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Rizzo’s Historic Home Run Moves Him Past Former Cubs Great On All-Time List

By
Gus
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PHOTO: Justin Berl/Getty Images

Anthony Rizzo reached a career milestone during today’s 7-1 win against the Pittsburgh Pirates when launched his 150th career home run as a big league player.

The home run today also put him in the team lead this season with 16 bombs and capped off a nice day that saw him also hit a single and a double from his new spot in the batting order.

In case you’ve been under a rock this past week, Rizzo has been doing a shit load of damage to opposing pitching as the team’s new lead-off man. Moving your best power hitter to the one-hole is something most teams wouldn’t even think of doing but as crazy as it sounds — it appears to be working.

In addition to his home run today being his 150th of his career and also his team-leading 16th, it also moved him to 14th all-time on the Cubs home run list bypassing a former Cubs great (and personal favorite of mine), Mark Grace.

He’s also only 25 homers behind another one of my all-time favorites, Andre Dawson.

If you’ll notice, that’s not a typo that Rizzo has 149 home runs as a Cub. The only other MLB home run he hit came in 2011 when he was a member of the San Diego Padres (who the Cubs will play tomorrow.)

When you factor in that Rizzo is still only 27-years-old and has consistently hit 30 home runs for the past three seasons, I don’t see any reason why he can’t make a run at being a career top 5 all-time home run hitter for the Chicago Cubs — even if it’s as a lead-off guy.

 

Cardinals Showing Interest In Avisail Garcia

By
Emmet McClain
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As the trade market is set to heat up soon, Jose Quintana and David Robertson have been the two most talked about names. One wild card that has been thrown around in trade talks is Avisail Garcia. It seems fans are torn on whether they would be thrilled or upset to see him shipped away for prospects. On one end, he is having a career year as he leads the A.L in batting average at .337. In fact, if it weren’t for Aaron Judge, Garcia would probably be in the running for A.L. MVP. What is also nice is that he is still young, having just turned 26 this week. He would still be in the prime of his career when the White Sox are supposed to contend, and if this is the new norm for Avi, he is definitely worth keeping.

That’s the thing though. Is this the new norm? Or is this just a fluke season where everything is going right? It is a question Rick Hahn is surely thinking about. If the White Sox trade Garcia for young talent, but goes on to hit .300 the rest of his career, is it really worth it? On the other hand, if the White Sox choose to retain Avi and he goes back to the player he once was, it will be a huge missed opportunity to pick up more young talent. Regardless of what the White Sox office is thinking, other teams have already expressed interest in Garcia, and one in particular.

The St. Louis Cardinals.


The Fit

St. Louis is obviously searching for more OF help. This was evident in their tiresome pursuit of Luis Robert. Pairing Avi in right field with Dexter Fowler would give the Cardinals one of the better outfields in the National League. And with the way Avi has been swinging the bat, the White Sox could get a pretty solid return for him. With the Cardinals 5.5 games out of the division lead and 10.5 out of the wildcard, they are probably going to be buyers at the deadline. The Cardinals have the need, and Garcia would fit right into RF and the middle of the lineup. If St. Louis is serious about going after Avi, they have the prospects the White Sox would want in a deal.

The Prospects

The Cardinals have 5 prospects in the top 100, but for now let’s just assume that RHP and no. 9 overall Alex Reyes is untouchable, even with him undergoing Tommy John surgery this year. That still leaves them with 4 great prospects the White Sox could target in a deal surrounding Avi.

Carson Kelly- C, No. 34 Overall, No. 1 C

Carson Kelly was initially drafted as a third baseman, but the Cardinals switched him to catcher, where he has made huge strides. Defensively, he is as good as they come and has potential to win numerous Gold Gloves in the future. Offensively, his bat is slightly below average, but his makeup, well, makes up for it. A natural leader on and off the field, Kelly was expected to be the heir to Yadier Molina. Kelly is ready for the MLB right now, but with Molina signing a three year extension with St. Louis, his future is up in the air. Kelly’s leadership, defensive potential, and tireless work ethic would be a fantastic addition for the White Sox.

