An early morning look at the majors’ East divisions:
- There’s no desperation on the Marlins’ part to trade second baseman Starlin Castro, whom they’ll acquire from the Yankees when the teams’ Giancarlo Stanton trade becomes official, Bob Nightengale of USA Today tweets. With a reasonable $22MM left on Castro’s contract over the next two years, the Marlins believe they’re in position to “wait for the right offer,” per Nightengale. Meanwhile, the Fish are entertaining offers for outfielder Marcell Ozuna, whom the Cardinals “badly desire,” Nightengale notes. Ozuna will make a projected $10.9MM in his penultimate arbitration-eligible season in 2018, and he’s coming off a career year, so moving him would help the Marlins further slash their payroll and improve their weak farm system in one fell swoop.
- The power-needy Red Sox have interest in Cubs left fielder Kyle Schwarber, according to Scott Lauber of ESPN.com, though he casts doubt on the idea of Chicago moving the 24-year-old. The Cubs’ front office has long been bullish on Schwarber, who’s coming off a disappointing season (granted, he did hit 30 home runs) but still under control for five more years. In the seemingly unlikely event the Cubs deal Schwarber to Boston, he’d be a candidate to slot in at first base/designated hitter.
- Keith Law of ESPN (subscription required and recommended) regards the Stanton trade as a “no-brainer” move for the Yankees, arguing that he won’t have to replicate the MVP form he showed off in 2017 to justify the 10-year, $265MM commitment for New York. Law also doesn’t close the door on the Yankees adding Bryce Harper in free agency next year, as he’s of the belief that the former center fielder could still be an option there in the short term. While the Yankees may have cleaned up in the swap, Law regards it as an opportunity lost for Miami because, in addition to Castro, it’ll only get a pair of “fringe prospects” in return for an elite player. Law goes on to assess the prospects, right-hander Jorge Guzman and infielder Jose Devers, in depth.
ohiocat5908
Salazar for Schwarber, who says no?
Ry.the.Stunner
Cubs. Salazar has thrown over 140 IP once in his career and hasn’t really had that great of numbers to begin with. I realize they just signed a pitcher who has durability issues and are pursuing another, but it’s a lot easier to pay for those players than to sell low on Schwarber this year.
ohiocat5908
Would be buying low both ways. Schwarber has no business being in the NL on a team that already has 1B occupied. Any offensive value he gives is almost completely taken away by his horrible defense at any other position.
Yankeepride88
Schwarber is a platoon 1B/DH at best. He cannot hit lefties and is a defensive nightmare. The only value he has is power and years of control. The Cubs would be smart to trade him straight up for an elite closer with control
mikeyank55
He is perfect for the Red Sox. The Boston fans and press will eat him alive and he will be screaming to get out of the jail house.
internet1tough1guy
Platoon DH at best? You obviously have no clue. When he’s played DH and hasn’t had to field he has absolutely crushed the ball. Sure it’s a small sample but it’s fact. He’s much more valuable to a Al team, therefore when he is traded it will be to a Al team and the cubs will get more.. if a trade goes down with the Sox it’ll be for Beni, cubs may have to throw in a ok prospect but that’s the only reasonable trade that makes sense with the sox
JKB 2
A defensive nightmare says Yankeepride88 who watches zero regular season Cubs games. Yea he had a bad play against the Nationals and a bad game as a rookie against the Mets. So what
I love all these blow hards who never see him play say how he has no business being in the NL bla bla must be a DH blabls though defensive metrics say otherwise
Priggs89
Lol. Schwarber for Benni. Good one. Maybe you can add Almora for Betts while you’re at it. Just kidding, the Cubs are already set in RF, so that wouldn’t make sense for them.
ABCD
Kyle, Almora, and Heyward in the outfield. Zobrist and Happ as super utilities. I’m happy.
CubsRebsSaints
AT BEST?!!? At best , no. You should lose your right to speak. At best he continues to get better because he is 24 and ends up a .275 with 40+HR annually.. Last year he was a platoon. If that was his, at-best, we wouldn’t be commenting on this because there wouldn’t be any news of anyone wanting him
mlb1225
JKB. What are you talking about? “Defensive metrics say otherwise”. I’m pretty sure -9 defensive runs saved isn’t too good. Just my opinion, but I think a lot of others would agree with me. He’s too slow and bulky to play OF. And it’s not just two games he’s shown poor OF performance.
