The Chicago Cubs have slowly fallen back in the race for the National League Central. Once in the lead, the Cubs are 10-20 in their last 30 games and in fourth place in the division, 7.5 games behind the Milwaukee Brewers, through June 13.
To right the ship, the Cubs would acquire the New York Mets‘ Pete Alonso and Reed Garrett in a trade proposed by Bleacher Report’s Zachary D. Rymer. The Mets would get the Cubs’ No. 2 prospect, outfielder Owen Caissie.
Trading for Alonso “would indicate a shortage of faith in [Cubs first baseman Michael] Busch, which wouldn’t be unfair. He was red-hot in April, but he has since cooled with a .655 OPS in his last 45 games,” Rymer wrote in a June 14 story about Alonso’s top landing spots. “His struggles mirror that of the Cubs offense, which has averaged 3.5 runs since April 27.”
Busch, 26, was acquired from the Los Angeles Dodgers before the season. The Cubs’ bullpen was the source of most of the team’s problems early in the season. However, the offense has since fallen off.
Chicago’s team batting average of .228 (through June 13) is 25th in the league and 13 percentage points lower than the league average. And according to Sports Illustrated, “They don’t have a single batter hitting above .272, with outfielder Seiya Suzuki leading the way. Only five players are hitting above .240.”
Alonso, a three-time All-Star is slashing .233/.315/.459 in 67 games this season. He is only a .249 career hitter, but his power makes him an elite player. In his four full seasons, Alonso averaged 44 home runs, and he has 14 homers this year, more than any hitter on the Cubs roster.
Busch has a .253 batting average and eight home runs on the season.
Cubs Would Send No. 2 Prospect in Trade Proposal
The Cubs have “touched base” with the Mets for Alonso, according to The Athletic’s Jim Bowden. They have also checked in on Vladimir Guerrero Jr. of the Toronto Blue Jays.
Caissie, currently with Triple-A Iowa as the Cubs’ No. 2 prospect, has a .860 OPS in 58 games this season. He has a .289 average with 7 home runs and 5 stolen bases. He is MLB Pipeline’s No. 35 overall prospect.
“Despite his youth, Caissie already generates some of the highest exit velocities in the game and his raw power earns top-of-the-scale grades from some evaluators,” MLB.com wrote in his draft prospect bio.
Garrett Could Bolster the Bullpen
The kicker in the deal is Garrett, who could improve what has been a bullpen with the league’s sixth-worst ERA. Their 117 walks are the fourth most.
“The Cubs are otherwise an obvious candidate to trade for a reliever, and not just any reliever. Rather than an Ottavino or a Diekman, their bullpen needs a proper electrifier for the back end,” Rymer wrote. “Garrett may be 31 years old, but he’s been a revelation for the Mets this year. He’s rocking a 36.6 strikeout percentage, tying him for sixth among qualified relievers. He’s also under team control through 2029.”
Garrett, who has a 6-2 record, a 3.21 ERA, 3 saves and 6 holds, made his debut in 2019 with the Detroit Tigers. He pitched in Japan in 2020 and 2021 before signing a minor league contract with the Washington Nationals in 2022. He was released after the season and signed a minor league contract with the Baltimore Orioles. Garrett was designated for assignment before he ended up with the Mets. He is still in the pre-arbitration stage of his contract.
“It would therefore be worth it for the Cubs to up the ante to get both Alonso and Garrett, and they’d still have six top-100 prospects even after parting with Caissie,” Rymer wrote. “As he has big power potential in his own right, he’d be a suitable heir apparent for Alonso.”
