Whatever you may think of Melky Cabrera, the Blue Jays were wise to get him so cheaply. Mandatory Credit: Scott Rovak-US PRESSWIRE

There still seems to be one problem, however: free agents aren’t getting any cheaper. Already this off-season we’ve seen Brandon League and Jeremy Affeldt ink three-year deals out of the bullpen, heard rumors that Anibal Sanchez might want $90 million, and waited patiently for Josh Hamilton to get way more money for way too many years. The real problem is that there are still general managers willing to pay the prices these players are asking, and that doesn’t seem to be changing. Even teams that build largely from within need to depend on a free agent acquisition here and there, so the key is to approach the free agent crop a little differently.

We have a couple of excellent examples of intelligent signings that have materialized just in the past week. First, we have Theo Epstein of the Cubs picking up starting pitcher Scott Baker on a one-year deal worth between $5.5 million and  $7.5 million depending on incentives. Baker was cheap because he is coming off Tommy John surgery, but he’s always been a dependable guy who can slot into the middle of a rotation without issue. His strikeout rate has even become respectable, and he never walks anyone. That’s good news considering control is said to be a bit of an issue for a while once a pitcher returns from Tommy John.

Alex Anthopoulos followed up Epstein’s potential bargain with a nice complimentary move of his own, signing soiled outfielder Melky Cabrera to a two-year deal worth $16 million. Normally an outfielder coming off the seasons Cabrera had in 2011 and 2012 would be rather expensive, but a positive performance enhancer test left him tainted and unwanted for many clubs around the game. Cabrera’s numbers over the last two seasons are almost certainly inflated (though I would argue an unusually high BABIP is to blame rather than “the juice”), but he’s a dependable enough producer across the board that Double-A was able to find value in signing him for the Blue Jays.

The key here is that both Epstein and Anthopoulos showed there is a way to snag valuable pieces without having to pay through the nose. I have no doubt in my mind that both of them would scoff at the idea of handing three years to a middle reliever. Both saw value in players who were damaged goods. Baker is recovering from a severe injury, while Cabrera wears the scarlet letter that has brought the spit and venom from so many baseball writers and fans. Thing is, it’s the general manager’s job to put a quality product on the field. Epstein is trying to rebuild the Cubs into something special, while Anthopoulos is trying to take his Jays to the playoffs for the first time in forever. Both of them have furthered their cause without having to break the bank simply because they were able to find value where others didn’t.

If Brian’s writing strikes your fancy, read his work at StanGraphs and follow him on Twitter at @vaughanbasepct.

Anthony Rizzo is one of the young, talented players the Cubs will hinge on to turn the franchise around. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-US PRESSWIRE

Epstein made the kind of moves in 2012 that you want your GM to make when he inherits a bad situation. Prior to the season starting, Epstein grabbed first baseman Anthony Rizzo in a deal that sent hard-throwing pitching prospect Andrew Cashner to the Padres. The deal gave the Cubs a real potential building block, and once Rizzo got the call to the Majors again, he appeared much more ready than he had as a Padre. Rizzo was one of Chicago’s bright spots in 2012, hitting .285/.342/.463 with 15 homers in 368 PA. Rizzo just turned 23 and figures to improve as his approach adjusts to the game’s highest level.

Before the 2012 season began, it would have been fairly easy to recognize shortstop Starlin Castro as the lone man on the roster with the talent and youth that necessitated keeping him around for a long time. Epstein obviously recognized this and signed Castro to a seven-year extension worth $60 million. Given Castro’s ability to already hit for  a high contact rate and plenty of power for his position at the age of 22, it’s hard not to love this move for the Cubs. Castro should give them surplus value at a tough spot to fill, and he’s even shown encouraging signs defensively as he gets older and more experienced.

Epstein wasn’t done cleaning house and taking names there, though, as he also made a concerted effort to clear out veterans and stock up on players who could help boost the value of the farm system. Ryan Dempster was sent packing for Texas before the July 31 trade deadline after a fast start that rewarded him with a shockingly-low ERA. In his place, Texas sent back third base prospect Christian Villanueva, a guy who projects to be a solid hitter with speed and excellent defense to boot. Given the failure to progress by former top third base prospect Josh Vitters, the move looks even better. Long time Cub catcher Geovany Soto, he of some excellent and some terrible years at the plate, was also sent to the Rangers for minor league hurler Jacob Brigham.

