By the end, the Cubs had the feel of a group of sixth-year college seniors. Their days of glory and their best parties were behind them, and it was time for everyone to graduate.
They will be back together for reunions in years to come, for the familiar highlight reel, of Ben Zobrist's tie-breaking double and celebration in the 10th inning of Game 7 of the 2016 World Series, Kris Bryant seemingly grinning as he whizzed that final throw to Anthony Rizzo, and the first baseman shoving the historic ball into his pocket before happily launching himself into teammates. The safe bet is that a lot of the ceremonial first pitches to come will involve Bryant and Rizzo, maybe from third base to first.
But it was time for the group to move on to their next pursuits, particularly because each of them experienced the frustration of failed contract negotiations and trade rumors.
There probably is no better baseball life than that of the 2016 Chicago Cubs. No matter what followed, they will always be heroes to fans who experienced the moments in a championship that their mothers and fathers and grandparents and great-grandparents never got. Once that season was over and once the flag was raised and the bejeweled rings were dispersed, however, that legacy and annual expectations seemed to weigh on the players, who often seemed weary.
A player who dropped in on the Cubs after a midseason trade in recent years found himself surprised by what he perceived to be a relatively low energy -- and the results speak for themselves. In the nearly five years since the 2016 postseason, the Cubs won one playoff series, the lineup of young stars ranked a mere 10th in the league in runs scored and had the eighth-worst strikeout percentage.
With the benefit of time -- or maybe that perspective isn't even needed -- they'll probably all be glad for the changes of scenery. Rizzo has joined the Yankees and is immediately thriving, a left-handed hitter among a long trail of right-handed hitters, someone who will probably love Yankee Stadium after seeing the Lake Michigan winds knock down would-be home runs year after year. Bryant joins a first-place team in San Francisco that already has others who carry the burden of legacy stardom, Buster Posey and Brandon Crawford. Bryant is a supporting actor capable of owning center stage.
Javier Baez will love playing alongside his longtime friend, Francisco Lindor, and the Mets will love his confidence and fearlessness. The other day, before Baez beat Amir Garrett with a game-winning hit, he screamed at the Reds reliever, "We'll see who The Man is!" Major League Baseball frowned at Baez's actions and hit him with a fine, but the Mets players will love that bravado. Hell, if it happens again, the all-in Pete Alonso might offer to use some of his Home Run Derby money to pay Baez's fine.
The trades also allow each of these players to put past contract talks further behind them, the prism through which the relationship between every player and team evolves. In 2013, when Rizzo was eligible for arbitration, he signed a long-term deal that would eventually pay him $68 million over nine years, and he outperformed the contract, especially as he became a face of the franchise -- the inherent risk for any young star who signs a deal like that. Last spring, Rizzo's camp swung for a long-term contract perhaps designed to make up for some of that lost financial ground. The Cubs countered at $70 million for Rizzo, who turns 32 on Sunday. The gap between what Rizzo's representation wanted and what the Cubs were willing to pay was enormous.
The intermittent explorations into a long-term deal for Bryant never really got off the ground, with Bryant represented by agent Scott Boras, who historically aims for -- and sometimes lands in -- record-setting contractual territory. Before the COVID-19 shutdown in the spring of 2020, the Cubs offered Baez something in the range of $180 million, but the talks were shut down before completion.
All of that served as undercurrent through 2020 and 2021, dynamics that can strain relationships. Near the end of Derek Jeter's time with the Yankees, the two sides waged a difficult negotiation, and while they settled on numbers and Jeter finished his time with the organization, the relationship between Jeter and the Yankees was never really the same. When Jeter announced his plans to retire on Facebook, the team was given no advance warning. There was no collaboration or coordination.
What ties Jeter and the Yankees forever, however, is their shared history, and the same will be true with Rizzo, Bryant and Baez. You hope that one day, ill will of any kind can be set aside, and like once-close college friends, they ignore past differences when they get together and just revel in the good times they had together. The great times. The best of times, for the Cubs and their fans.
Other trade deadline thoughts and details, drifting out in the aftermath of the wildest few days of deal-making we've ever seen.
• A few teams interested in Kyle Schwarber were concerned about his current hamstring injury, which he is rehabilitating. The sense among some executives is that Schwarber will be available later than sooner -- in late August. One evaluator who dug into Schwarber's background disagrees with that timeline, believing he'll be back closer to the middle of August than at the end. Schwarber told reporters Saturday he expects to start a minor league injury rehabilitation assignment "soon."
A significant unknown in Schwarber's case is how his injury will impact his preparation for possible innings at first base, a position he has never played professionally. As an outfielder, his pitch-to-pitch regimen involves him in a standing position -- but if he plays first base, he'll need to condition his body to tilt forward 100 to 150 pitches per game.
"I don't know if that's going to be a big deal," said an NL evaluator. "Teams fill first base in a lot of untraditional ways." And he referenced the Brewers using Eduardo Escobar, the Dodgers moving a lot of different players in and out of that spot, the Padres with Jake Cronenworth, the Rays with Yandy Diaz and others.
• The Padres have gone all-in in recent years, paying top dollar for Eric Hosmer, Wil Myers, Manny Machado and Fernando Tatis Jr., trading for Yu Darvish, Blake Snell, Joe Musgrove and Adam Frazier -- and what other teams see now is a farm system with its depth mostly cleaned out, with the exception of infielder CJ Abrams and outfielder Robert Hassell. Star prospect MacKenzie Gore has had a year of significant regression. "Their window is right now," said one evaluator, "because there isn't a lot behind this group anymore [in the farm system]. This is the time." Musgrove could be a free agent after next season, and Darvish and Snell will be free agents after the 2023 season. Additionally, the Padres are now locked into a cycle in which, because of their big league success, they will be picking at the back of the first round of the draft, rather than the front.
The Padres made Gore, catcher Luis Campusano and others available in their talks with the Rangers about Joey Gallo. "Everybody but Abrams," according to one source.
• In the eyes of several executives, the greatest head-scratcher at the deadline was the Rockies' refusal to talk about Jon Gray in any trade -- despite the fact that the starting pitching market was relatively thin and a feeding frenzy developed for starters after news of the Dodgers' acquisition for Max Scherzer broke. On the last day, the Blue Jays, Phillies and Mets all made deals for starting pitchers, and the Padres sought help.
One rival official believes that with Nolan Arenado gone, Trevor Story headed into free agency and few long-term investments on the current roster, the Rockies could work out a multiyear deal with Gray before he reaches free agency in the fall.
• Angels closer Raisel Iglesias, eligible for free agency this fall, was coveted by other teams, but that franchise continues to be in win-now mode -- and the team hung on to Iglesias, as well as Alex Cobb, who could've generated return before he experienced a blister problem.
• The Twins surprised other teams along two lines:
1. Minnesota traded Jose Berrios because the organization needs starting pitching, and now the Twins immediately have to find frontline starters if they intend to contend in 2022.
2. Once Berrios was dealt, other teams expected the Twins to deal center fielder Byron Buxton, who is a free agent after 2022.
• There is an assumption among other teams that Cleveland's Jose Ramirez will be one of the most coveted players in this winter's trade market. The versatile Ramirez, 28, is set to make $12 million in 2022 and $14 million in 2023.