Trade Barrett?

[badgercub]

Being a big Michael Barrett fan it pains me to even suggest this, but would it be in the best interest of the Cubs to trade him now while his value is sky high? I am not saying give him away for nothing or even actively shop him, but I would think he could bring a huge return on the market.

Thoughts?

[mg420]

not a good idea imo. i would rather see them trade aram if they are going to get rid of a big name for prospects. a barrett/kottaras duo at catcher next year sounds great to me.

[badgercub]

not a good idea imo. i would rather see them trade aram if they are going to get rid of a big name for prospects. a barrett/kottaras duo at catcher next year sounds great to me.

 

I am not saying to just get rid of someone, I am talking about maximizing the return you could get. Right now I think you would get a lot more bang for your buck out of Barrett than you would for ARam.

[10man]

you cant just trade a guy for the sake of trading him. you gotta know who you will replace him with first.

[badgercub]

you cant just trade a guy for the sake of trading him. you gotta know who you will replace him with first.

 

Read the post, I didn't say trade him for the sake of trading him. What I said was, as much as I didn't want to trade him I think he would bring a very good return and the Cubs could get someone to overpay for him. Most likely Barrett will never reach this level of production again and is probably at the apex of his career. I am not saying to get rid of him, and I don't think you have to throw out a specific name to answer the question as to wether or not the Cubs could get a good return for him.

[badgercub]

you cant just trade a guy for the sake of trading him. you gotta know who you will replace him with first.

 

I think you could replace him with a tandem of Blanco and Soto the rest of the year, the questions is, realistically, what/who would you have to get in return to pull the trigger?

[Nobody youd want to know]

Are there any playoff contenders who need a catcher?

[goonys evil twin]

I'd consider dealing Barrett.

 

It would all depend on what you could get in follow-up moves. Normally, offense at catcher is a bonus. But the Cubs offense is so poor that it's a must. They would have to fill-out the rest of the lineup in a way that makes up for whatever donwgrade they'd end up with at catcher, because they won't get equal offense. And you can't go into 2007 with somebody as bad as Blanco as the primary guy. They need to not only find upgrades elsewhere, but at least average production from a new catcher as well.

 

An interesting idea could be with Philly. They have gotten nothing out of the catcher spot this year, aside from some decent spot duty from a 33 year old rookie. They also have some bats they supposedly want to trade away. I'm not sure what kind of catcher the Cubs could end up with after such a deal, but it is two teams with needs that would match up.

[mg420]

you cant just trade a guy for the sake of trading him. you gotta know who you will replace him with first.

 

I think you could replace him with a tandem of Blanco and Soto the rest of the year, the questions is, realistically, what/who would you have to get in return to pull the trigger?

 

what about next year and beyond? buy low sell high is always a good rule of thumb but it can also come back and bite you in the butt. they could have done the same thing with lee after last year but if lee continued on his 2005 pace and the prospects that were aquired for him dont pan out, how would the trade look in hindsight?

[Ding Dong Johnson]

If Kottaras (or another offense-friendly catching prospect) can be had in a separate deal, I would gladly fleece another team for an impact bat at another position. A package featuring Barrett could potentially get Abreu.

[badgercub]

you cant just trade a guy for the sake of trading him. you gotta know who you will replace him with first.

 

I think you could replace him with a tandem of Blanco and Soto the rest of the year, the questions is, realistically, what/who would you have to get in return to pull the trigger?

 

what about next year and beyond? buy low sell high is always a good rule of thumb but it can also come back and bite you in the butt. they could have done the same thing with lee after last year but if lee continued on his 2005 pace and the prospects that were aquired for him dont pan out, how would the trade look in hindsight?

 

I don't think D-Lee is a comparable situation. The probabitlity of Lee producing at a high level for a greater length of time is pretty high, while for Barrett, probably not. I would agree with Goony's assessment and also with your point about replacing Barrett in 2007, but if you can upgrade the outfield significantly going into next year you wouldn't necessarily need the production out of catcher that Barrett gives you. To add to that what would the chances of Jake Fox having a chance to break camp in '07?

[Sammy Sofa]

If the Cubs could net Abreu for Barrett, holy crap, do it. Offense with a catcher is a nice bonus...a big bat in the OF is beyond critical at this point.

[10man]

you cant just trade a guy for the sake of trading him. you gotta know who you will replace him with first.

 

Read the post, I didn't say trade him for the sake of trading him. What I said was, as much as I didn't want to trade him I think he would bring a very good return and the Cubs could get someone to overpay for him. Most likely Barrett will never reach this level of production again and is probably at the apex of his career. I am not saying to get rid of him, and I don't think you have to throw out a specific name to answer the question as to wether or not the Cubs could get a good return for him.

