Chicago Cubs: Looking back at impact offseason trades

Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports

January 6, 2012: The Cubs got Anthony Rizzo from the San Diego Padres for Andrew Cashner.

In the same vein as Larry Himes, one of Jed Hoyer’s first moves as Cubs’ GM was to bring over a prospect he’d had experience with Anthony Rizzo.

It was a risky move. Andrew Cashner had already shown some promise at the major league level through a couple short stints with the Cubs. Meanwhile, Rizzo had bombed as a mid-season call-up for the Padres in 2011, hitting just .141.

But the Cubs were willing to be patient with the young first baseman, waiting until the end of June to call up Rizzo for a second shot at the majors. The patience paid off. Rizzo put up some decent numbers in his debut Cubs’ season, slashing .285/.342/.463.

He fell into a bit of a sophomore slump in 2013 but rebounded with All-Star seasons in 2014 and 2015 (when he was in MVP conversations). Though still young, Rizzo is a vocal leader in the Cubs clubhouse and has lovingly embrace a role as a face for the franchise.

Cashner has not been a slouch for the Padres. He’s had very respectable seasons as a starter in San Diego. However, it’s hard to argue that he has given his team more value than the Rizzo has provided for the Cubs.

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