MLB trade rumors: Cubs have considered trading young position player

The Cubs have considered trading a young position player before the deadline in an effort to jump-start the club, per FOX’s Ken Rosenthal.

Chicago theoretically has a few candidates if they do decide to go that route, with Kyle Schwarber, Willson Contreras, Ian Happ and Javier Baez all seeming to be logical candidates. The struggles of Schwarber mixed with the early successes of Contreras and Happ and the versatility of Baez make such a move unlikely, however.

The Cubs are looking to be deadline buyers despite their disappointing 43-45 start, but are unlikely to trade key prospects like Eloy Jimenez or Dylan Cease to acquire pitching help. Instead, the club should be considered more likely to make a move of a young position player, similarly to how they traded Jorge Soler to the Royals in a one-for-one swap for closer Wade Davis at the winter meetings.

President of baseball operations Theo Epstein and general manager Jed Hoyer will be creative in their efforts to get better and make a run at the NL Central before the end of the month, so it’s possible someone like Baez, Happ or Schwarber could be moved. The fact that the team is even considering a move of one of their precious young assets speaks volumes about the season by itself.