The Prodigal Son Returns

'Twas two days before Christmas and all through Wrigley Field, not a creature was stirring.... except for Theo Epstein.

On December 23, 2011, just a few months after taking the gig as the Cubs GM, Theo Epstein swung the first trade of his regime's reign.  The "Boy Wonder" signaled the tear-down of a hapless and directionless franchise by swapping lights-out reliever, Sean Marshall, to the Cincinnati Reds for a reclamation project by the name of Travis Wood and a pair of minor-leaguers.  At the time, it was a much-maligned deal as Marshall was a strong fan-favorite, Wood had already bombed out of the Cincy rotation, and the prospect of a complete and total rebuild promised years of bad Cubs baseball to come.

Fast forward to today - Sean Marshall was out of baseball just two years later, Theo rebuilt a juggernaut of a franchise, and Travis Wood's relief arm and home run swing helped lead the "Lovable Losers" to their storybook 2016 World Series victory.  I'd say that it's worked out pretty well for Chicago.  Theo's first trade marks a seismic shift in Cubs history, with the spotlight shown brightly on the major pieces.  However, if you're like me, you might be wondering, "whatever happened to those minor leaguers that made the trip with Woody?

Dave Sappelt was an outfielder who popped up from Iowa a few times in the early stages of the rebuild as a spare part.  After two nondescript years as a fifth or sixth outfielder, his Major League career was done.  Nothing to see there.  On the other hand, the second player in question eventually rose through the ranks to become a regular presence up the middle and cherished by the fans.  Of course, I'm talking about Ronald Torreyes:

Unfortunately, the famously diminutive utilityman achieved that niche as a member of the Yankees.  After topping out at AA in the Cubs chain, Theo sold one of his first acquisitions to the Astros for international bonus pool money.  After a few more roster maneuvers, Ronald found a home in the Bronx as a defensively-inclined middle infielder with a slightly above average stick.  That said, as valuable as those skills are, that set is not what endeared him to Yankee rooters.

"Big Toe," as he came to be known, has a fantastic sense of humor and brought an infectious energy and enthusiasm to Yankee Stadium:

The moment you've been waiting for. Commercial #1:

Big Toe has big dreams. pic.twitter.com/GQ9bMy0Xtc

— New York Yankees (@Yankees) March 19, 2018

And I can't think of another way to put it, he's just so darn cute when compared to his lumbering, NBA-sized teammates:

Granted, most of us would look teeny-tiny when compared to giants like Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton; but, standing at 5'8", Torreyes is one of the game's shortest players.  After looking at this picture, don't you just want to pick up Ronald and put him in your pocket?

Theo Epstein must feel that way, as he just went out and picked Brian Cashman's pocket (where I assume Torreyes resides during the offseason).  That's right, as of yesterday afternoon, Mr. Epstein has once again traded for Ronald Torreyes and returned him to the Chicago Cubs organization.  The Yanks had just designated the fun-sized and fun-loving infielder for assignment and, in exchange for cash of a player to be named later, the Cubs saw fit to bring him back to the org to bolster their depth on the dirt.

Luckily for me, I just so happened to pull one of  "Big Toe's" few mainstream baseball cards (bench players rarely get love from the old bubblegum company) in a pack of 2017 Heritage and set it aside for my Coulda Been a Cub Collection.  It looks like I can now remove it from that binder and place it within my true, blue Cubs All-Time Roster Collection, a new addition to which is always an exciting event (for me, at least).

In all honesty, it's a very minor move and it's quite possible that Ronald doesn't survive the roster machinations throughout the winter and spring training to make it into my CATRC.  That being acknowledged, the Cubbies do need a back-up infielder who can play shortstop, especially if they do the right thing a jettison the wife-beating Addison Russell before the tender deadline this weekend.  Perhaps this move is a sign of more significant things to come? In the meantime, I'm just going to leave this here:

To be sure, Ronald Torreyes is more of a depth/utility acquisition for the Cubs, who desperately needed someone who can play shortstop in a pinch. But, just for funsies, career slash line:

Torreyes: .281/.310/.375, 82 wRC+
Addison Russell: .242/.313/.392, 88 wRC+

— Bleacher Nation (@BleacherNation) November 28, 2018

On a less serious tone, it would also feel right to see Ronald's name officially etched into the roster tome, seeing the significance of his first tour of duty in the Chicago system.  Plus, he seems like a genuinely fun dude and we hear in the Second City still hold a special place in our heart for such personalities, i.e. Munenori Kawasaki.  I truly hopes that he sticks around, both for baseball and non-baseball reasons.

via GIPHY

Maybe I'm just overly excited about this trade because of the dearth of movement across Major League Baseball so far this off-season.  Unless you're a fan of the Braves, this winter has been a very boring one in terms of player acquisitions.  Are Bryce Harper and Manny Machado negotiations holding everything back?  Is this a continuation of the trend, which began last year, brought on by the latest MLBPA negotiations?  Am I jonesing for the Cubs to make a big move and shore up their second base and/or catching situations?  At least one of these three questions is a definitive yes - I'll let you guess which one that is.

At any rate, welcome (back) to Chicago, Ronald Torreyes, and welcome (for now) into my Cubs All-Time Roster Collection.  Here's hoping your defensive skills, non-zero bat, small shoes, and large personality make it all the way to April on the Cubs' roster!