2:45pm: David Kaplan of NBC Sports Chicago adds (via Twitter) that the Cubs have also checked in on Tigers closer Shane Greene. The two teams could pursue a package deal that sends both Greene and Castellanos to Chicago, though as Kaplan notes, the Cubs would have to surrender considerable prospect capital to consummate such an agreement. The aforementioned pair includes two of the Tigers’ most coveted assets, and Detroit will be careful not to be undersold. Greene, unlike Castellanos, is controllable through the 2020 season.
11:01am: The Cubs are among the teams with interest in Tigers right fielder Nicholas Castellanos, per Chris McCosky of the Detroit News. “This one has some teeth,” McCosky adds.
Whether it’s Chicago or another team that acquires Castellanos, he’s a near lock to leave the Motor City by the July 31 trade deadline. The Tigers likely aren’t going to extend the 27-year-old impending free agent, so they figure to get what they can for him. For now, he’s on a $9.95MM salary.
While the Tigers don’t seem to want him around for the long haul, Castellanos is amid his fourth straight quality offensive season with the club. Castellanos has slashed .280/.339/.467 (111 wRC+) with 10 home runs in 404 plate appearances, and has posted a formidable .887 OPS over the past 30 days.
There’s little question Castellanos has value at the dish, but the same isn’t true of his work as a defender. And if he goes to the Cubs, he won’t be able to slot in as a designated hitter. Castellanos has combined for minus-33 Defensive Runs Saved and a minus-24.6 Ultimate Zone Rating since moving from third base to right in 2017. He’s at minus-7 and minus-4.0 in those categories this year.
For the Cubs, acquiring Castellanos would likely mean moving bounce-back right fielder Jason Heyward to center, where the Cubs have deployed the light-hitting Albert Almora for most of the season. On the offensive side, a Castellanos pickup would almost surely improve the NL Central-leading Cubs’ outlook against left-handed pitchers, who have held their hitters to a below-average .232/.317/.405/ line. The righty-swinging Castellanos, on the other hand, has been a terror versus southpaws, whom he has crushed to the tune of .377/.451/.639.
They really need a quality bat that can get on base in front of their big bats in the middle. Not sure if Castellanos is that guy, but picking him up and a guy like Sogard from Toronto could pay huge dividends.
The cubs have four hitters that get on base at a 360 clip or higher. Joe doesn’t use any of them for some reason to lead off
Essentially you’re blaming Joe for not batting Javy,Bryant in the leadoff and batting Almora 3rd. I mean you still have these guys somewhere in the lineup anyways. If you play Almora,Russell, Bote you have to bat them somewhere.
Well, who else is responsible for the lineup? Not me.
Who on earth would hit AA 3rd? Where did you get that notion from?
Right now, if our weak hitters are going to be the lineup, they certainly should not get the most AB’s. No?
How’s giving the guys that get on base the most often, the most AB’s?
KB
Rizzo
Willy
JHey
Javi
Schwarber
Bote/Garcia/Addi
Almora
KB was a lead off hitter in college when they drafted him. Last year he said that he would like to hit in the lead off spot if they needed a lead off hitter. A .400 OBA at the top of the order with those hitters behind him could be pretty potent.
An outfield with both Castellanos and Schwarber is not going to make pitchers happy.
You explained in one sentence while this is not a trade option for the Cubs. While making Almora anything more than a fourth or fifth outfielder has to be the priority for the Cubs, you cannot do it at this sacrifice.
They do need a center fielder that can potentially leadoff, get Heyward back in right every day and Bryant back at third every day. (In effect, getting Bote off third base on a semi-regular basis). Heyward and Bryant are fine in center and an outfield position, but not at the expense of weakening other positions as well.
Exactly.
A late inning bat off the bench is all I can see Cubs using him for. I don’t like the idea of permanently moving JHey to center. Right is his milieu.
There’s no clear CF upgrade on the market who can lead off and bump Almora to 4th OF.
I mean there is the NL gold glove cf rumored to be available that did bat leadoff until dealing with a back injury…
Can he be had at salary dump prices? Because that’s a big reason why the Cubs are probably interested in castellanos
he’s on one of the best deals value-wise in the NL for an outfielder. The problem is, he has no spot after the Braves brought Austin Riley up and moved Ronald Acuna to center. I like Ender, he just doesn’t have a spot now
And there it is 1000…
So that’s a ‘no’, he can’t be had on the relative cheap?
