Here’s a roundup of reactions to Ben Zobrist’s reported four-year, $56MM pact with the Cubs and their trade of infielder Starlin Castro to the Yankees for Adam Warren and Brendan Ryan.
- The Cubs are hoping Zobrist’s decreased production last year was due primarily to his knee injury and that he can approach the levels of performance he had previously established, ESPN’s Jonah Keri writes. WAR rated Zobrist as one of baseball’s best players from 2009 through 2014 and, as Keri notes, Zobrist’s versatility added value that WAR doesn’t reflect.
- Zobrist’s deal should help move the markets for hitters like Yoenis Cespedes, Justin Upton and Alex Gordon, August Fagerstrom of FanGraphs writes. Fagerstrom also notes that the structure of Zobrist’s contract (which only pays him $10MM next season) and the salary-shedding trade of Castro to the Yankees strongly suggest that the Cubs can continue to make moves, particularly given that they were willing to bid heavily on David Price.
- The Zobrist contract and the Castro deal improve the Cubs, but perhaps not enough to justify the expense, ESPN’s Keith Law writes (Insider-only). Exchanging Castro for Zobrist and Adam Warren should improve the Cubs by “a couple wins” next season, but the end of Zobrist’s contract could be ugly, given that advanced fielding numbers suggest his defense has already declined.
- Zobrist is a great match for the Cubs, FOX Sports’ Jon Morosi writes. Since Zobrist rarely strikes out, he fits well with the strikeout-heavy Cubs offense, and since he can play multiple positions, he’ll help the Cubs find the best spots to use young players like Kyle Schwarber and Javier Baez. Meanwhile, they can effectively pay three quarters of Zobrist’s contract with money they previously owed Castro.
Building a team seems easy these days. Keeping a team in contention seems to be a while different story. Not sure how this will play out. Castro eastablished himself as an inconsistent player but his contract seemed friendlier than what the cubs have given to Benny (more dollars over the same length and to a player 10 years older than Castro)
But Zobrist has a much higher OBP…… and the Cubs get a sneaky good pitcher in Warren. Between the Lackey, Zobrist, and Heyward adds i actually think the Warren add via trade will be the one viewed as the most valuable. In the NL I can see Warren become a SOLID middle of the rotation SP….. if given the opportunity to start, and he possibly could become a fringe #2. I think he has more upside than Shelby Miller. If he fails as a starter in Chicago he’s already proven he is a solid reliever.
Back to Zobrist though, IMO he really only has to be just a good player. I’m not expecting much more than .265 BA and .340+ OBP from him. He might see a bump in HR production though coming to Wrigley. If he can just keep that OBP above .340 for at least 3 years I say this is a good move. I mean he has Heyward, Rizzo, Bryant, Schwarber, and Soler (for now) hitting around him. His job is to just get on base so the other young guns can drive him in. By the time his contract expires Gleyber Torres should be ready (he’s only 19 in 2016).
What are the Cubs doing here? We added an older player on the decline and traded Castro away for nothing. I sense Castro was a salary dump that will lead to Heyward being signed. Heyward is the most over rated player in baseball.
Agreed
Agreed but his age plus talent gets him a 100 mil stop it there we have home products that can hit better in a year Solar Beaz maybe and Almora in 3 years maybe 2
wow, your valuation on Warren is incredibly wrong. Warren is one of the best under the radar additions this offseason. IMO, Warren has way more upside than Shelby Miller. He’s at least got way better and promising stats than Miller does.
As for heyward. He’s a solid hitter. He plays spectacular defense, something no one on the Cubs really does other than maybe Russell. His defense should aid in the less than stellar defense of Schwarber and Soler on either side of him. He’s also still only 26. Coming to HR friendly Wrigley could see that 20 HR power return. If it does he’s a 20-20 player who will hit at least .270 and get on base at a .350+ clip. That’s stellar.
The Cubs are a better team than they were on Monday night. Zobrist is a steady hitter, and could lead off 140 games for the Cubs. They figure to add either a Heyward type with more Castro-like trades, a Ben Revere-type without further trades, or possibly a mild overpay to add a Jackie Bradley, Jake Marisnick-type.
With the in-house depth, don’t go to sleep on them adding a Teoscar Hernandez or Jake Cave in the Rule 5 draft. They need a cheap bench option, and the Rule 5 Draft is good for those types.
Warren had a WHIP of under 1.2 in a DH league, and is another skeleton key type for a deep pitching staff.
You must be crazy. if you think the off-season moves of adding two aging players and trading away Castro for nothing makes the cubs a better team!!
Good teams don’t do rule 5 but Szur with Beaz will be fine in CF till Almora shows what we know what he beings true leadership like Ross and young enough to be Ross son
Pure salary dump to get Joe’s guy.
My only question is why get brendan Ryan if your trading your 2b for your new 2b. That makes no sense. Unless he’s flipped for something better maybe him and a prospect for Matt Moore or Jake Odorizzi
Brendan Ryan will not get you anything close to Moore or Odorizzi.
Brendan Ryan is certainly one of the best fielding middle infielders in MLB.
Not a great hitter at all.
Multiple positions
Professional – allegedly great teammate in clubhouse.
