Chicago Cubs: This AL powerhouse might be a perfect trade partner

Chicago Cubs: The Astros have every reason to add some big pieces

The Astros are currently one of the premier teams in all of baseball and with Carlos Correa slated to hit free agency in the coming winter, they’ll be very aggressive in an attempt to capitalize on their World Series window one last time. Their biggest need is undeniably in the bullpen, which is luckily something the Cubs aren’t lacking.

Chicago boasts an embarrassment of riches in the bullpen – and, better yet, there are options at varying price points. Teams looking to go big could make a play for Kimbrel, while guys like Tepera, Chafin and others fall into that most cost-conscious group. The bullpen isn’t the only focus for Houston, however, as the team is also looking into acquiring starting pitching. The Cubs could, in theory, send Hendricks to Houston but this isn’t too likely. However, a Zach Davies trade could make more sense.

Houston could be looking for rotational depth and Davies makes sense as a perfect back end starter. The Cubs likely wouldn’t fetch much for him, but if you’re selling off, there’s little reason to hold onto the soft-tossing righty. Davies isn’t likely to be re-signed and isn’t going to qualify for a compensation pick, so they may as well get something for him while they can.

The final fit that could be intriguing for both sides is Kris Bryant. At first glance, it may not make a ton of sense for Houston to add another bat that is stacked from top to bottom, especially when Alex Bregman is sitting at third for Houston, and almost every position Bryant regularly plays is filled. But the one spot in the lineup the Astros don’t have an overwhelmingly great player at is in center, and Kris Bryant is more than capable of filling that void.

Chicago Cubs: Some Houston Astros that might pique the team’s interest

A Bryant trade may be a luxury more than anything else for the Astros, but it would make their lineup one of the biggest gauntlets the league has ever seen, and it would make them easy World Series favorites.

While many may be concerned about the Astros’ lack of viable prospects, there’s plenty the Cubs could ask for to make a worthwhile trade. Houston has major league talent they could be willing to move to make a deal such as Abraham Toro or maybe one of their several pitchers with starting experience on their active roster like Cristian Javier or Bryan Abreu.

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The Astros also have three very good prospects that the Cubs could get in a big deal. The first is Forrest Whitley who most know about. Whitley has been a perennial top 100 prospect for a while now and has always undoubtedly had ace-level pitches. The problem with Whitley is his health, as he is once again missing an entire season due to another major arm injury.

The other two prospects are shortstop Pedro Leon and Catcher Korey Lee. Leon was signed out of Cuba by Houston in 2020 and is expected to be major league ready by next year and has the potential to be an offensive star. He’s likely being positioned as Correa’s eventual replacement, but the Astros would likely be willing to go for broke if the right deal came along.

Korey Lee is a bat-first catching prospect that has absolutely raked at every level he’s been at in his first full minor league season. Lee is likely another prospect the Astros will try desperately to hold onto, but the Cubs could likely get him with the right deal.

With the trade deadline fast approaching, the Cubs have a prime opportunity to put themselves in a position to compete quickly if they’re able to take advantage of desperate teams at the deadline. The Houston Astros are the perfect candidate.