Cubs Face Big time trade decisions

dabynsky said:

You really haven't been paying attention the past month if you think that.

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He ended last year well too. Then regressed. Too small of a sample size yet

brett05 said:

He ended last year well too. Then regressed. Too small of a sample size yet

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He could get worse but how can you say he has regressed when he has been outstanding for the past month which has pushed his fielding percentage higher than any previous year and he has made the second most out of the zone plays of any SS.

You are saying he was good in April?

brett05 said:

You are saying he was good in April?

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Did you make the comment so far it has gone the other way in April? He was bad in April, but he has been outstanding since the 2 error game on April 21st. You said he was going the other way. He has been doing the opposite for over a month now which is why I said you must not have been paying attention to make a ocmment like that.

It should be explored but we ask for the Moon and Saturn in return.

cubsneedmiracle said:

It should be explored but we ask for the Moon and Saturn in return.

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At least Saturn has rings

Rice Cube said:

At least Saturn has rings

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Rice Cube said:

I don't think the Cubs are assuming he will decline. They are probably projecting him to be more valuable as he grows into power (whenever that happens) but because he's still pre-arb at the moment and has four full years of control left after this one, there's a financial factor that would boost whatever trade package you get back. Therefore you can make a case that he's more valuable now, before arbitration has taken effect, and that will boost your trade return while the other team assumes the risk that he simply falls off a cliff. I doubt that will happen though.

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I understand that the :cubs: aren't assuming that, but brett is/was.

Rice Cube said:

At least Saturn has rings

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Great one! :lmao:

Per waldo's favorite site, HotStoveCubbies, who actually have a source this time, Doug Padilla's chat

He says everyone but Castro, Shark, and Rizzo is available at the trade deadline but it would take a big trade to take away LaHair. The Cubs like the idea of LaHair and Rizzo both in the lineup.

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Jntg4 said:

I understand that the :cubs: aren't assuming that, but brett is/was.

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Ah no, the only negative I have said abotu Castro is that he won't be a SS long term.

JosMin said:

This is an interesting propsition because the Cubs have several options whether they keep him or explore trading him. The benefits of trading him are obvious -- bring in two top-tier prospects or several with lower ceilings in order to flesh out the farm system. It's apparent this team is nowhere close to competing for a championship, regardless if Castro is the centerpiece or not.

As good as Castro is right now and as good as he can be, I'm sure many of us will agree he's not a cornerstone piece to a lineup. His defense is atrocious, he lacks the patience (right now, at least) to develop a high OBP, and his power is more than likely two or three years away to being fully developed. I posted a few weeks ago that if Castro turned into a Derek Jeter-type with shittier defense and less leadership (.300/360/.475 with 20/20 potential), I'd be perfectly fine with that.

That aside, if the Cubs keep him, they absolutely need to look at moving him to second or a corner outfield spot. Defense isn't something that just magically improves. He's a black hole at short, despite the Web Gem he busted out last night. But like the article suggested, his trade value and overall value to the franchise deminishes because he wouldn't be playing at a premium position.

Ultimately, it just depends on how the Cubs value Castro in terms of his importance to their future. Right now, he's just a good player on a horrific team. If he was able to land a cache of prospects from a deep farm system, say Toronto, Atlanta, Seattle or Texas, that could improve their future in multiple positions, you absolutely have to look at it.

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Yet you voted no..........


Always nice to see d3a come in and not understand what's going on.

FirstTimer said:

Yet you voted no..........


Always nice to see d3a come in and not understand what's going on.

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This. Of course you explore it, if you can get something like say Banuelos, Betances, and a Gary Sanchez/Austin Romine from the Yankees you strongly consider it, I wouldn't sell him off for anything less then 3 top specs and maybe a mid level included in the deal, hell probably even more included the kids 22 with years of control and there is a high ceiling, with 2 successful years under his belt. Gimmie a large package and you can have Castro.

I want a guaranteed World Series win in this trade, or at least another team's rings so we can pretend we did it

Jntg4 said:

I want a guaranteed World Series win in this trade, or at least another team's rings so we can pretend we did it

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Your jokes aren't even funny :facepalm:

vick27m said:

This. Of course you explore it, if you can get something like say Banuelos, Betances, and a Gary Sanchez/Austin Romine from the Yankees you strongly consider it, I wouldn't sell him off for anything less then 3 top specs and maybe a mid level included in the deal, hell probably even more included the kids 22 with years of control and there is a high ceiling, with 2 successful years under his belt. Gimmie a large package and you can have Castro.

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Give me a couple top pitching spects and a B to B+ position player..I'd have to think really hard about turning it down...Atlanta/Seattle..I'm looking in your direction

As much as everyone wants to like Castro, he's a commodity and an asset. If you can turn that asset into multiple assets in a position(s) of need...you have to look at it

FirstTimer said:

Give me a couple top pitching spects and a B to B+ position player..I'd have to think really hard about turning it down...Atlanta/Seattle..I'm looking in your direction

As much as everyone wants to like Castro, he's a commodity and an asset. If you can turn that asset into multiple assets in a position(s) of need...you have to look at it

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Call me paranoid but I want no part of any pitcher Atlanta is willing to give up. I agree with your premise though.

FirstTimer said:

Give me a couple top pitching spects and a B to B+ position player..I'd have to think really hard about turning it down...Atlanta/Seattle..I'm looking in your direction

As much as everyone wants to like Castro, he's a commodity and an asset. If you can turn that asset into multiple assets in a position(s) of need...you have to look at it

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Exactly, if you can trade him and get a package like the Yanks one, you add two potential top starters, coupled with a catcher, fuck if you get top specs in multiple positions you strongly consider it and just throw Darwin Fucking Barney over at SS if you have to.

FirstTimer said:

Yet you voted no..........


Always nice to see d3a come in and not understand what's going on.

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I voted no simply based on this season. To me, it's not like Castro's stock will be lower next year than it is this year. If he turns in a ridiculous year (like maybe hitting .340 with a 20/20 line and some more walks), his value would obviously go up. This team is a 60-70 win team with Castro there, so it's not like we'll be fighting for a wild card. It's also not like he's close to walking anyway, since he's not eligible for free agency until '17... when he'll be 27.

It breaks down like this -- if Castro buds into a true star, giving him a long-term deal with big money wouldn't be ridiculous. If the guy is 25 and the team we trade him to still has two years of control, the deal makes sense for them -- to them, it's like, "Hey, the guy could still take that next step. If not, hey we've got a guy who can hit .300 and embarrass himself on a daily basis in the field." I can think of worse things *cue Geovanny Soto's weed dealer giggling*

Like I said, it ultimately comes down to Theo believing Castro can be a guy you can build a team around. If he's able to move a few others, like Dempster, Soriano, Soto, Marmol, etc, and get other parts to potentially place around Castro, maybe it would make more sense to keep him, would it not?

His defense just scares me. I mean, the guy is an absolute black hole at shortstop. If they keep him, he has to move to another spot, period. If they look to trade him, keep him there so his value doesn't diminish, even though his defense is embarrassing. As a 22-year-old, it just seems too early to deal him. He's got zero protection in the lineup, which is probably part of the reason why his discipline is below-average. Fuck, if you put him in the Rangers or Red Sox lineup, don't you think he'd be able to be a bit more selective at the plate?

dabynsky said:

Call me paranoid but I want no part of any pitcher Atlanta is willing to give up. I agree with your premise though.

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Agreed. I'm a lot higher on Texas and Toronto's prospects. Both of them have such ridiculous depth at multiple positions. I just envision them being more willing to part with some top guys because both teams have so many high-quality, high-ceiling guys.