Report: Bedard Megadeal In Works

According to Phil Rogers via Rotoworld:

Despite GM Jim Hendry's protestations, the Chicago Tribune's Phil Rogers says the Cubs and Orioles are talking about a massive deal involving Erik Bedard and Brian Roberts.

According to Rogers' very highly placed source, Orioles owner Peter Angelos did shoot the deal down at the end of last week, but talks were back on again recently. Rogers believes the Cubs could send Felix Pie to Baltimore and bring in Marlon Byrd to replace him.

Source: Chicago Tribune.

Sheffield Hangin' Em Up?


Gary Sheffield will be mulling over a possible shoulder surgery this off-season. He has already had untold amounts of cortisone shot into his body, and any potential steroid use would also contribute to his 38 year-old body breaking down.

When it comes time to decide whether to have offseason right shoulder surgery, Sheffield has to think of himself.

Some think Sheffield won't walk away because he has $28 million left on the table for the next two seasons. Others believe the lure of 500 career home runs or another World Series ring is too great.

They are wrong.

This is not about glory or money. It's about pain.

That's why it would come as no surprise if Sheffield retires.

Wouldn't that just be a shame. Couldn't happen to a nicer guy.

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In other news:

Cubs President John McDonough squashed any rumors of an A-Rod deal being in place. The Chicago Tribune agrees.

"I laughed when I heard it - it's outrageous," McDonough said.

Added Cubs manager Lou Piniella, who managed Rodriguez in Seattle when A-Rod broke into the league: "There's no truth to that story. Do you think his agent (Scott Boras) would fall into a trap like that? He wouldn't do that."

So now that that is settled, Alex Rodriguez can focus on hitting a homerun per playoff game played this October.

A-Rod & Wrigleyville Continued

The rumor mill is in mid-Winter form. The NY Magazine article which sparked so much online interest was discussed Sunday night by, who else, Scott Boras. Resident Yankee village idiot, Randy Levine also offered his two cents on the topic.

Every sports page covered this "non-story." Newsday - Daily News - Bergen Record - Chicago Sun-Times.

Via the ESPN article:

"Great players with great demand create great rumors," Boras said in a telephone interview with The Associated Press on Sunday night. "While I would enjoy having lunch with Mark Cuban and [John] Canning, at this point of the year that conversation would not include Alex Rodriguez. I have not talked to anyone."

Canning, chairman of private equity firm Madison Dearborn Partners LLC, is thought to be a favorite to buy the Cubs from Tribune Co., which is in the process of being purchased by an entity controlled by real estate investor Sam Zell. Cuban, the Dallas Mavericks owner, submitted an application to examine the Cubs' finances.

Speaking before Sunday's 7-5 win over Toronto, Rodriguez said the report was "nonsense," as far as he knew.

Yankees' executive Randy Levine also responded harshly to the magazine piece.

"It's a silly story, and we don't believe it," he told ESPN.com's Buster Olney on Sunday evening. "However, if it was true, it would be grounds to disqualify the applicant even before he went through the process, because it would demonstrate a disregard for major league rules and procedures, and we're confident the commissioner would feel the same way."

Levine later said he spoke to Bud Selig, and the commissioner agreed with Levine's interpretation of the story, and its possible implications. A player can neither have part ownership of a team nor negotiate for future ownership.

We'll have to wait and see if there is any merit to these Cubbie rumors, but would anyone be surprised if Boras utilized sinister, unethical business practices in order to gain leverage for a client? Especially when that client is his most cherished, most talented rainmaker of his agency.

As far as Levine, I would rather have the Yankee Stadium vendors step in for him and the 99 other Presidents, VP's and Assistant VP's that clog up the Yankees front office. Everytime I see Levine and his cronies overflow into a given press conference, I feel like I'm watching the "Greed is Good" speech from the film Wall Street.
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A-Rod's Second City Rumblings

Alex Rodriguez to the Cubbies? New York Magazine reports that his agent, Scott Boras, has already opened talks with the potential new owner of the Chicago Cubs about a mega deal.

A new report says Alex Rodriguez’s agent has spoken to a potential new owner of the Chicago Cubs about a bank-breaking deal that could give A-Rod a cut of the team.

The powerful Yankee third baseman is eligible to opt for free agency 10 days after the World Series ends this fall. And, New York magazine reports, super-agent Scott Boras is already talking to who he thinks is the favorite group vying to purchase Chicago’s first-place team.

According to the magazine, Boras is peddling a Second City deal that could go for an average of $30 million a year over 10 seasons, with much of that cash backloaded for the 32-year-old Rodriguez - who would then be given the right to buy a chunk of the Cubs at the contract’s conclusion. The report does not indicate who would pay for this proposed, precedent-setting deal.

There will be a ton of these rumors swirling once the World Series concludes, but I didn't think serious speculation would begin so early. Looks like Mark Cuban will waste zero time making a big splash, should he call Wrigley home in the near future. There is a definite possibility that this entire story is simply "Boras Being Boras," drumming up the free agency drum a little early. If the story is true, isn't this just a tad bit of tampering going on?