3 NY Mets trade destinations for Brett Baty

2) Chicago Cubs

The Chicago Cubs acquired a star in Kyle Tucker as they look to vault into contention, but in the process lost their starting third baseman, Isaac Paredes, in the return package going back to Houston.

Even with Tucker in the fold, Chicago's Northsiders are among the most active teams on the trade market as they look to thread the needle between becoming heavyweight contenders in the National League and staying under the luxury tax threshold.

In addition to losing Paredes, trade rumors have swirled around starting second baseman Nico Hoerner and the offseason's most available player, first baseman and outfielder Cody Bellinger.

Chicago has one of the top prospects in baseball, Matt Shaw, waiting in the wings to take over a spot in the infield. Ideally, that would be at second base, his stronger position compared to third. If the Cubs make a move to acquire another high-end starting pitcher they could be in the market for budget options in the infield.

As a pre-arb player with several years of team control, Baty could be just the inexpensive, buy-low candidate they're looking for. Outside of Shaw, the Cubs' internal options to fill third (and/or second if Hoerner is traded) are uninspiring at best, and with his previous prospect status and AAA production, they may believe that Baty is a worthwhile gamble.

This would be another minor deal so the return for the Mets wouldn't be huge, but perhaps they can get back a part that fits better than Baty while providing the once-promising power hitter with a fresh start. For Chicago, their lineup could support the worst possible outcome from Baty providing him the time and opportunities that could lead to a breakout.