Cardsfanatik
You’re high as a kite. Schwarber for Benintendi? Yea, if the cubs are throwing in Baez and something else. Have you watched Benintendi play? I’ve watched them both, and yes, more than once. Schwarber can hit the ball, so can Benintendi, difference here is, Benintendi can also play CF and really really good defense in LF or RF, and can run faster than a sea turtle. Get over yourself and your Schwarber love. He’s a glorified Brandon Moss
brucewayne
Schwarber couldn’t be any worse in LF in Boston than Manny or Hanley were! LoL
seamaholic 2
Cubs fans’ opinions of Schwarber are hilarious. Can’t think of anything remotely like it. Dude’s basically Chris Carter with a bit more of a hit tool.
jasonpen
Dude has had one partial season and one full season recovering from a major knee injury.
Look at his minor league numbers across all levels and tell me he’s Chris Carter.
I bet you gave up on Mike Trout too after he came up and hit .220.
Schwarber will be just fine.
Btw, I hope they don’t trade him for Beinteindi. Schwarber has an Anthony Rizzo ceiling, with more power. I bet the Sox wish they still had him…
Bruin1012
Lol that doesn’t make any sense for the Red Sox. Yes from Cubs point of view they would do that trade in the Blink of an eye. DD would not, not even close it is a one sided trade.
I think JBJ is interesting that is a possibility. I wouldn’t do it but that sounds like something DD might do and the Cubs defense with JBJ in center and Heyward in right would be odd the charts good. This is much more realistic then Benny for Schwarber.
Priggs89
“Anthony Rizzo ceiling” if defense wasn’t part of the game…
Red Ivy
What I’m noticing is if you’re not a cubs fan and you support 1 of the 29 other teams then apparently Kyle schwarber is a bum. Luckily for us Theo said yesterday that “Schwarbs ain’t going no where”
sufferforsnakes
Me. Salazar can still be a force, is young, and controllable. I would move him to the bullpen to replace Shaw.
Jockstrapper
Gross.
benharvey26
I’m not too knowledgeable on Salazar, however as a tigers fan I’ve seen him a bit. It would be intriguing to see him get flipped and become a dominant bullpen arm. Possible increasing some velocity on his FB and providing a late inning option to a team like the cubs. Less innings might mean less injuries—but then again, if he can be an effective starter, there is zero reason to switch.
xkeiserx24
Why would the Indians make that trade. Edwin and schwarber would kill them defensively at first
internet1tough1guy
The cubs lol
Logjammer D"Baggagecling
Theo and Jed hang up laughing. Can’t be a 1 for 1 deal with Schwarber. Gotta be Salazar and a top 20 prospects for Schwaber nothing less.
walls17
Jorge Guzman is not a fringe prospect. Yes he’s still in A ball but he has all the potential in the world to be special
ctguy
Guzman does have potential, but has control problems. He definitely needs some work.
KnicksCavsFan
I’m not sure where this narrative of Guzman having poor control comes from? In 66 IP he allowed 18 BB. That’s hardly problematic. That’s about 2.3 walks/9. He had a whip below 1.10 if I remember correctly. while Devers is completely raw, he LITERALLY just turned 18. Guzman has an extremely high ceiling. His fastball can touch 103, normally sits around 97-100 and has a plus slider that sits around 89 mph. He throws strikes and knows how to pitch off of his fastball. The only issue with him is can he develop a third pitch (his change is average to below average).if the marlins can help him develop another pitch to go with the plus plus FB and plus slider then he can go from a future elite bullpen arm to a possible FOR guy. Some “experts” have talked of putting him in the top 75-125 range. For a stacked system like the Yanks he was listed as their 8th best prospect, put him in most other systems and he would be a top 3-5 guy.
I was surprised that the prospect package was so light and had assumed that, just for the optics alone, the Marlins would come away with more industry recognized names (prospects ranked on top 100 lists). It might end up being that way with Guzman on some soon to be released lists. That being said the head of the Yanks farm was Gary Denbo. He joined the Marlins team this winter. He has intimate knowledge of both guys. Guzman came over from the Astros in the McCann trade and Devers, the cousin of Rafael Devers, just signed out of the Dominican leg and had his first taste of professional ball this year. He’s like a kid fresh out of HS.
I agree that Jeter has an up hill battle to sell this package to the fan base but I have to think the organization has the inside track on both players since the head of the Marlins farm had a major role in bringing them to the Yankees and Denbo has had tremendous success rebuilding the Yanks farm over the last 3 years
InPolesWeTrust
Don’t pee on our heads and call it rain. The Yankees gave up fringe guys, according to all baseball pundits worth their salary, and the marlins did what the marlins always do, screw up a good thing.
xscalabr
There’s actually a very good chance the Marlins will come out bandits in a few years because hindsight
KnicksCavsFan
Dude I’m not trying to put lipstick on a pig here. Take the time to research rather that blather on. I already stated that I felt Jeter should’ve gotten more “vetted” prospects but if Denbo feels like he’s a future top 100 guy then it’s not like he’s the only one. Guzman is far, far from a fringe prospect.
