Word is that in addition to claiming the heretofore disappointing Jacob Turner on waivers from the Marlins, the Cubs are also the mystery team to have made a bid for Phillies ace Cole Hamels.
The Turner thing is pretty low risk. Turner was a highly regarded prospect and the keystone in the trade that brought Anibal Sanchez to the Tigers. So far Turner has shown very little but he is worth a low-cost risk.
The Hamels deal is really intriguing. Hamels is a genuine proven ace, 30 years old, but under team control through 2018, admittedly at a cost of $96MM. The Cubs would have to part with some major talent to complete the deal, something at least on the scale of what they got for Samardzija.
When you think of it, though, it might be the shot in the arm the team needs if management genuinely believes the arrival of several prospects points to an upward trend for the major league franchise. Hamels would cost roughly as much as the Cub had offered Samardzija, so giving up a prospect package equivalent to the ones they received from the A's would amount to trading Hamels for Samardzija. As much as I had grown to like Samardzija, Hamels is no doubt the better player and the cheaper one as well.
So you have to ask yourself, would you trade Samardzija straight up for Hamels? The answer has to be yes.
On the Baez watch, 0 for 4.
No comments:
Post a Comment