Then there were five. With the signing of Jordan Zimmerman by the Detroit Tigers on Monday, there are only five starting pitchers left in the free agent market which could be classified as the “top-tier.” So what is the outlook for these arms and where could then end up?
David Price
2015 Stats: 18-5, 2.45 ERA, 225 SO, 220.1 IP, 1.076 WHIP; Cy Young Award runner-up
It’s clear following Toronto’s signing of J.A. Happ last week that Price will not be returning to Canada in 2016. In addition, the Blue Jays resigned Marco Estrada and brought back Jesse Chavez after a two year hiatus in Oakland; the money is just not there to sign Price for what he will demand.
As of a couple days ago, it seemed like the team closest to be able to land Price was the Red Sox. They seem willing to spend over $200 million for Price and they need the pitching as much as any team in baseball. Obviously, there is a history between Price and the Red Sox, more specifically David Ortiz. So that would be interesting to watch, but I’m sure they’ll be best buds if that would eventually happen.
The Cubs have been mentioned frequently as well. According to Cot’s, the Cubs will have money to spend, but it remains to be seen if they’d be willing to spend a majority of that on a big-ticket item like Price. That being said, the Cubs could certainly use another starter and pairing Price with Jake Arrieta would be a nightmare for the rest of the NL Central.
However according to CSN Chicago’s David Kaplan, there is no reason to believe the hype regarding their interest in Price:
Cubs are being very active on all fronts but as I said 2 weeks ago, I do NOT see them as major players for Price or Greinke.
— David Kaplan (@thekapman) November 30, 2015
The Cardinals are also a possibility, but signing a pitcher to an expensive long-term deal with the workload that Price has had so far in his career seems pretty un-Cardinal-like.
Zack Greinke
2015 Stats: 19-3, 1.66 ERA, 200 SO, 222.2 IP, 0.844 WHIP; Cy Young Award runner-up
Some may argue that Greinke got robbed this season by not winning the Cy Young Award, but that doesn’t take away the ridiculous numbers he put up. He was arguably the most consistent and unhittable pitcher from start to finish this season and it almost made people forget about the Dodgers’ other stud, Clayton Kershaw.
Greinke is going be 32 next season and that definitely is reason for pause for all general managers out there. He will be seeking upwards of $30 million a year, which he should, but with that along with the long-term nature of the eventual deal (5+ years), there are definitely reasons to be apprehensive.
The Dodgers would love to keep him and obviously money isn’t a huge obstacle to the boys in LA. There has even been rumblings of the Dodgers trying to sign both Greinke and Price to join Kershaw, but that payroll might make even Magic Johnson wheezy. There is no reason not to keep the Dodgers as the leaders in the clubhouse right now in the Greinke sweepstakes. A team would likely need to pay an exorbitant amount to take him out of the Dodgers grasp.
The Cubs have been mentioned, but the price might be a little steep. Cubs fans would love to see either Price or Greinke wear the blue pinstripes next season, but only time will tell if that will happen.
The Giants are another team that has been rumored to desire Greinke and considering their rivalry with the Dodgers, they might be extra motivated to make that happen.
The Red Sox have been mentioned, but it seems like they really want Price above all.
Johnny Cueto
2015 Stats: 11-13, 3.44 ERA, 176 SO, 212 IP, 1.132 WHIP
Cueto may have saved his marketability following his excellent outing during the World Series this year. After a mediocre second half campaign with the Royals following his trade and elbow issues and a couple rough starts in the postseason, Cueto’s stock seemed to be plummeting. But if there was any doubt regarding the demand for Cueto’s services, those doubts were assuaged following the news on Sunday that he rejected a six-year, $120 million offer from the Diamondbacks. Clearly, teams desire Cueto.
The fact that he rejected the deal would suggest there are bigger offers out there. Either that or Cueto needs another agent. The latest information has Cueto’s number at as much as $160 million.
It’s possible though that there have been lower offers for Cueto due in part to his elbow history and his spotty performances last season. But again, why reject $120 million if that was the case? Cueto turns 30 in February so his relatively young age puts him at an advantage over someone like Greinke, as well as his smaller price tag.
The Dodgers, Giants, Red Sox, and Cubs (aka The Usual Suspects) have also been mentioned in rumors, but latest reports have the D-backs sending a contingents of front office people down to the DR to meet with Cueto. Possibly they will respond with a larger offer. However, Arizona, unlike the Dodgers, does not have bottomless coffers and extravagantly overpaying for a starting pitcher probably isn’t a great idea.
Yovani Gallardo
2015 Stats: 13-11, 3.42 ERA, 121 SO, 184.1 IP, 1.416 WHIP
Clearly Gallardo isn’t quite in the class as Price, Greinke, or even Cueto, but with today’s demand for starting pitching there are plenty of fish waiting to bite, just maybe not quite yet. Gallardo, being more of a mid-tier guy, might take a little longer to get signed. The Orioles have been in talks with Gallardo’s camp, but nothing more has been reported. The Orioles would need to surrender a draft pick as Gallardo declined the qualifying offer from the Rangers. The 29-year old wants a long-term deal (hence the Rangers rejection), but it might need to wait until the big guys are signed, sealed, and delivered.
Jeff Samardzija
2015 Stats: 11-13, 4.96 ERA, 163 SO, 214 IP, 1.294 WHIP
Seems like an eternity ago that Shark was traded to the A’s during the 2014 season by the Cubs. That didn’t work out for the A’s (thumped by the Royals in the AL Wild Card game), but worked out great for the Cubs. The A’s also received Jason Hammel, who was eventually granted free agency where he was picked up by…the Cubs. In that trade, the Cubs received the duo of Addison Russell and Dan Straily, and Straily was traded to Houston last winter for Dexter Fowler. Theo Epstein strikes again!
Well that’s in the past and Samardzija, after spending a lackluster season for the White Sox, is available and ready to mingle. The first team interested in his should be no surprise…the Cubs.
Yes, Shark isn’t a top of the rotation guy, especially with Arrieta and Jon Lester on the staff, but he pitched well in Chicago and maybe being back with familiar people will revitalize his career. Arrieta might end up being the reason the Cubs don’t sign Samardzija since the Cubs will eventually to re-sign the reigning Cy Young Award winner.
Also the same deal as Gallardo applies here – the team that signs him will forfeit a draft pick since he declined the White Sox qualifying offer. The Cubs need more depth at pitching and they would love to bring the 30-year old back to the Friendly Confines, but not all reunions happen. Not all reunions end happily either.
