Philadelphia Phillies: 3 blockbuster trades to make with the Cubs

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The Philadelphia Phillies could poach some elite talent off Chicago.

As of right now, the Philadelphia Phillies have done very little to signal that they want to *add* significant talent this offseason. Both J.T. Realmuto and Didi Gregorius remain unsigned, and owner John Middleton has repeatedly conveyed a message of wanting to slash payroll.

With that said, the Phillies hired Dave Dombrowski. Simply put – you don’t hire Dave Dombrowski unless you want to win baseball games.

It’s still unclear what Dombrowski’s plan of attack will be this winter, but he’s long been an executive who hunts the “win now” trade deal. The Chicago Cubs have revealed themselves as a team who’s looking to shed salary and older players this offseason, making them prime candidates for the Phillies to engage with in trade discussions.

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If Middleton gives Dombrowski the all clear in regards to landing a superstar talent, the Cubs have three players who would fit the bill:

Kris Bryant, 3B

I’m not going to spend a ton of time talking about Kris Braynt (mainly because my coworker Kevin Dickson already has), but it’s a move that the Phillies have routinely been linked to.

Bryce Harper and Bryant grew up together, and remain close friends to the day. The duo have repeatedly expressed a desire to play together at some point in their professional careers, and Philadelphia is the most likely spot.

Bryant is coming off a down season in 2020 (.644 OPS), which in theory should lower his trade value. He could slot in at third base or even in left field, which could in turn allow the Phillies to move off Rhys Hoskins or Andrew McCutchen.

The main sticking point of course is that Bryant is set to make $18.6 million in 2021.

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