NEWSLETTER
Ryan Dempster is frequently discussed as one of the Cubs’ most obvious and most valuable trade pieces this year. He’s a free agent at the end of the season, he’s pitching very well, and he’s a great teammate. You can understand why his name would come up.
But, when discussing Dempster trade possibilities, we’ve always had to add a parenthetical – namely, his no-trade rights. Dempster has the right to block a trade if he’d like, and, while I’d reported as far back as December that Dempster was unlikely to invoke his no-trade rights if the Cubs truly wanted to move him (because of his appreciation for the organization), he’d never really come out and confirmed his position one way or another.
I think we can probably stop worrying too much about the no-trade portion of a Dempster trade.
“I think I would be doing everybody in that locker room and anybody who is a Cubs fan and most importantly the Cubs organization a huge disservice if I didn’t put all my focus and attention on trying to make my start and do the best I can to help us win,” Dempster said Wednesday on The Waddle & Silvy Show. “By doing that you’re ultimately helping the team. You’re in a situation where if it does happen they are going to do what’s best for the Chicago Cubs, and I’m all for that.”
“I don’t know what direction they want to go, I don’t know any of those answers,” Dempster continued later. “Whatever it ends up being I’ll have to take a look at it and see what’s the best for me, best for the Cubs and I respect that and I understand that.
“Hopefully I’m here, but if not it’s somewhere that can ultimately give them the best opportunity to improve the Cubs for the future. I believe I’m a part of that and trying to help us for the future and help us for the present as well.”
Wow. Did you catch that? Dempster just said that, because he believes he’s a part of making the Cubs better in the future, if he gets traded he wants to make sure the Cubs get the most possible in return. Because he feels like that’s his duty! Dude, Ryan. That may be one of the coolest things a current player has ever said about their dedication to the Cubs organization.
And, because Dempster hopes that the Cubs can get the most possible for him, it seems highly unlikely that, if they look to trade him, he’d wield his no-trade rights aggressively. That would tie the Cubs’ hands, and they ultimately wouldn’t get “the best opportunity to improve the Cubs for the future.”
Just for good measure, Dempster added a little more in a conversation with Paul Sullivan.
“Any one of us is susceptible to being traded,” Dempster said. “For me, it’s a little different because I have the right to say ‘no.’ … Obviously I want to do what’s best for this organization. They’ve done nothing but right by me.”
Good man, Ryan Dempster. Good man.
