The Chicago Cubs are one of the best teams in Major League Baseball, touting a 50-35 record, and boast one of the league’s best offenses.
Led by Kyle Tucker and Pete Crow-Armstrong, Chicago’s offense ranks second in the league in runs scored, in the top five in team batting average and third in slugging percentage. It’s hard to believe that this high-octane offense could improve, but one writer believes the Cubs will get a major upgrade before the trade deadline.
Bleacher Report’s Zachary Rymer predicts that the Cubs will make a blockbuster trade with the Boston Red Sox, sending away Justin Turner and No. 3 prospect Owen Caissie in exchange for star third baseman Alex Bregman.
“The Cubs were among the finalists to sign Bregman, reportedly offering him the same guarantee as Boston but spread out over four years instead of three,” Rymer wrote. “Their response to losing out was to pivot to Shaw, who was a hot-shot prospect when he made the team out of spring training. Yet the majors have humbled him, and the Cubs’ third base spot is worse off for it.”
“As the Cubs are nonetheless the second-best scoring team in MLB, shoring up third base with Bregman would threaten to turn their offense into the league’s best. Ideally, that would be their return ticket to the World Series after eight years away.”
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Turner would be a salary dump who could temporarily hold down first base for the Red Sox, while Caissie would be another power-hitting outfielder for Boston.
Bregman would be a major addition for the Cubs. On a three-year, $120 million contract, the two-time All-Star has been having one of the best seasons of his career before missing time with a quadriceps injury. The 31-year-old is slashing .299/.385/.938 with 11 home runs and 35 RBIs, and could be what helps the Cubs become World Series contenders.
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