Epic Cubs trade misfires headlined by 2025 NY Mets scrapheap roster additions

Sure, there’s a chance the New York Mets trade with the Chicago Cubs which sent Pete Crow-Armstrong to the Windy City ends up as one of the worst in our franchise’s history. PCA has been one of the game’s best defensive players at any position this year and last. Yet to fully figure things out at the plate, he’s young and patience on the Cubs’ behalf can only benefit him.

Around the same time the Cubs were trading Javier Baez to the Mets, they were shipping out other key members of the roster. Craig Kimbrel was sent to the Chicago White Sox for a pair of players. Kris Bryant went to the San Francisco Giants for two more.

How did those trades develop? They should feel fortunate to have Crow-Armstrong, warts and all.

Two players added by the Mets before Opening Day headline two epic Cubs trade failures

Hey, those are two names we know. Codi Heuer and Nick Madrigal were the pair added to the Cubs roster in July 2021. Heuer hasn’t pitched in the big leagues since that season. He’s now with the Texas Rangers in the minor leagues after posting a 37.13 ERA in spring training. That’s not a typo.

Madrigal, as we know, came to the Mets this offseason as a backup infielder. In his first spring training game, a shoulder injury landed him on the IL. He’ll miss all of 2025.

As if that wasn’t bad enough, the Cubs got even less for their 2016 MVP, Bryant. Heuer and Madrigal were the first two to exit the organization. In a little over a month, so have the two players from the Bryant deal with the Giants.

Alexander Canario came to the Mets in early spring training in a cash for player swap. A healthy Starling Marte gave him no real room to stick around, thus another DFA and later a trade to the Pittsburgh Pirates for cash. On Thursday, the Cubs parted with the other half of the trade. Caleb Killian was designated for assignment. A 9.22 ERA in only 27.1 big league innings spread out over parts of three seasons was enough for Chicago to finally cut bait.

Seeing two now already departed Mets from 2025 spring training involved in these epic trade deadline failures might be what caught my attention, but the main takeaway applies to everyone. You never know with prospects. Nine times out of ten, the established big leaguer is worth having around. Although different circumstances were involved, the Mets could be facing this challenge as soon as the end of this year with Luisangel Acuna. He has one minor league option left. Use it up and he could be one of those guys we were excited about obtaining that ends up in a tweet. Let’s just hope the names Drew Gilbert and Ryan Clifford aren’t involved, too.