Trade targets 2019

[Cubswin11]

Starling Marte would interest me a decent amount if he’s made available

[muntjack]

As a big Schwarber fan and defender, even I think it might be time to pull the plug there.....
I like the David Peralta idea.

It concerns me about Peralta that after an outlier year in 2018 where his HR/FB and ISO were unusually high for him, he is now (in 2019!) back down to his career norms. He has a career wRC+ of 117. Schwarber's is 110 and he's 5 1/2 years younger. Meh.

[17 Seconds]

They've been more successful than expected and most writers think they will be in the market for a big name FA this winter. It looks like they're looking at 2021 at the latest to be a real contender. Montgomery would be 32 years old and should have lots of arm left after relieving most of his career.

if they're competing soon, then why wouldn't they just keep the younger/better players?

The "younger/better players" are busy having surgeries that have them out for the rest of the season. Right now the WS have 6 pitchers on the IR and who knows whether Rodon and Kopech will come back to be stars after TJ surgery.

I was obviously talking about the players you suggested they trade

[Backtobanks]

if they're competing soon, then why wouldn't they just keep the younger/better players?

The "younger/better players" are busy having surgeries that have them out for the rest of the season. Right now the WS have 6 pitchers on the IR and who knows whether Rodon and Kopech will come back to be stars after TJ surgery.

I was obviously talking about the players you suggested they trade

Colome is Montgomery's age and Garcia is 28. My proposal was Montgomery + (meaning prospects) for Colome + Garcia. Obviously it would depend on the quality of the prospect(s), but the age factor would have little to do with the deal. Also, the WS would save quite a bit of money and gain team control for an extra year over Colome and Garcia.

[d_money]

The "younger/better players" are busy having surgeries that have them out for the rest of the season. Right now the WS have 6 pitchers on the IR and who knows whether Rodon and Kopech will come back to be stars after TJ surgery.

I was obviously talking about the players you suggested they trade

Colome is Montgomery's age and Garcia is 28. My proposal was Montgomery + (meaning prospects) for Colome + Garcia. Obviously it would depend on the quality of the prospect(s), but the age factor would have little to do with the deal. Also, the WS would save quite a bit of money and gain team control for an extra year over Colome and Garcia.

The WS should be really good in 2020+. I’m waiting for Hahn/Williams to somehow screw it up.

[Cubswin11]

Morel isn’t playing tonight. #HugWatch?

[TomtheBombadil]

Morel isn’t playing tonight. #HugWatch?

Smokies haven't declared a SP either and Lange's been going on 4 days rest since the promotion. Theo!?

Edit: No Amaya for MB either

[Cubswin11]

[Little Slide Rooter]

https://www.bleachernation.com/2019/07/ ... -be-again/

Ah, the gritty, white, journeyman, middle infielder in the midst of a career season. Those always prove to be worthy investments.

[Deeg]

I'd happily take Sogard if the cost were low enough. But I'd love to get one of their relievers in the deal too.

[Backtobanks]

https://www.bleachernation.com/2019/07/12/cubs-were-reportedly-interested-in-eric-sogard-would-they-be-again/

Ah, the gritty, white, journeyman, middle infielder in the midst of a career season. Those always prove to be worthy investments.

Bring back Jeff Blauser.


[quote="Deeg"]I'd happily take Sogard if the cost were low enough. But I'd love to get one of their relievers in the deal too.[/quote
]

Sogard as part of a package deal would be okay if they would take some of our dead weight (i.e. Russell) plus a prospect. PTR would love Sogard plus Hudson because neither is making any money.

[Bertz]

Sogard would be a good fit and he serves as a pretty direct one for one replacement for Descalso. If your expectations are calibrated to "league average hitter when shielded from tough lefties" rather than what he's done so far in 2019, he's a good get.

Also, he's a proven adequate option to backup SS. That makes it easier to go out and find a bat to take Russell's roster spot.

[Tryptamine]

zero interest in Sogard. His peripherals say he's going to regress pretty hard. No need to add Descalso after replacing Descalso.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

Sogard would be a good fit and he serves as a pretty direct one for one replacement for Descalso. If your expectations are calibrated to "league average hitter when shielded from tough lefties" rather than what he's done so far in 2019, he's a good get.

Also, he's a proven adequate option to backup SS. That makes it easier to go out and find a bat to take Russell's roster spot.

Sogard has a career 81 wRC+ with nearly 80% of his PA against RHP. This is the second year in his career it’s been above 95, and it was 14(!) just last year. He has 90 games worth of MLB innings at SS with a -6 UZR. I think he’s just bad.

[TomtheBombadil]

Yeah, I'm only on Sogard as like a secondary piece in a Blue Jays trade. If there's a hitter they have I'd be willing to hound them on is Lourdes Gurriel Jr. They're likely not selling, he's super cheap through 2023 and not a FA until after the 2024 season, but at 25 he's closer to Stroman and Sanchez in age with an up and down background on offense (not really, but not .300 IsoSLG good either). He's having a big power breakout and has moved to LF.

