Caleb Smith selected in Rule 5 draft; Caleb Smith traded to Cubs; Caleb Smith appreciation thread

[FVBrewerFan]

Many years from now we'll all look back fondly on the Caleb Smith years...errrr minutes.

[anglotiger]

This is way over my head...I'm sorry. Can someone explain what happened?

 

We selected a player for the Cubs basically? And they said we'll give you cash for the favor?

 

 

Okay I think I figured it out.

 

We picked up an asset for free, weighed whether we wanted to keep the asset, then decided we wanted to use the roster spot elsewhere so put feelers out to see if anyone else wanted asset. Then we got $$ for asset.

 

I'm not sure that it was worth it.

 

The Brewers had to pay for the right to select a player. If the player didn't stay on the active roster all season (barring injury) then they would have to offer him back to his original team for half the price they paid for selecting him. Presumably the Cubs paid enough money more than the selection fee to make it worth the Brewers' while to help them.

 

I know that the Brewers are a small-market team, and that (in theory at least) there's no harm helping the Cubs while you're not contending, but to pass on gaining a potential asset for the future and give one to the Cubs for what was probably a relatively small amount of money seems unwise. Are the Brewers, with their reduced payroll, that hard up for a little cash?

 

I get that they didn't see a player they felt worth taking up a spot on the active roster when they have a lot of young talent to look at already, but I don't see the point of this move at all. It just feels to me like Stearns decided to do them a favour...

 

Perhaps others can enlighten me?

[1992casey]

The deal was likely pre-arranged. The Cubs likely wanted this guy and didn't want him to slip away before their pick came up. I'm sure that Milwaukee was adequately compensated for the favor. I believe the Brewers selected a player for the Rockies in a similar fashion not too long ago.

[MadThinker88]

Its a common practice...

 

Heck, the Padres were working multiple deals and they had the #3 pick of the draft..

[anglotiger]

The deal was likely pre-arranged. The Cubs likely wanted this guy and didn't want him to slip away before their pick came up. I'm sure that Milwaukee was adequately compensated for the favor. I believe the Brewers selected a player for the Rockies in a similar fashion not too long ago.

 

Thinking long term, there's a big difference between getting a little cash from the Rockies to give them a potential long-term asset and doing the same for the Cubs. Unless Sterns really did think that the fact was that Smith was garbage...

[brewmann04]

why are we trading players for Cash? take a flyer on a player.

[djoctagone]

The deal was likely pre-arranged. The Cubs likely wanted this guy and didn't want him to slip away before their pick came up. I'm sure that Milwaukee was adequately compensated for the favor. I believe the Brewers selected a player for the Rockies in a similar fashion not too long ago.

unless i've missed a transaction, the last time the brewers took a player in the major league phase of the rule 5 draft and traded him that same day was in 2006, when they took lhp edward campusano and traded him to detroit for cash.

[billymac]

Stearns did say it was prearranged, I'm hoping that he has a tentative or close deal in place with like the Dodgers that would bring back two 40 man roster players in Puig and McCarthy while just losing Braun. Wishful thinking.

[MrTPlush]

The deal was likely pre-arranged. The Cubs likely wanted this guy and didn't want him to slip away before their pick came up. I'm sure that Milwaukee was adequately compensated for the favor. I believe the Brewers selected a player for the Rockies in a similar fashion not too long ago.

 

Thinking long term, there's a big difference between getting a little cash from the Rockies to give them a potential long-term asset and doing the same for the Cubs. Unless Sterns really did think that the fact was that Smith was garbage...

 

Go look at Caleb Smith's stats. He had an ERA close to 4 last year in AA and it isn't like his other numbers jump out at you. Older competition also crushed him which probably doesn't make a recipe for success suddenly facing MLB hitters. The biggest problem is the fact he doesn't shut down lefties like one would want. I don't know why the Cubs would even want him honestly. That team is stacked and they aren't going to carry Caleb Smith all year. Actually the chances he even makes it through ST is probably <10%. I wouldn't be surprised if he doesn't even make it to spring training.

 

Lets not get to carried away here. A 100+ win team isn't going to carry a Rule 5 pick all year long that doesn't even look special.

[jerichoholicninja]

The Cubs needed a LOOGY, I'm not sure why this is the guy those chose but whatever.

