The Chicago Cubs had been motivated to maneuver their most precious expiring contract in the event that they acquired an attractive return.
This strategy adopted president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer’s philosophy within the lead-up to final yr’s commerce deadline that noticed one-third of the Cubs’ opening-day roster moved. But regardless of receiving curiosity from groups, impending free-agent catcher Willson Contreras stays a Cub.
“Like last year, we were willing to listen if someone gave us a piece that could really help our future, and we never crossed that threshold,” Hoyer mentioned Tuesday. “Willson is a really valuable player. He’s been a great Cub for six years now. And we never got to that place where we felt comfortable making a deal to end his tenure here.”
A weeklong buildup to Tuesday’s commerce deadline had left Contreras prepared for readability.
He shed tears, soaked in cheers from the Wrigley Field trustworthy final week and took a second Sunday in San Francisco to understand what he anticipated to be his last sport in a Cubs uniform. But when the 5 p.m. deadline handed Tuesday, Contreras and outfielder Ian Happ, the Cubs’ two most precious gamers, had been nonetheless within the lineup for the collection opener in opposition to the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium.
The emotional toll on Contreras and Happ and the way it performed out publicly didn’t escape Hoyer.
“Maybe there was just an assumption that we would definitely move (Contreras) and there was never anything said by us,” Hoyer mentioned. “We‘ve been in communication with (Contreras’) brokers all through the month, and we by no means gave any message to anybody that was like, we’re going to commerce him in any respect prices.
“We never found a deal that came close to the right value.”
The Cubs made solely two trades Tuesday, shifting relievers David Robertson to the Philadelphia Phillies and Mychal Givens to the New York Mets. They had been amongst 5 whole strikes the Cubs made, not almost the identical roster overhaul as final yr.
It makes extra sense for the Cubs to carry on to Happ, who isn’t a free agent till after the 2023 season. If the Cubs nonetheless are motivated to maneuver him, they may discover extra groups within the offseason past these positioned as contenders on the deadline.
Because he wasn’t traded, Contreras can obtain a qualifying supply from the Cubs, barring a contract extension. That would possibly harm his free-agent market, nonetheless, as a result of it could price the signing workforce its first draft choose.
The Cubs would obtain draft compensation if Contreras had been to show down the qualifying supply.
“It was the same calculation that we’ve always made, which is, what is the value of a comp B pick? And how does that factor into our decision making?” Hoyer mentioned. “How does this impact the free-agent market? So it’s basically back to the same calculus we’ve always had.”
The Cubs didn’t need to do something midway within the lead-up to the 2021 deadline, but the roster over the ultimate two months this yr may look similar to what produced a 41-60 file getting into Tuesday.
Last season’s sell-off created developmental alternatives the ultimate eight weeks for gamers akin to reliever Scott Effross, who turned such a invaluable bullpen arm that he netted the Cubs the No. 4 prospect within the New York Yankees system. There are much less clear paths for Triple-A gamers to get a glance the subsequent two months except the Cubs jettison different veterans within the coming weeks.
Failing to match up with a commerce companion for Contreras after the all-in teardown the Cubs embraced final yr seems to be a missed alternative.
Hoyer disputed that characterization.
“Last year at the deadline things lined up for us where we had really motivated buyers at the right times,” he mentioned, “and I feel this yr in some methods makes me understand how lucky we had been final yr from a prospect standpoint to have the ability to accomplish what we did. This yr we by no means exceeded that worth, particularly in relation to Willson, so I don’t see it as something going to waste.
“It really is dependent on who you’re talking to and how motivated they are to win a title to bring an All-Star-caliber player into their clubhouse, and this year we just didn’t find that.”
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Source: www.bostonherald.com