The Toronto Blue Jays have had a lot of talent in recent years, but they have yet to make it far into the postseason. Losing to the Minnesota Twins in the AL Wild Card game was a clear indication that they have a number of concerns that must be addressed as quickly as possible. Some analysts believe Toronto will be unable to pay both Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette the salaries they expect. The Chicago Cubs are rumored to be interested in Bichette.
The Blue Jays are still not convinced that Guerrero Jr. and Bichette can be the franchise cornerstones that will propel them to a World Series crown, so offers have been percolating for the two stars. As the Cubs are in the midst of persuading Shohei Ohtani to move to the Windy City, one fantastic acquisition that may sway his mind is if they add Bo Bichette to their exceptional infield.
The Cubs have shown the perfect indication that they are now in win-now mode after hiring Craig Counsell and being in the serious sweepstakes for Ohtani. With that, here’s the perfect package that Chicago must offer Toronto to acquire Bo Bichette.
Cubs receive: Bo Bichette
Blue Jays receive: Cade Horton, Christopher Morel, and Owen Caissie
If Bo Bichette is heading to a stacked franchise like the Cubs, he will need to start as the everyday third baseman because Dansby Swanson and Nico Hoerner are slotted at shortstop and second base, respectively. Their defensive dynamics are sensational already, so Bichette will be the one who will need to adjust. The arm strength of Bichette at shortstop was tremendous, so the hope is that will translate at 3B as well.
Having contact hitters is an underrated facet in baseball today so having Bichette and Hoerner as the table setters is the perfect recipe for Counsell. Even if they lose Cody Bellinger in free agency, imagine having Ohtani, Swanson, Seiya Suzuki, and Ian Happ batting behind those two efficient hitters. Adding Bichette and Ohtani is not the end yet, so Chicago will still have ancillary pieces to add to cement themselves as a clear-cut competitor in the National League.
The pitching remains to be phenomenal led by Justin Steele and Kyle Hendricks, but they will need to replace the void left by Marcus Stroman. When they pursue Bichette, they must not make the mistake of offering too much from their excellent farm system, so the trio of Cade Horton, Christopher Morel, and Owen Caissie is the perfect package that the Cubs must put on the table.
Putting Pete Crow-Armstrong in the deal should not be considered for a talent like Bichette, especially because they will need Crow-Armstrong to start in center field when Cody Bellinger departs in free agency. With Crow-Armstrong out of the equation, the next best option is Cade Horton. He is the fourth-best pitching prospect in baseball, so it will be tough to let him go, but that is the case when someone like Bichette is heading to the Windy City.
The upside of Horton is tremendous, but they will need to let go of one of their greatest prospects, and Horton is a viable option. Christopher Morel has thrived as the Cubs’ DH, but they’ve decided to build around Nico Hoerner at 2B, thus Morel is the throwaway piece they’ll trade for a star like Bo Bichette. To top it all off, Owen Caissie is a Canadian outfield prospect who will fit in perfectly in Toronto.
