Holy S%^!!!! That is what I thought when I saw some of the blogs in the Cubs news, rumors space talking about the Chicago Cubs and Los Angeles Angels possibly talking trade for Mike Trout. I mean, you are splitting hairs in the argument of who is better – Trout or Washington’s Bryce Harper – and there is a chance one of them could be a Cub! HOLY S#$%!
I first noticed this rumor on another local sports blog, Sports Mockery. There they talk about how a source confirmed to Terez Owens that the Cubs and Angels are talking about a deal which would end up with Mike Trout roaming the outfield grass of Wrigley Field. They also mention how Terez has been right on some rumors in the past, most notably one revolving around the Chicago Blackhawks old winger, Patrick Sharp.
Now don’t shoot the messenger, SM was just putting the rumor out there which Terez reported. However, this is not going to happen.
While the Cubs possess enough young talent to get a deal done for baseball’s best player, it is highly unlikely that the Cubs unload the talent needed to acquire one player, regardless of who he is.
The article mentions Theo Epstein would need to send a package which includes: Jorge Soler, Kyle Schwarber, Javier Baez, Gleyber Torres, Duane Underwood, Billy McKinney, and Dan Vogelbach in order to obtain Trout’s services. While this would put a significant dent in the Cubs farm system, as well as hurt the overall depth on the big league roster, the thought is the Cubs could sustain losing this much talent in trades. While I agree with that statement, they are not going to blow the load on one guy.
The move works because Schwarber is hurt, Soler isn’t producing, and the Cubs could put Trout in center field moving Dexter Fowler to a corner outfield spot, a place he is more suited for anyways. This would also round out the everyday lineup, returning Kris Bryant to his everyday position at third base, and allowing for a consistent and potent outfield lineup. The issue is that the team would be relying on Tommy La Stella as their primary utility guy, mixing in Matt Szczur on occasion when he returns from injury. Chicago would essentially go from the deepest roster in baseball to a phenomenal starting lineup.
Current season performance aside, this team loses a lot when it doesn’t have a Javier Baez to fill in somewhere almost daily. The team would potentially lose more production that receives.
But these aren’t the biggest reasons that the team will not pursue Trout – at least not for this price.
The biggest hole on the team is still pitching – regardless of being ranked third best in the MLB – and if there is a trade(s) there better be enough pieces left over for the team to pick up quality arms. Especially a quality left handed relievers.
There is also the fact that, eventually the Cubs have to start paying their homegrown guys as well. Kris Bryant will eventually need a paycheck, and with Scott Boras as his agent he will not come cheap. Addison Russell (yes I know he isn’t exactly homegrown) will require a paycheck. These guys will not be cheap, and add in the fact that Anthony Rizzo will eventually have his deal come up also… The Cubs go from a team with plenty of money too a team that will need to become extremely smart with their cash.
ESPN baseball insider Buster Olney recently talked about how the Cubs have already started thinking overly cautious about their payroll when it came to signing free agents this past offseason. While it might not have seemed like it, committing themselves to nearly $300 million this past offseason, they were in fact frugal.
Notably, the Cubs were able to land both Jason Heyward and Ben Zobrist for under market value deals by selling the team, Wrigley, and winning a World Series in Chicago – something that hasn’t been done since 1908. But more impressively, the Cubs turned down a chance to win former Cy Young award winner David Price, by cutting themselves off instead of getting into a pricing war with the Boston Red Sox. Theo and Jed Hoyer made the same pitch to David as they did to Zobrist and Heyward, and with no fault of Price he chose money over the possibility of winning a title in Chicago.
The ability for Theo and Jed to hold themselves out of that pricing war is possibly even more impressive than it was to convince Ben and Jason to sign for less here. And they did it because of the future salary obligations they will owe their young players.
If the Cubs aren’t going to overspend, and they aren’t going to ship everyone for one guy – it really means they are saving the prospects for holes internally or to trade for smaller pieces that will help the team in more than just one way.
While this certainly would be a dream lineup:
1. Dexter Fowler LF
2. Jason Heyward RF
3. Mike Trout CF
4. Anthony Rizzo 1B
5. Kris Bryant 3B
6. Ben Zobrist 2B
7. Miguel Montero C
8. Addison Russell SS
The price tag will just be too much for the Cubs and I’m ok with that.