Yeah, now you know why this story is about castellanos
Look at the Cubs “prospects”. Any deal they make would be on the cheap.
This Cubs fan isn’t disagreeing. I don’t expect them to burn what few good prospects they have, so any fan with a blockbuster proposal can just not waste the space
depends on what your idea of cheap is, as of now, he wouldn’t cost you all a lot of money in cap space, nor would he cost a ton of prospects at this point because we have no position for him. I am not sure of your farm system, but I would imagine the best case return we could ask back for him in our position would be a player with 40-45fv plus a throw-in. I am no gm, but this is more than likely our reality with Ender unless his bat catches absolute fire in spot starts and bench appearances.
Now you know why I suggested him. JS…
Your screen name kinda already gives away why you brought him up…
yet my logic backs up the reason for him as an answer to what you asked for: a cheap center fielder with good defense that can lead off. I haven’t even looked at your system, so I have no specific player as a want. I am simply saying that he matches up for what you think your team needs. The Braves can’t use him to maximize his value on our team, so we need to maximize his value in a trade. That is why I talked about what he would get in fv from a trade. Unless you disagree with any of that (which is very possible) then what is the issue?
Leury Garcia
Give us ur best prospect.
huh?
The problem is you’re really over-stating his bat, he’s frankly not that different a player than Almora, so isn’t worth the kind of player you’re asking for for the team that already has Almora
Unless ‘salary relief’ is a major part of what the Braves want, there is no match here
It is hard to say they are similar in defensive value as he is 3 gold gloves as a centerfielder now, with better advanced stats in every metric defensively. Offensively, if you look at each of the last three years, his second half production has more than doubled his first half, giving you a player with the best part of his season yet to come. As far as salary relief goes, you all wouldn’t be the team I would look for in this regard because of your cap situation. I would actually think the Braves eat salary in this trade in order to maximize his value because we aren’t in need of the relief. If you value his your player as much as you do in regards to cf and offensive ability, why are you asking for the same qualities you say he has? Or are you just getting what you asked for, not liking the name, and saying your player is the same?
Glove first cf with okay average and little practical power… seems to me like he really is just a slightly better Almora
I don’t actually value Almora that much, I just don’t value Inciarte nearly as much as you do. His bats pretty ‘meh’ even with his second half surges
If you’re desperate to move him, find a team that actually needs his skill set
Do you mean the same skill set that was asked for in the beginning of the thread?
“They do need a center fielder that can potentially leadoff, get Heyward back in right every day and Bryant back at third every day. (In effect, getting Bote off third base on a semi-regular basis). Heyward and Bryant are fine in center and an outfield position, but not at the expense of weakening other positions as well.”
I offered a player that based on most advanced stats is better than the current option, that wouldn’t be crazy expensive monetarily or prospect wise. You can always agree to disagree with the options, but value speaks for itself, regardless of team bias.
Take a look at their system. You won’t find anyone who would crack the Braves top 10. Their top prospect is a light hitting 2nd baseman. He hit 3 home runs in 3 years in college. In college. Now, he’s hitting .265 with no power in AA. This is their top prospect.
asked for by someone who isnt actually the Cubs gm on a premise that’s kind of stupid because it assumed Castellanos would be made the starting RF instead of used as a platoon bat
So you’re offering an imperfect solution to a flawed question and getting defensive when those flaws are made obvious
not getting defensive, I am giving numbers and reason to back up a solution to the question posed. There is a huge difference. Plus, I am very well aware that the person posing the question isn’t a gm, because I am not a gm. This is a comment section in a trade rumor site.
Why are you still defending an idea that’s been shown to have no practical merit?
