Chicago Cubs: Five potential trades to make with AL Central clubs

Chicago Cubs: You know you want these two up the middle

The Cubs need a second baseman. The Indians have an elite shortstop and are shedding payroll. Granted the Cubs haven’t done anything to make anyone with half a brain think that they’re going to add payroll, but if you’re going to do it, why not for Francisco Lindor?

Put Javier Baez at second, Francisco Lindor at shortstop and let the lineup rock out with Lindor at the top. While Lindor might not be quite in the same stratosphere as Mookie Betts, he checks off the same boxes for the Cubs: fills a position of need, can be inserted as leadoff hitter, means the team is going for it. Not only does Lindor check many of the same boxes as a blockbuster Betts deal would, he comes with two years of team control vs. just one for Betts.

Any deal for Betts would be sure to include the guy who might otherwise be playing second base in 2020 for the Cub s- Nico Hoerner. After him, you’re going to be giving up Ian Happ, who might just blossom into a sensational player in the AL where teams can use him at any number of different places and DH him to get him at-bats every day. After that, the Cubs would be forking over one more prospect – probably Miguel Amaya or Brailyn Marquez.

Seems a bit steep, of course, but this isn’t Jose Quintana we’re trading for here. Lindor is an MVP-type player when healthy and the double play combination of him and Baez up the middle is too good to pass up. While the price is high, the reward could be just as high when inserting Lindor into that top spot and teaming him with El Mago on the infield.

Chicago Cubs: Could Byron Buxton find a home in the Windy City?

This one might be both a stretch and a risk, seeing as the guy is coming off shoulder surgery, but that’s why it just might work. The Cubs need a center fielder and they’d love to add a guy who can run. Byron Buxton checks both those boxes and the Twins might be inclined to trade the former first-round pick if the price is right due to his injury history.

As I said, this might be a risk for the Cubs, but the reward could very well be worth it if it pans out. Three years of control, an elite defender in center, and a guy who doesn’t cost an arm and a leg (scheduled to make about $3 million in 2020 in his second year of arbitration).

Buxton would not be an answer to any offensive woes and isn’t necessarily the high-contact guy they’re supposedly looking for, but this is the kind of trade that they could probably make at this moment given the way they’re hoarding their pennies. Minnesota wouldn’t seem to want to make this deal if Buxton is healthy, but maybe they figure that Jake Cave and Max Kepler can man centerfield or maybe they’d even take Ian Happ or Albert Almora back and plug and play from there.

Starting with Happ, the Cubs would have to include some other outfield prospects, including Cole Roederer or maybe even Brennen Davis to get this deal done.

Chicago Cubs: After years of speculation, could Norris become a Cub?

Daniel Norris is a guy the Cubs have supposedly targeted in the past to no avail. Still just 26 years old, is it possible a relocation to a winning team and veteran club could spur the left-hander to new heights?

While Norris has just two more years of team control, the Tigers aren’t winning any time soon. Knowing that, any money they can get rid of right now is a good thing. Any prospects they can get back is also good for them.

With Norris scheduled to make about $3 million in 2020, perhaps the Cubs could entice a trade with some prospects. With Norris on board, the Cubs could then go about finding a trade partner for their own former AL Central left-hander Jose Quintana.

Doing this would save the Cubs some money and allow them to go get some bullpen help, or squeeze back under the luxury tax threshold. In order to make this happen, pitching prospects Ryan Jensen and Justin Steele would be going to the Tigers along with infielder Chase Strumpf. This move doesn’t include any of the Cubs top five prospects and it could help them shed some more salary in 2020.

Chicago Cubs: Will Whit finally get traded to the Cubs?

While this one has been rumored forever and doesn’t seem to have a lot of traction, there’s been plenty enough smoke to start a fire eventually here. Whit Merrifield checks some boxes for the Cubs for sure. You can slot him in centerfield or second base, or maybe even a combination of the two, using him in a Ben Zobrist-like swiss army knife role. The Cubs can also use Merrifield to get on base at the top of the lineup and would love his contact ability amongst all their other swing-and-miss mashers.

More from Chicago Cubs News

• Cubs should keep close eye on non-tender candidate Cody Bellinger
• Cubs starting pitching has been thriving on the North Side
• Make no mistake: the Cubs are very much about power hitters
• Cubs: It’s time to start thinking about potential September call-ups
• Cubs: P.J. Higgins deserves to be in the lineup on a daily basis

206 hits and 105 runs last year proves Merrifield knows how to hit his way on and then find his way to the plate once he’s there. That’s a skill the Cubs need desperately at the top of the lineup in front of guys like Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo, Baez, Kyle Schwarber, and Willson Contreras. This is why the Cubs have been linked to the 31 year old so often in trade rumors over the last couple seasons.

Why would the Royals part with Merrifield, especially given the fact that he’s signed to an extremely team-friendly deal? Quite frankly, it’s because he’s the only trade chip the Royals have, and they’re not winning any time soon.

If Royals GM Dayton Moore wants to get something back for future use, why not pull the trigger while he still can? After all, Merrifield’s stolen bases and speed seem to be waning as he enters his thirties and he’s not going to get any faster at this point.

The Cubs start the trade with Nico Hoerner, their top infield prospect, and also add in outfield prospect Brennen Davis. That’s two top five prospects the Cubs would be sending to Kansas City, plus one of the pitching prospects like a Kohl Franklin, Cory Abbott, or Riley Thompson. Get ‘er done.

Chicago Cubs: Reclamation project, anyone?

The White Sox don’t want to try that Quintana for Jimenez and Cease trade again, do they? Yeahhh, I didn’t think so… so let’s try something a little less glamorous and something that won’t give away a top prospect.

Cockfights and punching aside, Kelvin Herrera had a really bad year in 2019. That being said, the White Sox probably want to dump him and the $8.5 million he’s going to cost this season. While the Cubs won’t want to pay that for the former All-Star flamethrower, they could absorb half the cost and take a flyer on a guy who could return to dominance in the pen.

While his average fastball has been in decline since his dominant days in Kansas City, his peripherals were actually better than his stats indicated last season. If Herrera could find a way back to that 97-98 fastball, this could be a trade that could work out for everyone. The White Sox get some salary relief from a bad contract and the Cubs get a guy would bolster their bullpen with one the few veterans who will probably be out there amongst the Iowa-shuttle youngsters.

This trade isn’t a sure thing by any means, but that’s the way it goes sometimes. If the Cubs can pull this off and pay somewhere between $3-5 million and get something productive out of Herrera, it probably wouldn’t take much more than a lottery prospect for the veteran right-hander. Pitching prospects Yovanny Cruz or Richard Gallardo should be able to get this done with the salary absorbed by the Cubs.

Tune in next week when I move to the AL West trade partners, and which guys a former Cub manager might covet in trade.