Chicago Cubs: Starlin Castro should part of the long-term plan

Starlin Castro is too valuable to not build with

The Chicago Cubs have a surplus of middle infielders and that’s not a bad thing. As a lot of professional baseball scouts and managers would tell you – having a lot of shortstops is a great because you can generally move them into any other position.  Those players usually are the most athletic and can easily make the transition without much setback.

Addison Russell is by all means the best option the Cubs have to be the team’s shortstop.  He’s the most athletic and he has the best glove out of all of the available options.  So making that decision does mean that the current shortstop, Starlin Castro, would be without a position.  That is something that needs to be fixed.

A lot of people (even myself) would say that Castro would be a valuable trading piece for the Cubs to land themselves a very good starting pitcher. But I think that he is more valuable to the team as a player at another position than as trade bait.

For a player that seems like he’s been in the league forever – he’s still very young and not quite in the prime of his career just yet. He’s a three-time All-Star and has led the National League in hits before.  With his bat and all the new weapons around him – there is no reason to think that he can’t lead the league again in hits.

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To put him at second would probably be the easiest transition, but I see him really as more of a third baseman.  Kris Bryant I still say– and will not think differently– is a corner outfielder.  He’s a big kid with a big arm – he is best in the outfield. If I’m wrong – than you could easily move Castro to second.

The knock on Castro has been his concentration, or lack thereof.  This has gotten better over the past year or two.  Now that he’s more of a senior member of the team – I think he’ll have even less of those moments because he’s going to be viewed as a leader of the team.  He could–and should take on that role just as Rizzo has,

His bat is something that is far too valuable to move.  He’s an excellent line drive hitter and would be perfect to be a table setter for the big guys either batting before them or he could be the one to drive in the big bats that are still on base after a double.

If he was on any other team that didn’t have the amount of options in the farm system – this wouldn’t be a story at all.  He’s be signed up and already be one of the key pieces of the building blocks of a franchise.  Even with those pieces in the minor’s – he still should be that key piece to this franchise to build with.

Trading him would be a mistake – move him to another position and keep his bat on this team when Russel and Bryant are brought up.

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