Chicago Cubs: Would the Cubs have interest in Harrison?

After his teammates and good friends in Gerrit Cole and Andrew McCutchen were traded, Josh Harrison now wants out of Pittsburgh. Would the Chicago Cubs have any interest in him?

It was back in 2008 that the Chicago Cubs drafted Josh Harrison first-year player amateur draft.  In July of 2006, they traded him to the Pittsburgh Pirates for Tom Gorzelanny and John Grabow. With Andrew McCutchen and Gerrit Cole now gone, Harrison seems to want out as well. (Subscription needed)

Harrison hasn’t put up tremendous numbers, but he holds value as a reliable utility man with solid punch at the plate. Last season, he hit a career-high in home runs with 14. Only one other time has he broken double-digits with 13 in 2014. He’s a .281 career hitter and holds a .321 OBP. Hmm, who could the Cubs need to replace that has similar numbers but is just a little bit older?

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A trade of super utility men?

If you guessed Ben Zobrist, you’d be correct.He is owed $29 million over the next two years. If the Cubs were to pick up Harrison’s deal with the two club option years, they would be on the hook for just under $31 million. On top of that, Harrison is six years younger than Zobrist. But unfortunately, this wouldn’t be a 1-for-1 deal.

Now, if there is one thing that this offseason has taught me, it’s that you don’t get your worth for a player. That is unless you’re the Cubs. It seems like every potential deal had the likes of Javier Baez, Ian Happ or Addison Russell involved. While everyone else seems to get away with trade murder, the Cubs are not going to be one of them. You’ve got it; we want it.

Rivero a possibility?

There was interest in Felipe Rivero recently before he signed a four-year, $22 million deal. Now, does that deal exclude him from a trade? Not at all. Very similar to Cole’s coming to terms with his before getting traded. Rivero is a talented, fireballing pitcher who now has value built into his deal. He wouldn’t come cheap, for anybody that would want him. Especially the Cubs.

The Giants gave up a major-league ready pitcher in Kyle Crick and a switch-hitting outfielder in Bryan Reynold’s for the 5-time All-Star. That was for just one year, so what would the two-time All-Star in Harrison command? The way it’s gone with the Cubs? Happ, Baez, Mike Montgomery and cash. I’m kidding…I think.

Next: Pirates could still play spoiler in Central?

The chances of the Cubs “kicking the tires” on Harrison are slim. But I wouldn’t put it past Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer. But the Cubs need to look at building and improving their current team, not to take away from it. With that, I don’t think there’s a whole lot the Cubs can do to make this deal become a reality.

But with the slow offseason and the chance to have the Pirates walk a little closer to the edge of the plank? (I couldn’t help it) There’s a chance the Cubs might look into the former farmhand and at least see what the Pirates might want.