Chicago Cubs: J.D. Martinez may have just forced a Mookie Betts trade

Chicago Cubs, Boston Red Sox each playing a balancing act

Last season, Chicago and Boston ranked third and first, respectively, in terms of payroll. Of course, neither team made the postseason and it’s prompted change within both organizations.

The Cubs moved on from future Hall of Fame manager Joe Maddon and have embarked on a drastic overhaul of their baseball operations team and many of the processes and systems in place. Meanwhile, the Red Sox fired Dave Dombrowski and lured Chaim Bloom from Tampa Bay to head up their baseball ops team.

Both organizations seem intent on focusing their efforts in building a winner – not buying one. But Boston’s reckoning may come a bit sooner than Chicago. Betts will hit free agency at the conclusion of the 2020 season – and his trade value likely won’t be higher than it is right now, with aa full year of control to offer.

While he didn’t replicate his MVP performance of 2018, the Gold Glove outfielder put together another impressive campaign. Betts appeared in 150 games, putting up a .391 on-base percentage and leading the league with 135 runs.

Any team would undoubtedly love to add a player of this caliber to the mix – but it will come at a steep cost. Not only are you adding an estimated $27.7 million in payroll, but you have to come up with a package that is enticing enough for Boston to come off their star outfielder.

Chicago Cubs: Betts would be a perfect fit, but seems improbable

Let’s be honest. Mookie Betts would fix several glaring needs for the Cubs heading into 2020. Center field was a lackluster position when it came to production last year and the future looks murky, at best.

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Similarly, the team has been searching for a true leadoff hitter for three years now, regularly moving guys in and out of the spot while hoping for some type of consistent production. They’re yet to get any – and someone like Betts would transform the lineup in a way few other players could.

While that’s all fine and dandy, this isn’t going to happen. If the Cubs trade someone like Kris Bryant, I’d expect them to focus on high-end, controllable talent that could help keep the window open past 2021, when several of the team’s key players are slated to hit free agency.

Combine the fact that Betts has just one year of control left with Boston looking to put together a more sustainable payroll and a contract swap doesn’t make sense either. You’re not going to somehow unload a Jason Heyward in a deal like this – so don’t think that’s in the cards. It’s not going to happen.

Chicago Cubs: Martinez knew his list of suitors could be weak

It makes a lot of sense that J.D. Martinez opted into the final three years of his deal. Don’t get me wrong – the guy is an offensive powerhouse. But that’s part of the problem. He is largely viewed as a one-dimensional player given he hasn’t played in the outfield regularly for year.

New York has plenty of internal options to fill the DH void – as do the likes of Houston, Los Angeles and Minnesota. Several other teams aren’t going to be in the market for a designated hitter looking for $20 million-plus annually, thus limiting his list of suitors.

Martinez made the most sense for someone like the crosstown Chicago White Sox, who feature a bevy of young up-and-coming talent and need a central figure to build around offensively. The slugger never made much sense for the Cubs – but his return to Boston could still have far-reaching implications across the league.

We already knew Boston could be a prominent player this offseason. But with Martinez returning and only exacerbating the team’s ballooning payroll concerns, this may prove to be even more of a storyline than any of us anticipated.