Examining Cubs trades during the era of expansion: 2008
The Cubs’ 97 victories in a single season became their highest total since 1945. It was hoped that because this was the 100th anniversary of the team’s last World Series victory, but alas, the squad only managed to win a division series whitewash at the hands of the Dodgers.
Furthermore, very few trades were completed.
January 5: Traded Angel Pagan to the Mets for Corey Coles and Ryan Meyers.
Pagan had played well as a part-time player for the Cubs in 2006 and 2007, but he was promoted to New York’s starting centre field position right away. He later played on two postseason teams in San Francisco, where he won a World Series ring in 2012 (he also won one in 2014, but was sidelined by injuries that year).
Pagan provided 10.8 bWAR to the Mets and 6.5 bWAR to the Giants, although his defence deteriorated after 2010.
Since neither of the players received in this trade ever made it to the major leagues, the Cubs received nothing in return. This trade was not wise.
July 8: Josh Donaldson, Sean Gallagher, Eric Patterson, Matt Murton, and Rich Harden were acquired from the Athletics in exchange for Chad Gaudin.
The Cubs got nothing in return because none of the players they acquired in this transaction ever made it to the major leagues. It was a bad trade.
July 8: In exchange for Chad Gaudin, the Athletics sent Josh Donaldson, Sean Gallagher, Eric Patterson, Matt Murton, and Rich Harden to be acquired.
After making 24 bullpen appearances with a 6.26 ERA, Gaudin was released shortly before Opening Day in 2009.
Actually, Gallagher—who was rated as a Top 100 MLB prospect before to 2008 and had excelled everywhere he had been in the Cubs system—was the key to this deal. He pitched poorly in 20 games (10 starts) for the Cubs in 2007 and 2008, and after 2010—including stops in San Diego and Pittsburgh—he was released from Major League Baseball with a 5.64 career ERA. Up until 2016, he was involved in Indiana Ball.
At the time, Matt Murton and Eric Patterson were also seen as at least useful parts, but neither player performed well in the majors following the trade, with Murton going on to produce some impressive results in Japan.
Revisionist history is being practiced by anyone who looks at this deal and tells you the Cubs gave up on Donaldson too soon. Indeed, Donaldson was the Cubs’ first-round selection (48th overall) in 2007, but at the time of the trade, he was a catcher with a.217 batting average in Low-A Peoria. At that point, nothing in his minor-league record pointed to him as the American League’s 2015 MVP or as someone who would smash 279 home runs in MLB while playing (primarily) third base. Though his best years were spent with the Blue Jays, the A’s deserve credit for figuring that out.
The Cubs traded away Hat with a 46.8 bWAR career. We’ll probably never be able to determine if he would have done anything like that for the Cubs.
August 7: Traded Scott Eyre to the Phillies for Brian Schlitter
Schlitter hadn’t pitched in the majors at the moment, and he wouldn’t until 2010 when he joined the Cubs.
For the Cubs in 2006 and 2007, the man Lou Piniella dubbed “Stevie Air” threw fairly well; however, in 2008, his performance fell short of expectations, and Lou lost faith in him. He made 19 appearances for the Phillies with a 1.88 ERA and 0.767 WHIP right after the trade, and he also had a strong season in 2009, with 1.7 bWAR. It’s likely that the Cubs should have kept him.
From two stints with the Cubs to a year in Japan to a few years in the Mexican League, Schlitter pitched practically everywhere on the planet. In 2023 (! ), he continued to play for the Chicago Dogs in the independent league, recording 18 saves and a 3.24 ERA. He is 13 days younger than Josh Donaldson, which is a fun tidbit.
November 3: Traded Matt Avery to the Nationals for Ryan Buchter
Although it sounds like just another made-up story, this isn’t. Avery, a 2005 University of rgiVinia product, was selected by the Cubs in the ninth round. He never made a major league pitch.
Furthermore, Buchter was never a Cubs pitcher. He pitched seven years in the majors for the Braves, Padres, Royals, A’s, Angels, and Diamondbacks in 2014 and 2016–22, totaling 3.9 bWAR before being moved away in a deal we’ll discuss later. Midway through the 2015 season, the Cubs traded for him again, but he was released the following year after registering a 2.00 ERA in 16 games at Triple-A Iowa.
One more player the Cubs should have kept, in my opinion.
November 13: Traded Jose Ceda to the Marlins for Kevin Gregg.
Gregg was acquired by Jim Hendry to be the Cubs’ closer after it became certain that the team would allow Kerry Wood to depart in free agency. Gregg, to be fair, had a poor season. In 2009, Gregg had a 4.72 ERA and 23 saves, but he also had seven blown saves. Carlos Marmol took over as closer, something the Cubs may have done from the start. Following the season, Gregg departed as a free agent.
In 25 games for the Marlins in 2010 and 2011, Ceda had a 4.66 ERA.
Strangely, Gregg was re-signed by the Cubs as a free agent just before the 2013 campaign, and he had a stronger year with a 3.48 ERA and 33 saves in 38 opportunities. This was due to a changed management team. In those two seasons, he provided the Cubs with 0.6 bWAR oveDecember 31: Traded Mark DeRosa to the Indians for Chris Archer, John Gaub, and Jeff Stevens.
It’s a case of “What were you thinking?” DeRosa, who played virtually everywhere on the field and contributed 4.0 bWAR in addition to being a beloved fan favourite, had just finished two of his best seasons with the Cubs rall.
If the Cubs had simply kept Archer instead of moving him away after two years, this deal may have gone quite well. Kevin Gregg. was largely correct about DeRosa; he went on to play for four more seasons, missing a lot of time due to injuries, for Cleveland, St. Louis, San Francisco, Washington, and Toronto. Even though he didn’t participate in the postseason, I believe the Giants awarded him a ring in 2010.
All things considered, the Cubs’ deals did not go well this year. In the end, some of them didn’t turn out the way they could have. Rating: D
