The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal reported that the San Francisco Giants are open to trading their veterans, with one exception: Logan Webb. The Giants have “zero plans” to part with Webb, and understandably so. His superb outing, consisting of eight innings of two-run ball against the red-hot Miami Marlins, only proves their point. With that being said, that outing came in a loss – a third straight, and their 46th in their first 77 games of the year. The Giants are 31-46 and are all-but out of postseason contention.
The reality of where the Giants stand should lead them to, at the very least, listen to offers for their ace. The Chicago Cubs could be a team in a position to overwhelm them.
Now is the time for the Giants to seriously consider trading Logan Webb
Again, I get why the Giants have no interest in trading Webb. He’s under contract through the 2028 season, making no more than $25 million in a year, and is as consistent as any ace in the National League. Webb is as sure a bet as anyone in the league to take the ball every fifth day and give his team a chance to win.
With that being said, the Giants are a disaster, and as good as Webb is, there’s only so much he can do to help. The Giants shouldn’t trade him just for the sake of trading him, but what if they can get a haul? Why wouldn’t they entertain such a proposition when it’s not as if he’s under control for that much longer?
This Cubs offer could be along the lines of what San Francisco is looking for.
What a Cubs-Giants trade for Logan Webb might look like
This would be perhaps the biggest blockbuster of the deadline. The Cubs would be acquiring Logan Webb, a bona fide ace who can lead their rotation, which is in dire need of a boost, but they’d be paying a hefty price.
The Giants would acquire Matt Shaw and three prospects, all of whom have a lot of upside. They’d be parting with their ace, but would be acquiring four players, all of whom can help them win long-term in the not-too-distant future.
Would the Cubs accept this trade?
Whether the Cubs will be buyers at this year’s deadline remains to be seen. Chicago entered the year with World Series aspirations, but they’re just 40-37, only good for the third Wild Card spot in the National League. They’d make the playoffs if the season ended today, but they’re a loss or two from losing their spot.
With that being said, this move would not only help them win now, but it’d help them in the future too. Webb being under control through 2028 at a team-friendly sum, no less, makes him incredibly desirable for any team, but especially a Cubs team that might not be comfortable mortgaging its future for only 2026.
Webb can lead their rotation for the next couple of years, and given his ability to generate ground balls at an elite clip, he’d fit in perfectly with Chicago’s elite infield defense behind him. To get you have to give, though, and I won’t act as if this package is nothing.
Shaw was a first-round pick of Chicago’s just three years ago, and he could easily be a long-term fixture with the organization. Hartshorn’s stock has risen immensely to the point where he is now a top-100 prospect according to MLB Pipeline. Wiggins’ stock has dipped a bit, but he, too, is almost unanimously considered a top 100 prospect. Even Owen Ayres has had a monster year.
With that being said, Shaw doesn’t have a regular spot in Chicago’s lineup, Hartshorn and Ayres are still a couple of years away from debuting most likely, and Wiggins has real reliever risk. It’s a lot to give up, but the need for a frontline arm is so clear. The Cubs should jump at this, even with the high cost, knowing Webb can anchor their rotation for two and a half years.
Verdict: Yes
Would the Giants accept this trade?
The Giants would be the harder team to convince. They have no desire to trade Webb, but again, it’s something worth considering, especially for a haul like this. And yes, it’d be a pretty substantial haul.
Shaw is a versatile player who has shown real potential in his brief MLB career, and he’d be a player worth building around. Hartshorn is playing his way into an elite outfield prospect, with an OPS over 1.100 in High-A this season. Ayres is crushing the ball in Double-A, and while I do believe Wiggins has reliever risk, there’s a reason he was considered a top 100 prospect entering this season. He has outstanding stuff and is improved command away from being an incredibly valuable player. His proximity to the majors only makes him more intriguing.
Wiggins’ elbow injury is concerning, and I’m not going to say prospects, even ones as good as Hartshorn and Ayres, are foolproof, but there’s a realistic world in which all four of these prospects pan out in a big way. Knowing this, and the unlikelihood of them winning in the next two years with Webb under contract, it makes sense to consider selling high on him.
Would they do so, though? Probably not. It’s hard to envision Posey changing course, although if this offer was available, he ought to consider it.
Verdict: No, but they should consider
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