312player wrote:
wish it were going to happen, don't see how...i think the blogs and rumors are all wishful thinking
Cubs Den
No big moves at Winter Meetings, so what's next?
By John Arguello, today at 3:07 pm
Kendry Morales
The Cubs surprisingly made no moves in the Winter Meetings other than to pick up Class A pitcher Lendy Castillo while losing infielders Ryan Flaherty and Marwin Gonzalez in the Rule 5 Draft. New GM Jed Hoyer did say that they did make a lot of progress and we should see some deals in the next couple of days and/or perhaps next week. Here's a few ideas...
■Find a home for Alfonso Soriano. It's tough to do when there are other options out there for other teams. There seems to be enough general interest to get this done eventually. The Cubs may just have to wait for free agents such as Josh Willingham to sign first. Last team without a DH gets Soriano.
■Find out about the availability and health of Kendry Morales. There is some concern that he may not be able to start the season and even if he is ready, it will be nearly two years since he last faced MLB pitching by the time the season starts. He'll need to get his timing in the minors. The Cubs have Bryan LaHair to play 1B at little cost in the meantime. It's worth a flyer, but the Cubs shouldn't give up much to find out if he can still play like the old Kendry Morales.
■Put in a posting bid for Yu Darvish. He's young enough to fit into future plans, so why not? The Cubs won't overbid for Darvish, however.
■Inquire about Edwin Jackson and see what it might cost. He's young and if they can get him in a Ted Lilly like deal, then it might be worth a shot. Lilly got 4 years and $44M. As with Darvish, if it's not a sensible deal, it's not going to happen.
■Continue listening on Matt Garza offers. If teams are lowballing the Cubs, then just move on. It makes no sense to trade him unless it's a big step toward building talent in the organization. Teams that may be interested include the Rangers, Blue Jays, Yankees, and maybe even the Marlins and Royals. The pitching market is thin when it comes to front line pitchers so the Cubs may get what they want.
■Stay involved in Prince Fielder and keep the interest level high. If nothing else, it ensures that he doesn't return to Milwaukee. Peter Gammons recently tweeted that the Cubs don't have the cash to spend on Fielder. Either that means the bidding has already gotten higher than their comfort level or they're just bluffing. Neither would be surprising, but I lean toward the former.
■Settle compensation for Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer. The Rule 5 Draft is over and both teams have a good idea where their rosters stand now. It's time to move on. Get the deal done or get Selig involved. With the Cubs having taken a relief pitcher in Castillo, perhaps the Cubs now have the depth to move a young bullpen arm like Chris Carpenter.
■Then, of course, there is the bargain bin. Players will get non-tendered on Monday and it wouldn't surprise me if the Cubs signed a couple of guys for depth purposes, particularly when it comes to building that 8 or 9 man rotation. Two well-known pitcher who might be available are LHP Joe Saunders and RHP Chris Volstad. Neither are much more than 5th starters but, again, the Cubs are looking for depth. Volstad is young enough to be part of the Cubs building process if he realizes the potential he once had as the top Marlins prospect.
In general, the Cubs will explore all avenues to fill their needs: trades, free agents, and the international market. They still need a 3B, some depth in the OF (particularly if Tyler Colvin and Soriano are moved, as some expect.) and, of course, the aforementioned pitching. About the only area they are set at is SS and the bullpen.
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