Does Mike Tauchman Have More Value as a Trusted Veteran or a Trade Chip?

[Matthew Trueblood]

The Cubs have a solid, veteran outfielder who doesn't fit into their long-term plans, at least as a regular starter. Should they trade him, though, or is the value he'd command outstripped by what he means to the existing team?

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For the second straight season, Mike Tauchman has been a pleasant surprise amid a roster full of disappointment. He's roughly a league-average hitter, with on-base skills making up the huge majority of his value. He's a fine outfielder, a bit below average in center field but a bit better than average in either corner. He's also a stolid, respectable presence in the clubhouse and on the team, and his approach is a great example to young players, even if they're not all able to emulate him.

If things were better on the North Side, it would be a no-brainer to keep Tauchman. Craig Counsell was quick to promise him a roster spot this spring, because he identified him as a valuable piece of a winning club. Tauchman is batting .246/.343/.358, even amid a 2-for-20 struggle since returning from the groin strain that sidelined him for a month. He's a local product, and the fans appreciate the way he goes about his business. After this season, the Cubs will still have two years of team control on him. Even for a team with nothing to play for in August and September, Tauchman isn't without value.

On the other hand, the playing time Tauchman soaks up is necessarily at the expense of someone (be it Pete Crow-Armstrong, Christopher Morel, Michael Busch, or a young player for whom there's not even room on the roster while he's around) whom the team would like to evaluate and develop down the stretch. There's also an opportunity cost to keeping him. Though a late bloomer without the power that teams value above all else in the modern game, Tauchman has some trade value. His team control might not be priced in the way one would like, but that's because he might also not be a player the team wants to retain for the long haul, anyway. He'll turn 34 years old this winter.

Given all that, maybe the best and noblest course is to trade Tauchman this week. He won't fetch much, but even a far-off project or a depth piece could be a nice addition to the organization, and it's hard to envision him being an especially helpful piece beyond this season. The Cubs traded Joc Pederson to Atlanta in July 2021, getting only forgettable first base prospect Bryce Ball in return, and they wouldn't get much more than that type of player for Tauchman. However, they could also further burnish their reputation as an organization that does right by players, by giving Tauchman a chance to play meaningful baseball and (perhaps) earn both some extra money and some well-deserved glory by contributing to a team chasing a championship.

It's a dilemma. It's a reflection of how frustrating and sad this season has been, because neither keeping nor trading Tauchman feels very good under these circumstances. Then again, there's some reason to feel good, too. Tauchman has had a solid year and a half playing in front of hometown fans, coming up with big hits and making big plays in the outfield. There will be pleasant memories of him even if his Cubs career is nearly over, and if they do retain him, he'll make the team more respectable and more watchable down the stretch. Tauchman is a good story, even nestled into a rather sad one. Whichever way the organization decides to go in the coming days, they've gotten good value from a minor-league signing, and there's upside in either course of action.

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