Luke Weaver- RHP, No. 58 Overall

Luke Weaver has the ceiling of a no. 3 starter, and his floor is probably a no. 5. He throws two different fastballs-one that cuts and one that sinks, and a devastating changeup that just disappears. His breaking balls need work and if he can harness one into a solid 3rd offering, he has the potential to really break out. With his exceptional command and control, he is going to throw a lot of strikes. He boast a 6-1 record in Triple-A and an ERA of 2.33. Weaver would give the White Sox another young arm for the foreseeable future.

Delvin Perez- SS, No. 79 Overall

Of all the Cardinals prospects, Perez intrigues me the most. In the top 100 at just eighteen-years-old, Perez could become a top 25 prospect one day. Take a look at how his tools grade out: Hit: 50 | Power: 40 | Run: 65 | Arm: 60 | Field: 60 | Overall: 55

Clearly, Perez’ speed and fielding ability are the strengths of his game, but his hit and power tools should develop as well. As Perez matures and adds strength and experience, he should at least be an average hitter with 45 grade power. He will never be a legitimate 5-tool player, but with his dynamic glove, legs, and arm, he should grow into a game changer regardless of his power. With an ETA around 2020, Perez would fit with the timing of the rebuild, and the Cardinals may be more easily persuaded to send him off for immediate help coming from Avi.

Many fans will surely ask where this leaves Tim Anderson, and that’s fair, but there are 2 points to remember: The first is that we have only seen a year of Tim’s play so far, and it is still way too early to say that he is the shortstop of the future, even with his contract extension. I still think Tim is going to be a great player, but we still don’t really know for sure. Perez would give the White Sox another lucrative option at shortstop, or at least another asset to trade down the road.

Jack Flaherty- RHP, No. 98 Overall

Finally we have Jack Flaherty, coming in right on the fringe of the top 100 at 98. The righty does not possess electric stuff by any means, but is always consistently pounding the strike-zone, and somehow still misses plenty of bats. I would compare him to Kyle Hendricks if I had to. Both use their command and movement of pitches to get batters out, as opposed to their velocity. He was drafted out of high school, where he was actually teammates with current White Sox prospect Lucas Giolito. Flaherty made his first Triple-A start this past week, after spending the first part of the season in Double-A. He struck out 10 while giving up 3 runs on 4 hits in 6 innings of work. At just 21 years old, he is well ahead of the curve, and should become an MLB regular as soon as next year.

Final Thoughts

If the White Sox are not sure that Avi Garcia will be with the White Sox long term, now would be the perfect time to trade him. With his value having never been higher, they could net a very nice return for his services. Based on what the White Sox did in the draft, it would be fair to assume they would go for bats instead of arms. That means they will more than likely target one of, if not both Carson Kelly and Delvin Perez. Kelly could come to the White Sox organization and takeover as the every day catcher immediately, while Perez is more of a project that is still 3 years away. Regardless, the White Sox could add 2 more top 100 prospects to an already loaded farm system. The need and want is there for both teams, we just have to wait and see just how serious these rumors are.

This Story of Mitch Trubisky’s Birth is Equal Parts Hilarious and Shocking

By
Erik Lambert
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ryan pace draft trade

By all accounts the new Chicago Bears quarterback in town is a pretty down-to-earth dude. He’s noted by teammates for his hard work. He likes country music and keeps a level of organization that makes one wonder if he has misdiagnosed OCD. A bit quirky but no reason to think he’s not just another normal guy who happens to be good at football. That is until people hear the Mitch Trubisky birth story.

Rich Campbell of the Chicago Tribune caught up with the 22-year olds’ family in recent weeks. The idea being to learn as much about the potential future franchise quarterback as possible. There were plenty of interesting details. Perhaps the most eye-opening one though was mentioned just briefly, almost as if there was an attempt at concealment.

