Chicago Cubs acquire Daniel Murphy and his ‘lifestyle’ baggage in deal

Chicago Cubs: More skeletons in the Cubs’ closet

The reaction on social media reminds me perfectly of the Aroldis Chapman move two years ago. After the Los Angeles Dodgers passed on acquiring Chapman in lieu of domestic abuse allegations, the Cubs ponied up blue-chip talent and added the fire-balling left-hander.

And the response amongst Chicago baseball fans wasn’t great. (Although pretty much everyone seemed fine looking past it when the dust settled on Game 7 and the Cubs were World Series champions).

The gay community surely won’t have forgotten Murphy’s comments. Nor will anyone ever close the book on Chapman’s behavior. Sure there are those who say, well, he learned his lesson and has changed. That still doesn’t excuse thinking gay people decide to be gay or that violence against women is remotely acceptable.

And, much the same as I believed the Chapman deal made the Cubs a better baseball team, I think the same is the case with Daniel Murphy in-tow. That doesn’t mean I like what he said – or even come close to looking past it. It’s just a simple truth.

Addison Russell has been downright awful since July 1 – while Murphy has been a world-beater since the All-Star Break. With an offense caught in the throes of a woeful slump, he makes this team drastically more dangerous.

But the Cubs, once again, are showing they’ll talk a good game when it comes to morality, but when presented with a choice between taking a stand or chasing championships, it’s a no-brainer.