Article: Nick Madrigal Has to Go

[Matthew Trueblood]

The Cubs' offense has yet to be shut out in 2023. They have seven above-average hitters on the active roster, even with Cody Bellinger on the injured list. To get the most out of that group, though, they need to jettison one of their persistently below-average ones.

Image courtesy of © Matt Blewett-USA TODAY Sports

Nick Madrigal started the season a little bit hot. He had a .345/.387/.414 batting line through his first 31 plate appearances, and had struck out only once. Since then, though, he's batted only .203/.239/.250. In 67 plate appearances, he has eight strikeouts. That would be a fine strikeout rate for an average hitter, but Madrigal's profile relies on extraordinarily high contact rates. His dearth of power (and the resulting inability to draw walks, as pitchers hammer away at the strike zone) make every punchout a problem. 

Even as he's cooled off, though, Madrigal has played too often. During Nico Hoerner's stint on the injured list, David Ross even batted him leadoff. It's clear that Ross, perhaps due to the influence of the front office, is overly attached to Madrigal, who was the centerpiece of the trade that sent Craig Kimbrel to the White Sox in 2021. He won't stop using Madrigal. Jed Hoyer needs to take away the option. If Madrigal's playing time comes at the expense of that of Christopher Morel, Patrick Wisdom, or even Trey Mancini, it's not a well-spent resource.

Speaking of options, sending Madrigal to Triple-A Iowa is technically on the table, because he has not yet exhausted his minor-league options. The problem there is that the Cubs need 40-man roster space. They'll soon need to restore Codi Heuer to the 40-man, as he comes off the 60-day injured list. The team has too many players on the 40-man who need to be in the minors already. 

An organizational depth chart without Madrigal on it has much more room for players who have shown greater promise. Nelson Velazquez doesn't look like a replacement for Madrigal at first blush, but with Morel and Miles Mastrobuoni around to serve as utility infield options, Velazquez can take that roster spot and add better offense without hurting the defense. Alternatively, since it seems unlikely that the team will carry 24 hitters for long, they can just give Madrigal's playing time to those aforementioned hitters--including and especially Morel, whose hot streak since being called up really makes clear how redundant Madrigal is.

As impressive as Madrigal's progress as a third baseman was, he's ultimately no better there than Wisdom. He's not as good a second baseman as either Hoerner or Morel. With Cody Bellinger sidelined for a bit with his bruised knee, a plausible argument might have been made that Madrigal provided valuable infield depth, such that Mreol could patrol center field every day. With Mike Tauchman in the mix, though, that's far less important. Against most righties, in the short term, Tauchman should play center, leaving Morel to play third or be the designated hitter and keeping Mastrobuoni available off the bench.

Eric Hosmer is gone. Luis Torrens lasted less than a month. Wesneski and Keegan Thompson have been returned to Iowa to polish off their rough edges. It's clear that the front office at least wants to win this year, and to send the message that they're serious about performance and accountability. Letting go of Madrigal is a necessary step in that process.

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[Andy]

[Transmogrified Tiger]

Madrigal I think gets a little bit of a bum rap because of some folks' predisposition against guys with his profile(call it PTSDusty maybe), and I've been pleasantly surprised at how good he's been at 3B.  Also, I do think his numbers have been depressed by being a bit of a sacrificial lamb and drawing a disproportionate number of PA against the best starters/those with elite stuff, which not only keeps his production a touch lower but shields the alternatives.  

That said, this is an argument that's much more valid if Madrigal is around an 80-85 wRC+, not 60.  And I don't see a whole lot of reason to have Madrigal and Mastrobuoni to be half of your every day bench.  I don't have super strong feelings on which one should go away(Mastrobuoni is LHH but hasn't shown anything with the bat, Madrigal has shown more defensively and historically with the bat), but one should be going to Iowa soon.

[Tryptamine]

As I've said in game threads, I was an avid Madrigal supporter even up until this season. While the defense at 3B has been surprisingly good, the quality of contact is just terrible. His average exit velocity puts him in the bottom 3%.  It doesn't matter how much contact you make when it's all low to mid 80s exit velocity and you aren't fast enough to leg out those infield singles. I could even tolerate all that if he took walks, but he just doesn't. His 3.1BB% puts him in the bottom 2% in baseball. You cannot have zero power, zero patience and good not great speed. Unless he's hitting .300+ he just doesn't carry any value.

[CubUgly]

It's clear that the front office at least wants to win this year, and to send the message that they're serious about performance and accountability. Letting go of Madrigal is a necessary step in that process.

Madrigal neither hits for power....at all...nor walks.  For him to be a viable contributor to this team he has to hit at least .300 to make up for that.  And he's not even coming close to that.

He's played a better 3rd than I ever would have thought, but that ain't nearly enough.  Look at the OPS man!!  There's a small niche there were you need a contact guy - one out man at third type situations but that just ain't enought to keep him around. 

Everyone says trade him...well you ain't gonna get much of value I wouldn't think but if you can get anything...do it. 

[Brock Beauchamp]

I really thought the Cubs pulled one over on the White Sox in the Kimbrel deal.

In retrospect, maybe not so much.

[mul21]

21 minutes ago, Brock Beauchamp said:

I really thought the Cubs pulled one over on the White Sox in the Kimbrel deal.

In retrospect, maybe not so much.

The White Sox inexplicable use of Kimbrel was the dumbest part of that trade.  No idea what they were thinking.  Total bust for both at this point unless Heuer starts getting guys out soon in Iowa and can contribute in the ML pen.

[Brock Beauchamp]

5 minutes ago, mul21 said:

The White Sox inexplicable use of Kimbrel was the dumbest part of that trade.  No idea what they were thinking.  Total bust for both at this point unless Heuer starts getting guys out soon in Iowa and can contribute in the ML pen.

Yeah, it has to be noted the White Sox side of that deal wasn't much better.

[Irrelevant Dude]

Nick Madrigal went.

Not far enough yet though.

[Rex Buckingham]

Pretty impressive that pieces on Hosmer and Madrigal being off the ML roster have been quickly followed by their exits. The only logical conclusion is that Jed is getting his ideas from NSBB.

 

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