Chicago Cubs: Examining three potential blockbuster trades

There will be plenty of trade rumors involving the Chicago Cubs this offseason. Here, we examine three potential blockbuster deals that could go down.

The Chicago Cubs come into this offseason at a crossroads. The team is coming off a disappointing 84-78 finish, missing the playoffs entirely after losing the National League Wild Card game a year ago. It sounds like we will see plenty of change this offseason; we’ve already seen at change at the top with David Ross coming on board as the new manager.

What will change on the field look like? The free agent list this going into this offseason isn’t particularly strong; Gerrit Cole and Anthony Rendon are the headliners, while Cubs fans everywhere are wondering what will happen with second-half phenom Nicholas Castellanos. Other than that, there isn’t a lot to get excited about, though I already addressed some potential free agent signings in a previous column.

Will the Cubs look to upgrade their roster via trade? We’ll have to see, though many folks believe that Kris Bryant, Willson Contreras, and Kyle Schwarber, among others, may be on the trade block. The front office has expressed disappointment with how this core has performed, so perhaps some major change is coming.

Let’s take a look at three potential blockbuster trades, including reasons why they make sense and why they would not be a good idea. I’m not endorsing these trades, and I understand that there’s a strong chance these trades won’t happen. Yet given all the rumors and speculation around the Cubs this offseason, they are worth addressing.

Chicago Cubs: Cubs send Willson Contreras, Jason Heyward, and Adbert Alzolay to the Boston Red Sox for Mookie Betts.

Why it makes sense: There’s not much we have to say about Mookie Betts, as he’s one of the elite players in the game. However, a lot of fans would be upset if the Chicago Cubs were to give up Willson Contreras, one of the game’s top hitting catchers. Yet the Cubs are going to have to make some decisions soon about who they want to lock up long-term; they won’t be able to sign everyone to extensions.

The Cubs do have a solid replacement for Contreras in Victor Caratini, or they could go out and get a veteran such as Yasmani Grandal. There’s also Miguel Amaya, who’s still a couple of years away, but long-term he could be a replacement at catcher. (Of course, there’s no guarantee that will materialize.)

For the Red Sox, Contreras would be attractive because he’s still under three years of control. Besides catcher, they could also play him at first base, the outfield, or at DH. Given that there’s a good chance the Red Sox will lose J.D. Martinez this offseason, they could probably use all the help they can get. In this trade, Boston also would get a serviceable replacement in right field for Betts.

Why it wouldn’t make sense: Would the Red Sox really makethis trade? It might be a stretch to think so. Persuading them to take on Jason Heyward‘s contract would be a tall task. Plus, the Red Sox likely would want young, major-league ready starting pitching in return for Betts, and the Cubs just don’t have much to offer in that department. Adbert Alzolay has a lot of potential, but he’s unproven at the major league level to this point.

From the Cubs’ standpoint, taking on Betts would be a risk, as he’s only signed through 2020. Not to mention, he’s arbitration-eligible and is going to make a lot of money. Besides that, as is always the case with a league change, there would be questions on how Betts would handle his new surroundings. Would he have as much success with National League pitching? Would he be able to handle playing right at Wrigley Field? Hopefully, he would.

Chicago Cubs: Cubs send Kyle Schwarber and Ian Happ to the Cleveland Indians for Francisco Lindor.

Why it makes sense: The Indians aren’t likely to be able to sign Francisco Lindor to a long-term deal, so there’s a chance they’ll be looking to move him this offseason. The Indians won 93 games last year and play in a lousy division, so they’re likely going to want to retool rather than rebuild. This trade with the Chicago Cubs would give them a solid outfield/DH option that they could control for two years, along with a major-league ready hitter that they could move around the diamond.

The Cubs already have a shortstop in Javier Baez, but Baez has played a lot of second base in his career, so he could slide back over and fill the Cubs’ big gap there. Lindor can’t become a free agent for another two years, so that would be an advantage over trading for Betts, over whom they would only have one year of control.

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Why it wouldn’t make sense: Neither team would come out much further ahead with this deal. The main pieces, Kyle Schwarber and Lindor, are both free agents at the same time, so neither side is gaining in that regard. The Indians would get more power, while the Cubs would become more athletic, but the net gain on either side would be minimal. Plus, the Cubs would solve one problem at second base but would have another hole to fill in left field.

Also, how would Baez handle being moved once again? He’d probably be okay with it, but you hate to have to keep doing that to a star player.

Plus, Baez is a dynamic shortstop, and you’d hate to lose that. And as with Betts, there’s the concern over how Lindor would handle a move to the National League. There’s just not much of a chance of this trade happening.