MLB - Sports Rumors

Tue Nov 18, 2008 12:53 pm EST

Dempster, Cubs close to four-year deal

By Joe Zedalis

Ryan Dempster

Getty Images

The Chicago Cubs are close to re-signing All-Star Ryan Dempster to a four-year contract, Foxsports.com reported on Tuesday. The Web site, citing Major League sources, reported the two sides are nearing an extension that would secure the free-agent right-hander's services through 2012.

Dempster, 31, went 17-6 with a 2.96 ERA last season after returning to the rotation on a full-time basis for the first time since 2002. He finished in the top seven in the league in wins, ERA and strikeouts and made the All-Star team for the first time since 2000.

Dempster would remain in a Cubs rotation that includes holdovers Carlos Zambrano, Ted Lilly and Rich Harden. The Cubs have also had discussions with San Diego regarding a possible trade involving right-hander and 2007 National League Cy Young Award winner Jake Peavy.

Source: MLB.comNew Window

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72 Comments

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  1. Dr. Jones
    1. Posted by Dr. Jones Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:48 pm EDT

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    ^^^dumb
  2. jeffutlaw
    2. Posted by jeffutlaw Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:32 pm EDT

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    Glad to see him re-signed. He sure helped himself out with the 2008 campaign, the trick now will be sustain it.
  3. Tim D
    3. Posted by Tim D Thu Sep 03, 2009 10:12 pm EDT

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    lets just hope he didnt pitch over his head last season.........
  4. tylprud22
    4. Posted by tylprud22 Thu Sep 03, 2009 10:26 pm EDT

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    too much money
  5. davfied
    5. Posted by davfied Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:37 pm EDT

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    Hey Jeff,
    Did you have any doubts? I didn't. The Yankees never mentioned it. Plus Lou would have blown a gasket. lol.
  6. jeffutlaw
    6. Posted by jeffutlaw Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:32 pm EDT

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    Dav, how did the Yankees come into this equation?
    I'm not surprised to see he's likely to re sign, that was pretty much the assumption all along.
  7. jeffutlaw
    7. Posted by jeffutlaw Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:32 pm EDT

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    Tim D, that's my fear as well.
    It's good to know that Dempster has the reputation as being a good "clubhouse guy" as well. Never hurts.
  8. cubswin
    8. Posted by cubswin Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:38 pm EDT

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    glad he's back, but i find it hard to believe he will be nearly as good as last year. the contract will be a bargain though is he keeps it up...at least what he did in the regular season.
  9. cubswin
    9. Posted by cubswin Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:38 pm EDT

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    by the way, why didn't yahoo rumors use a picture of dempster from when he was on the marlins
  10. Five_outs
    10. Posted by Five_outs Thu Sep 03, 2009 2:54 pm EDT

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    52 million for a career .500 pitcher. Choked in playoffs. Bad move. Someone on another board said Hendry is best GM in baseball. All of this is so typical for the Cubs. Losers. John S. is by far the best GM in baseball.
  11. Chicago Sportsfan
    11. Posted by Chicago Sportsfan Thu Sep 03, 2009 7:37 pm EDT

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    Big Z, Lilly, Harden & Dempster I think they'll quit worrying about Peavy... Marshall is an OK #5... or looking big picture, he's a better #5 starter than Kosuke is a dependable left handed bat with some pop... in a perfect world they'd get some lefty hitters AND Peavy but I think priorities will grant that they get one or the other... I'm not sure if that's a good thing or not...
  12. Daniel V
    12. Posted by Daniel V Thu Sep 03, 2009 8:52 pm EDT

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    With this possible signing and being considered the front runners for Peavy, the Cubs will have one friggin sweet rotation next season!
  13. jeffutlaw
    13. Posted by jeffutlaw Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:32 pm EDT

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    Bearsuck, you have to look at his progression as a pitcher to understand his worth.
    It's one thing to look at numbers, another to understand them.
    That said, we'll have to keep our fingers crossed that he can deliver on the contract, as with most pitchers I presume.
    All things considered, this is a decent contract given the market.
  14. grun67
    14. Posted by grun67 Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:13 pm EDT

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    Dempster is very solid. Here's to hopin' the injury bug doesn't bite.
    Hey Bearssuck, if you are referring to John Scherholz as the "best GM in Baseball," you are sadly mistaken. John S. is no longer a GM. Frank Wren is GM of the Braves. Hendry makes far more good moves than bad ones. A trade, signing, etc cannot be fully measured until a year or wo after the fact.
  15. grun67
    15. Posted by grun67 Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:13 pm EDT