The Cubs are clearly committed to building the kind of team that can last in the spotlight for years, and this is commendable. Epstein will surely spend his off-season looking for ways to bring in more prospects and young Major Leaguers with upside while ditching expensive veterans or cogs he doesn’t feel will be a part of the team’s ultimate plan. This plan will mean at least another year, and likely a few, of scuffling for a team that finds itself in a division with several teams already in contention mode, but it’s the right thing to do. The Cubs were a dismal 61-101 in 2012 (36 games out of first), and it’s hard to expect much more going forward; the organization isn’t going to suddenly pull the plug on the rebuild project and start handing out millions to questionable free agents in an attempt to establish quick relevance.

As for that 2012 edition of the Chicago Cubs, it couldn’t have been easy for fans of the team to swallow. It’s a good thing the team has such a strong fan base already built in, as a lesser and younger franchise might have risked crumbling under the weight of a lengthy rebuild. Things never even began to get on track for the Cubs, as the team started off 3-10 and never approached .500. All of the team’s positive contributions from veterans like Dempster and Matt Garza weren’t even all that gratifying, as both pitchers were rumored to be dealt pretty much all season.

Jeff Samardzija‘s conversion from relief to starting was a particularly bright spot that could bode well for his future and that of the Chicago rotation. The former wild reliever made some extensive mechanical changes in spring training and the results were evident right away. The 27-year-old righty struck out 180 in 174 2/3 innings while posting a 3.81 ERA, and his walk rate (which was 5.1/9 in 88 2011 innings) shrunk all the way down to 2.9/9. Veteran outfielder Alfonso Soriano, who has also been firmly in the trade rumor mill for what seems like forever thanks to his bulky contract, also contributed with 32 home runs and a .499 slugging percentage. Soriano was worth 4.0 WAR per FanGraphs in 2012, easily the best mark he’s managed since 2008.

The Cubs are going to have an unimpressive product on the field for 2013, and that likely won’t change for 2014 either. Despite this, there are lots of reasons for Chicago fans to celebrate their team’s future, as Epstein and company have a clear plan in place and have shown devotion to following it until we get a chance to see a new Cubs team that is both good and largely homegrown. The Cubs may have ventured into deep free agent waters before, but Epstein knows what he’s doing and I expect he’ll soon create a roster with young, cheap talented that is only bolstered by expensive veterans in the best of scenarios.

If Brian’s writing strikes your fancy, read his work at StanGraphs and follow him on Twitter at @vaughanbasepct.

Before this season began we all knew the Cubs were bad. Even Mr. Cub, Ernie Banks, the eternal optimist, had to know it. Certainly new team president Theo Epstein knew it. But Epstein is a show-me guy and besides there was only so much he could do immediately on his new job. Rome wasn’t built in a day and neither will the Cubs be. Indeed, you’ve got to wonder how many more years it will take to make the Cubs a contender. (more…)

Forty-nine-year-old

Given that he is about the same age as Wal-Mart, the movie “West Side Story,” and that twister Chubby Checker was at the top of his game in the year of his birth, it is no wonder that baseball people consider Jamie Moyer to be ancient. But I still think that the Baltimore Orioles blew it when they allowed him to walk away the other day.

Moyer, who was born Nov. 18, 1962, became the oldest pitcher in Major League baseball history to win a game earlier this season when he toiled for the Colorado Rockies. The Rockies ended up dumping him, however, when his record slumped to 2-5. Moyer, coming back after a year off due to injury, caught on with the Orioles.

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June 18, 2012; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Cubs second baseman Darwin Barney (15) makes a play against the Chicago White Sox in the third inning at U.S. Cellular Field. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-US PRESSWIRE

Rosenthal writes that “rival clubs frequently ask about Barney”, but they are not happy with the offers they are receiving. It appears that the Cubs view Darwin Barney as a starter at second base, while the teams asking for him think of him as a utility player and don’t view him as a viable long-term option at second like the Cubs do. Either that, or those teams are “faking” and trying to low-ball Epstein and the Cubs. That’s probably not the case, because most GMs know that the Cubs like Barney and Epstein doesn’t get low-balled.

While the Cubs are willing to trade everyone, Barney is probably not going anywhere. It seems obvious that Epstein and Jed Hoyer value their 26-year-old 2B more than every other team in the league, and that usually means that the player in question won’t be traded. It doesn’t look like anybody is going to give the Cubs what they want, but don’t rule out the possibility of Barney getting traded if a team does get serious and gives the Cubs a “sufficient” offer.

