The Chicago Cubs haven’t had much success since 2016 when they ended the longest drought in sports history. They have missed the postseason every year since 2020 and last flew the W flag over a postseason game in 2017 (lost NLDS 4-1). But having spent the seventh most in payroll last season, Jed Hoyer and the Ricketts family are going to keep spending low this offseason.
Unfortunately, that won’t produce a much different outcome than what we’ve seen in the past three years. This past season, the Cubs finished 10 games back of the first place Brewers and missed the Wild Card round by six games. So, their best bet is on the trade market. What positions should they look to improve?
In 2024, the Cubs’ bullpen put up an ERA of 3.81, good enough for 12th in the majors. While not too shabby, they blew 26 saves, tied for the sixth worst record in the MLB. On the offensive side, they totaled 170 home runs, tying them for 20th in the league. With this in mind, it seems the Cubs should get on the phone with GM of the A’s David Forst and try to swing this deal.
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Having come across a miserable stretch, the Oakland (now Sacramento) Athletics are in desperate need of a rebuild. Forst seems stubborn on keeping Brent Rooker and JJ Bleday, but if the A’s are going to succeed sometime soon, they will need to part with at least a few valuable pieces such as these two.
Mason Miller is the most sought-after bullpen arm in baseball. In his first full year as a reliever, the flamethrowing closer finished the season with a 2.49 ERA and a mind blowing 104 strikeouts through 65 innings. Miller consistently tops 100 mph with his fastball which averages higher than any other pitcher at 100.9 mph. He also owns the highest whiff rate, the highest strike out rate, and almost grabs the highest chase rate. His fastball is offset with a wipe-out slider, but he has flashed a changeup and a splitter on rare occasions. He will be a free agent after the 2029 season.
Along with Miller, the Cubs would get Shea Langeliers. In 2024, Langeliers slashed .224/.288/.450/.739 with 29 home runs through 482 at-bats. He is also one of the top arms behind the plate when it comes to nailing runners. As a hitter, Langeliers posted the second-highest home run rate amongst catchers. Even with the low batting average, he would be a welcome improvement over the Cubs’ current options. Acquiring a player with his power would certainly be a step in the right direction for the north siders. He will be a free agent after the 2028 season.
In exchange, the A’s would get three touted prospects. The Cubs have eight top 100 prospects, and one doesn’t appear to have a path to the roster.
Moises Ballesteros is the Cubs number four prospect and ranks 44th overall in the MLB Pipeline. The 21-year-old backstop/first baseman is seen as a potential star hitter with excellent control of the plate. In 454 at-bats across the Double-A and Triple-A levels, Ballesteros hit .289 with 19 home runs. However, his defense behind the plate is not great and he is slow to counter runners. Base stealers succeeded 79.5 percent of time against him. Scouts believe he’ll need to move to first base full-time. With Michael Busch already at first, Ballesteros makes an excellent trade chip that may be ready to join an MLB team this coming year.
The second prospect that would be heading to Sacramento would be the Cubs’ number 11 prospect Pedro Ramirez. The 20-year-old switch-hitting infielder hit .284 with four home runs through 464 at-bats in high A. He doesn’t have much power, but he has plus speed and has serious potential as a pure hitter. While he can field third base, he may be better suited to play at second.
The last prospect heading west would be the Cubs’ number 22 prospect, Brandon Birdsell. The 24-year-old starter throws a fastball that averages in the mid-90’s which is offset with a plus slider and curveball, but his changeup could use some work. Across Double and Triple-A, Birdsell threw 135.2 innings to the tune of a 3.91 ERA with 134 strike outs. He may be a back of the rotation starter by next season.
A trade like this would bring both a reliable arm to the Cubs’ bullpen and a power bat to their power-lacking lineup. Since the headliner here is a reliever and doesn’t throw a ton of innings, it would be hard to expect the A’s to receive a massive package. However, they would receive a decent package headlined by a top 100 prospect that could easily kickstart their rebuild.
