Chicago Cubs: Don’t underestimate the power of ‘small’ trades

Chicago Cubs: Flipping veterans for a piece for the future

2014 – Trade with the Atlanta Braves: Emilio Bonifacio, James Russell and cash for Víctor Caratini

2014 marked the year before the Cubs competitive window was about to open up. Addison Russell was part of the big trade that year. Kyle Schwarber had just been drafted. Kris Bryant and Albert Almora were still in the minors. Javier Baez made his major league debut, but he was striking out at an alarming rate.

To fill out the roster that year the Cubs took flyers on veterans that if they worked out the front office could then flip them at the deadline for prospects. Emilio Bonifacio was one such veteran who worked out in a big way. He was versatile player who bounced back and forth between second base and center field. That year he slashed .279/.318/.373. He was packaged together with left-handed reliever James Russell and sent to the Atlanta Braves for Víctor Caratini.

Caratini may end up being a valuable part of the Cubs bench for years to come. Or he may end up being too valuable a trade chip not to be part of some gigantic deal in the future. But if it wasn’t for the sudden emergence for Willson Contreras, Caratini would have been looked at as the Cubs catcher of the future. That was the hope when this trade was made.

Chicago Cubs: Hooking up with the Atlanta Braves yet again

2012 with the Atlanta Braves: Reed Johnson, Paul Maholm and cash for Arodys Vizcaíno and Jaye Chapman /// 2014 with the Atlanta Braves: Arodys Vizcaíno for Tommy La Stella

Reed Johnson was a good backup outfielder who spent parts of four seasons with the Cubs. Paul Maholm was a veteran starting pitcher who was eating up innings. The Cubs packaged the two of them together to the Atlanta Braves for Arodys Vizcaíno and Jaye Chapman.

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At the time of the 2012 trade, Vizcaíno was just a prospect with an exciting arm and a history of injuries to that arm. No one knew if Vizcaíno would stay health enough long enough to develop into a major league pitcher. So this was a relatively small trade at the time. Now Vizcaíno is the closer for the Atlanta Braves.

Then, before the 2015 season the Cubs were looking for someone to hold down a starting spot in the infield so Bryant, Russell and Baez could get more time in the minors. The front office also wanted this person to be a counter balance to Bryant, Baez and Mike Olt‘s propensity for striking out so much. So the Cubs traded Vizcaíno back to the Braves for Tommy La Stella.

This wasn’t as small a deal at the time. Both La Stella and Vizcaíno had already made their major league debuts and both were expected to contribute at the major league level immediately following the trade. But perhaps La Stella would have never become a Cub if Johnson and Maholm weren’t traded away for Vizcaíno.

Unfortunately for La Stella, he suffered an injury in April and missed most of the season. That led to earlier than expected call ups for both Bryant and Russell. However, La Stella did manage to make it back by the end of the 2015 season and even started at third in the Wild Card game against the Pirates. Since then, La Stella has been a big part of the Cubs bench and one of the best pinch hitters in the league.

Chicago Cubs: Left-hander who tossed the biggest pitch in Cubs history

2016 with the Seattle Mariners: Paul Blackburn and Dan Vogelbach for Mike Montgomery and Jordan Pries

I recently revisited just this trade in an article.  In retrospect, I’m still surprised the Mariners traded away a young, cost controlled, left-handed starting pitcher. But at the time this was nowhere near the big deal we Cub fans were hoping for. Eventually we got our much bigger trade in the Aroldis Chapman deal. But most Cubs fans hadn’t even heard of Mike Montgomery before this trade.

Vogelbach isn’t a very good defender. He’s limited to just first base when he does play in the field. However, the Mariners traded for him in hopes that he might be their DH of the future. Vogelbach has barely played in the major leagues. Neither pitcher involved in this deal has contributed at the major league level.

But holy cow, has Montgomery ever worked out. I hate to think what would have happened if the Cubs hadn’t made this trade. Would the Cubs be in first place today without Montgomery? Who would have filled Yu Darvish‘s spot in the rotation this year? Who would have gotten the last out in Game 7 of the 2016 World Series?

Chicago Cubs: Dealing a future batting champion

2011 with the Colorado Rockies: DJ LeMahieu and Tyler Colvin for Ian Stewart and Casey Weathers

Before the 2012, Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer were just taking over the Cubs front office. Tyler Colvin had followed up his breakout 2010 season with a disappointing 2011. Ian Stewart who had been the Rockies starting third baseman for nearly two and a half years before also had a disappointing 2011. So this was one of those classic change of scenery moves.

Colvin’s bat was supposed to be re-energized by getting to play half of his games in Coors Field. If Stewart worked out, for a rebuilding club that would be great. If not, the Cubs would soon acquire a parade of third base prospects (Bryant, Olt, Jeimer Candelario and Christian Villanueva).

Colvin ended up having one good year for the Rockies. Stewart didn’t work out for the Cubs. But this is one of those deals where one of the other players included mattered. At the time of this trade Darwin Barney was the Cubs starting second baseman. Along with Starlin Castro, Barney was one of the few players on the major league roster who had a chance to still be with the Cubs after the rebuild was over and the competitive window opened up. If Barney was the Cubs’ second baseman of both now and the future then the Cubs didn’t have a place for DJ LeMahieu.

Unfortunately for the Cubs LeMahieu ended up being the most valuable piece in this trade. He’s been an All-Star twice. A Gold Glove winner twice. LeMahieu won a batting title. In 2016, he even finished 15th in the MVP voting. So this little trade ended up being a big deal that went the wrong way for the Cubs.

Next: Darvish taking even more heat for dumb reasons

Chavez might only be a Cub until other pitchers (Darvish, Brandon Morrow, Anthony Bass, Eddie Butler) get back from the disabled list. Or he might be the glue that holds this pitching staff together. Either way just because he isn’t a big name doesn’t mean that this trade might not end up being a big deal.