Headlines

  • Rays Close To Contract Extension With Yandy Diaz
  • Mets To Extend Jeff McNeil
  • Braves Extend Manager Brian Snitker Through 2025
  • Rays Sign Pete Fairbanks To Extension
  • Royals Sign Aroldis Chapman To One-Year Deal
  • Athletics Sign Jesús Aguilar
  • Previous
  • Next
Register
Login
  • Hoops Rumors
  • Pro Football Rumors
  • Pro Hockey Rumors

MLB Trade Rumors

  • Home
  • Teams
    • AL East
      • Baltimore Orioles
      • Boston Red Sox
      • New York Yankees
      • Tampa Bay Rays
      • Toronto Blue Jays
    • AL Central
      • Chicago White Sox
      • Cleveland Guardians
      • Detroit Tigers
      • Kansas City Royals
      • Minnesota Twins
    • AL West
      • Houston Astros
      • Los Angeles Angels
      • Oakland Athletics
      • Seattle Mariners
      • Texas Rangers
    • NL East
      • Atlanta Braves
      • Miami Marlins
      • New York Mets
      • Philadelphia Phillies
      • Washington Nationals
    • NL Central
      • Chicago Cubs
      • Cincinnati Reds
      • Milwaukee Brewers
      • Pittsburgh Pirates
      • St. Louis Cardinals
    • NL West
      • Arizona Diamondbacks
      • Colorado Rockies
      • Los Angeles Dodgers
      • San Diego Padres
      • San Francisco Giants
  • About
    • MLB Trade Rumors
    • Tim Dierkes
    • Writing team
    • Advertise
    • Archives
  • Contact
  • Tools
    • 2022-23 MLB Free Agent List
    • Top 50 Free Agents
    • Projected Arbitration Salaries For 2023
    • Transaction Tracker
    • Extension Tracker
    • Arbitration Tracker
    • Agency Database
  • NBA/NFL/NHL
    • Hoops Rumors
    • Pro Football Rumors
    • Pro Hockey Rumors
  • App
  • Chats
Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

David Bote: Starman?

By Connor Byrne | June 7, 2019 at 8:32pm CDT

Cubs infielder David Bote had one of the best offensive games of the 2019 season Wednesday, going 4 for 4 with a home run and seven runs batted in to help his team to a 9-8 win over the Rockies. The 26-year-old failed to reach base in either of the Cubs’ games since then, but he’s still off to a rousing start this season. After hitting .239/.319/.408 (95 wRC+) with six home runs during his 210-plate appearance debut in 2018, Bote has slashed .276/.349/.481 (117 wRC+) with seven HRs in 175 tries this year.

So far, Bote – an 18th-round pick in 2012 – is more than justifying the Cubs’ decision to hand him a five-year, $15MM extension in April. Bote was one of the least known players to receive a new deal during the league’s extension craze back in the spring, though he may be establishing himself as a long-term cog for the Cubs. However, it’s still up in the air whether Bote’s Year 2 improvement is real or a mirage.

As was the case last season, Bote’s walking in better than 9 percent of plate appearances. That’s a bit above the league-average mark (8.7). At the same time, Bote has slashed his strikeout percentage from 28.6 to 25.1, cut his swinging-strike rate a hair and made more contact. So far, so good.

On the other hand, even though Bote possesses better speed than most, he’s unlikely to sustain the .340 batting average on balls in play that has helped prop up his numbers this year. That’s especially true given that Bote has become much more of a fly ball hitter since last season. On that subject, it’s worth noting Bote has hit the ball with far less authority when he has elevated it this year compared to his initial campaign. Bote battered fly balls and line drives at a lofty 96.6 mph average in 2018, but that figure has sunk just below 93 this year, according to Statcast. Given that information, it’s unsurprising Bote’s expected weighted on-base average (.315) comes up well short of his real wOBA (.361).

While stardom doesn’t look as if it’s in the offing for Bote (not yet, at least), his value to the Cubs is apparent. The inexpensive Bote’s ability to chip in respectable offense while playing scratch to plus defense at second and third base is a package most teams would sign up for in a heartbeat. That certainly includes the Cubs, who haven’t recalled infielder/outfielder Ian Happ since demoting him to Triple-A prior to the season, may never see utilityman extraordinaire Ben Zobrist put on their uniform again, and have received woeful production from offseason second base pickup Daniel Descalso.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Share 0 Retweet 4 Send via email0

Chicago Cubs MLBTR Originals David Bote

Phillies To Sign Fernando Salas
Main
Braves Sign Dallas Keuchel
View Comments (15)

Comments

  1. partyatnapolis

    4 years ago

    *reads title* i see what you did there

    Reply
    • dalealvingribble

      4 years ago

      It’s showing a similarity from David Bowie’s name and David Bote’s (which sounds like bo-tee and would rhyme with Bowie) and David Bowie’s song, “Starman”.

      Reply
      • Erik

        4 years ago

        I thought they were referring to the movie Starman with Jeff Bridges

        Reply
      • Kayrall

        4 years ago

        Thanks for clarifying. I genuinely did not know that.

        Reply
    • SoCalAngelsFan75

      4 years ago

      That was hazy cosmic jive.

      Reply
  2. JDGoat

    4 years ago

    That contract looks amazing considering the value they could get out of it.

    Reply
    • ortsacnilrats

      4 years ago

      Honest question/Opinion: even if Bote tanks for the next four years but stays on this pace this year and helps the Cubs make a playoff run the contract was worth it?

