Why Yoenis Cespedes To The Chicago Cubs Makes Perfect Sense

By Jacob Kornhauser on October 23, 2014

It’s no secret that the Chicago Cubs are no more than a year away from being competitive, based on the performance of their many prospects as they’ve moved to the major league level. They will be looking to add a lot of pitching this offseason in order to become competitive in 2015, but adding a quality bat should also be a priority.

That bat could come in the form of Boston Red Sox slugger Yoenis Cespedes. Sporting News is reporting that the Red Sox are shopping around the Cuban outfielder, and the Cubs could be logical trade partners.

The Cubs’ front office, headed by Theo Epstein, is very familiar with the Red Sox front office, headed by Ben Cherington, from their years together in Boston. Additionally, the Cubs have plenty of prospects they could be willing to part ways with in order to add Cespedes to their outfield for 2015.

Among those prospects are 1B Dan Vogelbach, OF Billy McKinney and 3B Jeimer Candelario. While those aren’t the marquee prospects everyone talks about, grouping two or three of those players together might be enough to send Cespedes to Chicago.

Vogelbach is a left-handed first baseman, so he clearly doesn’t have a future in the Windy City. McKinney is a 20 year old who is supposed to be an above average major league outfielder. Candelario is one of the odd men out at third base for the team, so he probably doesn’t have a future with the Cubs either. Parting with these players wouldn’t lose the Cubs a whole lot, but could get them Cespedes.

It stands to reason that the Cubs would be interested in at least talking about a trade for Cespedes, since they were one of the teams trying to sign him when he was an international free agent. Perhaps the front office wants to right the fact they lost out on him a few years ago.

One other hurdle the Cubs would have to clear if they were able to acquire Cespedes is signing him to a contract extension. This is something the team would have to be assured of before they traded for him, because he becomes a free agent after next season.

While the team may have to give up slightly different pieces, there’s no reason the Cubs shouldn’t at least be gauging the Red Sox’s interest in a potential deal. With Cespedes’ bat in the middle of the Cubs’ order along with top prospect Kris Bryant by May, the Cubs could have one of the more formidable offenses in the National League.

There’s no doubt the team’s top priority should be adding pitching this offseason, but there’s no reason they shouldn’t add a bat as well. Adding Cespedes to the mix could make the Cubs contenders next season.