Ivy League Cubs

By: Jacob Zanolla

The GM meetings have begun, and rumors are already starting to swirl about potential moves that teams can make to bolster their roster before next season. A few Cubs notes have been dropped, some of which I’ll get into later in the week. One that was just dropped involves Owen Caissie, the top outfield prospect in the Cubs system. Caissie was acquired for Yu Darvish in 2020, and has skyrocketed his way through prospect rankings.

Being one of the top prospects in the Cubs system, Hoyer is unlikely to move him unless the return was large. While he isn’t untouchable, I’d put the likelihood of a trade at “very unlikely.” Jon Morosi, however, posted about Caissie generating early interest on the trade market, which is quite interesting. Let me preface this by saying that Morosi can’t always be trusted, as is the problem with many reporters in the sports industry. However, for the sake of wanting a Cubs rumor to talk about, let’s dive in. 

Caissie is currently ranked at #34 baseball wide when looking at prospects, and is listed as the second best prospect in the Cubs system. Like we’ve discussed before, the power Caissie holds is the most impressive part of his arsenal. His strikeout numbers are the main area of concern, but if he can get those lowered a little bit, watch out world.

Defensively he’s really improved, and was who I think the Cubs see as their future DH/RF in the coming years. Too many teams cling to prospects, and then try to get rid of them after it’s too late. This can’t be the case for Jed Hoyer, as no one wants to wait another five years to see if the current batch of prospects can produce at the major league level. If a team offers a major league caliber player that can provide a lot of value right away, the Cubs need to be open to that move. I’m not saying they won’t but they may need to get a little more aggressive this winter.

Two teams that immediately come to mind are the Blue Jays and White Sox. I’ll throw Seattle on this list as well, purely because I think they’re a perfect trade partner for the Cubs, and I really really want one of their starting pitchers. Garrett Crochet is basically a lock to be traded, and the Cubs could use a really good starting pitcher. They’ve traded with the South Side before, although the last two deals haven’t gone great for the North Side. Owen Caissie is originally from Canada, and has been connected to the Blue Jays trade wise before, which leads me to believe that building a massive package for Vladimir Guerrero Jr. isn’t an insane question.

No, Caissie probably won’t get traded. Alas, it’s worth taking note that a specific prospect’s name is being mentioned this early into the winter. That doesn’t happen often, and when there’s smoke, there is normally some fire nearby.

Photo Credit: TSN