Chicago Cubs: 3 Potential trades with the New York Mets

Trade #3: Cubs acquire left-handed reliever Justin Wilson

Does that name sound familiar? It should because Justin Wilson spent the last three seasons with the Cubs before they declined to re-sign him after the 2018 season. It’s an unlikely acquisition, but the Cubs need another lefty out of the bullpen.

It would be frustrating to watch the Cubs re-acquire a player they had a chance at signing this offseason. Wilson struggled at times with the Cubs, but he appeared to be trending in the right direction towards the end of 2018.

What would be concerning about acquiring Wilson is that he still struggles with control at times as he did in a Cubs uniform. This is a problem that already exists in the Cubs bullpen. Wilson has also dealt with a nagging elbow injury this season that keeps popping up.

The problem is, the Mets don’t have a lot of bullpen talent to begin with, let alone left-handed relievers. It would be nice to see the Cubs get Wilson for an even cheaper piece than the prospect I listed, but the Mets may want a top-30 prospect in return.

I know it may seem ridiculous to give up a decent prospect for an aging reliever who was already on the team and didn’t perform that well. That’s a valid argument, but in terms of the prospects the Cubs have, shortstop is their strongest position.

Giving up a prospect like Zack Short wouldn’t sting as much because in the top five of the team’s prospect rankings are two other shortstops: Nico Hoerner and Aramis Ademan.

Having an abundance of middle infield talent isn’t a problem, but if the Cubs are in a position to acquire another left-handed reliever near the trade deadline, it may be worth it to unload a SS prospect.