December 18, 2014 Espnchicago.Com Cubs Trade
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December 18, 2014 ESPNChicago.com Cubs trade Justin Ruggiano to Seattle By Jesse Rogers CHICAGO -- The Chicago Cubs traded outfielder Justin Ruggiano to the Seattle Mariners for minor league pitcher Matt Brazis, the team announced Wednesday. Brazis, 25, is 8-6 with a 2.89 ERA in 100 minor league relief appearances since being drafted in the 28th round by Seattle in 2012. He finished last season at Double-A and struck out 84 while walking only 18 in 72 innings pitched last year. In the short term the move opens a 40-man roster spot for pitcher Jason Motte, who agreed to terms with the Cubs this week, though they haven’t made the signing official yet. In the longer term the Cubs now have a need for a right-handed hitter who could share time in left field with Chris Coghlan. A trade for an impact player like Justin Upton of the Atlanta Braves is unlikely, which leaves the Cubs filling the need with a role player. Jonny Gomes has drawn interest and the Ruggiano move could pave the way for his signing. The Cubs want leadership in the clubhouse and Gomes has a history with new manager Joe Maddon, having played for him after Maddon took over the Tampa Bay Rays in 2006. Gomes won a World Series ring with the Boston Red Sox in 2013. The Cubs still have righties Junior Lake and Matt Szczur on their 40-man roster, but the front office has expressed a need for veteran leadership which would come from outside the organization at this point. -- CSNChicago.com Cubs trade Justin Ruggiano to Mariners and set up next moves Patrick Mooney The Cubs traded Justin Ruggiano to the Seattle Mariners now, setting themselves up to make more moves later. The Cubs cleared space on Wednesday by shipping Ruggiano to Seattle, freeing up money as they look for an outfield upgrade while adding another arm to their deep farm system. The Cubs got right-hander Matt Brazis in the deal and opened a spot on their 40-man roster. The 25-year-old reliever finished last season at Seattle’s Double-A affiliate, putting up a 1.64 ERA with 34 strikeouts in 33 innings. The Mariners chose Brazis in the 28th round of the 2012 draft out of Boston College. He’s gone 8-6 with a 2.89 ERA in 100 appearances out of the bullpen, notching 192 strikeouts against 50 walks in 158-plus innings in the minors. MLBTradeRumors.com projected Ruggiano would make $2.5 million through the arbitration process. He’s a nice role player who dealt with some injuries while hitting .281 with six homers, 28 RBI and a .766 OPS in 81 games last season. The Cubs would like to create some financial flexibility after dropping almost $245 million on No. 1 starter Jon Lester, celebrity manager Joe Maddon, All-Star catcher Miguel Montero, starting pitcher Jason Hammel and possible closer Jason Motte. Ideally, the Cubs would like to add a more established outfielder to their lineup and a bigger veteran presence to the clubhouse. Jonny Gomes is seen as a good fit for this team given his playoff experience and strong relationship with Maddon after their time together with the Tampa Bay Rays. Despite his potential, former first-round pick Colby Rasmus is not viewed in the same way after an up-and-down career with the St. Louis Cardinals and Toronto Blue Jays. Ignore the rumors and cross Rasmus off the list. “Outfield is probably the one area where we’re most focused if we were going to add a significant or semi- significant piece the rest of the way,” Cubs president Theo Epstein said. “I don’t feel like we have the depth of quality outfielders that we have in certain other areas of the team, so you could see something there.” If the Cubs keep following this blueprint, catcher Welington Castillo, lefty Travis Wood and infielder Luis Valbuena could all be available in deals this winter. Their combined projected salaries on MLB Trade Rumors amount to almost $11 million. Castillo is either the perfect complement to the left-handed hitting Montero and a good insurance policy for a team that expects to contend in 2015. Or a good trade chip when David Ross is available and interested in being Lester’s personal catcher after they won World Series rings together with the 2013 Boston Red Sox. After the Montero acquisition, Epstein framed the Castillo situation this way: “We didn’t make any calls and we received a bunch of serious calls about him. He’s (probably) one of the 20 best catchers in baseball, something like that, whatever number you want to put on it. “There’s a lack of catching out there, so I’m sure we’ll get plenty of calls.” Wood can be marketed as a one-time All-Star who should inevitably get better after a rough 2014 season (8-13, 5.03 