the Cubs are in talks with the Nationals to acquire Jordan Zimmermann." http://chicagosuntimes.com/sports/sources-cub...

Submitted by Rob G.  on Tue, 11/11/2014 - 8:17pm  

And we have our 2015 version of Jake Peavy

Submitted by Cubster  on Tue, 11/11/2014 - 8:43pm  
so what's next for Witty...should he fire up the rumor that Jedstein is working on luring Brian Roberts out of retirement?

Submitted by Rob G.  on Tue, 11/11/2014 - 9:11pm  

Desmond is allegedly a year from free agency too, sure wouldn't mind a deal getting J. Zimmerman and Desmond for Castro and shitload of B/C prospects. Russell just isn't ready and i think we're all sketchy on Baez.

Getting zimmermann is it's own thing, figure out what an extension is going to cost or take your chances or deal him at deadline if he seems unwilling.

Submitted by Old and Blue  on Wed, 11/12/2014 - 6:45am  
Wow, that was a real Twitter destruction of another sports beat writer's attempt at a story. Just one after another tweet last night shooting Wittenmeyer down.

Submitted by Rob G.  on Tue, 11/11/2014 - 9:37pm  

Sullivan and Mooney dumping water on the whole rumor btw.

Submitted by Rob G.  on Tue, 11/11/2014 - 9:42pm  

Levine and Rogers jump on the denial dogpile as well.

Submitted by crunch  on Tue, 11/11/2014 - 9:52pm  
good. i like j.zim, but the trade pieces needed to get it done for a 1-season rental is a bit high for an emerging team like the 2015 cubs.

Submitted by Rob G.  on Tue, 11/11/2014 - 9:45pm  

Rogers doubles down on Heyward, but points more towards a FA signing next year.

http://espn.go.com/blog/chicago/cubs

Submitted by Old and Blue  on Wed, 11/12/2014 - 6:42am  
I can pretty easily draw up a worse corner outfield situation than Soler and an age 27 Heyward

Submitted by jacos  on Wed, 11/12/2014 - 8:32am  
I'd like to see one mlb season of Bryant at third before slotting someone else in lf

Submitted by Old and Blue  on Wed, 11/12/2014 - 12:45pm  
Tall people prejudice is so ugly. And on a more serious note, I actually meant for next year. I think we'll know by the end of 2015 if Bryant is a third baseman, and 2016 is Heyward's walk year. For once, a decent free agent will probably be available unless the "sources" reporting they won't extend Heyward are wrong.

Submitted by jacos  on Wed, 11/12/2014 - 1:11pm  
He's an inch shorter than Kingman, who started as third baseman.

Submitted by Rob G.  on Wed, 11/12/2014 - 12:40am  

Hoyer said the Cubs are drawn to contact hitters, as their stable of young players is loaded with power hitters who swing and miss often.

"We have to get on base more,'' Hoyer said. "We have to figure out ways to limit our strikeouts. We're not going to get away from them completely because of the makeup of our club. We do have a lot of power. But we have to figure out a way to fix some of those issues. It's less positionally, more fit.''

http://m.mlb.com/news/article/101197620/chica...

Submitted by Old and Blue  on Wed, 11/12/2014 - 6:41am  
The music to my ears was:
"We've obviously spent three years building up our farm system through a lot of painful trades and Drafts,'' Hoyer said Tuesday at the General Managers Meetings. "The idea we would so rapidly deplete it to go for it is pretty unlikely.''

Submitted by Carlito  on Wed, 11/12/2014 - 8:26am  
Exactly. Anyone who sees them trading top tier or even 2nd tier prospects is either misunderstanding this FO or a deluded or scheming agent.

Submitted by jacos  on Wed, 11/12/2014 - 8:31am  
Jim Hendry waves

Submitted by Old and Blue  on Wed, 11/12/2014 - 1:40pm  
Carrie Muskat ✔ @CarrieMuskat #Cubs prospect Jacob Hannemann's value rises thanks to AFL play http://atmlb.com/11ihUn2 via @mlb Hannemann for Zimmerman! Make it so!

Submitted by Rob G.  on Wed, 11/12/2014 - 2:17pm  

Cubs claim RHP Donn  Roach off waivers from Padres

http://www.baseball-reference.com/minors/play...

Submitted by WISCGRAD  on Wed, 11/12/2014 - 2:38pm  
Huh, not sure I see the interest here. Once he got above A+ ball his stats have been pretty mediocre, and walks are high and strikeouts low.

Submitted by Rob G.  on Wed, 11/12/2014 - 4:17pm  

Theo talked up his sinkerball fwiw, says he'll be in mix vying for a spot.

