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The Chicago Cubs have seemingly been in trade talks with the Tampa Bay Rays since 2015, and the rumors aren’t slowing down at all. The latest has the Cubs having interest in their gold glove center fielder.
During Friday’s Bernstein and Goff Show on 670 The Score, Dan Bernstein shared what his Cubs sources recently told him. First, he stated the obvious, saying the Cubs are interested in free agent starting pitcher Alex Cobb, who wants to be reunited with pitching coach Jim Hickey and the other big offseason buzz of a possible Chris Archer trade. Bernstein also reiterated how the Cubs want to find a buyer for Jason Heyward, but there simply isn’t a market for him. OK, so nothing new, until he dropped this bomb.
The Cubs are interested in center fielder Kevin Kiermaier, according to Bernstein. You can listen to that conversation here, the discussion starts at 30:32.
Kiermaier, 27, is regarded as one of the top defensive center fielders in the game. He won back-to-back gold gloves in 2015 and 2016, respectively, while also receiving the platinum glove award in 2015. That award is given to the best overall defender in each league every year. He’s crazy good in the outfield and is coming off a career high in home runs with 15 in 2017, despite only playing in 98 games, the fewest amount during his four-year career.
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The two-time gold glove winner is signed through 2022, after agreeing to a six-year, $53.5 million contract extension. The deal also has a club option for 2023. Anyway, the supposed interest was met with immediate skepticism, but also some excitement.
I’m not going to attempt to construct a possible trade proposal that could lure Kiermaier away from the Rays, but could you image the outfield defense of Albert Almora Jr., Kiermaier and Jason Heyward for the Cubs? Again, just thinking out loud with no sense of what the Rays would ask for, but Almora platooning with Kiermaier or Kyle Schwarber would be great offensively, too.
Kiermaier has a career slash line of .262/.319/.431, but against right-handed pitching, his OPS jumps 35 points to .785. The Cubs could easily plug him in at center, have an amazing outfield defense and a new leadoff hitter. Obviously, whatever trade happens the Cubs are going to have to let go of a big name, but what if they’re potentially looking at a mega deal with the Rays?
Theo Epstein made it clear after the Cubs were eliminated from the 2017 playoffs that they’d be exploring trades for pitching and would be prepared to deal away some of their young MLB talent. Well, we know Tampa Bay is listening to offers for Chris Archer, and what if the Kiermaier interest is real? The Cubs have to dangle one of their big names and Bernstein suggests it could be Addison Russell, according to his sources.
Russell’s off field issues were pointed to as the main reason why the Cubs may be willing to deal the young shortstop. That conversation starts at 32:30, click here to listen.
So, I think it’s kind of interesting. Not sure why the Rays would want to trade Kiermaier, but at the end it comes down to what’s offered and how much the Cubs truly are interested in him. The other stuff though, Cobb and Archer, is going to have more legs. Especially Cobb, who’s made it pretty clear that he’d love to pitch for the Cubs.
Ahhh, it’s getting colder outside but the MLB hot stove keeps getting warmer.