The whole thread that lead to the question your pushing a bad answer to is based on a string of bad assumptions leading to a really bad question that you gave a bad answer to
If Inciarte wasn’t a Brave, you’d have bailed on this long ago
I have not bailed because I have yet to hear you say a single thing other than opinion to prove me wrong. plus I am using my response time as pauses in homework so it is kinda beneficial to continue on my part lmao
While he is a fast top of the order guy, his .326 career OBP against lefties doesn’t fit the mold of what the Cubs are looking for. Plus, I think the Cubs major trade chip will be Victor Caratini, our MLB ready backup catcher with controllable years left. With McCann being 35 and having a resurgence, the Braves may not be looking for a Catcher.
fair assessment on matchup, I was honestly unaware (nor did I care much to find out) about the cubs system. Thanks for that info. I would say the braves rn should be on the lookout to high upside bp arms under whatever rock they can turn over. Either way, thx for the input.
Bravesfan, If it Helps, i thought your suggestion of Ender perfectly matched the original desire for a good defensive CF that could potentially hit leadoff. This coming from a Tigers fan that wants nothing more than to get something for Castellanos
I thought it did, but I guess you can’t please the masses, right?
Hoerner hit .337/.362./.506 in the AFL against games top prospects… he broke his wrist in the beginning of the season hence lack of average and power so far. He underwent a mechanical change in his swing to get more power once the wrist is 100%.
There is also the possibility that Schwarber gets traded in the deal with Detroit. He would be ideal on a team with a DH with his defense being a liability. They would theoretically employ him as they do Castellanos now in the DH spot with outfield fill-ins. I don’t think the Cubs keep Schwarber for the long haul. Maddon likes to platoon him and he’s barely shown any ability hit lefties.
I agree Schwarber would be much better on a team with a DH soooooo that’s exactly why the tigers are a bad fit. Have you ever heard of a guy named Miguel Cabrera that is locked into only DH for 3 more seasons…….
Well, castellanos and the myth of Kyle Schwarbers defense would be pretty terrible
The reality is he’s pretty average for a left fielder
“pretty average” doesnt get you wins a lot of the time though
When you’re talking about left fielder, average is about as high as you get
Good left fielders are known as ‘right fielders’
Context is always important
Last I checked, Cubs play in an extremely small park so he won’t be nearly as exposed as he is now at Comerica. He crushes LHP .377 versus the Cubs .232 so his offense will make up for his defensive deficiencies. He will drive in runs & he will double his homers. He leads the league in doubles & now some of those doubles will turn into homers in Chicago. He would be an awesome pickup for a prospect or two at A ball. Risk/reward off the charts good.
Agreed. Assuming a couple of low level prospects gets it done. I actually think this has a pretty high likelihood of happening.
At this point in the Tiger rebuild, they can not afford low level prospects. Al’a job is on the line. He does not have two to three years for a prospect to develop. He needs them sometimes next year in the majors.
Al’s job should be on the line, except didn’t he just recently sign an extension?
Uhh, he’s not going to “double his homers” in Chicago, and those doubles won’t “turn into homers”. While Comerica is deeper to CF than Wrigley, it’s shorter at the foul poles – particularly LF where Castellanos has hit the majority of his career home runs. It’s effectively a wash, at best.
It took me two minutes to dismantle your argument.
Balls Castellanos hits to CF die in CF thanks to it’s longer distance. If you’ve watched Castellanos you’d know he hits more up the middle than LF or RF.
It took me two seconds to dismantle your rebuttle.
Castellanos will have bad defense in Wrigley. Not a good deal, regardless of cheapness. Fit, fit, fit. Doesn’t fit Cubs.
Good. Deal him
i wonder who will end up with castellanos…seems like a fit for cleveland, if they absorb his salary. i don’t think the offers will be as high as avila is hoping for…
Considering the salary attached to him I don’t see Cleveland adding him. They’d run their luck with the youngsters like Bauers, Luplow and Naquin. If they do add a bat like him it would be in a package for Bauer and would carry a lesser salary and controllable player.
Detroit could eat his contract if Cleveland is willing to give up a better prospect or two. I’m almost positive they can afford it.
They’re not because they don’t have to. Castellanos wouldn’t provide enough of an offensive boost over what they have that they’d be willing to take on salary and/or offer up the prospect to enable Detroit to retain salary, and also add his below average defense.
I think Domingo Santana is a better fit for Cleavland, pretty identical players but Santana has the extra control.
Good point, and knowing their GM everybody is up for grabs.
Two A ball players with upside & international money will be enough. Win/win
Nick C for Ademan?
What ever happened to Jordan Walden?
