After the huge deals broke on the pitching side of free agency the Phillies created a tidal wave on Monday by signing Trea Turner to a massive 11-year, $300 million contract. No real big surprise that Turner ended up in Philadelphia, but fans are still in awe of the 11-year commitment.
Cubs Made Offer to Trea Turner
As Cubs fans, we had not seen much connecting them to Turner since free agency began outside of the general reporting that the Cubs are interested in the free agent shortstops. Well, according to the Cubs beat writers in The Athletic, the Cubs did make Turner an offer after meeting with him in Florida.
Via The Athletic.
Though the Cubs submitted a bid, the team was not viewed as a finalist for Turner, who previously connected with Ross and Cubs general manager Carter Hawkins when he took meetings with teams in South Florida before making his final decision.
Details of the offer haven't been made public, but you have to assume it didn't come close to 11 years. Same old Cubs, right? Well, it definitely appears as though Turner had his mind made up on signing with the Phillies because there is a report out of San Diego saying the Padres offered Turner as much if not more money than Philadelphia.
Via the San Diego Union-Tribune.
However, multiple sources said the news hit hard in the Padres’ front office and that there was a high level of disappointment. The precise terms of the Padres’ offer to Turner weren’t known, but two people not directly involved but familiar with the dealings said the Padres offered Turner more than the Phillies. A source with firsthand knowledge of the negotiations confirmed only that the offer was “competitive” with the Phillies.
This story gets juicer with an update from ESPN. According to a source, the Padres offered Turner a record-breaking deal for a shortstop, topping Francisco Lindor's $341 million contract with the Mets.
Via ESPN.
But not only did San Diego outbid the Phillies, according to industry sources, their offer would've made Turner the highest-paid shortstop in baseball -- beyond the $341 million that Francisco Lindor got from the Mets, and that the Padres previously gave to Fernando Tatis Jr.
And that's another example of how tricky free agency is in reality. It's easy to say just take the money, but we're talking about people who have different motivations and maybe prefer a sense of comfort rather than more money. I mean, Turner still is getting $300 million, but it seems like being reunited with a few teammates and his hitting coach from his playing days with the Nationals as well as being close to family were major factors in his decision.
Cubs Re-Sign Pitching Prospect Brailyn Marquez
Earlier in the offseason the Cubs released left-handed pitching prospect Brailyn Marquez. It wasn't a big surprise, but still disappointing because there was so much hype built around him a few years ago. He appeared at the end of the 2020 season, but Marquez has been derailed by injuries ever since then.
Back in the summer, Marquez had season-ending surgery. He still is only 23-years-old and although Marquez's days of being a starting pitcher are most likely behind him, there's still potential in that left arm. The Cubs at least want to see if Marquez can get healthy again and have re-signed him to a minor league deal.
A tall lefty who can throw 100mph? Yeah, you still want to see if there's something there with Marquez.
Sean Murphy Trade Proposal
The Cubs are rumored to be one of many teams talking to the Oakland A's about catcher Sean Murphy. The 28-year-old put up a 5.1 fWAR season in 2022 and is still under team control for three more seasons, set to make about $3.5 million in arbitration next year.
Although the Cubs are checking in on Murphy, they don't seem like they're very active or close to making a trade for him or anyone right now, as they're dialed in on free agents. But we can have some fun here and try to come up with a trade proposal.
Before we get to that, though, Ken Rosenthal wrote about Murphy and gave us some insight into what the A's are asking for in a deal.
Via The Athletic.
The Athletics are seeking major leaguers rather than prospects for Sean Murphy, and telling interested clubs they will keep the catcher if they do not receive a satisfactory trade offer.
A’s officials, despite reports of a Murphy trade being close, say no team has separated itself in the discussions.
Now, while the Cubs do have a solid farm system, outfield injuries and more of the star potential being at the lower levels of the minors, they really can't compete with some of the other teams interested in Murphy when it comes to trading prospects. But maybe they can compete with a few of their players plus a prospect or two?
Could this be reasonable?
I'd do it. Would you? Would the A's?
Kodai Senga and the Cubs
This is good to see. It was nearly a month between reports connecting Japanese pitcher Kodai Senga and the Cubs. Last night MLB Network's Jon Morosi brought him up as a free agent target for the Cubs along with Chris Bassitt.
On Tuesday, the Cubs were once again brought up when discussing Senga's market by Jon Heyman.
That's some heavy competition for Senga.
We'll have all the latest news and rumors that emerge from the winter meetings on the Pinwheels And Ivy Podcast on Wednesday.
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