Submitted by Rob G.  on Wed, 11/12/2014 - 2:59pm  

rumor mill is quiet today...let's guess where the big 3 pitchers go

Scherzer - Yankees

Lester - Red Sox

Shields - Angels

Submitted by jacos  on Wed, 11/12/2014 - 4:38pm  
Scherzer-Detroit Lester-Cubs Shields-Boston

Submitted by John Beasley  on Wed, 11/12/2014 - 4:54pm  
Scherzer NYY Lester BOS Shields TOR

Submitted by crunch  on Wed, 11/12/2014 - 5:14pm  
*sharpens pitchfork*

Submitted by Old and Blue  on Wed, 11/12/2014 - 5:47pm  
Scherzer - Cubs Lester - Cubs Shields - Cubs

Submitted by crunch  on Wed, 11/12/2014 - 5:57pm  
agreed. along with g.stanton in RF and d.robertson closing games, the 2015 cubs are going to rock.

Submitted by Jackstraw  on Thu, 11/13/2014 - 7:49am  
I'm not so sure. Will we still have Olt?

Submitted by Rob G.  on Wed, 11/12/2014 - 4:18pm  

Victor Martinez re-signs with Tigers for 4/$68M

Submitted by crunch  on Wed, 11/12/2014 - 6:49pm  
kluber wins the AL CY...damn.

Submitted by crunch  on Wed, 11/12/2014 - 7:06pm  
"A spokeswoman for the Dominican Republic's Attorney General's Office, Tessie Sanchez, said Oscar Taveras was "legally intoxicated when he crashed."" :/

Submitted by jacos  on Wed, 11/12/2014 - 7:25pm  
Cardinals ....tradition...

Submitted by Newport  on Thu, 11/13/2014 - 8:53am  
His BAC was higher than his BA. Piece of shit.

Submitted by Rob G.  on Wed, 11/12/2014 - 7:06pm  

@CSNMooney

Theo: "People predict that we’re going to sign 2 top-of-the-rotation starters who both require 9-figure contracts. That’s not happening."

So all 3?

Submitted by Cubster  on Wed, 11/12/2014 - 7:13pm  
People = ? George Offman, Phil Rogers or David Kaplan

Submitted by jacos  on Wed, 11/12/2014 - 7:26pm  
Add Gordon Wittenmeyer "I don't believe in Zimmerman"-JL

Submitted by Carlito  on Wed, 11/12/2014 - 8:07pm  
Nice!

Submitted by JoePepitone  on Wed, 11/12/2014 - 9:53pm  
Ha ha! That made my day!

Submitted by John Beasley  on Wed, 11/12/2014 - 7:30pm  
Shields won't get 9 figures, and if he does, someone help that poor GM who thinks it's a good idea.

Submitted by Rob G.  on Wed, 11/12/2014 - 8:16pm  

Pirates trade RP Justin Wilson to Yankees for C Francisco Cervelli

Submitted by Carlito  on Wed, 11/12/2014 - 8:22pm  
Bye Bye Martin.

Submitted by crunch  on Wed, 11/12/2014 - 9:18pm  
cervelli finally gets his starting gig...at age 29 (turns 29 in march).

Submitted by jacos  on Wed, 11/12/2014 - 8:41pm  
Zambrano no hitter on CSN right now. Remember watching it.

Submitted by billybucks  on Wed, 11/12/2014 - 9:11pm  
Yep! In Milwaukee, vs. the Astros, as I recall, because of hurricane damage in Houston. Weird night.

Submitted by Rob G.  on Wed, 11/12/2014 - 11:15pm  

http://espn.go.com/blog/chicago/cubs/post/_/i...

Martin, more Martin, and at last Martin

Submitted by Rob G.  on Thu, 11/13/2014 - 1:43am  

speaking of Martin, another story on Martin

http://chicagosuntimes.com/sports/cubs-inchin...

Witty gives Cubs the kiss of death and labels them as the frontrunner

Submitted by Old and Blue  on Thu, 11/13/2014 - 8:38am  
And I've got some land on Jacob Zimmerman's Arizona ranch for sale, if anybody is interested.

Submitted by Charlie  on Thu, 11/13/2014 - 8:29am  
Martin rapidly becoming the player that must not ever be a Cub, a la Brian Roberts, just to reinforce the lesson that sports writers are mostly full of it.

Submitted by Old and Blue  on Thu, 11/13/2014 - 9:58am  
I haven't given up on Brian Roberts yet. And I never will, retirement be damned.

Submitted by Charlie  on Thu, 11/13/2014 - 10:26am  
The year is 2108. Cyborg Crane Kenney hires a Necromancer to bless the home dugout at Wrigley Field 10.2. But nobody expected Brian Roberts to return from the dead... and lead the Cubs all the way to the World Series! This summer, coming to theaters everywhere, Brian Roberts: Ghostie on Second. Teaser 2: Brian Roberts is back, and he's finally a Cub -- but things get dicey when the Cardinals' rookie SS turns out also to be an exorcist sent by the Vatican, under deep cover. Brian Roberts: Ghostie on Second. Watch for the pick-off play!

Submitted by Old and Blue  on Thu, 11/13/2014 - 4:58pm  
But nobody expected Brian Roberts to return from the dead... and lead the Cubs all the way to the World Series!
Their 93rd consecutive World Series.

