Chicago Cubs: What does the Mets-Mariners trade mean for the Cubs?

Chicago Cubs: Mets still have some work to do

If you’re a New York Mets fan, you’re not concerned about the Chicago Cubs. You’re concerned about the Washington Nationals and Atlanta Braves.

Washington could bring back Bryce Harper and build around him. More notably, Atlanta’s young core looks reminiscent of the core that dominated the NL East for more than a decade in the 1990s – and show no signs of slowing up anytime soon. If anything, they could emerge as one of baseball’s best young teams, right alongside clubs like Chicago.

But it’s hard to imagine New York is done. In fact, multiple reports have the Mets talking to the Cleveland Indians about Corey Kluber. Add Kluber to that rotation and you’re talking about Kluber alongside Jacob deGrom, Noah Syndergaard and Zack Wheeler. If they went out and acquired someone like J.T. Realmuto behind the dish, things really get interesting.

For now, the gap between the Cubs and Mets is still fairly large – but the Cano/Diaz acquisition certainly narrowed it – at least looking at 2019. Will Van Wagenen build on this move and turn the Mets into an overnight sensation? Don’t count him out – and don’t expect the Cubs to sit on their hands all winter, either.