A Cubs-Astros trade to rid Houston of an underperforming Scott Boras client

The Chicago Cubs have the perfect recipe of what it takes for a team to be big time buyers at the trade deadline. They have the talent; they have the opportunity to make the playoffs and they have big voids on their roster to fill in order to push them closer to a playoff spot.

As of June 7, Baseball Reference gives the Cubs a 53.8 percent chance to make the playoffs, good for second best in the NL Central. This number could skyrocket over the next few weeks if they get ultra-aggressive at the trade deadline, mainly looking to fill holes in their lineup.

One hole they could fill, if the Astros look to sell, is in the infield with the Astros superstar third baseman Alex Bregman.

A Cubs-Astros trade that sends a superstar to the Windy City

The Cubs have a pitching rotation with four ultra-competitive starters. These starters can keep them in any game and any series, despite how putrid the offense has been. And the offense has been putrid, to say the least.

That's where Alex Bregman could come in, slot in anywhere across the infield and make a difference for the Cubs down the stretch. But the asking price would be steep for the two time World Series champion.

The Cubs could land the All-Star third baseman in exchange for two of their top 10 prospects, one being a second baseman with high potential and the other being a reliever that's nearly MLB ready.

James Triantos, Chicago's No. 5 prospect, is off to a good start to 2024, slashing .282/.313/.425 at this point. He's typically a good bat to ball guy but will need to look at being more selective when he gets the call to Triple-A, as the zone typically shrinks with the ABS strike zone.

Michael Arias, Chicago's No. 9 prospect, has an electric arm but is bound to drop down Chicago's prospect rankings because he's been moved to a reliever. Relievers don't hold as much value as prospects as starters do. Arias has made 16 appearances in 2024 and the Cubs could look to fast track him to the big leagues if they don't move him in a trade. His fastball is certainly MLB ready.

But, more than these two prospects, Chicago could use Bregman. He would allow their infield to move around, giving them a better bat than nearly anything they have in their lineup, despite having a down year to this point. If Houston makes him available, which is still in question, expect Chicago to be aggressive in the market for him.