Submitted by Rob G.  on Thu, 11/13/2014 - 1:42am  

if Cubs don't get Martin, Alex Avila and Jason Castro are two names that are rumored to be available. Neither will remind you of Johnny Bench with the bat, but neither will Martin once he ages and regresses.

Submitted by The E-Man  on Thu, 11/13/2014 - 6:22am  
Ronny Cedeno In case any of you are interested, the dumbest player I ever saw play for the Cubs is now playing in the AFL. At 31. Wondering if AZ PHIL has run nto him?

Submitted by Ryno  on Thu, 11/13/2014 - 7:46am  
I nearly ran into Cedeno once. My wife and I were in the concourse at Wrigley about 20 minutes before a game- and an obviously late, was-stuck-in-traffic Cedeno runs through the concourse to, what I assume was the clubhouse. My wife looks at me, puzzled, and was like "Was that Ronny Cedeno?" I mean being a little late is understandable, but 20 minutes before game time?

Submitted by jacos  on Thu, 11/13/2014 - 3:20pm  
"Can't talk !! Running late to getting thrown out at second on a walk!"

Submitted by Old and Blue  on Thu, 11/13/2014 - 4:59pm  
"Shit. Where the hell is second base?"

Submitted by Arizona Phil  on Thu, 11/13/2014 - 7:19pm  

E-MAN: Ronny Cedeno is playing in the Venezuelan Winter League (VWL). He has too much MLB Service Time to be able to play in the AFL.

It's not that unusual for veteran Venezuelan players like Cedeno to play in the VWL during the MLB off season, just like it's not that unusual for veteran Dominican players to play in the Dominican Winter League, either as a way to pick up some cash, and/or because the player's hometown team entices the player to play.

Submitted by The E-Man  on Thu, 11/13/2014 - 9:07pm  
PHIL: I get daily feeds from Baseball America and they listed Cedeno as the VL - I misread it. Indeed you are correct, sir. It sure seemed odd - but it is still surprising he is "kicking around". I hope he can find his car after the games.

Submitted by Old and Blue  on Fri, 11/14/2014 - 5:59am  
Some people just obviously love to play baseball and probably don't care much where they play (I refer you to, also, one Manny Ramirez). Cedeno may not have been a very good MLBer, but if he played on a sandlot anywhere in America he'd generally be, by far, the best player on the team. In a way, a guy like Cedeno just gives me more appreciation for the game.

Submitted by WISCGRAD  on Thu, 11/13/2014 - 7:14am  
Jake Arrieta received 3 5th place votes in the Cy Young to finish tied for 9th overall: http://bbwaa.com/14-nl-cy/ Interestingly, none of his 3 votes came from Miles or Wittenmyer (AZ, CIN, PHI). I tried to edit the Wikliefield page, but it has some sort of bug or error in it--even if I just open the editor and change nothing and click save it comes up. And for some reason the editing option isn't even showing up for me on the ROY page on the site (says its protected). But looks like first Cub receiving a Cy Young vote since 2008 (Dempster), and Hendricks was first ROY vote recipient since 2011 (Barney).

Submitted by Rob G.  on Thu, 11/13/2014 - 9:59am  

“In reality, they’re a powerhouse,” Cubs president Theo Epstein said. “The Cardinals are the standard in a lot of ways. They’ve built an incredibly healthy baseball organization and a thriving, robust business operation and they combine those things really well. I don’t think they’ve reached their potential yet. I think there isn’t a player in baseball that they couldn’t go get if they wanted to. If they sensed a threat and they wanted to put their foot on the gas I think it’s almost unlimited what they could do.”

http://www.stltoday.com/sports/baseball/profe...

Submitted by WISCGRAD  on Thu, 11/13/2014 - 10:13am  
I see Concepcion has kind of stunk it up in the AFL: 10 ER in 15.1 IP, 7 SO and 9 BB

Submitted by crunch  on Thu, 11/13/2014 - 11:31am  
he's fulfilling what everyone but the cubs front office thought he was capable of...go figure. that said, most of his cost was sunk in seasons where they weren't spending anyway so it's not like it's an albatross or a future-hindering cost concern.

Submitted by Arizona Phil  on Thu, 11/13/2014 - 7:34pm  

While Gerardo Concepcion and Zach Cates have generally stunk, C. J. Edwards looked great yesterday in his three innings of work (his best game so far), and Ivan Pineyro threw the ball very well today. His fastball had zip (topped out at 93), his curve had some bite, and his change-up was outstanding, keeping the Glendale hitters off-balance.

Among the Cubs minor leaguers eligible for selection in next month's Rule 5 Draft, C. J. Edwards is a lock to get added to the Cubs MLB 40-man roster by the 11/20 desdline, and I would say that Pineyro has pitched himself into serious consideration with his impressive showing in the AFL. The main problem with Pineyro was the recurring forearm issues, but he sure looked plenty healthy today.

