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MLB Trade Deadline Rumors: 5 trades Cubs should make

By Nicholas Ian Allen

CHICAGO, IL - JUNE 03: Kyle Schwarber #12 of the Chicago Cubs (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
CHICAGO, IL - JUNE 03: Kyle Schwarber #12 of the Chicago Cubs (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images) /
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SAN FRANCISCO, CA – JUNE 13: Jason Vargas #51 of the Kansas City Royals pithces against the San Francisco Giants in the bottom of the first inning at AT&T Park on June 13, 2017 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
SAN FRANCISCO, CA – JUNE 13: Jason Vargas #51 of the Kansas City Royals pithces against the San Francisco Giants in the bottom of the first inning at AT&T Park on June 13, 2017 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) /

Jason Vargas, Alcides Escobar and Lorenzo Cain, Kansas City Royals

The Cubs and Royals made a trade over the offseason when Chicago shipped Jorge Soler to Kansas City for closer Wade Davis. Soler spent the first month of the season on the disabled list, and later spent a month in Triple-A after hitting .164/.292/.273 in his first 18 games in a Royals uniform.

Meanwhile, Davis has a 1.93 ERA and 16 saves with 42 strikeouts in 28 innings across 29 innings. Saying it was a one-sided trade would be an understatement – at least as far as 2017 is concerned. Davis will be a free agent after the season, but the Royals have control of Soler’s services through 2020.

While the Royals may feel they were fleeced over the winter, and Kansas City’s strong performance on the field in June made it less likely the team will completely tear down its roster at the trade deadline, the Cubs might be able to convince K.C. to partner up again.

Many of the best players on the Royals roster will be free agents at the end of the 2017 season. Unless the club has a legitimate shot at making its third postseason appearance in four years – a possibility since Kansas City enters July 2 with a 40-40 record, two games back in the AL Central and 1.5 games back in the Wild Card race – the powers that be in the Royals front office should try to flip some of those players for prospects to aid the upcoming rebuild. A sub-.500 July would make it a near certainty.

Jason Vargas, 12-3 with a 2.22 ERA across 16 starts, has pitched like a Cy Young candidate. Alcides Escobar and Lorenzo Cain are both elite defenders, and can put pressure on defenses with their speed as Cain – adding value in two areas that have been lacking in Chicago thus far. Cain is particularly valuable at the plate, as he’s hitting .286/.359/.449 with 11 home runs, 27 RBI and 15 stolen bases this season.

It would take a lot for Chicago to land the trio. Schwarber or Jimenez would likely need to be involved, as well as a selection of other prospects, but it might be worth it for the Cubs, who would likely try to extend Cain’s contract to keep him in center field at Wrigley Field for the long haul.

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