From John Sickels @ minor league baseball
7) Jorge Guzman, RHP, Grade B/B+: Age 21, signed by Astros in 2014 from Dominican Republic, another component of McCann trade; posted 2.30 ERA with 88/18 K/BB in 67 innings in New York-Penn League; outstanding numbers matched with excellent stuff, fastball reported as high as 103 and works at 97-99; slider and change-up are erratic but his command of the fastball and the velocity was too much for most NY-P hitters; tremendous ceiling, though we need to see him at higher levels. ETA 2020.
From Baseball America
Yankees Top 10 Prospects1. Gleyber Torres, SS/3B2. Estevan Florial, OF3. Justus Sheffield, LHP4. Chance Adams, RHP5. Miguel Andujar, 3B6. Albert Abreu, RHP7. Jorge Guzman, RHP8. Luis Medina, RHP9. Thairo Estrada, SS/2B10. Domingo Acevedo, RHP
Also from BA
Ilya (NYC): Are Jorge Guzman & Juan De Paula legitimate pitching prospects? Potential Top 100 Caliber in the future?
J.J. Cooper: Well yeah. The No. 2 ranking for Guzman would seem to indicate that we’re pretty high on him. He ranks just behind one of the top picks in the most recent draft. It wouldn’t surprise me if 5 Staten Island pitchers or more from this staff make it to the majors. It was an impressive pitching staff.
More from BA
2. Guzman’s velocity is super elite. It’ll be a year or two before the Yankees get some impact from the Brian McCann trade, but so far things are looking good. Both Abreu and Guzman are among their top ten prospects, and, according to the Baseball America scouting report, Guzman “averaged 99 mph with his four-seamer in 2017 and just a tick less with his two-seamer.” That is pretty insane. Among qualified pitchers, Luis Severino led MLB with a 97.8 mph average fastball velocity this year. Guzman averaged 99 mph, prompting J.J. Cooper to say he “has a strong argument that he’s the hardest-throwing starting pitcher in baseball.” There is more to pitching than fastball velocity, of course, but the various scouting reports say Guzman made big strides with his secondary stuff and his command this year, so he’s starting to figure some things out. He’s not going to average 99 mph forever because no one does, but he’s starting from such a high baseline that even after losing some velocity in the coming years, he’ll sit mid-90s no problem.
From mlb com on June 30
NEW YORK — Jorge Guzman is a hard-throwing 21-year-old right-hander starting for the short-season Staten Island Yankees. On Monday in the picturesque Ballpark at St. George, Guzman touched 102 miles per hour and threw consistently in the 100s as he went six innings.
Making only his second start, he was electric, allowing just two hits, walking two and striking out seven in a 7-0 blowout win over Aberdeen. The New York-Penn League season has just begun, and the Baby Bombers are 7-1.
“He used his breaking ball a lot, his offspeed pitches, which is a good thing for a guy who throws that hard,” said his manager, Julio Mosquera, after the game. “You have to be able to utilize your offspeed pitches to pitch effectively, and he went out there with a plan.”
The Yankees obtained Guzman, along with right-hander Albert Abreu, in the deal last Nov. 17 that sent veteran catcher Brian McCann to Houston. Both are from the Dominican Republic. Abreu was the linchpin of the deal, but Guzman is already rated as the club’s No. 25-ranked prospect by MLB Pipeline. Abreu ranks 10th on the same list.
slider32
Agreed, Demo knew who he wanted.
Ken M.
Get use to it. Guzman will be organizational fodder by the time the season rolls around.
xscalabr
Want to give a good argument or just throw bs around
Ken M.
Give an argument about Yankee prospects losing their shine after their trade? That one argues itself. Fowler, Mateo, Kaprielian, Rutherford…. the list is endless. How about in reverse? Torres shooting to #1 last year based off 2 weeks in the AZFL??
Varangian
How have Fowler, Mateo and Kaprielian “lost their shine”? All 3 are top prospects in a strong A’s farm system, and will likely contribute in the next year or two.
Nick4747
Schwarber and Justin Wilson for jbj
Yeah I know cubs have outfielders but to put Hayward and jbj in the same outfield would greatly improve defense and Wilson has fell out of favor with the cubs. Red Sox need power in the lineup and a lefty in the pen.
deucebaseman
The only guy the Cubs would want from BOS is Benintendi.
Rickeo02
Stop it
benharvey26
Lol
InPolesWeTrust
Yikes.
