3 possible trade returns for Chicago Cubs catcher Willson Contreras

The Chicago Cubs could trade Willson Contreras to the New York Mets

Lastly, the New York Mets are one of the top teams to watch in a Contreras trade. The first-place Mets have a couple of games lead over the Atlanta Braves, at the moment. But, it’s a tight race in that AL East.

In order to land Contreras, the Mets may have to pay up a little more than other teams knowing that this move could put them over the top in efforts to win a championship. The following deal could get it done.

Once again sticking with youth, the Cubs would acquire the. Mets’ third-best pitching prospect and no. 10 prospect overall in righty Joel Diaz. The 18-year-old posted an ERA of 0.54 while notching 63 strikeouts and just nine walks in over 50 innings playing in the Dominican Summer League. As a 17-year-old kid, that’s pretty outstanding.

Diaz’s fastball reaches as high as 96 and is consistently in the low 90’s, and should only become more consistent over the next couple of years. As a possible call-up in 2026, the Cubs would be waiting a little while. But, he could be worth the wait.

Secondly, the Cubs get an even younger prospect in 17-year-old outfielder, Simon Juan. He likely won’t see the professional field until 2027 or even 2028, but Juan could be well-worth holding out for. As a sophomore in high school, some compared Juan to the likes of All Star Byron Buxton — not too shabby for a high schooler.

The Cubs get much, much younger in this deal. Although it wouldn’t pan out for a few years, padding their prospect group with a couple of teenagers possessing high upside would be a nice look for a selling ball club like Chicago.