Two of last season’s top three home run hitters were originally acquired in trade. NL champ Pete Alonso was drafted and developed by the Mets, but NL runner up Eugenio Suárez and AL leader Jorge Soler were plucked from other organizations early in their MLB careers. MLBTR’s Connor Byrne just looked back at the Reds’ brilliant acquisition of Suárez. It only seems fair to give the Soler trade its due.
Soler was a known commodity long before he signed a pro contract. His name appeared on MLBTR pages more than thirty times before he finally agreed with the Cubs as a twenty-year old international amateur in 2012. He immediately found himself on top prospect lists and quickly tore through the minors, making his MLB debut a little over two years after signing.
Despite an exceptional debut, Soler never quite established himself amidst a crowded outfield mix on the North Side. In 765 cumulative plate appearances from 2014-16, he hit .258/.328/.434 (106 wRC+) with 27 home runs. It was passable production, but not enough to consistently crack a lineup with Dexter Fowler, Jason Heyward, Albert Almora, and Kyle Schwarber on hand, to say nothing of infielders like Kris Bryant and Ben Zobrist capable of manning the grass. Even with Fowler departing as a free agent, the Cubs’ outfield looked like an area of surplus. (It hasn’t really borne out that way, but it looked like a strong group at the time). That made Soler a reasonable trade candidate for a team looking to defend a World Series title.
That offseason, the Cubs and Royals indeed lined up on a deal. With their own competitive window soon to close, K.C. acquired the 24-year-old slugger for contract-year reliever Wade Davis. It was perfectly understandable from the Chicago organization’s perspective. Aroldis Chapman was to sign elsewhere just a day later. The bullpen looked like the relative weak spot on a win-now club. As MLBTR’s Steve Adams pointed out at the time of the deal, Davis had some red flags (injuries and a slight velocity loss), but he was fresh off an utterly dominant three-year run in Kansas City.
Indeed, the Cubs mostly got what they bargained for from Davis. He did regress a bit in 2017, as Steve suggested he might. But Davis was still quite good in Chicago, working to a 2.30 ERA/3.38 FIP in 58.2 innings. The Cubs lost to the Dodgers in the NLCS, but that was the fault of their offense, not Davis. The right-hander has fallen apart since signing with the Rockies after that 2017 season, but the immediate returns on the deal were positive for the Cubs. That wasn’t the case for the Royals.
Soler spent the first month of that season on the injured list with a strained oblique. When he returned in May, he was dreadful, hitting .164/.292/.273 and earning a demotion to Triple-A. Soler did hit well in the minors, but 2017 was undoubtedly a disappointment. He seemed to reestablish himself in 2018, hitting well until suffering a season-ending toe fracture in June. Everything clicked in 2019, though.
Most importantly, Soler stayed healthy last season, playing in all 162 games. He increased his hard contact rate to a career-high 46.7% and dropped his infield fly ball rate to a career-low 8.8%. He made the most contact of his career and continued to draw walks at a hefty clip (10.8%). All told, Soler’s .265/.354/.569 slash (136 wRC+) placed him in the top 20 qualified hitters leaguewide. Even at pitcher-friendly Kauffman Stadium, Soler paced the Junior Circuit in home runs with 48. Statcast data supported the breakout, as Soler finished in the 95th percentile or better in average exit velocity, hard contact rate and expected weighted on-base average. Even as a mediocre defensive outfielder who’s best suited for DH work, that’s plenty productive. Soler was worth nearly four wins above replacement last season, per both Fangraphs and Baseball Reference.
The Royals are no doubt thrilled with the acquisition of Soler at this point. He’s finally emerged as the middle-of-the-order force many expected. Steve Adams explored the possibility of the sides lining up on an extension in September. Controlled through 2021, Soler could alternatively be a key trade chip for the rebuilding club if the sides can’t reach a long-term agreement.
Good job Steve.
I feel like million bucks I had my Lysol shot
Cubs got fleeced again
KC Royals fans hated this trade and didn’t like Soler for awhile.
I think any RP isn’t worth quite what some teams think but Royals fans loved Wade Davis.
Truthfully think the trade was more symbolic than anything for them.
I guess you won’t find one that would say Wade Davis shouldn’t have been traded
I’d have to disagree. While middle relievers may not help a middle of the road type team… a great bullpen can be the difference of a team like the current Dodgers, and the Giants in their championship years.
