This front office is not flawless. Ian Stewart and Jason Heyward say hello. And in Boston, Carl Crawford and a host of others say hello.
Really? A failure 100 games into the contract? For a 26 year old?
This front office is not flawless. Ian Stewart and Jason Heyward say hello. And in Boston, Carl Crawford and a host of others say hello.
I'm not going to say I hate the deal. I don't love it either.
We're giving up:
1. A 19 year old A-ball prospect who is a very good prospect, but not as good a prospect as the two middle infielders who are already here and producing. Torres may be good, but there's probably a better than 50% chance that he won't be as good as either Russel or Baez.
2. A long reliever/swing man that has been awful this year. The likelihood of Warren contributing anything meaningful for the remainder of this season is slim. While he could fix whatever is wrong with him and be a contributor over the next couple years, he's the type of player that can be replaced relatively easily and cheaply.
3. McKinney has turned into a corner outfielder who doesn't hit for power. He looks like he may never be more than a fifth outfielder at best, and maybe not even that as it looks like he can't play center field anymore.
4. The fourth guy whose name I've already forgotten is a nobody.
In other words, the Cubs haven't given up anybody who is likely to be a major contributor to a World Series run at any point over the next 3 or 4 years, while gaining a guy who absolutely makes them better right now.
The problems:
1. He doesn't make them THAT much better - maybe 2 more games in the standings and maybe 3 runs saved over an entire playoff run - and we all would have wanted more tangible immediate impact or the prospect of a long-term impact in return for this package.
2. He simply isn't a likable guy you want to root for.
I guess one point worth making is that Chapman would have quite likely been one of the Cubs' top free agent targets, and this trade makes it such that if you extend him now or after the season the Cubs would not lose a compensatory draft pick. Whereas if the Cubs had not made the trade and signed him as a free agent, they likely would lose the draft pick. So if the Cubs do later extend Chapman you could arguably add that first round draft pick to the Cubs side of the ledger in evaluating the trade.
This front office is not flawless. Ian Stewart and Jason Heyward say hello.
Really? A failure 100 games into the contract? For a 26 year old?
the Cubs haven't given up anybody who is likely to be a major contributor to a World Series run at any point over the next 3 or 4 years
Really? A failure 100 games into the contract? For a 26 year old?
Torres and McKinney could have been pieces in a Jose Quintana-type deal in the offseason to replace Jason Hammel. Now it will unquestionably take current MLB pieces to get that kind of move done.
Totally disagree, in this way:
Andrew Cashner, Scott Feldman, Luis Valbuena and Ryan Dempster are all major contributors of the current Cubs run, because of what they were able to bring in return in trades.
The package surrendered for Chapman is worth way, way more than the 1-ish WAR we can expect in return. The opportunity cost of those resources is enormous.
Torres and McKinney could have been pieces in a Jose Quintana-type deal in the offseason to replace Jason Hammel. Now it will unquestionably take current MLB pieces to get that kind of move done.
No. It would take a lot more to get Quintana. As poorly and my team's management is, there is no way that that would be even close to enough to get Quintana. Torres could not be the best player in a deal for Quintana in my opinion.
I understand what you're saying and I don't disagree with you so much as I have faith that Hoyer and Epstein know what they're doing.
They know better than we do that they've got a two-year window with this starting pitching staff and that there is literally no one in next year's free agency class that will be of any help come 2018 when Arrieta, Lackey, and Hammel are all free agents and Lester turns 87 years old (or whatever).
I have to assume they have a plan in which someone other than Hendricks is on the starting pitching staff after 2017. I don't know how they get there from here, but I assume they do.
It certainly helps that every position player that matters other than Fowler is locked up for the next five years or so.
So why this move that barely budges the needle of their chances to win the WS?
I'm just bummed out by this whole thing.
I hope it works out with Heyward. With his swing, I have my doubts. I forgot to mention Edwin Jackson.
I think you're missing the overall effect this move has on the pitching staff.
Must be real hard for people to realize that Heyward wasn't given 180 mil for his bat... common sense is rare around here.
Outfield defense was a major weakness of this team last year and Heyward literally takes runs away from the other team.
That's a lot of money for just elite defense.
and?
that's the market nowadays. sorry.
I'm a White Sox fan and not that locked into the Cubs. I'd be lying if I said I knew what they have in the bullpen. But, for a team like the Cubs I like this deal in general. You gave up a 19 year-old with a lot of upside. But that's all it is - upside. He's so far away, that you give him up for a player that you think can put you over the top when you are already this good. You don't buy Chapman to make the playoffs, you buy him to win in the playoffs.
Chapman is a difference maker. If your in a tough situation in the postseason, say runners on 2 and 3 with nobody out and a 1 run lead, Chapman is the type of guy you want. He can get out of that situation regardless of who is at the plate.
I love trades like this when it's an already stacked team like the cubs. Some will say, oh it's only an extra win. But when you have a team like the Cubs you trade for situational players. Chapman fills a big situation that will likely come up.
1 WAR. Maybe.
Miguel Gonzalez for Bryant straight up. Who says no?
Miguel Gonzalez for Bryant straight up. Who says no?
I love his effort but I have a strong feeling Baez is going to get too cute and cost us an important run come October. I hope I'm wrong.