This Chicago Cubs division rival makes a huge trade

The Chicago Cubs are in a highly competitive NL Central Division. The Milwaukee Brewers and St. Louis Cardinals will likely duke it out for the top spot but the Cubs could fight hard with the Cincinnati Reds for third place.

That third-place spot could mean a postseason berth in 2022 now that there is an extra playoff team in the CBA. That means the Cubs have to pay attention to every move that their division rivals make over the next few weeks.

The Cincinnati Reds made a rather notable move on Sunday when they made a trade. They traded Sonny Gray and Francis Peguero to the Minnesota Twins for Chase Petty. It is a very interesting trade for both teams when you consider their rosters.

The Twins were horrid in 2021. They were probably the most disappointing team of the season based on expectations. They couldn’t pitch at all so they traded for Gray but that doesn’t even come close to fixing the lack of arm talent on the team.

Landing Francis Peguero is an okay move for them as they could use as many minor league arms as they can get right now. He could turn into a very good pitcher one day but he will start in the minors for them.

The Chicago Cubs have a division rival selling off good pieces already.

As for the Reds, which is the real concern for the Cubs, it seems like they are retooling. They probably don’t see 2022 as a competitive year if they are training Sonny Gray for a top prospect. Gray is a great pitcher and the prospect that the Reds got is awesome but the timing is notable.

Chase Petty was the Minnesota Twins’ first-round pick in 2021 so you know he is a supremely talented young player. If the Reds develop him properly, it could prove to be very smart. However, it will prove to be a move that screams rebuild because Gray is yet another good player who is off their team now.

With the pitching staff that the Cubs have, it is possible for them to keep up with the Reds as long as their bullpen is good enough and they can score some runs. With the way that the Reds are running their business, that is entirely possible.