Trade Murton Now

[rchap24]

Actually, that outfield would probably be above average defensively. Pie is well above average in center, Soriano would be at least average in right, and Teixeira wouldn't be bad at all in LF, especially with Pie's speed helping with any range limitations.

 

Disagree, Teixeira has played 1st for the last 3-4 years I know hes played some outfield in the minors and stuff, but that doesnt mean it will translate, We have no idea how soriano will be he was horrible in center and its great in left. The only good fielder would be Pie who is good so far, but he can even improve.

[NCCubFan]

Would you do Z and Murton for Texeria and a pitching prospect? Just thinking aloud.

I would, assuming that Tex can play decent (at least close to average) corner outfield. That's contingent upon being confident of re-signing Tex when he becomes a free agent.

[UK1679666180]

Murton and Barrett would be perfect fits in Oakland. They could use a RH bat in the OF and as bad as Barrett has been, his offense has run circles around what Jason Kendall has done.

 

Trading Murton at this stage is putting the cart before the horse as far as not getting rid of Barrett 1st.

 

If they're intending on getting rid of Barrett, let Soto get the majority of the rookie growing pains while Blanco is on the roster. While Blanco's defensive skills are starting to decline (his footwork isn't as sharp and neither is his arm), his best asset to the team will be to work with Soto. He is a leader on that team and what better way to exploit that than having him work with a player with the tools to become an everyday starting C over time.

[rawaction]

Murton and Barrett would be perfect fits in Oakland. They could use a RH bat in the OF and as bad as Barrett has been, his offense has run circles around what Jason Kendall has done.

 

Trading Murton at this stage is putting the cart before the horse as far as not getting rid of Barrett 1st.

 

If they're intending on getting rid of Barrett, let Soto get the majority of the rookie growing pains while Blanco is on the roster. While Blanco's defensive skills are starting to decline (his footwork isn't as sharp and neither is his arm), his best asset to the team will be to work with Soto. He is a leader on that team and what better way to exploit that than having him work with a player with the tools to become an everyday starting C over time.

 

I have no idea what the Cubs could get from the A's. Not too familiar with their system, but I agree with everythign you said.

[don_kessinger_was_good]

Murton and Barrett would be perfect fits in Oakland. They could use a RH bat in the OF and as bad as Barrett has been, his offense has run circles around what Jason Kendall has done.

 

I've thought the same thing. Joe Blanton could be available.

 

And wow, I knew Kendall was having a rough year, but holy smokes, I don't know that I've ever seen numbers that awful from an everyday player before. A sub 500 OPS, are you kidding me? Yeah, I think they could use Barrett....

[UK1679666180]

Murton and Barrett would be perfect fits in Oakland. They could use a RH bat in the OF and as bad as Barrett has been, his offense has run circles around what Jason Kendall has done.

 

Trading Murton at this stage is putting the cart before the horse as far as not getting rid of Barrett 1st.

 

If they're intending on getting rid of Barrett, let Soto get the majority of the rookie growing pains while Blanco is on the roster. While Blanco's defensive skills are starting to decline (his footwork isn't as sharp and neither is his arm), his best asset to the team will be to work with Soto. He is a leader on that team and what better way to exploit that than having him work with a player with the tools to become an everyday starting C over time.

 

I have no idea what the Cubs could get from the A's. Not too familiar with their system, but I agree with everythign you said.

 

I couldn't come up with anything either, in the case of Barrett, I doubt they could get much for him. I assume Murton could net more, but the question is... Who does the Cubs want to get rid of more between him and Jones?

 

That almost has to be Jones.

[USSoccer]

Murton and Barrett would be perfect fits in Oakland. They could use a RH bat in the OF and as bad as Barrett has been, his offense has run circles around what Jason Kendall has done.

 

Trading Murton at this stage is putting the cart before the horse as far as not getting rid of Barrett 1st.

 

If they're intending on getting rid of Barrett, let Soto get the majority of the rookie growing pains while Blanco is on the roster. While Blanco's defensive skills are starting to decline (his footwork isn't as sharp and neither is his arm), his best asset to the team will be to work with Soto. He is a leader on that team and what better way to exploit that than having him work with a player with the tools to become an everyday starting C over time.

 

I have no idea what the Cubs could get from the A's. Not too familiar with their system, but I agree with everythign you said.

 

I couldn't come up with anything either, in the case of Barrett, I doubt they could get much for him. I assume Murton could net more, but the question is... Who does the Cubs want to get rid of more between him and Jones?

 

That almost has to be Jones.

 

One would think.

[rawaction]

Murton and Barrett would be perfect fits in Oakland. They could use a RH bat in the OF and as bad as Barrett has been, his offense has run circles around what Jason Kendall has done.

 

Trading Murton at this stage is putting the cart before the horse as far as not getting rid of Barrett 1st.