Well no such luck. It turns out that there is a dirty, little secret Trubisky has been hiding.

Mitch Trubisky birth had been planned for “other side of the fence”

“Thinking back, maybe Mitch really was born to do this. After all, the first moments of his life did involve an audible.

The play call on Aug. 20, 1994, was, in fact, for Dave and Jeanne’s firstborn to be a girl. At least that’s what their doctor repeatedly indicated despite their request not to know in advance.

Kayla Rose Trubisky was scrapped in favor of Mitchell David. And from the start, he was wired to play sports.”

That’s right. All expectations going into the big arrival was that Mitch Trubisky was expected to be a girl. That immediately raises two points. That it’s undeniably funny and whether or not Kayla Trubisky would’ve been drafted #2 overall.

Truth be told this is no an uncommon occurrence. Hospitals can misidentify babies all the time. In fact there are some rare cases where they didn’t know a mother was having twins. It happens. Besides, it’s not like Mitch is the first major personality whose parents thought he’d be a girl. Wrestling legend Michael Hickenbottom, better known as the “Heartbreak Kid” Shawn Michaels, encountered the exact same reality.

It’s nothing more than a fun little story.

Meet The Bears Great Who Should Be In Hall of Fame But Never Will Be

By
Erik Lambert
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bears pro football hall of fame

The most popular name who should be the next Bears Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee is Jay Hilgenberg. He’s been argued for years. A seven-time Pro Bowler and member of the 1985 team. He did everything a great player must do to get in and yet keeps getting shafted. Well it turns out there is somebody else in Chicago football history who might have an even bigger beef with the voters in Canton.

Most young Bears fans today won’t know the name Richie Petitbon. That’s understandable. The last snap of football he played was in 1972. By that point he hadn’t played for Chicago in four years. So it’s easy to forget somebody after such a length of time, and that’s a crying shame because he was the greatest safety in franchise history.

That’s not trying to hype the man up either. The stats bear that out quite clearly. Gary Fencik holds the record for most interceptions in team history with 38. Petitbon is right behind him with 37. The key being that Fencik needed 12 seasons to get his. Petitbon only needed 10. This also isn’t counting the 11 additional picks he had after leaving Chicago.

So why isn’t he another Bears Pro Football Hall of Fame entrant?

It’s difficult to find an answer to that. Gale Sayers is in and he only played 68 games and didn’t win a championship. Petitbon played 136 games just in Chicago and did something else Sayers never did. He won a championship. The guy was part of the 1963 Bears teams that won the title. Petitbon even delivered a key interception in the title game against the Giants.

What makes his absence even more maddening? After he retired, Petitbon would go on to have a highly successful run as a coach. He was arguably one of the best defensive coordinators of the 1980s. With his help the Washington Redskins went to four Super Bowls from 1982 to 1991 and won three Lombardi trophies.

So let’s review

Petitbon has a ring as a player and three rings as a coach. He’s tied for 42nd all-time in interceptions with 48. Two men who have the same amount are Herb Adderly and Willie Wood, both of whom are already in the Hall of Fame. In fact Petitbon and the Bears beat those two men and their Packers team twice in 1963 to win the championship.

The point is all the great things a man is required to do in order to secure a gold jacket in this league? Richie Petitbon has done it. How he’s not even been a finalist for the honor is one of the greatest crimes in the leagues’ long history. It’s just further proof that more than ever the Hall of Fame has become a voting system riddled with politics where the most hyped names get in, not the most deserving ones.

Maybe someday the man will get the closeup he so richly deserves. For right now though, Bears fans need to know about this man. They must be reminded of what he meant to the franchise and to the sport they cheer for every Sunday.

