MLB Insider Reports Chicago Cubs Star Prospect Is Generating 'Trade Buzz'

One of the Chicago Cubs top prospects is generating some trade interest already this offseason.

Iowa Cubs' Owen Caissie walks in the outfield during a game against the Toledo Mud Hens at Principal Park on Tuesday, April 2, 2024, in Des Moines. / Lily Smith/The Register / USA TODAY NETWORK

Things are starting to heat up across Major League Baseball at the GM meetings currently taking place, and the Chicago Cubs are in the middle of some rumors.

That tends to happen for a legacy franchise like the Cubs, especially when they made it clear they will be searching for ways to upgrade this roster so they can make the playoffs for the first time since 2020 after coming up short every year since.

Offseason scuttlebutt will continue to fuel the Hot Stove, and with multiple players available on the open market in areas the front office is targeting, Chicago should be in the running for a few different stars.

That might not mean just opening up the checkbook to spend, though.

The Cubs haven't been willing to go over the luxury tax threshold and that likely doesn't change this time around. In order to combat some potential financial shortfalls, they might look to trade some of the surplus of star prospects they have stockpiled in their pipeline.

One who has reportedly generated interest from around the league is Owen Caissie.

Per Jon Morosi of MLB Network, he "is a popular name in early-stage trade buzz at the GM Meetings."

The 22-year-old was a former second-round pick in 2020 by the San Diego Padres who was brought to Chicago that same season as part of the Yu Darvish trade before he even played a minor league game.

Caissie immediately started making a name for himself by putting up solid power numbers that paired with getting on base. Across his 406 career games and 1,471 at-bats, he has a .278 batting average and .470 slugging percentage.

He's also coming off a tremendous season at the Triple-A level when he slashed .278/.375/.472 with 19 homers, 51 extra-base hits and 79 RBI.

Normally, he would be a clear candidate to take the next step and be part of this Major League roster in 2025, but since he plays in the outfield, there is no clear path to playing time with the group of Ian Happ, Pete Crow-Armstrong, Seiya Suzuki and Cody Bellinger already place.

Would the Cubs actually be willing to move on from their No. 2 ranked prospect?

Perhaps.

Although there is no indication they are actively searching for trade partners that would ship Caissie out of town, returning an elite starting pitcher or another power bat in exchange for the rising star could be something that pushes them to that point.

It will be interesting to see what comes out of this, but their top prospect is certainly someone teams are interested in this offseason.