Marcus Stroman Rumors: 3 monstrous trade packages to land Cubs star

Marcus Stroman Rumors: An Astros-Cubs trade package

Houston doesn’t have much as it pertains to prospect capital — they have one of the worst farm systems in the sport right now. It’s barren, as the majority of their young talent is playing in the big leagues. Still, players like Marcus Stroman and Cody Bellinger are sure to be of interest to Houston.

Brown, a former top prospect, projects to be at the very least a mid-rotation starting pitcher. He’s just 24 years old. Gilbert is a top-70 prospect in all of baseball, but that’s the price for Bellinger, who is on an tear nearing the deadline and increasing his value by the game. Korey Lee is Houston’s fifth-ranked prospect and a 25-year-old Triple-A catcher. He hits quite well with the Sugar Land Skeeters, meaning he could make a cameo in Chicago.

It’s a lot to ask for both sides, which makes such a deal unlikely. Pairing their best trade assets together gets Chicago an incredible return from Houston, but it also limits them. The Cubs have rightly been scouting contending organizations across the league the last few weeks. Why limit yourself to Houston, especially considering their system rank?

As for the Astros, they are depleting themselves of young talent for two players who could very well leave at the end of the season. To ensure this deal is a success, Houston would need to extend both players prior to free agency.

As fun and creative as it may be, the odds are against such a move.