Bruin1012
They can wish all they want Benny isn’t going to the Cubs.
Bruin1012
At least not for Schwarber not even close.
rabbleryan
Zero chance the Cubs would ever make that move. None. The Cubs are not hurting for outfield defense and need bullpen pitching. Most importantly, that would be selling low on Schwarber and Wilson. Plus your value is entirely off. Schwarber for Kimbrel, Pomeranz, and Jay Groome is more likely.
EndinStealth
God, I hope you’re kidding.
AidanVega123
That last trade proposal he made was just to point out how unlikely the Schwarber and Wilson for JBJ trade would be.
EndinStealth
Oh ok.
rabbleryan
Correct. Follow along here guy.
InPolesWeTrust
Touché
mlb1225
rabbleryan. Schwarber for Kimbrel, Pomeranz, and Groome? Maybe if you throw in Bryant or Rizzo. Schwarber’s value is way down, after hitting just 211, and only real value was hitting homeruns. He can’t get on base, shown by his 315 obp, and he can’t play OF, shown by his -9 DRS.
Bruin1012
What I have heard some silly trade proposals but wow that is beyond stupid. I rarely like to use the word stupid in these forums but it is the only word I can think of here. I am just trying to help you for future comments when you make a trade proposal look at it from the other side as well.
brucewayne
What? U have to be kidding! I’ve heard it all now! U have to be the worst Cub fan at overvaluing the players than any I’ve read on here!
mikeyank55
The sox will need more than a lefty in the pen with the three Yankee righties.
Prices skyrocketed yesterday on stub hub for Yankee Red Sox games at Fenway, especially green mo star seats being snapped up by Yankee fans.
Ho ho ho.
steelerbravenation
The Cards will make out and wind up getting Ozuna for less of a cost than Stanyon
brownbomber
No, it will cost more in terms of players/prospects
frosttie
It would cost the same players.
troll
cardinals will leave meetings with no trades.
Ken M.
And thus begins the fall of Guzman’s prospect stock. RIP
cygnus2112
If the Cards do obtain MO, what player are they receiving? Is it the player who had mega numbers last season, or is it the player who besides last year, averages about .270/20/75/.800 for both his minor & major league statistics?
Even if it’s the latter (that’s totally acceptable) which the overall body of work suggests that it is, the point I’m trying to convey is that it’s not enough and the organization has to come to terms with acquiring a legit first baseman because what’s in place now is far below average in production with others at that particular position and that’s on top of not being a legit lead off man for that though Carp draws a ton of walks (his only true asset) and gets on base, that’s nullified with his inability to run the bases with any level of efficiency or success and folks can search the world over & disagree but after last seasons blatant blunders, it’s not a mystery anymore and coupled with the fact that Fowler was brought in specifically to hit leadoff and be the above average base runner that he is, well there’s another example of how Carp is hurting this team and it’s about time someone had the cojones to reference this!
Carp still has value but it’s based in the American League with a middling/slightly above average team who has a need for a player who can DH/spot start at other positions at a fairly respectable price who can get on base and has a lil’ pop with a team like say the Royals for example but he isn’t what the Cards need moving forward and what they do need besides an Ozuna, is a quality first-bagger both currently for a 3-5 year deal and they need to draft a quality first baseman like a Nick Pratto type who will be ready when at the end of that 3-5 years contract for said player because the 1B position is awfully thin in the Cardinals organization down below…
stl_cards16 2
The way people throw Carpenter under the bus for one down season that he was injured and was still ABOVE average for any position is crazy.
Matt Carpenter is one of the best players the Cardinals have and getting rid of him would almost certainly make them worse.
Vedder80
This.
cygnus2112
Your affirmation with a particular player is your prerogative but what’s not your prerogative is pulling BS outta the air and stating it as if it’s based factually!
The stats don’t lie as far as his production with his other peers and that’s a fact so you can go keeping up a false narrative but the numbers shall set you free…
espn.com/mlb/stats/batting/_/pos
hollidayfever
Cygnus, keep talking down about using numbers when you cite 0 in your rebuttal. He was 23% above a league average hitter while clearly injured by WRC+. Let me guess you are a big batting average buff, so .241 has got you bumming on the guy. All the while you’re discounting the reduced BABIP, ridiculous OBP, BB rate almost higher than his K rate, still .451 SLG, .209 ISO, etc. He rated out as average or better defensively at 1B once his early season yips were behind him. But keep on with your unfounded condescending attitude and bunk argument.
dvazquez190
Hollidayfever won that one lol.