Bears 2017 Draft Class Has Two Early Leaders For Major Roles

By
Erik Lambert
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bears 2017 draft class

John Fox is an old school coach. He’d prefer not to play rookies if he doesn’t have to. Reasons for that are obvious. Rookies tend to make mistakes. They aren’t used to the complexity or speed of the NFL. Those feelings won’t change with the Bears 2017 draft class either. The only reason the 2016 class got so much playing time was a rash of injuries across the roster and a general lack of overall talent.

It’s going to take some serious performance over the course of training camp and preseason to convince Fox and his staff that a rookie should not only play, but feature in some capacity. Remember he was comfortable going with Jeremy Langford over Jordan Howard last season. Hroniss Grasu was going to start over Cody Whitehair.

This isn’t a team that hands out gifts. If you want the job, either you need to be lucky or you have to earn it. At least through OTAs and minicamps, two names continue to come up among the rookie class. Players who are defying a lot of expectations made about them when they were drafted. At least early on.

Bears 2017 draft class feeding the offense

Many of the concerns regarding the Bears offense center around wide receiver. With the exit of Alshon Jeffery there really isn’t a proven target on that depth chart. At least none without questions. Victor Cruz, Markus Wheaton and Kevin White all have injury issues. Kendall Wright regressed badly during his time in Tennessee. Cameron Meredith is ascending but has never had to play the featured role before.

So it’s a good thing tight end Adam Shaheen and running back Tarik Cohen may be positioning themselves to supplement the passing game in other ways. The noise they’re making in camp is even getting the attention of longtime veterans as Adam Jahn of Chicago Sun-Times found out.

The Bears want rookie quarterback Mitch Trubisky to learn behind new starter Mike Glennon, but Shaheen and running back Tarik Cohen won’t wait. The Bears see those two as having immediate roles in coordinator Dowell Loggains’ offense.

Shaheen, the Bears’ second-round pick, and Cohen, a fourth-round selection, worked with the starters during the offseason program.

Having faced both players in various scenarios, Freeman knows what the Bears have brewing in their rookies.

‘‘The tight end is a big body,’’ Freeman said with wide eyes. ‘‘He gets a little aggressive out there. He’s just a big body, and he’s a worker. He’s going to keep working and continue to work. a great guy to have on offense.’’

And Cohen?

‘‘No. 29, he’s like a human joystick out there,’’ Freeman said. ‘‘Just get him in the open field, and he’s dangerous — really dangerous.’’

Living up to the hype

Shaheen and Cohen drew some fascinating comparisons when they were drafted. Shaheen still holds the nickname of “Baby Gronk” in reference to his likeness to New England Patriots all-pro Rob Gronkowski. Cohen is almost universally seen as the second coming of Darren Sproles. Not surprising given their similarities in size, quickness and athleticism.

Of course it’s really not fair to them when making such comparisons. They are unique in their own right and would prefer to carve out their own careers. All Bears fans want is for them to excel. A major key to that is whether the coaching staff uses them right. The good news is Dowell Loggains has demonstrated such an ability.

We will know more when training camp kicks off in July.

Blackhawks Release Protected List For Las Vegas Expansion Draft

By
Marc-Louis Paprzyca
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The Chicago Blackhawks have released their list of protected players for the Vegas Golden Knight’s Expansion Draft on Wednesday. They went the 7-3-1 route for forwards, defensemen and goalies respectively.

Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, Marian Hossa, Artem Anisimov, Ryan Hartman, Richard Panik, Tomas Jurco, Duncan Keith, Brent Seabrook, Niklas Hjalmarsson and Corey Crawford have all been protected. No surprises here except maybe Jurco, but he was protected instead of Marcus Kruger so the Blackhawks can shed Kruger’s contract.

If you’re concerned that you don’t see guys like Artemi Panarin and Nick Schmaltz on the protected list, don’t worry. First and second year North American professional players are exempt from protection. They are automatically protected.

From the rest of the players who were left unprotected, the Golden Knights must select one player. They are required to take one player from each team and only one.

