Cubs Rumors: How would trading Ben Zobrist make any sense?

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(Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
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One of the more peculiar Cubs rumors swirling features veteran team leader Ben Zobrist and the team’s supposed kicking the tires on trading him this winter.

In recent days, there have been plenty of Cubs rumors coming out of Las Vegas. If the Cubs want to make any noise at the Winter Meetings, moving veteran Ben Zobrist could be an option to free up some money, according to Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic (sub required).

“Fans don’t want to hear it, but money will be a topic of discussion all winter long. The Cubs have several needs to fill on a tighter budget than in recent winters. Ideally, moving a contract like Tyler Chatwood’s, Jason Heyward’s or even a smaller one like Brian Duensing’s or Brandon Kintzler’s would help the Cubs address their needs. But that may not be realistic. One source suggested that as counter-intuitive as it may seem, shopping Ben Zobrist could make sense.”

This is not to say the Cubs are actively looking to move their most consistent hitter in 2018, but the idea makes sense if the Cubs want to create some space for a free agent.

Zobrist is set to make $12.5 million in 2019 in the final year of his contract. Possibly moving that money off their payroll could give them added financial flexibility to perhaps pursue a big name like Bryce Harper.

However, Zobrist has a long history of consistency the Cubs desperately need, starting with his at-bats that are never easy to deal with for opposing pitchers. After a rough 2017, he finished 2018 with a slash line of .305/.378/.440. With a strikeout rate of just 11.5 percent, the utility player can be trusted to get on base or provide the team with a consistent contact hitter. His leadership as a veteran in the clubhouse cannot be measured but it certainly shouldn’t be undervalued.

But, he’s also 37 and with his value as high as it currently is, the thought of trading him is not the wildest idea.

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Sharma goes on to suggest moving Zobrist to a contender for prospects. This would then give them some money to sign a top-tier reliever, like Andrew Miller, for example. this would also allow them to sign someone like Michael Brantley or Nick Markakis. This possibility would involve a lot of different scenarios to happen, but it’s not the worst idea.

After all, The Athletic‘s Ken Rosenthal claimed Tuesday the Cubs are not active in the Bryce Harper sweepstakes. If the Cubs are truly not pursuing him (who knows), they need to do something to help shake up the roster. This isn’t to say they aren’t because you never know, maybe Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer are letting Harper’s market play out? But right now, it seems unlikely.

As for Zobrist, I’d rather keep him because of what he’s brought to the clubhouse over the last three seasons, but I am open to considering moving him for the right price. The Cubs will not receive any top-tier prospects for him but the front office knows they need to get their farm system back in order, especially while their young core grows older and more costly.

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Brantley, 31, had his best season since 2015 after being hit with the injury bug the last two seasons, finishing with a 124 wRC+, just one point less than Zobrist. He slashed .309/.346/.468 for the Indians in 143 games, which was the most he played since 2014.

Markakis, 35, played in all 162 games, made the All-Star team for the first time and had a slash line of .297/.366/.440. His 2.6 WAR was his highest since 2010 in Baltimore.

If they were to trade Zobrist, they could potentially get one of those players and more. Sharma suggests trading for Kansas City Royals infielder Whit Merrifield or Philadelphia Phillies infielder Cesár Hernández to fill their need at either second base or shortstop, depending on where Javy Baez is playing that given day.

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These moves aren’t flashy and sexy like Manny Machado or Harper but maybe the Cubs don’t need to make that kind of move. After all, they did just win 95 games. A healthy Yu Darvish and Kris Bryant are set to be ready for Spring Training, so maybe retooling quietly isn’t the worst idea. That said, Harper would drastically change the outlook of the Cubs and their chances at reaching the World Series in 2019.

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