Chicago Cubs: Six potential starting pitching trade targets

Chicago Cubs: Mike Minor

Do the Texas Rangers think they will contend in 2020? The answer to that question will go a long way towards determining whether they try to move Mike Minor. It’s hard to envision it happening, with the Houston Astros and Oakland Athletics in the same division, along with the Los Angeles Angels, who figure to be active this offseason. Yet they’ve also been rumored to be in on big names such as Josh Donaldson, so who knows.

In either case, the Rangers may decide to try to sell high on Minor. The soon-to-be 32-year-old southpaw had a rough outing to start the year against the Cubs but then was excellent for most of 2019 before three straight bad outings to close the year caused his ERA to go up to 3.59. The Rangers probably could have gotten more for Minor had they dealt him at the trade deadline.

Minor’s great year was a bit of a surprise, though it didn’t come out of nowhere, as he had a decent run with the Atlanta Braves before missing all of 2015 and 2016 due to injury. In 2018, he posted a 4.18 ERA. Minor is signed for an affordable $9.83 million for 2020.

Given that the Rangers are looking for a third baseman, it would make sense that Bryant could be part of a deal, though it would take more than Minor for the Cubs to make that deal. Or, if the Rangers want prospects, it likely wouldn’t take any of the Cubs’ top ones to get a deal done.