Wainofan
It doesn’t matter what position carp plays. He’s best bat currently on team. Cards are trying to compete, not rebuild. Only way you get rid of best player on team is if you are rebuilding. Cards are not rebuilding.
cygnus2112
I can see we have an analytic savant here who quite possibly might be Bill James’ spawn but we’ll give it a shot at a sufficient response despite the fact that your particular adherence to statistical purity is what leads GM’s to sign players like Jason Heyward to nearly 200 million dollar contracts but I digress.
Next, I linked the 2017 TOTAL offensive stats (and not just cherry picked ones) that measures Carp against his peers at 1B which you totally dismissed for that it doesn’t suit your narrative focused solely on advanced metrics that totally doesn’t take into account the perpetual mistakes he makes & lack of fundamentals despite being a coaches son which I could link several articles by people in the game that know far more than you & I but again, I digress!
Third since you obviously have it all worked out in your mind, let’s do the comparison with said peers, shall we?
Starting with Carps division…..
Carp vs. Votto? Not Carp
Carp vs. Rizzo? Not Carp
Carp vs. Thames? Similar stats but for the sake of argument, MC
Carp vs. Bell? I’d rather have Bell for the controllability & cheap deal.
NL West….
Carp vs. Bellinger? Lol
Carp vs. Goldy? Lol
Carp vs. Belt? Push
SD & Col are in flux at 1B…
NL East……
Carp vs. Freeman? Lol
Carp vs. Bour? Carp
Carp vs. Hoskins? RH
Carp vs. Zimmerman? Not MC
Mets are in flux at 1B
AL East…..
Carp vs. Byrd? MC
Carp vs. Davis? MC
Carp vs. Smoak? JS
TB & BOS are in flux at 1B.
AL central….
Carp vs. Abreu? JA
Carp vs. Mauer? Carp
Carp vs. Miggy? Miggy*
Cle, KC are in flux.
AL West….
Carp vs. Gallo? Gallo although I wouldn’t debate if someone said Carp.
Carp vs. Guriel? See above
Carp vs. Healy? I’d rather have RH for the cheaper compensation and control but see two above.
LAA, Oak, are in flux
Free Agents…,
Carp vs. Hos? Hos all day!
Carp vs. Santana? Carlos all day!
Carp vs. Moreland? Edge goes to Carp but not by much.
Carp vs. LoMo? Carp because of body of work but LoMo’s ceiling is higher.
Carp vs. Alonso? Yonder had the better season but Carp has better resume.
So if you feel differently, that’s on you but I think I pretty much laid out the comparisons that lead pragmatic thinking individuals to one conclusion, Matt Carpenter needs to move as do you because just like him, what you put forth doesn’t equate to his contemporaries nor does your purity stats where only Mike Trout looks good!
And before you retort, don’t take my word for it, look at what national pundits say where the Cardinals need to upgrade and it doesn’t help your position or your analytics but thanks for playing…
brucewayne
But how many of those other 1B can play all the other positions that Carp can play ? Plus you do know that he played hurt all last year right? That was his down year you mention by the way!
goabes22
Greg bird is way better than carpenter or smoak given upside and controllability
brucewayne
I thought Ozuna was an OF ? Who is this MO you refer to in the 1st sentence?
vinscully16
I’m getting the impression the Red Sox don’t have a specific plan for this off-season.
Otto371
Why?
Bruin1012
I think they have a plan it’s just slow developing. Let’s see Boras wants 200 million for JDM and Hosmer that’s a hard pass on both. The White Sox seem to want Benny for Abreu that’s also a hard pass.
The Red Sox will do something probably at the Winter Meetings it won’t be 200 million for Either Boras client. They may just decide to wait out the market on JDM for reality to happen if he drops to 6-135 to 6-150 then they bite. Similarity if Hosmer drops they may bite as well.
I’m sure that the Red Sox will keep tabs on Santana as well. It just seems that the Red Sox have no plan because it has been a slow offseason and we are used to DD striking quick but I’m sure there will be some moves probably at the Winter meetings.
cardfan2011
“Badly desire”? I don’t know, that statement concerns me if it’s true. I don’t want them to make an extravagant offer for Ozuna. He’d be a good pickup. but I’d rather have Yelich, although I’m not sure which one would require more prospects.
charles stevens
Yelich probably a bit higher due to more years of control. If Miami knows what they’re doing it will take a haul to get either of them.
