We’re exactly three weeks away from the MLB trade deadline and the Chicago Cubs are smack-dab in the middle of trade rumors. It’s very unlikely that Theo Epstein is going to go out there and trade for a hitter, but if the Cubs do anything it’ll be for a cost-effective starting pitcher.
Just like I said last week after the Cubs interest of Marcus Stroman was reported, this front office is obviously calling every team that has a young pitcher under contract control for several years. So, this report from Peter Gammons shouldn’t come as a surprise at all. No, it’s not about Justin Verlander, but the Cubs supposedly asked the Detroit Tigers about a couple of their young starters.
Via Peter Gammons:
The Astros, Yankees and Cubs have the farm systems to get a starting pitcher, but there is no Sale or David Price out there. The Cubs have called almost every team to see who might be available; they asked the Tigers about Michael Fullmer and/or Daniel Norris, but made it clear they had no interest in Justin Verlander, and as one Cub official said, “no one is going to pay $70M for him, even though he may still be a very good pitcher.”
Again, the price for Michael Fulmer, just like for Stroman, is going to be high for the Cubs. One of the top prospects would have to go in a trade for Fulmer. Why? Well, not only is the 24-year-old pretty damn good, he’s also under team control until 2023 and doesn’t become arbitration eligible until 2019.
Some background on Fulmer in case you’re not familiar with the right-hander. He was a first-round pick of the New York Mets in 2011, and in 2015, he was traded to the Tigers as the centerpiece in the Yoenis Cespedes deal. Fulmer made his MLB debut in 2016, with the Tigers and was a stud, going 11-7, with a 3.06 ERA and 1.12 WHIP. So far in 2017, he’s kept it up, with a 3.19 ERA and an identical 1.12 WHIP.
Fulmer won American League Rookie of the Year in 2016.
Don’t get it twisted, Fulmer the Tigers’ ace and if a deal ever does happen it’s going to be a blockbuster. Big. Bigger than you think. How big? You might even see a player on the MLB roster shipped off to Detroit.
The Cubs were on Fox Saturday baseball against the Pittsburgh Pirates and MLB insider Ken Rosenthal had this jaw-dropping tidbit about what the Cubs front office is thinking about doing. (skip to 49 seconds)
What will the #Cubs do at the deadline? How about the #Orioles & #Dbacks?@Ken_Rosenthal's Full Count breaks it down. pic.twitter.com/RF08in9rW4
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) July 9, 2017
They’re not trading Willson Contreras because then they wouldn’t have a starting catcher. Kyle Schwarber’s value has dropped too much since the start of the season. However, Addison Russell, despite his limitations at the plate, is still only 23-years-old and an elite defender at shortstop. Javier Baez is a magician on the field and has improved offensively. And then there’s Ian Happ. Imagine where the Cubs would be without Happ this year and we’re talking about a below .500 team.
Could the Cubs really be willing to trade one of Russell, Baez and Happ? Well, if they’re serious about a deal for Fulmer, that’s what it will take if Eloy Jimenez isn’t involved.
As far as Daniel Norris, he’d be the much cheaper option. He’s also 24-years-old and just like Fulmer he doesn’t become arbitration eligible until 2019 and a free agent until 2022. Norris was the main player traded to the Tigers in the David Price deal back in 2015. The lefty made his MLB debut with the Blue Jays in 2014, and was the 17th ranked prospect in 2015.
Since he was traded to the Tigers, Norris has made 37 starts, pitching 191 innings, with a 4.29 ERA. He’s been on the disabled list several times with different issues since 2015. He missed time because of an oblique strain in 2015, started 2016 on the DL with a lower back issue and then went back to the DL in 2016 because of another oblique injury.
This season, Norris has been roughed up, recording a 5.29 ERA and 1.67 WHIP. On July 6, he was placed on the disabled list once again for a groin strain. Who knows, maybe the Tigers sell low on Norris, but there’s still a lot of potential there. Last year, Norris had a 3.38 ERA in 13 starts and 14 appearances overall.
The Cubs are 5.5 games back of the Milwaukee Brewers and of course it’ll depend how the team responds after the All-Star break. The front office won’t go crazy, but you know they’re trying to land a controllable pitcher. That’s just as important not only to improve the starting rotation this year, but next year and beyond too.
At the break, the Cubs rotation is ranked 17th in MLB with a 4.66 ERA.
Anyway, if there’s one thing from the Gammons’ report that I want to believe in 100 percent is that the Cubs don’t have any interest in Justin Verlander. The Cubs reportedly also asked about the former Cy Young winner last week. Hard pass. I don’t care if it’ll only take some mid-level prospect, I don’t want Verlander anywhere near the Cubs.
Go all in for Michael Fulmer? That’s at least interesting.
