Approaching the 2024 trade deadline, the Chicago Cubs are simply not where they thought they would be.
After an off-season headlined by re-signing Cody Bellinger, bringing in Japanese star pitcher Shota Imanaga and signing manager Craig Counsell to a record contract, the Cubs are firmly on the outside looking in.
With a 49-55 record, the Cubs' playoff odds are hovering at around 8%. Last season, Chicago went on a long winning streak that convinced their front office to buy at the trade deadline, but it's now too late for history to repeat in that regard.
Worse still, the Cubs' lineup is mostly full of veterans, many of whom are on long-term deals, that haven't been able to perform. Something about the current mix of players isn't getting it done, and according to a league source, it may take a blockbuster deal to shake things up.
ESPN's Jesse Rogers consulted a panel of MLB executives about several teams' decisions leading up to the Tuesday deadline. In that piece, one executive implored the Cubs to make a trade for one of the hottest names in the New York Yankees' farm system.
"Packaging a major league player or two for a top home run-hitting prospect," the executive said. "Center a package around Jameson Taillon and/or reliever Mark Leiter Jr. to the Yankees for Jasson Dominguez or Spencer Jones."
Dominguez, 21, and Jones, 23, are the consensus top two prospects in the Yankees' system. Dominguez had an electrifying 2023 call-up before tearing his UCL and undergoing Tommy John surgery, while Jones made an appearance in the 2024 Futures Game earlier in July.
Adding either Dominguez or Jones to the future lineup would certainly increase the Cubs' power potential. However, it is reasonable to wonder whether Taillon as the headliner would get a deal done for either of those marquee prospects.
With a 2.96 ERA in 100.1 innings this season, the veteran righty has certainly driven his stock up. He's familiar with the Bronx, having played for the Yankees from 2021-22. But is a middle-of-the-rotation arm worth giving up one of New York's presumed outfielders of the future?
If either prospect is expendable, it's likely Jones. Dominguez, nicknamed "The Martian," has been a favorite of Yankees fans for years already. Meanwhile, the 6-foot-7 Jones has been striking out at an alarmingly high rate in Double-A.
There's still a ton of potential for Jones to be a great big-leaguer, but perhaps the Yankees would be willing to let Chicago take that chance. But the two teams have only until 6 p.m. on Tuesday to pull off this theoretical blockbuster.
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