Houston We Have A Solution
kelly, bader, alcantara, and hudson easily get ozuna and a reliever or 2 while doing little to hurt the cardinals overall.
brucewayne
Not trading Kelly! Not gonna happen!
brownbomber
Ozuna would be a nice pickup, but then getting rid of Piscotty will be a major mistake
CompanyAssassin
Piscotty would probably stay as the 4th OF. Jose Martinez is basically a backup 1B now, or starting 1B with Carpenter on 3B, Gyorko utility. They make it sound as though only one of Grichuk/Piscotty will go and its probably going to be Grichuk.
redbirds22
Piscotty is not a 4th OF. Yes he had a BAD 2017, but MM & Mabry tried to make him a power hitter plus his off the field issues with his mom. When he came up in 2015 & 2016 season he had the sweetest swing on the team. He needs to bat in 2 or 5 spot and be a 290+ hitter hit 18-20 HR 85+ RBIs (if 5 spot). If Cards can get a big bat(Donaldson or Abrue)Piscotty will be perfect bat in front or behind of said hitter & Dejong. Not saying Piscotty is A HOF player but can be a great all star like Larry Walker or Jadon Bay
redbirds22
* Jason Bay
hollidayfever
Schwarber sucks a fat one. I don’t know why anyone outside of delusional fanboy cubs fans would think otherwise. He can’t even crack 2 WAR. Jose Martinez is a better player and we got him off the scrap heap.
EndinStealth
I agree the Schwarber is the next big thing needs to die.
Cubguy13
Maybe you just don’t know what you are talking about
Yankeepride88
Says the “cubguy” who probably still thinks Schwarber will be MVP next year. He produced literally 0 WAR and had 422 at bats last year. That’s really difficult to do.
xscalabr
Honestly you armchair scouts and GMs are the least knowledgeable people on this stuff
mattcubs
I don’t think us Cubs fans are thinking he will be MVP next year. I just think that the majority know that Schwarber still has a lot of potential and could figure to be a 250-275 hitter with 30-40 HR’s a year. I find it interesting that all these ‘baseball experts’ posting here are so eager to dismiss a player after only 750 career at-bats. He played poorly the first half of the year and played significantly better the 2nd half.
Post All-Star he hit 253 with 17 HRs in 186 at bats. That’s how players get better. Experience and the ability to make adjustments. He proved that he could do that after a horrid start…So why shouldn’t we believe that, given another year of professional experience, he can continue to live up to his potential?
brucewayne
There’s a lot more to a player than HR
brucewayne
and batting average ! It’s not 1970 anymore!
KnicksCavsFan
Schwarber cracked 46 hrs in 680 AB. He needs to move to the AL and work on staying healthy. If he can do that then you’re talking about massive output. Edgar Martinez and David Ortiz have both made huge careers of being purely offensive minded players. When you can get 30+ hrs at 500k then you don’t sneeze at it. He is what he is. An overweight power hitter. I do think that once put in a position to succeed where he has zero concerns about what position to play or how bad will he be in the field the he will flourish as an offensive minded player.
benharvey26
Oh certainly, and I don’t think we are taking that away from him. But those mentioned guys are generational players—very rare. Who knows, maybe Schwarber moves to an AL spotlight and becomes that, maybe not. I just don’t have the gut feeling he’s the next Big Papi.
davbee
Are you comparing Schwarber to Edgar and Ortiz? Mark Trumbo is probably more like it. A one dimensional overrated power hitter.
mikeyank55
Attention knicks cavs fan:
Hanley has filed a complaint with your idea and rumor has it will have recurring shoulder problems if he is forced to play 1B.
ABCD
Kyle is not overweight. You should check out what he looks like now.
internet1tough1guy
Schwarber doesn’t have a problem staying healthy.. 2 years ago was a freak accident, colliding in the outfield blew his knee out.. anytime he doesn’t have to field, he destroys the ball. Cubs know this and other teams know this, that’s why he will be traded to a AL team and the cubs return will be greater than anyone expected. May not be traded this off season but he’ll be traded within the next couple of years.
Priggs89
Colliding in the outfield isn’t a “freak accident.” It happens because of a lack of communication or somebody is out there that doesn’t know what they’re doing (likely both in Schwarber’s case). Getting your face crushed by a pitched baseball – a la Stanton = is a freak accident, assuming the pitcher wasn’t intentionally throwing a baseball at his face.
brucewayne
Schwarber should never be allowed to play in the OF again! Unless it’s slow pitch softball .
charles stevens
Anyone else having problems with this site on their phone? Reloads every 5 seconds on its own.
Cubguy13
Wait, where are all the people who say that nobody would take Schwarber and the only people in baseball who like him are the Cubs? Seems that other teams see his potential too
ohiocat5908
They like him for 1B/DH. He is god awful anywhere else in the field and on the base paths. The Cubs should move him for a useful SP from an AL team.
Priggs89
Teams are asking for him because they know his value is incredibly low right now and they don’t believe they’ll have to trade anything worthwhile to get him, despite what Cubs fans think.