Submitted by Rob Richardson  on Thu, 11/13/2014 - 10:52am  
Nice summary of the winter meetings: http://espn.go.com/blog/chicago/cubs/post/_/i... “We can fit all of our impact position player prospects on the field at the same time,” Epstein said Wednesday. “That’s probably what we’ll end up doing. We’re not rushing out to move those guys for pitching even though we admit we would like to acquire impact pitching. We’re not going to close the doors on anything, but we’re certainly not in a rush to trade away our position players.”

Submitted by VirginiaPhil  on Thu, 11/13/2014 - 11:57am  
Looks like the Winter Meetings are in San Diego December 7-11. These GM meetings are some sort of preliminary. Not sure why the duplication--AZ Phil would be able to explain the difference. I know that more happens in the Winter Meetings, as teams shop for Xmas presents for their fans.

Submitted by Rob G.  on Thu, 11/13/2014 - 12:39pm  

it's what you said, the GM meetings are preliminary, start the ball rolling on talks. The Winter Meetings come after non-tender decisions are made and is a bigger spectacle that culminates with the Rule 5 draft.

Submitted by Cubster  on Thu, 11/13/2014 - 12:20pm  
Dustin Geiger update... Hopefully, he can answer the question: Where's the Beef? https://twitter.com/D_Geiger/status/531972610...

Submitted by Charlie  on Thu, 11/13/2014 - 1:04pm  
[Enter Koyie Hill, frantic.] Koyie: I'm here from 2007 to warn you about sharp instruments! [Enter Kevin Costner, affect completely, inhumanly flat.] Costner: Eh. It'll make the climax more poignant.

Submitted by jacos  on Thu, 11/13/2014 - 2:08pm  
Former Cubs Alvin Dark Has gone dark http://www.sportingnews.com/mlb/story/2014-11...

Submitted by crunch  on Thu, 11/13/2014 - 3:58pm  
"According to Jon Heyman on Twitter, 22 teams have shown interest in relief pitcher Andrew Miller." that's quite specific.

Submitted by Old and Blue  on Thu, 11/13/2014 - 5:02pm  
If it was Wittenmeyer, "22" would have just been some randomly generated number.

Submitted by Rob G.  on Thu, 11/13/2014 - 4:24pm  

Rosenthal says Marlins and Stanton discussing $300M extension.

Dear lord, what is Bryant gonna end up costing?

Submitted by Charlie  on Thu, 11/13/2014 - 4:29pm  
We should trade him now for an undervalued pitch-to-contact mid-rotation... I can't even finish this hyperbole. I just love Bryant so much. Pay him with my still-beating heart.

Submitted by Old and Blue  on Thu, 11/13/2014 - 5:04pm  
Someday, baseball players are just going to have to own the teams. Somewhere, Karl Marx is cackling with glee.

Submitted by Rob G.  on Thu, 11/13/2014 - 5:20pm  

Mike Trout takes AL MVP unanimously.

Guessing Kershaw takes NL MVP

Submitted by Rob G.  on Thu, 11/13/2014 - 5:22pm  

@BNightengale 

Cole Hamels open to trade, and #Phillies likely will move him to loser of Lester sweepstakes: #Redsox or #Cubs. http://usat.ly/1uofAWl

Submitted by Old and Blue  on Thu, 11/13/2014 - 6:02pm  
Seems like Theo and Jed were pretty clear that they weren't going to meet Phillies' asking price for Hamels.

Submitted by Rob G.  on Thu, 11/13/2014 - 6:21pm  

things change, could be Castro, Castillo and some non-elite prospects.

Submitted by Charlie  on Thu, 11/13/2014 - 7:55pm  
Don't get it. If you're willing to give up a big haul, trade for a younger player and then attempt to extend him (as many have fantasized with Stanton). Like others, I'm not enchanted with Hamels at the salary and the trade cost.

Submitted by Rob G.  on Thu, 11/13/2014 - 8:06pm  

all depends on the haul and player in return...a younger player with a smaller contract would cost more in prospects most likely. Taking on Hamels contract should offset some of what the Cubs would have to pay in prospects.

Should being the operative word, really depends if Phillies back off on 3 top prospect demand and what top prospect really means to them.

But if some of the rumors end up being true, Cubs could move Castro whom Phillies could desperately use and maybe Vogelbach, Castillo and a decent SP prospect (Edwards or Pierce Johnson), Cubs get Hamels and maybe another piece. Just spitballin' cause I have no idea what Phils will hold out for.

 

Submitted by John Beasley  on Thu, 11/13/2014 - 8:20pm  
Another piece = Cliff Lee?

Submitted by Rob G.  on Thu, 11/13/2014 - 10:31pm  

Might be overeaching there and not knowing Lee's contract off hand, guessing he's more a trade deadline guy to build up his value. Figure teams want to see if he was healthy. 

