Report: Cubs Still Trying To Reach Agreement With Maholm
Tweet from Bruce Levine. Would provide some rotation depth, if this report turns out to be true.
5 months ago
Al Yellon
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This seems a little odd to me
but I guess Travis Wood and Chris Volstad have options and could start the season in Iowa with Coleman as the long man from the pen.
This seems like a lets sign some extra quality SP and then when the trade deadline comes hopefully one of them will be having a good enough season that we can trade to a contender.
by Cubsfan Waveland on Jan 9, 2012 11:10 AM CST reply actions
Agreed. Plus...
We’ve got a few “reclamation projects” on our staff and we can’t assume they’ll all have happy endings. Depth and competition for spots going into ST is a good thing IMO.
"In theory there is no difference between theory and practice. In practice there is." - Yogi Berra
by wrigley's ivy on Jan 9, 2012 11:13 AM CST up reply actions
Why does this seem odd?
They are trying to add as many quality arms as possible, and Maholm is a very capable starter.
Dempster is a FA at year’s end, and Garza is on the trading block.
There’s plenty of room for Maholm.
"You win because of the quarterback. We have to get that position stabilized. We're fixated on that." -- Jerry Angelo (12.30.2008)
Jerry Angelo trades for Jay Cutler! (4.2.2009)
Agreed.
Also, Randy Wells does have some trade value.
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i would keep randy wells
i would rather jus trade off demps and keep wells going into 2013.
Full no-trade protection.
Where have you gone, Kiko Calero. A nation turns its lonely eyes to you.
10-and-5 rights.
Essentially the same thing, just wanted to point out that Dempster’s no-trade rights are by the CBA, not his own contract.
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I didn't say a no-trade clause.
I said protection — which comes from 10-and-5.
Where have you gone, Kiko Calero. A nation turns its lonely eyes to you.
I feel like Dempster is going to have a bounce back year.
After last season, he will be working hard for a new contract next year. He’s a good deadline candidate, though.
by mic on Jan 9, 2012 1:27 PM CST up reply actions
This is a crazy Night and Day from last year
Everyone was complaining that we traded away Gorzo, and didn’t have enough depth for the rotation.
Now, people are complaining about adding depth?
What gives?
"You win because of the quarterback. We have to get that position stabilized. We're fixated on that." -- Jerry Angelo (12.30.2008)
Jerry Angelo trades for Jay Cutler! (4.2.2009)
Are the same people doing the complaining both times?
Because if they’re not, this isn’t that much of a mystery
I was the chief Gorzo trade lack of depth complainer
and I will NEVER complain about too much starting pitching.
The bottom is loaded with nice people, Albert. Only cream and bastards rise
by Doggie Stalker on Jan 9, 2012 1:29 PM CST up reply actions 2 recs
And that complaining
turned out to be spot-on.
The sun is up. They sky is blue. It's beautiful, and so are you. Dear Prudence, won't you come out to play? ~Lennon & McCartney
by SouthWabashSoul on Jan 9, 2012 2:20 PM CST up reply actions
There was someone around here
that was saying it was a smart trade because Burgess was going to be hitting 25 HR’s a year someday for the Cubs. I don’t remember who. My prediction for Burgess HR’s for the Cubs: 0.
I hated the trade because it was a salary dump when Hendry wouldn’t accept the fact that Gorzo should have made the team over Grabow and his idiotic contract. With Marshall and Russell, there was much more of a need for a long-man type pitcher who could start over another short-inning guy.
John Grabow - Who will pay you $4.8 million in 2012?
it's kind of funny to think about all of the stupid things SG said in his never ending defense of hendry
Just wee-un.
by jesus christos on Jan 9, 2012 5:30 PM CST up reply actions
I liked when he made it a point to dump on every deadline deal because the Cubs stood pat.
Good times.
DUMP GARZA
The funniest part of ALL of SG's comments was he kept claiming that if Hendry was fired
his successors were going to have their cabinets STOCKED with tons of young talent.