KC almost won a WS in ’14 on the back of a monstrous pen. And came back to win it the very next season.
If you can get an everyday player for a RP you make the trade 100% of the time.
Not saying RP don’t help teams win but in regards to trades an everyday player has a lot more value.
From a fan standpoint I see the issues KC Royals fans had but on the otherhand I think their front office waited one year too long.
After the 2017 season this trade looked horrible in the POV of a KC Royals fans.
Even then I thought it was funny their fans wished they kept Wade Davis
Solar was terrible in 2017 so we did not want him but we still had brandon moss hitting just over 200
@chitown311
Marcus Semien and Fernando Tatis, Jr say Hello
So does Lou Brock and Eloy Jimenez
Oh and I forgot Torres said hello too!
Glad to see the Soler power shine in KC
Hated to see him go, as it was always clear Soler just exudes talent. However, his inability to stay on the field made me OK w him being traded. I am surprised that his defense has fallen to the point of being considered a “DH-type” he always looked good on the grass to me- not Heyward, but acceptable- and had a strong arm in RF.
However, the return that Theo received from both Soler and Gleybar Torres should get him run out of town.
YES, Chapman was necessary, and Cubs dont win the WS wo him, but it was Theo n Jed’s fault for being in that position to begin with. They haven’t developed a single arm since they came to the North side.
Not to mention Eloy Jimenez and Dylan Cease for that bum Quintana who’s been nothing more than a decent #4 starter. He’s ok, eats innings, but what a fleece.
Torres, Jimenez and Soler’s whole careers for 1.5yrs of closers, and a mediocre starter. Ridiculous.
And THEN they panic n finally cave and spend big $ on a closer…a washed up Craig Kimbrel. Yeesh…
Get a new GM that isn’t Theo’s puppet and keep Theo away from the checkbook!! And bring in someone who can develop pitching for goodness sake…
I must say that I can’t argue with everything you wrote but you said it yourself – they don’t win the WS w/o Chapman and when you haven’t won in 108 years and seemingly have a curse hanging over your heads, you do ANYTHING to win that one. Of course, that had nothing to do with the terrible Quintana deal, but again you said yourself you were ok with Soler going at the time (as I was), so it’s really just that one trade but the fact that it had to be with the White Sox makes it all that much worse. I do think Theo is gone after 2021. He said 10 years is the longest he ever wanted to be in one place. I wonder if perhaps Hoyer isn’t the problem. Look at his drafts in San Diego – not good. But I’m afraid Ricketts promotes him when Theo goes.
You think Hoyer had anything to do with the Rizzo trade and extension?
@rememberthecoop Yeah I dont disagree. I said in my original post, the Chapman trade (or a similarly dominant reliever trade) HAD to happen for the Cubs to even contend in the postseason- however that scenario was in place bc of Theo’s “rule” about not handing out big contracts to relievers when plenty were available the previous couple winters.
Well that puts you in quite the pickle when you also CANT develop any pitching AT ALL.
So Theo being forced to overpay for a closer and/or setup man at the deadline was a foregone conclusion if the Cubs were going to the postseason.
I was OK w Soler being traded…for a reasonable return. Theo should have landed some young pitching in return- not included it in the deal! We need MORE guys like Cease- not fewer. Its not that I have particularly high expectations for Cease but he’s a young power arm w lots of potential. Theo should be stockpiling those arms, instead he treats them like lepers, and likes soft-tossers bc he thinks they dont get hurt as much. Lowest team avg fastball velo in MLB last season. I didnt like the Soler trade from the beginning bc Quintana has never impressed me. He’s always looked timid on the mound. His stuff is mediocre. Nothing remarkable about him.
Your stupid, you have to think about it if you were in the gm’s seat, soler was garbage and Torres and Jimenez were seen as trade pieces for a win now club, of course it worked because they won
Soler was after the World Series.
You have to give their front office credit for having those players in their organization.
But I do agree with the general opinion that the Cubs window has been cut due to bad decisions.
But it was the FO who created that window in the first place..
So was Simeon and Torres, just throw in pieces.
Didn’t really have the glove for the NL and was essentially blocked by Schwarber and Heyward. He feasted on the bad pitching found in the AL Central. Hit .341 with almost half his homer total against Detroit, Minn and CHW. Just .224 against everyone else.
