A Cubs-Blue Jays trade that would blow Toronto away for a superstar

The Chicago Cubs have gotten off to a great start to the 2024 season, led by a streaky offense and a dominant pitching staff. The issue with having a streaky offense though, is that there are low points in the season. And right now, Chicago's lineup is seeing one of those low points.

Since April 27, the Cubs are hitting below .200 as a team, good for last in all of baseball. Somehow, they've stayed afloat in the NL Central, just two games back of the Brewers, largely in part to their dominant three-headed monster (Imanaga, Taillon, Assad) at the top of their pitching staff.

But if Chicago wants to contend in October, they need to figure their lineup out. With the rumors of some of the superstars around baseball who might be in the trade market, Chicago is going to need to go out and get one of these monster stars,

A huge Cubs-Blue Jays trade that would net Cubs a superstar in Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

"There is always a chance a team blows the Blue Jays away with an offer," Fansided's MLB Insider, Robert Murray wrote. "But the early guess is that there’s a strong chance that both players remain in Toronto for the entirety of the 2024 season."

So that's exactly what Chicago would do in order to get the first base answer they've long coveted: Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

If this trade seems like a lot, that's because it is. Anything less than an offer like this would cause the Blue Jays General Manager to hang up the phone without another word. It includes three of Chicago's top ten prospects and then an MLB-ready arm in Porter Hodge. And it still might not be enough for Toronto to trade their 25-year-old superstar.

Shaw, 22, has all the tools to be a good big-league hitter. He's shifted to third base because of the current Cubs infield alignment, but he has the ability to play up the middle too. He's slashing .288/.370/.479 in his professional career.

Alcantara, 21, is a huge 6-foot-6 outfielder who still has plenty of room to add weight and strength to his sub-200-pound frame. The outfielder has shown above-average athleticism to pair with his God-given size.

Aria, 22, has shown an above-average fastball but has been limited by his command. If he can improve his command, he has the potential to be an electric arm on the mound.

Hodge, 23, gives the Blue Jays a high-floor guy at the bottom half of this trade. He'll likely never be a game-changing arm, but he has solid stuff and gets good extension on his pitches, making him a valuable piece of the trade.

But for the Blue Jays, as Robert Murray said, it would cost a ton for them to let go of Guerrero. If any team is going to make this kind of leap to try to acquire an impact bat, it may just be the Chicago Cubs.