The Cubs traded starter Scott Feldman to the Orioles for a failed former starter turned bitter relief pitcher with an attitude, Jake Arrieta, and some of Baltimore's "international bonus pool" money ($388,100) in the hopes of signing Baseball America's #1 foreign prospect, Eloy Jimenez.
The Cubs receive Jake Arrieta, a 27 year old pitcher. This season, Arrieta is 1-2, 7.23 ERA, 1,775 WHIP and 1.35 K/BB ratio. In his four year major league career of 69 games, he has career stats of 20-25, 5.46 ERA, 1.472 WHIP. His career WAR is zero. The only bright side is that he is paid the minimum salary. He is only the warm body needed in order to get the international bonus money in a "trade." Also included in the deal, the Cubs sent catcher Steve Clevenger and the Orioles gave the Cubs reliever Pedro Strop.
Strop, 28, had an excellent 2012 (2.44 ERA in 70 relief appearances)
but has a 7.25 ERA in 22 1/3 innings in 2013, largely due to high walk
(15) and home run (4) totals. Clevenger
appeared in 79 games with the Cubs between 2011 and 2013 and hit .199
with a .262 on-base percentage and .275 slugging percentage.
MLB.com calls Jimenez the best prospect in this signing period. Jimenez, 16, called the "crown jewel of Dominican Republic baseball," is a tall and awkward teenager trying to find
his way in the world into a 6-foot-4, 198-pound specimen who knows
exactly what he wants to do with his life. He is an outfielder.
However, scouting reports are sketchy on him. One writer states that Jimenez he wants to be like his idol, Roberto Clemente. Scouts praise Jimenez's speed, gap-to-gap power
(which is expected to grow), quick hands and baseball intelligence to be a corner outfielder.
But at age 16, he will not be on any major league roster for five years.
The Cubs have been looking to deal for international cap money for more than a week. It was rumored that part of the Marmol deal is to get international bonus money in trade in order to pay Jimenez his reported $2.7 million demand.
So the Cubs are basically trading a quality major league starting pitcher for a 16 year old outfielder.
Critics will call it not rebuilding but a fantasy moneyballer on crack. Not one of the Epstein-Hoyer international signees has made a lasting impact in the minor leagues. This trade is so far down the spectrum from even the Sean Marshall for T. Wood deal. Wood had limited major league experience and was AAA tested or major league ready. That is the blueprint on how to build a pitching staff; trading major leaguers for players just on the cusp of contributing for your team. It seems the Cubs shortsided themselves by needing international pool money quickly since Feldman could have gotten the Cubs ready major league prospects in return.