 

If they're intending on getting rid of Barrett, let Soto get the majority of the rookie growing pains while Blanco is on the roster. While Blanco's defensive skills are starting to decline (his footwork isn't as sharp and neither is his arm), his best asset to the team will be to work with Soto. He is a leader on that team and what better way to exploit that than having him work with a player with the tools to become an everyday starting C over time.

 

I have no idea what the Cubs could get from the A's. Not too familiar with their system, but I agree with everythign you said.

 

I couldn't come up with anything either, in the case of Barrett, I doubt they could get much for him. I assume Murton could net more, but the question is... Who does the Cubs want to get rid of more between him and Jones?

 

That almost has to be Jones.

 

Definitely they want to get rid of Jones more, but Murton will bring more in return. And I don't believe they are too happy with his defense/baserunning (because the Cubs value that type of thing over getting on base). I wouldn't be opposed to just starting all over in RF.

[Iceblink]

The A's had Barrett a couple years ago and pretty much gave him away to us. I suppose they could have had a change of heart. Still I wouldn't expect much in return.

 

Other teams are going to look at Murton and see the same thing we're seeing: good OBP, poor SLG that'll probably be average at best, no speed, average or worse defense. I want him to be a superstar, but he hasn't shown any reason to think he'll be more than an adequate starter on an average team.

 

Someone might see more upside in Murton than he's shown. Murton or Barrett could start for a lot of teams, and Barrett might be a starter for a contender if he got back to his level from the last two years. Still, I wouldn't think we should expect much in return for either of them since they're both contributing very little. Zambrano's the only marketable non-prospect chip we've got at this point.

[YearofDaCubs]

Per rotoworld:

 

The Cubs are attempting to trade Jacque Jones, a move that would clear the way for Felix Pie to play regularly in center field.

 

There was little interest in Jones over the winter even though he was coming off a fine season, so why would anyone want to take on his contract after he's opened this year at .248/.309/.352? The Padres, White Sox and Twins are among the contenders in need of a left-handed bat, but Jones wouldn't be as much of an upgrade as the Padres might want and the other two don't seem like matches. The Cubs might end up keeping Jones and using him as their primary right fielder, opening up the possibility of a Matt Murton deal.

[seanimal]

The A's had Barrett a couple years ago and pretty much gave him away to us.

 

I'm pretty sure Barrett was going to the Cubs all along in that trade, just that the A's had something that Montreal wanted and the Cubs had something the A's wanted, so it was just a roundabout way to get Barrett, IIRC

[jersey cubs fan]

Other teams are going to look at Murton and see the same thing we're seeing: good OBP, poor SLG that'll probably be average at best, no speed, average or worse defense. I want him to be a superstar, but he hasn't shown any reason to think he'll be more than an adequate starter on an average team.

 

You want him to be a superstar? I'm sure everybody does, but that's not realistic. There's nothing wrong with a player not being a superstar. And why can he only play for an average team? A team could go far playing Murton everyday. He gives you above average production for well below average cost.

[Backtobanks]

Other teams are going to look at Murton and see the same thing we're seeing: good OBP, poor SLG that'll probably be average at best, no speed, average or worse defense. I want him to be a superstar, but he hasn't shown any reason to think he'll be more than an adequate starter on an average team.

 

You want him to be a superstar? I'm sure everybody does, but that's not realistic. There's nothing wrong with a player not being a superstar. And why can he only play for an average team? A team could go far playing Murton everyday. He gives you above average production for well below average cost.

 

Well said. I said I think Murton will have a good solid career, but he is a role player and not a superstar. The Cubs would be fine with Murton if all of the other offensive players were hitting the way they're supposed to, but with Lee, Soriano, Barrett, Jones, and Floyd all below expectations in the power department, Murton's lack of power and production is standing out. If Lee and Soriano each had 6 more HRs, Barrett and Jones had 4 or 5 more , and Floyd had 2 or 3 more, nobody would be upset with Murton. Also, I think Murton needs to play regularly if you want his production to increase.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

The A's had Barrett a couple years ago and pretty much gave him away to us.

 

I'm pretty sure Barrett was going to the Cubs all along in that trade, just that the A's had something that Montreal wanted and the Cubs had something the A's wanted, so it was just a roundabout way to get Barrett, IIRC

 

Right, Barrett was an Athletic for a matter of hours.

[NCCubFan]

The A's had Barrett a couple years ago and pretty much gave him away to us.

 

I'm pretty sure Barrett was going to the Cubs all along in that trade, just that the A's had something that Montreal wanted and the Cubs had something the A's wanted, so it was just a roundabout way to get Barrett, IIRC

 

Right, Barrett was an Athletic for a matter of hours.

For all practical purposes the Cubs traded Demian Miller for Barrett. Officially they may have been two separate trades with minor leaguers and/or PTBNL involved, but I think Miller for Barrett was the gist of it.

[Guest]

I don't know if the answer to not getting anything for Jones is to trade Murton. I am guessing neither has been helped by their performance in 2007 and both need to play daily to be better. With Floyd also in the mix, I think the Cubs are kind of screwed. Keeping both Jones and Floyd makes the least sense of any of the options in my mind.

