The Chicago Cubs are one of the few teams that haven’t made any big upgrades this offseason, while they definitely should, as they made the playoffs and lost in the ALDS in five games.
If they only want to make one big move, there is a blockbuster trade that could work. Fansided’s Christopher Kline suggests that the Cubs upgrade from Matt Shaw and make a deal with their eternal rivals, the St. Louis Cardinals, for eight-time All-Star and six-time Platinum Glove, Nolan Arenado.
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“This would require the St. Louis Cardinals eating a significant chunk of the $31 million Nolan Arenado is owed over the next two seasons. That said, Arenado fits the Chicago Cubs' M.O. Rather perfectly. He's an exceptional defender at third base, even as he ages into his mid-30s. The defensive quartet of Arenado, Dansby Swanson, Nico Hoerner and Michael Busch would give Chicago one of the best infields in MLB…This is certainly not a risk-free trade. But, if the Cubs want to mitigate their reliance on Shaw and Austin, Arenado could be worth a reclamation effort,” Kline wrote.
This past season, Arenado slashed.237/.289/.377/.666 with 18 doubles, 12 home runs, and 52 RBI in 107 games. However, Arenado has been one of the best players in the MLB for the past decade, and if Chicago thinks they can get him to have a bounce-back season, they’d be silly not to try to trade for him.
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As Kline noted, though, the Cardinals would need to eat a chunk of Arenado’s contract for this to be even considered. However, with the Cardinals seemingly aiming for a rebuild, this could definitely be on the table.
These two teams should get to talking, as both sides could benefit from this trade. The Cubs want to win now, and the Cardinals are preparing for the future. Hopefully, they realize this and pick up the phone.
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