Chicago Cubs: Catching prospect thrown into the mix
The final prospect the Phillies would be sending over is a 20-year-old catching prospect, Rafael Marchan. The argument for including Marchan rests solely based on Willson Contreras not returning for the long-term.
Understandably, again, it makes sense on paper. The Cubs do have three catching prospects in their top 30, currently. On top of the three current is Jhonny Pereda, who should crack the list next season.
Marchan signed with the Phillies in 2016 and found success at rookie ball his first season. Marchan carried an impressive .333/.380/.386 with 34 RBI and six stolen bases. From 2017 on, Marchan has been inconsistent. He struggled to a 72 wRC+ in his second season. However, the 20-year-old posted a 110 and 105 wRC+ in Low-A and Class-A, respectively.
This season Marchan struggled at Class-A Advanced to a .231/.291/.282 line posting a 73 wRC+. While his age is enticing, Marchan is not better than who the Cubs currently have in their system.