Cut by the Braves in 16. Never announced his retirement, but it’s probably safe to assume by now
Was Walden the one with the little hop in his delivery?
He ended up having like 2 TJs if I remember correctly
I thought corner outfielders were supposed to be power hitters. Why is Epstein going after short term mediocrity?
He’s hit 18-25 homers every year. He’s not a 40 homer guy, but of all the things to knock about his game, he has power.
For some reason he’s hitting a lot of doubles instead…..
That reason is Comerica Park.
Correct…I am Dave K too LOL many of those doubles turn into homers in Chicago. He can easily hit 10-15 homers in the second half & he’s headed to Free Agency so highly motivated.
I fully expect him to blossom into a stud once he leaves Detroit. His defense will improve and he’ll hit 40 homers next year.
He’s good, but no JD Martinez.
No, it’s not Comerica Park that’s the issue. It’s his 88.5mph average exit velocity – less than league average. He simply doesn’t hit the ball hard enough.
That might improve the cubs offensively but defensively it will be among the worst outfields in majors, puke
Exactly.
Greene and Castellanos for Hoerner with Tigers paying Nicks salary?
No way. Hoerner is the second baseman of the future in Chicago.
The Cubs would make you listen to the derisive laughter for a good 5 minutes before hanging up
Tigers fans can dream…
Pass on this guy. I would rather have Almoras glove and defense over Castellanos bat.
Cubs hitting .232 against LHP which means you need his bat. Stats don’t lie.
The cubs are tied for 10th in wOBA vs lefties and tied for 12th in wRC+ vs lefties. I’d hardly say it’s a huge problem.
This makes sense for Chicago though. I understand where Cubs fans are coming from, but it’s gives Maddon the versatility he loves. While I completely understand that Castellanos is awful defensively regardless of where he’s at, he gives Chicago another option for either corner OF, or the corner infield spots in a pinch. But with their current options, it doesn’t make much sense for him to slot in anywhere other than right. Maybe a package of Castellanos and Greene would benefit both teams the most. Interested to see what happens.
I feel like this would be a platoon situation in LF w Schwarbs, since he doesnt do much against LHP and Castellanos smashes it. Of course Maddon likes to shuffle things so I wouldn’t expect a straight platoon-only, but I think the majority of his ABs would be coming against LH w Schwarbs or J-Hey sitting.
Heyward is very average in CF, so flanking him w Schwarber (who is average in LF with a rifle arm, not terrible like his reputation would claim), and Castellanos would make for a seriously limited OF defense.
I like the bat but would hope its part of some more serious OF/spare parts shuffling, guys like Russell and Schwarber and Almora and Happ should be shopped heavily to see if there’s any teams that see the potential that made them 1st round picks and/or top prospects not so long ago.
my thoughts as well
Give them a ok option at the plate as well as a guy to DH for them against AL if they make it that far.
If you give him an extension, he’ll be willing to move his bad defense from the outfield to first base.
Castellanos has two errors this season playing the outfield. Heyward, who is the gold standard, has four. While he may not be a gold glover, Castellanos’ bat is exactly what the Cubs need.
And how many errors does Javy have..?
If you think fielding % is a measuring stick for quality defense, you’re missing the mark.
Guys w terrible range often have really good fielding %.
The point is that he makes the routine plays, and Castellanos doesn’t need a lot of range to play in Wrigley.
Wrigley is like Chris Rock on a pogo stick.
Funny bounces.
Castellanos would play bad defense there. Make opponent laugh.
You can’t make an error if you are nowhere near the ball
Correct!
Yes, but when you throw out utterly useless things like ‘errors’, the disparity becomes quite stark in Heywards favor
Nick C rakes. Leads the majors in doubles.
He hit another one today. Nicholas Doubleanos.
I hope the Tigers could get either one or more CF Zach Davis. OF Roberto Caro and SP Jeffery Passantino along with RP Marcos Encarnacion.
His batting average might not be there, but his obp has been the last few years, and he might hit 20 hrs in 400 abs instead of 10. and versatile defender. Ian happ
This is a bad idea. The net effect would be a primary starting Cubs OF of Kyle Schwarber in LF, Jason Heyward in CF and Nicholas Castellanos in RF. That is an awful defensive alignment, not something I would want to see in the postseason where pitching and defense tend to dominate as the weather also cools off.
