Current 3B situation

We don't really know if Chavez or Youkilis would be willing to sign with the Cubs. 

You will never know if you don't ask or try.

I can't see Youkilis wanting any part of a rebuilding project, especially if he can sign with a contender at a decent salary (which he did).

An everyday starting job would likely have been more attractive than a backup job on a team with a lot of question marks.

When he signed he didn't know he would be the everyday 3B for half a season.

A one year deal starting everyday could have looked more attractive and maybe scored him a multi year deal next offseason.

But again you never know when you never try.

 

Chavez would have been a nice pickup, but he's not a starting 3B any more.

And neither is Stewart.  Actually Stewart has NEVER been a quality starting 3B.

He had a nice year in 2012, but you have to go back a few years (to 2007) to find another decent year.

You have to go back to....  actually you can't even find a decent year from Stewart.

The fangraph projections for Chavez, Stewart, and Valbuena aren't really that far apart, and it's kind of telling, with the lack of good 3B in the league, that he signed for only $3 million.

God forbid the Cubs offer him $4 million then.

And who cares about fangraph's projections.

They are also projecting Barry Bonds to hit .281 with 20 HR's in 98 games.

 

and he too might not have wanted any part of a rebuilding project.

You keep using this excuse on why the team shouldn't go out and get players.

Doesn't that tell you something then?  That when the excuse is that all the quality players don't want a part of a rebuilding project that might not be the best path to success??

Zack Greinke flat out said he would have signed with whatever team offered him the most money.

But spending money is a four letter word to our 'experts' around here and a 101 loss season and the #2 pick in the draft a reason to celebrate.

I was originally torn on this one, because I was one of the most vocal critics of the trade that brought Stewart here (still am).  However the signing and the trade are 2 completely separate moves.  The trade was bad as you gave up 2 players both of which were better in 2010 than the guy you got, and the guy you traded for had a broken wrist.  However, that really doesn’t have any impact on the signing.  The reality is that there were NO good options in FA this year.  Not one.  Your choices were guys who couldn’t play the position any more (Chavez), declining vets (Youk), or a series of utility IF or one dimensional players.  Or as in the case of Stewart an injury rehab.  Reality is that Stewart played the last 2 years with a broken wrist, and an orthopedist in Colorado telling him it wasn’t broken(I know through my occupational literature that Stewart is apparently preparing a big time lawsuit against that doc, and my guess is that the ortho  will be paying that claim).  Now assuming he’s healthy  it’s reasonable to figure he would match his stats before the injury, and if he does that will be a 250/340/450 ish line with 20-25 hr and 70-80 rbi, while that’s no Aram, it would be as good or better than the other options, and an absolute steal relative the value of his contract.  Let’s not forget he was a highly rated prospect at one point, and might (repeat Might) even be able to exceed that production, and if he does he gives you a pretty decent fill in, and possibly a valuable trade piece.

 

As far as the future.  I would love to see Vitters make it there, but I just don’t think he’ll be able to handle it defensively.  Lake is an option, in instructs when he first came over, he played third (with Castro at short), and apparently looked very good, so I think he could make a pretty smooth transition.  Let’s face it, they are playing him at short because he has more value at short, but he’s likely to be playing somewhere else at the ML level and 3^rd would be a good fit.  Right would also be a good location as he has possibly the best throwing arm in all of baseball.   Watkins can’t play 3^rd .  Villanueva is also an option but from what I hear he’s not quite ready yet.  Maybe if he does well in AA he might make a second half debut, but I’d be surprised if he got there this year, I think they would hand it toLake for ½ a season before they would rush Villanueva (IMHO).

 

However, from what I’ve seen, the eventual third baseman is going to be Jeimer Cadelario.  He’s a truly rare commodity in the scouting world.  A Dominican kid with power and patience.  He’s the first DSL kid I’ve ever seen with more walks than strike outs(remember the saying from the scouts that kids don’t “walk” off the island).  I have read multiple scouts comparing him to Aram(both positively and negatively)  the Cubs have some good option in the system, but IMHO this it the one who will win the position long term. In fact I think you’re going to see an IF of Candelario at 3^rd , Castro at SS, and Baez at 2b and eventually Vogelbach/Rizzo at 1b.  Obviously that won’t be this year, but I think it’s coming.