The Rundown — 12/7/16: Red Sox Go Nuts, Sale Traded, Soler Swap Looming
Here are today’s headlines for the Cubs and around the league:
- The Red Sox had a very busy Tuesday;
- First they traded for Tyler Thornberg from the Brewers in exchange for Travis Shaw and 2 minor leaguers.
- Next they sent the Baseball world on fire with their blockbuster deal, acquiring Chris Sale from the White Sox for Yoan Moncada, Michael Kopech and 2 more minor leaguers.
- They finished off their busy day by signing Mitch Moreland to a one-year deal worth $5.5M.
- That’s a lot for the entire league, let alone one team; the Red Sox paid a great deal in terms of prospects, but have Sale for the next 3 years at a very friendly rate.
- I am just glad that Sale isn’t coming to the National League with the Nationals.
- The Rays signed Wilson Ramos to a two-year deal worth $12.5M guaranteed (can go as high as $18.25M with incentives)
- If you recall, Ramos tore his ACL towards the end of the season and isn’t expected back till late April or early May.
- Still had an all world year and hit .307/.354/.496 for the Nationals, which makes me happy that he is out of the NL.
- This is an interesting move for the Rays, who have endured 3 straight losing seasons and still seem primed to sell off a starting pitcher or two this offseason. Maybe they are going to sell and still try to win, though the AL East has been made very difficult to compete in for the foreseeable future.
- The Rangers re-signed Carlos Gomez for one year and $11.5M when it was thought that they were going to let him walk.
- I imagine this means they didn’t like what they saw out there in the FA market or trade market and better to go with the guy you know than a wild-card guy.
- The first Cubs news of the Winter Meetings broke with Buster Olney tweeting that the Cubs were close to acquiring Wade Davis from the Royals for Jorge Soler.
- Then, according to Jeff Passan things may have hit a snag.
- Jayson Stark gave us his opinion of what the snag was: apparently the Nationals had entered the fray.
- Bob Nightengale came in with confirmation that the deal was made and the teams are just sleeping on it.
- Disclaimer: Nightengale has been wrong a bunch before; he infamously claimed the Cubs were signing Anibal Sanchez, but ended up with Edwin Jackson. I’m not sure how he ever came back from that one, but I digress.
- Okay, my opinion of the trade is “sure, why not?” Soler is at best the 5th option in the OF, if not further down than that with Ben Zobrist and Kris Bryant available out there as well. If actually completed, this gives him a chance to play consistently and gives the Cubs (if Davis is actually healthy), a shutdown reliever.
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