I was thinking a useful role player or change of scenery guy like Dominic Brown.

 

 

Submitted by Charlie  on Thu, 11/13/2014 - 8:48pm  
Phils will be holding onto Hamels until June or July at least.

Submitted by Rob G.  on Thu, 11/13/2014 - 10:29pm  

Maybe, seems easier to move a multi-year contract in the offseason though. Seems most trade deadline deals are no more than a year+ left on their deals.

Submitted by Charlie  on Thu, 11/13/2014 - 10:47pm  
Just seems like there's no way the Phils get what they ought to want for Hamels while there are 3 comparable pitchers to be had for cash alone.

Submitted by VirginiaPhil  on Fri, 11/14/2014 - 12:54pm  
"[Hamels for] Castro, Castillo and some non-elite prospects" I think you may be selling Castro a bit cheap. I'm not sure that if there are prospects in such a deal, they're not on the Phillies' side. Even then, the Cubs will have to mull this over before pulling the trigger. Castro will turn 25 a week before the 2015 season starts. If the comparison with Tony Fernandez that Tim Wilken made a long time ago continues to hold up, Castro has eleven, twelve, maybe thirteen full seasons left. He turned on the power to some extent last season, although missing the last month diminished the overall numbers. But he's more of an impact hitter than Fernandez was. That said, I find a Castro-for-Hamels deal intriguing. Both teams know what they're getting, and get what they need. The Cubs could shell out for Lester and save Castro for later, but then they would be paying more per year over, what, twice the number of years? Hamel's contract only runs four more years (with an option for a fifth). It's an exciting trade, big dog for big dog.

Submitted by jacos  on Fri, 11/14/2014 - 12:58pm  
trigger pulled on that deal. Whats the purpose of having all these SS around if you can't trade one of 'em. /would prefer trading Baez instead

Submitted by Rob G.  on Fri, 11/14/2014 - 3:00pm  

age and contract factors I can't be 100% sure on, but Cole Hamels 4-6 WAR seasons vs Castro's 2-3 WAR seasons I can. Hamels was the 2nd best pitcher in the NL this year behind Kershaw and is always near the top.

I think there would be some parts going both ways. Phillies are going to want more than one piece for Hamels and Cubs are probably going to try to recuperate a little on the youth they loss.

 

Submitted by Old and Blue  on Fri, 11/14/2014 - 3:40pm  
I'm with V-Phil on this one on the value of Castro, who I think is pretty underrated given his accomplishments at age 24. He'll be 25 next year, Hamels will be 31. Castro is a position player, a good hitter, in an era where hitting is at a premium, especially at short. We are also in an era where pitchers very quickly become like Walking Dead characters. I'm as dead set against giving anything more up for Hamels than Castro as the TCR hive is against getting Martin.

Submitted by Rob G.  on Fri, 11/14/2014 - 4:05pm  

I hear ya, and on further reflection I think you guys are probably right that it wouldn't be anything significant the Cubs would add to Castro, but I do think they'd have to give something up. Phils aren't gonna swap Hamels for just one piece.

Hamels has been ridicoulsy good though in his career and I don't worry as much about pitcher's age as I do position players. And the contract is more than reasonable that he's under.

Castro/Edwin/spare parts for Hamels/Rollins/spare parts?

Rollins would be a decent stop gap until Russell gets here or Baez figures it out. It's Rollins contract year, might be a bit more motivated this season.

Submitted by Old and Blue  on Fri, 11/14/2014 - 4:49pm  
That's kinda interesting. Rollins has said no way he'll accept a trade but I don't believe him. Every piece I've seen has said the Phils want way more than I think the Cubs will give them but like you say, things change. If nobody is going to give it to them, and they want to shake things up, they gotta do something. I can see the reluctance to give up a guy like Hamels, though. Not many like him.

Submitted by Rob G.  on Thu, 11/13/2014 - 6:22pm  

Rizzo finished 10th in MVP voting, 1 6th place vote was the highest spot he got.

Submitted by Carlito  on Thu, 11/13/2014 - 6:38pm  
But somehow couldn't beat a-gonz for the Silver Slugger.

Submitted by Rob G.  on Thu, 11/13/2014 - 6:41pm  

Gonzalez finished ahead of him in MVP voting.

Gonzalez had much better numbers than Rizzo with Runners on and RISP, which may not carry predictive value, but carries plenty of real value over a season.

.956 OPS RISP/.905 Runners On for Gonzalez

.788/.895 for Rizzo

Regardless, I think we all know Rizzo will be the better hitter going forward and probably had the better season, but doing it for a go-nowhere team will always be frowned upon unless it's an absurdly special season.

Submitted by Carlito  on Thu, 11/13/2014 - 6:54pm  
Fair enough. I didn't know that.

Submitted by Carlito  on Fri, 11/14/2014 - 2:36am  
One of Sullivan's better articles. Good quotes from Theo on WAR and Cherington on free agent pitcher longevity predictors. More on Cubs' reluctance to trade hitting prospects for pitching: http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball...