The Cubs would only be addressing one of their 3 remaining top deficiencies down the stretch, that of a right-handed hitter who can rake against left-handed pitching. The Cubs also need a lights-out southpaw in the bullpen and a legitimate leadoff hitter. My solution would solve all three problems with two trades.
First off, trade for impending southpaw free agent closer Will Smith of the Giants. San Francisco is still in the mix for a wild card birth and would probably be happy to pick from one of the Cubs young and controllable OF’s on their active roster. If I were running the Giants my target would be CF Albert Almora who would be a great fit in the vast Oracle Park outfield.
The second trade would be to do whatever it takes to pry Whit Merrifield from Kansas City. I believe that the rebuilding Royals would be happy with two of the Cubs top-3 prospects from among versatile infielder Nico Hoerner, C Miguel Amaya and LHP Brailyn Marquez. If not, then the Cubs need to bring in a third team with more appealing prospects that values one or two of their young MLB players in a trade. Whitfield bats right-handed and solves the Cubs leadoff woes that have been apparent since the departure of Dexter Fowler following their 2016 World Series title.
Smith gives the Cubs the late inning lefty arm they lack, someone who will especially be needed in the postseason against a team like the Dodgers who feature big lefty bats such as Cody Bellinger, Corey Seeger and Joc Pederson among others. Merrifield kills two bird with one stone and is versatile enough to play 2B and any OF position proficiently. He is a younger version of Ben Zobrist who can set the table every day as the Cubs leadoff hitter while also allowing Joe Maddon his preferred lineup flexibility.
These moves are a no-brainer for the Cubs if the front office has the cajones to try and secure another title in 2019 as their championship window begins to close. The Castellanos trade solves one problem but creates another. It would be reminiscent of what the Cubs did last summer when they acquired good-hit, no-field Daniel Murphy down the stretch.
If they can get those two with only giving up Almora and the three you mentioned for merrifield, that would be a win for the Cubs. My guess is it would take more. Ask anyone on here they may tell you the same
Those trade proposals can be replaced or supplemented with other pieces if need be.
If the Giants prefer another player over Almora then they can have their pick from among a few others on the Cubs active roster not named Kris Bryant, Javier Baez, Anthony Rizzo and Willson Contreras.
I had already stated that the Cubs may need to bring in a third team to acquire Merrifield. They can also let the Royals have all three of their top prospects if push came to shove or some combination of prospects and a controllable young player from their active roster or at AAA like Ian Happ.
My point is that the Cubs need to make these two moves in order to give themselves a solid chance to compete with the Dodgers in the NL playoffs and whichever powerhouse emerges from the AL in the World Series. Time may be running out on the North Side for these types of opportunities.
I don’t think Merrifield is worth that cost.
Smith would fit the bill for a LHP for the pen, but the ask will be higher (Schwarber + minor league pieces) because all the playoff teams need someone of that caliber.
I think we could entice PIT with Almora, Amaya and a minor league pitcher not named Alzolay, Marquez or De la Cruz (maybe Underwood?) For Starling Marte + a bit of cash. We could then grab someone like Sogard or Villar and cut Descalso loose.
I can think of no other player who is potentially available by July 31st as a better fit for the Cubs and Joe Maddon than Whit Merrifield. If he is attainable, the Cubs need to make a deal happen. Merrifield would be a godsend for 2019 and also comes with 4 more years of cheap team control with his 2023 contract option. He will cost significant prospect capital but the dividend potential is worth the risk, in my opinion even more so than than what Aroldis Chapman and Jose Quintana gave the organization in previous deadline deals.
I don’t see a Kyle Schwarber outfield fit for the Giants in their spacious home ball park. As with Merrifield, Theo should pay the necessary cost be it Almora, Happ, Bote, Caraitini or some combo, even Schwarber if the Giants insist. Any trade cost this month could also be defrayed if the Cubs actually decided to re-sign a rental bullpen acquisition for a change and not just let them walk away as they did with Aroldis Chapman following the 2016 season and Wade Davis a year later.
