Chicago Cubs: Latest Kris Bryant trade rumors aren’t so bad

Chicago Cubs: It begins with a top three prospect

Gauging Bryant’s value is a three-pipe problem. Bryant is on a one-year/$18.6 million contract for 2020 and is set to hit his fourth and final year of arbitration before hitting free agency in 2022. What that means for clubs who value Bryant is there is a higher likelihood fewer teams will be involved, and the return will be smaller.

The Braves will not part with top prospect Christian Pache. However, their third-ranked prospect Drew Waters should be on the table as the starting point of any deal. Waters brings a five-tool profile and the ability to hit from both sides of the dish. Waters is only 21 years old and has already reached Triple-A Gwinnett.

Most of his time last season was spent at Double-A Mississippi. In 109 games, Waters slashed a resounding .319/.366/.481, five home runs, 41 RBI, 13 stolen bases. Impressively, Waters posted a .162 ISO and a 144 wRC+.

He was promoted to Gwinnett for 26 games at the end of the season. There, Waters hit .271/.336/.374 and posted a reasonable 84 wRC+. In his first stint at a higher level, Waters held his own. Waters is the quintessential start to a package for Bryant.

He would immediately be an upgrade in center field as he did not make a single error across 336 innings between the two levels and he would be under team control for a long time. Waters would be an excellent addition for a team in a sort of rebuild.

Chicago Cubs: Adding young rotational depth

After leading off the package with Waters, pitching becomes tantamount to any deal. The number one pitching prospect the Cubs should look to add is 6’6″ left-hander Kyle Muller. The 22-year-old is currently ranked as the number ten overall prospect in the Braves organization and for a good reason.

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Muller has been a consistent workhorse, moving quickly through the system after his second-round selection in 2016. In 2018, Muller began in Class-A Rome. After six starts, he was promoted to Class-A Advanced Florida and then to Double-A Mississippi. Last season, Muller spent the entire year in Mississippi, where he posted a 3.14 ERA in 22 starts.

He improved on his strikeout rate, driving it up to 25.6 percent. Muller also held opposing hitters to a .206 average and a home run rate of 0.40 HR/9. The command was a bit of a struggle as his walk rate rose; however, he could improve as he continues to grow.

Muller has a standard easy-going delivery. His fastball is his best pitch, as it has been graded as a “plus-plus.” It generally sits in the mid-90s with an uptick to 97 mph. The curveball is his next best pitch, where he can generate a strong 12-6 movement. The control needs work, but it can be developed into a strong pitch Muller can rely upon.

If everything with Muller’s development continues to go well, he has the makings of a reliable number three in a starting rotation. For a team in need of pitching as their young guys develop, the Cubs can benefit from a guy like Muller and should be asking for him in any deal for Bryant.

Chicago Cubs: Adding infield talent

There is a good chance that the Cubs would immediately accept an offer of Waters and Muller alone. However, to sweeten the pot for Bryant Chicago should ask for 21-year-old power-hitting first baseman Bryce Ball.

Ball is an intriguing young talent. The Braves landed him in the 24th round of the 2019 draft and since, Ball has mashed. He is 6’6″, 235 pounds, and has a sweet swing. After mashing at rookie ball, Ball was promoted to Class-A Rome. In 62 games between the two leagues, the big lefty slashed .329/.395/.628, 17 home runs, 52 RBI.

His patience at the plate shined through at rookie-level as Ball posted a respectable 17.3 percent strikeout rate and a 12.7 percent walk rate. As expected, the walks dropped as the strikeouts rose, yet Ball still managed a 22.2 percent strikeout rate at Class-A. He posted an insane 1.023 OPS and earned five intentional walks.

Ball’s best things are his ability to hit to all parts of the field and with power no less. He is mainly a pull hitter, where 45.5 percent of the balls he hit went to right field. Yet, his 25.8 percent center field percentage and 28.8 percent opposite field percentage should be followed.

In a small way, he reminds me of a young Cody Bellinger. Ball has a much more smooth drive through the zone with less flair at the plate, but he is a very talented young kid. As the future of Anthony Rizzo hangs in the balance at present, Ball would be the perfect addition to a team looking to build depth at otherwise weak positions outside of the starter.