Blue Jays could do one-stop shopping by calling the Cubs

If the Blue Jays decide to make a big push ahead of the trade deadline, they’d be wise to call the Chicago Cubs, who will likely end up as sellers this month now that they’re 8.5 back of the NL Central lead.

It’s been a good run for the Cubs with their current core, and they’ll always be fondly remembered in Chicago for breaking the 71-year World Series drought in 2016, but it’s clear the best days are behind this group. With that in mind, the franchise would be wise to move on from some of their talented veterans, especially those that are on expiring contracts in 2021.

Despite making two nice under-the-radar additions with Adam Cimber/Corey Dickerson and then Trevor Richards, the Blue Jays are still a team in need of a few upgrades. Specifically, their biggest need is in the bullpen, but there’s a solid argument that they should also address the starting rotation, and perhaps a couple of other spots on the field as well. It remains to be seen how aggressive Ross Atkins and his front office team will be this year, but there’s a strong argument for taking advantage of this talented group of hitters, and hopefully supplementing the roster in a few areas of weakness.

I’m sure Atkins is speaking to several GM’s around the game these days, but I hope he has Jed Hoyer on speed dial right now. The Cubs have several players that could be of significant interest to the Blue Jays, and depending on how big the trade proposal might end up being, they could even provide a one-stop shopping experience.

Let’s review what the Blue Jays need, and what the Cubbies might be selling.

Upgrade for the hot corner?

I figured I’d just get this one out of the way right at the beginning, because until Kris Bryant gets traded and/or signs his next contract, I have a feeling Blue Jays fans are going to keep talking about him.

While it would be fun to bring the 29 year old to Buffalo/Toronto, I have a hard time seeing it happen.

The argument from many fans and writers is that the Blue Jays could use an upgrade for their regular third baseman, and in some ways I’d agree with that sentiment. Biggio has been much better since coming back from the Injured List last month, but he feels a bit miscast at the hot corner rather than playing at second base as we saw him during the first two years of his career. Bryant could solidify the position, which would push Biggio into the valuable utility role the Jays have seemingly always wanted anyway.

As for Bryant, he’s returned to being an above-average option at third base in 2021 after struggling a bit last season. He’s currently slashing .271/.351/.503 with 16 home runs and 46 RBI over 80 games played. The thing is though, now that he’s a coveted player again there will be other teams calling to make offers as well. After an offseason when it seemed like the Cubs were almost ready to give him away, there’s going to be a price attached now that he’s re-established his value.

Considering that the Blue Jays have greater needs elsewhere, I don’t know that I see them making a bigger investment in third base like Bryant. If a potential trade package gets expanded far enough then maybe, but this is one I have a hard time seeing that happen.

The extra ace the rotation still needs

If I were writing out a wish list for the Blue Jays this July, right near the top you’d see the name Kyle Hendricks.

In my mind, the 31 year old checks off pretty much all of the boxes I would expect the Jays to be looking for. He has a long history as an ace-calibre performer, he’s still arguably in his prime, and he has two more years of contract control after this year at just 14 million a piece, including a vesting option for 2024 at 16 million. He’s also an experienced and proven playoff performer.

Hendricks’ value took a bit of a hit this year because he started off very poorly in April. Since then he’s returned to his old ways though, posting a 2.67 ERA in May and following it up with a 2.97 mark in June and a nice start to his July as well.

The thing about Hendricks is that the Cubs may not be that motivated to move him. His contract is more than reasonable, and they may want to keep him around to help bridge the gap during their next rebuild, depending on how far they want to go with it. After they nearly gave Yu Darvish to the San Diego Padres over the winter though, my guess is they could be convinced with a strong enough offer.

Will the Blue Jays make a strong enough offer to get their attention? They have all the motivation in the world to do so, and plenty of strong prospects they could offer that should interest a franchise on the cusp of a rebuild. I can’t help but like the idea of a playoff rotation that has a right-hander like Hendricks to break up Hyun Jin Ryu and Robbie Ray, and that’s a look that could work for a few more seasons as well.

What do the Blue Jays have to give in return?

Let’s say the Blue Jays decide that the Cubs have exactly what they need to transform their roster into true World Series contenders. That’s all well and good, but do they have what it takes to catch the Cubs’ interest?

It all depends on how far Atkins is willing to go, but the answer is a resounding yes.

If the Cubs are looking for young pitching, the Blue Jays have a lot of it. A friend asked me on Friday if I’d consider trading Nate Pearson for Kyle Hendricks, and while my reflex was to give him an immediate “NO!”, the more I thought about it, the more it made sense. Putting that aside, the Blue Jays have some intriguing hurlers including Pearson, Simeon Woods Richardson, Adam Kloffenstein, C.J. Van Eyk, and many more.

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It’s possible the Blue Jays could even be interested in catcher Willson Contreras as well, although that feels like a stretch to me. Either way, if the Cubs are looking for a successor for Contreras (who will be a free agent after the 2022 season), the Blue Jays have a lot of talent behind the plate. I imagine the Cubs would be very interested in a name like Alejandro Kirk, for example.

My guess is the big area the Blue Jays could offer up would be in the infield, and with both Bryant and Javier Baez set to be free agents this winter the Cubs should be listening. I can’t imagine the Blue Jays would consider trading Austin Martin, but there’s plenty where that came from in Jordan Groshans, Orelvis Martinez, Miguel Hiraldo, and several more.

Having said all of that, I’ve thrown around some of the bigger names in the Blue Jays system, and I don’t expect they’ll empty their prospect wallets for the Cubs. It’s all going to depend on the players they target, if any, and how robust the market will be for the available veterans.

If the Blue Jays want to win the trade deadline, they have everything they need to pull it off. There are still plenty of hurdles in their way, but with a roster this talented, it’s hard to imagine they’ll stand pat. Assuming that’s the case, I sure hope they’re consistently pestering the Cubs.