The Golden Knights can acquire more players, protected or exposed, via trade. If a team does not want to lose an unprotected player, they can strike up a trade to send a draft pick or prospect to Las Vegas in exchange for not taking that unprotected player.

This is going to be a busy week for the Blackhawks and the NHL. It will be interesting to see what the Hawks do with rumors already swirling with Las Vegas.

Follow @Pappy_Hour on Twitter for more Blackhawks news and musings.

 

 

Jake Arrieta Crushes His First Home Run Of The Season

By
Aldo Soto
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The Chicago Cubs didn’t have much going on offensively against Pittsburgh Pirates starter Ivan Nova on Saturday night, until a costly two-out walk led to Jake Arrieta’s first home run of the season.

Kyle Schwarber drew the walk ahead of Arrieta in the fourth inning and on a 2-2 pitch the Cubs pitcher crushed a game-tying home run to left.

Arrieta now has five career home runs.

Why Cameron Meredith May Be Destined For Greater Success in Chicago

By
Erik Lambert
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cameron meredith destiny

How does one go about explaining a Cameron Meredith destiny piece? Especially considering the guy just sprained his thumb and is out until training camp. That’s no reason to panic. By all accounts the young wide receiver has looked better than ever in practice. This coming off his excellent 2016 season that saw him post 888 yards in just his second year.

Not bad for an undrafted free agent who switched to wide receiver from quarterback in college. It’s a testament to his desire and work ethic that he’s made it this far. The better part for Bears fans is he’s still scratching the surface of his potential. Not only that, but there’s reason to believe that lady luck may be in his corner thanks to a few unforeseen benefits that people may not know about.

The saying goes it’s better to be lucky than good. Meredith could end up being both. Here are some key reasons to think the best is still to come.

Cameron Meredith destiny starts with Illinois ties

Do not underestimate the value of harvesting homegrown talent. Few teams have had greater success at getting great players from their home state quite like the Bears do from Illinois. In case people need a quick refresher, here are some notable names:

  • George Wilson
  • George Musso
  • Dick Butkus
  • Gary Fencik
  • Brendan Ayanbadejo
  • Charles Tillman

All of those men were Pro Bowlers for the Bears during their respective careers. Two of them (Butkus and Musso) are now enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. There’s just something special about a guy being able to play for the team he grew up watching. It’s the same for Meredith who was born in Berwyn, Illinois and graduated from Illinois State. A chance to succeed in his NFL career for Chicago has to be inspiring for him.

He’s wearing #81

They say not much should be read into what jersey number a player wears. Tell that to people who watched Michael Jordan go from #45 back to #23. Tell that to all the Bears players who’ve had their numbers retired in Chicago. It can matter a lot and there is a history that shows wearing the right one with this team can produce results.

Meredith is finding that out rather fast. Turns out the #81 has been quite generous to the franchise over the years. Hall of Fame defensive end Doug Atkins made it famous during his run in the 1960s. However, it’s also produced some quality play at the wide receiver position. Jeff Graham, Bobby Engram and even Rashied Davis had memorable moments when they wore it during their runs in Chicago.

Wearing that jersey number has done some good things for Bears players in the past. Meredith, who led the team in receiving last year, is starting to experience the same.

The guy is an underdog receiver

This might sound a little confusing at first. What exactly does it mean? Specifically it’s in regards to how he got into the NFL. In other words, the hard way. Meredith was an undrafted free agent in 2015 who signed with the Bears and then had to fight his way onto the roster. Not an easy thing to do. As it turns out though, underdog receivers have had a long history of success with this franchise. In fact the two all-time leaders in receiving yards come from similar backgrounds.

Johnny Morris, who remains #1 with 5,059 was a lowly 12th round draft pick in 1958. The guy right below him on the list? That would be Harlon Hill, a 15th round pick out of North Alabama in 1954. The two men came from humble beginnings but they ended up combining for five Pro Bowls and two championship game appearances. Dick Gordon, a two-time Pro Bowler, was a seventh round pick in 1965.

