MLB Rumors: Juan Soto trade buzz, Astros untouchable prospect, Dodgers-Cubs blockbuster

MLB Rumors: Insider proposes blockbuster Dodgers-Cubs trade to save LA’s season

The Los Angeles Dodgers are always expected to be in first place in the NL West. As of the morning of July 3, they sit in second place with a 46-37 record, behind the Arizona Diamondbacks, who are 50-35 on the year. This comes after an offseason in which the Dodgers didn’t go with their usual approach of adding the biggest names available. Not to mention that their starting rotation was hammered with injuries, notably to Dustin May and Julio Urias.

Given the Dodgers are in a playoff position, they could look to add at the deadline.

Bleacher Report’s Zachary Rhymer listed five trade ideas for the Dodgers at the Aug. 1 deadline. One trade idea involves the Chicago Cubs, which would see Los Angeles acquiring starting pitcher Marcus Stroman, third baseman Patrick Wisdom, and relief pitcher Michael Fulmer in exchange for catching prospect Dalton Rushing.

That certainly qualifies as a blockbuster trade idea.

Stroman is obviously the highlight of this speculated trade package. Stroman is in the second season of his three-year, $71 million contract with the Cubs. At the end of this season, he can opt out of his contract, making him a free agent. So far, Stroman recorded a 2.76 ERA, a 1.087 WHIP, a 9-6 win-loss record, 92 strikeouts, 37 walks, and one complete game in 107.2 innings (18 starts). He is looking for a contract extension with the Cubs, who are reportedly not interested in doing so before the trade deadline.

As for Rushing, he is the fourth-overall prospect in the Dodgers’ farm system. He is actually the second-ranked catcher in the pipeline behind Diego Cartaya. This year, Rushing recorded a .269 batting average, a .430 on-base percentage, a .509 slugging percentage, eight home runs, 35 RBI, 36 runs scored, and 47 hits in 53 games.

The Cubs are not that far out of first place in what is a wide-open NL Central, and we should get a clearer picture as to what the team wants to do at the deadline once it gets close to that Aug. 1 date. If they choose to sell, Stroman would become a player that could generate a ton of interest from teams in need of starting pitching.