Wild Blockbuster Trade Idea Sees Chicago Cubs Land Superstar at First Base

The Chicago Cubs could be in the market for one of the best hitters in baseball on the trade market this winter.

Sep 23, 2024; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (27) in the dugout during the second inning against the Boston Red Sox at Rogers Centre / John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images

The Chicago Cubs are a team desperate for an injection of life coming off four consecutive missed postseasons and a tremendous lack of overall success since their World Series triumph in 2016.

In order to get back to contending, Jed Hoyer cannot continue to be complacent and simply rely on the hope of getting significant production boosts from players who are already in the clubhouse.

It's time for the Cubs to make a huge move and get the fans juiced up to take the stands in Wrigley Field in 2025.

An absolute blockbuster trade proposal, courtesy of Anthony Castrovince from MLB Network, may be just the thing to get them back on the winning track if the team is willing to get more aggressive than they have shown in a very long time.

His idea has Chicago acquiring superstar first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and veteran starting pitcher Kevin Gausman from the Toronto Blue Jays in exchange for first baseman Michael Busch, utility slugger Cody Bellinger, and the team's No. 3 prospect, right-handed pitcher Cade Horton.

On the surface, it feels like a lot for the Cubs to give up, but Guerrero Jr. has proven himself over the last four years to be among the best hitters in baseball and is an instant upgrade compared to Busch.

This would also shed the $27.5 million owed to Bellinger after he chose to exercise his player option to remain with Chicago as the team looks to move him this winter.

Parting with Horton would sting, but if the Cubs are serious about winning now in an NL Central that could be wide open, Guerrero Jr. is the kind of player who can help make that happen.

Gausman, who turns 34 in January, is still a more than capable starting rotation addition and is just one year removed from finishing third in the American League Cy Young race in 2023.

His numbers dipped slightly in last season, but he still had a respectable year with a 3.83 ERA over 31 starts. Perhaps most importantly, he has demonstrated he can be relied upon to stay healthy, making a minimum of 30 appearances in every full season since 2016.

He's not the ace the team hopes Horton would turn into, but he is still a rock solid starter who is under team control for the next two years.

Toronto has been fairly adamant they are not looking to trade Guerrero Jr. as they try to contend, but if Chicago can get them to agree to this trade package, this is absolutely a deal the Cubs should try to pull off.