Why Cubs' .942 OPS infield prospect is their as most 'logical' trade chip
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Why Cubs' .942 OPS infield prospect is their as most 'logical' trade chip originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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The Chicago Cubs are in dire need of pitching help this season amid a string of injuries and poor production from their current rotation.
Even the bullpen could use some help. They've already made one move, adding David Peterson in a trade with the New York Mets. But the Cubs shouldn't stop there. They need a lot more help.
In looking to make another trade, who is their top trade chip? As Bleacher Report's Joel Reuter notes, the most "logical" trade candidate in the Cubs organization is a .942 OPS infield prospect, Pedro Ramirez, thanks to a crowded roster.
Why Pedro Ramirez is Cubs' most 'logical' trade chip
"With the club's glaring need for pitching help and no clear path to give him regular playing time, Ramirez looks like a logical trade candidate in July," Reuter writes.
Trading Ramirez this summer wouldn't be that shocking, considering how badly the Cubs need to add help to their pitching staff this season.
He's not their top prospect, as Jefferson Rojas could still be held onto, as could Jaxon Wiggins. But with Matt Shaw, Moises Ballesteros, and Kevin Alcantara factoring into the MLB roster as depth pieces, Ramirez doesn't have a clean fit on the team.
Instead, the Cubs could use him as a centerpiece in a blockbuster trade for pitching help this summer. The 22-year-old switch-hitting infielder would be a great trade pickup for a seller.
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He's made his big league debut already, posting a .755 OPS in 19 games in the Majors this season, which isn't bad at all.
But, with a crowded roster, the Cubs really don't have a use for Ramirez. Trading him for pitching help is a better use of his value than keeping him as a prospect.
The need for pitching help is dire enough that trading someone as good as Ramirez makes sense if the Cubs want to contend this season.
It would be a little sad to see him go, but if the Cubs want to win it all this season, they need to get a bit bold at this year's deadline.
Ramirez, the odd-man-out on the MLB roster, would be a fantastic trade chip this season, and according to Reuter, is the most likely player to go in a deal this season.
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