Frank kemble
Lmao schwarber hit .211 and struck out 150 times in 450 at bats. He’s also streaky. He’s ryan howard with less power and no way the red sox would trade one of the best closers in baseball from a championship level team along with 2 prospects for a hitter like that…thats flat out funny to me…. Homers are nice in wrigley but he is way overrated. Deal him somewhere for a reliever at best to an al team that hopes he can hit above .230 as a dh. Cant catch..not athletic to hold up in the of…. He’ll be a dh and another mark Reynolds..cris carter – if that. Sorry but schwarber way overated.
As for the sox. Best thing they can do is a quality signing at first…moreland..logan morrison.. Strengthen their bullpen – Niscalo, shaw..mcgee.. Lance lynn would be a decent addition to the rotation.. A veteran bence piece. They have a good team but strength in numbers and depth and bullpens help win championships… To beat stanton and judge now, its gonna take a deeper bullpen deep in games, defense and depth in the rotation and bence. Not Schwarber… That would an incorrect use of resources and a 2nd place finish.
dynamite drop in monty
Standing ovation.
brucewayne
He wishes he was as athletic as Mark Reynolds ! LoL
KnicksCavsFan
I don’t see the Yanks being players at all on Harper. Unless the yanks have decided to make Stanton a full-time DH or plan on moving him to 1B in replace of Bird then I don’t see an OF of Judge, Stanton and Harper. I don’t think Harper can handle CF and if Stanton chooses not to opt out I don’t think the Yanks would want to massive contract of guys in their mid 30s. We will always be attached to the biggest FA but I think the Yanks will be more than happy to look at internal option in the next year or two.
mikeyank55
Hey frank (below):
Trader Dave is pulling the plug. He can’t resist a big trade regardless of outcome. He will NOT let Cash steal all of the winter meetings’ attention and does not mind making mistakes.
Voice of Reason
All the Red Sox will give for schwarber are a couple minor league chips. The Cubs are in the middle of their competitive window. Even if
Kyle ends up in triple a next year you don’t trade a piece from the 25 man for minor leaguers.
mattcubs
I think it’s quite clear that Cubs fans overvalue Schwarber at this point because of his upside and others undervalue Schwarber because he has underperformed thus far despite only having played a little over 1 total major league season (200 games / 700+ at bats). I think his value lies somewhere in the middle of the 2 valuations.
Given the fact that Schwarber’s trade value has dipped due to a poor season last year, I don’t think there should be a rush on the Cub’s end to trade him. Give the guy a little bit of time to figure it out. Any return they net from trading Schwarber probably wouldn’t be equal to the benefits of having him on the team if he does get the bat going. Since they missed the window where they could have maximized his return value (prior to last season) you could argue either way–
a) trade him and get what you can for him since he will never amount to anything and isn’t a great defender / fits better with an AL team / his value will just continue to drop until he no longer possesses any real trade value
b) realize that he has played only a little over 1 total season and MOST players struggle in their first season or two. Remember he did hit around 250 with 17 homes in about 70 games his rookie year and over 250 with ample power once returning from the minors last year. Also remember that not every player is going to come up and hit like Aaron Judge, Cody Bellinger, Corey Seager, Kris Bryant, and etc. These players are the minority. Schwarber has shown that he can work counts and hit for power. Despite this, his defense is suspect.
I think the ignorance that detractors accuse Cubs fans of when they ask for such a high return for Schwarber goes both ways–Schwarber is worth more than the other side gives him credit for. Thinking of him as a player rather than a trade piece makes this easier to see. He won’t net a top of the rotation starter (very few position players will net you a cost controlled, top of the rotation starter), but he can, currently, net you a nice slew of minor league prospects.
I see no reason to write off someone with his offensive potential just because he hasn’t been able to put it all together in his first year and one quarter–that assessment seems lazy and dismissive. And, fellow Cubs fans, it’s okay if his trade value is down. He won’t net us what we’d like / what our sentimental attachment demands, but he may someday (or he’ll just help us in the playoffs for years to come).
Varangian
Finally a comment with thought and reasoning behind it
chevyheston
As a Sox fan, the acquisition of Stanton is depressing. Am hoping Boston lands JD Martinez AND Jose Abreu, but the latter seems unlikely (if you believe recent reports). Hosmer is not the answer. Santana’s numbers were very similar to Moreland’s, so that’s just more of the same.. Can’t take another season of watching Hanley swing so hard that his helmet falls off, only to see the ball die on the warning track or strike out altogether. Also tired of watching JBJ whiff. In that final game against Houston, he struck out in the bottom of the 9th on a pitch that bounced 48 feet in front of the plate, then turned and asked the umpire something – what could he possibly have asked? “How many times did that ball bounce before it hit the plate?” We’re counting on you, Dave. Don’t let us down.
