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

Chicago Cubs: Could Urena work as both a starter and relief guy?

The Marlins could be the toughest team to figure out in all of baseball. They also might be the toughest to try and work a deal with because there are very few guys worth going after to improve a contending ballclub.

One of the guys the Cubs could take a chance on in hopes of a bounceback year is Jose Urena. Whether they see Urena as a starter or reliever, Urena could fill a need and role for a Cubs team that isn’t set at all in either spot. Both the bullpen and rotation are not solidified as of right now, so a guy who isn’t making a ton of money ($4 million) in a swing role might not be such a bad pickup. If all the Cubs have to give up is a young trade prospect who may or may not even get to the show, all the better.

Considering Urena is the third highest paid Marlin at only $4 million per year, the Cubs would be doing the chea… er frugal Marlins a solid by taking some payroll off their hands and stocking their system with another young arm in the form of 18-year-old Richard Gallardo. Gallardo, promising and young as he may be, is a long way from the majors and is anything but a sure thing.

Urena, on the other hand, had promising years in 2017 and 2018 and is still only 27 years of age. While not the sexiest of options, the Marlins didn’t offer much in terms of intrigue and I took a chance on a guy who has the stuff to make things work with a change of scenery. Let’s just hope he doesn’t bean anybody on purpose on the North Side.