Cubs trade Barrett to Padres for Rob Bowen & Kyler Burke

[Amazing_Grace]

This team is a quality SS away from being one of the top 3 teams in the league.

 

now that's some optimism.

 

I would bet that if you took the same team and replaced Izturis with ARod, they'd be pretty darn close to having a top 3 record in the NL.

 

Sure, if you added the best player in baseball at your weakest offensive position, you'd surely get a lot better quickly. You'd also add about 15M to your payroll with the stroke of a pen. The Cubs are not going to get ARod unless he, himself, is bound and determined to come here, and decides to opt out of his contract and sit around till the sale gets finalized to negotiate with the new Cubs GM and accept a lower salary. How could the Cubs trade for him this season? He's been playing great, and the Yankees are climbing back into the race as they always do. Why would the Yanks trade him and would the Cubs have anything that would be worth it to them?

[Soriano12]

So what's the plan with our catching situation for the rest of the year? Just bend over and grab our ankles like we do at SS?

 

 

and RF

Edited June 20, 2007 by Soriano12

[hawkeyecub]

not to speak ill of or hope for injury on someone, but I really hope this trade signals that Henry Blanco's career is over. I could live with Soto/Bowen at catcher for a couple/few years.

 

I'm just hoping that by late 2009 or the beginning of 2010 we could have at least one solid starting catcher and one quality backup from the trio of Soto, Donaldson and Bowen.

 

We have the potential to get adequate-solid production from the catcher spot to go along with good defense at a low cost for the next 5 years.

[Danny82]

But compare Lee and Aram against Gerut, Lawton, Jones, Izturis, Neifi, Macias, Bynum, Dusty, etc. Overall has he made more good moves or bad ones?

Aside from Maddux, what value did Hendry give up for any of those guys? It's not like he traded away good players to get them. It was generally a crap for crap deal.

[inari]

Don't forget the Nomar deal. Granted, it didn't work out, but that looked like one of the best trades in years and years.

[rawaction]

I think I actually like the trade. Barrett has regressed defensively this year and he's not hitting enough, like in the past, to negate his defensive liability. I think Rob Bowen has the potential to be a very good catcher. He's only 26. Has good power, which will increase playing at Wrigley and vs. the NL Central instead of the West. He has a great eye at the plate. He is better at this point in his career than Barrett was as a 26-yo in Montreal. He has similar power, but much more strikezone judgement. He's under Cubs control for about 3 more years, whereas Barrett is done after this year. I don't know that the trade makes much difference in 2007, but for the future, it's a very good trade.

[Rob]

Just for fun, this is Barrett's player profile on baseball prospectus.

 

http://www.baseballprospectus.com/pecota/images/barremi01_001.gif

 

 

 

And this is Bowen's.

 

http://www.baseballprospectus.com/pecota/images/bowenro01_001.gif

 

 

Edit:

 

The numbers to the left are what percentile they fall into.

[Brendan]

Is hyperbole the word of choice in this thread?

 

I was thinking the same thing. It's the new sample size.

 

I don't think you can all hyperbole the word of choice in this thread because of sample size. This thread is a lock to go another 10 pages.

 

hyperbole?

[Banedon]

Just for fun, this is Barrett's player profile on baseball prospectus.

 

http://www.baseballprospectus.com/pecota/images/barremi01_001.gif

 

 

 

And this is Bowen's.

 

http://www.baseballprospectus.com/pecota/images/bowenro01_001.gif

 

 

Edit:

 

The numbers to the left are what percentile they fall into.

 

Is that in comparison to other catchers only then?

[Banedon]

Is hyperbole the word of choice in this thread?

 

I was thinking the same thing. It's the new sample size.

 

I don't think you can all hyperbole the word of choice in this thread because of sample size. This thread is a lock to go another 10 pages.

 

hyperbole?

 

Educated guess from experience more likely.

[Rob]

Just for fun, this is Barrett's player profile on baseball prospectus.

 

http://www.baseballprospectus.com/pecota/images/barremi01_001.gif

 

 

 

And this is Bowen's.

 

http://www.baseballprospectus.com/pecota/images/bowenro01_001.gif

 

 

Edit:

 

The numbers to the left are what percentile they fall into.

 

Is that in comparison to other catchers only then?

 

If memory serves, it was all major league players.

[CubColtPacer]

Just for fun, this is Barrett's player profile on baseball prospectus.

 

http://www.baseballprospectus.com/pecota/images/barremi01_001.gif

 

 

 

And this is Bowen's.

 

http://www.baseballprospectus.com/pecota/images/bowenro01_001.gif

 

 

Edit:

 

The numbers to the left are what percentile they fall into.

 

Is that before the year or now?

[abuck1220]

I think I actually like the trade. Barrett has regressed defensively this year and he's not hitting enough, like in the past, to negate his defensive liability. I think Rob Bowen has the potential to be a very good catcher. He's only 26. Has good power, which will increase playing at Wrigley and vs. the NL Central instead of the West. He has a great eye at the plate. He is better at this point in his career than Barrett was as a 26-yo in Montreal. He has similar power, but much more strikezone judgement. He's under Cubs control for about 3 more years, whereas Barrett is done after this year. I don't know that the trade makes much difference in 2007, but for the future, it's a very good trade.

