You wanted feisty.
You got it.
Because somehow Todd Zeile spent roughly nineteen minutes as a member of the Chicago Cubs before being shipped off to the Colorado Rockies for a 1997 third-round pick and a 1998 fourth-round pick.
Nineteen.
Minutes.
At this point I’m not even sure Todd Zeile had time to learn where the clubhouse was.
Let’s start with Colorado.
Because this side is easy.
The Rockies needed a catcher.
Todd Zeile is a catcher.
The Rockies traded a third and a fourth-round pick.
Done.
Good trade.
Shake some hands.
Everybody go home.
Colorado gets a startable major league catcher without touching the core of the organization and without sacrificing a premium asset.
There’s really nothing else to say.
This is the kind of trade contenders make all the time.
Simple.
Efficient.
Logical.
Which unfortunately brings us to Chicago.
And boy do I have questions.
Let’s follow the breadcrumbs.
The Cubs traded Chris Hoiles to Charlotte.
In return they received Todd Zeile and a 1998 third-round pick while agreeing to eat a massive chunk of salary.
Then, before Zeile could even unpack his bags, they traded him to Colorado for a 1997 third-round pick and a 1998 fourth-round pick.
So let’s tally everything up.
Chicago has effectively turned Chris Hoiles into:
- A 1997 third-round pick
- A 1998 third-round pick
- A 1998 fourth-round pick
Not bad.
Now let’s tally the bill.
Chicago will eat:
- $600,000 in 1998
- $500,000 in 1999
That’s $1.1 million.
For three draft picks.
And that’s only part of the story.
Because after all of Chicago’s offseason maneuvering, the Cubs are now carrying approximately $1,355,000 in dead money for 1998 and another $900,000 for 1999.
Dead.
Money.
At some point we need to stop calling this financial flexibility and start calling it what it is.
A very expensive hobby.
Now, maybe Chicago has a grand plan.
Maybe ownership looked at the draft board and saw future stars hiding in the third and fourth rounds.
Maybe they know something the rest of us don’t.
Maybe there’s another shoe waiting to drop.
I hope so.
Because from where I’m sitting, this feels like an awful lot of money being lit on fire for a handful of lottery tickets.
And here’s the thing.
I don’t even hate acquiring draft picks.
We’ve spent the entire offseason talking about the importance of cost-controlled talent.
The economics of the league practically demand it.
But eventually the draft picks need to justify the cost.
You can’t just keep paying teams to take players away and declare victory because another pick appeared in your inventory.
At some point the value equation matters.
And right now?
I’m struggling to find it.
The Rockies improved their major league roster.
The Cubs improved their collection of draft picks.
One of those things helps you win baseball games.
The other helps you explain to fans why you’re not winning baseball games.
Maybe in three years we’re all praising Chicago for the brilliance of this strategy.
Maybe one of those picks becomes an All-Star.
Maybe this article ages horribly.
But today?
Today I have absolutely no idea what the plan is.
Trade Grades
Colorado Rockies: A
The Rockies acquired a perfectly serviceable starting catcher for a third and fourth-round pick. Clean, logical, and immediately helpful.
Chicago Cubs: D-
Three draft picks are nice.
Eating $1.1 million to get them is less nice.
At some point there has to be a coherent vision behind all this dead money.
I’d love to hear it.