The South Florida Sun-Sentinel offers some very interesting insight into exactly why Chicago ended up pulling the plug on the proposed "Jacque Jones to the Marlins" deal: According to a high-ranking baseball official with direct knowledge of the talks, they even had a commitment from the Cubs' front office to cover roughly $6.6 million of the $7.2 million remaining on Jones' contract through next season.What's worse than a meddling owner? A meddling prospective owner. Yes, paying $6.6 million for a guy to play for another team is a hefty price, but it's cheaper than paying a guy $7.2 million to be an under-performing fourth outfielder. At least by moving Jones the Cubs could have picked up some prospects who might actually contribute down the road instead of just standing in the way of younger guys like Felix Pie and Matt Murton being able to play every day.
The deal collapsed, however, when Sam Zell - who is in the process of purchasing a controlling interest in the Tribune Co., which publishes the Sun-Sentinel and owns the Cubs - vetoed the hefty cash exchange.
Zell has already indicated that he's going to turn around and sell off the Cubs -- perhaps for as much as a cool $1 billion dollars! -- as soon as his acquisition of the Tribune Co. is complete, so why is he pretending to have an interest in personnel moves right now? This doesn't bode well for fans on the northside.
Previously on FanHouse:
Marlins and Jacque Jones Can't Hook Up
Report: Jacque Jones Traded to the Marlins
Cubs Could Fetch ... One Billion Dollars!
The Cubs Are for Sale
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
6-27-2007 @ 3:47PM
DV said...
Zell is getting involved because he wants payroll as low as possible when he flips the Cubs. The same reason Big Z doesn't have a contract, Zell doesn't want payroll to keep getting higher and higher. A larger payroll has the potential to lower the sale price. Zell's a business man and understands this.
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6-27-2007 @ 8:59PM
Matt W. said...
He's not saving money by not doing the trade. In fact, he's spending slightly more money: $7.2 million vs. $6.6 million.
The difference, I suppose, is that he's only paying $2.2 million for the rest of this year, and he's probably hoping the next owner will be on the hook for the $5 million in 2008 -- assuming he can actually flip the team that quickly. But either way, he's operating with his short-term financial interests in mind, not what's good for the team.
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6-27-2007 @ 5:16PM
Sav said...
According to the Tribune, Zell wasn't involved at all. It was a phony runor.
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6-27-2007 @ 6:15PM
moghopper said...
Zell cannot own the cubs long term, as he already has an ownership interest in the White Sox. He has to sell.
Also, as much as I'd like to say goodbye to Jacque, I'd rather keep him then send him and the 6.6Mill for the useless prospect that was rumored.
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