Cubs DFA Miguel Montero, call up Victor Caratini

In Uncategorized by myles113 Comments

At this point, everyone knows that Montero is out.

 

We'd be remiss without mentioning the fact that Montero hit a grandslam in Game 6 on the NLCS, and that he hit the go-ahead-by-2 RBI in Game 7 of the World Series (which the Cubs won. the Cubs won the World Series). He's also been a very solid hitter for the Cubs in part-time duty this year. It's obvious to everyone that he wants to start somewhere, doesn't get along with Joe Maddon, and now didn't get along with pitchers or Rizzo. He also threw out 0 of 31 basestealers this year, which is Myles-esque.

Victor Caratini is very worthy of the shot. He's hit at every level, carrying a .343/.384/.539 line into today's games with Iowa. I'd expect him to walk a little (though below average), strike out at an average clip, and have a little bit of power. A solid option for a backup catcher (and he's a switch-hitter, which is a nice bonus). 

The James Russell/Emilio Bonifacio trade just continues to pay dividends.

 

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  1. EnricoPallazzo

    in other news, congrats to myles and the whole OV crew on winning this very prestigious award

    Dave:
    This is literally the dumbest thing I’ve ever read on the internet, congratulations!

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  2. Rizzo the Rat

    he hit the go-ahead RBi in Game 7 of the World Series

    That was Zobrist. Miggy’s insurance RBI was nice, though.

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  3. uncle dave

    On the buy/sell question, my hope is that they do both. You won’t recoup all of your lost assets from a trade for, say, a pitcher with multiple years of control by then turning around and dumping Lackey, but you can soften the blow. I like that idea because it keeps you in the chase in a very weak division and helps fill roster holes for ’18 and beyond but it doesn’t completely lay the system bare. (That, and I’d no longer have to look at John Lackey.)

    Easier said than done, but it wouldn’t surprise me if there was movement in both directions this year.

    Is DFAing your backup catcher the new firing your hitting coach?

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  4. Author
    myles

    uncle dave:
    On the buy/sell question, my hope is that they do both.You won’t recoup all of your lost assets from a trade for, say, a pitcher with multiple years of control by then turning around and dumping Lackey, but you can soften the blow.I like that idea because it keeps you in the chase in a very weak division and helps fill roster holes for ’18 and beyond but it doesn’t completely lay the system bare.(That, and I’d no longer have to look at John Lackey.)

    Easier said than done, but it wouldn’t surprise me if there was movement in both directions this year.

    Is DFAing your backup catcher the new firing your hitting coach?

    I can get behind the buy/sell approach if it’s truly an exchange of long-term assets (trading Jimenez for a cost-controlled pitcher). I look at 2018 and I get pretty worried that this team is going to have to get very creative or spend a shitload in free agency to fill out the team. And when I say sell, I wouldn’t touch anyone like Baez or Russell or Schwarber unless I got an absolute embarrassment of riches. I don’t think Lackey serves any purpose on this team, and every dollar he costs the 2017 Cubs is a dollar the 2018 Cubs can’t spend. Arrieta has some value, though if you want to make the argument that he’s a necessary part of a 2017 WS team and that a 2017 WS team is a fair possibility, I’m willing to listen. Edwards isn’t as good as Davis, but he’s a reasonable facsimile, and Davis is EXACTLY the pitcher that teams overpay for at the deadline (see the Cubs/Chapman trade). Jon Jay is another person that isn’t on the team in 2018, and could easily net a decent-ish prospect (projectable arm, not a top 100 type by any stretch). In my opinion, these are exactly the types of players the Cubs should shed to make 2018 slightly easier (and 2019, when the Cubs back up the truck to get Bryce Harper).

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  5. JonKneeV

    myles,

    I’d be on board selling guys like Lackey and Jon Jay. Specifically Jay, his replacements are already on the roster in Ian Happ, Almora, and Zagunis.

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  6. Edwin

    Perkins,

    One’s a rich asshole, and the other is trying to take health insurance away from millions to keep more money in the pockets of other rich assholes. Can you tell which is which?

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  7. uncle dave

    myles,

    Yeah, I think that the idea is to keep the core intact as much as you can. If you keep the true core of the team together — Contreras, Rizzo, Baez, Russell, Bryant, Schwarber, Heyward, a couple of pitchers — you have a team that can compete in the 2017 version of the NL Central. The moves you want to make in order to fill out the roster are moves for 2018 and beyond, imo.

