Baez to CF

[Tedward]

Per Theo, he'll play CF in Winterball in Puerto Rico. Interesting

[davell]

Good.

[UMFan83]

Hmm, not sure that's a position you want to mess around with defensively with Schwarber and Soler at the corners..but it might work and he might take to it well. Maybe thats why we keep hearing the Cubs pursuing corner OFs like Gordon and Heyward while also hearing talk of trading Soler

[Guest]

Looks like a 'keeping flexibility' thing more than an intentional shift to me.

 

[tweet]

[/tweet]

[Guest]

might as well see how he does. he's an athlete.

[Ding Dong Johnson]

he's an athlete.

so's this guy

http://www.origin.sherdog.com/_images/fighter/20140729080337_1MG_4006.JPG

[Guest]

Nah that's just a fat guy participating in an athletic event

[jersey cubs fan]

Nah that's just a fat guy participating in an athletic event

you deserved it

[Backtobanks]

Good.

 

If he can do it, it's a cheap fix for CF. If he's only okay, it adds to Joe's versatility plan or to his trade value.

[Cubswin11]

I like the move, it's worth the try to see how he does. I also wonder if the decision to do it means Castro is very unlikely to get dealt now?

[Cubbie Swagger]

I love Baez, but as someone else said, I feel really nervous about having a Schwarber-Baez-Soler outfield.

[davell]

I assume this means that, if he's a Cub come ST, he will have a shot at playing an IF/OF UT role. There's room for that guy on the 2016 roster, especially if that guy can hit HRs.

 

Yeah, I can't see him as the everyday CF in 2016. If he's around, you can find him 400+ AB's all over.

[Cubbie Swagger]

I can't see Baez being a utility guy for us. Not at this point in his career. I think he is at a point right now where he really needs a full season of MLB at bats, whether it is with us or someone else. He needs that nice big sample size like Russell got this year.

[Cubswin11]

I can't see Baez being a utility guy for us. Not at this point in his career. I think he is at a point right now where he really needs a full season of MLB at bats, whether it is with us or someone else. He needs that nice big sample size like Russell got this year.

Why? I don't think his development is going to be affected, good or bad, at all if he's given 350-400 PA's as a utility player between OF/3B/SS/2B/PH vs. 500+ PA's as a full time starter at some position.

[rawaction]

I can't see Baez being a utility guy for us. Not at this point in his career. I think he is at a point right now where he really needs a full season of MLB at bats, whether it is with us or someone else. He needs that nice big sample size like Russell got this year.

Why? I don't think his development is going to be affected, good or bad, at all if he's given 350-400 PA's as a utility player between OF/3B/SS/2B/PH vs. 500+ PA's as a full time starter at some position.

 

Yeah, if Baez is on this team, it's likely going to be in a utility type of role. It doesn't appear Castro will be traded, and they aren't going to hand Baez a starting job, because frankly he hasn't earned it. Baez will get on the field, whether it's full time will depend on if he hits consistently, Castro is terrible again, Schwarber catches more than expected, or someone gets injured again (Soler, Russell). Between those injuries, Baez potentially being a capable CF, and Schwarber sitting vs. the toughest of LHPs there's 400 ABs in there for Javy.

[Guest]

(if this seems wildly off topic, look at raw's post)

 

right now i want castro traded so bad...and it's not me hating on starlin. i'm fairly sold on him as our starting 2B next year. it just seems like the easiest path to clearing up payroll for heyward.

 

if you trade hammel, you open up a hole, so you need to make more moves for another starter (which may or may not cost more money). yeah, javy is fairly questionable in his own right, but we don't even have a javy type talent to fill hammel's shoes. and starlin isn't exactly a sure thing to be productive either.

 

am i wrong on a castro trade (plus dumping wood?) being the easiest way to clear room for heyward? it's so depressing that we even have to talk about dumping salaries to sign someone good.

 

OR

 

if possible, would people prefer to dump montero (who makes twice as much as starlin) and either roll the dice with contreras or sign some stop gap crappy C while we let contreras prove a little more in iowa?

 

 

so heyward in CF + castro at 2B + stopgap crappy C with contreras waiting in the wings

 

vs.

 

heyward in CF + baez at 2B + montero at C (with contreras waiting in the wings as well)

 

should be noted that trading montero presumably clears like $14M vs Castro's $8ish and obviously the returns on any trade would matter too (but i'm thinking these would be closer to straight salary dumps) and that we don't know EXACTLY how much room we'd need to clear to make heyward work

 

 

i don't think any of this is very likely, obviously...i'm just trying to see what scenarios could make heyward work

Edited December 5, 2015 by David

[davell]

My guess is Starlin sticks. I don't see us holding onto Coghlan myself though, maybe not Wood either. I really want us to add Yusmeiro Petit, then I'd be happy as hell to let Hammel go. Since I definitely think we'll be adding another SP this offseason. Edited December 5, 2015 by davell

[Guest]

Probably so. I don't see us holding onto Coghlan myself though.

 

i'm guessing this is before my edit...sorry that i made your reply make less sense lol

 

(he's saying trading castro is probably the easiest way)

 

and i don't either if it precludes us from any other moves that they want to make

[davell]

Yeah, I edited mine after I saw you had. Made me wonder if I had gone nuts, because I had no idea why I responded that way.

[Sammy Sofa]

right now i want castro traded so bad...and it's not me hating on starlin.

 

Put him in your siiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiig.

 

In your mutha [expletive] siiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiig.

[Cubbie Swagger]

If we can manage to get Javy 400 AB's as a utility guy, then my previous statement doesn't apply. That's probably enough to not stunt his development.

[Guest]

If you could get him 400 ABs I think that's enough, but there is probably an argument that moving him all around the diamond could effect his focus on hitting and thus hinder development. But you don't have a choice either. Roll the dice.

[Guest]

https://www.instagram.com/p/_CgSgXQRIg/

 

dude can't help himself...always dongin

[biittner77]

Now that they have Zobrist, what will they do with Baez? If he doesn't work out in CF perhaps he can play well enough in one of the corners to split time with Schwarber.

[jersey cubs fan]

Now that they have Zobrist, what will they do with Baez? If he doesn't work out in CF perhaps he can play well enough in one of the corners to split time with Schwarber.

They will make up a reason to have him start back in Iowa, probably "learning another position" and then allow him to dong away and be traded for something next summer.