The latest rumors and reports find the Chicago Cubs are still one of the top teams looking to acquire Philadelphia Phillies' ace Cole Hamels. However, a report from early Tuesday morning found the Detroit Tigers may look to move David Price. Will this entice Chicago?
One thing's for sure: the Cubs will be buyers at the trade deadline and they want a starting pitcher as well as a left-handed outfield bat.
Chicago is not interested in pursuing a rental starter and it's been said they prefer a young established arm under two or three years of club control. However, the availability of such pitchers is few and far between and the Cubs' interest in Hamels suggests they might be realizing that.
"The Dodgers and Cubs continue to talk to the Phillies about Cole Hamels," FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal said over the weekend, indicating that these two clubs are leading the discussions for the left-hander. "And don't rule out the Red Sox, Rangers and others."
Jon Heyman of CBS Sports had some news after Hamels' start in Sunday.
"The Dodgers, Rangers, Red Sox, Cubs and Orioles were among teams that sent scouts to Philadelphia to watch Cole Hamels on Sunday, who's been on the trading block for months. And as for Hamels, the long wait might finally be showing ... The Cubs, who play Philly at the end of next week, may have been doing some advance work, though they have been linked to Hamels and were likely there to see him, as well."
As we all know, Hamels is under contract through 2018 (guaranteed $84 million) and has a team option for 2019 (maximum guarantee of $102 million), which increases his trade value because a team is guaranteed at least three years and his average annual salary is going to be cheaper compared to what the other elite starters sign for in the offseason (Jon Lester signed with the Cubs for $155 million over six years and Max Scherzer signed with the Nationals for $210 million over seven years).
While the Cubs remain interested, they do want to hold onto their top prospects, and at the end of the day Hamels might be too expensive for their liking. Additionally, if the Tigers make David Price available, the Cubs' whole trade deadline plan could change.
Per a report from Bob Nightengale of USA Today Sports, the Tigers are prepared to make Price and Yoenis Cespedes available before July 31 due to their current standing in the AL Central. Rumors previously suggested the Cubs want to make a run at Price in the offseason and have the money to sign him to a long-term deal, but what if they can land him at the deadline and give him a taste of what it would be like to play for the Cubs and under his former manager Joe Maddon?
It could be risky if Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer are thinking about it. There will be countless suitors for Price in the offseason as contenders will line up to pay him the mammoth long-term deal he's seeking. Surrendering prospects for a two-month rental is not what the Cubs have in mind for their future, but there is one way to go about it and make it all work.
"I don't see how the Cubs can fork over a chunk of their farm system in that scenario, but there is an angle that makes it palatable:
"Cut a deal with the Tigers only after Price agrees to sign a new contract that guarantees his Cubs future into the next decade," writes Steve Rosenbloom of the Chicago Tribune.
"Don't wait for free agency. Prospects and a major league player or two is the cost of hijacking the best free agent before he becomes a free agent.
"Play out the free-agent craziness now. Start at Lester's numbers. Expect to reach Max Scherzer's pay. Ballpark figure: close to $30 million a year for seven years and an option for an eighth.
"The Cubs certainly expect to go shopping in that kind of neighborhood this winter, so get it done now, before the Yankees hit the ATM."
Cubs fans on Twitter have been lobbying for Price to sign with Chicago in the offseason. One fan even suggested Price would be a good "#3" starter behind Jon Lester and Jake Arrieta.
Arrieta responded with "Price a #3?" and the left-hander acknowledged the conversation, which could foreshadow his potential move to Chicago.
Check out the tweet here.
If the Cubs feel confident they can keep Price after 2015, then pursuing him would be a no-brainer because it would propel them further into contention for this season. However, they may already have plans in place as they've been conducting their due diligence for quite a while now.
Nonetheless, this is a new scenario to consider just 10 days before the trade deadline and it could be something that significantly shifts the state of the market.