    As for Davis, on the one hand he’s the type of guy you want in a playoff scenario. On the other hand, the playoffs let you get weird with your bullpen usage. If you bring in another starter that you feel good about, you can slot a guy like Montgomery into a multi-inning role and make up for losing Davis (or Uehara, or whoever). And we know that Montgomery is a Proven Closer in playoff situations, right? I’d go out on a limb and say I’d be more comfortable trading Davis than Jimenez under the right circumstances. I wouldn’t trade him without a corresponding move to otherwise bolster the pitching staff, though.

    Is the Harper thing real, or are folks just wishcasting? I can’t say I’ve followed it too closely.

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  8. Perkins

    Edwin,

    To his credit, Ricketts recognized all the operations people on the jumbotrons before World Series game 3 and had them take a lap around tge field so all the fans could give them a cheer. He’s probably an asshole, but he knows something about running a good organization.

    As to Cruz, if someone had maligned my wife as Trump did to his, you can bet I wouldn’t be working the phone banks for that guy. He’s a spineless weasel.

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  9. Edwin

    uncle dave: Is the Harper thing real, or are folks just wishcasting? I can’t say I’ve followed it too closely.

    I think it’s mostly speculation. I’m sure Harper would love to play with Bryant, and vice versa, but I doubt either takes a pay cut for it.

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  10. Rizzo the Rat

    Perkins: Though Miggy’s RBI ended up being the margin of victory.

    Yes, but without that extra run, the defensive indifference play that set up the Davis RBI single wouldn’t have happened…

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  11. Perkins

    Rizzo the Rat: Yes, but without that extra run, the defensive indifference play that set up the Davis RBI single wouldn’t have happened…

    Also a possibility. I’m disappointed (though not necessarily surprised) this is how his time in a Cubs uniform ends. I was at NLCS game 1 last year, and his pinch hit grand slam was legitimately the most thrilling thing I’ve ever seen at a baseball game. (Well, that and the double play to end game 6).

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  12. Edwin

    I watched that Dodgers game with my mom. That pinch hit grand slam was incredible. I’ll remember that game over the way he left the team.

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  13. dmick89

    Edwin: I think it’s mostly speculation.I’m sure Harper would love to play with Bryant, and vice versa, but I doubt either takes a pay cut for it.

    Yeah, I doubt the Cubs even sign Bryant once he’s a free agent. I’m sure they’d love to sign Harper, but I don’t see them spending the money to do it.

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  14. Perkins

    dmick89: Yeah, I doubt the Cubs even sign Bryant once he’s a free agent. I’m sure they’d love to sign Harper, but I don’t see them spending the money to do it.

    Having both of them at market value would probably be close to a billion dollars in future commitments.

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  15. Edwin

    In 2008, with the whole Financial Crisis/Housing Bubble issue, did that end up having an effect on the baseball offseason in terms of team spending/contracts? I assume in the next 3-4 years there’s going to be some kind of economic disaster, and with who’s currently in charge, I don’t anticpate a good response. I’m wondering how that might affect things like contract extentions.

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  16. dmick89

    Edwin,

    I don’t think it did overall, but it probably affected owners differently. The cost of the win seemed to remain constant for a few years, but that’s about it.

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  17. dmick89

    Perkins,

    I’d be surprised if Harper doesn’t get more than $450 million assuming his performance doesn’t suffer next year. Even if it did, he’s still getting a ridiculous amount.

    I was wondering, would you rather pay Harper $75 million for one year or $450 for ten years?

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  18. Myles

    dmick89:
    Perkins,

    I’d be surprised if Harper doesn’t get more than $450 million assuming his performance doesn’t suffer next year. Even if it did, he’s still getting a ridiculous amount.

    I was wondering, would you rather pay Harper $75 million for one year or $450 for ten years?

    I’d rather do $450 for 10 years, because I think you could unload Harper at 9/$405 in 2020. That’s cheating, though. I think the only way Harper signs anywhere is if he has something like 10/425, but with a player opt out after years 2-8 or something and full no trade clause.

