With Ben Zobrist reportedly nearing his decision time, the Cubs could be looking to free up time for the super super-utilityman by sending Starlin Castro to the Yankees, FOXSports.com’s Ken Rosenthal reports.
The Yankees have second base open for Castro and wouldn’t be overly afraid of the $38 million he’s owed over the next four years. They could even send Brett Gardner back to the Cubs, matching up the salaries (Gardner is owed $38 million for the next three years or $48.5 million for four). It’s doubtful the Yankees would do that as a straight-up deal, though.
Newsday’s Marc Carig confirmed with a source that the Cubs are very much in on Zobrist.
Zobrist is close to deciding on his next team, and he’s indicated that he’d like to play one position primarily, preferably second base. The Cubs could make that happen, though the same goes for the Mets and Nationals. FOXSports.com’s Jon Morosi reports that Zobrist has a four-year offer in hand.
UPDATE: The New York Post’s Joel Sherman says Gardner is not involved in the Cubs-Yankees trade discussions.
UPDATE 2: Rosenthal reports that Zobrist is choosing between similar offers from the Cubs and Mets.