Cubs interested in getting involved in three way trade with SD and Bos.

[nickagneta]

Per ESPN.com Insider:

The Cubs are searching for a center fielder and might be waiting to see whether free agents Matt Holliday or Jason Bay somehow end ups in Boston.

Phil Rogers of the Chicago Tribune reports today that the Cubs would immediately make a "major effort" to land Jacoby Ellsbury if the Red Sox were to sign Holliday or Bay. Rogers adds one way to pull off such a trade might be for Cubs GM Jim Hendry to be part of a three-team deal that sends first baseman Adrian Gonzalez from the Padres to Boston for prospects.

Ellsbury would be expendable since the Red Sox already have acquired Mike Cameron this offseason.

http://insider.espn.go.com/mlb/features/rumors#4128


And from Phil Rodgers article in the Chicago Trib:

Worth watching: If the Red Sox did wind up with Holliday or  Jason Bay, the Cubs immediately would make a major effort to land  Jacoby Ellsbury to fill their center field/leadoff hole, according to sources.

That scenario -- theoretical for now -- helps explain why the Cubs have been so patient in studying their options. The best way the Cubs to do such a trade might be for GM Jim Hendry to help facilitate a three-team deal that sends first baseman Adrian Gonzalez from the Padres to the Red Sox.

http://www.courant.com/sports/chi-27-new-rogers-inside-baseball-dec27,0,5100611.column


This is just the type of thing that could facilitate a Gonzalez trade to Boston. San Diego is going to want a positional player in return that is on the cusp of getting to the bigs. Josh Vitters for the Cubs fits that profile. That way if the Sox sign Bay or Holiday then Ellsbury does become expendable. But he is on the verge of hitting arbitration so he may not be what the Padres want.

So maybe the trade goes like:

Sox send Ellsbury and Lowell and $9 million to the Cubs.
Sox send Buchholz, Bowden to Padres.

Cubs send Josh Vitters and Ryan Flaherty to Padres
Cubs send Coyie Hill to the Sox

Padres send Adrian Gonzalez to the Sox


Now what I did here was add Lowell in a trade out of town in return for a mediocre backup catcher that could be stored in AAA until someone gets hurt or until next year. Take the Lowell/Coyie part out of the trade and add a couple of other minor pieces and the gist of the trade still stands.

[winsomme]

I would rather it be to the Tigers for Cabrera, but that said I think the Cubs are going to need a little more.

I'm not sure how we get out of not including Kelly or Bard in a deal to get a primo hitter.

[Rondo2287]

Good find and reporting Nick, Im loving it!

[beantownboy171]

I would rather it be to the Tigers for Cabrera, but that said I think the Cubs are going to need a little more.

I'm not sure how we get out of not including Kelly or Bard in a deal to get a primo hitter.

If it wasn't for the money, i think the sox would too. But there just isn't room for another 20 million in our budget.

And to the OP. Wouldn't this have to mean Bay would be coming back as well? There'd be a pretty huge hole in the outfield.

[Tai]

Yeah...I love Ellsbury, but if we get Matt Holliday, then if we can also TRADE Ellsbury and get someone else we also need in addition to Holliday, it's hard to argue with letting Ellsbury go.

[KG_ended_Bias]

Get Cabrera out of your minds, not even a possibility unless your giving up the whole farm. Thats what Detroit did to get him! Carbrera would cost something like Ellsbury, Bay sign & trade probably ywo of your best minor league players.

[Roy Hobbs]

We'd be giving up Buchholz, Ellsbury, Bowden, and an almost-fully subsidized Mike Lowell for Gonzalez?  I don't think there's any way that Epstein would pay that much.

[Rondo2287]

And I dont think the Cubs would want Lowell.  With Lee and Ramirez and no DH.  What about an ellsbury/lowell for Ramirez trade with the Cubs?

[winsomme]

We'd be giving up Buchholz, Ellsbury, Bowden, and an almost-fully subsidized Mike Lowell for Gonzalez?  I don't think there's any way that Epstein would pay that much.

Really? Gosh, if the Sox can get Gonzalez or Cabrera and KEEP Kelly and Bard I think the celebration would be without end...

[winsomme]

I would rather it be to the Tigers for Cabrera, but that said I think the Cubs are going to need a little more.

I'm not sure how we get out of not including Kelly or Bard in a deal to get a primo hitter.

If it wasn't for the money, i think the sox would too. But there just isn't room for another 20 million in our budget.

And to the OP. Wouldn't this have to mean Bay would be coming back as well? There'd be a pretty huge hole in the outfield.

yeah, if they signed Holliday or Bay, they wouldn't have room for Cabrera. But why not just not sign those guys. I'd much rather have Cabrera than Bay or Holliday.

[Roy Hobbs]

We'd be giving up Buchholz, Ellsbury, Bowden, and an almost-fully subsidized Mike Lowell for Gonzalez?  I don't think there's any way that Epstein would pay that much.