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    ...wish the Cubs would still sign Kerry Wood. He's willing to take a one year deal. The time is now to make one more post season run and it would only be fitting to allow Woody to be a part of it. Open the purse for a Cub lifer who never complains and has been a great ambassador for th north siders his entire career.
  16. jeffutlaw
    16. Posted by jeffutlaw Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:32 pm EDT

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    Hendry is a pretty good GM, i think most would agree. It's hard to fault him too much for the Cubs well documented playoff woes. He did assemble the teams that put them in position to choke in epic fashion.
  17. Andy B
    17. Posted by Andy B Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:23 pm EDT

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    This is a great move! Dempster had a very good year and way a quality SP before his injury. Adding Peavy is still very important in my mind though; his addition will make this the best rotation in MLB no matter who the Yanks sign this winter. Giving up Pie, Cedeno, Marshall, etc. for Peavy is a good move. Once this deal is done, Hendry needs to work on some OF help. We could use 2 top notch OF for CF and either LF or RF; Soriano is the only one we should keep and he needs to hit lower in the order and start producing in the playoffs! Go Cubs!
  18. DANIEL S
    18. Posted by DANIEL S Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:45 pm EDT

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    This is a very conservative contract considering what he did this past year. Wait until you see what Burnett and Lowe get, then compare that with what Dempster is receiving. You'll be surprised that a guy that finished more than 10 games above .500 with a sub 3.00 ERA only got $13M/year. If the Cubs can still make a trade for Peavy with only giving away Pie, Cedeno, Marshall and even Vitters, I think we'll right back at the top. Absolutely need to get a left handed bat, but I don't know who would be available. Any ideas?
  19. Raul M
    19. Posted by Raul M Thu Sep 03, 2009 8:55 pm EDT

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    Dumpster pitched wayyyy over his head this past season. Of course he did, he was on a CONTRACT YEAR. He's no different than others who put up great numbers during a contract year. Once the extension is signed, the numbers go to crap. It happens almost every single time. Almost.
  20. joeyniu82
    20. Posted by joeyniu82 Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:38 pm EDT

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    We want PEAVY!
  21. jeffutlaw
    21. Posted by jeffutlaw Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:32 pm EDT

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    Grun, I'll miss Kerry too, I really will. I don't think he'll take another one year contract. If that was the case, he'd be signed already. He was already generous enough to have taken back to back one year contracts, it's his turn to cash in now, and it's just not in our plans to do that with a multi year deal.
    Daniel, Andy, I'd love to get Peavy too. I'm guessing it's gonna take at least including VItters, the other ones are essentially throw ins. I just can't see San Diego giving him up for a package of only Marshall, Pie, and Cedeno. Jose Ceda woulda been a part of it as well had we not shipped him off for Kevin Gregg.
    As far as a left handed bat, Abreu looks like an option, MAYBE Ibanez as well. There were talks of trading for Jeremy Hermida, but that has sinced cooled.
  22. grun67
    22. Posted by grun67 Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:13 pm EDT

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    Great point Daniel L. It was shrewd move by Hendry to sign Dempster early as it's almost a sure bet that Lowe and Burnett will fetch much more lucrative offers, which could in turn drive up Dempster's asking price.
  23. grun67
    23. Posted by grun67 Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:13 pm EDT

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    hey jeff i read an artice somewhere recently (within the past week) in which wood said he was willing to accept another 1 year deal. nonetheless, the cubs should sign wood. he was humble enough to take a below market contract to in essence repay the cubs for the injury riddled years.
  24. Five_outs
    24. Posted by Five_outs Thu Sep 03, 2009 2:54 pm EDT

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    Grun67, Yeah I was talking about John S. I did not want to misspell his name. I don't follow Atlanta so I did not know he was gone. I remember him from his KC days. Great job there, great job in Atlanta. I don't understand the love affair with Wood. No pun intended. He really has done very little for the Cubs. Ambassador for the north siders? OK I saw Mr. Ambassdor in the wee hours several times. So I guess that drinking all night is what you had in mind? I used to work 4pm - 12 am.
  25. grun67
    25. Posted by grun67 Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:13 pm EDT

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    Also, I think the Cubs need to work out the deal for Peavy, even if it means slightly overpaying. Marshall, Pie, Cedeno, Vitters and a prospect might fetch Peavy if the Cubs would also take Khalil Greene's salary. The left handed bat should be Hoffpauir in my opinion. Dunn has been mentioned and he is a donkey in the OF. Hoffpauir certainly would be a better fielder than Dunn.

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