For reasons we’ve discussed ad infinitum in recent weeks, Carlos Marmol is perpetually on the trade block for the Chicago Cubs. They aren’t expected to need him in 2013 (because they aren’t expected to be any good), he’s got some value to other teams, and he’s a free agent after 2013. That’s a guy you trade. So, the Cubs will.
“I can’t make that decision,” Marmol told the media when asked about being traded this year. “The boss guy makes the decision. I can’t worry about that. The only thing I have to worry about is being ready every time they give me the ball.”
But does Marmol believe, given everything we know, and the fact that he was already semi-traded once before, that he will be traded?
“I don’t believe anything,” he said. “I come here, work out, and whatever decision they make here, I don’t have anything to do with it.”
Yeah, that sounds like a guy who expects that he’ll be traded eventually.
Bruce Levine says that trade is coming before the season opens, and Gordon Wittenmyer says it’ll be later in the season. Wittenmyer adds that Cubs executives have apparently told Marmol’s agent to expect that a trade is coming at some point.
Either way, the reports align with Marmol’s attitude. A mid-season trade still seems more likely, given that it will afford Marmol the opportunity – we hope – to show that his post-May changes in 2012 were legit, and carry forward into 2013. If he does that, his trade value will be higher in July than it is now.
Hopefully Marmol’s resignation to the fact that he’ll be traded will not negatively impact his early-season performance. He can veto trades to five teams (we know the identity of only one at this point – the Angels (and he accepted a trade to them)), but I tentatively don’t expect his limited no-trade rights to become an issue. No, the bigger issue is going to be his performance.