Is it time to trade Bellinger?

[Javy Is Still A Cub]

So if it's June and PCA, Busch and Caissie are all raking - what's Bellinger for? Why hold on to him? 

PCA is the CF of the future - that is No Doubt the band, because his defense looks like Andruw Jones and Jones was the best defensive CF of his generation. If Busch gives 15% less offense but for $26,780,000 less - let him handle 1b. The likely timeline for Caissie to be an effective regular is late 2025, but what if the dude is just a natural and can outslug Bellinger at DH, and slug is something this team needs? Or, what if the Cubs trade for an actual full-time masher DH like Alonso (but why buy aging Mets now when: Caissie?)? 

So Where's the spot for Bellinger? I don't see Belli as a longtime Cub UNLESS he gets hurt.

Can he bring back a lot on his type of contract? If he's raking, too, there will always be trade demand for that. 

The Cubs have a great squad this year in that they're so very deep. They could have 6 players hitting at least 20 home runs, 1 player off the record. They have 4 pitchers who can be pegged as #2 or #3 (no hating on Hendricks permitted, ingrates). All they're lacking is a superstar masher, a superstar ace and a superstar closer.

The Busch trade was an excellent example of using trade chips to fill actual needs. The Cubs still have 231 trade chips - Bellinger is definitely part of this trade chip list. Now use these chips to make the only trades this team needs: for a superstar ace, hitter or closer. 

 

[Rex Buckingham]

[WhyCantWeWin]

I think Busch has a great chance of flopping, thats why Bellinger is so important. Hoyer probably signed his love Dom Smith and Peralta as insurance for those reasons as well. 

[Jason Ross]

5 minutes ago, WhyCantWeWin said:

I think Busch has a great chance of flopping, thats why Bellinger is so important. Hoyer probably signed his love Dom Smith and Peralta as insurance for those reasons as well. 

I think Busch is a rookie, thus, there are no guarantees but I'd consider him among the safer types of prospects. He shows improved processes and bat to ball skills in Triple-A that should inspire confidence. He doesn't have brutal splits, and while he's clearly better at some pitches over others, his general plate approach of being picky about what he swings at should mitigate that. First base is a hard position to succeed at because so much is wrapped up in the bat, and I know he didn't light the world on first his first 100 PA's, but generally speaking, I'm actually fairly confident he won't up and flop. He may never be an all-star, but that's another discussion, IMO.

[Brian707]

3 hours ago, Javy Is Still A Cub said:

 

The Cubs have a great squad this year in that they're so very deep.

 

Mid 80 win teams are not great usually 

 

[LBiittner]

9 minutes ago, 1908_Cubs said:

I think Busch is a rookie, thus, there are no guarantees but I'd consider him among the safer types of prospects. He shows improved processes and bat to ball skills in Triple-A that should inspire confidence. He doesn't have brutal splits, and while he's clearly better at some pitches over others, his general plate approach of being picky about what he swings at should mitigate that. First base is a hard position to succeed at because so much is wrapped up in the bat, and I know he didn't light the world on first his first 100 PA's, but generally speaking, I'm actually fairly confident he won't up and flop. He may never be an all-star, but that's another discussion, IMO.

One quick question 1908. It was brought up in yesterday's broadcast, and quite frankly, I'd never given it much thought. Busch is a lefty hitter but a righty thrower. How does having your dominant hand on top or bottom affect a hitters swing for power? Maybe I'm over thinking this but to me it feels awkward ??

[Jason Ross]

Just now, LBiittner said:

One quick question 1908. It was brought up in yesterday's broadcast, and quite frankly, I'd never given it much thought. Busch is a lefty hitter but a righty thrower. How does having your dominant hand on top or bottom affect a hitters swing for power? Maybe I'm over thinking this but to me it feels awkward ??

Honestly? I doubt much. When we're talking about hitting, and specifically power, the arms are really along for the ride. You're going to get the power from things like your hip explosion, your weight transfer, your angle of attack (or launch angle), wrist rotation...