Brace for the Darwin award winners defending the Soler trade. No other team has given up more young talent than the Cubs in five years. And what do they have to show for it? A much shorter window of contention. This a bad job of player evaluation by Theo Epstein. Period.
Hurhurhurhurhur
ChiSoxcity sees Cubs related article:
Must comment something NEGATIVE!!!!!! SOUTHSIDE Mouthbreathers for life!
@assumefacts—-we need to petition MLBTR to just stop posting anything Cub related on Sundays. ChiSoxCity is somewhat of a god on this site and we all know that even God rested on the seventh day. It would be refreshing to give ChiSox a break so that he can seek a more stable existence.
This is the guy who somehow thinks trading Jorge Soler for Wade Davis is worse than trading Tatis for Shields lmao.
t the time, both were nothing trades and then they weren’t. Get over the Tatis Kr trade. He’s only played 1/2 year in MLB.
The Cubs window of contention has always been through 2021 when basically their World Series Champion core players are eligible for free agency.
A couple of those guys were traded for during the rebuild, extended, and remain productive. The trades are all about putting the best team forward during the pennant race and into the postseason.
Where would Soler and Jimenez play for the Cubs in 2020? Would they have helped in 2017 or 2018?
@schwarbsmom……DH, of course………oh wait
The year question is how much the could have helped in 2019!
Not enough.
You’re not wrong, even if you’re kind of a d!ck
The truth is never nice for the deluded.
Soler feasts on poor pitching…….good pitching gets him out easily.
If that were true, everyone would hit 41 HRs.
As opposed to good pitching not getting others out? Just Soler? Yet somehow he lead the league in homers so there goes your theory bigbadjohnny
Cubs gave up on Soler, Jiminez, Torres, Vogelbach…….but still got a WS title out of it…..and still FEARED by other teams……..
with this long layoff, I think many teams will rethink about their future free agents……….No team has a WIndow now……..it is like Baseball getting a Rebirth when the games begin again in 2020 or 2021 which I suspect will happen.
I think Theo might trade his three man pieces now…..Bryant, Contreras and Baez to rebuild this team……..and throw in Hendricks in the mix………..We saw the last of Lester & Quintana…….this Cubs 2021 team will have a new face. the Future of the Cubs is Hoerner, Amaya, Short, Marquez, Davis.
Soler, Jimenez and Cease were traded after the World Series.
Who fears the Cubs? Maybe Pittsburgh. Whoopdeedoo
Cubs never gave up on Torres or Jimenez. They traded them knowing they were blue chip prospects. There is a big difference.
Volgelbach? You say they gave up on him? Where was he going to play?
Soler is a DH. Cubs do not have a DH in NL.
Soler played 162 games. Being DH is what he needs. In OF he never lasts a full year. Good for KC.
Are the Cubs feared? I would say that is a stretch since they did not even make the playoffs last year and did nothing to improve this year.
They still have a good team. I would say they are respected as a contender but not feared.
Vogelbach? Lol, the Cubs have a perennial All-Star and Top 5 first baseman in Rizzo at 1B, why would they want a career .205 hitter there instead?
A good deal for both sides. Cubs will have gotten 1 year of stellar performance from Wade Davis, while the Royals will have gotten 1-2 years of stellar production from Jorge Soler.
HAHAHAHA!
it was needed to do for the Cubs. it was clear CHC was not the place for him to develop and the Cubs were ready to move on. to get RP talent of Davis’s talent, even as just a rental, was a solid return.
So it was better to pay $180MM+ for a below average hitter than to keep Soler? No rational thinking person believes this. Oh wait, you’re a Cubs fan. n/m
Soler can’t play OF. He has had a history of leg problems that have kept him off the field consistently. DH is the only position where he will be productive.
Soler “couldn’t play RF”? Neither could Castellanos, according to the “experts”. And yet, Nick carried that Cubs team for half a season with his prolific hitting. The lesson to learn here is, a productive bat in RF is FAR more valuable than a GG RF who hits like a pitcher.
You missed the point. Soler’s career high in games played for a season before 2019 was 101. He can’t handle RF, physically nor defensively. At least Castellanos doesn’t spend 70 games a year on the IL.
And you miss the most important point. The Cubs spent their young prospects foolishly—they got NOTHING in return. Now their window is closed and will have to rebuild… again.
