Chicago Cubs' prospect Candelario might just be trade bait

The Chicago Cubs have dealt away some of their top prospects in order to make moves. Most notably, Torres and McKinney who were sent to New York for a veteran closer.

Recently, MLB.com released their annual rankings for the top prospects in the MLB for the coming season. While there are several Chicago Cubs’ players in the rankings, Jeimer Candelario is an interesting player included.

For a farm system that has developed loads of talent in recent years, Candelario is a very intriguing asset for the Cubs. Ranked 96th on MLB.com’s list, the 23-year-old switch-hitting third baseman hit a combined .283 in the minor leagues in 2016.

Candelario also got a taste of big league action in 2016, getting 11 at-bats while playing in five games. This sample size is too small to judge him as a player, but he did hit just .091 with the Cubs.

According to MLB.com, the Cubs will promote Candelario to the big leagues again in 2017. When this will happen, though, is not clear. Unfortunately for Candelario, there is not a pressing need for the Cubs at either one of his primary spots on each corner of the infield.

Of course, the Cubs have All-Stars Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo entrenched at third and first base for the foreseeable future. Javier Báez also plays third fairly often, something that should continue in 2017. Where does this leave Candelario?

Trade likely?

Realistically, it’s hard to envision a future for Candelario in a Cubs’ uniform. While a position change could be feasible, the Cubs are simply deep at every position on their roster. For that reason, there seems to be one possibility for Candelario’s future that is stronger than any other.

It seems safe to bet that the Cubs will trade Candelario in the future. By no means does trading him mean that the organization doesn’t value his potential. Any trade that does occur simply would be due to the opposite, in fact.

Candelario is a special talent, it’s just that there is no room for him on the Cubs. By trading him, the team could receive back someone to contribute to another potential playoff run.

It is obviously unclear now what the Cubs might need to spruce up their roster come July’s trade deadline. In fact, they may wind up not needing to make any moves at all, in the end. If the Cubs do make a trade, though, Candelario should be one of the few players included in any deal.