June 29
A couple of days after reporting that the Chicago Cubs had some interest in Jon Niese, Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports adds that the Los Angeles Dodgers have also expressed interest in acquiring the Mets lefthander.
Dylan Hernandez of the LA Times wrote last week that Dodgers GM Andrew Friedman and his front office remain focused on bolstering a starting rotation that has lost Hyun-Jin Ryu and Brandon McCarthy to season-ending operations.
The Dodgers are said to be interested in pending free agents Johnny Cueto of the Cincinnati Reds and Scott Kazmir of the Oakland Athletics, but Friedman told reporters he recently explored potential deals for pitchers with multiple seasons remaining on their contracts.
One such pitcher is reportedly Cole Hamels of the Philadelphia Phillies, who the Dodgers continue to scout. Hamels has three years and $70.5 million remaining on his contract after this season.
It would seem that Niese could be a fallback option in case a deal for Hamels, Cueto and Kazmir fail to materialize.
(Joe D.)
June 27
In a new video on Fox Sports, Ken Rosenthal reports that the Chicago Cubs are somewhat interested in Jon Niese as a potential trade target.
Rosenthal also added, however, that the Cubs will likely have their sights set a little higher. Niese, 28, has a 4.12 ERA in 83 innings this season. Over eight seasons with the Mets, he owns a 3.89 ERA as well as walk and strikeout rates of 2.7 and 7.1.
The big issue, Rosenthal noted, is Niese’s contract. He is making $9 million next season and has a $500,000 buyout or a $10 million option for the season after that. If the Mets want to use Niese in any deal for an upgrade at shortstop, Rosenthal said, Niese would only be part of a package. The Mets would have to add more to a deal.
The Mets and Cubs have been linked in trade rumors for quite a while, but with Niese not having a great season and having significant money left on his contract, the matchup isn’t as obvious as it once might have been.