Your point doesn’t hold much water. You think the Cubs when they traded Soler were gonna be able to market him as a 50 hr hitter? He hadn’t come close to that yet and what you are saying is they are fools for not knowing he was gonna do that 3 years later. That’s a stupid statement that you are only saying cuz you are so anti cub
They did better with Q (not nothing) than Hahn did with Shark and Shields.
Come back in a couple of years. The window is not closed yet.
Well said…
ChiSoxCity typically misses the point. No one said he cannot play RF the point is when he plays the field he is constantly hurt. Misses games. If missing games he cannot hit.
White Sox should do the same with Jimenez. Let him keep his bat in the lineup every day.
Oh ChiSoxCity the White Sox traded Marcus Semien and Fernando Tatis, Jr. for nothing so what is your point?
Semien was nobody when the Sox traded him. Ditto for Tatis. What has Tatis accomplished that makes me care about? Nice try, but neither player was a highly regarded prospect like Torres, Soler, Jimenez or Cease.
Cubguy, so you’re telling me a top prospect is only worth a rental of a relief pitcher? Torres and Soler are stars. Both guys the Cubs traded them for were in the last year of their contracts. That the best you can do? Really? If you believe that, you might have some cheap land waiting for you in Brooklyn. Acres of it.
Isn’t you logic identical when Cub fans continually bring up the Tatis Jr throw in trade, or that’s just being used as smokescreen because Epstein is not a great GM for a long haul.
why does endorsing the Soler trade also equal endorsing the Heyward move? I always thought Heyward was overrated, but that doesnt mean sticking with Soler would have worked out for the Cubs. and the Heyward move had already happened at that point so the point is essentially moot.
No, the fact that Heyward should never have been signed to begin with is moot. It’s easily the worst contract in Cubs history, possibly the worst ever.
Heyward is far from the worst contract ever. I can think of about a handful more that are way worse than Heyward’s. He has averaged about 2 bWAR a season since coming to Chicago and is still an elite defensive right fielder. That’s more than Chris Davis, Albert Pujols, Jacoby Ellsbury, Yoenis Cespedes, Josh Hamilton, A-Rod’s second contract with the Yankees, Mike Hampton, and a many others.
Again with this nonsense? Those other players were SUPERSTARS, rewarded with elite contracts because they were elite players. Well, Hampton doesn’t belong in this conversation, but you pulled his name out of your keister. What had Heyward EVER done to indicate he’s worth a nine digit contract? Give me one thing. I’ll wait.
He averaged over 4 WAR per season his first six years and he was 26 years old. Only one of those years was a below average offensive season. Gold glove RF who could play CF. MLBTR had him getting $200MM. Five teams were in on him at well over nine figures. The Cards and Nats were offering more total dollars. He picked the Cubs because they were going to win.
And that’s why ChiSoxCity would be a pathetic GM. Paying people for past performance instead of future performance. It doesn’t matter what they WERE, the contracts were still awful contracts and much worse than Heyward’s. You can’t justify a terrible contract with “But they used to be good”
I was addressing the poor comparisons used to justify Heyward’s contract. You pay players based off their performance at some level. It’s well documented that Heyward is not, was not, nor will he ever be a prolific hitter. Basically, RFs don’t get paid to catch fly balls. They get paid to hit.
This is the kind of dumb trade Met fans want to do with Smith… take a high talent up and coming guy and trade him for a decent reliever cuz “reasons”. Well, trading a young everyday player with great potential for a reliever who will at absolute best put up 2 WAR for a season or two because you lack the imagination to get the young player a role on the team is dumb. You never trade a better player for a not as good player because of “fit”. It never works out well and it’s always a dumb plan.
Unless Smith can learn to play an acceptable left field, no amount of imagination is going to give him regular playing time. I agree that some of the trade scenarios I’ve seen floated about Smith are kind of goofy, but there is a legitimate argument in favor of using him to address a different area of need.
*Regular playing time on the Mets, I should clarify.
There are many different scenarios in regards what the Mets should do with Smith but trading him now for a reliever is not one of the smart ones. He doesn’t have to play regularly for now. He’s a great lefty pinch hitter and bench piece. Let him increase his value while helping the team. Meanwhile, he’d have to absolutely tank to not still be worth at least a decent reliever in a trade down the line. Dom on the bench is more valuable than most relievers would be, I think.
