NL teams relieved by Sale deal
NATIONAL HARBOR, Md.— An almost audible, collective exhale was heard in corners of the winter meetings hotel Tuesday where certain officials of National League teams were situated. Among other things,
Chris Sale’s trade from the White Sox to the Red Sox meant that Boston’s most aggressive competitors for Sale— the Nationals— didn’t land the left- hander. “I love it,” Cubs manager
Joe Maddon said. “I’m glad he’s staying in the American League, absolutely. Although we have to play the Red Sox [ in interleague play]. But that’s just one time.”
The Nationals finished a one- run loss short of reaching the NL Championship Series this past season with a rotation that already includes two- time Cy Young winner Max Scherzer and Stephen Strasburg.
“We dodged a bullet,” said Mets manager Terry Collins, whose team finished second to the Nationals in the NL East in 2016 after playing in the World Series in 2015. “I really thought for sure he was going to end up in Washington. I really did.”
Many already are suggesting the trade sets up the Red Sox as the American League favorites opposite the NL- favorite Cubs, ahead of a potential World Series matchup of Theo Epstein’s former and current teams.
Schwarber on top?
Barring a surprise acquisition, Kyle Schwarber could be in the mix to share the Cubs’ leadoff spot vacated by departing free agent Dexter Fowler, Maddon said.
Maddon said his options include the switch- hitting
Ben Zobrist (. 330 on- base percentage in 155 career games leading off), the lefty hitting Schwarber ( who otherwise is the likely No. 2 hitter) and newly signed lefty platoon outfielder Jon
Jay (. 344 OBP in 179 games in the leadoff spot).
“A couple years ago when Kyle came up and Dexter was still there, I considered leading Kyle off and putting Dexter second,” Maddon said. “But I had all our nerds do the [ analytics] work, and they really liked Fowler one and Schwarber two based on the data. So I went with that, and it worked out well.”
Schwarber batted leadoff twice during that season, going 3- for- 8 with a double.
“Now all of a sudden, Dexter is not there anymore,” Maddon said. “It’s not impossible to consider Kyle in that spot or Zobrist in that spot. I don’t know if we can do anything in this offseason that might cause me to think differently, but there are not a lot of other candidates. You could consider Jon Jay. I don’t see
Albert [ Almora Jr.]. I don’t see [ Javy] Baez.”
This and that
Chairman Tom Ricketts and the baseball- operations department were honored as Baseball America’s Organization of the Year during the publication’s annual banquet Tuesday night.
For the second year in a row, no team voted more full playoff shares to players and other team personnel than the Cubs, who awarded 66 full World Series shares worth $ 368,871.59 each ( in addition to partial shares and specific cash awards). Only the Blue Jays, who were eliminated in the AL Championship Series awarded as many full shares.