Chicago Cubs rumors: 3 potential trades to acquire Sean Murphy

Trade 1) Cubs trade Miguel Amaya, Owen Caissie and Ryan Jensen

The Cubs trading these three prospects could get the job done. At the moment, the Athletics only have one catcher on their 40-man roster. They do have Tyler Soderstrom awaiting arrival to the MLB, but Amaya would add an extra catcher that they need. The Athletics of course are moving Murphy, so they would be down a catcher. Amaya could fill that for them. The Cubs should have no problem parting ways with their 2015 international signing because of their addition of Murphy. The Cubs also have Moises Ballestros in their system. He is still a few years away from being ready, but the organization is high on his talent and it would Justify moving Amaya.

Ryan Jensen was just recently protected from the rule 5 draft by the Cubs. so they did not want to lose him that easily. That does not mean they will not trade him though. Jensen, 25, has a power arm that can reach the upper 90's. He has been a starter for the Cubs, but in 151 career minor-league innings, he has 84 walks. Other scouts outside of the Cubs think he is better suited for the bullpen. He has a minor league career BAA of .197 and averages more than a strikeout per inning. The Athletics could be more inclined to use him out of the bullpen to get the most out of his talent.

Owen Caissie is said to have some of the best raw power in the Cubs organization according to his scouting report. That is some high praise, and it could be the factor that gets the Athletics to accept this trade. Caissie's strikeout rate was a little high in 2022, but the potential is there. The Cubs have a surplus of outfield prospects, so losing one is not the end of the world, especially if it is Caissie and not some of their better outfield prospects.

Trade 2) Cubs trade Adbert Alzolay, Luke Little

Luke Little was drafted in the 4th round of the shortened 2020 draft. He is a hard-throwing left-handed pitcher that the Cubs used as a starter in 2022. He has been up to 105 mph on the gun but will sit 94-97. Little could benefit more out of the bullpen and might make his way to the big leagues faster that way. His scouting report says that is where he will eventually land. With his power arm, high strikeout rate, and ability to miss barrels, Little could be a very attractive prospect in a trade offer.

The key piece here is Adbert Alzolay. Alzolay was very good out of the bullpen when he came back from injury in 2022. Before that, he was used as a starter. Alzolay can be used for both, and it will be up to the Athletics to use him how they see fit. However, his fastball velocity saw an increase out of the bullpen, and his command was excellent. Alzolay might be someone the Cubs want to hold on to, but to get this trade done, he may have to be involved in it. A trade with Adbert Alzolay and Luke Little should be enough to get this done given their potential

Trade 3) Cubs trade Chase Strumpf, Alexander Canario and Drew Gray

Chase Strumpf was drafted in the first round of the 2019 draft. This trade scenario is dependent on Strumpf not being picked in the rule 5 draft. However, I do not think he will because he is not major league-ready. Since being drafted, he has just not produced. He has a career minor league batting average of .235, but 2022 was his best power year. He hit 21 home runs and drove in 57. The problem with Strumpf is his strikeouts. He struck out 162 times in double-A this past season. The hope here is that the Athletics see the potential and a change in scenery will help Strumpf develop better.

Alexander Canario came to the Cubs in the Kris Bryant trade with San Francisco. In 2022, Canario exhibited some big-time power. He launched 37 home runs across three levels in the minors. In 125 games played in 2022, he struck out 147 times. However, with that power, you can accept the strikeouts. Canario will have to prove he can repeat that season. The Athletics might find this appealing. The potential with Canario is there but there may be reason for caution as he is expected to miss most of the 2023 season recovering from shoulder and ankle surgeries.

Drew Gray might be a name you have not heard and that is because he is just 19 years old. He was drafted out of high school in 2021. However, he had to get Tommy John surgery almost immediately and missed the entire 2022 season. In his 4 innings pitched in 2021, he struck out 9. An extremely small sample size, but it does show how good his stuff was before the surgery. He also made a jump in velocity with his fastball touching 95. He still has some stuff to clean up in his delivery according to scouts, but he is only 19 and has plenty of time to develop. The Cubs are in win-now mode (so we think), and Drew Gray is still at least 3-4 years out from being ready. If the Cubs want to land a catcher that can help them win now, they will have to get rid of some young talent.