Chicago Cubs Player Trade Value and Other Bullets

soler batting mbdYou’ve got until noon central today to qualify to win a Kris Bryant shirsey by donating to the BN Blogathon Make-A-Wish fundraiser. Donate here. Details on how to win here. Easy way to win a shirt and do a good deed. Oh, and to ensure I go nuts covering everything for 38 hours straight at the Trade Deadline.

  • Dave Cameron at FanGraphs is getting into his annual trade value rankings, which always make for an interesting and provocative read. It’s enough for a debate when you start talking about which players are better than other players – but it’s an entirely new level when you bring contracts, projections, team control, and the whole value package into the equation. The players ranked 50 to 41 are out, and Jorge Soler just snuck onto the list at number 50. That sounds about right, given Soler’s huge upside, paired with a contract that does guarantee him some money and does also allow him to opt into arbitration. So far, Soler has not shown what he can really do at the big league level, but he’s gotta stay healthy and get some more games under his belt to get there. He’s just 23, and he’s played only about 230 professional games since 2012. Before that, he missed nearly two years of game action during the defection process. Wrap your head around just how little he’s played, and how far he’s come already. That should help remind you about his absolutely monstrous upside. Which is all to say: I enjoy discussing Soler’s value in trade, but he’s a guy whose trade value I hope the Cubs don’t actually wind up exploring.
  • In the intro to the trade value list, Cameron mentions that Jake Arrieta won’t be making the cut because he’s under control for only two more years after this one. Since Soler is number 50, that sets up a fun, purely hypothetical discussion for the purposes of these rankings: who has more trade value, Soler or Arrieta? Cameron and FanGraphs clearly land on Soler, but it’s close, isn’t it? Arrieta will get a couple significant bumps in arbitration the next two years, but he seems as good a bet as anyone in baseball to remain a top 20 pitcher during that stretch. Soler, by contrast, hasn’t actually yet put together any kind of lasting, quality performance at the big league level. It’s actually a pretty tough call, when you’re going solely by overall value. If Soler’s number 50, I’d say you’ve got to have a guy like Arrieta no lower than 51. And I’d imagine I could find some guys in the 41 to 50 range over whom I’d rather have Arrieta and his remaining team control.
  • We’ll have to see which Cubs show up further on down the list, though I think it’s a pretty safe bet that Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo, and Addison Russell will be up there. I could actually make a decent argument for Kyle Hendricks, but I doubt he gets the love. Ditto Javier Baez, and maybe even Kyle Schwarber.
  • And, what do you know – between me typing this and the moment I click publish, the 31 to 40 group has come out. Addison Russell is at 32, which is right about where I would have expected (even if I might have had him a bit higher, myself). He’s sandwiched between fellow uber-shortstop-crew (remember when they were all prospects?) members Xander Bogaerts at 33 and Corey Seager (still a prospect) at 31. I’d probably have Russell ahead of Seager, and FanGraphs concedes you could actually order those three in any way and have a good case.
  • Hearing Anthony Rizzo and Kris Bryant talk about how loud Wrigley Field has been the last couple weeks, and how much they’re looking forward to Wrigleyville being nuts for the stretch run (Cubs.com) … it gets me pretty excited.
  • For funsies, the Cubs are having folks vote on their favorite GIFs from the first half of the season – part one of the voting is here.
  • This is pretty interesting, and I do wonder if it’s not as crazy as it sounds:
  • That would leave four fewer home games (and the attendant revenues) for teams, but with the increasing importance of TV contracts and the ability to increase per-game ticket prices based on slightly increased scarcity, I’m not sure teams would see much of a revenue hit from dropping to 154 games. Players seem to be playing in fewer and fewer games every year, and reducing the total number of games – and increasing periodic off-days – could help more of the league’s stars play in more of the games. The only real downside, of course, is “less baseball.”
  • written by

    Brett Taylor is the Lead Cubs Writer at Bleacher Nation, and you can find him on Twitter at @BleacherNation and on LinkedIn here. Brett is also the founder of Bleacher Nation, which opened up shop in 2008 as an independent blog about the Chicago Cubs. Later growing to incorporate coverage of other Chicago sports, Bleacher Nation is now one of the largest regional sports blogs on the web.

    more cubs news

    Brewers Pitcher Jakob Junis Taken Off Field in an Ambulance After Being Struck by BP Ball

    A very scary scene in Pittsburgh, where Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Jakob Junis, currently on the IL with a shoulder impingement, took a batting practice ball off the neck and went down. Junis was apparently on the ground for a long...

    Nico Hoerner is Back to Being Nico Hoerner

    On April 9, I took an early look at Nico Hoerner's apparently evolving approach at the plate, which featured a lot more patience and a lot more big hacks. Effectively, it seemed like he was trying for a little more...

    MLBits: Spencer Strider Speaks (His and Other Pitcher Arm Injuries), Shohei Ohtani’s Latest Milestone, More

    There's been much debate about pitcher arm injuries lately, much of it sparked by Spencer Strider's season-ending Tommy John surgery, and Strider spoke to the media for the first time since the injury on Friday. Spencer Strider on pitcher arm...

    Chicago Cubs Sign Lefty Pitching Prospect Mitchell Tyranski

    A new signing popped up on the Chicago Cubs' transaction log: lefty Mitchell Tyranski. Tyranski, 26, put up a 3.83 ERA over 42.1 innings at High-A last year in the Dodgers organization, striking out 47 and walking 21. Were you...

