I had my hopes up following that last road trip heading into the All-Star break, but fuck, 9 runs in 6 games later and I think I've had enough of the mediocrity from this Cubs roster. Yeah, it's Jed Hoyer's mess, but unless Tom Ricketts actually cares about anything more than his profits, then there won't be a change in the front office.
So, we're left discussing what the Cubs should do leading up to the trade deadline and I can't lie, when I see an MLB exec proposing a trade that involves the Cubs getting Jasson Domínguez from the Yankees, I quickly re-think my position on the Cubs selling again.
ESPN's Jesse Rogers wrote about six teams that might be on the fence, deciding which direction to go at this year's trade deadline and with the help of eight MLB-front office executives and scouts, we got one eye-popping suggestion. While the consensus for the Cubs was to mainly stand pat among the paneled group, there was this thought from one of the anonymous people in the article.
What if the Cubs take advantage of Jameson Taillon's value, which is at it's peak right now, and maybe add one or more pieces to trade for a power bat? What if that power bat comes from the Yankees and it's Jasson Domínguez or Spencer Jones?
Via ESPN.
One big move they should make, if they make one: Deal for a young power bat
"Packaging a major league player or two for a top home run-hitting prospect," an opposing exec said would most benefit the Cubs at the deadline.
One specific suggestion involved sending one of Chicago's veteran starting pitchers back to his old team.
"Center a package around Jameson Taillon and/or reliever Mark Leiter Jr. to the Yankees for Jasson Dominguez or Spencer Jones."
Yes please! Where do I sign???
I know some Cubs fans are freaking out about all these Taillon trade rumors because on the surface it seems like the team is completely giving up and why would you trade away one of your durable and more importantly quality starting pitchers? Don't get me wrong, it would suck losing Taillon, who has been a workhorse for the past calendar year, but despite the failures in the Cubs organization we can't deny that they've done a nice job of developing and signing quality starting pitching. If you can leverage this great run from Taillon and Mark Leiter Jr. into a legit, power-hitting outfielder you do it, right?
Domínguez, 21, is currently the Yankees' top prospect and ranked No. 25 in MLB Pipeline's top-100 prospects list. The switch-hitting outfielder made his MLB debut last September against the Houston Astros and what a debut it was for Domínguez, who homered off Justin Verlander on his very first swing in the majors.
Unfortunately for him, Domínguez only played in eight games with the Yankees before he was diagnosed with a torn UCL that led to Tommy John surgery. In his first 33 plate appearances in the show, fans saw a glimpse of how good Domínguez can be. He was 8-for-31, with 4 home runs and a double.
Domínguez didn't debut in 2024 until May 14, but he's looked as good as ever coming back from the elbow surgery, posting a 1.013 OPS in 23 games in the minors. However, it's not all perfect because the slugger is currently sidelined with an oblique strain that has kept Domínguez inactive since June 15.
Still, at 21-years-old, Jasson Domínguez would be an incredible get for the Cubs.
Spencer Jones on the other hand comes with a few more question marks. He's a top-100 prospect and ranked second in New York's farm system, but the 6-foot-6 outfielder isn't quite tearing it up this season. Jones, a 23-year-old at Double-A, is slashing .240/.323/.409, with 11 home runs in 78 games so far in 2024, but that also comes with a 38.6 strikeout % in 356 plate appearances.
Yet, the big picture here is that whether it's the Yankees, Boston Red Sox or maybe the Baltimore Orioles, the Cubs might be able to swing for the fences in trade negotiations with Taillon and Leiter's current value.
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