It's got to be a weird experience learning to hit and throw that way. I'm righty-righty and I look like a new-born dear learning to walk if you have me throw left handed or hit left handed. But especially when I swing left handed, where I notice my issues are things like weight transfer on the lower half. My arms don't struggle to swing the bat so much as I mentally can't keep my weight on my lower half straight (for example, when I swing, I drive my right leg into the ground for my load and then explode out of that. When I swing left handed, I notice I'm still loading into my right leg...which is now my front foot).

[Rex Buckingham]

I hit lefty and throw righty, but always did it that way because my brother was lefthanded and so I learned to hit imitating him. I could kind of hit righty, never good enough to do any more than mess around in practices, but it always felt unnatural with my hands... I'm assuming Busch has basically always hit lefty for whatever reason, and therefore he's not sacrificed anything

[Stratos]

Andruw Jones was the best defensive CF in baseball history, according to the stats.

[LBiittner]

Very interesting guys, thanks

[UMFan83]

This post was made under a lot of assumptions, namely that PCA, Busch and Cassie are all raking by June. Let’s see that happen before we start speculating how to handle the situation of having too many great bats and not enough spots for them. 

[Backtobanks]

28 minutes ago, Stratos said:

Andruw Jones was the best defensive CF in baseball history, according to the stats.

And hitting about 30 HRs per year in his early 20s.

 

[imb]

2 of those guys are gonna bust, maybe all 3. so no, we wont be trading bellinger

[Javy Is Still A Cub]

Jones was beyond incredible, so I'd agree. He was the first guy to make the "nonchalant" one-handed at-the-heart-level "God, these routine catches are boring" catch, IMO. 

Look at this PCA catch - this is a CF picking it 2 inches off the ground backhanded like a SS does a GB, and doing it like it's nothing. You just don't see that play made like that, ever. Yeah, Wrigley Field is probably the easiest CF to play in MLB, so he's kind of a waste there, but the Cubs play 81 games outside of Wrigley, too.... 

https://www.mlb.com/cubs/video/daniel-palencia-in-play-no-out-to-nolan-jones

Edited March 4, 2024 by Javy Is Still A Cub
Yo mama

[PackLandVA]

I've always felt a team should wait until a newly signed FA has at least 1 AB in Spring Training before they consider trading him.  There's really no point until then.

[Stratos]

Trade Bellinger right now

[Randall Simon]

What if we're 15 games back in June? Do we trade him then?

[Backtobanks]

16 hours ago, Javy Is Still A Cub said:

Jones was beyond incredible, so I'd agree. He was the first guy to make the "nonchalant" one-handed at-the-heart-level "God, these routine catches are boring" catch, IMO. 

Look at this PCA catch - this is a CF picking it 2 inches off the ground backhanded like a SS does a GB, and doing it like it's nothing. You just don't see that play made like that, ever. Yeah, Wrigley Field is probably the easiest CF to play in MLB, so he's kind of a waste there, but the Cubs play 81 games outside of Wrigley, too.... 

https://www.mlb.com/cubs/video/daniel-palencia-in-play-no-out-to-nolan-jones

There's no doubt on his fielding skills, but we need to find out if he can hit ML pitching.

[LBiittner]

12 hours ago, Stratos said:

Trade Bellinger right now

I'd be curious, does he have a no trade agreement? 

[LBiittner]

Also I read somewhere Boras appeared at Belli's presser. Agents don't normally appear at these sort if things. Is this some sort of a damage control situation?

[Brian707]

6 minutes ago, LBiittner said:

Also I read somewhere Boras appeared at Belli's presser. Agents don't normally appear at these sort if things. Is this some sort of a damage control situation?

Maybe he was concerned PTR's check would bounce?

[Brock Beauchamp]

1 hour ago, LBiittner said:

Also I read somewhere Boras appeared at Belli's presser. Agents don't normally appear at these sort if things. Is this some sort of a damage control situation?

Boras does this with many high-profile clients. I know he was at both Twins pressers when they signed and re-signed Correa.

[Javy Is Still A Cub]

Bump

[Derwood]

15 minutes ago, Javy Is Still A Cub said:

Bump

why?

[Illiterate Scholar]

PCA hit a triple against the Storm Chasers, what is Cody still doing here