 

while it is true that 'selling high' will net you better value in return, the question with trading barrett is:

 

Will you create a bigger hole than the one you will be able to patch up?

 

The cubs biggest problem right now is offensive production and barrett provides that at a position © where it is more difficult to find good bats than other positions. In my opinion that is a difficult whole to fill and its not like the cubs have anyone in the minors at the catcher position who projects to be a starter.

[mg420]

you cant just trade a guy for the sake of trading him. you gotta know who you will replace him with first.

 

I think you could replace him with a tandem of Blanco and Soto the rest of the year, the questions is, realistically, what/who would you have to get in return to pull the trigger?

 

what about next year and beyond? buy low sell high is always a good rule of thumb but it can also come back and bite you in the butt. they could have done the same thing with lee after last year but if lee continued on his 2005 pace and the prospects that were aquired for him dont pan out, how would the trade look in hindsight?

 

I don't think D-Lee is a comparable situation. The probabitlity of Lee producing at a high level for a greater length of time is pretty high, while for Barrett, probably not. I would agree with Goony's assessment and also with your point about replacing Barrett in 2007, but if you can upgrade the outfield significantly going into next year you wouldn't necessarily need the production out of catcher that Barrett gives you. To add to that what would the chances of Jake Fox having a chance to break camp in '07?

 

i dont think fox has much of a chance to play in the majors in 07. he's only hitting .198 at west tenn this year. if they can trade maddux for kottaras, i can see a kottaras/fox platoon in 2008 with barrett/kottaras catching in 07.

[snoodmonger]

If the Cubs could net Abreu for Barrett, holy crap, do it. Offense with a catcher is a nice bonus...a big bat in the OF is beyond critical at this point.

 

Is Abreu even a better hitter than Barrett anymore? He's older, his OPS is way lower, and he's got 8 HR. and he plays a position where it's easier to find an impact bat. Personally, I don't see the benefit of pursuing a declining Abreu at the expense of one of our best players.

[mg420]

If the Cubs could net Abreu for Barrett, holy crap, do it. Offense with a catcher is a nice bonus...a big bat in the OF is beyond critical at this point.

 

Is Abreu even a better hitter than Barrett anymore? He's older, his OPS is way lower, and he's got 8 HR. and he plays a position where it's easier to find an impact bat. Personally, I don't see the benefit of pursuing a declining Abreu at the expense of one of our best players.

 

agreed. i would rather have jones & barrett than ?? and abreu.

[Sarcastic]

If the Cubs could net Abreu for Barrett, holy crap, do it. Offense with a catcher is a nice bonus...a big bat in the OF is beyond critical at this point.

 

I have doubts that we could get Abreu for Barrett straight up, but even if we could:

 

Barrett's 2006: .335/.397/.544

Abreu's 2006: .284/.434/.445

 

So far, Barrett is having a better year than Abreu. In addition, he is a catcher, while Abreu is a corner OF, and Barrett is 29, while Abreu is 32. I wouldn't say that Barrett is going to keep his numbers this high in the future, or that he has had a better career than Abreu (definitely not), but right now, I don't know if I would trade one of the best hitting catchers in the majors for a good but declining and very expensive corner OF. Abreu would be a good addition, but is he worth giving up Barrett.

[goonys evil twin]

i dont think fox has much of a chance to play in the majors in 07. he's only hitting .198 at west tenn this year. if they can trade maddux for kottaras, i can see a kottaras/fox platoon in 2008 with barrett/kottaras catching in 07.

 

Your 2008 scenario is another reason to consider dealing Barrett this season. I don't think we will want him back after 2007, when he'll be 31, a common time for catchers to start their decline. Even though he got a non-tradition start to his catching career, he's really racked up the games and innings behind the plate. Even the elite guys, like Pudge Rodriguez, see significant downturn from their prime production to early 30 production after racking up the innings. And Barrett has never been an elite catcher.

 

So your options might be:

 

Trade him this season at his peak.

Trade him next year, after he'll probably be a little less productive and with only a couple months left on his deal.

Let him walk after his age 30 season (2007).

Sign him to a new contract that would likely lock him up from 31-33.

 

I, for one, don't think that Barrett in 2007-2010 will be as good as Barrett in 2006, especially not from 2008 and beyond. He might be good enough to justy a similar contract to his current one, which undervalues him. But besides the likely decline in offense, there is also the likely decline in defense, which is already a question with him at his peak.

 

Given those options. I think I'd try and trade him now if I can get huge talent in return, and find an average solution at catcher. Next option would be to try and win big with him next year, then look to trade if the team looks to be falling short. Next option would be to try and sign him to a team friendly contract after 2007. Last option would be to let him walk after 2007. I would not even consider signing him to a big time deal after this one runs out.

