Chicago Cubs Trade Rumors: Starlin Castro Deal Coming As MLB Trade Deadline Approaches?
Chicago Cubs trade rumors about Starlin Castro just seem to continue. Recent Cubs trade rumors had the team shopping him hard as the July 31 MLB trade deadline creeps up. This isn’t a surprising development, as the team has a lot of depth at the middle infield positions. As previously reported by the Inquisitr, the Cubs even offered Castro and Javier Baez to the Philadelphia Phillies for Cole Hamels. That offer got rejected. A report from ESPN also indicated that the front office has tried to include Castro in several other deals.
The big detractor that keeps other teams from wanting Castro isn’t his talent, but rather the hefty contract he is toting around. He makes just under $6.9 million during the 2015 MLB season and sees a modest raise of $1 or $2 million each year through the 2019 season. Castro also has a team option for $16 million in 2020, with a $1 million buyout built into it. Not counting the remainder of 2015 or 2020, Castro has a guaranteed $40.4 million left on his deal.
It hasn’t helped these Chicago Cubs trade rumors progress when Starlin Castro is also having a rough season at the plate. Through 98 games and 410 plate appearances, he has a.237 batting average and an OPS of just.575. That’s easily the worst OPS of his career, with only 15 extra base hits to show for his efforts. The three-time All-Star shortstop has been a liability at the plate and the front office appears very intent to move on from having him on the roster. While a salary of around $10 million (on average) per season doesn’t seem too high for an All-Star, it could get ugly for a team if Castro doesn’t start hitting.
Cubs general manager Jed Hoyer really seems like he will do a lot to move Castro this season. That would make it easier on manager Joe Madden, as the plan seems to be to have Addison Russell become the shortstop of the future. Dealing Castro would also open up second base to allow Javier Baez to play there right now. The current log jam has kept him from seeing time at Wrigley Field as many MLB analysts had predicted would happen by now.
Dealing Starlin Castro would have been a lot easier if he was hitting near his career average of.279 this season. As such, Hoyer and team president Theo Epstein have to convince other general managers that he can get his swing back. The 25-year-old shortstop has a lot of baseball still in front of him, but if these Chicago Cubs trade rumors are pointing to anything, it is that he won’t be playing in Wrigley Field next year. Now the task of finding a team to “buy” him before the deadline receives some added pressure.
[Image Source: Jeffrey Phelps/Getty Images]
