Trading From The Deep Farm System
This trade option is one that might sit better with fans mostly because it’s easier to say goodbye to players that we don’t really know. The Cubs are a team that is “Retooling”, “reloading”, or “rebuilding” or whatever you want to call it.
Over this past season, they traded four starters for young talent. So it seems like they would like to continue to add some more. With Seattle having one of the top minor league systems in the league, losing a couple of younger prospects won’t hurt them too badly.
The Cubs would be acquiring Zach DeLoach, the Mariners’ number six ranked prospect. A 23-year-old outfielder drafted in the 2nd round in 2020 and who last played for the Mariners AA club. The other prospect is 14th ranked pitcher Juan Then, 24th ranked pitcher Sam Carlson, and 27th ranked outfielder Cade Marlowe. All of them are good prospects but play a position that the Mariners have a lot of depth in already.
I don’t know if the Cubs would be willing to trade away a player like Nick Madrigal who they just got. But if the Mariners could find a way to trade for nick it would be a great fit for a team that really struggled for a solution at second base for most of the year.