There's a case to be made for both sides. To trade or not to trade? That is the question.
The Chicago Cubs have good reasons to trade or keep shortstop Starlin Castro, while the Chicago White Sox can say the same for Chris Sale. Can the two Chicago clubs make a blockbuster deal?
Castro is one of the best hitting shortstops in the MLB and Sale is one of the best starting pitchers in the MLB. If a deal were to be discussed between the Cubs and White Sox, it's a foregone conclusion a Castro-for-Sale straight up trade would not be the finished product. Because of Castro's defensive flaws the Cubs would have to give up other pieces (veterans/prospects) as well.
Both are under team-friendly contracts and each player represents a need for the other club. The Cubs need starting pitching and the White Sox need offense/a shortstop beyond the 2015 season (at this point it doesn't appear as if Alexei Ramirez's $10 million team option is appealing to general manager Rick Hahn).
"The Sox and Cubs approach the beginning of July with strikingly different agendas - the last-place Sox look like one of the league's most disappointing teams while the Cubs ponder playoff legitimacy as one of the most exciting. Now, both teams must respond accordingly," writes David Haugh of the Chicago Tribune.
So let's take a look at the pros and cons for such a trade if it were to be discussed.
In Sale, the Cubs would receive one of the best starting pitchers and a lethal left-hander. The 26-year-old is 6-4 with a 3.02 ERA, 0.965 WHIP and 129 strikeouts in 14 starts this season and just became the fourth pitcher since 1900 to record 10 strikeouts in seven straight starts after last night's outing, according to ESPN Stats & Info. Additionally, Sale is signed through 2019 and is owed just $47.15 million, which sounds much better than chasing a high-profile free agent in the offseason. Rumors have linked the Cubs to David Price and Jordan Zimmermann, both of whom are guaranteed to sign a deal well over $100 million.
Additionally, getting rid of Castro would allow Chicago to move Addison Russell over to shortstop, where they feel he belongs. Castro's glaring defensive issues have been a hindrance to Chicago, especially since his struggles have come on routine plays. Russell's primary position is shortstop and the Cubs view him as their shortstop of the future.
"If the Cubs' front office is for maxing out the situation at hand, it will take advantage of Castro's friendly contract, his offensive potential and his friendly team demeanor and look to move him for pitching," writes Jesse Rogers of ESPNChicago.com.
However, the Cubs will have a hole at second base and lose one of the best hitting shortstops in the MLB if they trade him. Castro hasn't been having the best of campaigns in 2015, but he owns a .282/.323/.404 stat line with 363 runs scored, 56 home runs, 329 RBIs and 74 stolen bases in six-plus seasons. He's also only 25 years old and is signed through 2019 for about $40 million, plus a $16 million team option in 2020.
The hole at second base will be an issue. Arismendy Alcantara is capable of playing there, but he was sent down to Triple-A in April after accumulating a .077 batting average. Javier Baez was seemingly on the rise at Triple-A, but he broke his finger and will still be out a few more weeks. It's also unclear if he's capable of performing at the major league level after his inauspicious 52-game stint with the Cubs last season and his significant struggles in the offseason and during spring training.
"By moving Castro, the Cubs would weaken that [middle infield] depth while trading a player who will undoubtedly put up some offensive numbers from a position that doesn't always provide good production," adds Rogers.
Moving Castro to another position in the infield could be an eventual option as well, where the Cubs could potentially maximize the defensive efficiency and offensive output.
Now for the White Sox.
Trading Sale would hurt. But Hahn has to draw the line somewhere. The White Sox, as difficult as it is to say, are a failed experiment. The offseason roster overhaul has not paid its dividends and Chicago is 31-40 - good enough for dead last in the American League. And what's the use of keeping Sale if the team can't even win when he gives them quality outings? The White Sox lost four games where Sale lasted at least 6 2/3 innings and surrendered three earned runs or fewer. He only has six wins in 14 starts.
"For Sale, the Cubs could give the White Sox both bats to provide immediate impact and multiple pieces to restock the farm system that went barren in a decade of neglect. It could be a silver bullet fix for an organization that wants to avoid the kind of long, slow rebuild that the Cubs have endured," writes Phil Rogers of MLB.com.
"The White Sox believe they have the starting pitchers to win, and they are about to add another one in Carson Fulmer, the Vanderbilt ace who looks like the second serving of Sonny Gray. They are running in place because they can't score runs, however, and lack impact bats and overall depth in their farm system."
Chicago's farm system is ranked 20th overall by Baseball America, so trading Sale could replenish the apparent dearth of talent, especially since top prospect Carlos Rodon is already on the 25-man roster.
However ...
What if the White Sox's problems boiled down to their manager? Robin Ventura is 252-305 since taking over in 2012, which was his lone winning season. He followed that up with a 63-99 campaign in 2013.
That could be one big issue, but that can't be all of it. There are other ways to solve this mess.
Sure, the farm system isn't great, but the team has enough major league talent to contend, or at least not be one of the worst teams in the league. They have a number of other players they could shop without having to grimace as they watch one of the best pitchers go to another team - a decision that would likely haunt them for years to come.
"Granted, Sale likely could bring several top-level prospects in return - but they're still prospects and he's the surest thing on any mound. Instead of dealing a perennial Cy Young Award contender and gate attraction, the Sox should gauge the market for every other veteran," adds Haugh.
"Open the bidding for starters Jeff Samardzija and Jose Quintana, as well as shortstop Alexei Ramirez and even newly signed free agents Adam LaRoche and Melky Cabrera. Adam Eaton anybody? The Sox have solid young starting pitching so start replenishing the minors by flipping players in deals for promising non-pitchers the way the Cubs did it."
Additionally, as it stands right now, the White Sox are more than likely to lose Jeff Samardzija in free agency after the season. Although he's been having a bad year, can the franchise really handle losing two starters of that caliber within a few months of each other? That would be a setback in itself and compromise a big part of the roster.
"It's a conversation worth having, just in case somebody comes forward with something so irresistible that the White Sox are tempted ... before saying no, in all likelihood," says ESPN Insider Buster Olney.
There are always upsides and downsides, but the bottom line is that both of these teams need help. These two clubs are in the same city and can help one another.
It just depends how far they're willing to go.
