Reasonable Trade Discussion

[Eli]

I wonder what it would take to pry Carlos Gomez loose from the Brewers. In-division is a problem, but the Cubs' farm system is good enough to get any team's attention these days. And sorry Milwaukee, but it's a hard pass on Garza.

If the price for Gomez is too high, I still think Parra would be a nice target. But yeah, Gomez would look great setting the table for Rizzo/Bryant/Soler the next two seasons.

[SKO]

I wonder what it would take to pry Carlos Gomez loose from the Brewers. In-division is a problem, but the Cubs' farm system is good enough to get any team's attention these days. And sorry Milwaukee, but it's a hard pass on Garza.

If the price for Gomez is too high, I still think Parra would be a nice target. But yeah, Gomez would look great setting the table for Rizzo/Bryant/Soler the next two seasons.

And then you can move Gomez right as Eddy Julio Martinez or Ian Happ are ready to take over CF. It's gonna hai.

Sidebar: please stop saying the Cubs have a shot at EddyJulio Martinez, anonymous insider people. I don't want my hopes crushed when he goes to the fucking Dodgers. I want the Andruw Jones comp guy. I want him.

[World's #1 Astros Fan]

I wonder what it would take to pry Carlos Gomez loose from the Brewers. In-division is a problem, but the Cubs' farm system is good enough to get any team's attention these days. And sorry Milwaukee, but it's a hard pass on Garza.

If the price for Gomez is too high, I still think Parra would be a nice target. But yeah, Gomez would look great setting the table for Rizzo/Bryant/Soler the next two seasons.

And then you can move Gomez right as Eddie Julio Martinez or Ian Happ are ready to take over CF. It's gonna hai.

Intrepid Reader: Jorge Soler:  And where the hell am I going to play?  Defensive End for the Bears?

[SKO]

I wonder what it would take to pry Carlos Gomez loose from the Brewers. In-division is a problem, but the Cubs' farm system is good enough to get any team's attention these days. And sorry Milwaukee, but it's a hard pass on Garza.

If the price for Gomez is too high, I still think Parra would be a nice target. But yeah, Gomez would look great setting the table for Rizzo/Bryant/Soler the next two seasons.

And then you can move Gomez right as Eddie Julio Martinez or Ian Happ are ready to take over CF. It's gonna hai.

Intrepid Reader: Jorge Soler:  And where the hell am I going to play?  Defensive End for the Bears?

Oh you thought I meant move Gomez TO right. No I meant you move Gomez to another team when Happ or Martinez are ready for CF in the big leagues. Jorge stays. Forever. Seriously, even on the off chance Jorge should go bust which one of you wants to tell him to go away? I'm not doing it.

[Shooter]

I wonder what it would take to pry Carlos Gomez loose from the Brewers. In-division is a problem, but the Cubs' farm system is good enough to get any team's attention these days. And sorry Milwaukee, but it's a hard pass on Garza.

That's a good question. I'd be intrigued by this. Even though he's right-handed so far this year he has a better OPS vs. righties than lefties, so they could platoon him with Dexter. He's also still under team control for next year and would make a better stopgap than most of the options available, and I think we're all pretty hesitant to extend Fowler given how the year has gone so far.

I bet they'd have to give up something of value for him but nothing backbreaking. McKinney, a pitcher of some note (Pierce Johnson? Underwood? I don't really care because there's not room for a kid in the rotation for next year anyway probably and as Pen will tell you pretty soon Dylan Cease and Carson Sands will drink the blood of the nonbelievers so Underwood's expendable), some throw ins.

He had an OPS vs. lefties of .993 in 2013 and .828 last year. He's way too good to be a platoon player.

[Saul Goodman]

Maybe they should trade for Cy Leake.

[Saul Goodman]

The latest scuttlebutt says the Cubs are one of four frontrunners for Cole Hamels. Brett said they've been pushing Starlin and Baez. But then he has to get in some of his typical neurotic hemming and hawing so he can never be technically wrong about something he wrote:

*(The phrasing in the article could be read as the Cubs trying to package both Castro and Baez, but that's almost certainly not what the intention is. Sometimes "and" can be a tricky conjunction, meaning something closer to "or." I think that's the case here.)

Despite that disclaimer, wouldn't you trade Castro and Baez for Hamels? If that's all I had to give up, I think I would. Hamels is worth that, no?

