Here’s the latest from the NL Central…
- The Brewers are off to a terrible start, and Fangraphs’ Mike Petriello opines that the club might not be able to turn things around given injuries, a lack of starting pitching depth and the few players who are performing well are due for regression. Petriello suggests the team erred by taking one last run at a playoff berth and now they’ll have a tough time rebuilding immediately due to a lack of both quality prospects and obviously tradeable veterans.
- The Cubs have been drastically overhauled by Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer, as Baseball America’s J.J. Cooper illustrates just how starkly different the team’s roster is today than it was just four seasons ago.
- Addison Russell’s promotion to the Cubs’ Major League roster could lead to even more whispers that Starlin Castro could (or even should) be traded, yet Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times disagrees. Castro is off to a strong start in 2015 and seems to be ever-improving, not to mention his youth (he’s still just 25) and team-friendly contract.
- Pirates shortstop Jordy Mercer underwent tests yesterday to confirm that he suffered nothing more severe than a bruise after being struck in the chest by a Matt Garza fastball when squaring to bunt, writes MLB.com’s Tom Singer. Jung-ho Kang will again start for the Bucs at shortstop today, and GM Neal Huntington again defended the decision to keep Kang on the roster despite a lack of consistent at-bats. “Ten plate appearances, on top of 30 in Spring Training, is an awfully quick rush to judgment in our mind,” said Huntington. “…There would be nothing gained by having him play in the Minor Leagues. The best way for him to get used to hitting Major League pitching is to hit Major League pitching, albeit in a limited role.
Any team is starkly different from just four seasons ago. Not just the cubs
Phillies but lets just not go there.
lol
The Kubs much more than others.
I’m not sure that is true. I follow the Rays and Evan Longoria is the only regular still on the team from 2011.
I was about to say this.
That piece simply pointed out the changes in the roster.
Most rosters turn completely over after 4-5 years.
I hate hearing a drumbeat to trade Castro when no one else in the org has proved they can out produce him on a daily basis. Makes no sense. Both Baez and Alcantara have faltered SO FAR, lets see someone produce in the ML before you have conversations about trading the one guy in the middle who is producing.
I think Rizzo would beg to differ that noone in the organization can out produce him. If I could get a ML ready arm and a couple young prospects with promise, I’d trade Castro in a heartbeat
I’m pretty sure he meant there are no middle infielders that can out produce Castro
Yes, as Tesseract noted, I’m talking about middle infielders.
But why do you want prospects when the team wants to contend now and needs ML proven pitchers and ML proven hitters not prospects. The team is no longer in a rebuild and should not be trading ML proven assets for unknowns like a pitcher who is ML “ready” or prospects, Cubs aren’t the Tampa Bay Rays.
And who do you put at SS now then, just assume Russell can produce from day 1?
That is just it though. I doubt they find that. It is the package that a trade would warrant, but no one is probably going to give that up. The only team I forsee doing that would possibly be the Phillies in a trade for Hamels, which I would be completely content with.
Pitching can be bought in next years FA class and the Cubbies have the money to spend, and the guys who can fill the 3-5 spot and be just fine. If they can get a guy like Price or Zimmerman, a rotation of Lester, Price, Arrieta, Wood, Hammel, and Edwards if he is ready is nothing to be sad about. Even if Edwards doesn’t pan out, they can definitely find a buy low guy to fill out the 5th spot and that would be their only weak starter in the rotation.
Keep him until you need to get rid of him. 3 all-star 25 year old, enough said.
Jzim and a prospect for Castro? I’d do it (NOT SAYING Cubs will)
Probably make more sense for the Cubs to try and flip one of the other middle infielders in the system who aren’t currently highly productive in the major leagues for a less highly regarded arm that isn’t going to be a free agent at the end of the year.
Propose a Castro trade and then put a binky in your mouth.
no to trading castro .
I’m going to predict the Cubs land Sonny Gray by the trade deadline. I think they’re going to pick up someone unexpected that’s under control a couple years.
If Sonny is available, and I wouldn’t be surprised with Beane, I hope to God that the Red Sox are in on him.