ERA). The Cubs could already have enough of a left-handed tilt to their staff with Lester, Felix Doubront, Tsuyoshi Wada and Eric Jokisch. Valbuena has come a long way since the Cubs grabbed him off waivers from the Blue Jays in April 2012. The versatile infielder generated 16 homers, 51 RBI and a .776 OPS last season and remains under club control for the next two years at a time when the Cubs are loaded with infield prospects. “There’s been a lot of interest in him,” Epstein said. “I think people are looking at the numbers and his performance over the past couple years and they’re realizing just how good a player he’s been – and at his age (29) how good a player he projects to be all-around with the on-base skills, some power, some defense and a great clubhouse guy. [SHOP: 12 holiday gift ideas for the Cubs fan] “It’s nice to see him kind of finally getting his due. As other third basemen go off the board, teams will look at him and realize how good a player he is. “But that said, I think because we claimed him off waivers, sometimes that creates a stigma for a player: ‘Oh, he’s just a stopgap-type player,’ so to speak.” Just as catching is hard to find, there’s not enough quality third basemen to go around, another supply/demand dynamic that could put Valbuena in play. “He will not be traded for a stopgap-type price tag, that’s for sure,” Epstein said. “He’s a very important player to us. He’s done a really nice job. We value him really highly. He’s got some flexibility, some versatility in his profile. “He’s not that different from some free agents who are going out there and signing some really big deals right now. He’s a valuable player and he’s certainly coveted in this market where there aren’t many different players available. But he’s no longer a waiver-claim-type player, that’s for sure.” -- CSNChicago.com Cubs unveil minor-league staff for 2015 Patrick Mooney While Theo Epstein’s front office keeps making big splashes, hoping to put together a competitive product and turn the corner in 2015, the organization has already assembled the behind-the-scenes people responsible for teaching The Cubs Way and making sure the talent gets to Wrigley Field. [RELATED - Cubs trade Justin Ruggiano to Mariners for pitching prospect] On Wednesday, the Cubs unveiled their minor-league coordinators and coaching staffs for next season: Coordinators Field/catching: Tim Cossins Pitching: Derek Johnson Assistant pitching: Mike Mason Hitting/special assistant: Anthony Iapoce Assistant hitting: Tom Beyers Infield: Jose Flores Mental skills: Darnell McDonald Latin America/field: Dave Keller Latin America/mental skills: Rey Fuentes Strength/conditioning: Doug Jarrow Minor-league athletic training/performance: Nick Frangella Assistant athletic training: Chuck Baughman Minor-league rehab/pitching: Rick Tronerud [RELATED - Could Cubs have signed Jon Lester without hiring Joe Maddon?] Triple-A Iowa Manager: Marty Pevey Pitching coach: Mike Cather Hitting coach/assistant: Brian Harper/Leo Perez Athletic trainer: Scott Barringer Double-A Tennessee Manager: Buddy Bailey Pitching coach: Storm Davis Hitting coach/assistant: Desi Wilson/Guillermo Martinez Athletic trainer: Shane Nelson Class-A Myrtle Beach (Advanced) Manager: Mark Johnson Pitching coach: David Rosario Hitting coach/assistant: Mariano Duncan/Chris Gutierrez Athletic trainer: Peter Fagan Class-A South Bend Manager: Jimmy Gonzalez Pitching coach: Brian Lawrence Hitting coach/assistant: Jesus Feliciano/Osmin Melendez Athletic trainer: Jonathan Fierro Class-A Eugene (Short) Manager: Gary Van Tol Pitching coach: Anderson Tavares Hitting coach/assistant: Ricardo Medina/Terrmel Sledge Athletic trainer: Mike McNulty [SHOP: 12 holiday gift ideas for the Cubs fan] Mesa (Rookie) Manager: Carmelo Martinez Pitching coach: Ron Villone Hitting coach/assistant: Oscar Bernard/Ty Wright Athletic trainer: Toby Williams Dominican (Rookie) Manager: Juan Cabreja Pitching coach: Armando Gabino Hitting coach/assistant: Claudio Almonte Athletic trainer: Jose Alvarez Venezuelan (Rookie) Manager: Pedro Gonzalez Pitching coach: Eduardo Villacis Hitting coach/assistant: Franklin Blanco Athletic trainer: Arnoldo Goite -- Tribune Cubs deal Justin Ruggiano for Double-A pitcher By Paul Sullivan The Cubs acquired minor league pitcher Matt Brazis from the Mariners on Wednesday for outfielder Justin Ruggiano. Brazis, 25, has a career 2.89 earned-run average in 100 appearances, including a 1.64 ERA in 17 games in 2014 for Double-A Jackson. The move opens up a roster spot for an outfielder and clears some salary. The Cubs still are looking for a left fielder, probably via trade, and have been adamant about adding a veteran with leadership skills.