That’s not a coincidence. That’s a trend. For whatever reason the Bears are a haven for overachieving wide receivers. Meredith looks like he’s next in line, and he may be the most fortunate depending on whether Mitch Trubisky pans out as the quarterback they envision.

Three-Team Trade Involving Bulls Could Turn Draft Upside Down

By
Sean Sears
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nba insider reveals real reason celtics didnt want jimmy butler

The Jimmy Butler trade rumors never seem to die. However this time, the rumors look to be about is realistic as they’ve ever been, as the Bulls are reportedly involved in a three-time trade involving the Celtics, 76ers, and a butt-load of picks.

From what I have been able to gather from Twitter, the 76ers are vying for the Celtics No. 1 overall pick to draft Washington PG Markelle Fultz, while the Celtics would move back to the No. 3 overall pick to take Josh Jackson and acquire picks that Philadelphia received from the Lakers, including an extremely valuable unprotected 2018 1st round pick.

Of course, this adds another level of excitement to the NBA draft talk, but how does this impact Bulls? Well, the Bulls are apparently interested in Philly Forward, and Chicago-native, Jahlil Okafor and the potential to acquire multiple picks in future drafts. The cost would be one Jimmy Butler, who would be finally heading to Boston after what seems like almost two years of rumors saying he would land in B-town.

The Bulls have been spiraling towards mediocrity and further since the fall of Derrick Rose and the ascension of now super-star Jimmy Butler. A hard-working, two-way player like Butler are nearly impossible to find – especially considering where the Bulls draft Butler at.

However, the real question is, can the Bulls get adequate value for Jimmy Butler in any trade? And will the Bulls management allow this team to actually be bad enough to be in the conversation for the No. 1 pick next season? Because if the answer is no to any of those, the Bulls will hold on to Butler until the end of time, or until his contract is up in Chicago – whichever comes first.

While, nothing has been confirmed about the Bulls being seriously involved in this deal, it looks like Boston and Philadelphia are just waiting for Fultz’ workout to all but solidify this deal.

Even Joel Embiid is a believer.

The other part of this deal is the Lakers 2018 and 2021 picks that 76ers have control of, as the Celtics are trying to acquire both of these picks unprotected, which could be why the Bulls are being linked to this deal as a third team. The Sixers might be able to get one of the picks to be protected if they are helping the Celtics add a bonafide superstar in Jimmy Butler. Or the Celtics could just want their cake and to eat it too.

Of course, there are some skeptics out there who believe the Bulls being involved in this deal seems a bit far-fetched.

Highkin also pointed out that the Bulls initial interest in Okafor at the trade deadline last March was “overblown”, leading to more interesting drama surrounding this Bulls team. Sadly, we will not know what is happening until draft night, as both the Cetlics and 76ers will not make the move official until then.

While these rumors are just that – rumors. I wouldn’t go out and buy any Jimmy Butler Bulls jerseys for Lollapalooza quite yet.

UPDATE – 8:47 pm, June 17th.

Word from Sixer’s camp is that Fultz workout was not the greatest, but that trade talk is still heating up between the Cetlics and 76ers, and the talks are not reportedly including the Bulls. So, it looks as if Jimmy Butler is safe in Chicago for the time being.

 

Update: 6/18, 12:15 pm

With the deal official as of Monday, the Bulls are currently not involved in the deal, however people are speculating that Jimmy Butler could still be traded to Boston with Celtics GM Danny Ainge using the pick he acquired from the Sixers and some of the Cetlics banked future draft picks from the Nets.

