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

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.