      Reply
      • captainobvious

        4 years ago

        If Bote is worth 2 WAR this year, he’s more than paid off the entire contract, as well as let the Cubs string out that payment over 5 years- at least according to $/WAR figures. He probably needs just 1.3-1.4 WAR if you discount future dollars.

        Reply
        • Priggs89

          4 years ago

          Except $/WAR figures are for free agents… You’d need to estimate his arb earnings going forward to see if this deal was actually worth it.

          And no, this is not me saying he’s not worth the contract.

  3. Thundercub12

    4 years ago

    Time for the Bote Show!!!

    Reply
  4. Yep it is

    4 years ago

    Sounds like about 10,000,000 Theo didn’t need to spend. Good for Bote but what was Theo thinking? Lot of guys on the scrap heap that would play for a lot less.

    Reply
    • raiders

      4 years ago

      That is an idiotic comment. I would play for $10m less but am I young and have the potential to be a starter for the Cubs? No. Locking him up for 5 years for such a minimal contract was extremely smart of the Cubs and gets the young man life changing money

      Reply
    • Matthew Heywood

      4 years ago

      At least if you want to attack Theo pick something he has done wrong this just makes you look foolish

      Reply
    • petrie000

      4 years ago

      a lot of really bad players would play for less, sure. most guys on the scrap heap are there because they’re garbage.

      if Bote puts up average WAR for the life of this contract (which covers through the end of his arbitration years), he’s likely make about as much year-to-year anyway. So there’s pretty much no way to justify your math here.

      Unless you’re suggesting garbage players are more valuable than average ones…

      Reply
  5. chitowninwi

    4 years ago

    Hey “ yep it is “ go help ur home team and go to a Sox game . They need trolls like you

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Please login to leave a reply.
Log in Register

ad: 300x250_1_MLB

    Top Stories

    Rays Close To Contract Extension With Yandy Diaz

    Mets To Extend Jeff McNeil

    Braves Extend Manager Brian Snitker Through 2025

    Rays Sign Pete Fairbanks To Extension

    Royals Sign Aroldis Chapman To One-Year Deal

    Athletics Sign Jesús Aguilar

    Orioles Acquire Cole Irvin From A’s

    Astros Name Dana Brown General Manager

    Rays Extend Jeffrey Springs

    Royals, Red Sox Swap Adalberto Mondesi For Josh Taylor

    Red Sox Designate Matt Barnes For Assignment

    Scott Rolen Elected Into Baseball Hall Of Fame

    Red Sox Sign Adam Duvall

    Brad Ausmus Reportedly Among Astros’ GM Finalists

    Mike Clevinger Under Investigation For Domestic Violence Allegations

    Arte Moreno No Longer Pursuing Sale Of Angels

    Twins Acquire Michael A. Taylor From Royals

    Padres Sign Nelson Cruz To One-Year Deal

    Sal Bando Passes Away

    Twins, Marlins Swap Luis Arraez For Pablo Lopez In Four-Player Trade

    Recent

    MLBTR Live Chat

    NL Notes: Schuerholz, Braves, Astros, Mets, Dodgers

    Giants To Sign Roberto Perez

    Phillies Sign Josh Harrison

    Free Agent Profile: Dylan Bundy

    Yankees Avoid Arbitration With Gleyber Torres

    Dipoto: Mariners Likely Done Adding To Roster Before Camp

    Fernando Tatis Jr. Opens Up About Lost Season

    Rockies Owner Dick Monfort Addresses 2023 Season, Padres, Off-Season

    Quick Hits: Stephenson, Meneses, Oakland

    MLBTR Newsletter - Hot stove highlights in your inbox, five days a week

    Latest Rumors & News

    Latest Rumors & News

    • Offseason Outlook Series
    Trade Rumors App for iOS and Android

    MLBTR Features

    MLBTR Features

    • Go Ad-Free
    • Projected Arbitration Salaries For 2023
    • 2022-23 MLB Free Agent List
    • MLB Player Chats
    • Transaction Tracker
    • Extension Tracker
    • Agency Database
    • MLBTR On Twitter
    • MLBTR On Facebook
    • Team Facebook Pages
    • How To Set Up Notifications For Breaking News
    • Hoops Rumors
    • Pro Football Rumors
    • Pro Hockey Rumors

    Rumors By Team

    • Angels Rumors
    • Astros Rumors
    • Athletics Rumors
    • Blue Jays Rumors
    • Braves Rumors
    • Brewers Rumors
    • Cardinals Rumors
    • Cubs Rumors
    • Diamondbacks Rumors
    • Dodgers Rumors
    • Giants Rumors
    • Guardians Rumors
    • Mariners Rumors
    • Marlins Rumors
    • Mets Rumors
    • Nationals Rumors
    • Orioles Rumors
    • Padres Rumors
    • Phillies Rumors
    • Pirates Rumors
    • Rangers Rumors
    • Rays Rumors
    • Red Sox Rumors
    • Reds Rumors
    • Rockies Rumors
    • Royals Rumors
    • Tigers Rumors
    • Twins Rumors
    • White Sox Rumors
    • Yankees Rumors

    ad: 160x600_MLB

    Navigation

    • Sitemap
    • Archives
    • Feeds by Team

    MLBTR INFO

    • Advertise
    • About
    • Commenting Policy
    • Privacy Policy

    Connect

    • Contact Us
    • Twitter
    • Facebook
    • RSS Feed

    MLB Trade Rumors is not affiliated with Major League Baseball, MLB or MLB.com

    hide arrowsFOX Sports Engage Network scroll to top
    Close

    Desktop Version | Switch To Mobile Version