It appears as if the Chicago Cubs are heading into one direction this offseason: A rebuild.
On Monday, news broke that the Cubs and San Diego Padres had framework done for a deal that would send ace Yu Darvish and catcher Victor Caratini to the West Coast for a package of prospects and pitcher Zach Davies. Now, just a day later it appears as if the Cubs are making another piece available for trade.
Per USA Today writer Bob Nightengale, the Cubs have informed teams that catcher Willson Contreras is available for trade:
The Chicago #Cubs, after trading Yu Darvish and non-tendering Kyle Schwarber, are now extensively shopping catcher Willson Contreras. Contreras is projected to earn at least $5 million and perhaps as much as $7.4 million in salary arbitration, per @mlbtraderumors
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) December 29, 2020
Yep, that’s it. This is officially a full rebuild for the North Siders and this is truly going to suck. A big market team that spent money in the past, built up Wrigleyville and even added their own TV station is now going to sell off players.
Look, I get the rebuild part in a way but this just feels down right crappy. The 28-year-old Contreras is one of the best catchers in all of baseball and a key piece to this Cubs offense and defense. He’s a guy you can keep around for years to come and build the roster by adding a few pieces.
But that’s not what the Cubs want to do.
The other side of this is that the Cubs have catching prospect Miguel Amaya, a 20-year-old prospect that is among the best in baseball and is impressing in the Cubs farm system. Amaya is likely now the future at the position but if the Cubs do deal Contreras, they better get something worth it in return, unlike the Darvish deal.
For More Great Chicago Sports Content
Follow us on Twitter at @chicitysports23 for more great content. We appreciate you taking time to read our articles. To interact more with our community and keep up to date on the latest in Chicago sports news, JOIN OUR FREE FACEBOOK GROUP by CLICKING HERE
