New Monday Morning Cubs show out today and the biggest thing on my mind is exactly what I’m saying in the title here.
You have to be categorically insane to think the Chicago Cubs would/could/want/will trade for Rafael Devers.
It’s so crazy that I almost lost my mind when this story first broke but wanted to save it for the podcast when I could fully unload and that’s exactly what we did today. We unloaded on this Devers story because it’s PREPOSTEROUS:
Here’s why
- He’s owed almost $100M more than any contract Tom Ricketts has approved
- He’s under contract for another 8 seasons
- The Red Sox want to trade him because he’s been a dog
- Alex Bregman, also a 3rd baseman, proved to be objectively better in the smallest amount of competition
- Devers looks like shit in the field
- Jed Hoyer’s favorite player of all time is Matt Shaw and he plays 3rd base
- Tom Ricketts would NEVER approve this deal
- The Red Sox don’t want Devers and therefore I can’t imagine a situation where the Cubs would want him because the Cubs aren’t the kind of club to take someone else’s trash like that
Personally and without considering the cost or long-term, I would enjoy watching Devers as a Cub because he’s one of my favorite players to watch live. If you’ve seen him swing a bat in person than you know what I’m talking about. It’s very simply different than anyone else on the field. I will stand by that until my dying breath.
However.
I don’t think he fits the Jed Hoyer/Craig Counsell player profile.
He’s terrible in the field.
He is not a thinker or versatile or someone who gives a fuck.
He has a gigantic ego that comes with his world class hall of fame generational talent.
The Cubs have avoided that level of ego at all costs whether you like it or not. There’s no arguing Jed Hoyer’s style of player.
So even if you want it and you think it would be a nice upgrade – the chances are so slim and remote that I can’t even consider him in the lineup. My brain would explode. There’s a stronger chance we get an alien invasion TOMORROW than Rafael Devers playing for the Cubs because it’s so patently outside the scope of what the Cubs have built.
That said. If a deal did get done, it better not involve Moises Ballesteros. So much that I won’t take this argument one step further. Just please listen to the show this week to get the full scope of my argument.
Which to recap is this:
- The Cubs are not trading for Devers and you have to be stupid to think otherwise
- Devers is awesome offensively but his contract is too big
- The price for prospects is too high
- He’s not a good fit for Jed and especially Tom Ricketts
- Although we all agree he’s very sweet and would instantly make the 2025 Cubs better, the overall headache and cost to acquire is for a different organization than Tom Ricketts’ Cubs because that’s the owner Tom has become whether anyone likes it or not
Now please go check out this week’s Monday Morning Cubs Show