Submitted by jacos  on Fri, 11/14/2014 - 9:33am  
Joe Maddon on Dan Patrick- -can't talk about rays tampering charges "unfortunate" "oblivious to the whole thing" -Preaching patience and being pragmatic "it's a daily thing" -Not very sensitive to criticism (well your baseball guys in TB are former Reader's Digest writers easy to say now) -Only worried about what team thinks Ricketts down to players -Cubs job was "highly attractive" -Wants to utilize old players Banks and Williams (keep them away!) -likes driving RV -RV is in AZ now -

Submitted by Old and Blue  on Fri, 11/14/2014 - 10:45am  
"Wants to utilize old players Banks and Williams (keep them away!)" Relax. He means he wants to play them. Imagine what @Maddonini can get out of those old veterans.

Submitted by Old and Blue  on Fri, 11/14/2014 - 10:29am  
From MLBTR: "Olney also wonders how the frightening, season-ending injury to Stanton has affected his perspective and influenced his willingness to accept a deal like this. " ACCEPT a deal like this? 12 years, $320 million? He could build a comet landing robot for that. Start a reasonably high GNP small nation. Build a new tower in Dubai. ACCEPT?????

Submitted by JoePepitone  on Fri, 11/14/2014 - 11:04am  
No kidding! He just finished his age 24 season and has played 123, 116 and 145 games in the past 3 seasons. He keeps getting injured and he's a young guy. He needs to jump on that sucker before he becomes the next Rondell White.

Submitted by jacos  on Fri, 11/14/2014 - 10:30am  
It begins... Cubs opener moved to Sunday night April 5 vs Cards on ESPN

Submitted by The E-Man  on Fri, 11/14/2014 - 10:37am  
Seriously, Jacos? It may be below freezing.

Submitted by jacos  on Fri, 11/14/2014 - 12:10pm  
Yup, Maddon said he will have "his hot chocolate ready" I went to one Cubs opener, it snowed in the 7th inning and Mark Parent hit a hr, I left. No more openers for me unless they raise the flag. I was at Hawks Winter Classic on Jan 1 at Wrigley, and it would rank about fifth for coldest I have been at Wrigley Field.

Submitted by Rob G.  on Fri, 11/14/2014 - 11:39am  

addison Russell named top prospect over Bryant by Baseball Prospectus.

Seems like a bit of a click bait move, but I'm sure they have their reasons.

Submitted by crunch  on Fri, 11/14/2014 - 11:49am  
typical BP move...along with leaving cj edwards off. russell, having the D to go with the bat can make an argument for #1, but i imagine a lot of list makers will have bryant #1. throwing vogel in there at #9 is good for a chuckle. b.mckinney at #6 is a bit bullish and c.sands won the "best of the over-slot-paid" SP crew ranking from the last draft at #10.

Submitted by jacos  on Fri, 11/14/2014 - 12:11pm  
yeah, and no Ryan Harvey anywhere on the list too.

Submitted by Old and Blue  on Fri, 11/14/2014 - 3:45pm  
That's because his last year was 2012, when he hit 29 HRs and got 92 RBI for Lancaster. That was his golden chance to get called up again and become the next...Brian LaHair.

Submitted by Rob G.  on Fri, 11/14/2014 - 4:21pm  

Burnett signs 1/8.25M deal with Pirates

Stanton about to sign 13/325M deal, includes some sort of opt out and NTC.

http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/writer/jon-heyma...

Submitted by Old and Blue  on Fri, 11/14/2014 - 4:51pm  
I hope for everyone's sake he stays healthy. The face of their franchise, now. I wonder if it'll help get average attendance up past Iowa's.

Submitted by crunch  on Fri, 11/14/2014 - 7:17pm  
burn declined a 12.5m player option with philly and instructed his agent to only negotiate with pit. swank.

Submitted by Rob G.  on Fri, 11/14/2014 - 5:36pm  

i imagine nothing will come of it since Tony Bosch is the witness here, and I'm not sure it's anything necessarily illegal, but Boras tried to fabricate medical records when Manny got his first suspension and made up some stuff.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/2014...

Submitted by Charlie  on Sat, 11/15/2014 - 9:38am  
Any thoughts on the Hellickson for Velazquez and Willams trade? My initial reaction was that I wish the Cubs had done it, but I think I'm remembering rookie Hellickson and his prospect upside. Still, it seems like a comparable swap for the Cubs might've been McKinney and Gleyber Torres for Hellickson. Hellickson's ERA has been all over the place (2.95, 3.10, 5.17, 4.23), his IP is not great, generally in the 180 area, though only 13 big league starts last year, and his FIP has never been super impressive (4.36 for his career). Would us Cubs fans make that trade? Would the Rays want more, or could the Cubs have pulled it off for less? Obviously this is pure fantasy land.

