Trio of Diamondbacks Centerfielders Should be Cubs Top Trade Targets

The Chicago Cubs have a hole at center field. It's a position at which they haven't had a consistent starter since Albert Almora.

A hodge-podge mish-mash of Ian Happ, Rafael Ortega, Christopher Morel and others have filled in since. None have solidified themselves as both a competent defensive and offensive piece going forward.

Just 14 miles away from the Cubs spring training facility in Mesa, AZ, the Arizona Diamondbacks have the inverse problem.

They're inundated with centerfielders.

Between Alek Thomas, Daulton Varsho, Jake McCarthy and Corbin Carroll, Arizona has more centerfielders than they know what to do with.

According to Bob Nightengale's latest from USA Today, the Diamondbacks have informed teams that Thomas, Varsho and McCarthy are all on the trade block.

Carroll, it seems, has inspired the Diamondbacks enough to pencil him in as the centerfielder of the future.

The trio of outfielders which the club is supposedly shopping, however, are all great players in their own right.

McCarthy placed fourth in 2022 Rookie of the Year voting. He slashed .283/.342/.427 for a 118 OPS+ with 23 stolen bases and 8 home runs in 354 plate appearances. He primarily plays corner outfield, but has 22 Big League starts in center where he has two DRS and one OAA.

Of the trio, Varsho has been in the Majors the longest, debuting in 2020. His 109 OPS+ is a little more encouraging when paired with his 18 defensive runs saved in 2022. Only 42 of his starts came in center field, but 18 also came at catcher, making him one of the most valuable defensive players in baseball.

Not only could he be a solution in the outfield, but a replacement for Willson Contreras too.

Lastly, Thomas has been an encouraging prospect for almost four seasons. MLB's 18th ranked prospect pre-2022, the former-second round pick made his debut May 8 last year. After initial success at the plate, the 22-year-old left-handed hitter began to flounder.

After slashing .258/.316/.413 in his first 275 plate appearances, the rookie had an OPS of just .401 over his last 39 games to end the season.

It's natural to expect adjustment for any young player, and Thomas went through worse than most. But despite his offensive struggles late in the year, he was always a great defender.

He never played an inning off center field to six DRS and seven OAA.

All three of those players, despite individual shortcomings, could be penciled in for future improvement and steady defense at the most difficult outfield position.

None will be cheap, but their value may be underestimated playing in a smaller Arizona market, and the Diamondbacks may be more inclined to move one for a smaller price given their surplus.

They're Cubs and Diamondbacks are a perfect match for a Winter Meeting maneuver.