Local insider floats long-shot crosstown blockbuster trade between Cubs, White Sox

With the MLB trade deadline under two months away, big names such as Chicago White Sox center fielder Luis Robert Jr. are already popping up in speculative rumors. Given the need the Cubs have on offense, some have wondered out loud what a potential crosstown deal would look like.

Bruce Levine of the Marquee Sports Network recently offered his thoughts.

The hard truth is this: the Cubs aren't ready for that World Series push. If you need proof, just look at last weekend's series, in which Chicago dropped three of four to the Cincinnati Reds and isn't even a .500 team. Injuries have crippled this team. There's reason to believe that when healthy, they can make a push, but until they prove it on the diamond, thinking through these earth-shattering trades is little more than a distraction.

Cubs need to show they're contenders before Jed Hoyer will make a trade

I believe the Cubs will rebound and get hot again around the deadline, but until they do, we need to pump our brakes on these hypothetical blockbusters. There's no way the Cubs, at this juncture, are considering scrapping an entirely replenished farm system for one hitter who has missed significant time with injuries over the past three seasons.

Robert has only played in 12 games this year with a disappointing .188/.220/.479 in 50 plate appearances. Yes, he comes with several years of guaranteed cost control, but it's a coin flip as to whether or not he'll be on the field enough to make an impact at a level that makes parting with top-end prospects makes sense.

It's fun to keep an eye on who might be available at the deadline as the season plays out, but since the farm system is Hoyer's baby, do not expect him to rip it to shreds before this team has proven it can be a strong postseason contender.

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