Hard to believe the playoffs will be over before long. Dodgers came back on Tuesday to beat the Braves 6-5, and then lost on Wednesday to give the Braves a 3-1 series lead. Astros' offence has been hot the last couple days, winning 9-2 on Tuesday and 9-1 on Wednesday to get the 3-2 lead.
Anyway, the Trade Deadline seems a long time ago...and it took a bit to get over the fact that the Cubs traded away their core players- Bryant, Baez and Rizzo, plus a bunch of other players. But it happened, and the Cubs got a decent amount of prospects in return.
So, we're going to evaluate the Baez, Bryant, and Rizzo trades, and discuss if the Cubs won or lost the trade, and what kind of prospects they have in return.
The Baez Trade
El Mago is gone from the Cubs, where he spread his playing "magic" for many years; including helping the Cubs win the 2016 World Series, plus dozens of other ways he affected the team. He was still "El Mago" in 2021, but his defensive level dropped drastically, making 18 errors during his time with the Cubs in 2021.
He was traded to the Mets on the Trade Deadline, along with Trevor Williams for CF Pete Crow-Armstrong, the Mets' top prospect. In a way, it was a gamble for both teams.
For the Mets, it was a gamble that Baez would somehow help the team make the playoffs, but...alas, they did not...by quite a bit. So, in a way, it was a trade that was somewhat a bust for them. Perhaps Baez will get a offer this offseason from the Mets that he will accept, and he might help the team in the future.
And it's not like Baez didn't do bad while playing for the Mets, hitting .299/.371/.515 with a .886 OPS, which is very good for a player like him. It's simply that Baez alone couldn't help the Mets win games...so they lost them.
For the Cubs, on the other hand, it was still a gamble that remains to be seen whether they won or lost. Pete Crow-Armstrong (such a long name to type, I think I'll just call him Pete), was the Mets No.1 prospect, and they drafted him in 2020, signed him, and he impressed in Spring Training, started the minor league season (Low A), played 6 games, then...a season ending injury happened.
This is a summary of his injury: "Pete Crow-Armstrong, the Mets’ first-round pick in 2020, will undergo surgery on his right shoulder to repair a torn labrum and injured cartilage, the team announced Tuesday. An MRI earlier this week revealed the injury, according to the team, which was diagnosed as a GLAD (glenoid labral articular disruption) lesion."-NYPost.
So, not a good injury, but it is an injury that he can bounce back from. The hope is that he will be able to play as well as before, hitting .417/.563/.500 with a 1.063 OPS in 6 games, so certainly a good indication on how well he CAN play, let's just hope he continues to play that well after the injury.
Overall, I would say the Cubs won the trade, since the Mets didn't accomplish their goal in getting Baez: to make the playoffs.
The Bryant Trade
Bryant was another Chicago-bred player, one who was drafted by the Cubs, won the Rookie of the Year in 2015, then MVP in 2016, and helped the Cubs win the WS in 2016.
He had a bad year in 2020, but rebounded in 2021, becoming the Cubs' best player before his departure to the Giants at the Trade Deadline. He was traded to the Giants for prospects OF Alexander Canario and RHP Caleb Kilian, No.9 and No.30 ranked of the Giants' prospects.
For the Giants, it was a trade that payed off. No, they did not make it past the NLDS, but Bryant definitely helped contribute to the team in route to the playoffs. He hit just slightly worse in San Francisco as he did in Chicago, hitting .262/.344/.444 with the Giants, compared to hitting .267/.358/.503 with the Cubs.
Bryant certainly enjoyed his time with the Giants, but it remains to be seen if Bryant signs with the Giants as a FA, or finds a new destination. You never know, he just might go back to the Cubs...
The Cubs got two prospects in return; one an OF, one a RHP. Canario hit .224/.264/.429 with the Cubs' High A, slightly down from what he hit in the Giants' organization. He is a pretty average, well-rounded player, hitting with a mixture of power and contact. He had 94 hits, with 18 homers, and 20 doubles, and 33 BB to 79 K. So a mixture of great and average.
Caleb Kilian spent time in High A and Double A this past year, and had a pretty productive year. Currently he is playing in the Arizona Fall League. He had a 2.42 ERA and a 0.88 WHIP over a total of 100 IP. He has a good BB/K ratio: 13 BB/112 K, and only allowed 75 H and 5 HR. So overall, a great find for the Cubs. Has great potential, and will probably spend time with Double A and possibly Triple A in 2022.
Overall, I think the Giants won the trade, getting a valuable hitter and fielder to help them in trying to win the playoffs, but the Cubs scored with getting Kilian, a great pitcher, and perhaps a potential OF in Canario.
The Rizzo Trade
Anthony Rizzo was such an icon in Chicago, it made me sad to see him leave. He caught the final out in the 2016 WS, and brought good humor and solid sportsmanship to the team.
But like the others, he was traded at Trade Deadline to the Yankees for prospects CF Kevin Alcantara and RHP Alexander Vizcaino, No.6 and No.9 in the Cubs' farm system.
Rizzo playing for the Yankees seemed odd...but he hit just about the same as he did for the Cubs in the first half of 2021. For the Cubs he hit .248/.346/.446, and with the Yankees he hit .249/.340/.428, so only slightly worse with the Yankees (he was missing the Cubs).
Personally, I really don't think that Rizzo will re-sign with the Yankees, so where he ends up will remain to be seen. Regarding if the Cubs will re-sign them, I just don't see it happening. He was a great Cubs player during his stay, but I think the Cubs are ready to move on. (Plus Schwindel...)
The Cubs got an excellent player in Kevin Alcantara, as he hit .345/.423/.588 overall in time in Arizona Complex League and Florida Complex League, with 41 H- 5 HR, 5 Triples, and 4 Doubles in 118 AB. Excited to see his future, though I think the Cubs are set on Center Fielders for now!
The Cubs also got a starting pitcher in Vizcaino, who played in High-A, and had a somewhat hard season, having a 5.95 ERA with a 1.68 WHIP in 19.2 IP. He dealt with arm soreness in the first half of the season, so he missed quite a bit of playing time. He has pretty good potential, though.
I have to say the Cubs won the trade, getting some quality prospects, especially Alcantara. (Though trading Rizzo is hardly a win).
So, instead of letting their core players reach free agency in a Cubs uniform, they opted to trade them to at least get some return. I think it was the right move, and I'm looking forward to see it pay off in the future!
Get your Cubs shirts here: Cubs Fan Forever Unisex T-shirt | Etsy
Don't forget to Follow Cubbies Gazette, and comment any thoughts or questions!
Trading rizzo is goood.
ReplyDelete