2014 Winter Meetings Day 1
6:17 PM CST: Yanks allegedly making a late push for Lester. I think it went something like this.
Cashman checks his twitter account and reads, " Lester's agents waiting to see if one of his suitors will go to $150 million."
Calls Lester's agent, "Cute Seth, you can just call me next time. Do I make the check out to you or Lester?"
5:18 PM CST: Rosenthal says Lester choosing between Giants and Cubs "barring late change." Then Lester's agent said that is "totally false...liar, liar, pants on fire. We'll totally take anyone's money still as long as it's the highest offer." (I might have paraphrased a little there).
2:20 PM CST: A little last-minute money squeeze by the agents, as it's being reported that Lester and Co. are hoping to get someone to pony up 6/150M to get the deal done.
1:37 PM CST: Apparently Hammel can void the 2017 club option, but must reach some very high performance-based thresholds to earn that right.
1:21 PM CST: Mooney says the 3rd year option on Hammel is for $12M, so 3/30M if the Cubs pick up option or 2/20M if they buy him out.
Once upon a time, I rocked the the updates during Winter Meetings, feverishly updating the site with every little bit of bullshit that was spewed. Those were different times of course, finding those sources, meant about 20 open browser tabs and constant reloading of rotoworld, NSBB forum, MLB trade rumors, the Chicago papers, etc, etc, etc. I felt like I was providing a service to you rumor-hungry readers.
Now everything is on twitter and I just favorite it, and it's up in the left sidebar for you two seconds later. I have as much use as a switchboard operator now...ah, how times have changed.
Regardless, since I have a bit of time this morning, here's a few tidbits.
- The Cubs will sign RHP Jason Hammel on a 2/18M deal with a 3rd year club option. There's a $2M buyout on that option so Hammel is guaranteed $20M over 2 years. I haven't seen Year 3 numbers, but good presumption it's in the $9-$10M range. Hammel put up a beaut of a 2.81 ERA/3.19 FIP line with the Cubs in 17 starts before heading over to the A's with Samardzija and netting the Cubs Addison Russell. With the A's, he was just awful, leaving him with a 3.57 FIP on the year, which is still better than his career average of 4.27...but of course a lot of that was at Playstation Park in Colorado. Ultimately, he's a guy that should settle in that 3.50 ERA area with flashes of brilliance at times. It's a helluva cheap deal for a guy that should be a solid 2 WAR pitcher and easily tradeable if necessary.
It does leave the Cubs now with 8-11 starting pitchers (Arrieta, Hammel, Hendricks, Jackson, Wood, Wada, Doubront, Turner, Straily, Jokisch, Beeler) on their 40-man roster and that's without their ace that they'lll acquire eventually...at some point...over the next 2 seasons. Some will get sent to minors, some will go to the bullpen, some will get cut and some may get traded...but I still find the signings of Wada and the contract tender of Travis Wood to be curious decisions.
- Rumor be that Jon Lester will make his decision by tonight or early tomorrow. It seems Dodgers, Giants, Red Sox and Cubs are all in the mix and unsurprisingly, the World Champs made a good impression on Lester during their meeting, dragging dreamboy Buster Posey along.
- Report from last night was that the Cubs are telling teams Starlin Castro is not available. You never know how much truth is behind these reports, but if the Cubs are in the mix for some high end free agents, it's tough to sell that you're ready to compete now if you're trading your All-Star shortstop, regardless on whom may be coming up soon. There's still enough room on the diamond to fit everyone that's ready for another year or two. The risk is that Castro doesn't quite have as good a season as last year, but the risk for other teams is that Castro gets even better. Regardless, until Bryant and Russell are up, there's plenty of room for Castro still and I'm not 100% sold that Baez or Alcantara won't be seeing the minors for a brief bit next year either.
- Jeff Samardzija to White Sox rumors are heating up again, Alexei Ramirez, Tim Anderson and Marcus Siemen seem to be the focal points on the A's return at this point.
Comments
some Red Sox rumoring that
some Red Sox rumoring that they'll go after Hamels if Lester doesn't work out...Mookie Betts seems to be the key piece that Phillies want.
@Joelsherman1 #Padres would
@Joelsherman1 #Padres would like Jurickson Profar -new GM Preller signed for Tex- but as much as #Rangers want SP Kennedy/Ross/Cashner doesn't get done
Not sure how to read that one, is it saying Padres won't give up one of those 3 or Rangers would need more?
Cashner for Profar sounds like a real fair trade to me.
Heyman saying Lester
if the rsox are out of the
@Ken_Rosenthal Sources:
@Ken_Rosenthal Sources: Barring late change, Lester choosing between #Cubs, #SFGiants.
@JonHeymanCBS concur that giants & cubs seem like favorites, as @Ken_Rosenthal said. tho least red sox havent been informed theyre out.
Gonna be a tough sell for TheJedi against an organization with 3 rings in 5 years and favorable pitching environment...and decent clubhouses :)
How amusing if Giants sign Lester with extra money from not signing Sandoval? Well not amusing if you're a Red Sox fan...
We shall see...
Well the Zito contract ended
"Agent Seth Levinson called a
This might be 5/160, but ESPN
Is 3/44 the new 5/160?
Jerry Crasnick @jcrasnick ·
this would be nice...
