Report: Can Mookie to the Cubs Happen

Finally! It’s a break from the constant manager-talk that’s flooded Chicago Style Sports and virtually every account that covers the Cubs. So, while this news is pretty far-fetched (well, not far-fetched, just not likely in my guestimation) it is a relief to not be talking David Ross, Joe Espada, Joe Girardi, or any number of other candidates for a bit.

Today, in a piece by John Tomase, an NBC Sports writer covering the Boston Red Sox, he lists out five potential landing spots for Mookie Betts. While it is pure speculatory, I do find belief in speaking things into existence before something can actually happen.

In the article, Tomase actually lists out six teams (yes, I know I mentioned five, he added a wild card team). The Atlanta Braves, Los Angeles Dodgers, San Diego Padres, Chicago White Sox, New York Mets, and the Chicago Cubs. Here is what he had to say about the Cubs and their current situation.

Oh, man, are the Cubs at a crossroads. After winning it all in 2016, they have systematically dismantled their farm system while recklessly chasing one more title with the Kris Bryant-Anthony Rizzo-Javier Baez core.
That bill is about to come due in a big way, with the core trio expiring after the 2021 season. The Cubs are locked in to some terrible contracts, whether it’s $184 million for underachieving right fielder Jason Heyward or $126 million for fragile right-hander Yu Darvish.
They’d have to get creative to fit Betts for even one year since the top 15 players on their roster will count for more than $200 million next year. Their farm system is also pretty wiped out, but don’t discount Theo Epstein, who drafted Betts in 2011 and has watched him blossom into a superstar from afar.
Going all in on one last title run is how the Cubs have gotten themselves into long-term trouble, but their window is slamming shut, and Betts could be a one-year difference maker before the reckoning.

So, while there are a lot of Cubs fans that get on Theo Epstein for some trades he’s made. He’s given up valuable, younger assets for rentals and players that might be lesser talents in the name of winning. Looking in retrospect, a team that was poised to win multiple World Series titles only has the 2016 title to hang its hat on, and their younger prospects are performing for other organizations across the league.

What is more damaging is, the organization now owns the 29th ranked minor league system, and the expected $210 million in committed deals (commitments plus arbitration and options) leaves them little room to add more players via free agency.

We once expected the new TV revenue to impact the 2020 roster, but since they haven’t finalized deals with all the local cable providers – the new money won’t hit the budget until the 2021 offseason.

This leaves the Cubs with three limited options to really give them a shot at winning in 2020. Cross your fingers and hope a new managerial voice inspires the team to more wins. Spend wildly, even without knowing how much money the TV deal will bring in. Get aggressive in the trade markets to improve the team.

That last point is the most logical.

Knowing that the current window is coming to an abrupt close, the team very well could, and should explore aggressive trades this offseason. Trading MLB-level talent for players like Betts can provide one last shot at a title before it’s time to tear-down and start it all back up. But what would it take to acquire Betts?

Man, who really knows? The dude is one of the five best players in baseball today, and last season folks suggested he passed Mike Trout. While that was knee-jerk reactions to his outstanding season, he would certainly be chosen in the first couple picks if there was a fantasy draft.

The Cubs would likely need to send guys like Ian Happ and Nico Hoerner. Then two from a mix of guys like Miguel Amaya, Brendan Davis, Brailyn Marquez, and Adbert Alzolay. With Betts expected to receive nearly $28 million in his final arbitration-eligible season, can the Cubs afford to lose low-cost prospects for a rental that will become their most expensive asset in 2020?

Why it could work…

The Cubs have had a miserable time filling their leadoff spot since Dexter Fowler left. Betts is a leadoff hitter and literally does it all from atop the order. He hits for average, he will take his walks, he puts balls in play, and he can mash when he needs to mash. He would solidify the Cubs lineup, it would lengthen it making it a complete force to be reckoned with. Imagine a pitcher facing this lineup on a daily basis:

1. Mookie Betts CF .295/.374/.519 29 HR
2. Kris Bryant 3B .282/.382/.521 31 HR
3. Anthony Rizzo 1B .293/.405/.520 27 HR
4. Javier Baez SS .281/.316/.531 29 HR
5. Kyle Schwarber LF .250/.339/.531 38 HR
6. Willson Contreras C .272/.355/.533 24 HR
7. Jason Heyward RF .251/.343/.429 21 HR
8. David Bote 2B .257/.362/.422 11 HR

That is one hell of a lineup. Buuuutttt…. I don’t expect this to happen.