Cubs: 3 prospects Chicago would have to trade in any Juan Soto deal

Juan Soto rumors: Cubs would have to trade James Triantos

Hernandez was tough enough to swallow, and this won’t help matters.

Triantos is the Cubs No. 5 ranked prospect, and a former two-way player. Chicago settled on him as a hitter, and selected him as a steal in the 2021 MLB Draft. He’s received some comparisons to David Wright and Alex Bregman, meaning scouts view him as a likely future third baseman, rather than a second baseman or shortstop, which is his current listed position.

Triantos slashed .327/.376/.594 in his professional debut despite being selected with the No. 57 overall pick. While he can throw a 96 MPH fastball, the Cubs view him more as a position player and it’s easy to see why given his frequency at finding the barrel. Per MLB Pipeline:

"“Triantos’ prowess from the right side of the plate has earned him some comparisons to Alex Bregman and David Wright. With a compact stroke and a direct bat path, he exhibits tremendous feel for the barrel, makes good swing decisions and produces a lot of hard contact. While he doesn’t have a lot of projection remaining in his 6-foot-1 frame, his hitting ability, bat speed and present strength should create at least average power.”"

While he doesn’t have the same sort of notoriety as Davis or Hernandez, Triantos would be just as important in any trade package for Soto, should talks even get that far.