Chicago Cubs News: Was Chapman worth it?; Hoyer’s quiet influence

The Chicago Cubs have made a handful of trades under the Theo Epstein era but one stands out. From having some of the top prospects in baseball only to unload two for one guy.

Not to mention, the Chicago Cubs knew in the back of their mind that they may have just acquired a rental player. That man being southpaw Aroldis Chapman who has been known to hurl some high heat from the mound.

While acquiring Chapman, a long-time Cincinnati Red was nice, the price to pick up his services was a head scratcher. However, knowing the business side of the league and Chicago wanting to reach the next level was understandable.

If they were going to finally reach that goal, they needed to make a big move. And that’s exactly what they did when they moved Gleyber Torres and Billy McKinney.

More from Chicago Cubs News

• Cubs: Adrian Sampson is forcing his way into the conversation
• Projecting the Chicago Cubs bullpen to open the 2023 season
• Cubs fans are beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel
• Justin Steele has evolved into a frontline starter for the Cubs
• The future of first base is murky right now for the Cubs

Now, general manager Jed Hoyer has been somewhat placed in the shadow of President Theo Epstein. Epstein laid out the blueprint which started by hiring Hoyer and acquiring Anthony Rizzo.

But Hoyer played a huge part in the Chicago Cubs having their success over the past couple of seasons. Jed, who was the general manager for the Padres, helped put together a trade for Rizzo.

Bringing it home

One man who has played a huge part in the Cubs winning the World Series. From launching home runs to making outstanding defensive plays, Rizzo has been the No. 1 guy. Either way, it feels good knowing the Cubs are on top.

Watching them cruise through the streets of the Windy City, hoisting that trophy high above their heads. Such a great feeling. Because of this, Hoyer will also go down as one of the greatest baseball minds ever.

Rather than giving the spotlight to Epstein, which seems fair.

Here are some other stories you may have missed over the weekend:

‘Was the Torres/Chapman trade worth it?‘ – Cubbies Crib

‘Hoyer’s quiet influence on the winning culture‘ – Cubbies Crib

‘Breaking down the 3,000-hit chances of Castro‘ – Cubbies Crib

‘Can Hendricks repeat his performance in 2017?‘ – Cubbies Crib

‘Rizzo declares hot dogs to be a sandwich‘ – Cubbies Crib

Also, be sure to follow us on Twitter @CubbiesCrib. We’ll be providing you with more content throughout the year including recaps from Cactus League and the 2017 campaigns.