If Castro was playing the final 2 weeks of the season, and Zobrist plays everyday... they were likely to end up near the same in OPS. One was trending way up, the other way down.

Zobrist had one really great run this season lasting a few weeks...outside of that he was average or even below.

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Rick Hahn is the best GM in baseball.

There is still about a 50 point gap in OPS or are you assuming Castro was going to continue his tear. And if you exclude the current castro tear he was beyond horrible much of the year. I don't see the point of using selective stats.

Zobrist's defense and versatility have been pretty big for the Cubs this year. Castro still grades out as a negative value defensive player while Ben is a plus. Also Maddon being able to play both him and Bryant in LF and move Baez around has improved the team too.

Castro's "tear" has lasted since the All-Star Game. He has been even more dominant in the last 2-3 weeks, but he is still a .825 OPS player since July 15th. Higher if you go since August 1st.

Zobrist's descent has lasted even longer. Since June 1st he has an OPS of exactly .700. Only 32 RBI since then while primarily hitting 4th or 5th. Not good. He has been especially atrocious in September.

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Rick Hahn is the best GM in baseball.

No, I still think one of these things is not like the other.

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Yeah... Tino Martinez? Seriously?

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Rick Hahn is the best GM in baseball.

you can't tell me you wouldn't take Castro over LaStella, lefthanded bat or no.

And you also can't tell me that Castro couldn't have played the outfield in a pinch.

Look, I understand why the move was made. I just think it was a bad move certainly long term, and maybe even this year. Zobrist and a more patient approach may pay off in the playoffs, but we'll see. And hey, I like Zobrist. I just wish we had kept them both.

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Ба́бушка гада́ла, да на́двое сказа́ла—то ли до́ждик, то ли снег, то ли бу́дет, то ли нет.

Yes I can.

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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

well, alrighty then...

I think even Theo admits it was a salary dump that he didn't get full value for.

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Ба́бушка гада́ла, да на́двое сказа́ла—то ли до́ждик, то ли снег, то ли бу́дет, то ли нет.

This is a league that features Schwarber and Cespedes playing the outfield.

Castro would be just fine.

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Rick Hahn is the best GM in baseball.

and Joe had him under his spell since he sat him last year so he would be more than willing to try

I think people are also forgetting that Starlin started the year on a tear. The bad looks like more of an aberration sandwiched between the good.

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

you don't trade true talent under a good contract for nothing. Somebody didn't like the kid, period.

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Ба́бушка гада́ла, да на́двое сказа́ла—то ли до́ждик, то ли снег, то ли бу́дет, то ли нет.

I was against the trade and will ALWAYS be against it.

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Be well

GO BEARS!!!

Is there any debating it wasn't a salary dump? Looking at his year, he had one of his best offensive years and it still wasn't very good. His power spiked and he essentially doubled his home run rate. His OBP is still around .300, and he isn't a plus defender at second or short.

His averages are still his averages. I don't care when he was hot or cold, he drew 24 walks at a 4% rate. Off 118 players with 500 AB's he is the 14th worst. Slugging was probably his best attribute and he is still within 20 points of Zobrist, Baez, Lawrie, and Lastella.

The question I would have with keeping Castro is what happens with benching him and moving him to a utility role. He would be the senior guy on the team moving to a bench role. I think that would have been a distraction.

Just want to point out Baez is probably not around if this guy was still here.

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Starlin would look amazing at 2B right now.

Fucking Theo.

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Rick Hahn is the best GM in baseball.

Please tell me this is sarcasm.

Sorry you don't want one of the best young middle infielders in the game on your team.

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Rick Hahn is the best GM in baseball.

Jesus Christ, Starlin Castro has been worth 2fWAR COMBINED the past two seasons. Combined. It's three weeks into the season. I think he started hot last year too.

I'm sorry you don't recognize the adjustments Starlin has made this season.

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Rick Hahn is the best GM in baseball.

I'm sorry you don't understand BABIP.

Castro was traded to dump his salary, so the money and the position would be available for Zobrist. Zobrist was the World Series Co-MVP and while they may have given Zobrist a longer contract than ideal, he certainly paid off in year one of the deal. castro is one of those guys that loses focus and makes errors on routine plays far too often. Plus, as has been pointed out by others, was not a good OBP guy. Not many walks.

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Go Cubs!!!!

When you get on base at a 40% rate, it doesn't matter how.

The dude rakes.

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Rick Hahn is the best GM in baseball.

True. But Castro gets on at a 32% rate.

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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

Yeah, I'm not sure where IMU is getting 40%. If it is for the first 2 weeks of this season only, that is a joke. Just as the Cubs sit at 8-7, yet will win over 90 games this year and the Central and the Reds are 9-6, yet will probably finish with a losing record, Castro will be who Castro is.....a low OBP guy, who is prone to mental lapses in the field too often, but will have a pretty good batting average. Not a bad player by any means, but a guy they were able to upgrade from.

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Go Cubs!!!!

The Zobrist signing was good ( by way of dealing Castro) was good because he helped them win a WS but the Chapman trade was bad because he helped them win a WS. Steve you honestly make me hate being a Cubs fan sometimes .

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Proud member of the white guy grievance committee

It aint the six minutes. Its what happens in those six minutes.

Zobrist wasn't a rental that cost the Cubs a superior prospect. The Cubs signed him as a free agent. Yes, it did in effect cost them Castro, in that they needed to deal him to open salary space, but Castro had already proven he was not going to be a building block on this team. Losing him was acceptable and Adam Warren came over in the deal as well, and it was expected that he would have value to the club, though that proved not to be the case. Bottom line....Losing Castro okay, losing Glyber Torres not okay. Plus, Zobrist was not a rental and may well help them repeat in 2017 and beyond.

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Go Cubs!!!!

You're bad at spin.

This was a terrible trade.

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Rick Hahn is the best GM in baseball.

It should not surprise anyone that baseball sage Steve like the move for Zobrist better.

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The Cubs didn't rent the 2016 WS Championship, they own it forever. They traded Glyber Torres for a permanent WS Title.

At this point I don't know who I'd rather see get hit by a bus, Elmhurst Steve or Glyber Torres...

Torres is hurt in the minors.

I hope you're happy.

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