This Chicago Cubs Trade Would Help Baltimore Orioles Win AL East

A Chicago Cubs trade would help them and the Baltimore Orioles in a big way.

May 30, 2024; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Jameson Taillon (50) delivers a pitch against the Milwaukee Brewers in the sixth inning at American Family Field. / Michael McLoone-USA TODAY Sports

The Chicago Cubs had their best win of the season on Tuesday night, beating the Baltimore Orioles 9-2. Expectations around the league are conflicting. Some believe the Cubs will be definite sellers at the deadline, while others think they could be buyers.

There's no debate that this has been a disappointing season. Nothing Chicago has done to this point of the year has proven that they're legitimate World Series contenders, but that doesn't mean they can't make moves to be just that.

On the other side of that situation, it's tough to imagine a scenario where the Cubs can land multiple high-level players to change the outcome of this campaign. They have the farm system to do so, but it's not a given that there will be players available that even allow them to do that.

It's a tough situation, and the front office will be challenged with figuring that out in the coming weeks. However, fans certainly wouldn't be upset if they decided to buy.

In the event that they do sell, they could add to a farm system that's already one of the best in baseball. Zach Pressnell of FanSided proposed a deal that'd do exactly that, moving Jameson Taillon to the Orioles for an impressive haul.

Chicago would land Mac Horvath, a consensus top 10 prospect in Baltimore's system, and Trace Bright, who can touch the mid-90s and has a 60-grade curveball.

"A deal like this is complicated because it really depends on how much money the Cubs are willing to pay of Taillon's contract. If they are willing to eat a bunch of the money, they would be able to acquire more prospects than the offer.

"If they aren't willing to eat too much of the deal, they would need to take less than the offer above. This trade assumes that the Cubs meet in the middle and eat half his deal, putting the rest onto Baltimore."

Teams often help pay for players' salaries that they trade at the deadline, but the Cubs could potentially get a team that wouldn't make them do so.

And that's because of how elite Taillon has been in 2024, posting a 2.99 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, and striking out 72 in 87 1/3 innings pitched.

It's been the best season of his career, so perhaps Chicago should sell high on him regardless of what they decide to do at the deadline. Buying and selling is an option, and Taillon could be someone they sell if they land a cheaper pitcher to replace him.