[MPrior]

I'm not sure that Barrett would even net that much - it seems to me that he's always been a bit undervalued, both by fans (All-Star Game, anyone?) and front offices (he's pretty cheap for what he's giving us). Plus, he's putting up the quietest .941 OPS for a catcher I've ever seen.

 

Edit: by "quiet," I don't mean "soft" (as in a "soft" .300, which is a pretty stupid phrase). I just mean that no one seems to notice or make a big deal out of it, when they very clearly should.

[goonys evil twin]

If the Cubs could net Abreu for Barrett, holy crap, do it. Offense with a catcher is a nice bonus...a big bat in the OF is beyond critical at this point.

 

Is Abreu even a better hitter than Barrett anymore? He's older, his OPS is way lower, and he's got 8 HR. and he plays a position where it's easier to find an impact bat. Personally, I don't see the benefit of pursuing a declining Abreu at the expense of one of our best players.

 

Given their positions, Abreu is likely to sustain his production longer than Barrett. Catchers are always the first to decline. And going into this year, Abreu was a consistent 120 or higher OPS+ hitter, and usually much higher. Barret was 105 and 113 going into this season. I'd bet Abreu outproduces Barret the next two years. Plus, Bobby plays everyday, Barrett doesn't, and MB may or may not have a negative defensive contribution. MB has 30% fewer plate appearances a year. Even if his rate stats are a little better, the overall contribution from Abreu would be significantly higher.

 

I don't think there could be a straight up deal. I think Philly would want an arm, but the Cubs could get more than Abreu for Barrett and an arm.

[goonys evil twin]

I'm not sure that Barrett would even net that much - it seems to me that he's always been a bit undervalued, both by fans (All-Star Game, anyone?) and front offices (he's pretty cheap for what he's giving us). Plus, he's putting up the quietest .941 OPS for a catcher I've ever seen.

 

Barrett was a sub 100 OPS+ hitter when he came to the Cubs, and still below that for his career. His value has skyrocketed since the Cubs traded for him, and since they signed him to an extension. I would think Barrett could net a pretty decent price, especially from a team looking to get rid of a higher contract (because MB is very cost efficient).

[badgercub]

 

i dont think fox has much of a chance to play in the majors in 07. he's only hitting .198 at west tenn this year. if they can trade maddux for kottaras, i can see a kottaras/fox platoon in 2008 with barrett/kottaras catching in 07.

 

Fox has only played 29 games at West Tenn. If you look at all of his minor league number combined he hits about .280 with an OPS around .800 - .820 range. He may not be ready in 2007 but I would definitely think he has a chance at being in the mix whether in Spring Training or sometime before the end of 2007 (this is based on the assumption that he figures out AA pitching and continues his progression, remember he looked pretty good at the plate in spring training this year)

[goonys evil twin]

Barrett really hasn't been a full time catcher for all that long and will get better defensively. And speculating that Barrett is peaking or has peaked offensively is ludicrous.

 

Barrett has been a full time catcher for a longtime now, and his defense doesn't seem to have improved at all. Not that I'm hung up on his defense or anything, but he's not going to get better. It's not speculation. What is ludicrous is to deny the trends that baseball has established for years. Position players peak at 26, their best years are usually 25-29. They decline in their 30's. Catchers sometimes peak a little later, but usually decline a little earlier. The pounding they take wears on them over time, and Barrett has been racking up the games/innings behind the plate for several years now.

[JonnyRed]

Being a big Michael Barrett fan it pains me to even suggest this, but would it be in the best interest of the Cubs to trade him now while his value is sky high? I am not saying give him away for nothing or even actively shop him, but I would think he could bring a huge return on the market.

Thoughts?

 

We have enough holes already. Why move one of the best offensive catchers in the game? I realize his game calling and defense aren't stellar, but this team needs consistent bats.

[goonys evil twin]

Being a big Michael Barrett fan it pains me to even suggest this, but would it be in the best interest of the Cubs to trade him now while his value is sky high? I am not saying give him away for nothing or even actively shop him, but I would think he could bring a huge return on the market.

Thoughts?

 

We have enough holes already. Why move one of the best offensive catchers in the game? I realize his game calling and defense aren't stellar, but this team needs consistent bats.

 

The trade would make sense if you fill another hole, and found a way to get decent production from the new catcher. You aren't necessarily creating new holes in a trade, as long as you get back something good and have follow-up moves.

 

As for consisten bats, Barrett generally only plays 70% of the team's games. Which means he's not consistently in the lineup and you have to find the production elsewhere. I'd rather get similar production from a player that plays everyday.