Apparently the Cubs just traded minor leaguer Jeimer Candelario to DET for reliver Justin Wilson and catcher Alex Avila. Let’s look at their careers so far.
| Year | WAA | Name_TeamID | Pos | Rank | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 0.2 | Justin_Wilson_PIT | PITCH | XXXXX | |
| 2013 | 3.0 | Justin_Wilson_PIT | PITCH | +089+ | |
| 2014 | -0.7 | Justin_Wilson_PIT | PITCH | XXXXX | |
| 2015 | 1.2 | Justin_Wilson_NYA | PITCH | XXXXX | |
| 2016 | 0.1 | Justin_Wilson_DET | PITCH | XXXXX | |
| 2017 | 1.7 | Justin_Wilson_DET | PITCH | +155+ | |
| Total | 5.5 |
Justin had a career year in 2013 so that’s his upside potential. At +5.5 he’s a solid acquisition and he is pitching well this season ranked #155. He’s still young and will be pitching for a future contract.
| Year | WAA | Name_TeamID | Pos | Rank | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | 0.7 | Alex_Avila_DET | CR | XXXXX | |
| 2010 | -1.5 | Alex_Avila_DET | CR | -197- | |
| 2011 | 2.6 | Alex_Avila_DET | CR | +110+ | |
| 2012 | -0.7 | Alex_Avila_DET | CR | XXXXX | |
| 2013 | 0.8 | Alex_Avila_DET | CR | XXXXX | |
| 2014 | -0.4 | Alex_Avila_DET | CR | XXXXX | |
| 2015 | -1.4 | Alex_Avila_DET | CR-1B | -188- | |
| 2016 | -1.9 | Alex_Avila_CHA | CR | -137- | |
| 2017 | -0.2 | Alex_Avila_DET | CR-1B | XXXXX | |
| Total | -2.0 |
The Cubs needed help in catching and Avila can also play 1B which is a plus because that means Maddon can rest Rizzo every now and then. He’s a slightly below average hitter but that doesn’t matter if he can catch and we don’t have a model to evaluate that. He’s a veteran and has been in the league for 8+ years. The Cubs need some experience behind the plate and that takes pressure off Contreras who is having a very good year hitting.
The guy the Cubs gave up played for Iowa. Here are his stats so far this season.
| Rank | WAA | Name_TeamID | Pos | WinPct | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| XXXXX | 0.86 | Jeimer_Candelario_CHN | BAT | 0.563 |
He’s above average with a decent WinPct for Iowa. We don’t have data on his previous seasons in AA or A+. He had 36 plate appearances for the MLB Cubs but that isn’t enough to make any kind of evaluation. Trade seems good and even though the Cubs have a top tier relief staff, you can never have enough pitchers.