2015 Cubs Offseason: Building a Winner Around David Ross

[Tonker]

Last month, just after the 30 Teams project, I suggested a trade package the Cubs could assemble to acquire Mike Trout:

"@joe_sheehan: Schwarber, Soler, Hendricks, Torres and Happ for Trout. Who says no? #cubs #angels"

I'd pull that trigger.

Zobrist
Heyward
Rizzo
Trout
Bryant
Baez
Montero
Arrieta
Russell

Motherfucker.  I don't care who your starting pitcher is, I want to see him try and get through that lot three times.  They might as well just hand the WS to the Cubs in March already.

[CT III]

DPD. Joe Sheehan's latest argues the Angels are wasting Mike Trout's career, having failed to make the postseason in recent years despite his being a consistent 9-win player. The only team that could pull off such a trade (or at least not be laughed out of the room), in Joe's estimation, is the Cubs.

The idea of the Cubs trading for Trout is appealing because a center fielder is the one thing the Cubs neither have in the majors nor coming through he minors. The Cubs are one of the few teams that could make an offer for the best player in baseball that wouldn't be laughed out of the room, owing to their young talent at the MLB level and still-strong minor-league system. Trading for Trout, or maybe Andrew McCutchen, is the one big swing the Cubs have left in building an all-time great team.

Looking back, I am inclined to agree that the offer would be light, not because it's unreasonable, but because the value returned, or perhaps rather the shape of the value returned, wouldn't work for the Angels. The package above splits the baby; it includes players who can help the Angels in 2016, like Kyle Schwarber, Jorge Soler and Kyle Hendricks. Much of the value, though, is in others who won't be contributing for another few years, like Gleyber Torres and Ian Happ. If the Angels were to trade Mike Trout, they would probably need to pick a lane in doing so -- players, or prospects. I can defend the proposed package, in part because I think highly of Torres, but I can see where the Angels' fans -- and new GM Billy Eppler -- would say that it's not enough.

Despite all that the Angels, despite the overwhelming negative reaction to my idea, would have to take an offer like this seriously. They've played the last four seasons with Trout averaging nine bWAR a year, and they've yet to win a postseason series. They've made the playoffs once. Trout is surrounded by a team that without him would struggle to reach .500, that is mostly past prime, that seems to have maxed out its payroll, that has a farm system decimated by years of poor drafting, terrible international work and the desperate trading of their few real prospects in an effort to patch the major-league team's holes.

Once I got to the line above all I could think about was Huey shouting into the phone at one of the Cusack sisters, and I spent the next 45 minutes chuckling to myself.

[Eli]

There's absolutely no way the Cubs get Trout without giving up Rizzo or Bryant.

[Tony]

There's absolutely no way the Cubs get Trout without giving up Rizzo or Bryant.

I kept waiting for him to say Bryant would have to be included in the deal. The offer he proposed would be an easy yes for the Cubs. There's no way that gets Trout.

[Quality Start Machine]

There's absolutely no way the Cubs get Trout without giving up Rizzo or Bryant.

I kept waiting for him to say Bryant would have to be included in the deal. The offer he proposed would be an easy yes for the Cubs. There's no way that gets Trout.

I was thinking Arrieta and/or Bryant. They've got Pujols, not sure they'd be that keen on Rizzo.

[Eli]

There's absolutely no way the Cubs get Trout without giving up Rizzo or Bryant.

I kept waiting for him to say Bryant would have to be included in the deal. The offer he proposed would be an easy yes for the Cubs. There's no way that gets Trout.

Sheehan is generally OK, but he sometimes comes out of left field with really ridiculous stuff. That offer was Score-caller proposal dumb.

[Slaky]

There's absolutely no way the Cubs get Trout without giving up Rizzo or Bryant.

I kept waiting for him to say Bryant would have to be included in the deal. The offer he proposed would be an easy yes for the Cubs. There's no way that gets Trout.

Sheehan is generally OK, but he sometimes comes out of left field with really ridiculous stuff. That offer was Score-caller proposal dumb.

He's another one of those "Here's how easy this decision is for me to make because I have zero skin in the game" kinda guys.

Everything seems like a no-brainer where's he's sitting because he never deals with actual people.

[Powdered Toast Man]

There's absolutely no way the Cubs get Trout without giving up Rizzo or Bryant.

Mike Trout is so good and he's just so superstar-y, and I would give up all those players for him. No way it would get him, but I would do it if the Angels wanted it.

On the other hand, if they asked for Bryant in place of one of those guys I'd tell them no. I don't want to miss Kris Bryant's career ascent in a Cubs uniform.

That said, if the Cubs did trade Bryant and others for Trout, I'd quietly track KB17's career from afar and be excited about my new Trout shirsey.

[Eli]

On the other hand, if they asked for Bryant in place of one of those guys I'd tell them no. I don't want to miss Kris Bryant's career ascent in a Cubs uniform.

Everyone else in baseball is a "no" in terms of trading Bryant. Except Trout. That should be a pretty easy "yes."

[Quality Start Machine]

On the other hand, if they asked for Bryant in place of one of those guys I'd tell them no. I don't want to miss Kris Bryant's career ascent in a Cubs uniform.

Everyone else in baseball is a "no" in terms of trading Bryant. Except Trout. That should be a pretty easy "yes."

There's no way you trade for the best player in baseball and get to keep your best player. Bryant would have to be part of the package.

But if the Angels get serious about trading Trout, I'd guess it would be hard for any team to put together a package that gets it done without Trout's new team taking a net loss in wins.

[InternetApex]

On the other hand, if they asked for Bryant in place of one of those guys I'd tell them no. I don't want to miss Kris Bryant's career ascent in a Cubs uniform.

Everyone else in baseball is a "no" in terms of trading Bryant. Except Trout. That should be a pretty easy "yes."

There's no way you trade for the best player in baseball and get to keep your best player. Bryant would have to be part of the package.

But if the Angels get serious about trading Trout, I'd guess it would be hard for any team to put together a package that gets it done without Trout's new team taking a net loss in wins.

So, they're not trading Bryant then. Good. Let's move on.

[CBStew]

On the way in to work I tuned my radio to Sirius and the screen showed that they were talking about a Cubs Marlin trade.  Of course the hosts and the guest weren't talking about anything of the kind.  What is going on?

[Tonker]

On the way in to work I tuned my radio to Sirius and the screen showed that they were talking about a Cubs Marlin trade.  Of course the hosts and the guest weren't talking about anything of the kind.  What is going on?

Your radio's on the blink?

[Quality Start Machine]

On the way in to work I tuned my radio to Sirius and the screen showed that they were talking about a Cubs Marlin trade.  Of course the hosts and the guest weren't talking about anything of the kind.  What is going on?

Your radio's on the blink?

Put on the 60s station and listen to James Brown sing "Papa's Got A Bra".

[CBStew]

On the way in to work I tuned my radio to Sirius and the screen showed that they were talking about a Cubs Marlin trade.  Of course the hosts and the guest weren't talking about anything of the kind.  What is going on?

Your radio's on the blink?

Put on the 60s station and listen to James Brown sing "Papa's Got A Bra".

I am a Frank Sinatra Channel person when I am not listening to the MLB Radio channel.