If the Cubs Start Selling...

We have done quite a few of these "if the (fill in the team name) start selling) posts here on the blog and today we throw you readers a little bit of a curveball. Instead of showcasing teams that are preparing for rebuilding processes and instead of showcasing teams that are selling off any and every arbitration eligible player or beyond player they have on the team I figured we could also look at a team that now has a bit of a surplus at one position. The Chicago Cubs grabbed the best free agent on the market in Jason Heyward and may not start selling off an outfielder or two, specifically Javier Baez or Jorge Soler. Should the Yankees be interested?

Of course they should. Once the outfield position and their best free agents start to fall the second tier guys will begin to come off the board. That's when you will get optimal value out of a 32-year old Brett Gardner in a trade. Essentially cornering the market and making a trade for either Baez or Soler only to trade Gardner for a substantial haul later makes sense on paper but do the Yankees have the pieces to get it done, and are they willing to give them up?

If you're looking at Baez I think the Yankees are a bit of a stretch in the running for him. The Tampa Bay Rays have been discussing a trade for either Matt Moore or Alex Cobb to get Baez back and unless the Yankees are willing to part with one of their better starting pitchers in an already weak and question mark ridden rotation they are not going to get Baez. What about Soler?

Jorge Soler is right-handed, something the Yankees are looking for, he's young, another check in the box for the Yankees, and he's cost-controlled for the next five seasons. Soler signed a nine year deal with the Cubs worth $30 million that will keep him under team control through the 2020 season. Soler is just 23-years old and projects to be a 15-20 home run guy, or more, at the peak of his MLB career. Truth be told he may not be a huge offensive or defensive upgrade over Gardner but he is nine years younger and much cheaper. Soler fits the mold of what the Yankees are trying to do, rebuild on the fly but still compete in 2016.

I don't pretend to be an expert on the Chicago Cubs needs or farm system but you would have to think they would want pitching back for Soler. Either in the starting rotation or in the bullpen. The Yankees match up decently here with one of Ivan Nova, Bryan Mitchell, Nathan Eovaldi and Michael Pineda available with a plethora of bullpen arms that are MLB ready and that could be included. I'm not saying a deal will be made but this would be the perfect deal for the New York Yankees, Brian Cashman... are you listening?