[InternetApex]

The latest scuttlebutt says the Cubs are one of four frontrunners for Cole Hamels. Brett said they've been pushing Starlin and Baez. But then he has to get in some of his typical neurotic hemming and hawing so he can never be technically wrong about something he wrote:

*(The phrasing in the article could be read as the Cubs trying to package both Castro and Baez, but that's almost certainly not what the intention is. Sometimes "and" can be a tricky conjunction, meaning something closer to "or." I think that's the case here.)

Despite that disclaimer, wouldn't you trade Castro and Baez for Hamels? If that's all I had to give up, I think I would. Hamels is worth that, no?

Even I would do that. But I don't see how the Phillies couldn't do better elsewhere.

[Chuck to Chuck]

The latest scuttlebutt says the Cubs are one of four frontrunners for Cole Hamels. Brett said they've been pushing Starlin and Baez. But then he has to get in some of his typical neurotic hemming and hawing so he can never be technically wrong about something he wrote:

*(The phrasing in the article could be read as the Cubs trying to package both Castro and Baez, but that's almost certainly not what the intention is. Sometimes "and" can be a tricky conjunction, meaning something closer to "or." I think that's the case here.)

Despite that disclaimer, wouldn't you trade Castro and Baez for Hamels? If that's all I had to give up, I think I would. Hamels is worth that, no?

Even I would do that. But I don't see how the Phillies couldn't do better elsewhere.

If they are looking for quantity, probably. But could they get one guy with as high a ceiling as Baez?

[Saul Goodman]

The latest scuttlebutt says the Cubs are one of four frontrunners for Cole Hamels. Brett said they've been pushing Starlin and Baez. But then he has to get in some of his typical neurotic hemming and hawing so he can never be technically wrong about something he wrote:

*(The phrasing in the article could be read as the Cubs trying to package both Castro and Baez, but that's almost certainly not what the intention is. Sometimes "and" can be a tricky conjunction, meaning something closer to "or." I think that's the case here.)

Despite that disclaimer, wouldn't you trade Castro and Baez for Hamels? If that's all I had to give up, I think I would. Hamels is worth that, no?

Even I would do that. But I don't see how the Phillies couldn't do better elsewhere.

From MLBTR:

A pair of AL execs opined that the Phillies will be able to get back at least one "huge prospect [for Hamels]."

Baez should have just as much if not more upside than anyone the Phillies would be able to get, right?  Just because Javy struggled in his first call-up as a rookie doesn't mean he still doesn't have electric power potential.  And his playing better at Triple-A might help the Phillies dream on him a little bit (Baez certainly strikes me as more of a MacPhail guy than a Theo guy, for what that's worth.)  Add Castro on top of that and that might come close to a reasonable return for Hamels.  If the reports that say league interest in Papelbon is cooling are true, throw him in there too since the Cubs can definitely use him, then if you convince Philly to eat enough money to facilitate a run at David Price in the offseason you can let them have another top 100, top 150 prospect.  Then you still have plenty of pieces to find a bat.  I'm not a huge fan of selling low on Castro but if it gets you Hamels and Papelbon and gets his dead bat out of the lineup it might be worth it.  Deal?

[SKO]

Cubs trade: Castro AND Baez, along with Underwood and Vogelbach and maybe some others, for Hamels and Papelbon's full contract.

Cubs Trade: Billy McKinney back to Oakland for Zobrist.

Cubs as of August 1st:

Fowler CF
Zobrist 2B
Rizzo 1B
Bryant 3B
Schwarber C
Soler RF
Chris Platoon LF
Pitcher
Russell SS

Rotation:

Arrieta
Lester
Hamels
Hammel
Hendricks

Bullpen:

Papelbon
Rondon
Strop
Motte
Strop
Ramirez
Russell
Wood (DFA Soriano)

Zobrist is allowed to walk in the offseason as the defending champion Cubs sign Howie Kendrick to a two year deal to play 2B until Ian Happ takes over.

IT'S GONNA HAI.

[InternetApex]

Cubs trade: Castro AND Baez, along with Underwood and Vogelbach and maybe some others, for Hamels and Papelbon's full contract.

Cubs Trade: Billy McKinney back to Oakland for Zobrist.

Cubs as of August 1st:

Fowler CF
Zobrist 2B
Rizzo 1B
Bryant 3B
Schwarber C
Soler RF
Chris Platoon LF
Pitcher
Russell SS

Rotation:

Arrieta
Lester
Hamels
Hammel
Hendricks

Bullpen:

Papelbon
Rondon
Strop
Motte
Strop
Ramirez
Russell
Wood (DFA Soriano)

Zobrist is allowed to walk in the offseason as the defending champion Cubs sign Howie Kendrick to a two year deal to play 2B until Ian Happ takes over.