7/2 was the 6th anniversary of the Arrieta trade, still probably the most clever, luckiest, and best non-Lester/Bryant/Rizzo move this FO has made. Do something like that again, please, but make it a hitter!

[UK]

Unless Ivy found some hidden value in bad middle infielders, they're better off keeping that number at 2 and not 3.

[We Got The Whole 9]

I mentioned Sogard before but that was before I looked at his xstats. He has been dreadful; the only difference is a drastically raised LA. He has 3 barrels all year. Hes just found enough fence-scrapers in this juiced era to raise his surface stats but hes been the same exact hitter he always has been otherwise.

I'd rather give Dixon Machado a shot.

[Bertz]

Sogard would be a good fit and he serves as a pretty direct one for one replacement for Descalso. If your expectations are calibrated to "league average hitter when shielded from tough lefties" rather than what he's done so far in 2019, he's a good get.

Also, he's a proven adequate option to backup SS. That makes it easier to go out and find a bat to take Russell's roster spot.

Sogard has a career 81 wRC+ with nearly 80% of his PA against RHP. This is the second year in his career it’s been above 95, and it was 14(!) just last year. He has 90 games worth of MLB innings at SS with a -6 UZR. I think he’s just bad.

Not that I'm some huge Sogard stan, but I think using career numbers for a 33 year old is pretty disingenuous.
The dude's at a 99 wRC+ the last three calendar years, and projects to an 88 the rest of this year. That's obviously nothing exciting, but given the state of our bench I don't see the point in crapping all over incremental upgrades that can probably be had for a song.

[champaignchris]

One of the problems Maddon has making up a lineup is that he simply does not have anyone who can play centerfield and hit lefthanders.

So looking at non-contending teams for center fielders who hit lefties better than Heyward and Almora do, it looks like Kevin Pillar is the only guy that remotely fits that bill.

30, cheap, one arb year after this one, not the defender he was in his mid-20s, but still above average. Certainly no stud, but also shouldn’t be too expensive to acquire.

[squally1313]

Fairly sure I've seen his name mentioned here before, but Leury Garcia fits the bill as well. Nothing incredible, but at .327/.364/.465 against LHPs it's a definite upgrade over Heyward/Almora, even if there is most likely some BABIP regression coming.

[Post Count Padder]

Eduardo Nunez was just DFA'd. Take a flyer? Trade Descalso or Russell for him? Change of scenery candidate? Idk, I just don't want either of those jabronis playing anymore.

[TomtheBombadil]

Epstein's hope is for the Cubs to get on a roll that allows them to separate in the division and prove to the front office this team can win the World Series. Should that happen before the July 31 deadline, it would strengthen Epstein's desire to make a move.

...

"We're kind of in that mindset. We're looking for ways to help the group if we can. But nothing's close. We're also just engaged with Joe (Maddon) and the coaching staff, trying to find ways for this group, get more out of this group to play and play better and put us in a better position as buyers."

https://670thescore.radio.com/chicago-c ... close-deal

Sweeping an annoying division opponent, hopefully two, to open the second half would hopefully qualify as improving their position as a buyer and WS chances hopefully.

Then this came out today:

Could Cubs 'stun' with big move?

July 15: Even with the Cubs leading the National League Central, MLB Network insider Ken Rosenthal thinks Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer might shake things up, as he writes in Monday's column for The Athletic (subscription required).

But who would the Cubs trade? Rosenthal cites slugger Kyle Schwarber as the leading candidate -- but he also mentions that "rival execs fantasize about Kris Bryant becoming available, and it eventually could happen."

Trading a superstar like Bryant? It seems crazy. The 27-year-old is having an All-Star season after a slow start, and he won't be a free agent until after the 2021 season. Still, Rosenthal writes, "We know Epstein and Hoyer are not afraid to swing big. Maybe they will stun us again."

I think they're more likely to buy a superstar or potential one than trade their own. I waffle on this but while maybe the current roster only seems to need tweaking with another TDL of low prospect/player cost trades, the FO probably needs to shop big and with an eye on 2020 maybe 2021 as well this deadline. These next two FA classes blow, offseason trades won't be cheaper, there's no slam dunks on the farm, they have cheap MLers to sell, the cheap 2something seasons from Bryant/Rizzo/Baez/Contreras are running out, Lester's maybe got as few as zero or one last big playoff run in him...I'm not against renting a player since that can be cheap, but am thinking it's important to come out with a 4+ WAR player under contract for at least next year

[TomtheBombadil]

Does Alzolay, Happ, and Amaya get the Cubs close on Felipe Vazquez?

[CyHawk_Cub]

Honestly, in a vacuum? No.
If the Dodgers are also pursuing him? Hell no.

[GaryWoods]

https://www.bleachernation.com/2019/07/12/cubs-were-reportedly-interested-in-eric-sogard-would-they-be-again/

Ah, the gritty, white, journeyman, middle infielder in the midst of a career season. Those always prove to be worthy investments.

Bring back Jeff Blauser.

I was thinking Howard Johnson, myself.