Chicago Cubs: Five potential trades to consider with the NL East

Chicago Cubs: This guy might be too valuable to let go for the Nats

Kieboom has been a great OBP guy in the minor leagues, and Robles is a great defender in center field who already has a major league season under his belt. The Cubs would be giving up a former MVP, but they could be getting back two starters for five seasons if things pan out with the two youngsters. If the Nationals are unwilling to part with Robles, as many outlets have intimated, would it be possible the Cubs could try to get two young arms from the Nationals system?

The Nationals already have three of the best pitchers in the NL signed to huge contracts, so trading away young, cheap, controllable arms wouldn’t seem a great idea. However, the other side to that coin is that they already have 60 percent of their rotation completely locked down and would be trading from a position of strength if they traded some young arms.

Oh, and they just won the World Series last year, so they could be going all in again by pursuing Bryant to replace Joe Maddon‘s new toy and former Nat, Anthony Rendon.

Perhaps the Nats would replace Robles in their deal with something else the Cubs covet and need – young pitching. Sending over Kieboom along with two of Jackson Rutledge, Wil Crowe, Mason Denaburg and Tim Cate might just be enough for the Cubs to pull the trigger on a deal if they don’t want to or feel they can’t sign Bryant to extension.