Andres Blanco to Rangers for PTBNL

[Little Slide Rooter]

Rangers Acquire Andres Blanco

By Steve Adams [March 27 at 2:48pm CST]

Gordon Wittenmyer tweets that the Rangers have acquired Andres Blanco from the Cubs in exchange for a player to be named later.

 

Blanco, 26 in April, posted a line of .252/.303/.331 in 53 games for the Cubs last season, while playing plus defense at second base, but below average at shortstop (warning: small sample sizes).

 

Wittenmyer writes that Blanco was out of options and out of opportunities to make the club this spring. The Rangers have been looking for a back-up infielder since having to void Khalil Greene's contract earlier this spring due to his ongoing struggles with social anxiety disorder.

 

Assuming that Nady starts the season on the DL, I guess its safe to assume that the bench is made up of Hill, Font/Baker, Colvin, Millar, and Tracy. Decent pop, but not much middle infield depth.

[Andy]

Good. I'm glad we can keep Millar and Tracy, who are completely redundant together on our bench, and to make that happen we trade our best defensive player. Brilliant.

[UMFan83]

Cubs going into the season without a real shortstop on the roster yet again.

[NeifiIsMyHomeBoy]

I hate that we are losing his glove.

[Irrelevant Dude]

So essentially the Cubs will start the season with 3 backup first basemen on the bench? Excellent...

[Guancous]

I have a feeling we're not getting Brandon McCarthy in return.

[Andy]

LOL and the first thing Fontenot does in the spring training game is boot a routine grounder at SS. This is going to end well.

[Little Slide Rooter]

Darwin Barney is supposed to be a good defensive SS, so I guess we could always go to him if we need an emergency backup. And theres always Castro.

[Bruce Miles]

Also, Rule 5 pitcher Mike Parisi outrighted to Iowa. He had been outrighted before, with St. Louis. After clearing waivers, he had the option of refusing an outright by his former club and declaring free agency. He chose to stay in the Cubs organization.

[JonJayCutler]

Blanco, 26 in April, posted a line of .252/.303/.331 in 53 games for the Cubs last season, while playing plus defense at second base, but below average at shortstop (warning: small sample sizes).

 

lol

[Rob]

Darwin Barney is supposed to be a good defensive SS, so I guess we could always go to him if we need an emergency backup. And theres always Castro.

 

bingo.

 

For one or two games at a time, fontenot is a fine backup. If there's an injury, Barney is ready now. And Castro could force his way up at any time.

[Post Count Padder]

Why does the organization feel that Kevin Millar is worth a bench spot? Can't he just be a clubhouse mascot or something? Or Dempster's prank buddy? I really hate wasting a roster spot on him.

[Andy]

Why does the organization feel that Kevin Millar is worth a bench spot? Can't he just be a clubhouse mascot or something? Or Dempster's prank buddy? I really hate wasting a roster spot on him.

It all goes back to blaming the entire 2009 season on Milton Bradley. Millar and his clubhouse chemistry and sub-.750 OPS will definitely make this team better.

[hawkcub]

So who or what kind of player may be the PTBNL?

[Backtobanks]

Good. I'm glad we can keep Millar and Tracy, who are completely redundant together on our bench, and to make that happen we trade our best defensive player. Brilliant.

 

So you would rather keep a defensive SS who can't hit?

[Andy]

Good. I'm glad we can keep Millar and Tracy, who are completely redundant together on our bench, and to make that happen we trade our best defensive player. Brilliant.

 

So you would rather keep a defensive SS who can't hit?

Millar can't hit better enough than Blanco to make up for the fact that he's old, a garbage defender and can't play any position that we don't already have like 4 other guys on the roster (who are better than he is) to play.

[Guest]

Good. I'm glad we can keep Millar and Tracy, who are completely redundant together on our bench, and to make that happen we trade our best defensive player. Brilliant.

 

So you would rather keep a defensive SS who can't hit?

Millar can't hit better enough than Blanco to make up for the fact that he's old, a garbage defender and can't play any position that we don't already have like 4 other guys on the roster (who are better than he is) to play.

 

Millar isn't really the point. Theriot isn't getting pulled for a defensive replacement, so Blanco doesn't have that value on the bench. He's not a better option at 2B than Baker/Fontenot, so he's left with pinch hitting(which he's terrible at), and giving days off/injury replacement to Theriot. For off days Fontenot isn't much different than Blanco(and he has more uses beyond that), and Barney is equal to Blanco if Theriot gets hurt(and he has more options/roster flexibility). Blanco is redundant with the current roster, and considering he's not as flexible roster-wise as his fellow infielders, it makes sense to go with someone who could have any value as a bench bat.

[Bruno7481]

I don't think this is a problem.

 

I've resigned myself that Millar will at least break camp with the team. Personally I'd be more in favor of Tracy, but that just might be his past (over 2 years ago) success clouding my judgment. It also might be due to the fact the Cubs never could seem to be able to get him out. But, that was the case with Jeff Blauser too, and we all know how that worked out.

[LeftCoastCubFan]

Assuming that Nady starts the season on the DL , I guess its safe to assume that the bench is made up of Hill, Font/Baker, Colvin, Millar, and Tracy. Decent pop, but not much middle infield depth.

I don't believe Nady will be

[Illini Iceman]

Guys like Blanco are a dime a dozen and I am sure the Cubs can pertty easily find another one off the trash heap if they suddenly decide they need a good field / no hit utility infielder.

[UMFan83]

Guys like Blanco are a dime a dozen and I am sure the Cubs can pertty easily find another one off the trash heap if they suddenly decide they need a good field / no hit utility infielder.

 

Are they though? I honestly don't know how I could judge his defense other than by my eyes, but all accounts I read is that he's a very good defensive player, at least at 2B. Maybe people were just overrated him because of our no range MI's but who knows.

[USSoccer]

I would assume if anything serious happened to Theriot we'd be seeing Castro anyway.

[CubsWin]

I would assume if anything serious happened to Theriot we'd be seeing Castro anyway.

Yep, this trade has more to do with the existence of Barney and Castro than it does with Millar or Tracy.

[Clem Fandango]

We're really screwed now

[CubbieBum]

I would assume if anything serious happened to Theriot we'd be seeing Castro anyway.

 

My thoughts as well. Castro showed he is good enough to get a shot but with Theriot we see no need in rushing it. We sent him back to minors to let him learn a bit more but if Theriot gets hurt this trade would seem to signify that we are confident enough in Castro to call him up as the replacement.