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4 players the Chicago Cubs should keep and 4 they should trade
Which Chicago Cubs players should be kept and which should be traded? Find out here
With Spring Training 2024 just about a month away, the Chicago Cubs will look to finalize their offseason moves and build their roster for this coming season. Some of those moves, as we’ve seen already, will be via trade. It’s no secret the Cubs bolster one of the strongest farms in the league, and they are currently cumbersome in prospect surplus.
It's important to keep in mind that when talking about these players, it's not a knock on them to say they aren't going to be any good, but rather that they have so much value in terms of making the major league roster a success that certain moves make sense. That being said, several players have question marks regarding their future in a Cubs uniform, so here are four players the team should keep and four they should trade to fill holes and strengthen their roster.
4 players the Cubs should keep, 4 to trade - Christopher Morel (Keep)
In only two-thirds of last year's season, Christopher Morel launched 26 HRs and drove in 70 RBIs. Adjusted for a whole season, that puts him on pace for 39/105, and he would have led the team by a long shot if it happened. His 119 wRC+ was third on the team in 2023, and his .260 ISO only trailed Patrick Wisdom among players who recorded at least 200 at-bats last season.
The biggest problem moving forward is where to play Morel in 2024. Defensively, he's left much to be desired. Playing him at third base has yet to work out, and moving him over to first now is not feasible after the team traded for Michael Busch. DH looks like the best place for him, as the team now looks to be out on Rhys Hoskins. Still, Morel is only 24 years old. He is only going to get better. Keep his bat in the lineup and let him fill in in the field when needed. The Cubs will regret moving him if they do.
4 players the Cubs should keep/trade - Alexander Canario (trade)
The first casualty of being overloaded in the outfield is Alexander Canario. If the Cubs bring back Bellinger and Pete Crow-Armstrong performs in any capacity, it's hard to envision a full-time role for Canario. Especially if the aforementioned Morel gets the lion's share of the work at DH, Canario's talent becomes wasted either on the bench or in the minor leagues when he could otherwise return viable talent for the Cubs moving forward.
One of Jed Hoyer's most challenging jobs is determining which players will hit and which will miss. Sometimes, you have to roll the dice on players you are high on and hope for the best in the pieces you're getting in return. Canario falls into that category where you wish you could keep him and give him a real shot to succeed, but trading him also helps the Cubs address other needs that must be fixed now.
4 players the Cubs should keep/trade - Matt Shaw (keep)
My favorite prospect in the Cubs' organization is Matt Shaw. He will be an extremely successful hitter at the highest level, just as he has shown he can be thus far. For his three-year college career, Shaw slashed .320/.413/.623. After being drafted in the first round of the 2023 draft by the Cubs, he recorded a line of .357/.400/.618 across three levels of the minor leagues. Defensively, he has the versatility to find a spot on the Cubs but will likely need to succeed at 3B to find an everyday role in the field.
Taking reps at 3rd all winter is precisely what he has been doing, so with the Cubs potentially losing interest in Matt Chapman this winter due to a high price tag, Shaw's path to the majors becomes transparent. I expect him to play the first third of the season at Double-A Tennessee next season and continue his fast track to Triple-A Iowa, where he will be one step away from the show.
4 players the Cubs should keep/trade - Ben Brown (trade)
Ben Brown is one of the pitchers who will hurt me if the team trades him. He has received interest from other teams when it comes to the return for any trade that the Cubs have been looking to make, and it's not hard to see why Brown recorded a minuscule 0.45 ERA in 20 innings at Double-A but never really hit his mark in Triple-A upon getting promoted. One red flag was the spike in walk rate, which went from 2.70 BB/9 in Double-A to 6.32 in Triple-A. His strikeout rate, however, was elite at 12.4 K/9 in Iowa.
