Chicago Cubs rumors: North Siders connected to Marlins outfielder Christian Yelich
MLB insider Ken Rosenthal connects the Chicago Cubs to young Miami Marlins star outfielder Christian Yelich.
Most of the rumors surrounding the Chicago Cubs heading into the July 31st MLB trade deadline has centered around pitching. The Cubs have obvious needs in the starting rotation and appear to be searching far and wide to make a significant addition. However, their once seemingly unstoppable offense is also underperforming and I would not be shocked to see Theo Epstein and company make an offensive addition if the right deal comes along.
Well, according to MLB insider Ken Rosenthal, Miami Marlins star outfielder Christian Yelich may be an option for the Cubs. Writing from his Facebook account because he was let go by FOX Sports (Hey Ken, we will give you a shot here at Da Windy City!), Rosenthal mentions Yelich’s potential availability.
The post centers around the Philadelphia Phillies and their pursuit of Yelich, and perhaps even a super-deal involving Giancarlo Stanton as well (Whoa!). However, Rosenthal adds in this little nugget towards the end:
"“A contender such as the Cubs likely would be more motivated to acquired Yelich if the Marlins made him available before the deadline,” Rosenthal writes."
It is unclear if this is just speculation on Rosenthal’s part or if the Cubs have actually shown interest in Yelich. Regardless, it is an extremely interesting bit of information to talk about.
Yelich is an incredible player and a perfect fit
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This season is Yelich’s fifth year in the majors. He is a career .291/.367/.446 hitter who shows fantastic plate discipline and contact ability at the plate. Yelich does not have a ton of natural power but he does have a bit of pop in his bat. He also appears to have room to grow more power throughout his career.
With his high on-base skills and great ability to handle the bat, Yelich would be a perfect leadoff hitter for the 2017 Chicago Cubs. They have struggled to replace Dexter Fowler at the top of the lineup and Yelich would be an ideal, much-needed replacement.
Under team control
On top of that, Yelich is on an extremely nice contract that runs through the 2022 season. If the Cubs trade for Yelich, he would immediately become one of the centerpieces of their offense; not only 2017, but for the long-term.
Starting off the game with Yelich, Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo for the foreseeable future would be incredible. But adding a young impact player who is on a good long-term contract is not going to be cheap. If the Cubs are legitimately interested in Yelich, they would likely have to part with at least one player like Javier Baez, Addison Russell, Ian Happ or Kyle Schwarber.
Next: Under-the-radar trade deadline targets for Cubs
Would Epstein be willing to pull that trigger? That is hard to say. One thing is for sure; Christian Yelich is a fantastic baseball player who would immediately make the Chicago Cubs better. Just the fact that a respected MLB reporter is mentioning this is exciting.