The One Deal That Could Solve All The Cubs Problems

By
Sean Sears
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The Cubs are back to .500 ball after yesterday’s 9-5 win over Pittsburgh, however, the team needed a late ninth-inning surge to snatch back the lead to pull out the win. And while yesterday’s game was fun and included another solid performance from Anthony Rizzo as the team’s lead-off hitter, this team’s two biggest holes are becoming excruciatingly obvious.

Another reliable starting pitcher and a table-setting center fielder.

The Cubs have been linked to a few names over the last few weeks, guys like Sonny Gray of the Athletics and Christian Yelich of the Marlins. Now, while both of these options would be fantastic, it’s unlikely that the Cubs could swing a deal for both of these players. So, one of the Cubs weaknesses would either go unaddressed or or a lesser player would be acquired to help fill the void.

While that plan wouldn’t be bad, the Cubs are equally struggling in both positions. To make another run to the World Series, they need their offense scoring more than 4.7 runs per game, and their pitching has to register an ERA better than 4.21. Both parts need improvement, but the Cubs can only make a massive deal for one of these guys. But what if they could make a deal with one team and solve both their needs?

Kansas City Shuffle 

The Royals are sitting 3 games back from 1st place with a 32-34 record, and while they are only a game worse than the Cubs, Kansas City seems like a team that has seen it’s playoff window expire. And with the team is looking to re-stock for the next generation of Royals, current center fielder and free-agent to be Lorenzo Cain seems like a obvious trade piece at this year’s deadline.

At 31, Cain is no more than a rental with a likely large payday coming this off season, however that could make the asking price reasonable for the former 2015 World Series MVP. Currently, Cain is slashing .283/.358/.467 with 10 home runs, 37 runs scored, and 12 stolen bases for a struggling Royal club.

After talking with a few sources and colleagues, the consensus on Cain is that the Cubs could possibly offer a prospect like INF Jeimer Candelario and a mid-tier prospect to land the lead-off hitter. Candelario, while a promising top 100 prospect in all of baseball according to MLB Pipeline, lacks a spot to play everyday for the big league club. And to add an elite lead-off hitter with some pop like Cain,  even though it would somewhat hurting the farm system, would be a win for me.

But, what if the Cubs could solve their pitching issues in the same deal? Insert LHP Danny Duffy, the Royals 28-year-old long reliever-turned starter. Duffy, who is battling a Grade 1 oblique strain, is on year one of a five-year, $65 mil contract (an extremely team-friendly deal). Before the oblique strain, Duffy was cruising to a 3.54 ERA and FIP with an incredible 5.1% home run/fly-ball rate through 11 starts. The numbers along with his plus contract, profiles Duffy as the exact type of player the Cubs have been targeting to add to their rotation.

Adding a young, controllable arm that’s as cost efficient as Duffy would give the Cubs the arm they have been searching for, while also freeing up future money to spend on the clubs young core, like Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo, Kyle Schwarber, etc. But, to acquire two talented players in one deal is not going to come cheap.

What’s It Going To Take? 

Of course, the deal would take more than just Candelario and another prospect for this trade to be pulled off. To start, either Ian Happ or Eloy Jimenez will have to headline this deal, plus Candelario, and possibly a pitching prospect. Cubs top pitching prospect Dylan Cease could be involved, guys like the impressive Trevor Clifton or bulky Oscar De La Cruz may also be options. But a package surround either Happ or Jimenez, or even both, plus a few other pieces is likely the cost for the Cubs to acquire both Duffy and Cain.

Just to clarify, I have not heard the Cubs have any interest in either players as of right now. Sources have told me the Cubs might be against the rental idea all together, but if a player like Cain could be paired with a lefty like Duffy, you can bet Theo Epstein will give serious thought to that trade.

Now, the risk is high to trade for a rental and an injury prone pitcher, however if the Cubs win another World Series in 2017 or Duffy eventually helps the Cubs win another title is that not worth the pieces they forfeited to win it all? In my book, I’m looking at this trade as a win – as long as Eloy Jimenez stays in the Chicago Cubs farm system.

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