Chicago Cubs should go young in trade acquisitions this offseason

The Chicago Cubs could get younger while still being in position to contend in 2020. Here are three young players worth looking at via trade.

The Chicago Cubs have already been involved in a lot of trade rumors this offseason. Every day, it seems as if there’s a new destination possible for Kris Bryant, Kyle Schwarber, or Willson Contreras. We’ve mentioned a few potential (albeit long-shot) blockbusters here. Even Craig Kimbrel‘s name has come up. Meanwhile, several starting pitching names have been mentioned as potential acquisitions, as have position players.

It seems as if almost anything is on the table if it would put the Cubs in a position to be more competitive in 2020 and beyond. Yet regardless of what happens, it appears that the team does not want to spend much money this offseason and may even be looking to shed payroll. If the goal is to get younger and cheaper while setting the team up for better long-term success, there may be some options out there.

MLB.com recently posted an article in which they identified one player from every team who could be traded. Some teams had well-established players listed (Schwarber was mentioned from the Cubs), while other teams had young talent named. If it’s young talent that the Cubs want, perhaps they could get some ideas from this article.

Here, we look at three names mentioned in the article and whether there could be a potential fit in a trade involving the Cubs. Each of the players listed is still young, yet there’s a good chance that they could be an impact player at the major league level in 2020. Whether the team actually considers any of these players depends on what direction the team wants to go in next year, and many of us still seem unsure of what that is.

Chicago Cubs: Clint Frazier

As he plays in a big market for the New York Yankees, Clint Frazier‘s potential status with the team in 2020 has been dissected a lot since the offseason began. It makes sense that he would be a trade candidate, as the Yankees already have Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, Aaron Hicks, and Jacoby Ellsbury (yes, he’s still in the league) under contract for 2020, plus they are expected to bring back long-time veteran Brett Gardner.

The 25-year-old Frazier did prove that he could hit big league pitching in 2019, as he hit 12 home runs and 14 doubles in just 69 games while posting an OPS of .806. However, Frazier’s attitude has come into question, as he failed to make himself available to the media after a game last year while publicly criticizing the team after being sent to the minor leagues.

A trade would offer a fresh start for Frazier. He’s seen significant time in both right and left field, so whether he would fit with the Cubs would depend on whether the team does indeed move Schwarber and/or whether Jason Heyward could continue to play center instead of right, as he did when the Cubs acquired Nicholas Castellanos earlier this year. Frazier is considered a subpar defender.

The Yankees would almost certainly want pitching in return for Frazier, something of which the Cubs don’t have a lot to spare. However, NJ.com reports that Frazier’s trade value has gone down over the past year. Would the Yankees be willing to include Frazier as part of a package for, say, Jose Quintana? If the Yankees are willing to throw in a pitching prospect, perhaps that would interest the Cubs.

Chicago Cubs: Brandon Marsh

The soon-to-be 22-year-old Brandon Marsh currently ranks as the #2 prospect in the Los Angeles Angels’ farm system. Baseball America describes Marsh as “one of the best athletes in the Angels’ system, a player with plus defensive instincts, speed and route-running ability and a strong, accurate arm.”

At the plate, Marsh “rarely goes out of the strike zone,” while MLB Pipeline reports that he still has a lot to learn but that he should hit for both average and power while also drawing walks. Marsh posted a .300/.383/.428 AVG/OBP/SLG line in AA ball in 2019, while that line was .328/.387/.522 in the Arizona Fall League.

So, why would the Angels trade him, especially when their farm system is already weak? MLB.com reports that Marsh could be expendable because the team already has Mike Trout and Justin Upton, along with soon-to-arrive top prospect Jo Adell, for their outfield. It sounds like Marsh has a potential major league future at any of the three outfield spots and could arrive in 2020.

Like any club, the Cubs should take a look at Marsh should indeed the Angels make him available. There’s just one problem: The Angels want starting pitching, and lots of it. The Angels probably have their sights set on a bigger name than Quintana, but then again, Marsh is not considered to be in the same tier of prospects as Adell is. So, maybe a Marsh-for-Quintana trade could make sense if the Angels think Quintana can come close to returning to his American League form.

Here’s another take: Bleacher Report suggested a Schwarber to the Angels trade. True, the Angels are losing Kole Calhoun to free agency and will have a spot to fill in the outfield, but the article doesn’t factor in Adell or Marsh being ready for the majors soon. It would take more than Marsh for the Cubs to give up Schwarber, but the article makes a good point in suggesting that unloading Schwarber would save the Cubs an estimated $8 million in 2020. For that reason, though it seems unlikely, it’s at least worth bringing up.