Astros, Orioles, Padres Interested in Jameson Taillon

Jameson Taillon tossed 7.1 innings against the Milwaukee Brewers earlier this week and only gave up one run on three hits. The veteran starter was credited with the loss as the Chicago Cubs offense continued its putrid march to the trade deadline. Now, all eyes are on Jed Hoyer the Cubs front office as more teams are lining up with interest in trading for Taillon.

The Cubs have reportedly been in talks with the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees in regards to a Taillon trade, but one more AL East team has entered the picture. According to Bruce Levine, the Baltimore Orioles are one of the latest contenders in the American League to express interest in the 32-year-old Cubs righty.

The Orioles aren’t alone though as The Athletic is also reporting that the Houston Astros want a shot at acquiring Taillon.

Via The Athletic.

With an undermanned rotation in a winnable division, the Houston Astros are among the teams that have expressed interest in Chicago Cubs pitcher Jameson Taillon ahead of Tuesday’s trade deadline, according to league sources.

The Athletic added the San Diego Padres to the Taillon sweepstakes, stating, “The San Diego Padres also have Taillon on their radar as they sort through various options.”

After a 2-4 start following the All-Star break, the Cubs are back in the basement of the National League Central Division, trailing the Brewers by 11 games. With a 49-55 record, the Cubs are currently 5.5 games back of the third Wild Card spot, but all six teams ahead of them hold the head-to-head tiebreaker over them.

Trading Taillon may not be as straightforward as you may think. The pitcher, who signed a four-year, $68 million deal with the Cubs, has a 10-team no-trade clause in his contract. That list of 10 teams has not been revealed and at the same time it doesn’t mean Taillon would block a deal, the Cubs simply have to ask his permission first if a deal is agreed upon with a team on Taillon’s list. He would then get the final say if he accepts to leave or not.

Taillon, who was drafted out of high school in Texas in 2010, has pitched with the Pittsburgh Pirates and Yankees prior to his current tenure with the Cubs. So far in 2024, Taillon has posted a 2.96 ERA in 17 starts, recording a 1.15 WHIP in 100.1 innings.

(Previous Update)

The Chicago Cubs certainly didn’t have the performance they were hoping for following the All-Star break and after losing two of three to the Arizona Diamondbacks it wouldn’t be surprising to see them entertaining calls for a few of their valuable players. Veteran starting pitcher Jameson Taillon is having one of his best seasons in the majors and according to a recent report the Cubs have discussed a trade of Taillon with at least two teams.

Now, while the Cubs are said to not yet commit to being sellers, they are listening to calls as the trade deadline approaches. USA Today’s Bob Nightengale mentioned that two AL East rivals have engaged in talks with the Cubs about a Taillon trade.

Via USA Today.

The Boston Red Sox and Yankees have had talks with the Chicago Cubs about starter Jameson Taillon, but the Cubs are undecided whether they will be buyers or sellers.

Taillon signed a four-year, $68 million contract with the Cubs and seeing that he’s only in the second year of his deal the right-handed pitcher is still owed a decent amount of money. The 32-year-old will make nearly $7 million for the rest of the 2024 season and is then set to earn $18 million in 2025 and 2026. That brings Taillon’s owed money to about $43 million if he’s dealt before the July 30 trade deadline.

It wasn’t pretty early on for Taillon in Chicago, but ever since July 7, 2023, Taillon has been one of the best starting pitchers in baseball. In his last 32 outings that includes one relief appearance Taillon has recorded a 3.23 ERA in 183.2 innings of work. So far in 2024, the veteran has a 3.10 ERA in 93 innings.

The Cubs are currently 3.5 games back of the third Wild Card spot in the National League with a record of 48-53. The problem is there are five teams ahead of them and all those teams have the tiebreaker over the Cubs thanks to a better head-to-head record. Trading Taillon would be a tough pill to swallow because he’s part of the starting rotation that has pretty much kept the Cubs’ playoff hopes alive throughout the 2024 season.

Trading him could have value down the road if the Cubs are able to obtain MLB pieces in return while also shedding some salary off their payroll. On the other side, we’ve seen with the Cubs this year that you’re never really safe from injuries and no matter how much depth you think you have. Shit can hit the fan and not having a guy who always take the ball every fifth day and gives you quality innings isn’t the known commodity that it once was in MLB.

Speaking of payrolls, the Yankees are a third-time CBT payor who are in the top tier of luxury penalization and would have to pay a 110% tax on Taillon this year. Meanwhile, the Red Sox have more wiggle room and probably the greater need for a starting pitcher because they don’t have much depth in the rotation and they can also trade for Taillon without worrying about luxury tax implications. Boston is currently at a $218 million payroll.

Both teams have familiarity with Taillon, who pitched with the Yankees in 2021-22, while Craig Breslow, who now runs the Red Sox, had been with the Cubs and was a big part of recruiting Taillon to Chicago.

So Cubs fans, should the Cubs consider trading Taillon now when his value is as high as it’s ever been?