The MLB hot stove is fully cooking with trade and free agency rumors flying off the front pages. The Chicago Cubs are in a transition period with their new manager Craig Counsell and want to give him plenty of big names to pencil into his lineup on a daily basis.
The biggest name on the MLB free agency market is Shohei Ohtani and the Cubs could be in play to court the two-time MVP. It will take a lot to get him and Chicago's negotiations with Ohtani could force it to hold on any other plans this offseason.
One of those plans might be to engage in trade talks with the Toronto Blue Jays involving shortstop Bo Bichette. Toronto is rumored to be listening and is holding onto an outside chance of signing Ohtani itself. Trading Bichette would free up space in the payroll, although he is set to be a free agent after the 2025 season.
Moving Bichette could also signal a red flag for Ohtani who sees the trade as the Blue Jays moving one of their best players in the midst of their competitive window. It is possible to get Ohtani and keep Bichette, but signing the shortstop to an extension with Ohtani on the books would be tough to do. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is also set to hit free agency in 2025.
Increasing the odds
There is a world in which the Cubs trading for Bo Bichette before going after Shohei Ohtani works out for them. Ohtani could see that as a plea to get his signature and might see it as enough to play the next big chunk of his career in Chicago.
If the Cubs acquire Bichette, they plan on putting him at third base, according to Matt Cozzi. That would give them a left side of the infield that consists of Bo Bichette and Dansby Swanson who have combined to make four All-Star teams.
Stacking on star players put Chicago in a position to offer Ohtani a winning situation. The Rangers turned multiple big-money contracts into a championship with the right pieces fitting together. The Cubs or another team on the fringe of being a contender could adopt the same concept and what better player to add to the mix than the best one on the planet, Shohei Ohtani?
The Cubs should be in win-now mode with a manager like Craig Counsell. Teams don’t make their manager the highest paid in the league to not compete for championships. Chicago will probably be aggressive this offseason and rightfully so. They narrowly missed the playoffs last season and need a few more pieces to get the job done.
Bo Bichette on the Cubs would be pretty electric, but there's no guarantee the Blue Jays will even entertain trading Bichette. Chicago would also have to give up a lot and might not be willing to do so unless it knows for sure that Bichette will sign an extension and play third base.
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