Good luck to Theo trying to pull a deal with the division rival Pirates without seriously overpaying. Marte and Merrifield are each 30. Merrifield has cheaper team control through 2023. Marte is more expensive through 2021 with his two team options. I like Merrifield better as a true leadoff hitter along with his defensive versatility at 2B and in the OF.
There’s no doubt that Merrifield would help the Cubs, but it would take more than that to get him. Their asking price is extremely high right now.
Also is that any better of an outfield defense? What do you do if Almora is traded? Happ in center? Bryant in right Bote at third?
Almora has not been a regular starting CF for the Cubs under Joe Maddon. If he goes they would continue with Schwarber in LF and Heyward in RF where the latter exclusively belongs anyway.
Merrifield would be the everyday leadoff hitter and would give Maddon an option in CF along with 2B. If the Cubs didn’t pursue another deal for a 4th outfielder to replace Almora they would likely recall Ian Happ from AAA Iowa to be that guy.
Dodgers have 3 starting LHP so for Cubs to get by them, they need a RHB that crushes LHP which Castellanos does. Perfect fit.
I’d take my chances against those Dodgers southpaws with right-handed hitting Whit Merrifield leading off and setting the table for others like Javier Baez, Kris Bryant and Willson Contreras along with whoever Joe Maddon wants to mix and match from the right side like David Bote and Addison Russell. Anthony Rizzo is the only lefty hitter who is a given in the batting order and he is a tough out regardless of the pitcher.
Nick Castellanos is not a perfect fit, least of all in the NL where he has to play a defensive position. I’d take my chances with a proficient all-around player like Merrifield who can help win games with his bat, legs and glove!
Cubs won’t give up what it would take to get merrifield. Other options are needed or else the cubs don’t get past the dodgers.
Is Castellanos really “coveted”? I thought one of the problems was Detroit wasn’t being overwhelmed by offers because of his limitations. Perhaps packaging him with Greene enhances the value of both, for a team that can use both.
Relative to anything else the Tigers are selling, I suppose. He’s still more of a salary dump than trade asset in the grand scheme
The Tigers shed almost half of their total team salary the last 2 years. They can afford both Manny and Bryce if they wanted to. They need players, not salary relief.
Plenty of offers just nothing the tigers would bite on over the last 2 years. In the off-season they were asking the dodgers for Verdugo. They held onto him too long.
Looking through all the takes this is why I respect Cubs fans so much… most intelligent fans in baseball IMO. Sure, Castellanos’ bat would be phenomenal in the Cubs lineup but put him opposite end of Schwarber in the OF and they will cost you 2-3 runs a week defensively. That’s not what wins you a division.
Exactly, and the Tigers have done Castellanos a disservice by not forcing him to learn 1B, where he could be an asset on both sides instead of a massive black hole defensively combined with a decent bat.
he and Kyle could make a really nice platoon
This is just a boring inaccurate narrative. Kyle Schwarber was a horrible outfielder 2 years ago. Last year, statistically he was one of the best outfielders in baseball and his defensive runs saved numbers were near the top of the league. This year he has some defensive metrics above average and some below, so overall he is an average outfielder. People who keep using the narrative that Kyle is this horrible outfielder are just lazy and holding onto old narratives because its easier to actually look at how players progress.
Regardless of the conversation and who is having it regarding anything in baseball….the name of Kyle Schwarber and his defense prowess is never, never mentioned nor discussed.
To refer to him as AVERAGE defensively is a compliment!
All these statistics you mention were created to make a mediocre ball player (which he certainly isn’t offensively) look better than what the eyes tell you when watching over time.
Pushing the theory that advanced defensive metrics were invented to make Schwarber look good about a decade before he was even drafted is even lazier than pushing the myth that he’s a bad defender..,
One thing I know if it’s game 7 and Cubs are up 1 run he’s getting a defensive replacement. He’s not very good in the outfield but he has improved quite a bit.
If your an OF and your manager feels the need to replace you late in close games….your a bad fielding OFer.
Another take for the lazy list…
He just hit a walkoff home run in the tenth after Greene blew a save.
Castellanos/ Green for Happ / Maples.
Even that might be too much. Paying more for Green’s second year.
Castellanos can platoon w/ Schwarber. Almora not hitting is a major bummer. Bryant better in CF than Hayward is necessary.
