That decision, coupled with a report from my colleague James Wagner that the Nationals weren’t close in the sweepstakes for Zobrist because he “didn’t feel as comfortable in the Nationals clubhouse”, raised eyebrows among some Nationals fans.
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When someone says that “it wasn’t about the money” with Ben Zobrist when he went looking for a new team in free agency this offseason, it’s not just an empty platitude.
“Really frustrating”, Castro said in a conference call Wednesday afternoon. The Cubs traded Castro to the… He and Cubs president Theo Epstein rekindled their talks about a month ago, and negotiations heated up over the past couple days. The Cubs traded Castro to the… Once that happened, the two sides pulled the trigger. The Yanks were able to capitalize on Chicago’s eagerness to get rid of Castro, which was expedited further by the Cubs’ signing of Ben Zobrist hours before the deal was done.
“He was a tremendous person, great guy in the clubhouse”, Cashman said.
General Manager Brian Cashman filled in one of the Yankees’ biggest holes: a long-term answer at second base and a risky right handed bat.
The Yankees have Didi Gregorius at shortstop, and considering he posted the sixth best UZR/150 at the position this season, Castro is expected to play second base. Then in August, the Cubs moved Castro over to second to shift rookie Addison Russell to shortstop, which only confirmed the Yankees’ theory.
“The first two games that I played there I felt a little bit weird”, Castro said. 279 with 12 homers, 72 RBIs and a. 783 on-base plus slugging percentage at Double-A Montgomery, his first season above Class A. OF Joey Rickard, 24, who made it to Triple A last season is also among the candidates to be taken. He hit.284/.384/.453 along with seven home runs and 23 RBIs, with 264 plate appearances in 59 games played. “It’s an absolute position, just like second base or left field is”. They also hold a $16 million club option on him for the 2020 season, with a $1 million buyout. The first MLB player born in the 1990s, Castro was making his big-league debut for the Chicago Cubs after shredding minor-league pitching.
“I know what I need to do to prepare myself, and I try to do the best I can to take care of my body and prolong my peak years as a baseball player”, Zobrist said.
Castro, a three-time All-Star, fits the Yankees’ goal of becoming younger and more athletic.
The Chicago Cubs acquired pitcher Adam Warren and a player that is yet to be announced in return for Castro, who played for six seasons with the Chicago Cubs and made a three time All-Start team. This year, the Yankees made a few more deals, acquiring Aaron Hicks and Starlin Castro. But the New York Yankees liked what they saw enough to make an offer on him, according to ESPN.
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“I was very serious about going there”, Zobrist said.