Allow me to say that if the Cubs do move Brown, it must be for a player that substantially increases the Cubs' chances of winning right away. He's a player you move in a package deal to acquire a superstar. Where we saw the Cubs move Jackson Ferris as part of the deal for Michael Busch and Almonte, I would be livid if the Cubs moved Brown for a player who hasn't succeeded in the majors yet. Controllable pitching with high upside is the most coveted type of value you can receive via trade, and if the Cubs do pull the trigger, it needs to be more of a last piece to the roster scenario.
4 players the Cubs should keep/trade - Pete Crow-Armstrong (keep)
The number one prospect in the Cubs’ organization, Pete Crow-Armstrong, is essentially untouchable in trade talks. You won’t see the Cubs trading him. He offers a high floor due to his elite defensive ability and coupled with what many believe is a high upside offensively, Crow-Armstrong is one player that the Cubs’ front office is a core piece of the team for years to come.
At just 21 years old, it wasn’t too alarming that Crow-Armstrong went hitless in his short stint in the majors last season. Moreover, the evidence was there that he was still overmatched. Thankfully, he has excelled at every level once he’s had time to adjust. It won’t be long before he can do so in MLB, and once he does, the Cubs will have their long-term center fielder of the future. It will be interesting to see how he does in Spring Training and where he will begin the 2024 season.
4 players the Cubs should keep/trade - Kevin Alcantara (trade)
I'm leaning toward trading Kevin Alcantara for the right price if necessary. We've talked about how specific outfield prospects are blocked by major league talent, such as Ian Happ and Seiya Suzuki, for at least the next three years. If the Cubs sign Bellinger long-term, you can understand how keeping some of these guys in the system will be challenging. However, Alcantara has the potential not to be blocked as much because he is a bit further away from MLB status than the other outfield prospects in the organization.
It's feasible then that Alcantara can stay put and segue into the MLB when Happ is in the last year of his contract. In 2023, Alcantara slashed .284/.345/.466 with 13 HRs and 71 RBIs. He is still 21 and hasn't reached his full potential either. Adding a little more pop to his bat in 2024 will significantly increase his value. Still, I'd pull the trigger if an offer turns the Cubs into serious contenders this season.
4 players the Cubs should keep/trade - Cade Horton (keep)
Cade Horton has all the making of an ace. The number 3 RHP among all pitching prospects and #29 overall on MLB Pipelines' top 100 list, Horton exploded in his first year of professional ball in 2023. Throughout 88.1 innings pitched, Horton recorded a 2.65 ERA with 117 Ks across three levels, including being lights out in the postseason for the Tennessee Smokies, which helped the team secure the Southern League Championship.
Horton, like Crow-Armstrong, is untouchable in trade talks. When inquiring about talent to bring to the north side this winter, it's a non-starter for Jed Hoyer and the front office. Horton will likely begin the season at Double-A Tennessee and propel himself up to Triple-A Iowa before long if he has the same production. A late-season call-up to the Cubs is undoubtedly on the table.
4 players the Cubs should keep/trade - Owen Caissie (trade)
Owen Caissie enjoyed a fantastic breakout season offensively in Double-A Tennessee last season, where he played for the entirety of the year. He slashed .289/.398/.519 with 22 homers, 77 RBIs, and a 144 wRC+. He excelled in taking walks but registered a high strikeout percentage of 31.1%.
If he is not moved this winter, it's easy to see him starting in Triple-A this year, and from there, he could be a call away if there are any types of injuries. Besides Crow-Armstrong and Alexander Canario, he is the next closest of the outfield prospects to the MLB level.
Even more so than other outfielders on this list, Caissie's future in the outfield is questionable if he’ll stick there defensively. The possibility of him moving to first base if it doesn’t work out has been discussed. Although Michael Busch isn’t a lock to remain there long-term unless he is entirely unsuccessful, it seems unlikely Caissie would have a spot at 1B where Cody Bellinger can also play if he is re-signed. Therefore, he’s blocked at every position for the moment. His bat offers high upside, but he has no clear path to the majors unless several things don’t work out first.
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