So, I'll preface this by saying I think both players are going to have long, successful major league careers. Maybe both for the Cubs, maybe not.

But, let's focus on July 2015 - early November 2015.

When Baez recovers from his injury, do you consider having him play 2B on the major league roster over Russell for the remainder of the season, if there are no trades involving Cubs middle infielders? Russell shows his age in the field and at bat often, and while I see why he is projected to be pretty good, it may not be his time yet. For every double laced, he has 3 bad at-bats resulting in a strikeout. For every amazing diving play to snag a ball ticketed for center field, he lets a popup fall or messes up a double play turn at second.

Baez defense was more consistent last season, and he is likely to outperform Russell at the plate. I could see Starlin becoming the new nine hitter in a revised lineup that would place Baez in the five or six hole.

What do you think?

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Rick Hahn is the best GM in baseball.

Russell is the best fielder....Baez has the strongest arm (3B), Castro is best at eating sunflower seeds....Baez bat is the question in the whole thing.....

How you can have a positive opinion on Baez hitting MLB pitching at this point is beyond me...he showed dismal at bats....I know what he did in AAA, but so did many before him that failed, so if I go on what he has done statistically speaking it was terrible....when I apply the Eye test...it was even worse.

I will just wait and see if he improved the overall approach of his at bats....Yes, I am very concerned what we saw s what he is...King of AAA!

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"That's what the internet is for. Slandering others anonymously." Banky
“Been that way since one monkey looked at the sun and told the other monkey ‘He said for you to give me your fuckin’ share.’”

have you seen better out of Russell?

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O judgment! Thou art fled to brutish beasts,
And men have lost their reason.

And we all know Castro is the worst at paying attention when a pitcher throws the baseall.

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2018
#ExtendLafleur
10 More Wins

Castro is a proven big league hitter. The other two are dubious at best.

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Anybody here seen my old friend Bobby?
Can you tell me where he's gone?
I thought I saw him walkin' up to The Hill
With Matthew, Tulsi, and Don

Castro doesn't really hit much anymore. He and Russell have similar batting lines this season.

Yes, not recently though...and his at bats are not corkscrewing him into the ground like a bugs bunny cartoon...which is what I meant by better at bats....Baez was taking swings like he was in a cartoon...and chasing balls thrown into the ondeck circle.

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"That's what the internet is for. Slandering others anonymously." Banky
“Been that way since one monkey looked at the sun and told the other monkey ‘He said for you to give me your fuckin’ share.’”

That's an entirely unfair characterization. Russel has an OBP of 0.294, while Castro is a whole 1/1000th of a point higher. Not seeing the value of that is just sad.

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Power is always in the hands of the masses of men. What oppresses the masses is their own ignorance, their own short-sighted selfishness.
- Henry George

Itll work itself out.


I dont see Baez playing over Russell. Russell is a starter from here on out, imo

I have no faith in Baez ..his swing blows..I don't see him being g able to hit mlb pitching ever... Russell is a great defender..he's so young its hard to tell..I just hope he's not Darwin Barney.

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You know who else has similar batting lines?

Bryant and Coughlin. Bryant a little better but it's not too far apart.

As for the Cubs infield,they can use a veteran 2nd basemen who could at least bat .270.

I've seen enough of Russell for a while. Leads NL 2nd sackers in errors (last I heard) and can't hit worth a shit. Send him back to AA to work on his swing.

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favrefan said:"Chris Coghlan isn't gonna pay your rent, Jimmy."

Every single time Baez was called up to the next level throughout the minors, he struggled in his first ~100 or so AB. It is a trend. And then he figures it out.

His AAA numbers this season were better than his AAA seasons previously. It was said he started to improve his two strike approach. He is also a year more experienced. Just like I'm not calling Russell a bust with an OPS that is soon to dip below .600, I'm not calling Baez a bust. They are kids. Not every kid is Bryce Harper.

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Rick Hahn is the best GM in baseball.

Coghlan has platoon advantage padding his stats. I hope you're joking.

Against LHP, Coghlan has a line of .136/.269/.182 for a .451 OPS.

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Rick Hahn is the best GM in baseball.

Russell is going to be a stud. He's learning on the job right now. Baez shouldn't be a part of the Cubs future plans. Trade him as soon as possible.

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Be well

GO BEARS!!!

This is a bit.

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Rick Hahn is the best GM in baseball.

Seriously I'm a huge believer in Russell. I'm aware of the Baez trend but I'm not a fan. We had these debates about him last year IIRC.

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Be well

GO BEARS!!!

After 220 AB for both, Russell is not appreciably better. His defense is supposedly top notch, but in the majors, Baez was the better of the two. You also cannot teach power, and Baez has clear power. Baez still has immensely more upside. Both are too young to give up on. Both have great value in trades.

Russell may be the safer option, but he would never be an .850+ OPS guy. Baez still could be.

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Rick Hahn is the best GM in baseball.

I'm thinking some of you haven't seen an Addison Russell at bat in the last couple of months.

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Rick Hahn is the best GM in baseball.

I have. He will be better than Castro. At SS and a better player overall.

I absolutely agree about Russell. But I think it's too early to say whether Baez can be a part of the future here. He has unusual power, so if he can make a bit more contact/ learn a bit more plate discipline, he could have real value as a (think Dan Uggla) run producer.

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Go Cubs!!!!

When he has some good at bats....then we can move on to being a hitter...then a good hitter...
Yes, its a huge concern that his mega swing just doing play in the bigs....and I will be the first guy to say he is good, when he is good at this level, as I have said he is the best option at 3B defensively....so Ys, I really want the kid to make it...and I know the alleged ceiling is ultra high....but this shot cant happen.

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"That's what the internet is for. Slandering others anonymously." Banky
“Been that way since one monkey looked at the sun and told the other monkey ‘He said for you to give me your fuckin’ share.’”

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB CS AVG▼ OBP SLG OPS
81 239 32 60 15 1 8 19 35 49 7 1 .251 .351 .423 .774


72 266 44 74 14 2 12 49 42 93 8 2 .278 .381 .481 .862


Bryant's stats on the bottom,Coughlin's on top. Bryant is having the better season,no doubt but Coughlin is pretty respectable,too. CC performing much better vs. RHP means he is doing exactly what the Cubs are hoping for. They can platoon him in LF with the other Chris.

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favrefan said:"Chris Coghlan isn't gonna pay your rent, Jimmy."

You guys rag on Castro way to much. If he stopped playing today, he would have a good to great career.

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O judgment! Thou art fled to brutish beasts,
And men have lost their reason.

He's not a winner. I've had visions of him booting a ball or grounding into a double play in a key spot in the World Series.

None of the middle infield prospects will perform better than Castro has by they time they reach 25.

_________________
O judgment! Thou art fled to brutish beasts,
And men have lost their reason.

_________________
Rick Hahn is the best GM in baseball.

Can't argue with that.

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Be well

GO BEARS!!!

Sure you can. One hits the ball and the other doesn't.

How did Anthony Rizzo do his first time in the majors, eh? WORSE than Baez, you say?! How can that be??? AND you're telling me they made their major league debuts at the same age?

Well, the world no longer makes sense I guess.

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Rick Hahn is the best GM in baseball.

Different players different makeup.