Chicago Cubs Rumors: Two new San Diego Padres on the trade block

Yesterday, we learned via MLB Trade Rumors that the San Deigo Padres would entertain offers for both Trent Grisham and Ha-Seong Kim and that could be of interest to the Chicago Cubs. With the talent on the Padres roster, it's no surprise they are looking to cut payroll where applicable. Not only from a financial standpoint, but the friars desecrated their farm system last season when they acquired Juan Soto from the Washington Nationals.

From the Cubs' standpoint, both players are interesting in their own way, but due to a lack of offensive prowess, the ceiling has yet to appear too high for either to this point in their respective careers. Glancing over Grisham, who rightfully has the higher floor between the two due to two Gold Glove awards in four years in center field, the bat leaves more to be desired.

In 2022, Grisham slashed an abysmal .184/.284/.341, but due to receiving a Gold Glove, he still had a WAR of 2.1, according to Fangraphs. Even with the subpar bat skills, Grisham's 2.1 WAR would have ranked 4th among active Cubs should he have been in Chicago this season. It shows that if the broken swing can be repaired, Grisham's ceiling skyrockets to all-star levels. Defensively, Grisham led all NL center fielders with 17 Outs Above Average and 16 runs prevented.

At still only 26 years old, There is a lot left in the tank for Grisham. With two years still on his deal and not projected for a high AAV, the Cubs could realistically trade for the lefty, hope to fix his swing, and if it doesn't work out, you only have him for two seasons anyway. The potential is excellent in this spot for a hitter who did slash a league-average .242/.327/.413 with 15 homers and 62 driven in.

You'd love to see Grisham raise the average against right-handed pitchers. He is a reverse-split guy, featuring a career .237/.322/.409 line against southpaws while only registering an underwhelming .217/.314/.390. against righties. However, the biggest concern for the Cubs in acquiring Grisham isn't just the bat; it's the already crowded outfield.

The Cubs sport two Gold Glove award winners in Ian Happ and Cody Bellinger, in 2023. With Seiya Suzuki already penciled into everyday right-field duties, the need for an outstanding outfielder isn't quite there. The Cubs already have a decent floor but need more improved bat skills in Bellinger, so trading for Grisham, who can be looked at in the same light, is something other than what the Cubs need to take a flier on. If you can't get access to his everyday fielding skills, the bat is too much to bear in this situation from an offensive standpoint.