NEWSLETTER
We’re so far away from the beginning of the offseason, when somewhat smaller deals for guys like Tommy La Stella seemed like a realistic possibility, so this doesn’t really even sting that much anymore. There was never going to be a ruinion.
Like Marcus Semien with the Blue Jays earlier today, Tommy La Stella seems to have found a new home for 2021:
The Giants are close to a deal with veteran infielder Tommy La Stella, per sources. He would fill a big need for the lineup, adding a left-handed bat at second and third.
— Alex Pavlovic (@PavlovicNBCS) January 27, 2021
La Stella’s left-handed bat didn’t quite fit what the Cubs were looking for this offseason (although, historically, he hasn’t actually been that bad against LHP), but his contact skills and ability to play second base at a relatively affordable price-point, while providing an upside bridge to Nico Hoerner at second base, did strike me as a pretty good match. Throw in the previous connection and what I thought was going to be a more determined approach to win the NL Central this season, and … yeah, I thought I this could happen.
But not in recent weeks.
There are still arguably 2-3 holes in the rotation, no sure-fire starting left fielder on the roster, and a pretty good reason to sign someone to play second base in the near term (not to mention any additional sell-trades that might further weaken the depth of this roster), but the Cubs have shown us that – as of now – they just do not intend to spend much money on free agents.
So Tommy La Stella goes off to the Giants and the infield market shrinks by another fairly notable name. I suppose, in that respect, it’s notable that an infielder went to a team not necessarily involved in the trade market for Kris Bryant, but that’s a bit of a stretch because they’re pretty different players all things considered. In any case, the market continues to move at a pretty fast rate. And with many of the top free agents finding homes, I’d keep a close eye on the trade market over the next few days.
After all, pitchers and catchers report soon, right?
