5 Chicago Cubs MLB trade deadline chips whose value is plummeting

Chicago Cubs trade chips whose trade value is plummeting: #5 – Jake Marisnick

Once the Cubs traded Joc Pederson, I can’t tell you how many people I heard criticizing Jed Hoyer for ‘folding’ on his one substantive move of last winter. Meanwhile, I’m sitting over here thinking that getting value for a guy on a one-year deal when you know you probably aren’t going to the postseason makes an awful lot of sense.

Literally every single player I’ve mentioned on this list is in their final year of team control. This final guy is no exception in Jake Marisnick, a veteran outfielder who has always been known more for his speed and base running abilities than anything else.

During the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, though, it looked like something finally clicked for Marisnick at the dish, as he batted .333/.353/.606 in a small sample size before going down for the year with an injury. Chicago swooped in this offseason looking to capitalize on it and add to its outfield depth and, early on, it worked out well.

He put up an OPS north of .800 in April and was hot in May, too, before hitting the shelf with another injury. Since June 7, his first game back, Marisnick has been brutal at the plate, slashing .183/.227/.283 in 66 plate appearances. At that point, it doesn’t matter what you can do on the bases – you’re not bringing much to the table on a legitimate contender, outside of maybe being a Terrence Gore-style runner late in games.

I expect the Cubs to be busy ahead of July 30 no matter what; but if these guys can turn things around in the next week, the front office might be able to get just a little bit more as the next era of Chicago Cubs baseball begins to take shape.