The Chicago Cubs are trying to remain confident in Starlin Castro. The team opted not to trade the struggling infielder at the deadline and instead of placing him on waivers, they moved him to second base to try and get more out of the young star. The Cubs have young players waiting in the wings if Castro drops further off the map, but for the time being it appears Chicago will stick with the infielder for the remainder of the season.
There is continued speculation that the Cubs are willing to deal away Castro as he struggles on the year. However, both manager Joe Maddon and team president Theo Epstein stand by the infielder noting that the switch to second base has them excited for his future and potential to improve. Teammante Anthony Rizzo is aware of the drama surrounding Castro, but praised him for his poise on the field.
"He looks natural over there," Rizzo said, via the Chicago Tribune. "And he's not selfish. He's obviously down on himself, but he's not going to show that to anyone in this clubhouse. You won't be able to tell, but as a competitor and as a friend, I know everyone in this clubhouse holds themselves to high expectations. He's been our shortstop, the face of his franchise, he's done it all and still got a lot of good days ahead of him."
Castro's agent told the media that his client has no desire to leave Chicago, but is also unhappy if he is not playing. Prior to the switch to second base, Castro was benched. His contract is likely playing a big role in why trade deals will not be coming around. Castro is owed $39 million through 2019. According to the Tribune, even if the Cubs wanted to deal him, they could not.
"Sometimes a change of scenery is good for everybody," Kinzer said, via the Tribune. "I think it would crush him to leave Chicago. He loves it here. Let's face it. If he's not playing, he's not being traded. There are a lot of people in baseball who know he can play shortstop at a high level."
The Cubs have been linked to deals for players like Chase Utley, but the Cubs could end up calling up Javier Baez instead. The young prospect was deemed unavailable during the deadline and this is the exact reason why. Chicago will likely just stay put at the waiver deadline as the team continues to push for the postseason. An injury could say otherwise, but the Cubs are thriving at the right time.