You have to remember the context of this trade, Chicago was in win now mode, of course when you look a these kind of trades a few years later more often than not, the teams who were in win now mode are gonna look silly but you gotta take advantage when your contention window is wide open, I don’t see any problems with this trade
I actually understand the Cubs making the trade, being on the cusp and all but in general these type trades are dumb
Cubs fans have to watch Jorge Soler and Eloy Jimenez swing them liquid swords for the next decade, dreaming about what might have been.
Everybody in the slums of Shaolin knows trading valuable young players away makes sense under certain conditions.
1). You are a contending team with a deep roster looking to gamble on an upgrade.
2). You can acquire an elite impact player in return.
The Cubs certainly fit the first condition. Where they screwed themselves is trading away talent for rentals or guys (Q) who were not elite.
I will get a lot of heat for this but I have to say it, fans are just not very intelligent. They seem to be followers and listen to hype mainstream shows like ESPN, sports center and get brainwashed by the garbage they put out on those shows. I’ve been asking others about Eugenio Suarez and nine out of 10 people argue with me when I tell them that he is the new elite power hitter in baseball, minus Angels center fielder super player Trout. Past two seasons EJ hit 83 Trout 84. EJ at 26 years old, Trout 27. Oh yeah…. Nolan arenado is awesome but EJ hit more homers then him that past two seasons as well. People wake up and remember EJ is a superstar and try to remember that
Who is EJ? Edwin Jackson?
Lol
Eloy Jimenez
steerrriiike one.
Exactly my point! Rookie fans behind. E-jack you dumbie, you know that’s his nickname. You can call him EJ for short my goat!
Sports center does not talk about baseball anyway
Unlike the Eloy and Cease for Quintana trade, I don’t think anyone thought this was a bad trade on the Cubs part or Royals for that matter at the time. Soler has blossomed on a trash team and Davis gave us a very solid year and helped us immensely in the NLDS vs the Nats. Hind sight is 20/20 but I hold no fault on the front office for this one
You thought trading one of the top young prospects in the game for a RENTAL of a reliever was good trade?
Soler was a prospect who turned onto a project. Good for the Royals that he developed three years later.
Every prospect is a project. That’s why they’re called prospects.
I saw him launch bombs for the Cubs and he looked to me as a stud, next thing you know they gave up on him and he was somewhere else just like that. I’m glad he made them pay for being idiots
Very slow sports week…?!
Suarez deal was aleady discussed on MLB Trade Rumors this past week..
Jorge Soler produced better numbers in 2019 than any of those other ‘surplus’ Cubs outfielders have produced in any of their seasons. Injuries have always been a major concern for him throughout his professional career but when healthy Soler can produce big numbers just as I suggested he would when he debuted with the Cubs back in 2014.
The Cubs should have stuck with their promising young group of outfield prospects longer. They should have trusted Albert Almora as the perfect defensive complement in CF for their elite hitting corner prospects that included both Soler and Kyle Schwarber in 2015. Joe Maddon and his incessant micro-managing made that scenario nearly impossible and the Cubs have paid the price since 2016.
Even with Theo Epstein signing Jason Heyward ahead of the Cubs 2016 championship season, the foursome could have worked out splendidly but the front office and manager lacked the necessary patience to make it work to everyone’s advantage. Epstein’s lack of prioritizing the development of pitchers along with his dumping of elite prospects (Gleyber Torres and Soler) for two rental closers (Aroldis Chapman and Wade Davis) within the span of 6 months were most unfortunate for the long term well being of the organization. Seven months later Theo repeated the process of dumping two more elite prospects (Eloy Jimenez and Dylan Cease) for a veteran starting pitching (Jose Quintana), pretty much shutting the door on a potential Cubs dynasty in the NL
At some point, the Cubs would have needed to move one of Soler, Schwarber or Jimenez without a DH in the NL. Whoever was moved should have reaped a better package than what was acquired for either Soler or Jimenez. Now we can only dream of what might have been with a Cubs lineup that could have had Willson Contreras behind the plate, Anthony Rizzo at 1B, Gleyber Torres at 2B, Javier Baez at SS, Kris Bryant at 3B along with two of Kyle Schwarber, Jorge Soler and Eloy Jimenez flanking CF Albert Almora.
That “dream” OF is about the same as what they have now.
Did Soler’s performance from 2017-2019 top Kyle, Heyward, or Zobrist for the same years?
We will never know what might have been had somebody other than Joe Maddon managed the Cubs. I hated when Theo Epstein parted ways with a highly regarded developmental manager in Rick Renteria in order to ‘expedite’ winning. I’m convinced Renteria would have been a better long term manager for the Cubs with their elite young talent. I feel confident that Ricky will prove me right in the next 5-10 years as the White Sox manager.
