5 Trades the Chicago Cubs should make as buyers at the MLB Trade Deadline

Trade 2: The Chicago Cubs receive 3B Jeimer Candelario from the Washington Nationals in return for RHP Kohl Franklin and INF Chase Strumpf

Jeimer Candelario has been consistent this season which is something the Cubs have been completely incapable of getting from third base so far this year. 

Patrick Wisdom came out of the gates scorching, leading the league in home runs and making fans wonder if the front office could figure out one more extension after Happ and Hoerner. That being said, the wheels have fallen off recently. Over the last 28 days, he’s got a slash line of .116/.192/.256 with 18 strikeouts and only four walks. 

Nick Madrigal has been called back up after tearing the cover off of the ball in AAA, but he doesn’t have the arm to carry third base and if the goal is consistency, the former top-five pick isn’t exactly reliable in that area. 

The former Cubs prospect, Jeimer Candelario, is batting .256/.333/.446. As of right now, he’s a 2.2 WAR player (compared to Patrick Wisdom’s less-than-impressive -0.1 WAR). He’s someone that we could slot low in the lineup and that we could count on for solid at-bats. If he was left-handed and under team control through the 2024 season this would be a no-brainer from Chicago’s side.

The Nationals would be receiving two players that match their timeline pretty well. Aside from a recent dugout scuffle between OF Victor Robles and LHP Mackenzie Gore, the Nationals have built a solid young core that could begin competing relatively soon if everyone reaches even 70% of their potential. 

Kohl Franklin is considered by MLB.com to be the Cubs 24th best prospect in the system and he’s the kind of player that could slot in at the back end of the rotation or as a long relief option as early as the beginning of the 2024 season. He’s not an ace, but for a half-season of a journeyman third baseman, that’s not the expectation.

The other piece is more interesting to me and harder to lose. Chase Strumpf is an on-base machine. He’s got a career .376 OBP in the minors and he has the ability to play all over the infield. He’s 25 years old and at this point, it doesn’t look like the Cubs have a spot for him to play but the Nationals could plug him in as early as this season and see what they’ve got. 

This is another win for both sides. The Cubs get a reliable bottom of the order bat and the Nationals get two guys that are major league ready to give a shot.