Welcome back to The Wexler Wire, where I tackle your smartest, strangest, and most suspiciously specific offseason questions. The inbox has been overflowing, and while I can’t answer them all, here’s a fresh batch worth dissecting.
Q: Are the Cubs going to extend Luis Gonzalez or Gerónimo Peña?
(Asked by Marty DeBenedetti from Wrigleyville, who claims to have named his dog “Gonzo.”)
Rumor on the street, somewhat surprisingly, is no.
The Cubs like both players—Gonzalez in particular has been a solid piece—but with over $1 million in cap room heading into the offseason, they’re thinking bigger. Much bigger. Sources tell me they’re prioritizing three targets in free agency: a front-line starting pitcher, a high-leverage bullpen arm, and a first-base slugger to add some thunder to the lineup. We’re all waiting to see what the market looks like with some big decisions coming up for teams over the next 24 hours, but in a league where cap is king, he should have some flexibility.
Extending Gonzalez and Peña would eat into that flexibility. So, unless the market dries up or they strike out early, don’t expect either to be extended. Not only that, don’t expect either to return for the 1997 season. Our sources suggest that Chicago has one big ride in them left for 1996 before they reshuffle the chairs of the SS Cubbie.
Q: How should I feel about the Carlos Delgado trade? Did it make the Jays better or worse for 1996?
(Asked by Gord McAllister of Mississauga)
It probably made them slightly worse in the short term—but that doesn’t mean it was a bad deal.
Delgado’s upside is obvious, and moving him is a tough pill for fans. But the return brought back multiple assets that should help long-term, and frankly, the Jays needed the flexibility. The 1996 club might take a small step back, but there’s reason to believe this deal could pay off in 1997 and beyond—especially if Beastie flips one of those assets again (don’t put it past him).
Right now, the projected lineup is:
C Hector Villanueva
1B Will Clark
2B Robby Thompson
3B Dean Palmer
SS Cal Ripken, Jr.
LF Ron Gant
CF Rich Peters
RF Ellis Burks
DH Shane Mack
The four outfielders are fungible around, but I anticipate those being the top 9 bats. With little to no depth and no cap space to speak of, the lineup hurts without Delgado. That being said, if and more likely when the Toronto Blue Jays don’t make the playoffs, fans shouldn’t point to Delgado as the reason for that.
Q: Why is Desi Relaford ranked so high on the Top 100 prospects list?
(Asked by “A Baseball Fan, Not a Scout, But Still Confused.”)
Every year there’s one guy who shows up in the rankings and leaves everyone scratching their heads. This year’s honor goes to Desi Relaford.
Yes, he has middle-infield experience and solid instincts, but what’s really inflating his stock is his relief pitcher potential. That’s right—more than one scout sees a possible late-inning arm in his future. Is that enough to warrant a Top 100 ranking? Debatable. But baseball’s evaluators love tools, and Relaford has just enough of them to sneak onto the list.
Whether he’s a future closer or a two-position fringe player remains to be seen.
Q: How did the Senators go from having the most hyped draft class in league history to not having the top-ranked farm system?
(Asked by Malcolm F. Carter IV of Washington, D.C.)
Washington’s draft was excellent—loaded with talent and upside. But here’s the problem: Chicago exists.
The White Sox didn’t just draft well, they dominated, adding elite prospects to an already terrifying pipeline. Nomar Garciaparra and friends all joined a system that was already stacked. If they weren’t in the league, Washington would have the No. 1 farm system.
The good news for Senators fans? You’re still set up for long-term success, and unlike Chicago, your big-league team is already contending. Not a bad place to be.
Got more questions? Rumors? Psychic predictions? Send them to dblrumors@gmail.com and you might just get the Wexler treatment next time.