IT'S GONNA HAI.

You either really love Strop or you really hate him.

[SKO]

Cubs trade: Castro AND Baez, along with Underwood and Vogelbach and maybe some others, for Hamels and Papelbon's full contract.

Cubs Trade: Billy McKinney back to Oakland for Zobrist.

Cubs as of August 1st:

Fowler CF
Zobrist 2B
Rizzo 1B
Bryant 3B
Schwarber C
Soler RF
Chris Platoon LF
Pitcher
Russell SS

Rotation:

Arrieta
Lester
Hamels
Hammel
Hendricks

Bullpen:

Papelbon
Rondon
Strop
Motte
Strop
Ramirez
Russell
Wood (DFA Soriano)

Zobrist is allowed to walk in the offseason as the defending champion Cubs sign Howie Kendrick to a two year deal to play 2B until Ian Happ takes over.

IT'S GONNA HAI.

You either really love Strop or you really hate him.

The two Strop bullpen is the best idea since the 50 Theriot roster and I'll not have you nay saying.

[InternetApex]

Cubs trade: Castro AND Baez, along with Underwood and Vogelbach and maybe some others, for Hamels and Papelbon's full contract.

Cubs Trade: Billy McKinney back to Oakland for Zobrist.

Cubs as of August 1st:

Fowler CF
Zobrist 2B
Rizzo 1B
Bryant 3B
Schwarber C
Soler RF
Chris Platoon LF
Pitcher
Russell SS

Rotation:

Arrieta
Lester
Hamels
Hammel
Hendricks

Bullpen:

Papelbon
Rondon
Strop
Motte
Strop
Ramirez
Russell
Wood (DFA Soriano)

Zobrist is allowed to walk in the offseason as the defending champion Cubs sign Howie Kendrick to a two year deal to play 2B until Ian Happ takes over.

IT'S GONNA HAI.

You either really love Strop or you really hate him.

The two Strop bullpen is the best idea since the 50 Theriot roster and I'll not have you nay saying.

Oh, so you have another Strop up your sleeve. Well, that's brilliant. I thought you were going to double his workload but this checks out.

[R-V]

Joe Sheehan on the depressing Starlin Castro situation.

Javier Baez's broken left fing finger was poorly timed not just for him, but for the Cubs, who are playing a zero at shortstop. Starlin Castro is actually worse than that, posting a -0.9 bWAR on the back of a .272 OBP and below-average defense at shortstop. It's the second disastrous season in three for a 25-year-old who may be the most frustrating player in baseball.

Castro was a good player at 20 and, three years into his career, was legitimately on a Hall of Fame track: 529 hits, 8.0 bWAR, clear improvement in the field and at the plate. Since then...look at the numbers.

Starlin Castro's Career

               PA    AVG   OBP  SLG  SB  CS  dWAR
2010-12  1912   .297  .336  .425   57  30   1.2
2013-15  1663   .259  .300  .369   17  13  -0.3

The Cubs needed Castro to build on last year so that he'd be an attractive trade chip. Four months ago, Castro looked like someone who could be a shortstop for a contender through his peak, one signed to a team-friendly deal paying less than $10M a year through 2019. Now, he looks like Elvis Andrus with less speed and defense. The Cubs had three shortstops not long ago. Now they have an albatross, a rushed rookie not hitting at second base, and a guy on the minor-league DL.

This is already a problem, because it doesn't take much watching the Cubs to realize that they've got their middle infield backwards. Addison Russell has been great at second base, in part because he's a good shortstop playing over there. He's much better than Castro with the glove, and he's playing out of position because Castro was born sooner. That's fine for half a season or so, but eventually, the Cubs are going to have to commit to the player who actually will be part of their core in 2018, even if it means pissing off the player who won't be.

Castro likely won't be traded until the offseason; he's played terribly and, with Baez hurt, the Cubs don't have the logjam they might have had otherwise. However, they can't go into 2016 with Russell at second base and Baez in the minors. It's bad for Russell and bad for the organization. I'm not sure what Castro can be at this point, but I'm sure what he can't be: a Cub.

Three ideas, and I'm not saying any of these are deadline deals or even doable:

1) Castro to the Padres for Ian Kennedy
2) Castro to the White Sox for Alexei Ramirez and Jeff Samardzija
3) Castro to the Twins for Aaron Hicks and Alex Meyer