Chicago Cubs: 5 trade packages that make the most sense
By Ryan Sikes
Nick Castellanos in exchange for Phillip Evans, Tyler Durna, & Addison Russell
"Nick Castellanos made the switch from third base to accommodate the arrival of Jeimer Candelario, who was acquired from the Chicago Cubs in a trade for Justin Wilson, and is now a full-time right-fielder. He’s slashing 0.277/0.340/0.463 with 8 home runs and 27 RBI’s. He’s been one of the few bright spots for the Tigers in 2019 and would be a great addition to the Cubs roster. Castellanos is a free agent after this season so he would likely be a rental, unless the Cubs wanted to keep him around long-term. He’s still just 27 years old and could be a valuable piece going forward. Ultimately it will come down to the dollars he’s looking for, but the Cubs outfield has really struggled to be productive this season. This most obvious solution would be to slide Jason Heyward over to centerfield and Albert Almora plays a more natural platoon role. In exchange, I have the Cubs sending 3B Phillip Evans, 1B Tyler Durna, and 2B, Addison Russell to the Tigers. Evans has been really good for Triple-A Iowa this season and has some Major League experience with the Mets. He’s slashing 0.262/0.372/0.432 with 10 home runs and 39 RBI’s. Jeimer Candelario has struggled mightily this year, batting just 0.206 and may not be a long-term solution. Evans is blocked by Kris Bryant and would be able to be inserted immediately. I also have Tyler Durna going to the Tigers. He was selected in the 15th round of the 2018 MLB Draft and is slashing 0.298/0.377/0.434 with 4 home runs and 42 RBI’s with Single-A South Bend. He’s still a couple year away from being ready for the majors but that should give the Tigers plenty of time to figure out if Brandon Dixon is the answer at first base. Finally, I also included Addison Russell as part of this deal. He needs a fresh start somewhere else as he continues to better himself both as a person and as a baseball player. The Tigers have had a revolving door at second base with Harold Castro, Ronny Rodriguez, and Gordon Beckham all seeing time at the position. The Tigers are loaded with pitching and outfield prospects with their top 5 prospects all being ranked within MLB’s Top 100 prospects, so it doesn’t make any sense for the Cubs to send over any starting pitching."
Nick Castellanos is another guy that makes perfect sense for the Cubs, who recently had their scouts in Detroit watching him and likely several other players. He was moved from his original position at third base to right field, so like Mancini, Heyward slides over to centerfield and Castellanos would be the everyday right fielder.
Castellanos is slashing 0.280/0.340/0.467 with 10 home runs and 35 RBI’s entering Saturday.