ESPN Suggests Crazy Three-Team Deal for Cubs Stars

Yesterday ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported that the Chicago Cubs are “aggressive” and “manic” in their attempts of trading one of their high-profile players. This morning we are treated to a Dick Schoenfield editorial with a crazy Cubs trade involving the Houston Astros and Cincinnati Reds.

Within the article, Schoenfield suggests 30 blockbuster moves for all teams in the league. Of the deals he suggests the St Louis Cardinals acquire Mookie Betts, the Los Angeles Dodgers land Francisco Lindor, and there’s even mention of former Cub Jorge Soler being dealt to the Atlanta Braves.

Here are the details of the three-team deal as suggested:

• Cubs trade Kris Bryant 3B/OF to the Reds and Willson Contreras C to the Astros
• Astros trade Josh James to the Reds and Forest Whitley RHP and Abraham Toro 3B to the Cubs
• Reds trade Amir Garrett LHP to the Astros and Nick Lodolo LHP and Tony Santillan RHP to the Cubs

In the deal, the Cubs would net three pitchers. Whitley was the game’s top pitching prospect in 2019. Lodolo a Reds’ first-round draft pick (41st selection) and Santillan was a second-round pick in the 2015 draft. They would also land 3B/1B bat in Toro.

While I might applaud Schoenfield for the attempt, it just falls short.

The Cubs would essentially be trading Bryant for Toro and Lodolo, which they can get more in trade elsewhere. They are also dealing Contreras for Whitley and Santillan, this is probably a more appropriate get.

Teams will be reluctant to make a major splash for Bryant. They know that an arbiter holds his immediate future in their hands and there are some complexities of signing him long-term. The fact is, he’s still more valuable than a backup infielder and a pitching prospect that might be a couple of years away.

I know I personally value Bryant quite a bit, but it is warranted. The dude has an MVP. He has the highest fWAR of any player in the National League since 2015 (27.8), and he has been the most productive Cub since he’s been here (137 wRC+). While I can wrap my head around why the Cubs would trade him, I just don’t see how the Cubs replace him in a deal like this?

Then on top of it, they lose Contreras to boot!

This would be a combined 7.5 fWAR removed from their offense, not to mention the 2.2 fWAR they lose from Nick Castellanos leaving… this is a total of nearly 10 wins on paper. Then, the only MLB bat they get in return would be Toro. A below-average MLB bat at that. A deal like this would also have to come with a free agent signing of one or two others. Maybe a Josh Donaldson and Nick Castellanos?

Perhaps they enter the Anthony Rendon sweepstakes as some might suggest, but really I don’t see that happening at all. In any event, a move of those two, in the same offseason, just tells me that the Cubs would be content with a gap year before the pitching they’d receive develops. While that is looking more and more like a possibility, with Tom Ricketts complaining about missing their Wrigley renovation budgets.

Personally I no longer can tell what the Cubs plans are. Early on I laughed at anyone who suggested a tear it down and rebuild, but looking at this mess now it might be the best option available. Somewhere between the 2016 World Series and today, the Cubs decided to operate like the Kansas City Royals and stopped understanding that they are the Chicago F*cking Cubs.