That sound you just heard was another trade rumor whizzing past your ear like a high, tight four-seamer. Hey, there goes another one. And another.
It’s that time of year. The World Series confetti has been swept from the streets of Kansas City; the awards have been awarded. And the hot stove is still crackling to life, spitting more sparks than flames.
So we amuse ourselves with rumors and speculation. What else can you do when staring down three long, frigid months of no baseball?
With that in mind, here’s something to warm your hands by: Chicago Cubs outfielder Jorge Soler for New York Mets right-hander Zack Wheeler, straight up.
The Cubs, Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal reported, are willing to “explore” moving Soler. And the Mets were prepared to send Wheeler to the Milwaukee Brewers for outfielder Carlos Gomez at the 2015 trade deadline before the deal fell through, so it’s reasonable to assume he’s available for the right price.
Soler could be the right price.
The Mets need a bat, at least, with Yoenis Cespedes and Daniel Murphy both dangling on the free-agent market. And Soler proved he could hit big league pitching last season.
In 101 games, the Cuban rookie posted a .262/.324/.399 slash line with 10 home runs. His defense remains a work in progress, as his minus-eight defensive runs saved (DRS) and minus-seven ultimate zone rating (UZR) attest, per FanGraphs. But he’s a natural athlete with a strong arm, so there’s reason to believe he can improve.
Soler also spent time on the disabled list with ankle and oblique injuries, but he clubbed three home runs in his final 11 regular-season games and cracked three more in the postseason. The potential for a breakout power season is there.
“He’s so young. He’s so raw,” Cubs left-hander Jon Lester said of Soler, who will turn 24 in February, per CSN Chicago’s Patrick Mooney. “He’s got a long ways to go and it’s pretty impressive what he can do right now. Once he plays this game a little bit longer, he’ll figure some things out as far as being a better hitter.”
Wheeler, likewise, is still emerging. The 25-year-old former first-round pick posted a 3.50 ERA with 271 strikeouts in 285.1 innings between 2013 and 2014, but he hasn’t pitched since undergoing Tommy John surgery in March.
Recently, Wheeler told MLB Network Radio he’s aiming for a June return. Though nothing is certain until he takes the mound, the list of pitchers who’ve successfully returned from Tommy John is extensive enough to inspire optimism. Another Mets hurler, Matt Harvey, just did it.
Speaking of which: With Harvey, Jacob deGrom, Noah Syndergaard and Jon Niese locked into the rotation, New York can afford to jettison Wheeler. Yes, as the saw goes, you can never have too much pitching. Sometimes, though, you have to dip into a surplus to address a deficit.
And if Cespedes and Murphy sign elsewhere, the defending National League champs will be staring at some glaring holes in their lineup.
There are other premium free-agent options, including five-tool outfielders Justin Upton and Jason Heyward and MLB’s reigning home run leader Chris Davis. Soler doesn’t have their track record. But he also doesn’t come with their price tag, as he’s got five years remaining on the nine-year, $30 million deal he signed in 2012.
The same can be said for the Cubs and Wheeler. Chicago could, and likely will, pursue ace-level free-agent arms. David Price and Jordan Zimmermann top its wish list, per ESPN.com’s Jesse Rogers.
Trading for Wheeler wouldn’t preclude signing an expensive stud. He won’t hit arbitration until 2017 and is under club control through 2019.
Even if they miss out on a pitcher in the Price and Zimmermann tier, the Cubs could acquire Wheeler and ink a less expensive starter in the John Lackey or Jeff Samardzija mold to slot behind Lester and reigning NL Cy Young Award winner Jake Arrieta.
That’s the route Fox Sports’ Jon Paul Morosi believes they may go: “Are the Cubs still interested in Price? Of course. But don’t be surprised if they instead opt to sign a lower-cost starter and trade for another. Epstein has rebuilt the Cubs well, to the point that writing a huge check to the biggest name isn’t their only option.”
And the Cubs have options in the outfield, including re-upping Dexter Fowler and giving more reps to NL Rookie of the Year Kris Bryant, who saw time in left, center and right last season and can be spelled at third base by Javier Baez.
There would be a certain poetry to the Mets sending pitching to Chicago after exposing the Cubs’ lack of rotation depth en route to a National League Championship Series sweep.
The bottom line, though, is that this trade would make both clubs better. If they clash again in the postseason and Wheeler pitches a gem or Soler launches a game-changing home run, so be it.
There’s no indication at the moment this deal will happen. For now, it’s merely another speculative fastball whizzing past your ear.
You’ve got to admit, though, it’s pretty tantalizing.
All statistics and contract information current as of Nov. 22 and courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com unless otherwise noted.
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