    The Cubs Have TWO of the Early Front-Runners for NL Rookie of the Year

    We already dove deep into Shota Imanaga's latest impressive start against the Marlins yesterday. And there's been no shortage of love for Michael Busch this season either. But I do want to take this time to illustrate just how good...

    My Expectations and Realistic Hope for the Cubs VERY Tough Upcoming Schedule

    Even though Sunday ended in a loss for the Chicago Cubs, we did get some good news in the form of positive injury updates. Ian Happ (hamstring) was available off the bench and could be good to go tomorrow, when...

    Aaron Boone Just Got Ejected Despite Saying Literally Nothing

    I know that sometimes there is a history between an umpire and a manager. I know that sometimes a manager can subtly get under the skin of an umpire without doing much that we can see or hear. And I...

    Cubs Farm Report | April 22, 2024: Weekend Wrap

    Let's get caught up on all of the action down on the farm in today's Cubs Farm Report. Cubs Farm Report | April 22, 2024 Triple-A Iowa Cubs (13-8) The Cubs were swept in a doubleheader by the Louisville Bats...

    Looking at the Positives, Bellinger and Morel Streaking (in Opposite Directions), and Other Cubs Bullets

    What started as a small convo for the bullets ballooned into a deeper dive on Kyle Hendricks, what's going wrong, and where the Cubs go from here. So if you're looking for the Hendricks discussion, that was earlier today. Despite...

    Latest 2024 MLB Mock Draft Lands the Cubs a Top Prospect Out of Wake Forest

    Baseball America today released its updated (version 2.0) 2024 MLB mock draft. With more of the amateur season taking place, we are starting to see more of the top tier become firmly crystalized with eight names, none of whom are...

    Latest News

    Cardinals vs. Diamondbacks: Start Time, Streaming Live, TV Channel, How to Watch

    Nolan Arenado and the St. Louis Cardinals (10-13) host Ketel Marte and the Arizona Diamondbacks (11-13) at 7:45 PM ET on Tuesday.Keep scrolling to find out all the details on how to watch St. Louis square off against Arizona live.When...

    Hurricanes vs. Islanders NHL Playoffs First Round Game 3 Prediction: Odds, Picks, Best Bets – Thursday, April 25, 2024

    The Carolina Hurricanes are fancied by sportsbooks to defeat the New York Islanders when they match up on Thursday at 7:30 PM ET, with the visiting Hurricanes at -155 on the moneyline, and the Islanders at +130.Hurricanes vs. Islanders Favorite,...

    Maple Leafs vs. Bruins NHL Playoffs First Round Game 3 Prediction: Live Odds, Stats, History and Picks – Wednesday, April 24, 2024

    The bookmakers are expecting a close game between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Boston Bruins when they play on Wednesday at 7:00 PM ET, with the Maple Leafs at -115 on the moneyline, and the Bruins at -105.Maple Leafs vs....

    How to Watch Giants vs. Mets: Live Stream or on TV

    On Tuesday, in a series opener at Oracle Park, Logan Webb takes the mound for the San Francisco Giants (10-13) against Luis Severino and the New York Mets (12-9), with first pitch scheduled for 9:45 PM ET.Keep reading to find...

    Orioles vs. Angels: Free Live Stream, TV Channel, How to Watch

    Grayson Rodriguez will take the mound for the Baltimore Orioles (14-7) when they visit starter Griffin Canning and the Los Angeles Angels (9-13) on Tuesday, with first pitch at 9:38 PM ET.The article below will give you everything you need...

    Texas Rangers vs. Seattle Mariners Series April 23-25: Odds, Starting Pitchers & Predictions

    The Texas Rangers are hosting the Seattle Mariners for a three-game series, with the action getting underway at 8:05 PM ET on Tuesday, April 23.Rangers vs. Mariners Series Info Mariners @ Rangers Time: Tuesday, April 23 at 8:05 PM ET...

    Chicago Cubs vs. Houston Astros Series April 23-25: Odds, Starting Pitchers & Predictions

    The Houston Astros will be on the road, beginning a three-game series against the Chicago Cubs on Tuesday, April 23 at 7:40 PM ET.Cubs vs. Astros Series Info Astros @ Cubs Time: Tuesday, April 23 at 7:40 PM ET Cubs...

    WATCH: The End of Knicks-76ers Game 2 Was Pure Chaos

    The New York Knicks just took a 2-0 lead over the Philadelphia 76ers in a sequence you'll just have to see to believe. With roughly 30 seconds left on the clock down 101-96, the Knicks looked destined to walk out...

    Padres vs. Rockies: Start Time, Streaming Live, TV Channel, How to Watch

    Fernando Tatis Jr. and the San Diego Padres (13-12) visit Ryan McMahon and the Colorado Rockies (5-18) on Tuesday, with first pitch at 8:40 PM ET.The article below will provide you with everything you need to know to watch San...

    Mariners vs. Rangers: Free Live Stream, TV Channel, How to Watch

    On Tuesday, Mitch Haniger and the Seattle Mariners (11-11) open a series against Marcus Semien and the Texas Rangers (12-11) at Globe Life Field, with first pitch scheduled for 8:05 PM ET.The article below will provide you with everything you...

    more cubs news