The Chicago Cubs deal with the Baltimore Orioles today is really nothing more than garbage for garbage. The players dealt today are nothing of consequence. The Cubs timeline for winning got moved back to 2015. However, Theo Epstein did make the organization much stronger in the longer term. The real deal is all about money and international signing ability.
The Chicago Cubs did make a smart move in acquiring more financial freedom and signability for future free agents, even if they didn’t get any players today that you should come even remotely close to caring about. Today’s deal was about the long view, not the short.
Right-handed pitchers Jake Arrieta and Pedro Strop as well as two international signing bonus slots (slot numbers three and four) were acquired from the Baltimore Orioles for right-handed pitcher Scott Feldman and catcher Steve Clevenger. Well, essentially three months of Feldman’s services.
Arrieta will be assigned to Triple-A Iowa while Strop is expected to report to the Cubs in a few days. Arrieta was once the Orioles #4 prospect and #67 in all of baseball. However, he was major control issues. Arrieta is 20-25 with a 5.46 ERA in 69 major league appearances, all but six as a starting pitcher with Baltimore (2010-13). He was a 10-game winner for the Orioles in 2011 with a 5.05 ERA. That’s been the high water mark for Arrieta in his career. At 27 he should be reaching his prime, but instead he’s been walking way too many batters and has split the last two seasons between the Orioles and Triple-A Norfolk.
Like Arrieta, Strop should have developed some control by now, as he’s 28. Strop had a good 2012, going 5-2 with three saves, 24 holds and a 2.44 ERA in 70 relief appearances. He tied for seventh in the American League in holds and limited opponents to a .283 slugging percentage, the sixth-lowest mark in the majors among pitchers who made at least 70 appearances. He throws with a lot of velocity, but he’s not anything to get all worked up about. Strop is 7-6 with three saves and a 4.14 ERA in his career. And has had an awful 2013. He missed time on the disabled list this year due to a lower back strain and has gone 0-3 with a 7.25 ERA.
Feldman signed a one-year contract with the Cubs prior to the 2013 campaign and went 7-6 with a 3.46 ERA in 15 starts this season. Essentially the Cubs gave away their 3rd or 4th starter. But it was worth it to acquire more fiscal mobility. Overall, Feldman is 46-50 with a 4.66 ERA in 219 major league games with Texas and the Cubs.
Clevenger was just garbage. No further comment.
The Chicago Cubs today also acquired two international signing bonus slots (slot numbers two and three) from the Houston Astros for minor league infielder Ronald Torreyes.
Torreyes was originally acquired by the Cubs with left-handed pitcher Travis Wood and outfielder Dave Sappelt from Cincinnati for left-handed pitcher Sean Marshall on December 23, 2011. Today the Cubs acquired the ability to sign more international players, and scout the world. And that’s all they acquired. Don’t get excited, don’t even care about the players. However, you can care about the liquidity and scouting ability they opened up for themselves with this deal.
Paul M. Banks is the owner of The Sports Bank.net. (“Quasi-endorsed” by Philadelphia Eagles Coach Chip Kelly) He’s also an author who also contributes regularly to MSN, Fox Sports , Chicago Now, Walter Football.com and Yardbarker
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