Chicago Cubs: Nationals could be terrific trade partner for Kris Bryant

The Twins have reportedly offered Josh Donaldson a four-year deal, which could push the Nationals to acquire Kris Bryant from the Chicago Cubs.

After losing Anthony Rendon to free agency, the Washington Nationals remain interested in the services of Josh Donaldson, who bet on himself last year with the Atlanta Braves to the tune of a 6.1 WAR. He figures to receive a handsome payday, and the Minnesota Twins have reportedly made him an offer. Should Donaldson be headed to the Twin Cities, the Nationals may turn their attention to discussing a trade with the Chicago Cubs to acquire perennial MVP-candidate, Kris Bryant.

The former second overall pick of the 2013 MLB Draft has been the center of trade rumors this offseason while he awaits the results of his grievance hearing. The Cubs would like to retain Bryant, but they are already up against the luxury tax threshold for the 2020 season, and Scott Boras is likely to receive a high-profile contract for his client when he becomes a free agent.

Sahadev Sharma, of The Athletic, first reported: “Sources indicate that the Nationals may be ready to make a run at trading for Bryant, but those could also be signals to push Donaldson to make a decision sooner than later.” While the latter seems more likely at this point, the Cubs should leave no stone unturned and could potentially commence discussions with a list of players they are interested in acquiring.

And given that the Cubs have struggled to develop pitching prospects, they could get a jump start on a handful of pitchers within the Nationals organization. Position players should also be considered as part of the trade package, and the following are players that would be excellent fits in the Cubs pipeline:

Victor Robles, CF

Any trade discussion with the Nationals begins with Robles. The 22-year-old was signed as part of the 2013 international free agent class and played in his first full big-league season in 2019. In 155 games, Robles slashed .255/.326/.419 with 33 doubles, three triples, 17 home runs, and 65 RBI. He also swiped 28 bags, which is an area that the current makeup of the lineup lacks. Robles would ideally fulfill the Cubs’ leadoff hitter needs as well, and while his sample size is limited to just 15 games, he boasts a 1.003 OPS from that spot. There’s also the added benefit of Robles being under team control through the 2024 season.

Carter Kieboom, SS/2B

Kieboom played in 11 games at the big league level a year ago but is expected to take over second base duties for Brian Dozier, who departed in free agency. In a broader sample size, he slashed .303/.409/.493 with 24 doubles, 16 home runs, and 79 RBI for the Nationals’ Triple-A outfit last season. Ranked as the 20th best prospect in the game, Kieboom can play both second and shortstop. The Cubs have a slew of second base options, but the question if Kieboom is part of the package becomes what to do with Nico Hoerner?

Jackson Rutledge, RHP

Rutledge is a big dude at 6′ 8″ and 250 pounds. The 17th overall pick of last year’s draft touches 99 mph on his fastball and played across three levels of the Nationals minor league system after being drafted. The majority of his starts came at Single-A, and he struck out 31 batters in 27.1 innings while allowing a .151 batting average. If you recall, we interviewed Rutledge as a potential Cubs’ draft target but went much higher than expected. As noted, the Cubs have not been able to develop pitching prospects in recent years with Brailyn Marquez looking like the best thing since Mark Prior. Rutledge isn’t projected to be ready until 2022 but would provide the Cubs with a power arm down the line.

Tim Cate, LHP

Reliever turned starter, Cate was selected in the second round of the 2018 MLB Draft, and many scouts consider his breaking ball to be the best of his draft class. The 22-year-old isn’t going to blow anyone away with fastball velocity but, instead, he uses deception and off-speed pitches to fool batters. Cate pitched across two levels of the Nationals organization a year ago, and in 26 starts, posted a 3.07 ERA while striking out 139 batters in 143.2 innings and walked just 32. MLB Pipeline has him projected to be major-league ready in 2021.

Matt Cronin, LHP

The former Arkansas Razorback set the school record with 14 saves during the 2018 campaign and was selected in the fourth round of last year’s draft. While Cronin is, by no means, big in physical stature, his fastball reaches the high 90s and complements it with a devastating breaking ball in the low 70s. He made 17 appearances in Single-A last year and posted a 0.82 ERA while striking out 41 batters in 22.0 innings and a .153 average. He is projected to be ready by 2021 and would be a reliable bullpen arm.

Once Donaldson signs, the Bryant trade rumors are expected to heat up, and the Cubs would ideally like a resolution before the team’s annual fan convention held in mid-January.