Really? Gosh, if the Sox can get Gonzalez or Cabrera and KEEP Kelly and Bard I think the celebration would be without end...

There's no way on God's green earth that the Sox are trading Buchholz, Ellsbury, AND elite prospects.  Buchholz and Ellsbury are young, proven Major Leaguers with tons of upside.  It's unlikely that the Sox give up both of them, let alone add more to their package.

[Rondo2287]

We'd be giving up Buchholz, Ellsbury, Bowden, and an almost-fully subsidized Mike Lowell for Gonzalez?  I don't think there's any way that Epstein would pay that much.

Really? Gosh, if the Sox can get Gonzalez or Cabrera and KEEP Kelly and Bard I think the celebration would be without end...

There's no way on God's green earth that the Sox are trading Buchholz, Ellsbury, AND elite prospects.  Buchholz and Ellsbury are young, proven Major Leaguers with tons of upside.  It's unlikely that the Sox give up both of them, let alone add more to their package.

Thats what Winnsome was saying, that he would be happy getting a-gon without giving up those elite prospects

[Roy Hobbs]

We'd be giving up Buchholz, Ellsbury, Bowden, and an almost-fully subsidized Mike Lowell for Gonzalez?  I don't think there's any way that Epstein would pay that much.

Really? Gosh, if the Sox can get Gonzalez or Cabrera and KEEP Kelly and Bard I think the celebration would be without end...

There's no way on God's green earth that the Sox are trading Buchholz, Ellsbury, AND elite prospects.  Buchholz and Ellsbury are young, proven Major Leaguers with tons of upside.  It's unlikely that the Sox give up both of them, let alone add more to their package.

Thats what Winnsome was saying, that he would be happy getting a-gon without giving up those elite prospects

Yeah, but it's not even an option that the Sox will remotely consider.  It seems like winsomme is perfectly happy to sacrifice Ellsbury + Buchholz + Bowden + money.  That's way too much.

[winsomme]

We'd be giving up Buchholz, Ellsbury, Bowden, and an almost-fully subsidized Mike Lowell for Gonzalez?  I don't think there's any way that Epstein would pay that much.

Really? Gosh, if the Sox can get Gonzalez or Cabrera and KEEP Kelly and Bard I think the celebration would be without end...

There's no way on God's green earth that the Sox are trading Buchholz, Ellsbury, AND elite prospects.  Buchholz and Ellsbury are young, proven Major Leaguers with tons of upside.  It's unlikely that the Sox give up both of them, let alone add more to their package.

Thats what Winnsome was saying, that he would be happy getting a-gon without giving up those elite prospects

Yeah, but it's not even an option that the Sox will remotely consider.  It seems like winsomme is perfectly happy to sacrifice Ellsbury + Buchholz + Bowden + money.  That's way too much.

exactly. that would be a huge bargain IMO to get a slugger we desperately need.

the reports I have heard are that SD would want Ells, Buch and Bard (or Kelly).... substituting Bowden and money for Kelly or Bard is a huge win for the Sox.

[beantownboy171]

We'd be giving up Buchholz, Ellsbury, Bowden, and an almost-fully subsidized Mike Lowell for Gonzalez?  I don't think there's any way that Epstein would pay that much.

Really? Gosh, if the Sox can get Gonzalez or Cabrera and KEEP Kelly and Bard I think the celebration would be without end...

There's no way on God's green earth that the Sox are trading Buchholz, Ellsbury, AND elite prospects.  Buchholz and Ellsbury are young, proven Major Leaguers with tons of upside.  It's unlikely that the Sox give up both of them, let alone add more to their package.

Thats what Winnsome was saying, that he would be happy getting a-gon without giving up those elite prospects

Yeah, but it's not even an option that the Sox will remotely consider.  It seems like winsomme is perfectly happy to sacrifice Ellsbury + Buchholz + Bowden + money.  That's way too much.

What I don't understand is why trade bowden? People at OTM say that his trade value is almost nothing because of the way he was shelled in his 18 or so innings, and due to some kinks in his delivery. So wouldn't it be better to just hold onto the guy and see if he can regain his top prospect level?

I would rather it be to the Tigers for Cabrera, but that said I think the Cubs are going to need a little more.

I'm not sure how we get out of not including Kelly or Bard in a deal to get a primo hitter.

If it wasn't for the money, i think the sox would too. But there just isn't room for another 20 million in our budget.

And to the OP. Wouldn't this have to mean Bay would be coming back as well? There'd be a pretty huge hole in the outfield.

yeah, if they signed Holliday or Bay, they wouldn't have room for Cabrera. But why not just not sign those guys. I'd much rather have Cabrera than Bay or Holliday.

The problem is we would probably have to give up ellsbury in any deal for Cabrera (unless we completely unloaded our farm) so we'd need to find a replacement for him. And would cabrera for ellsbury + prospects really be better then gonzales and bay/holliday ellsbury + prospects (maybe a slightly higher cost then the trade previously interms of prospects.) at the same cost.