    If I had to be stuck with the contract, I’d probably still take 10/450, but really only because you can “easily” plan on it going forward. I think he’ll still be extremely valuable until around 2026, and then he’ll only be pretty valuable.

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  19. dmick89

    Myles,

    I’d probably do the huge multi year contract too. If the so-called window is only a year, why sign Harper for $75 million when you can probably come close to the win total he’d provide for much less money? A player like Harper is always going to have a lot of trade value so it you need the money there will be plenty of teams to talk to.

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  20. dmick89

    Myles: I think the only way Harper signs anywhere is if he has something like 10/425, but with a player opt out after years 2-8 or something and full no trade clause.

    I was wondering about that. Can there be more than one opt-out in the contract? I assume there can be.

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  21. Edwin

    Man, that White House pic with the team and Trump…ugh. I get it, it’s a big deal to go to the White House, regardless of politics, but still. Gross.

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  22. dmick89

    Edwin: I get it, it’s a big deal to go to the White House, regardless of politics

    It would be an even bigger deal if they didn’t go. I hope the Warriors decline an invite and I don’t even give a shit about basketball.

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  23. cerulean

    I say just extend Bryant at whatever the arbitration prorated version of the $500M/13 offered to Harper. It’s the same agent—they are both excellent players who will probably be worth the same over the lifetime of their contracts, and neither of them would have bragging rights about who got the biggest contract because they both would be the biggest. Works for me.

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  24. Rizzo the Rat

    You can’t be that cautious behind in the count with the bases loaded, even with Harper batting.

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  25. cerulean

    Myles:
    Just hoping Lackey trashes our org tonight.

    He’s a white guy from Texas, not a tan guy from south of Texas. He’d probably end up getting promoted.

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  26. Rizzo the Rat

    If Kris has to miss significant time, I might change my mind on the Cubs becoming sellers are the deadline.

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  27. dmick89

    Perkins,

    Here’s the reason I don’t read much mlb news anymore. First comment.

    How disappointing for those ungrateful players. A visit to the White House and to shake hands with any President should not be dismissed by anyone. They are ungrateful & pathetic & deplorable.

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  28. BVS

    EnricoPallazzo er al.,

    Can’t comment on this dumpster fire, so back to Buy/Sell. I’ve been telling the kid that Zo should be on the block. Happ/Baez are already here. If Zo comes back and hits enough to interest someone, they should get the prospects or whatever. Even if they wat this year’s salary. But I can’t remember if has a no trade.

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  29. BVS

    uncle dave:
    Y’all are too young to remember 1985, but…

    …thank god we have a different ownership group than the idiots that ran the Trib/Cubs.

    Theo said today no rentals without the team “earning” them. I think Buy is off the table.

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  30. uncle dave

    dmick89,

    I’m still ‘working’ and not watching the game, but the accounts I’ve read sound pretty negative. Even if he misses a month or two, that’s crippling for the team.

    This reminds me of ’85 because that team had a whole lot of guys get old all at once, or so it seemed. Maybe I was too young to fully recall what the deal was, though.

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  31. Perkins

    Sounds like an ankle injury for Bryant. If he needed help off the field, I assume the best case is 4-6 weeks followed by a rehab stint. That would be pretty crippling for a team that has been treading water all season.

    On the plus side, Davis should fetch a lot at the trade deadline.

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  32. Rizzo the Rat

    I’m too young to remember, but I don’t see how 1985 is comparable to the current situation. The 1984 NL East champions were an aging team whose title run came as a surprise. 2016 was supposed to be the start of a dynasty.

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  33. Myles

    I don’t think the window is even close to closed. This has been a bad year, but there is still a tremendous amount of talent on this team. There’s just a lot of crap on this team, too.

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  34. Perkins

    Myles,

    Agreed. Bryant and Rizzo are under control for several more years, as are Baez, Russell, and Heyward (assuming he doesn’t opt out). Also Schwarber, assuming he gets it back together. If Happ keeps adjusting, that’s great too. Edwards likely takes the 9th once Davis is gone, and the rest of the bullpen is somewhat fungible anyway.

    What I’d hope to see the Cubs do at the deadline is move Davis, Jay, and Lackey, and trade for Sonny Gray with 2018 and 2019 in mind. Even with Bryant missing significant time, they have a shot at the postseason this year, but not one worth going all in on.