It seems most of baseball disagrees
dude, the astros would kill for the cubs' system
Just wee-un.
by jesus christos on Jan 9, 2012 8:34 PM CST up reply actions
It seems like we aren't willing to spend money
so pursuing Maholm seeds odd. I’m not against the signing at all.
by Cubsfan Waveland on Jan 9, 2012 11:48 AM CST up reply actions
This isn't like signing some big time FA that costs top $
This is a smaller move to add a veteran lefty for 2-3 years, who’s still only 29 years old (June B-Day).
They need pitching! Lots of it.
"You win because of the quarterback. We have to get that position stabilized. We're fixated on that." -- Jerry Angelo (12.30.2008)
Jerry Angelo trades for Jay Cutler! (4.2.2009)
I'm onboard with the deal.
I think Maholm has value and potential to improve more over the next 2-3 years and his cost should be reasonable.
by Cubsfan Waveland on Jan 9, 2012 11:53 AM CST up reply actions
Not sure if you are being sarcastic or not
but there is no indication that the Cubs are not willing to spend money. They aren’t chasing veteran FA’s for a team whose window has closed.
John Grabow - Who will pay you $4.8 million in 2012?
I'm not being sarcastic
I agree with not chasing veteran FA’s. I need to see the number of years and the money to decide if this would be a good deal. I want to see this built for long term success and I’m ready to be patient and take it on the chin for a year or two. I’m beginning to believe the Cubs will not be competitive until 2014, I’m holding out hope that Castro improves and Rizzo & Jackson are ready to go in 2013 and this team could win 84-86 games but I don’t see it yet.
by Cubsfan Waveland on Jan 9, 2012 1:23 PM CST up reply actions
Good
Maholm is coming off a pretty good season. His WHIP was decent along with a 3.66 ERA. He falls in line with what Theo and Hoyer are looking for. Price is right get him. He just might be one of those LH that bloosoms around the age 30 mark.
some fool is gonna give in to theos crazy demand for garza
demps on the other hand really desnt have much value right now b.c of last season but i think hell have a rebound season adn well get a decent compensation for demps around trading deadline.
Deadline trading of players in their last year are going to be really tame now.
You have to trade before the season to get your comp pick now.
True, but Garza actually has future value, he's 27.
I hope he stays around. Theo can’t trade everyone, and his fire is awesome.
THEO!
by wrigleyrocker12 on Jan 9, 2012 2:40 PM CST up reply actions
two parts as Hoyer said
One, they wanted to add more starting pitching and have 8-9 options going into ST without digging into the system because of emergency, so Malcolm adds to that stable.
As the roster goes now:
Garza, Dempster, Wells, Wood, Volstad, Samardzija, Coleman, Sonnanstine and now Malcolm (if signed) = 9
That said trading either of the Cubs TOR pitchers must bring back at least one competitor that mix of nine.
Also Cubs now have 40 persons on the 40-man roster. 20 pitchers; 3 catchers, 10 infielders and 7 outfielders. If the Cubs sign Malcolm (and later Kerry Wood) they will have to remove two from the 40 man.
This either means a trade is imminent or cutting of the stable is in order. Speculate all you want but Cubs are looking to add young arms to the stable so I think trading is a high possibility.
A friend once told me: "I don't buy the idea that a team learns anything from a loss, the only thing they learn is how to lose games."---Knight
hes an emergency starter
he can pitch around 5 innings incase of several injuries.
they were goign to give him a shot, at least from what i was reading
but i think with Cash moved, Shark is destined for the back end of the pen.
Not after the Cashner trade.
Shark will be a setup guy.
Where have you gone, Kiko Calero. A nation turns its lonely eyes to you.
I think the Shark starting talk ...
was a ploy anyway to improve the Cubs’ bargaining position.
Where have you gone, Kiko Calero. A nation turns its lonely eyes to you.
with other starters
Where have you gone, Kiko Calero. A nation turns its lonely eyes to you.
I prefer Ivy's
He is a middle of the rotation starter after all. That name seems to fit better in the middle.
"You're"...
not the boss of me? As in “you are” not the boss.
No, he was saying not the boss of him belongs to you.
by Arbusto on Jan 9, 2012 2:45 PM CST up reply actions 1 recs
I was an advocate of signing Maholm going back to July or so.
