Bullet point summary by AI
- The Chicago Cubs face a tough decision at the trade deadline with four top prospects who may not have clear paths to the majors.
- Each prospect is blocked by established players or recent signings, limiting their near-term opportunities with the team.
- If the Cubs become buyers, these four could be traded to acquire immediate help, reshaping both the present and future rosters.
The Chicago Cubs are in a strange spot. On one hand, expectations were incredibly high for them entering the year, and at times they’ve looked like true contenders, even putting together a pair of 10-game winning streaks. With that being said, the Cubs enter Friday at just 33-30 despite those peaks, stuck in a disappointing fourth place in an uber-competitive NL Central.
Given how this season has gone, it’s unclear as to whether Chicago will even be in a position to buy at the trade deadline. If the Cubs can start stringing wins together, though, and get themselves in position to be buyers, it’s more likely than not that these prospects will get dealt.
SS Jefferson Rojas
Jefferson Rojas is the Cubs’ top prospect according to MLB Pipeline, so for that reason alone, Cubs fans might cringe when seeing his name on this list. With that being said, does he really have a future in Chicago?
Rojas is a shortstop who should be good enough defensively to remain there in the Majors. Well, the Cubs have Dansby Swanson locked in under contract through the 2029 campaign, meaning he’ll almost certainly be the team’s starting shortstop until then. Rojas has played some second base and third base as well, but is there room for him at either of those positions? The team just signed Alex Bregman to a five-year deal this winter and gave Nico Hoerner a six-year extension soon after. Matt Shaw is still in town too, as is fellow top infield prospect Pedro Ramirez.
Chicago’s infield is set for the next several years, meaning there’s no room for Rojas, a 21-year-old in Double-A, to factor in any time soon. Given that, why not trade him when he can be a major piece in a return for a needle-moving player?
1B Jonathon Long
Jonathon Long has done nothing but hit during his professional career with the Cubs. Sure, this season hasn’t gone very well, but he hit 20 home runs and had a .883 OPS in a full season of Triple-A action in 2025, and he has a .841 OPS in parts of four Minor League seasons overall with the Cubs. You can argue he’s done enough to at least warrant a call-up to the Majors, but I’m not sure that call-up will ever come with Chicago.
Long is primarily a first baseman, and that’s where Michael Busch is locked in for the foreseeable future. He’s dabbled at third base and even left field, but he probably shouldn’t play anywhere other than the cold corner — and even if they wanted him to play another position, the Cubs don’t have room for him.
Long is now 24 years old, and he’s running out of value the longer the Cubs keep him in Triple-A without even giving him a shot in the Majors. They ought to get something for him now, rather than wait for his value to run out completely.
OF Josiah Hartshorn
Josiah Hartshorn, a sixth-round pick in the 2025 MLB Draft by the Cubs, has seen his stock rise as much as any prospect in the sport this season. He began the year in Single-A, posting an .884 OPS in 39 games before earning an early promotion to High-A. All he’s done since that promotion is improve, as Hartshorn has hit .375 with a 1.169 OPS in nine games for South Bend. He has a .937 OPS on the year across the two levels with eight home runs and 38 RBI. Not bad for the start of a career!
Hartshorn’s hot start has Cubs fans dreaming about the future, but why worry about the future when you can win right now? Hartshorn might be great, but he’s also a 19-year-old with nine games at High-A under his belt. Who knows what the future will hold?
I’m not here to say the Cubs should give him away by any means, but what if Hartshorn can help Chicago land the frontline starter it desperately needs? It’d be hard to hold onto him in that scenario, as promising a prospect as he is.
OF Kevin Alcantara
Kevin Alcantara is a player Cubs fans have been waiting to see earn a starting role in their outfield for a while, ever since he was acquired in the deal that sent Anthony Rizzo to the New York Yankees. Unfortunately, it hasn’t happened yet, and I’m not sure it ever will.
Alcantara is a primary center fielder, and a really good one at that. The problem, though, is that the Cubs have Pete Crow-Armstrong as their center fielder, and he’ll remain there for a while after extending with the team in the offseason. Sure, Alcantara can play the corner outfield spots too, but is that really in the Cubs’ best interests? Alcantara’s best attribute is his defense, so why minimize his value by sticking him in a corner spot?
This might be something they’d consider if Alcantara were a guarantee to hit, but he’s far from it. He has a ton of power, but his hit tool is suspect: He has 15 home runs in 41 Triple-A games this season, but he’s also struck out 60 times in 180 plate appearances while hitting .241. If he’s striking out that much in Triple-A, what’ll he do in the Majors?
There’s clear upside with Alcantara, but I’m not sure he’ll ever get an opportunity to play much in Chicago, barring a major injury to PCA. And there’s a good chance his value in a trade will be higher than what he’d do for the Cubs in the Majors.
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