Cubs & Athletics

Submitted by: kxw

Cubs

NameAgeLevelP1P2AvailabilityYearsAFVSalarySurplusLowMedianHigh
Round A Comp Balance PickMinors5.84.65.87

Total Value:

5.8

Athletics

NameAgeLevelP1P2AvailabilityYearsAFVSalarySurplusLowMedianHigh
Nick Madrigal26Majors2BLow411.76.15.64.55.66.7
Jared YoungMinors1B2B0.200.20.4

Total Value:

5.8

kxw

If the Oakland A's aren't looking to spend the entirety of the $14.2m they are allotted this year in the draft, they could find an interesting way to save some money while also adding some offense at the big league level. By using the 39th pick of the 2023 draft ($2.2m slot), they can save some money on the overall balance sheet while also improving their big league team. Madrigal has the speed to thrive at 2B in this post-shift league, and it seems that the bat is coming back (.316 BA, .350 OBP) while also becoming a bit of steals threat (2 SB already). The Cubs are also sending 1B Jared Young in this deal, a tweener bat who has shown good patience, contact, and power but is definitely blocked by incumbent 1B Matt Mervis. Last year, Young showed he could hit at the big league level, putting up a 113 wRC+ over 22 PAs. He's already off to a good start in 2023 at the AAA level and could be able to take another step forward in Oakland as soon as he seized more playing time. For the Cubs, they're trading from their logjam of infielders and adding back the value they lost in the draft by signing Dansby Swanson. They're also jumping forward from 19th in draft pool size to 11th, which would open up far more opportunities for a club that has stated they hope to build wave upon wave of talent through the draft process.

jq7925

Madrigal's arbitration salary aside, Young would just be blocked again. Tyler Soderstrom >>> Jared Young.

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grover

Down vote for Oakland. Madrigal is arb-eligible and his $1.225 MM salary would eat into their "savings" from trading the draft pick. He also has an 88 wRC+ so far in 2023, so I'm not seeing much in the way of offensive improvement in the Oakland line-up.

NEWSLETTER? SURE, SIGN ME UP!