So, I would definitely applaud this move.
"You win because of the quarterback. We have to get that position stabilized. We're fixated on that." -- Jerry Angelo (12.30.2008)
Jerry Angelo trades for Jay Cutler! (4.2.2009)
it would be a nice addition to our crowded sp
you can never have enough pitching.
Makes sense to me
First the top flight FA pitchers were acquired and the young-pitcher trade market heated up. Now it’s time for the serviceable 4th/5th starts to be signed.
"Just shut up and play" - Matt Garza
"Pain is inevitable, suffering is an option." - Dale Sveum
This I like
Maholm would look better at the middle or back end than either of the recent acquisitions.
by Not Bruce Froemming on Jan 9, 2012 11:41 AM CST reply actions
Both those guys have the upside to be better than Maholm
But I think that this could be a very shrewd signing.
They also won't require guaranteed contracts past 2012.
Where have you gone, Kiko Calero. A nation turns its lonely eyes to you.
i think randy wells and demps will both have a rebound season
with that, demps can be traded to a team like the yankees/redsox/tigers. Wells can be a solid number 2-3 SP and with Maholm being a solid 4-5 option. Overall, i think our sp will be around average-above average.
No way is Wells a 2-3
I would bet on Maholm being a better pitcher than Wells.
John Grabow - Who will pay you $4.8 million in 2012?
Wells was looking good
At the end of last year. I’m not saying he’s a 2-3, but a solid 4 if he returns to late season form. It seemed like it took him a while to fully recover from the early season injury.
by portlandcubfan on Jan 9, 2012 12:23 PM CST up reply actions
Based on what exactly?
They’re very different pitchers, but their results (FIP, K/9, BB/9) have been remarkably similar.
Maholm puts more guys on base, but gets a lot more ground balls and gives up fewer home runs.
Cubs fans don’t seem to appreciate Wells for whatever reason. He’s been really, really solid, save for 2.5 months last season when he was rushed back from the DL.
by Wreckard on Jan 9, 2012 12:41 PM CST up reply actions 1 recs
I seem to recall
fsupollo suggesting last off-season that Garza’s numbers were quite similar to Well’s numbers. Or something like that. They seem to have gone in opposite directions this past season, but maybe he can chime in on what he saw.
Garza was a different pitcher last year
He lived up to his potential in a big way.
Prior to that, Wells and Garza’s numbers were uncannily similar, though Garza was putting up those numbers in the AL East and Wells was not.
Forgot to mention
the league/division change was a major part of the argument. But we’d go round and round on that versus park differences and defensive differences.
But as Wreckard noted, Garza was a completely different pitcher last year. That gets a lot more credit for his improvements than the division change, IMO.
"Stuff like this is why they should shut off the internet."
by Orval Overall on Dec 17, 2010 1:19 PM CST
That was primarily
a WAR based debate with SenorGato, with a dash of FIP and xFIP thrown in.
Now, the season’s those two fellas had last year are obviously waaaaaay different. But, going into last season some of the peripherals were awfully similar.
And I’m going to type the word similar again… because despite me repeating over and over and over and over that Garza was better and I liked his future a lot more…. for some reason, the qualifier of “similar” could not be comprehended by SG.
Here’s some side by side for Wells and Garza (all via FanGraphs).
WAR (2010 then 2009…. Wells two full seasons up to that point. Same years for the subsequent stats)
Wells: 3.2, 3.0
Garza: 1.6, 3.1
FIP
Wells: 3.93, 3.88
Garza: 4.42, 4.17
xFIP:
Wells: 3.94, 4.18
Garza: 4.31, 4.14
Wells also had a comparable BB rate and better HR rate. And stunningly, Wells even had a better K rate in 2010 (not in ’09).
So, based on those numbers, that’s why I kept repeating that the value and peripherals for Wells and Garza were similar. In fact, Wells was really better.
Obviously that turned around in 2011 and Garza is obviously more talented. But there was absolutely nothing in his numbers to predict he’d make the jump he made (his 5.0 WAR was a 1.9 jump from his career best 3.4 from the previous season…. that’s a huge leap).