Submitted by The Joe  on Sat, 11/15/2014 - 1:30pm  
Seems like a good Theo reclamation project, but he usually buys those. Not sure if this is the time for such a project, though. I was also a tad disappointed...but I imagine Tampa and Chicago aren't the best of friends at the moment.

Submitted by Carlito  on Sat, 11/15/2014 - 1:59pm  
Wait, we don't get all of the cool players? Bullshit!

Submitted by Charlie  on Sat, 11/15/2014 - 2:05pm  
Right? The Cubs haven't stolen anybody's manager or signed an impact player in, like, a week, and I'm beginning to question the whole point of there being an offseason.

Submitted by crunch  on Sat, 11/15/2014 - 2:07pm  
he's a kinda boring player, imo...especially since the magic of his first couple seasons wore off. fastball, change, curve...a few more pitches, but that's his main effective arsenal. 90mph fastball and mid-70s change are flyball...high-70s, very low 80s curve is a groundball pitch. when he doesn't have command/control of his fastball things get ugly because he really needs it to set up his really slow off-speed stuff...and the D behind him is kinda important because there's a good amount of contact on him. he's not trash, but he looks like an end-rotation guy at this point...and i dunno why ARZ thinks he's a good fit for the NL West, especially chase field.

Submitted by The Joe  on Sat, 11/15/2014 - 2:56pm  
Point being, he could be a Hammel type of guy - not a great risk...but for those guys, I'd prefer free agency than giving up prospects.

Submitted by crunch  on Sat, 11/15/2014 - 2:58pm  
yeah, myself...i have a hard time figuring out how much value ARZ gave up for him because i'm not too familiar with the kids they gave up. they both have promising numbers, but neither has much experience. i dunno what it would take from the cubs side for a comparison of whether ARZ risked well or "over paid" in talent.

Submitted by The Joe  on Sat, 11/15/2014 - 3:15pm  
Most of the celebrating I've heard was actually from TB's side, but the weed is always greener, I guess.

Submitted by crunch  on Sat, 11/15/2014 - 3:33pm  
it's nice to have expendable pitching. even with price/hellickson gone they're still left with cobb/smyly/archer/odorizzi/m.moore

Submitted by crunch  on Sat, 11/15/2014 - 2:09pm  
peoria vs salt river AFL championship game on MLB Network.

Submitted by crunch  on Sat, 11/15/2014 - 4:58pm  
this game went from good to silly in the 7th...still, live televised wood bat baseball...swank.

Submitted by jacos  on Sat, 11/15/2014 - 3:59pm  
That's one helluva tell, Shakey. http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/11879624/jo...

Submitted by Cubster  on Sun, 11/16/2014 - 10:50am  
http://insider.espn.go.com/blog/the-gms-offic... Jim Bowden speculates on 4 possible trades for Cole Hamels. Some commentary on initial requests and counter-offers... Cubs:
In time, the Phillies ask for a solid third prospect, but not one of the untouchables. The deal that could happen: C.J. Edwards, Billy McKinney and Albert Almora for Hamels. The Philllies get a solid starting-pitching prospect and two long-term solutions for their outfield. The Cubs get their top-of-rotation starter and are able to keep most of their high-ceiling prospects.
Cardinals:
A deal that could happen: Shelby Miller, Stephen Piscotty and Carson Kelly for Hamels.
Dodgers:
A deal that could happen: Julio Urias, Chris Anderson, Alex Guerrero and Zach Lee for Hamels.
Red Sox:
A deal that could happen: Anthony Ranaudo, Deven Marrero and Matt Barnes for Hamels.

Submitted by Charlie  on Sun, 11/16/2014 - 11:16am  
I don't hate it. But I'm not very high on Almora.

Submitted by Old and Blue  on Sun, 11/16/2014 - 12:15pm  
I don't hate it either, but TheoCorp seems VERY high on Almora. I think if it was me I'd pull the trigger anyway. But ... I hate 3 for one deals on costly veterans. Another thing somewhat rantish - I don't understand the fascination with unloading prospects suddenly that you see all over the Twitterverse (less around here). We've all suffered for three years to see this system get built up. I don't want it torn down for a win now thing. That's what Hendry did. I'd rather see the Cubs spend on free agency to get a couple guys in the tier under Lester and Hamels and see if they catch fire. This whole Hamels thing is freaking me out a bit. In other words, I'm torn.

Submitted by Rob G.  on Sun, 11/16/2014 - 12:30pm  

Cubs would do that deal yesterday....

