10:13 p.m. EST update: According to Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times, negotiations between the Cubs and Ryan Dempster are “not happening” and a reunion is “implausible.”
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9:10 p.m. EST update: ESPNChicago.com’s Bruce Levine says the Cubs and Dempster are discussing the parameters of a deal. Dempster spent 8 1/2 seasons with the Cubs before being traded to the Rangers in July.
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Holding out for a three-year contract, Ryan Dempster turned down a two-year, $26 million deal from the Royals, according to the Kansas City Star’s Bob Dutton.
Dempster asked the Royals to go to three years, but that appears to be a deal breaker for Kansas City.
Besides Kansas City, Boston and Milwaukee appear to be the prime suitors for Dempster. The Red Sox have already handed out a pair of three-year, $39 million contracts to Mike Napoli and Shane Victorino, so what’s one more?
The Angels were also interested in Dempster, but they’ve backed away now, says CBSSports.com’s Jon Heyman.
Dempster went 5-5 with a 2.25 ERA in 16 starts for the Cubs and 7-3 with a 5.09 ERA in 12 starts for the Rangers last season. While the latter mark doesn’t speak well of his ability to pitch in the AL, he did have a 70/25 K/BB ratio in 69 innings with Texas.
