(CBS) — The names of catchers Alex Avila and Jonathan Lucroy have been bandied about for the last two weeks as possible backup acquisitions by the Chicago Cubs before the non-waiver trading deadline expires July 31.
Avila appears to be the right guy going forward. However, that deal has been stalled by a more complex group of players, such as starter Justin Verlander and closer Justin Wilson being made available and taking up a lot of Detroit GM Al Avila’s time.
Alex Avila is a free agent after the 2017 season. He has had a resurgent season and is poised to make good on that in November, when he hits the open free agent player market. While the Cubs and Tigers have talked about numerous scenarios, the North Siders have had their people looking at other candidates for a backup catcher to Willson Contreras.
The market for Lucroy has dropped off significantly. He has seen his offensive numbers tumble to .245, with four home runs and 27 RBI in 76 games. The chance of a Cubs-Texas deal seems remote.
There are three new names that major league sources indicate could be moved to the Cubs.
-Rene Rivera from the Mets is of interest to Chicago. He’s a good catch-and-throw man who also has some home run pop in his bat.
-The Marlins’ A.J. Ellis was a Dodger mainstay behind the plate for numerous playoff runs. Ellis is said to have the same baseball DNA as former Cub David Ross. He is known as a great team player and may be perfect to backup Contreras.
-Carlos Joaquin Ruiz, now with the Mariners, caught for the Philadelphia Phillies during their championship run in 2008 and 2009. His defense is still okay, but the veteran catcher’s offensive skills have faded.
The idea here is to pick one of these vets out and let him catch 15 of the 60 ballgames left in the season. Contreras has been the Cubs’ MVP since the All-Star break. The dog days of summer are quickly approaching, meaning Contreras needs to sit out every fourth or fifth day to stay fresh.
Backup Victor Caratini has a nice future ahead of him. But a solid catcher who has been through the baseball end-of-the-season wars is needed for this playoff push now.
Bruce Levine covers the Cubs and White Sox for 670 The Score and CBSChicago.com. Follow him on Twitter @MLBBruceLevine.
from CBS Chicago http://ift.tt/2v5iLtF
No comments:
Post a Comment