[Wheelimus]

Murton needs to be playing everyday somewhere. He never got a full year at AAA and he needs to be force fed righties until he masters them. Honestly, if Lou won't play him everyday, send him back to AAA until Jones is gone.

[Iceblink]

Other teams are going to look at Murton and see the same thing we're seeing: good OBP, poor SLG that'll probably be average at best, no speed, average or worse defense. I want him to be a superstar, but he hasn't shown any reason to think he'll be more than an adequate starter on an average team.

 

You want him to be a superstar? I'm sure everybody does, but that's not realistic. There's nothing wrong with a player not being a superstar. And why can he only play for an average team? A team could go far playing Murton everyday. He gives you above average production for well below average cost.

 

I want him to be a superstar because I like the kid. I don't think that's a realistic expectation, but I hope he does well. That's all I was saying.

 

That said, he's nowhere near "above average production." His numbers last year were average for a corner outfielder, and that was mostly due to his OBP. They were good considering his salary. His numbers this year in part-time play are very weak. Yes, I know he hasn't gotten much of a shot.

 

He can't really play anywhere but LF, and he's no better than average there. He might develop power, but he's got a strong ground-ball tendency that he'd have to lose. He runs the bases well (not so much this year), but isn't a threat there.

 

Like I said, he's a cheap player who can start on an average team. A good team can't plug him in as a starter because he can't be counted on to generate runs like a good team needs from its left-fielder. Another year or two of playing full-time and he might be an 80 RBI type player.

 

He's a good guy to have on the Cubs because he's still one of the few players who'll draw a walk. He also seems to have a good attitude. That and a little bit of a batting average are all he really brings at this point, however.

 

Average teams love those kind of players. Good teams put them on their bench.

[Rob]

I'd rather have Murton than all the relievers Jim Hendry can get his grubby little paws on.

[Amazing_Grace]

I could see trading Murton as part of a package that would improve the team. He's a good player, but he does have his limitations. He probably will not hit more than 20-25 HR, and he really can only play one position well. He is still young and inexpensive, and has shown some potential, so he has a lot of value at this point. You have to trade value for value and if the Cubs could get a ML ready young C, SS, or starting pitcher with a deal that centered around Murton, I'd be all for it.

 

There is no way I trade Murton for a middle reliever, period. There are very few closers that are consistently good year to year. Middle relief is even worse. You can have a bullpen full of 28-30 year olds that have hung around AAA for years that does great and then spend 20M on your bullpen the next year and have them tank completely (see Cubs circa 2006/2007). It's not something any team should ever trade anything of value for. You trade Jones for a pen arm, or Fontenot, or Geovany Soto, or Angel Pagan, etc.

 

Please everyone repeat after me... Garland for Karchner...Garland for Karchner.....Garland for Karchner... until the lesson is understood.

[jersey cubs fan]

Like I said, he's a cheap player who can start on an average team. A good team can't plug him in as a starter because he can't be counted on to generate runs like a good team needs from its left-fielder.

 

This is all pointless nonsense. A good team could very easily plug in a player like him into LF.

[inari]

Like I said, he's a cheap player who can start on an average team. A good team can't plug him in as a starter because he can't be counted on to generate runs like a good team needs from its left-fielder.

 

That's just silly. The 2005 White Sox won with Scott Podsednik as their left fielder.

[Iceblink]

Like I said, he's a cheap player who can start on an average team. A good team can't plug him in as a starter because he can't be counted on to generate runs like a good team needs from its left-fielder.

 

This is all pointless nonsense. A good team could very easily plug in a player like him into LF.

 

If he's an .800+OPS player, then sure - but he won't bat in a run producing spot until if & when he shows himself to be that kind of player. If he's hitting like he is now, they can do it only if they can absorb the offense elsewhere.

 

LF is not where you put complementary players.

[jersey cubs fan]

Like I said, he's a cheap player who can start on an average team. A good team can't plug him in as a starter because he can't be counted on to generate runs like a good team needs from its left-fielder.

 

This is all pointless nonsense. A good team could very easily plug in a player like him into LF.

 

If he's an .800+OPS player, then sure - but he won't bat in a run producing spot until if & when he shows himself to be that kind of player. If he's hitting like he is now, they can do it only if they can absorb the offense elsewhere.

 

LF is not where you put complementary players.

 

He's already shown that he is that kind of player.

[Iceblink]

Like I said, he's a cheap player who can start on an average team. A good team can't plug him in as a starter because he can't be counted on to generate runs like a good team needs from its left-fielder.

 

That's just silly. The 2005 White Sox won with Scott Podsednik as their left fielder.

 

And they had above average offensive output from RF, 1B, DH, 2B, and 70+ RBI from both SS and CF. They didn't go into the season thinking they could have an average guy in LF. They got enough production to compensate...and Posednik was at least as productive as Murton was last year.

 

A good team isn't going to look at the trade deadline and hope to add an average player in LF. If he's a throw-in or comes at no real cost, then sure.