Starlin Castro should have been traded two years ago to the Yankees. Well, some may think it was better later than never.
Castro's trade to the Yankees was a salary dump move by the Cubs in order to sign Ben Zobrist. Zobrist, who has had a fabulous history as a super utility guy, had a significant drop off in his WAR last season. At 35 and in a full time role in a major market, one would expect Zobrist's contract will have some dead money attached to it.
Last season with two clubs, Zobrist hit .276 with 13 HR and 56 RBI. His WAR was 1.9. In his prior four years his WAR totals were 4.9, 5.0, 5.7, and 8.7. In ten major league seasons, his career WAR is 38.5.
Zobrist's 4 year/$56 million deal was about a third less than the claimed deal he had with the Mets at $80 million. Still, it more than double last year's salary.
With these two moves, by my calculation the Cubs have hit the ceiling of their 2016 payroll budget. This means that the Cubs will have a CF platoon of Coghlan and Szczur.
Mark Gonzales of the Tribune reports the way that the contracts of John Lackey and Zobrist
were structured would allow the Cubs to continue to look for pitching as well
as address their void in center field with the expected departure of
free agent center fielder Dexter Fowler.
"We’ll continue to pursue smaller moves for depth," President Theo
Epstein said. "Obviously we’d welcome an impact move if it’s out there.
All the moves we have been pursuing previously here are potentially
alive for us."
Zobrist's four-year, $56 million contract was
structured so that he'll receive a $2 million bonus with a $10 million
salary in 2016, followed by salaries of $16 million in 2017 and 2018 and
$12 million in 2019.
Lackey will receive a $7 million bonus with a salary of
$12.5 million in 2016 and 2017. The Cubs have earmarked about $90
million to 12 players for 2016 - including $11 million for
since-departed Edwin Jackson.
The Cubs were looking to obtain cheap, young, controllable pitchers. Adam Warren from the Yankees meets those requirements. Warren, 28, is a classic 6th starter/long reliever. He probably will make the opening day roster as swing man out of the pen if Jason Hammel is still on the roster, or as a long shot to be the 5th starter. With this move, either Grimm or Ramirez is on the bullpen bubble.
The Cubs front office has used all of its powder this off-season, mostly bringing in veterans to shore up a few holes, and juggling a tight payroll budget. Joe Maddon said to the press that repeating last season's 97 wins would be a challenge. That is not what fans want to hear.
