The Rundown: Cubs Trade for Eddie Butler, Jason Hammel Fine, C-Mart Extension

Photo of Evan Altman Evan AltmanFebruary 2, 2017

Hey, the Cubs finally gave us some actual baseball things to write about. And you know the best part? They chose to make their public announcement of the Eddie Butler trade as I was walking down a jetway to board a plane. Talk about perfect timing. Oh well, c’est la vie. Here’s a quick look at that and other news and notes from the day that was.

  • Butler’s numbers in parts of three seasons with the Rockies have looked pretty sick, and not in a good way. I think I actually meant to type “sickly.” More on that in my breakdown yesterday, but dude is dead last in K/BB over the course of his MLB career (out of 302 pitchers from 2014-16, min. 150 IP). Considering that one of the greatest indicators of pitcher success is the ability to miss bats without missing the strike zone, Butler’s numbers don’t bode well. The Cubs are hoping a change of scenery and a rediscovery of the changeup can help the cost-controlled starter revive his once-promising career.
  • Despite the meal heard round the world ( at least the small corner of it I inhabit), Jason Hammel remains a free agent. I had examined some of the reasons for that a little while back, including the elbow tightness that had limited Hammel down the stretch. While Peter Gammons reports that the pitcher is perfectly healthy, it does sound as though questions about the right arm have suppressed his market.

  • The Cardinals have reportedly agreed to a five-year, $51 million extension with Carlos Martinez, avoiding arbitration with the first-year-eligible righty. No word on the specifics of the deal (option years, no-trade clause, etc) outside of the AAV, but this is certainly an increase over the $4.25 million he had filed for.
  • Sloan Park’s team store opens this Monday, February 6, which means a lot of the new Spring Training gear (like the hat below) will be available. If you can’t make it down to Mesa, check out Fanatics for the latest and greatest. I’m not sure whether and how quickly they’ll have the newest merch, but we get a (very small) portion of any sales from that link, if you’re so inclined.

Photo of Evan Altman Evan AltmanFebruary 2, 2017
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