Darwin Barney has been worth 1.2 WAR this season after a 2.2 WAR rookie year in 2011. He’s on pace for a similar year this year due to some more solid defense and improved hitting. He had a 79 wRC+ last year which is subpar, but that has improved to a decent (for a middle infielder) 91 this season. Barney has increased his patience statistics and power this season, despite a drop in BABIP.

The main thing this season is that Barney is swinging more often at pitches inside the zone, and the difference is significant. He has been a bit unlucky this season, so he should end up with a wRC+ closer to 100 than 90 this season. He has made strides as a hitter, and Darwin Barney is a slightly above-average starter at second and can definitely stick at that position. The Cubs are valuing him correctly, and it seems best to keep their improving 26-year-old 2B at this point.

Follow Joe Soriano on Twitter here. Check out Cubbie’s Crib for more on Darwin Barney and the Chicago Cubs.

Since I guessed way-back-when that the Cubs would be the worst team in baseball this year, I can’t say I am surprised they have fulfilled my prophecy. My only surprise to date is that the Houston Astros are not right down there wallowing in the mud with the other three squads. (They still have time, though.)

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Alfonso Soriano used to be one of the best players in the game. Now he is simply eating up too much of the Cubs' payroll. (Vincent Pugliese-US PRESSWIRE)

Theo Epstein truly wants on the roster.  To do so, they will surely entertain many trade options this July and in the offseason.  One such option may be a trade involving Alfonso Soriano.

Soriano has long been considered a major albatross contract for the Chicago Cubs.  The club signed him to an eight year, $136 million deal back in November of 2006 after he hit 46 home runs for the Nationals.  Since then, the Cubs have not received the return on their investment they would have liked.

Soriano has been an All-Star in just two of his previous five years with the Cubs.  This after he was an All-Star five straight seasons leading up to him signing with Chicago.  This season, Soriano is hitting .263/.312/.462 with 9 home runs.  He is due $18 million in each of the next three seasons (including this year).

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June 2, 2012; San Francisco, CA, USA; Chicago Cubs pitcher Matt Garza (22) reacts after giving up a bases loaded walk to the San Francisco Giants in the sixth inning at AT

Rebuilding teams are always willing to listen on offers, and the Blue Jays are willing to talk a trade for a significant player. At this moment in time, the Jays don’t have a true ace despite a couple of solid pitchers in guys like Brandon Morrow and Ricky Romero.

Garza, who is under team control through the 2013 MLB season, would constitute and upgrade for the Blue Jays. The former Tampa Bay Rays starter’s experience in the difficult division- the AL East is definitely the toughest division to pitch in- is an attractive quality for Major League teams. Garza could still be extended by the Cubs, but interest from teams like the Blue Jays and New York Yankees, who could also use a big starter like Garza, is mounting.

The Jays are in a difficult division, and they are the third or fourth best team in this division, to be honest. They are a good ball club overall and have a high-powered offense led by Brett Lawrie and Jose Bautista. Pitching is crucial, especially in the AL East, so nabbing a 4+ win starter in Matt Garza would dramatically increase their chances of getting into the playoffs. Those chances have increased with two Wild Card spots, which means that the Blue Jays should definitely be taking a look at Garza. Granted, the Jays have other question marks on their roster and need to do more in order to get themselves into playoff position, but it makes sense to take a good look at Garza.

Parting with top prospects is going to be difficult, and they will likely end up being top hitting prospects. The Cubs don’t have the best farm system out their, and their hitting in the minors is particularly subpar.

Rosenthal notes that Theo Epstein is more than willing to trade any of his players, because there are no “untouchables” in his mind. That was actually in regards to the Starlin Castro trade talks, but it can also be said for Matt Garza who is the team’s most important pitcher.

Jays fans, do you guys want Garza? If so, how much would you be willing to give? (The answer to the first question looks pretty obvious.) Cubs fans, would you rather trade or re-sign Garza and what do you think the Cubs will get back from a Garza trade? Would the end result be satisfactory for Chicago? Let your voices be heard in the comments section!

Follow Joe Soriano on Twitter here. Check out Jays Journal for all your Toronto Blue Jays news.

Things are falling apart in Boston. The big celebrations of the 100th birthday of Fenway Park are on the horizon and at the rate the 2012 team is going it could be more of a wake than a party. The latest issue is Jacoby Ellsbury‘s shoulder. His minor dislocation of his right shoulder means he will be sidelined six to eight weeks. Not good. He is the team’s most valuable player and he was probably the American League’s real Most Valuable Player in 2011 even if he was officially runner-up.

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