Pitchers and catchers are starting to report! It's a glorious time for baseball fans as the first signs of Spring are here, but that doesn't mean we don't have some unfinished business from this winter's MLB Hot Stove rumor mill. With that in mind, here's our MLB Rumors Roundup For Feb. 17th.
Alex Cobb To Chicago?
It's been an on-again, off-again topic in trade rumors this offseason, but it appears things are once again heating up with a potential deal between the Chicago Cubs and Tampa Bay Rays -- centering around 28-year-old Tampa starter Alex Cobb.
The Tampa Bay Rays are looking to restock their roster with young impact hitters, with Javier Baez and/or Jorge Soler likely to be at the top of their list. However, despite the connection between Cobb and former Rays manager Joe Maddon, it doesn't appear likely that the Cubs will dangle Baez or Soler in trade talks.
Via Drew Jenkins of SB Nation:
"First and foremost, the Rays would love to have Baez, and that seems to be where their attention has been so far in talks with the Cubs. However, getting Baez, or even Soler, for an unhealthy Cobb is likely unrealistic.
"Instead, the Cubs have plenty of intriguing upper-level prospects, and it would make sense for the Rays to explore a swap of this nature. Maybe that's why this trade has taken so long."
The problem here is that Cobb is coming off of Tommy John Surgery and will be available in June or July at the earliest. However, his 3.21 career ERA and budget-conscious $4 million salary for 2016 (with one added year of arbitration control for 2017) makes him an intriguing fit at the right price. More MLB trade rumors inside the Chat Sports Android and iPhone apps!
Royals To Target Gourriel Brothers?
Yulieski and Lourdes (Jr.) Gourriel are a part of the most famed baseball family in Cuba, on par with the Bonds here stateside. Both brothers have been coveted by MLB scouts for years now, including the 32-year-old Yulieski who's emerged as one of the top infield prospects in the world the past several years.
As for Lourdes Jr., he's just 22 years old and has the speed and glove to play both center field and shortstops, along with sneaky power which projects to only get better with age.
Lourdes Jr. will likely wait till his 23rd birthday in October to place his name in the U.S. hat, considering players with five years of service at 23 years of age or more are exempt from international spending restrictions -- a scenario which would allow him to command a much more lucrative multi-year deal.
Bringing in the Royals to the mix, Kansas City could find themselves as suitors for both brothers if Lourdes Jr. waits until October -- considering that the team is banned from spending more than $300,000 on restricted international free agents after exceeding the spending limit last year.
Per Tyler Drenon of SB Nation:
"The Royals could sign the Gourriel brothers. It would be great for the team to sign a Cuban icon like Yuliesky, and Lourdes Jr. is a legitimate prospect on his own. They could sign these two guys and have a better option than Omar Infante. No one would have to file bankruptcy. The team wouldn't need a government bailout. It would be fine."
It'd be a risk for a team that broke the bank (in relative to recent Royals spending sprees) this offseason, but both Gourriel brothers have "can't miss" written all over them and could go from depth options to starters quick with the right direction.
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