Washington Nationals star pitcher Jordan Zimmermann is due for a big salary in the final year of his contract, and the team is reportedly shopping the two-time All-Star.
Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times has the latest buzz on the Nationals' negotiations with the Chicago Cubs from Tuesday:
Multiple sources said Tuesday the Cubs are in talks with the Washington Nationals to acquire right-hander Jordan Zimmermann, a two-time All-Star who has averaged 200 innings over the past three seasons.
And he's just one of several All-Star caliber pitchers – along with All-Star catcher Russell Martin – the Cubs believe they can acquire if their strategy plays out according to plan, said one source.
However, Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune refutes that information:
Sporting News' Jesse Spector weighed in the idea of Zimmermann being traded:
Zimmermann is due $16.5 million in salary for the 2015 season, the last of a two-year deal worth $24 million, per Spotrac.com. That means he can test the waters in free agency next winter.
If the Cubs or any other suitors are keen to acquire him, they would do well to establish a foundation that keeps Zimmermann with his new club for the long haul.
An exceptional rotation featuring Gio Gonzalez, Stephen Strasburg, Doug Fister and Tanner Roark affords Washington the luxury to improve the roster elsewhere by dealing a premium asset in Zimmermann.
Grant Paulsen of 106.7 The Fan argues that Zimmermann has been the best of all those quality pitchers, though:
Should Chicago land Zimmermann he would bolster a pitching staff in dire need of a dependable arm. The Cubs dealt away previous ace Jeff Samardzija to the Oakland Athletics this year, so Zimmermann would likely be on the mound for Opening Day.
From the intel in Wittenmyer's report, it appears Chicago is going to be aggressive and bring in as much new talent as possible.
Zimmermann is an encouraging start, coming off a season in which he had a 14-5 record and a 2.66 ERA.
A promising young nucleus is in place in the Windy City, with several top-tier prospects waiting in the wings in addition to players like Starlin Castro and Anthony Rizzo. Thus, there are several selling points for the Cubs to deploy as they try to culminate their lengthy rebuilding process into a tangible turnaround.
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