The Chicago Cubs have plenty of pieces to make a blockbuster trade if they choose to do so.
The Chicago Cubs have been unable to compete in the NL Central for quite some time now, but they have gotten to the point in their rebuilding process where they are seriously considering making some trades to help that process move along quicker. Theo Epstein has made it clear that he plans to pursue starting pitching this offseason. Chicago has already been listed as the front-runner to sign Jon Lester, but they could look to acquire another starter via either free agency or trade.
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Either way, the Cubs do have the pieces to make a major trade if they decided to go that route.
"The Cubs, though, have a serious need for a pitcher or two to team with all these young hitters. Sure, they may go the free-agency route (Jon Lester?), but it’s not crazy to think this club could move, say, first baseman Dan Vogelbach, third baseman Jeimer Candelario or even center fielder Albert Almora in a deal to land an arm or two.Plus, while neither Starlin Castro nor infielder/outfielder Arismendy Alcantara are prospects anymore, both are still very young and have had success or shown flashes in the big leagues. That could make them intriguing chips to use, too."
This is an exciting period of time for the Cubs’ organization and their fans, and it is a good change of pace. It has been a long rebuilding process, but Epstein has stuck with it and is now in a position to push forward and make his team contenders for the division once again. While it’s an exciting time, they are going to have to make some major moves.
Chicago’s offense is pretty much set with the young talent that they currently have on the roster, which makes things easier to target the strong pitching that they need. If they were to sign Lester, that would mean that one arm would be necessary. There are plenty of trade options out there, but they could also sign another pitcher rather than trading for one.
All of that being said, this is going to be a very intriguing offseason to keep an eye on the Cubs. They are going to make some moves, and they are going to be sizable moves that will be critical in getting the Cubs back into postseason contention. Chicago may not end up making the playoffs over the next couple of seasons, but they are well on their way to getting to that point.
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