What would Beane want for Gray? Russell? I kid, but seriously I don’t know what he would demand.
I really don’t either and it would be impossible to predict with Beane. He’s not afraid to take a deal that most don’t like if it has players they are high on. Who knows, maybe he won’t even be available. It’s just something I can see Theo pulling off. I don’t think it will be one of the guys people are expecting to be traded.
Maybe. Looks like Butler has been killing it for the As. Beane has a very strange way of finding talent or buying low. Maybe Baez?
Gray for Baez would be highway robbery. Realistically, Russell alone wouldn’t be enough.
That’s hilarious. Russell is worth way more than Sonny Gray.
He’ll almost certainly have the better career. But a proven All-Star caliber starter has more trade value right now than a guy with one day in the Majors.
Heard coming from 19 Tony Gwynn Drive:
“Just four seasons ago?? Just four seasons ago??? Are you kidding me? If you can’t turn your entire roster over in six weeks, get outta my spotlight!”
It sounds like Preller.
Except the Cubs managed to build an infield along the way.
Trading Castro isn’t the solution to their log jam. Not all prospects pan out. I’d much rather have an above average/all star level short stop who is under a reasonable contract for 6 years than taking my chances with an unproven talent. Besides the best part of having so many Short Stops is that they’re generally the best athletes and can move to another position easier than others.
I’d say you’re even underselling the contract by calling it “reasonable”. He’s a bargain.
I always remember, back in the late 00’s/early 10’s, I was always thinking that I just didn’t want the Brewers to turn into the Astros; that team that’s not sure whether it’s coming or going. And yet, here we are. We are, right now, the late 00’s Astros. We’ve royally screwed ourselves, and we’re at a junction. Do we realize it’s time to start the rebuild process? Or do we keep faking ourselves into thinking this roster will compete?
The Brewers had a winning record 3 out of their last 4 years. I don’t think you can really blame the team for not committing to a rebuild especially when they do have some pretty premium up the middle talent.
Winning record doesn’t mean much when we’ve finished no better than 3rd in the division three years running. I’ll admit that seeing a start this bad coming would have been impossible, but it wasn’t hard to see that we had the potential to be pretty bad. I think even Doug Melvin saw a bit of that when he elected to trade away Gallardo.
Difference between a good and bad front office is knowing when to rebuild BEFORE they have to.
forget the horrid lineup… how many teams in baseball have won anything without a single good pitcher? name one good pitcher Milwaukee has. they have a lot of mediocre pitchers. nobody you can feel confident in.
I think the reason for the trade talk is the fact the Cubs reportedly believe Russell is going to be superior to Castro. If that is the case, they could get more value in a trade of Castro than they would having him man second base. Much easier to find a 2 baseman than a SS.
It all depends on what happens at third base. If Bryant doesn’t stay at third then they could move Castro or Russell there. Baez and Alcantara are riskier prospects given their k rates so Castro is probably only being traded if one of them pans out OR Bryant stays at third.
Bryant can stay at 3rd and we can keep Castro. As you noted, Baez and Mendy have been disappointments to this point. Castro and Russell can form a middle infield for the next decade. No need to trade Castro, just put him at 2nd and watch the magic.
If Baez and/or Mendy get their K rates in order, then they become trade chips, not Castro or Russell.
If you’re watching the Cubs at all this year, I think Castro has thrown a wrench into things by playing a really solid SS so far. He’s being more aggressive on the routine plays that used to bite him and still making the spectacular plays. Russell might be the SS of the future still, but the Cubs don’t have to pull the trigger on a trade right away. And frankly, I’m not sure where they’d look to upgrade at this point that would require Castro or any of the top prospects to be dealt.
Agreed. No point in moving Castro when he’s performing and on a VERY team friendly contract. I think we should keep Castro and Russell, with one moving to 2nd full time.
Baez and Mendy haven’t proven a thing, which is why it’s bothersome when people assume that 2nd is theirs. If one (or both) regain their value, then trade them for a pitcher, not Castro.
The Cubs are NOT trading Castro.