You know I have always been a big fan of Kyle Schwarber. I was also sold on Jorge Soler as the Cubs future stud power hitting RF. Soler had a great start debuting under Renteria in August of 2014 and was decent enough with Maddon in 2015 as a platoon OF, something I would have not done. Soler absolutely raked in the 2015 postseason and then leveled off due to a combination of injuries and poor decision making by his new manager.
The FA signing of Jason Heyward was ill-advised, especially with the Cubs possessing so much elite young OF talent in their system, along with still having Dexter Fowler as their last decent leadoff hitter manning CF. Maddon made a bad situation worse by trying to stick Heyward in the #2 slot to begin his Cubs career in 2016, a role that should have gone to new fellow FA Ben Zobrist who was the ultimate prototypical fit for that slot. How Maddon didn’t realize this after having Zobrist with him in Tampa for so many years is anybody’s guess?
Zobrist only signed with the Cubs during that same offseason because he was promised the regular 2B job in 2016 after having that same role down the stretch with the champion Royals in 2015. Zobrist did not agree to join the Cubs so he could become another one of their ‘excess’ OF’s. Zobrist wasn’t signing with the Cubs until they first traded 2B/SS Starlin Castro which happened on the exact same day, December 8th of 2015.
Bottom line: Maddon and his incessant micro-managing ego helped screw up Heyward along with many other players on the team over the long term. Most Cubs fans will be forever indebted to him because of the 2016 World Series title which he nearly blew with some head-scratching decisions anyway.
Theo Epstein deserves all the credit in the world for helping develop all those great young hitters while also making some incredibly shrewd trades as the Cubs were rebuilding, same as what Rick Hahn seems to have done on the Southside of Chicago the past 3 years. Theo had a similarly successful run in Boston but also had a reputation of throwing bad money after good at some point in time which is exactly what’s transpiring with Cubs over the past few years.
Maddon did fine overall. 2019 was a disaster but the players certainly loved him.
Trading Soler helped them save five million and get a comp pick for Wade Davis (he was great in 2017). Players don’t often get third chances and they really didn’t have room for Jorge.
Remember that Heyward was going to be their CF for a season or two before Almora debuted. Fowler fell back in their laps when the agreement didn’t happen with the Orioles. Good thing because Dexter had a career year.
Yes, Zobrist was signed to be a 2B, but the Cubs weren’t signing him until they could clear payroll by trading Castro. I think Ben realized he would be back at super utility as Baez cemented himself at second. Zobrist ended up playing almost half of his innings in the outfield after they traded Soler.
Theo is an all-in exec and he’s had more success than not.
White Sox are intriguing and Renteria is a good manager.
Too bad everything has been halted. It was going to be such a fun year.
At the time of the deal, I was happy w/Wade Davis coming to the Cubs, but thought we should have gotten a pitching prospect in addition as their 2017 salaries didn’t match up….we got hosed. There’s no guarantees w/pitching prospects, but it would’ve been nice to try to develop someone rather than having nothing to show for it now while Soler hits bombs in KC for the next ten years…ugh!!
A great signing at the time that clearly favored the Royals.
All that said: Home Run champs rarely repeat and Kauffman Stadium has been the least home run friendly park in baseball for decades. The very idea a guy could repeat year-over-year playing most his games in Kauffman is foolish.
That the Royals extended Soler on just a one year deal speaks volumes as to Soler’s intentions – let alone Moore’s. Soler’s gonna want a big pay day and the Royals are going to struggle to justify paying for his one deminsional skill set. I anticipated a mid-season trade but Royals might have to arbitrate and it have to wait til winter. They could give him the deal then turn around and move him once they’ve locked up a guarantee. Just don’t get too comfortable with Soler in Royals blue.
Jimenez……..good bat in warm weather, not good in cold weather……below average outfield defense.
Torres……..very good bat…..Starlin Castro plays better defense than Torres……..will be playing second…….be a bench player six years from now……and be booed out of New York.
Vogelbach……..if there was no Seattle Mariners, he will be in AAA.
Cease………..next Jeff Samardzija.
Soler………cannot play the outfield……just a DH…….hits only poor pitching.
Soler couldn’t stay healthy, Cubs needed a closer. Win win deal.