 

all good points.

 

i don't hate the trade as much as i did when i first heard about it. i just dislike it now.

[badger1679666666]

Just for fun, this is Barrett's player profile on baseball prospectus.

 

http://www.baseballprospectus.com/pecota/images/barremi01_001.gif

 

 

 

And this is Bowen's.

 

http://www.baseballprospectus.com/pecota/images/bowenro01_001.gif

 

 

Edit:

 

The numbers to the left are what percentile they fall into.

 

sample size.

 

:wink:

[Amazing_Grace]

My feelings on the trade are thus:

 

For a giveaway trade, it could have been worse. Thankfully the Cubs gave up nothing else of value, and nothing they got back is blocking anything important. Not that the trade had to be made in the first place, but they didn't get fleeced.

 

I think they leaked the earlier story of Patterson being included so that we'd all be more satisfied that they just gave away Barrett. :D

 

I would not be at all surprised.

[badgercub]

I really don't think this trade is that big a deal. Bowen is still young enough that he could end up being a solid catcher. Barrett hasn't been very good this year and he has had a few mental lapses that have cost the Cubs games. While I like Barrett, I like the Cubs more and Barrett is a sieve behind the plate and his offensive production just hasn't been there this year. Good bet he would have walked or the Cubs wouldn't have resigned him anyway, so at least they got something for him. I don't think Hendry/Piniella are done yet so we shall see what happens.

[Rob]

Just for fun, this is Barrett's player profile on baseball prospectus.

 

http://www.baseballprospectus.com/pecota/images/barremi01_001.gif

 

 

 

And this is Bowen's.

 

http://www.baseballprospectus.com/pecota/images/bowenro01_001.gif

 

 

Edit:

 

The numbers to the left are what percentile they fall into.

 

Is that before the year or now?

 

Before the year... but still, it's a pretty stark difference.

[Chocolate Milk]

Just for fun, this is Barrett's player profile on baseball prospectus.

 

http://www.baseballprospectus.com/pecota/images/barremi01_001.gif

 

 

 

And this is Bowen's.

 

http://www.baseballprospectus.com/pecota/images/bowenro01_001.gif

 

 

Edit:

 

The numbers to the left are what percentile they fall into.

 

Is that before the year or now?

 

Before the year... but still, it's a pretty stark difference.

 

Where's the "game calling" bar? That's what I thought.

[PrimeTime]

Pitchers ERA with Hill behind the plate 1.75ERA

 

Barret behind the plate 4.17ERA

 

Hill is obviously doing something back there whether it's calling a better game or who knows..But even if the offense isnt there for that position, that is what we have Alfonso,DLee and ARam for..If Hill keeps the pitchers pitching games like that.Im fine with him there

[abuck1220]

it'll be interesting to see how barrett effects the best staff in the league.

 

poor peavy is just going to fall apart with the destructive force that is barrett's game calling.

[Sammy Sofa]

Pitchers ERA with Hill behind the plate 1.75ERA

 

Barret behind the plate 4.17ERA

 

Hill is obviously doing something back there whether it's calling a better game or who knows..But even if the offense isnt there for that position, that is what we have Alfonso,DLee and ARam for..If Hill keeps the pitchers pitching games like that.Im fine with him there

 

How can you compare those sample sizes like they're even?

[abuck1220]

Pitchers ERA with Hill behind the plate 1.75ERA

 

Barret behind the plate 4.17ERA

 

Hill is obviously doing something back there whether it's calling a better game or who knows..But even if the offense isnt there for that position, that is what we have Alfonso,DLee and ARam for..If Hill keeps the pitchers pitching games like that.Im fine with him there

 

my goodness, it's a guy squatting in a stationary position with a glove. it's not like the catcher is a wr running timing routes.

 

time for me to take a break from this thread.

[nilodnayr]

Bowen's value will be hard to quantify. It's hard to visually notice that someone has a lower ratio of botching defensive plays. It's even harder to tell the impact with the naked eye.

 

Something I've noticed with Hill(and presumably all good defensive catchers) as opposed to Barrett(and the broadcast pointed it out quite a bit as well) is that he seems to "frame" pitches better than Barrett ever did... if that gets our pitchers 3-5 more strike calls at the right time during a game that could be a big deal...and has nothing to do with "calling" the game...but is really something that you can't "measure"

 

Framing pitches is good an all, but it stopped really having a significant impact once you moved past little league umps.

[Guest]

Pitchers ERA with Hill behind the plate 1.75ERA

 

Barret behind the plate 4.17ERA

 

Hill is obviously doing something back there whether it's calling a better game or who knows..But even if the offense isnt there for that position, that is what we have Alfonso,DLee and ARam for..If Hill keeps the pitchers pitching games like that.Im fine with him there

 

CERA is crap.

[Rob]

According to a poster on the Friar Fantatics message board, Kevin Towers was on the radio saying Maddux and Peavy told him to go get Barrett.