How does the Joey Gallo trade impact the Chicago Cubs?

And you thought the New York Yankees would sell. The Bronx Bombers got a jump-start on Friday’s MLB trade deadline, acquiring slugger Joey Gallo and Joely Rodriguez from the Texas Rangers in exchange for six prospects. So why are we talking about this on a site dedicated to the Chicago Cubs?

As we all know, Chicago is actively listening on just about everyone on the roster not named Kyle Hendricks. The biggest name on that list on the position player side of things is, of course, Kris Bryant, who has bounced back from a dismal June with a scorching hot month of July – upping his value just in time for Jed Hoyer to pounce.

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Prior to the Yankees acquiring Gallo, several other teams in the league had been connected to him – most notably the San Diego Padres. Padres GM AJ Preller has an intimate knowledge of Gallo from his time in the Texas front office and, as we’ve seen time and time again, he’s a guy who’s never afraid to make a splash and has 100 different irons in the fire annually this time of year.

But now, the Padres will have to find a different answer if they’re looking to shore things up for the stretch run. Enter Bryant and the Cubs. The four-time All-Star played his college ball in San Diego and could be the perfect piece for the Friars given what he can do at the dish and his unmatched defensive versatility.

Chicago Cubs, San Diego Padres could make sense in a Kris Bryant trade

We know the Padres are attempting to unload Eric Hosmer’s contract and it stands to reason that, to do so, they’d have to attach one of their top four prospects, most likely outfielder Robert Hassell. The Cubs have been mentioned as a potential suitor in such a scenario, especially with rumors that Anthony Rizzo could be on the move to Boston before Friday’s deadline.

Of course, no one likes the idea of eating a contract like Hosmer’s – but to add a talent like Hassell might prove enticing to the Chicago front office. But let’s circle back to the Yankees’ acquisition of Gallo to wrap this up.

Similar to the Cubs’ trade of Yu Darvish last winter, Texas went for quantity over quality in the return for Gallo. That’s not to say the guys coming back represent a lackluster package. It’s just none of them fall into that ‘blue chip’ category that fans tend to look for when you’re trading a fan favorite (like Gallo or Bryant).

With Bryant, Rizzo and others potentially on the move – Cubs fans need to understand that if Hoyer doesn’t land primetime talent in some of these deals, that’s not to say they should immediately be labeled as failures, either.