Cubs Stock Market Report: Rivalry week

Blue Chip Stocks:

Addison Russell: I think Addy has put to rest any trade speculation to rest in recent weeks, as he’s hit .321/.376/.436 (122 wRC+) in the past 30 days. This past week, Russell went 6-for-19 with two doubles, a home run, and five runs scored. He ranks fourth among National League shortstops in fWAR, oh, and did I mention he has three more years of control?

Mike Montgomery: Montgomery has been nothing short of brilliant since taking over for an injured Yu Darvish. MiMo pitched six innings of two hit, one run baseball agains the Brewers on Wednesday. Nine times out of ten that’ll get you a win, but the Cubs offense decided not to show up. Since becoming a starter, Montgomery has pitched to a 1.14 ERA, pitching six innings in all but one start, where he went 5⅔.

Solid Investments:

Randy Rosario: How good has Randy Rosario been for the Cubs? He pitched three scoreless innings this week, including two crucial perfect innings in the extra-inning win at Wrigley North. On the year, Rosario is 3-0 with a 0.66 ERA. His peripherals suggest that he’s due for regression, but it hasn’t happened yet. Rosario is quickly supplanting Brian Duensing as the go to lefty out of the bullpen.

Javier Baez: I think I can speak collectively for all Cubs fans when I say my heart skipped a beat when Javy was hit by a pitch last night. It looks like the Cubs dodged a major bullet, and that in itself deserves a spot on the Stock Market Report. However, Javy had a pretty good week at the plate, too. El Mago went 5-for-15 with a double, four runs, three stolen bases, and three unintentional walks. (!!!) He’ll probably get a few days to heal that bruised elbow of his, but it doesn’t look like he’s going to miss an extended period of time.

Albert Almora Jr.: Almora continues to rake, going 8-for-20 at the plate this week with four runs batted in, to go along with his usual gold glove defense in center. His season line sits at .325/.372/.440, worth 121 wRC+. #WriteInAlmora

Penny Stocks:

Kyle Schwarber: Aside from picking up his National League leading seventh outfield assist, Kyle had a forgettable week. Kyle went just 3-for-20 at the plate, including six strikeouts. He did launch a mammoth home run in the drubbing against the Cardinals on Friday night, but there wasn’t much else to write home about this week.

Willson Contreras: It was another slow week at the plate for Willy, going 4-for-18, with all four hits being of the single base variety. He’s been worth 120 wRC+ at the plate this year, but his slugging percentage is down to .434, well short of the .488 and .499 percentages he put up in the previous two seasons. He’s going to start hitting for power at some point... right?

Kris Bryant: It’s been a rough couple weeks for KB; he’s hit .224/.304/.306 (64 wRC+) in that span. This past week was no different, going 3-for-20 with seven strikeouts. The home run was encouraging, it was his first since May 14. He’s showing signs of turning it around, I wouldn’t be surprised to find him in the blue chip stocks next week.

Buy/Sell:

Buy: Addison Russell is the shortstop of the future. Despite all the trade rumors swirling around Chicago regarding a Manny Machado trade, I would bet a large sum of money that Addison Russell isn’t going anywhere. Sure, Machado is probably the best shortstop in baseball, but is he worth giving up a shortstop who’s on pace for 4.5 fWAR this year? I don’t think so. Russell has never posted a season above 94 wRC+; he currently sports a 103 wRC+ as of this writing. Addison Russell is a very, very good player. He’s still growing as a player, he’s only 24. With three more cost controlled years, you’d have to give me a lot more than half a season of Machado to let Russell go.

Sell: Trading for Manny Machado would be dumb. While I don’t think the Cubs will trade Russell for Machado, could they entice the Orioles with one of their outfielders? The Cubs already have a logjam of outfielders, so unloading one wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world. Hypothetically speaking, if the Cubs were to trade Kyle Schwarber, Machado could slide in at third and Kris Bryant would become one of the best left fielders in all of baseball, both with the bat and in the field. I’m not saying that’s a trade I’m advocating for, but it’s something to think about.

Buy: Mike Montgomery has earned himself a spot in the starting rotation. Whenever Yu Darvish comes back, the Cubs will have some tough decisions to make. Do they move to a six man rotation? Do they replace Tyler Chatwood with Montgomery? Anyone’s guess is as good as mine. But what I do know, is MiMo has earned himself a spot in this rotation. He’s clearly proven the ability to handle it.

Sell: It’s time to move on from Tyler Chatwood. Chatwood still has a 1:1 K/BB ratio, and the BB/9 is atrocious, but let’s not sell him down the river just yet. He only surrendered two walks in his last appearances, so maybe all of this commotion about his windup tweaks are actually beginning to pay off. Chatwood is a talented pitcher, and if he can ever harness his command, he’ll be an asset for this team.