Thought we overpaid for Maldonado…shouldn’t take too much to get just Castellanos. I think we have enuff righties that Green is not a MUST.
ummm that doesnt get it done. happ has zero value
Cubs do not have the prospect assets. This would be another JDM trade where Tigers get three turds.
Go for whit and diekman and give up a lot. Whit is exactly what they need.
For the last time the cubs have NOTHING in their farm that is worth trading whit! and the Royals don’t want scraps from the cubs roster. With Mondesi hurt, Whit is needed.
The Royals are 24 games back in the worst division in baseball. Whit is needed for what? He’s 30 years old and the royals don’t look like a playoff team any time soon. I’d try to get the best package I can and rebuild. Cubs have plenty of really good prospects.
Give up top prospects, Merrifield gets hurt, lose, lose. NOT a good plan.
I believe they are going to wind up DFA Descalso and including Garcia in the trade which makes total sense since Nico Hoerner is mlb ready and Happ has started to heat up in the minors of late, both of which are upgrades over Rusell.. The addition of Greene is what makes the deal work for me as long as it doesn’t mean Castellanos takes at bats away from Schwarber who has never really got a fair shake under Maddon. Having Greene and then Kimbrel to finish games makes the Cubs very formidable down the stretch. But a platoon system with Schwarber doesn’t make sense to me since he has improved greatly against lefties this year, and his defense has been fairly solid as well. So the trade to would be Aldzolay, Garcia, and possibly David Bote for Castellanos and Greene.
I’d rather have the draft pick next year when he leaves then anything the Cubs have in their minor leagues right now.
The Tigers aren’t offering him a QO, because there’s no way he doesn’t take it
The tigers 100% plan to offer him a QO and Avila has said that so………
Rule no. 1 of baseball : the front office lies
So your opinion means more then what the GM has said publicly. Makes sense
No, logic does
Nobody is going to pay a middling DH More than the QO, so he’d take it in a heart beat. And if that happens it’s just wasted money for Detroit because they’re frankly better off with the free roster spot
So the whole thing would’ve an exercise in futility from the start, and I’m going to give Avila credit for having the brains to see something so painfully obvious
They will definitely offer him the QO they have nothing to lose by doing it they could still trade him after if he signs it. There is no way he accepts he just hired Scott Boras and went through a year where they had him on the trade block the entire time.
Castellanos has 0 value on a qualifiying offer. No one will pay him 18 million bucks for next season. If the Tigers do that, then they’ll be eating over half his salary to facilitate a trade. I can almost guarantee he gets moved in the next 10 days so that’s not even a possibility he has to play with.
Money isn’t the issue with the tigers. Their problem is getting young talent that will all get to the majors at the same time. So they will have no problem offering him a QO and eating most of the money to flip him for someone next year rather then letting him walk for nothing. But yes ideally they move him in the next 10 days
There is no way that guy is given a 20 million dollar QO. No way. He will be gone by the 31st.
That’s not the point. The Tigers could go out in free agency and sign multiple players for 18 million bucks. Why would you put all of that money in Castellanos’ basket? It makes no sense to overpay him to hope his market improves next year.
Dear Cubs fans,
Ian Happ is not a trade asset. Thanks.
All the best,
MLB Gms
He’d be an overpay for Castellanos anyway…
an overpay? lol
Castellanos isn’t that good and hey a rental
exactly
Now reports have the Cubs potentially doubling down on a deal with the Tigers?
I’ve already discussed reasons for the Cubs not pursuing Nicholas Castellanos and now I will do the same for Tigers closer Shane Green.
First off, Green is a right-handed reliever where the Cubs have sufficient arms including recently signed FA Craig Kimbrel. The Cubs need a lights-out lefty in their pen, someone like Will Smith of the Giants. Green will probably cost more than Smith, especially in prospect capital for a rebuilding team like the Tigers. Smith is a rental while any suitor for Green will have to pony up extra for his additional year of arbitration eligible control in 2020.
