NEWSLETTER
It’s August, the Cubs are in the playoff hunt, and that means one thing: they have to acquire a guy who can burn on the bases.
OK, so that’s not the *only* thing being in August in a playoff race means, but boy, the Cubs sure do seem to pull of that particular acquisition every year. And this year’s is long-time Royal Terrance Gore, and all it cost the Cubs was cash:
We have traded Terrance Gore to the Chicago Cubs for cash considerations.
— Kansas City Royals (@Royals) August 15, 2018
Gore, 27, has been at AAA all year, where he will presumably also head for the Cubs until rosters expand to the full 40-man in September. This is basically the guy he’s become, as he hasn’t established himself as a guy who can stick on a big league 25-man roster. He’s appeared in 49 big league games over the past few years, and he’s taken 14 plate appearances. Heh. Yeah, you could say he has a very specific role.
But Gore is about as good as it gets when it comes to that baserunning role. In his brief big league career, he’s stolen 21 bases and been caught just 4 times. His ratios in the minors are similarly impressive. Dude is very fast, and he also knows what he’s doing out there. Presumably he is also an effective defensive outfielder, though I won’t claim to have any expertise on that front.
For the most part, the Cubs got a guy who can run the bases for them in September, and theoretically in the postseason if they want to squeeze him on the roster. It’s a very, very, very specific kind of weapon, but one that is very, very, very nice to have. I look forward to seeing him soon.
Certainly, it’s a luxury to have a guy like Gore, but if it works, it works:
