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Looking at the awful trade proposed by MLB Network between the Blue Jays and Cubs
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Photo credit: Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images
Ryley Delaney
Nov 29, 2024, 07:00 ESTUpdated: Nov 28, 2024, 23:32 EST
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Sometimes, you just have to laugh at the bad trade proposals.
On Wednesday, MLB Network Tweeted a hypothetical trade between the Toronto Blue Jays and Chicago Cubs. In the trade, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Kevin Gausman would head to the Cubs, while the 2016 World Series winners would trade Michael Busch, Cody Bellinger, and Cade Horton to the Blue Jays.
Yes, this trade proposal sees the Blue Jays moving a superstar player and the team’s ace in an off-season where they’re interested in Juan Soto. Last season, Guerrero Jr. slashed .323/.396/.544 with 30 home runs in 697 plate appearances for a 165 wRC+ and a 5.5 fWAR. It was the second-best season of his career, trailing his 2021 season.
Gausman wasn’t too shabby either. While his 3.83 ERA and a 3.77 FIP were the worst he’s had since coming to Toronto, Gausman has a 3.45 ERA and a 3.05 FIP in 540.2 innings pitched, or three seasons with the Jays. Moreover, he has a 26.9 K% and a 6.2 BB%, finishing third in American League Cy Young voting in 2023.
The Cubs’ hypothetical package is woeful, to say the least. If this was the Bellinger of 2019, you absolutely do this trade, but it’s not. Last season, the first baseman/outfielder slashed .266/.325/.426 with 18 home runs in 569 plate appearances for a 109 wRC+, down from the 136 wRC+ he had in 2023. Bellinger also makes $27.5 million this coming season and has a player option worth $25 million in 2025.
Assuming this trade happened, Busch would take over at first base for Guerrero Jr. Last season, Busch slashed .248/.335/.440 with 21 home runs in 567 plate appearances for a 119 wRC+ and a 2.3. He has a bunch of team control remaining, but so does fellow first baseman Spencer Horwitz, who slashed .265/.357/.433 with 12 home runs in 381 plate appearances for a 127 wRC+ and a 1.9 fWAR. No thank you.
Horton is the only player the Jays should have any interest in here. A right-handed pitcher selected seventh overall in the 2022 draft, he had a 4.46 ERA and 4.41 FIP in 34.1 innings pitched between Double-A and Triple-A in 2024. While his strikeout rate (28%) and walk rate (9.1%) were solid, he missed more than half the season with a shoulder injury, never a great sign for a pitching prospect.
In short, no. This is a terrible trade for the Blue Jays, and they should re-sign Guerrero Jr. as soon as possible to stop this nonsense.
As always, you can follow me on Bluesky @ryleydelaney.bsky.social.

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