Wasn’t he a ex cub prospect blocked by Barney back in the day ? Or is there 2 with the same name
I do not like these moves. The Cubs have added a lot of age to what was a very good young team. Zobrist (34), Ryan (34), Lackey (37). Castro will collect his 1,000th hit, at 26 years old, for the Yankees. Zobrist has about 150 more hits, but is 8 years older. I understand the plate patience and switch hitting, but really we already had the left side of the plate covered with Coghlan.
Are you kidding me? Just because they added a couple of very good veterans doesn’t mean they aren’t still an outstanding young team.
They added leadership and postseason experience, not to mention a couple of very talented players. This team is better than they were at the close of last season, and they’re likely not done.
Agreed but leadership is hard to fine look at D.Ross over look his .189batting AVG omg keep the kids Hoyer
I’ve been a Cubs fan since 1959 and I reckon these deals are worse than not winning the World Series for a century, the Brock trade and the death of Ernie Banks. Why didn’t they just release Castro and then forfeit the 2016 season?
Theo this smells like ego like your first year here then you got it together but Wazz up with this winter wow
I’m a Cubs fan, do other Cubs fans realize how bad Castro has been? The Cubs were lucky he rebounded the last two months so they could unload his horrible contract. To complain about the ages of Lackey and Zobrist is asinine, the Cubs aren’t rebuilding anymore, they’re loading up to try to win the World Series. Both players improve their chances. Players that both won World Series rings and will provide veteran leadership which is very underrated. Lackey had a career best ERA last year and has been a post season hero, Zobrist is one of the most versatile players in the league, great OBP and contact hitter that didn’t strike out unlike the rest of the team who led the majors in strikeout. One of only 3 teams ever to strikeout more than 1000 times. Again the Cubs are no longer rebuilding, they need to contend now.
It is okay to have your opinion. For me, I have always liked Starlin Castro and I think the move to second base really helped relax him and it showed in his hitting rebound. I think the Yankees made a great deal here.
And Castro was someone the young Cubs considered a leader, is a better player than Zobrist and is certainly a team first guy, something Baez is NOT.
If the team was looking at him as a leader, all the more reason to ship him out. He was the worst attitude the team had, so why would you want that as your leader? I would rather have someone who plays hard, plays smart, gives 110% effort at all times.
Worst attitude on the team? Yeah, a 3 time all-star loses his position to a rookie and doesn’t make a stink, just improves himself, plays a new position and wins that2B job on merit. Give me that “bad attitude” with all 25 of my players any day….
Beaz will be fine just don’t trade what you made us wait on for years( keep the kids).
Don’t care about that why trade for Solar if he got the Publisity Bryant or Addison and lil Babe got he couldn’t be touched maybe more valuable- stick to your plan Theo no more Ross deals Zoberiest is good but in two years Beaz will be better believe in your own plan you solved down are throats
@jammin502 it’s almost a guarantee they don’t keep Ryan. He doesn’t fit with the cubs team. Plus he was probably a throw in player. They traded a 2b to sign zobrist then get another 2b. They should have got another pitcher.
“The Cubs are hoping Zobrist’s decreased production last year was due primarily to his knee injury and that he can approach the levels of performance he had previously established, ESPN’s Jonah Keri writes”
What? Zobrist just had his best season since 2012.
Why is everyone worrying about this deal?!? Do you realize that we had the success we had last year not because of Castro but because of other multiple reasons (Arrieta breakout, swarm of rookies, Joe Maddons coaching style, etc…)??? I mean the fact that we got a proven veteran player in Zobrist who can play multiple positions and feels comfortable with Maddon is a great signing for a team that looks like World Series contenders next year. You need proven veterans to win in the post season. He’s a World Series champion. He knows how to win just like Lackey does. So, is it a little scary seeing a 3x All-Star with potential to get back on track traded for a relief pitcher and INF who more than likely won’t make the team?Absolutely. But this deal dumps salary for us to sign Heyward possibly or someone else, adds a veteran presence who is versatile, and helps this team win in the post season. This team is young so it’s the perfect time to add a couple of veterans or three to balance the mixture.
I don’t buy into the “you need veteran players that have won in the playoffs”” in order to win. What you need are players that continue what they did during the regular season or get hot at the right time. The game is still played the same way. You can preach mental toughness but sometimes ignorance is bliss is just as effective. That said, if these moves help them get Heyward, I will feel a little better about it. Right now we still have a hole in CF and all we have done is exchange second basemen.
Ben Zobrist has a fine collection of Donruss Diamond Kings cards, his Ed Whitson is the jewel of his hoard. Zobrist still is not speaking with former mate Ryan Hanigan after Ryan creased his Ivan Calderon.
What could be a potential line up…
1. Zobrist
2. Russell
3. Bryant
4. Rizzo
5. Schwarber
6. Baez
7. Montero
8. Soler
9. Pitcher
What you guys think? It could change a ton if Heyward signs..
I really think that the Cubs will bring back Fowler and I love the idea of having 2 players at the top of the lineup that can switch hit and get on base. This is mine:
1. Fowler CF
2 Zobrist 2B
3 Bryant 3B
4 Rizzo 1B
5 Schwarber LF
6 Soler RF
7 Montero C
8 Pitcher
9 Russell SS
I like your lineup but Montereo won’t be there by July trade dead line it’s going to be Szur in CF and Almora in July plus Wilson Contraras switching with Lil babe at catcher
Solar batting 9th lol