The best Cubs prospect the NY Mets could possibly pry away from Jed Hoyer

The Mets arrive at the 2026 trade deadline in a position nobody in Queens anticipated. With Freddy Peralta, Luke Weaver, and Clay Holmes as the most obvious pieces to move, the organization has a chance to turn a disappointing season into genuine future capital, and Jed Hoyer's Cubs, already confirmed as a recurring trade partner after the David Peterson deal in June, look like the most logical destination for at least one of those arms.

The real question isn't whether Chicago comes calling on New York again, but what Hoyer is willing to give up to get it done. The Mets already know Josiah Hartshorn and Jaxon Wiggins are possible off the table in any conversation, which pushes the focus to the next name on the list. Ethan Conrad, the Cubs' No. 4 outfield prospect and possibly the highest-ceiling offensive asset Chicago could be forced to part with.

The bat that could eventually move to first base

Conrad was a first-round selection (17th overall) in the 2025 draft came despite a shoulder surgery that cut his season short, precisely because his bat had already proven itself at Marist, where he posted a .389/.467/.704 line with nine home runs in just over 220 plate appearances during his sophomore year. His coach at Wake Forest, Tom Walter, didn't hold back in describing him as a five-tool player with elite bat-to-ball skills who is only scratching the surface of his power potential

The statistical progression backs up the reputation, but the defensive profile is what really defines his long-term ceiling. The shoulder that forced him into surgery remains the variable that will determine his eventual position, and the organization has already made clear that the outfield isn't the only path forward, with Conrad played first base at Marist, and that prior experience makes him a realistic candidate to eventually profile as a pure power bat at first base or as a designated hitter if the arm doesn't hold up to the demands of right field at the major league level. Far from a red flag, that potential positional shift actually protects the offensive value, since it relieves Conrad of defensive pressure and puts the entire evaluation on a bat that has already proven capable of adjusting to every jump in competition level.

2026 finally gave Chicago a real look on the field, and the answer was emphatic. After overcoming a back injury that delayed his professional debut, Conrad produced a 1.147 OPS in five games in the Arizona Complex League, a number that earned him an immediate promotion to Class-A Myrtle Beach, where he has already hit his first professional home run.

Industry consensus confirms this isn't one outlet's exaggeration. Bleed Cubbie Blue ranks him fourth in its system rankings, MLB Pipeline bumped him into the organization's top 3 before the season started, and ProspectsLive agrees with a 50 OFP grade, the same mark it hands Owen Caissie and Jefferson Rojas.

Chicago needs arms to sustain a wild-card race that's only gotten tighter, and Hoyer already showed in June that he's willing to pay in system development to solve that problem immediately. The two teams could find themselves in a perfect match with Conrad as a centerpiece of a trade.

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