Outfielder David DeJesus has reportedly reached an agreement to sign with the Cubs, tweets FoxSports.com’s Ken Rosenthal. He is expected to be Chicago’s starting right fielder. Sports Illustrated’s Jon Heyman reports that the deal is for two years and $10 million, with an option for a third year.

DeJesus spent last season with the Athletics, hitting .240 with 10 home runs and 46 RBIs. Prior to his stint in Oakland in 2011, DeJesus played the first eight years of his MLB career as a member of the Royals. DeJesus batted .289 over the course of his time in Kansas City.

Rosenthal also tweeted that the Cubs are bringing in DeJesus to replace Alfonso Soriano, who Theo Epstein and the Cubs front office are trying to move. According to FoxSports.com’s Jon Morosi, Epstein, as GM of the Red Sox, tried to acquire DeJesus from the Royals in 2010 before the left-handed hitter tore the tendon in his left thumb.

The Red Sox explored the market for outfielder David DeJesus before he was traded to the Athletics on Wednesday. (AP)

Not all offseason roads for the Red Sox lead to Carl Crawford or Jayson Werth.

For the second time in four months, according to a major league source, the Red Sox made a run at acquiring outfielder David DeJesus from the Royals. In July, prior to the trade deadline, the Sox had made an aggressive bid for the 30-year-old, who was amidst a career-best season in Kansas City, hitting .318/.384/.443/.827. In the summer — with a chance to benefit from the outfielder’s services in both 2010 (for the remainder of his $4.7 million salary) and 2011 (for a $6 million option) — the Sox were willing to discuss multiple top 10 prospects with the Royals.

However, Boston drew the line on including left-hander Felix Doubront (this was at the time when the Sox committed to the idea of using Doubront as a reliever for the duration of the year in hopes of bolstering a flagging bullpen). And so, the Sox might have fallen short in their pursuit of DeJesus over the summer. That pursuit was rendered irrelevant, however, when the outfielder tore a ligament in his right thumb on July 22, just prior to the trade deadline.

This offseason, the Sox once again made a run at DeJesus, but apparently, the summer dynamic played out once again, suggesting that the Sox and Royals did not see eye-to-eye on which prospects might be included in a deal. That, in turn, set the stage for the Royals to deal DeJesus to the Athletics in exchange for right-handed starter Vin Mazzaro (expected to start the year in the Kansas City rotation) and left-hander Justin Marks (who will open the year in High-A Wilmington).

Though the Sox did not acquire DeJesus, their pursuit of him is revealing on a few of levels: Read the rest of this entry »

Buster Olney

ESPN’s Buster Olney joined Dennis & Callahan on Thursday to discuss the current rumors and speculations regarding the Red Sox. With the MLB trade deadline rapidly approaching, Olney discussed a few names that the Sox may explore and talked about the possibility of the club picking up David Ortiz’ option in 2011.

On if general manager Theo Epstein has to make a decision to be a buyer, seller or an obtainer:

“I do think he has that decision, and I do think that is kind of what they’ve been waiting on. Give it more time to decide whether to pour resources into the 2010 team to make sure they are not in a situation where they are pouring paint down a hole. … And it’s interesting because the Phillies are in the same situation where they are kind of sitting there saying, ‘You know what, lets see if we can add guys who cannot only help us, maybe get back into this thing in 2010, but guys who can help us next year.’ That’s why a Corey Hart might be a good fit for the Red Sox, and I know yesterday activity around the Brewers outfielder really picked up a lot more.

“And maybe if they start to fall out of it a little bit more, maybe they get less interested in a guy like Scott Downs, the reliever from Toronto who is a free agent at the end of this year. Go for the guys who have four to five years of service time rather than go for players who are going to be eligible for free agency in the fall.”

On if the Sox will be fine with just having their injured players return and not making a trade:

“I also think another factor is they have to look at the landscape of their division and say, ‘You know what, even if we add something, we spend resources to improve the 2010 team, bottom line is we maybe chasing the two best teams in baseball.’ That’s a dynamic they have to deal with and I think the GMs in the other divisions really don’t have to worry about.” Read the rest of this entry »

ANAHEIM, Calif. — Blue Jays catcher John Buck is hardly unbiased on the subject of David DeJesus. The two were Royals teammates from 2004-09, and even now that Buck has gone to Toronto, he still considers the Kansas City outfielder one of his best friends in the game.

Even so, after years spent watching DeJesus play, Buck feels like he is in a good position to appreciate the outfielder’s talents. Indeed, Buck suggests that DeJesus has been underrated by the baseball world as a result of his relative obscurity, and that he would represent a great all-around fit — offensive, defensive and in the clubhouse — for a team in contention.

“I don’t think he gets enough credit,” said Buck. “He does it so subtly, because I think he’s a good ballplayer. He goes about his business. He’s not too flashy. He just gets it done and stays consistent. At the end of the year, he’s got really good numbers.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone have as consistent of at-bats as he does. He never gives away an at-bat. He always seems to be putting competitive at-bats, no matter what the situation is, no matter what type of pitcher it is. Plus, he was in the running for a Gold Glove last year [even though he plays] in left field.”

DeJesus, 30, is currently enjoying perhaps the finest of his seven big league seasons. He is hitting .326 with a .395 OBP, .460 slugging mark and .855 OPS, all of which would represent career highs. He has a grinding approach to his plate appearances, averaging 3.96 pitches per plate appearance.

“You watch him, he’ll see 10 pitches in an at-bat. I think that’s what makes him so good. Plus, he’s not just a slap hitter,” said Buck. “He’s gap to gap and will hit a home run every once in a while. He’s not just singles hitter.”

All of those attributes would make DeJesus an intriguing addition to any contender. And, after spending his career playing for a team that has been out of contention every summer, Buck believes that his friend would relish the opportunity to step into a pennant race.

“I think he would love to [compete in a pennant race],” said Buck. “Knowing his personality, I think he would be excited to play for something meaningful.”

DeJesus is currently making $4.7 million in the final season of a five-year, $13.8 million deal that includes a $6 million option and $500,000 buyout for the 2011 season. He is both good and affordable, at least in dollars. Whether a contender also finds him worth the cost in players sought by the Royals (described as significant by baseball sources) remains to be seen, but the interest in such a player will no doubt be extensive.

ANAHEIM, Calif. — According to FoxSports.com, the Red Sox spoke to the Royals roughly 10 days ago about the availability of outfielder David DeJesus, who is hitting .326 with a .395 OBP and .855 OPS for the fourth-place club. The report said that the clubs plan to stay in contact about the left-handed hitting outfielder.

A major league source said that the cost of acquiring the outfielder, who is on a $4.7 million deal this year with a $6 million option for 2011, is currently rich, and considered it unlikely that the Sox would pursue DeJesus unless Kansas City seeks less in return than is currently the case. That said, outfield production remains an obvious area for potential improvement on the Sox, given that the team’s injury-depleted unit has a collective .758 OPS that ranks 11th in the American League, a .258 average that is 12th and a .326 OBP that is 13th.

While both Jeremy Hermida and Jacoby Ellsbury are slated to return from their rib injuries in the second half, there is some question as to what kind of production the Sox might get from those two players after substantial time on the disabled list, or from Mike Cameron, who has been fighting to stay on the field while playing with an abdominal strain.