 

Not saying Stearns is doing a bad job this offseason but he's made some headscratchers so far. Leaving a few guys unprotected only to give those roster spots to old, mediocre relievers and not even keeping Geltz and then not taking anyone in the rule 5.

[1992casey]

The deal was likely pre-arranged. The Cubs likely wanted this guy and didn't want him to slip away before their pick came up. I'm sure that Milwaukee was adequately compensated for the favor. I believe the Brewers selected a player for the Rockies in a similar fashion not too long ago.

unless i've missed a transaction, the last time the brewers took a player in the major league phase of the rule 5 draft and traded him that same day was in 2006, when they took lhp edward campusano and traded him to detroit for cash.

Maybe that's what I was thinking of. At any rate, after reviewing past draft results, I don't see anything involving the Rockies.

[pogokat]

The deal was likely pre-arranged. The Cubs likely wanted this guy and didn't want him to slip away before their pick came up. I'm sure that Milwaukee was adequately compensated for the favor. I believe the Brewers selected a player for the Rockies in a similar fashion not too long ago.

unless i've missed a transaction, the last time the brewers took a player in the major league phase of the rule 5 draft and traded him that same day was in 2006, when they took lhp edward campusano and traded him to detroit for cash.

Maybe that's what I was thinking of. At any rate, after reviewing past draft results, I don't see anything involving the Rockies.

 

Marcos Carvajal, 2004

[MKE81]

The Cubs needed a LOOGY, I'm not sure why this is the guy those chose but whatever.

 

Not saying Stearns is doing a bad job this offseason but he's made some headscratchers so far. Leaving a few guys unprotected only to give those roster spots to old, mediocre relievers and not even keeping Geltz and then not taking anyone in the rule 5.

I think present day it's easy to question some of the 40 man moves (including rule 5 protection) but it makes sense in terms of how he's used the 40 going back to when he started as GM in combination with Stearns and his team not viewing certain prospects in the same light as people on here. anybody would add the Brinson, Hader, Phillips, Cordell, Williams of the world to the 40 to protect them but not everyone would add Diaz, Wang, Wren or others - those are two different classes of players and the MLB team will still need help as the season goes on, which is why some of those guys are on it still. there's so much time before spring training and plenty of other moves will be made that when that time comes around it'll all work itself out and make sense. having a tad bit of flexibility on the 40 is beneficial especially if he's planning to move someone and get MLB players in return.

[MNBrew]

To elaborate on the point above, the JSOnline article cites that Stearns said the Brewers ultimately chose not to use their pick on anyone. The Cubs were interested enough in Smith essentially to trade up and made an offer worthwhile enough for the Brewers pick Smith for them.

[MadScientist]

To elaborate on the point above, the JSOnline article cites that Stearns said the Brewers ultimately chose not to use their pick on anyone. The Cubs were interested enough in Smith essentially to trade up and made an offer worthwhile enough for the Brewers pick Smith for them.

 

Taken in that light, the Brewers basically got free money from the Cubs. I'm good with that, especially since there's a good chance that it won't even help the Cubs.

[Mass Haas]

RHP Caleb Smith, 22, signed out of the 15th round from the (here we go again) 2014 college draft class (Rice University). He actually was one of three Caleb Smith's (all the same spelling) active in MiLB in 2015. Control and lack of strikeouts kept Smith in Maryvale for both of his pro seasons. Back on his draft day it was noted --

 

15th round: Caleb Smith, Rice (2014) 8.16 ERA, 14 IP, 15 BB, 20 K (three schools in three years - Auburn, CC, Rice)

 

Surely Smith warranted a "projection" selection, it just didn't pan out. Kudos to him for the work he put in during two blistering Maryvale summers.

 

That's from the post two days before Christmas in 2015 when the Brewers announced a slew of minor league releases (Happy Holidays!).

 

So the Brewers had a pitcher named Caleb Smith in their system for two summers, as recently as 2015, and despite the fact that I posted Link Report updates for Maryvale's games both of these years, it didn't dawn on me to even think of "our" former Caleb Smith until today, that's how anonymous he was.

[AKCheesehead]

Caleb Smith has been given back to NYY. I certainly am happy to see that our little favor we did for the cubs in the Rule 5 draft did not come around to be of benefit to their team.