Cubs trade La Stella to Angels for PTBNL

[Fear The Chorizo]

Trout as the PTBNL?

Apparently this has something to do with giving the Cubs the roster space to tender a contract to Addison Russell, who is suspended until May for league policy violations on domestic abuse. There's no way Russell suits up for the Cubs again and this has to be a way to try and get something of value in return for him via trade later this winter - but which team in their right mind sends them anything of value for him?

 

If I was the Cubs I'd have just as soon kept LaStella, who is actually a very good and vesatile bench player, and just non-tendered Russell.

[CrewFanBrewMan69]

LaStella sucks, was out of options and was going to cost $2.5 million. Probably not worth keeping him around to guarantee a 25 man spot. He can’t play defense anywhere either. They traded for Ronald Torreyes yesterday who is cheaper and he has minor league options left. I think that’s more the swap here than LaStella for Russell. I think Russel is going to be gone even if they tender him. Torreyes can play SS and other positions adequately and his bat is about the same as Lastella’s plus the minor league options make him a better fit and gives them more versatility on the roster construction from what I read.

[sveumrules]

Yeah, LaStella's only real value comes from being one of the best pinch hitters in the league.

 

The last three years he has pinch hit 273/402/381 in 172 PAs, second most in MLB.

 

The average pinch hitter over the last three years has been around 215/300/345.

[long ball]

I agree that La Stella just doesn't serve a big need for a team over the course of 162 games. He has a pretty empty OBP because he has almost no power. He has no speed. He can't play defense. Maybe he's a decent guy to have around in September/October where you can fit a singles/bb PH on the roster, but not over 162.

 

 

My guess is that Russell is tendered. Sports teams continuously demonstrate that they don't care about domestic violence.

[CrewFanBrewMan69]

I agree that La Stella just doesn't serve a big need for a team over the course of 162 games. He has a pretty empty OBP because he has almost no power. He has no speed. He can't play defense. Maybe he's a decent guy to have around in September/October where you can fit a singles/bb PH on the roster, but not over 162.

 

 

My guess is that Russell is tendered. Sports teams continuously demonstrate that they don't care about domestic violence.

Yeah as a September call up or guy with minor league options he has some value to move up and down over the year and call up in September but once he starts costing some decent money and runs out of options he’s hard to justify keeping on the 25 man all year for a team trying to win. I also think Russell is getting tendered but I think he ultimately isn’t on the team come opening day and is somewhere else or cut. They’re allegedly “working with him to make sure he’s in and overseeing his counseling” so maybe they use that to justify bringing him back as teams in all sports over look this stuff all the time and excuse it but I’d bet he’s gone in the end. I wonder if they’re a team in on Segura with all his rumors and Russell’s uncertainty.

[Fear The Chorizo]

Russell was indeed tendered by the Cubs following the La Stella trade - Theo and company have to be hoping there's a team willing to part with a decent prospect or two to trade for Russell + whatever his arbitration salary would likely be for 2019 from them, because I don't think there is any chance he suits up for the Cubs again given his baggage. He's already missing the first 40 games of 2019 due to suspension, and he made $4.3M in 2018. In addition to that, he just hasn't developed into a good offensive player that most assumed he'd become.

[jerichoholicninja]

So why are the Cubs going to trade Russell? I know what he did or allegedly did but if he's not at risk of being banned for life what's the point of trading him? It's not like no one outside Chicago knows what's going on with him. If it's about taking a "moral stand" then you just release him.