OldishCubsFan
Jeter is apparently still a Yankee.
Frank kemble
Mikeyank – I figure he’ll swing a deal..I agree and can see that and by what I’ve read today, maybe the cubs…i just cant him being sane and logical dealing kimbrel and prospects for schwarber like the one guy suggested…that’s just dumb. If he wants to swing a deal, abreu might be his biggest go for it type deal… Otherwise id focus on several other chips. My theory being, why trade good players for schwarber who cant hit higher than .211 and struck out 150 times 450 at bats. Those strikeouts hurt. Numbers wise carlos santana is a better investment due to walks and obp… Ill take the walks and obp and increased chances at runs over 150 strike outs any day. I still think signing bryan shaw and niscalo and a guy like logan morrison and another or …lance lynn….trade for altherr in philly or santana in mil. Good smart moves that leaves payroll flexibility and fills several needs for depth.
Jeff_Dowder
Schwarber seems like the modern day Adam Dunn. Is his upside really any better than that?
ABCD
Dunn was a good player with the Reds.
KnicksCavsFan
The hypocrisy among prospect followers is amazing. What do we know about Schwab? He’s a rubenesque (being kind) bat only power hitter, drafted 4th overall in 2014, hit a tremendous .344/.477/.714 w/ 18 hrs in 72 games in 2014 moving from low A to AA then followed up hitting .323/.430/.591 in 75 games at AA/AAA before being called up to the majors and holding his own in 69 games with the Cubs crushing 16 hrs w/ a solid but unspectacular .246/.355/.487 line. He gets injured in 2016 playing a position he had little experience playing and only has 5 PA for the year. He comes back in 2017 after missing all of 2016 and has a horrible 1st half slashing .178/.300/.394 w/ 13 hrs but rebounds in the 2nd half w/ a .253/.335/.559 slash with 17 hrs. The power was consistent through the year but the contact hitting was absent until the 2nd half. He does hit righties much better than lefties and he’s challenged defensively in the field. But he’s only going to be 25 in March and has a pedigree of being a better hitter. I feel he’s in need of a change of scenery. In the AL he won’t have to mentally worry about his defense and can perhaps focus on hitting. Maybe even take some work at 1B to improve his on field value. I think one can make the case that the cubs should’ve started him in AAA for the start of 2017 seeing how he was rusty from missing all of 2016.
Anyone who presumes that he will never be more than a platoon DH is being foolish. That being said, anyone who thinks that the Sox should give up Benintendi for Schwab is just as foolish too. Schwab MIGHT end up being a better overall hitter but we KNOW Beni is a better overall player in terms of his speed and defensive ability plus being a promising hitter in his own right. Schwab won’t come cheep but he’s not worth a young player that has done what Beni has done thus far.
ABCD
Good analysis. I had to look up rubenesque. He has lost weight and looks ready to play next year.
Frank kemble
Exactly. I’ll take a .290 with 20-25 hr, 200 hits, and an OBP above .370 any day over schwarber. Dee Gordon is a decent example, even without the power… Steal 60 bases..200 hits..100 runs..hit for decent average. Athletic ability to play defense. Schwarber should be a DH in the AL. Billy Bean would love him lol
rememberthecoop
As a Cubs fan myself, I gotta tell ya there is just something about Schwarbs that is difficult to put into words and cannot be encapsulated in baseball terms. He just has a swagger about him and it’s too bad the knee injury ended his catching career because altho he had a long ways to go, he has a strong arm and is a leader and would take charge of a pitching staff. That said, of course he.belongs as a DH in the AL but Cubs can’t sell so low after such a bad season.
Priggs89
Oh god. Really? The knee injury ruined his catching career? Are you sure being an awful catcher didn’t ruin his catching career?
JKB 2
Oh now he was an awful catcher too huh?
What ended his catching chances was Contreras
Will Jl.
I could see it happening if the Red Sox were willing to give up Jackie Bradley Jr, straight up.
Which I’m not sure they would.
kenly0
Right now; Cubs fan – we’ll take Benintendi for Shwarber
Red Sox fan – laughing no way
This time next year after Shwarber hits 280 with 40 homers and Benintendi hits 260 with 12 homers Red Sox fan- we’ll take Shwarber for Benintendi. Cubs fan- laughing no way
They’re both great young players under team control for awhile. Imo, Red Sox would be foolish to trade Benintendi and the Cubs foolish if they ask for anything less than him for Shwarber. So, I see nothing to this rumor.