Secondly, what version of Green would the Cubs be getting? The 2019 and 2017 model who was excellent or the 2015, 2016 and 2018 version who was anything but with Detroit. The last time the Cubs traded for a Tigers closer was Justin Wilson just two summers ago and we all know how well that turned out. At least Wilson had a taste of postseason experience before arriving in Chicago. Green has zip. On the other hand, Smith not only has a bit of playoff experience with the Giants (versus the Cubs in 2016) but also has a far more consistent bullpen resume since his conversion from a starter to reliever as a Royal in 2012. Smith was an excellent loogy with some contending teams before assuming the closer role with the Giants last season where he has never been better than in 2019. As good as Smith was with the Royals, Brewers and Giants through 2016 he has been even better following his season ending TJ surgery which cost him the entirety of 2017.
Bottom line: Theo should hang up the phone with Al Avila in Detroit over Castellanos and Green and instead call Farhan Zaidi in San Francisco concerning Smith along with contacting Dayton Moore in Kansas City regarding Whit Merrifield. Theo’s best opportunity to win another title in Chicago to match his two in Boston has a better chance to happen in trade conversations with Zaidi and Moore and not with Avila.
Honestly I think the only reason these discussions would happen is because both Castellanos and Greene have enough red flags that the Tigers can be talked down into the Cubs price range
Neither would be a perfect fit, but both could certainly be useful in their way
The Cubs are at a potential crossroads right now in regards to winning championships. The two players I am talking about are both perfect fits for the Cubs and well within their financial means.
Is this the time for Theo to haggle by acquiring a defensive liability to fill a questionable hole in the middle of the Cubs lineup for three months or is it time to pony up for a true leadoff hitter with pop who can provide plus defensive versatility and 30+ stolen bases for 4+ seasons.
Is this the time for Theo to add yet another late inning right-handed arm, one with some “red flags” who possesses very little late season pennant pressure experience or should he pull out the stops and acquire a shut-down lefty who is remarkably consistent and has become even more dominant as he ages.
I’ve already stated my case for playing Theo in the 2019 fantasy version of Let’s Make a Deadline Deal. What would you do?
I’d like to see the cubs chase Merrifield from KC. Russell included in deal. You have your new leadoff and 2b.
The Cubs don’t have the kind of prospect package that Detroit should be looking for, period. This was the same mistake we made trading JD Martinez to the D’backs in ’17 and Avila can’t afford to make that mistake again! Wait it out and someone with a better farm will offer more than Chicago can for a package of Castellanos and Greene!
Cubs could offer up any of Almora, Schwarber, Russell or Bote to complete this trade. Two 25 and the other two are 26…the age many prospects are when debuting!
And Castellanos is only 27 so that’s not much of difference and Castellanos is way better then all of them
I see a few people talking about platooning castellanos, but he leads the league in doubles and would immediately be your best hitting outfielder. Wouldn’t you platoon almora and schwarber since neither are hitting well? They are hitting .239 and .230 respectively. I’m not sure their splits but I’m sure you can work something out.
NC LF, almora CF, hey RF
Or
Sch LF, hey CF, NC RF
Definitely not a perfect fit for the cubs but would definitely be a great pickup for the right price.
Schwarber is a classic example of where you can’t value the batting average. His OPS is nearly .800 and HR rate is good. Defense just ok but much more value than Almora.
Forget Greene. Castellanos or Danny Santana make sense if they trade Schwarber. However, Castellanos has to sign a contract. The Cubs cannot afford two liabilities in the OF.
Santana is a great plug in; he could essentially replace Zobrist.
Almora’s starting days are over. He’s had his chances and is at the ‘defensive replacement’ stage now.
Castellanos and greene wont get much in return. Latest from the Dodgers is they offered DJ Peter’s. A .240 hitting outfielder that strikes out half the time. Avila better not make that trade.
The Dodgers are morons who could have had Verlander and likely a championship. Expect them to blow it no matter what they do.
DJ Peters also has a ton of raw power and has put it on display at AA and AAA this season. Yes he hit .240 with 11 HR at AA but since being called up to AAA he’s batting .338 with 8 HR in 22 games. And the tigers desperately need power hitting prospects(the clubs minor league lead in HR is 13 throughout any level) so I’d take Peters in a second combined with a lower prospect for Greene. If the Dodgers want both it will cost more then just Peters
I like the Witt Merifield idea much better. Trade schwarber and almora in separte deal to the best prospect capital they can get take, alozoy and almaza and the prospects they get in return get merrifield and diekman
The cubs don’t have the talent to get Merrifield. Not going to happen.