Prospects the Cubs Might Trade Ahead of the MLB Trade Deadline

As we get closer to the MLB trade deadline on July 31st, trade talks are heating up. Jed Hoyer, the Chicago Cubs President of Baseball Operations, has made it clear that the Cubs will be buyers at the deadline. He has also made it clear that their main target is pitching. While the Cubs starting pitching has been better as of late, it is still very shaky and not fit for postseason baseball. A few players that have emerged as possible trade targets are Sandy Alcantara, Edward Cabrera, Merrill Kelly, and even Chris Sale. While nothing is certain quite yet among who they will target, the Cubs will certainly have to give away some of their top prospects. Which of these prospects might be shipped away?

Possible Prospects That Could Be Traded at the MLB Trade Deadline

Nothing is definite as to which prospects will be traded away yet because all teams have different wants and needs. But, there have been a few players who have been mentioned more than others in trade proposals. So, here are three guys from the Cubs organization that could be traded away before the deadline.

Owen Caissie

Owen Caissie has been the big name mentioned in all the possible trades. He is currently the Cubs’ #2 ranked prospect and is ranked #45 in all of MLB. He was dealt to the Cubs in 2020 from San Diego as part of the Yu Darvish trade. Caissie is an outfielder, who bats lefty, at the Cubs Triple-A level. For the Iowa Cubs this year, he has played mostly right field. While his season started shaky, he is heating up at just the right time.

In his last 30 games, he is slashing .330/.427/.554 with 5 home runs and 20 RBIs. This is exactly what the Cubs hoped for as these numbers will boost his value in trade talks. Even though no team enjoys shipping away their top prospects, another starting pitcher is a must for Chicago if they want to have a chance to win a pennant. Caissie is a guy that every team would love to have in their organization no matter their needs.

Kevin Alcántara

Kevin Alcántara, also known as “The Jaguar,” is an exciting young prospect playing at Triple-A Iowa right now. But, he has not had an ideal season this far as he is slashing .237/.324/.393. Alcántara is an outfielder who has played a lot of center field this year. He is a righty with plenty of upside. He has good speed both in the field and on the base path and has a good feel for the game in CF and a strong arm. At the plate, he has above-average raw power but struggles at times with chasing. Alcántara is currently the Cubs’ #4 overall prospect and ranks #69 in the MLB prospect rankings. If the Cubs can find a partner, Alcantara is a great fit to trade.

James Triantos

James Triantos is an interesting prospect. Right now, he sits at #6 in the Cubs prospect rankings and is a second baseman with some outfield experience. Triantos is a righty who brings good bat-to-ball skills to the plate but below-average power. At second base he has been nothing special but has been serviceable. On the base paths, he adds a lot of value as he has 13 stolen bases in just 38 games this year. He has spent most of the year at Triple-A Iowa, but recently made the move to A+ with the South Bend Cubs where his numbers are much better.

When playing for the Iowa Cubs, Triantos slashed .250/.304/.313. This is not where the Cubs wanted him, so they moved him to A+ where his slash line is .368/.381/.579 in 5 games played there. A+ has lesser competition than Triple-A, but he is performing exactly how the Cubs want him to. Triantos’ raw power is less than desired but still brings a solid bat to the plate. This paired with his solid defense and excellent speed could prove well for him in the future. Triantos would be a great player to take a chance on for most teams. In turn, he could be a key part of any trade the Cubs go through with at the MLB trade deadline.