A Cubs-A’s trade for Shea Langeliers Oakland can’t possibly refuse

The Chicago Cubs need a catcher. That is no secret. The duo of Miguel Amaya and Yan Gomes behind the plate simply has not worked. It's not the only reason that the Cubs have fallen under .500 after a good start to their season, but their catching situation is one of, if not the worst in the majors right now.

Cubs catchers have a 44 WRC+ which is 28th in the majors, only ahead of the Chicago White Sox and the Miami Marlins. Their -1.1 fWAR from catchers is 29th in the majors only ahead of the White Sox. You know it's bad when your catching situation is almost as dire as the 17-49 team.

If the Cubs want to compete for a postseason spot, upgrading the catcher spot is a necessity. There should be several options for them to choose from, but Oakland Athletics catcher Shea Langeliers might be the most enticing. He wouldn't be easy to get, but he would be the long-term solution behind the dish that the Cubs need.

A Cubs-A's trade that sends Shea Langeliers to Chicago

Langeliers might not hit for a very high average, but he's got a ton of power. He hit 22 home runs last season in his first full season as Oakland's primary catcher, and he has 12 in 57 games this season. Getting him away from Oakland and into the Friendly Confines surrounded by much more talent could lead to an offensive breakout of sorts as well.

The 26-year-old was a huge part of the trade that sent Matt Olson to Atlanta ahead of the 2022 campaign. While the deal hasn't looked great for Oakland thus far, Langeliers was seen as a promising prospect back then, and has shown some promise in the majors. He doesn't even hit arbitration until 2026, meaning the Cubs would have him for at least four more seasons after this one. That means that Oakland will ask for a lot, but it also means a high asking price might be worth it.

This mock trade proposal could be enough for the A's to bite.

In addition to receiving their catcher of the future, the Cubs would acquire reliever Austin Adams. No, he's not Mason Miller, but Adams has a 3.63 ERA in 31 appearances this season and has outstanding strikeout stuff. Command can be an issue at times, but Adams is only making $800,000 this season and has another year of club control. He'd be a nice addition to the Cubs bullpen which is another major hole on this roster.

To acquire both Langeliers and Adams, the Cubs would have to give up a good amount in terms of prospect capital. The centerpiece of the deal is Kevin Alcantara, Chicago's No. 4 prospect and the No. 51 prospect overall according to MLB Pipeline. Alcantara's inclusion might be tough for Cubs fans to swallow, but you have to give to get.

The 21-year-old can absolutely be a quality starting center fielder in the majors when his time comes, but he's still a moveable piece. The Cubs have a strong outfield right now with Ian Happ, Cody Bellinger, Seiya Suzuki, and Mike Tauchman slotting in. Their top prospect, Pete Crow-Armstrong, is an outfielder. Their No. 3 prospect, Owen Caissie, is an outfielder. Alcantara will have a tough time seeing regular action for years. They might as well trade him while his value is high.

The A's have no reason to trade Langeliers, a young promising catcher with tons of team control, so the Cubs would have to add a sweetener. Haydn McGeary could be that guy. McGeary hasn't had a great year thus far, but made it up to AA in his first full professional season in 2023. McGeary isn't all that great defensively, but he's got tons of power and can be a nice piece for the A's to develop and see in the majors in the not-too-distant future.

This might feel like an overpay from Chicago's perspective, but again, the A's have little to no reason to actually move Langeliers, a promising player. Since the A's are always seemingly open to trading the little MLB talent that they have it can't be ruled out, but the Cubs would have to offer them a lot, like they did in this mock trade, to actually get a deal done.