But this trade is spectacular for the Cubs either way, they Move Baez to OF so now have Soler/Baez/Montero/Schwarber and can choose to move Montero now that they have another OF and IF Veteran piece.
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Defensively, Castro was not as savvy at second base as some might have expected.
The Chicago Cubs agreed to terms with free-agent infielder/outfielder Ben Zobrist and traded second baseman Starlin Castro to the New York Yankees to make room for Zobrist at second base, the teams announced Tuesday.
On Tuesday night, the New York Yankees finally made their first big move of the winter while they were attending the annual Winter Meetings down in Nashville when they acquired Starlin Castro from the Chicago Cubs.
“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. “That made a lot of sense for us”. He didn’t cry about it, didn’t bemoan it, nothing.
“I didn’t put my head down”, Castro said. But, “I never stayed down, I just continued working hard and using the talent that I’ve got”. The team did make a deal on December 9, though, trading Jonathan Niese to the Pittsburgh Pirates for second baseman Neil Walker.
Castro admitted to feeling “frustrated” during his first-half struggles, something he hadn’t dealt with at either the minor- or major-league level.
“Because I’m not playing, I don’t want to be a bad teammate and be bad with my guys”, Castro said. “But I think, in the end, knowing the opportunity to win a championship here in Chicago, that’s the main motivation for me”. My dad, when he found out, he was so excited he was jumping up and down and (saying): “‘I can’t believe I’m so excited to be a Cub fan'”.
However with a day remaining in Nashville, and with two months before pitchers and catchers report to spring training, the complexion of both NY teams has plenty of time for change. “Some of them are really happy, and some of them are really mad right now”. He helped the Royals to their first World Championship in 30 years by hitting.
Despite having a poor season at the plate – Castro’s nERD was -0.98, meaning over a 27-out game, a lineup consisting of just Castros would have scored -0.98 runs per game fewer than a league average team – there are reasons for the Yankees to be excited about their new infielder. He’s not a great defensive player, of course, and has little power. “It’s a big city”.
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TRADE TALKING: The Rays did plenty of talking again Wednesday but are likely to head home today with home today with lots of ideas but no deals. If that truly tilted Zobrist to the Cubs, then the Mets were powerless to prevent him, because their four-year offer, a source said, was slightly better than the $56 million for which he ultimately signed. There were high expectations, but he did not play on any really good teams up until this year. “He’s not going to be overwhelmed by anything”.
