Proposed Chicago Cubs Trade Sends Star Player to Biggest Rival

The Chicago Cubs could send their star player to the Philadelphia Phillies at the upcoming MLB trade deadline.

Jul 5, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Cubs outfielder Cody Bellinger (24) is greeted after scoring against the Los Angeles Angels during the first inning at Wrigley Field. / David Banks-USA TODAY Sports

Chicago Cubs fans may be wincing soon as the Philadelphia Phillies have emerged as a landing spot for a star outfielder.

Would the potential return that Chicago gets be worth sending Cody to a rival? Mark Powell of FanSided put together a package to give fans an idea of what could be on the way.

The deal would see Chicago sending him to Philadelphia in return for right-handed pitchers Mick Abel, Michael Mercado and outfielder Gabriel Rincones Jr.

While it may not sound like a ton on the surface, it may be the best that they can get for Bellinger.

The former NL MVP is still a talented and valuable player. He's slashed .291/.345/.482 in Chicago while remaining a talented defender. There's been some regression again so far in this campaign, but not enough to scare suitors away.

What's keeping the Cubs from bringing in a major haul is his contract. He signed a one-year, $30 million deal with player options for 2025 and 2026. It's highly expected that the slugger will not pick those options up and instead hit the open market again. He'll be viewed as a rental around the league.

With that in mind, the Phillies sending one of their top prospects may actually be a great scenario.

Abel is the No. 5 prospect in their farm system and No. 93 on the overall pipeline rankings. A down-year in Triple-A has seen his stock drop, but the potential in him is still very intriguing.

The 22-year-old has not adjusted well to his first full-time stint in the highest level of the minor leagues. He has a 6.58 ERA across 14 starts with career highs in WHIP, H/9, HR/9 and BB/9. To make matters worse, he's striking out two less batters per nine as well.

He's still young and has a nice frame for what is becoming the new norm at 6-foot-5. His fastball is near triple digits at times, but still settles in the mid-to-high 90s. The stuff is there, but he needs to find the consistency in his control.

Rincones is another top-10 prospect in his early 20s. He was a third-round selection in 2022 out of Florida Atlantic. The lefty flirted with being a 20 home run guy in college, but hasn't shown it in the minors.

He's a bit older at 23 for someone that hasn't progressed past Double-A, but is slashing .300/.417/.600 in 13 games there this year.

Mercado is kind of tagged on to the end of this deal, but doesn't offer too much excitement for Chicago. He has a 7.04 ERA in 7.2 innings pitched in the majors this season.

While it doesn't look like much, there are a couple of players worth taking a flyer on. It's certainly better than losing Bellinger for nothing in a few months.