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  35. uncle dave

    Rizzo the Rat,

    Yes and no. There’s definitely a core here that didn’t exist in ’85, aside from Sandberg and a bit of hope for Dunston. But I think that the pieces surrounding the young core of last year’s team (most notably, Zobrist, Arrieta, and Lackey) got older a lot faster than we had hoped. Maybe that’s just me, though.

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  36. dmick89

    Myles,

    It’s not closed, but with the farm system depleted compared to what it was, they’re going to have to patch this up with lots of money and sometimes that works and sometimes it’s a disaster. The young guys will also be getting more expensive. They had a lot of room for error entering this season, but a lot less in future years.

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  37. uncle dave

    Rizzo the Rat,

    I’d take that comp. Dunston was widely regarded as a top-five sort of prospect (before that was really a thing). Loved watching him play, in the sense that literally anything could happen.

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  38. cerulean

    Rizzo the Rat:
    If Kris has to miss significant time, I might change my mind on the Cubs becoming sellers are the deadline.

    uncle dave:
    OK, now it’s time to sell.

    Myles:
    Bryant looked like he was in serious pain.

    Sell.

    Belated, but fuck. Sell Lackey and Arrieta and maybe Davis or Uehara. Get Sonny Gray or another longterm controllable arm. Call up the likes of Tseng and Clifton. Maybe Eddie Butler turns into Arrieta, magically, and the Cubs win the 2017 World Series. And maybe they would see the Giants in the playoffs.

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  39. cerulean

    Thinking about starting a new Cubs Web Site:

    havethecubslostyet.net

    It will have a static page with one word:

    YES

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  40. cerulean

    The Cubs should pull a 2016 Yankees and deal Wade Davis to the Nats for Erick Fredde and Jesus Luzardo.

    Also Joan Baez so we can make Bob Dylan references.

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  41. dmick89

    berselius: Better throw in Montero to make that one work. They’ll have to eat some salary though.

    No way. If they want Montero, the Cubs should get Rendon. The Cubs will need a 3rd baseman with Bryant out so I think this trade really has a good shot of happening. Makes sense for both teams.

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  42. SK

    cerulean:
    Bob Dylan references.

    if you ever get the chance to listen to Bob Dylan’s radio show episode that had a theme of “baseball songs” don’t take it. All baseball-related music sucks ass.

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  43. Ryno

    Forgive me for not reading every word, but how much of the Cubs dip in nonsuck do we attribute to the World Series run? Not much of an excuse for the offense, but couldn’t that explain the subpar pitching across the board?

    I guess the point is, couldn’t we just assume a season like this was somewhat anticipated and that the FO will not deviate from its long term plan?

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  44. dmick89

    Ryno,

    I don’t know. I think Rizzo The Rat mentioned awhile back that the last WS Champion to reach the playoffs was the Phillies so maybe there’s something to it. Then again, the champions since then have been the Giants (3 times), Yankees, Royals and I think the cardinals.

    I don’t think they should deviate from their plan. I just think that selling has to be something the team considers, but I’m not talking about selling valuable assets like Bryant or Rizzo. I’m only talking about selling assets that won’t be around either after this season or much longer. Guys like Arrieta, Lackey, Zobrist (the Cubs just don’t need him at this point), Davis, Uehara and possibly Rondon and maybe some others I’m not thinking of. Off limits (unless the offer was ridiculous) would be Rizzo, Bryant, Russell, Schwarber, Almora, Baez, Lester and top prospects. That’s basically been their plan all along.

    It just might be that they have to keep to that plan in a year they thought they’d be really good. Shit happens and I think with all the injuries it’s fairly easy to see why this team has underperformed.

    Wade Davis is the big one. The Cubs, even if they reach the postseason, just aren’t all that good this year and a good closer can bring a whole in return. Whatever the Cubs can get for Davis is more valuable than the 15 or so innings he might pitch in the postseason if everything went smoothly. If things do go smoothly, it will probably be because the offense finally started to hit and the pitchers stopped giving up 425 foot fly balls. Davis will probably have only a small role in any success.

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  45. EnricoPallazzo

    dmick89: It’s easy to sit here and say Baez has more potential, but Dunston had huge upside early on.

    there’s no such thing as the baez-o-meter. therefore, dunston was a significantly better player.

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