The Chicago Cubs are in first place in the National League Central after 69 games this year. They have a five-and-a-half-game lead over the Milwaukee Brewers. The Cubs are off to an impressive start with a 42-27 record, second-best in the National League. The regular season is one thing. To push deep into the Playoffs, the Cubs need to add experience and talent to their starting rotation. A depth piece just won’t cut it this year.
Yesterday a rumblings of a potential trade between the Chicago Cubs and Atlanta Braves surfaced. The Chicago Cubs would receive Chris Sale for outfielder Owen Caissie and right-handed pitcher Jaxon Wiggins. This potential trade would help fill a void left in the Cubs’ rotation by the injured Justin Steele. It would also provide the Atlanta Braves with a young left-handed power bat in the outfield. The wildcard here is Jaxon Wiggins.
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Chicago Cubs: Chris Sale
Chris Sale won the Cy Young last year in his first full year with the Braves. He finished the season with an 18-3 record with a 2.38 ERA and 225 strikeouts. This year, in 14 starts, Sale has a 4-4 record, a 2.79 ERA, and 101 strikeouts. The Braves are fourth in the NL East and are 15 games behind the New York Mets.
Atlanta Braves get:
Owen Caissie
Caissie is the second-ranked prospect in the Cubs organization and is a left-handed power back in the outfield. He has played in 54 games this year for Triple-A Iowa. Caissie has a .262 batting average and a .876 OPS. Caissie’s path to the big league club with the Cubs is blocked right now. The presence of Ian Happ, Pete Crow-Armstrong, Kyle Tucker, and Seiya Suzuki creates this obstacle. The Cubs also have fourth-ranked prospect Kevin Alcantara in the minors. He is in the same situation. Therefore, they have assets to move in a trade like this for a solid ace. Caissie has 16 doubles, two triples, 10 home runs, and 29 RBI in Triple-A this year.
Jaxon Wiggins
Wiggins is a right-hand pitcher and is ranked 9th by MLB in the Cubs’ prospect pool. Wiggins was promoted to Double-A Knoxville earlier this season. He has made five starts with one win and a 2.22 ERA. In five starts with the South Bend Cubs in Single-A+ ball, he recorded a 1.71 ERA. Combined, this year, Wiggins has 61 strikeouts in just 50.2 innings of work with only 20 walks.