I won't believe Lester is
Cruel
On the "lighter" side:
Convince me on Miguel Montero
Defense and vet leadership,
Defense and vet leadership, could help overall run prevention although it would be tough to prove. Offensive numbers have obviously tanked last 2 seasons, but still good on-base skills. Particularly poor versus lefties, so maybe Welington sticks around as a occasional platoon.
"FOX Sports' Jon Morosi and
I don't know if this would
I don't know if this would make sense, but perhaps it would be something like Edwin Jackson and Welington Castillo for Miguel Montero?
Jackson is making $22M 2015-16 ($11M in both 2015 and 2016) and Montero makes $26M combined in 2015-16 ($12M in 2015 and $14M in 2016), plus another $14M in 2017 after Jackson's contract will have expired.
Like Montero, Castillo is only under club control through the 2017 season, and while he is eligible for salary arbitration post-2014-16, he won't be making anywhere near what Montero makes in 2015-17.
Bottom line is the D'backs would be essentially exchanging three seasons of Montero for three seasons of Castillo (unless they sign contract extensions in the meantime, both will be free-agents post-2017), but the Snakes would also be saving some payroll in 2015-16 (the $4M difference between Montero's and Jackson's salaries in 2015-16 less whatever they have to pay Castillo in 2015-16) and then they would save whatever ends up beng the difference between Montero's salary and Castillo's salary in 2017 (could be substantial, possibly as much as $10M). And while Montero's contract (and $40M in salary) is iron-clad guaranteed through 2017, the D'backs would have the option to just non-tender Castillo post-2015 or post-2016 if they believe he isn't worth what he would get from being eligible for salary arbitration after those two seasons.
So it would be mostly a straight catcher-exchange and salary "adjustment" for Arizona (although EJax did pitch a no hitter for the D'backs a few years ago, so a change of scenery could be a benefit for him), and for the Cubs it would be exchanging a younger arbitration-eligible RH hitting catcher for a veteran LH hitting catcher offset further by the Cubs disposing of Jackson's albatross contract.
ejax would have to be part of
Patrick Mooney (CSN) on
i have a hard time seeing
If the Cubs sign Jon Lester,
If the Cubs sign Jon Lester, they almost certainly would also sign David Ross (Lester's "personal" catcher in Boston), and then Montero and Ross would be the Cubs two catchers going forward. So I would think that Welington Castillo would be soon gone if the Cubs acquire Montero and sign Lester.
to add to that, i get the
Not if the DBacks are trying
Not if the DBacks are trying to dump salary.
-edit- that waa suppose to be a response to Jacos EJax comment.
k.rosenthal on MLB network
well, this is interesting...
"miguel montero @miggymont26
put my vote in for a Montero
put my vote in for a Montero/Castillo platoon with a R. Lopez as the call-up. Don't know if they need 2 vet catchers. Doubt they'd sign Ross just for Lester.
Montero/Welington makes sense to me, as does Welington/Ross. Montero/Ross...not so much.
d.robertson signs with the
4 years. ... well thats
Heyman says Samardzija deal
Heyman says Samardzija deal to White Sox is agreed to, plus White Sox sign David Robertson to 4/46m deal.
at least they spent money...
Foxsports.com says Semien,
http://www.minorleagueball
http://www.minorleagueball.com/2014/9/29/6795...
#4, # 9, #10 on Sickels list heading into last season, not sure where any of them would land for 2015 although Siemens has too many PA's. B/C prospects...nothing special.
http://m.mlb.com/news/article
http://m.mlb.com/news/article/103578536/white...
This says Siemens, Chris Bassitt and a 3rd prospect...
Just need a catcher, third
@JonHeymanCBS lester said to
@JonHeymanCBS lester said to have 6- and 7-year offers. most expect deal to wind up in $150-175M range. #giants #cubs #redsox #dodgers
31 years old next year. Sigh.
No wonder I could not sleep
If the Cubs deal or demote
If it's about money
That's cool, right??!!
An awful lot of morans in
I live in Taxachussets now
I live in Taxachussets now and it's a well deserved nickname.
I live in Indiana and
Hooray red states. And with
https://www.youtube.com/watch
Nice
If the Cubs land Lester, I
Two weeks ago to the day I
Great Olt minds think alike -
Win one World Series, and I
"Two weeks ago I predicted .
Bruce Levine reporting Boston
So before we know the final
at some point you get into
Agreed but I'm not sure this
Maybe Shield this year and
I'm more worried about the
It would be about winning in
Cubs aren't winning anything
Cubs aren't winning anything next year...be happy if they're over .500.
Lester isn't that great to go beyond reasonable measures imo...6/150 is about where I'd max out, hopefully in a creative enough contract way that it's moveable after year 3 or 4.
There are other options out there over the next 2 years if Lester goes elsewhere. Teams regret these deals more than they celebrate them at the end of it all.
As much as I'd love to get a
guessing Scherzer tops out at
guessing Scherzer tops out at 7/175 and he's better, draft pick be damned.
Price, Samardzija, Zimmermann, Cueto, Latos, Greinke could all be free agents next year and who knows who'll be available by trade.
http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2014/09/2016-ml...
and who knows who'll be
There's a dose of reality.
if you're not willing to play
it's going 6-7 years if you
Liriano to Sign 3 yr/$39
What? There are OTHER teams
It's hard not to like that