Submitted by Cubster  on Sun, 11/16/2014 - 12:20pm  
BP had a writeup on teams odds of winning the 2015 World Series, (9 teams whose odds are too long or too short. Marlins, Mets, Phils, Rays, Pirates, Reds, Royals, Cubs, Indians)... http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php...
8. Chicago Cubs (5.88% Bovada, 4.56% adjusted) According to the odds, the Chicago Cubs currently have the seventh-best chance of winning the 2015 World Series; this comes on the heels of a 73-win season and a last-place finish in the NL Central. The Cubbies have an incredible nucleus of young talent, particularly up the middle, but that talent will take time to ripen on the vine. This is a team that is built to make a World Series run as soon as 2016 or '17, but 2015 is a bit premature. Young players go through trials and tribulations as they experience adjustment periods at the highest level, and it is too early to tell when youngsters such as Javier Baez and Jorge Soler will be cornerstones of expected performance. That clock is further delayed for players who have yet to make their MLB debuts such as Kris Bryant and Addison Russell. Just look how long it took Anthony Rizzo to solidify himself as an impact player—he endured a couple seasons of up-and-down performance before his breakout season of 2014, and this was a bat-first player whose offense might be expected to coalesce relatively quickly. The team is extremely thin on the mound once you get past Jake Arrieta, and though expectations might include their snagging one of the big arms that is available on the free agent market, there is no such thing as the 15-win pitcher who can vault them to immediate contention (and any signing is purely theoretical at this point). Signing a pair of Clayton Kershaw's might get them there, but there is only one Kershaw, and he is currently employed by the top team on the list of World Series odds. It's also worth noting that NL teams occupy five of the top seven spots on the list, a conundrum that throws another wrench into the Cubs' likelihood of turning into an overnight juggernaut that takes the National League by storm. —Doug Thorburn

Submitted by Old and Blue  on Sun, 11/16/2014 - 12:27pm  
That seems like a fair assessment and another reason Cubs fans should be patient. They shouldn't be blowing their prospect wad on trades. Hamels MIGHT be an exception, because he's pretty unique. But I'd like to see a little free agency action and see what that brings us for the year. If they make a crazy run, it will just be that much more fun.

Submitted by crunch  on Sun, 11/16/2014 - 1:13pm  
yeah...it might be a good idea to wait until...i dunno...april, at least, to make disposable lists like this. also, not lumping all "young players" together and looking at them individually might be a good idea, too. i don't think anyone is worried about soler's mature approach in 2015 (even if he's far from peak), though baez has concerns.

Submitted by Old and Blue  on Sun, 11/16/2014 - 12:28pm  
Am I a terrible Bears fan for hoping they play like, well, they have so far today? I'm thinking long term here and if they somehow played well it could lull people into this false idea that the coaching staff is salvageable.

Submitted by Cubster  on Sun, 11/16/2014 - 2:35pm  
Tampa newspaper article getting Maddon to comment on all the Rays managerial candidates. Also a mention of the tampering investigation having no estimated time to completion. http://www.tampabay.com/sports/baseball/rays/...

Submitted by Carlito  on Sun, 11/16/2014 - 3:10pm  
You would think there would be something akin to probable cause. Of course we know nothing and there may be a smoking gun ... but if there is not I hope it is disposed of quickly.

Submitted by crunch  on Sun, 11/16/2014 - 3:14pm  
it'd be interesting if the cubs got put into a corner and they settled it with the cubs taking j.molina off their hands before they have to set their 40-man rosters. actually, that would suck. nevermind.

Submitted by Cubster  on Sun, 11/16/2014 - 3:49pm  
Paul Maholm and Reed Johnson, 6 degrees of separation... (per Roto):
Cubs acquired INF Tommy La Stella and international signing bonus slot #4 from the Braves for RHP Arodys Vizcaino and Cubs international signing bonus slots #2, #3 and #4. The 25-year-old took over as the Braves starting second baseman midway through the 2014 season, slashing .251/.328/.317 with one homer and 31 RBI in his 93 games. He should function as a reserve infielder for the Cubs.
anyone know something about Tommy La Stella? Did we really need another reserve infielder? More to come? I don't quite get this move.

Submitted by Carlito  on Sun, 11/16/2014 - 4:07pm  
What?!!!!! We traded Vizcaino back??!!!!

Submitted by Cubster  on Sun, 11/16/2014 - 3:56pm  
LaStella apparently is a low strikeout, contact guy. http://rotoprofessor.com/baseball/?p=20403

Submitted by Old and Blue  on Sun, 11/16/2014 - 4:05pm  
I've never even heard of him. I should pay more attention.

Submitted by Rob G.  on Sun, 11/16/2014 - 4:08pm  

interesting, like LaStella a lot

great numbers in Hi-A and AA, #2 Braves prospect heading into 2014

ceiling isn't high, but floor is

not a power hitter, but Cubs have plenty of those

if you want conspiracy theories, Castro or Baez are getting moved soon or Baez is gonna start season in minors.

Submitted by Carlito  on Sun, 11/16/2014 - 4:10pm  
I like your thinking on this. Intriguing!

Submitted by crunch  on Sun, 11/16/2014 - 4:22pm  
well, it seems the cubs have d.barney back. =p what the hell... also, i'm not sure castro or baez (one of them) is safe. la stella is too good for bench even if he's not much of an impact player. he hit singles, takes walks, isn't very fast, and plays good-enough D. meh.