Starlin Castro's future

[Rice Cube]

A lot of talk has revolved around trying to trade Marlon Byrd, Matt Garza, or Geovany Soto, but possibly the most valuable trade chip of all is Starlin Castro. I was going to blog about this but realized after doing some research that the idea has been broached as recently as last season. The rationale involves the fact that Castro isn't that good (blasphemy, I know), probably won't stick at SS long-term, and that he isn't a Theo/Jed type of player. Despite these apparent shortcomings, the Cubs could fetch quite a bounty should they decide to put Castro on the block.

Discussion begins...now!

 

[tbo41fan]

Your gonna get alot of backlash from this.....i wouldnt be opposed to it

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[Rice Cube]

Your gonna get alot of backlash from this.....i wouldnt be opposed to it

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I'm not the GM. If they do it, I'm sure there will be angry mobs though :lol:

 

[Uman85]

Is there a better option in the minors or a prospect that could be better than Castro in the next few years?

 

[Jntg4]

lol, that's like trading Ryan Braun for Koyie Hill, regardless of who you get.

 

[Jntg4]

Is there a better option in the minors or a prospect that could be better than Castro in the next few years?

Lake soon, Baez later, but neither will be better than Castro in the forseeable future.

 

[Rice Cube]

Is there a better option in the minors or a prospect that could be better than Castro in the next few years?

Baez is unlikely to stay at SS. I think they'll convert him to 3B.

Junior Lake apparently sucks at defense from the little I've heard.

So short answer is that the internal options are pretty bare, but if you trade Castro, you're getting something back in spades. In the meantime you move Barney back over to SS where he belongs (defensively anyway) and keep retooling everywhere else.

 

[Uman85]

Baez is unlikely to stay at SS. I think they'll convert him to 3B.

Junior Lake apparently sucks at defense from the little I've heard.

So short answer is that the internal options are pretty bare, but if you trade Castro, you're getting something back in spades. In the meantime you move Barney back over to SS where he belongs (defensively anyway) and keep retooling everywhere else.

I've heard about Baez. He would be the most prominent choice long-term. In that case, I could see the benefits of a Castro trade, especially with how high his value currently is.

 

[Crystallas]

The only way you trade Castro, is if you are going to lose him for nothing. Right now, he is only of a few players that can sell tickets(above the normal die hards and piss drunks). Therefore no GM would trade him.

 

[brett05]

I wouldn't trade him.

I also dont think Castro sells a single ticket

 

[dabynsky]

I am open to trading anyone if it makes the Cubs better, but I don't think you would get enough to make it worthwhile for the Cubs to trade a guy that hasn't hit arbitration yet with 200 hits in a season as a SS. The options within the system are pretty bare. Baez and Lake apparently make Castro look like a gold glove at SS. Both of them seem to destined to be moved to 3B. Barney would probably be the best internal option to take over at SS which would make him only a slightly below average offensive player by position.

 

[nwfisch]

I wouldn't trade him.

I also dont think Castro sells a single ticket

You don't believe the best player the Cubs have doesn't sell tickets?

I don't care what the Cubs do with him, I don't see how they can trade him when he's under team control for so long, and he's relatively young.

 

[Rice Cube]

I am open to trading anyone if it makes the Cubs better, but I don't think you would get enough to make it worthwhile for the Cubs to trade a guy that hasn't hit arbitration yet with 200 hits in a season as a SS. The options within the system are pretty bare. Baez and Lake apparently make Castro look like a gold glove at SS. Both of them seem to destined to be moved to 3B. Barney would probably be the best internal option to take over at SS which would make him only a slightly below average offensive player by position.

My thought process involves trying to calculate the cost of a potential extension for Castro (or factoring in the value of his four arbitration years plus a year of free agency), his value to the club during years when the team is not likely in contention, and whether it makes sense to pay a guy to just sell tickets when they could upgrade numerous deficiencies through the prospects they would acquire in trade. The fact that he is under cost control for so long is what will augment his trade value above what it normally would be were he already arb-eligible. This is more of a thought exercise than reality because I doubt they trade him right now. They might do so, however, before he gets too expensive as he gets closer to free agency.

 

[85Bears4life]

:nothanks:

 

[CODE_BLUE56]

he is almost an untouchable..unless somehow you are offered an enticing deal for him..but i just dont see that happening

and he definitely sells tickets..obviously not directly but certainly with his play

 

[Shawon0Meter]

:nothanks:

lmao... I basically agree




Obviously anybody is available for the right price but my interest in seeing Castro get traded at any point in the near future is very low. If this attempt at building a good team is a clear failure in 3 or 4 years, then possibly. I suppose that's when he'll get that first huge contract so his potential trade value won't be as high but I'll take that risk without thinking twice.

 

[dabynsky]

My thought process involves trying to calculate the cost of a potential extension for Castro (or factoring in the value of his four arbitration years plus a year of free agency), his value to the club during years when the team is not likely in contention, and whether it makes sense to pay a guy to just sell tickets when they could upgrade numerous deficiencies through the prospects they would acquire in trade. The fact that he is under cost control for so long is what will augment his trade value above what it normally would be were he already arb-eligible. This is more of a thought exercise than reality because I doubt they trade him right now. They might do so, however, before he gets too expensive as he gets closer to free agency.

I agree that it doesn't make sense to keep him if the sole reason is to sell tickets. However, cost isn't the only issue involved with Starlin Castro for the Cubs. The other point is when Castro's peak years come will the team be a contender, and that is likely to be four or five seasons down the road when the team should be back in contention. Now if Rizzo and Jackson flop, and nothing else develops on this roster in a couple seasons then trading Castro to retool the system makes a lot more sense. Right now though the only way I would trade him is to get elite level pitching prospects back and lots of them.

 

[X]

W/ him being so young, and already having a 200+ hit season under his belt, trading him now would be dumb. Barring injury, he's only going to improve. We could take advantage of his play now, while he's cheap, and UPS his value. If you wanna trade him, do it in a cpl years, when he'll be worth even more than he is now.

 

[cubsneedmiracle]

Shut it Rice

 

[ZDemp34]