And while I have absolutely no illusions of a 5 WAR season… I would expect Randy Wells to bounce back to being a solid rotation member, if he is indeed all the way recovered from his injury.
"Stuff like this is why they should shut off the internet."
by Orval Overall on Dec 17, 2010 1:19 PM CST
by fsuapollo on Jan 9, 2012 2:14 PM CST up reply actions 1 recs
Garza had more potential
His high swinging strike % in 2010 suggested that his low k rate was a fluke.
Waiting for Jessica to chime in about the 40-man
We’re at 40 right now… someone gets bumped out. And another gets bumped if we re-sign Kid K.
"You win because of the quarterback. We have to get that position stabilized. We're fixated on that." -- Jerry Angelo (12.30.2008)
Jerry Angelo trades for Jay Cutler! (4.2.2009)
I don't know how many days they have to make the 40-man moves.
But, they can announce that they’ve agreed to terms with Maholm, and then announce the signing a week or two later, like they did with Reed Johnson.
You figure a trade would take place before a signing.
"You win because of the quarterback. We have to get that position stabilized. We're fixated on that." -- Jerry Angelo (12.30.2008)
Jerry Angelo trades for Jay Cutler! (4.2.2009)
So long
Marcos Mateo. Nice knowing ya.
The sun is up. They sky is blue. It's beautiful, and so are you. Dear Prudence, won't you come out to play? ~Lennon & McCartney
by SouthWabashSoul on Jan 9, 2012 11:54 AM CST up reply actions
DFA candidate fo sure
10-25-2011. Theo Epstein joins the Cubs. Now, the fun begins.
somewhere quade is crying in his sleep
“first koyie and now marcy!?!?!”
Just wee-un.
by jesus christos on Jan 9, 2012 12:23 PM CST up reply actions
i like Maholm for sure.
he’d fit nicely. competition would be strong in ST.
Depending on the dollars, this works for me.
Where have you gone, Kiko Calero. A nation turns its lonely eyes to you.
I don't mind
signing Maholm in a vacuum, it just seems like kind of an odd fit. We seem to have plenty of starting pitching depth without him, so to sign a not-young starting pitcher, who is probably not more than a number 4 on a good team, to a free agent contract is curious. I don’t hate the move, but I don’t necessarily understand it.
I suppose it could be the precursor to another deal, such as Garza being moved, but you’d think we’d be getting back at least one guy who could move into the rotation this year.
How many #4 starters
can a team have?
I suppose you could make one or two long-guys.
If Garza is traded...
…we could have an entire rotation of league-average starters: Demp, Wells, Maholm, Volstad, and Wood.
"[The Cubs] have a very famous tradition in baseball, and it will be nice to be part of turning it around." ~ Jamie Quirk, Bench Coach
I was an advocate for Maholm before the Marshall trade.
Now? I don’t really get this unless the deal is particularly cheap thrifty. It’s possible that, if the Cubs do sign Maholm, they send Travis Wood to Triple A. He does still have an option left, according to the Cub Reporter’s 40-man chart.
"[The Cubs] have a very famous tradition in baseball, and it will be nice to be part of turning it around." ~ Jamie Quirk, Bench Coach
He'd have to clear waivers and probably wouldn't.
"[The Cubs] have a very famous tradition in baseball, and it will be nice to be part of turning it around." ~ Jamie Quirk, Bench Coach
Might as well trade them all if Garza is getting dealt.
Sign guys like Maholm, Pineiro and Francis and boost the farm with trades of Wells, Garza and Dempster.
"I'd rather hit home runs you don't have to run as hard." -- Dave Kingman
by BucknerKongCardenal on Jan 9, 2012 9:35 PM CST up reply actions
I believe this signing is now official
https://twitter.com/#!/paul_maholm/status/156582269207851008
I hope to get to continue some things when I visit during the year and start some great things as I start my Cubs career. #GodBless
I thought it was weird that Paul was tweeting about joining the Cubs before any reporters broke the news that he signed… Kaplan just posted a tweet about it too now though.. Link
"You must try to generate happiness within yourself. If you aren't happy in one place, chances are you won't be happy anyplace."
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