Inside The Cubs

Fernando Tatis Jr. Trade Speculation Raises Intriguing Chicago Cubs Possibility

The Chicago Cubs could potentially make a major splash in trading for Fernando Tatis Jr. this winter.
Grant Young|
=San Diego Padres right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr.
=San Diego Padres right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr. | Denis Poroy-Imagn Images

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Chicago Cubs fans were not happy to hear that star outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong did not win the 2025 NL Platinum Glove Award, which is given to the top defensive player in the entire National League. Instead, this prestigious award was given to San Diego Padres superstar Fernando Tatis Jr.

There's no doubt that Tatis Jr. is one of baseball's best defenders. However, given that Tatis ranked No. 37 in MLB with 8 Outs Above Average (OAA) while PCA tied for the league lead with 24 OAA, the sentiment that Crow-Armstrong was more deserving of the award is backed up by these stats.

Not to mention that Crow-Armstrong led baseball with 22 Runs Prevented, while Tatis was No. 31, with 7. However, they both had 15 Defensive Runs Saved (DRS), which tied them at No. 9 in MLB.

Hopefully, Tatis Jr. (who hit .268 with a .814 OPS and 25 home runs and 32 stolen bases in 2025), winning the Platinum Glove Award over PCA, doesn't make him an enemy among Cubs fans, especially because there might be a world where Chicago tries to trade for him this winter.

San Diego Padres right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr. (23) comes in from the outfield on September 9, 2025
San Diego Padres right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr. (23) | Denis Poroy-Imagn Images

Could Cubs Try to Trade for Fernando Tatis Jr.?

At first glance, it seems absurd that the Padres would consider trading Tatis Jr., given that he's the face of their franchise and one of the sport's biggest stars. But USA Today MLB insider Bob Nightengale conveyed why San Diego should at least think about moving him in a November 10 article.

"[The Padres] certainly don’t want to trade him, and still may not listen now, but with all of their bloated and back-loaded contracts, someone is going to eventually have to depart. And no one making big money has more trade value than Tatis, whose 14-year, $340 million contract suddenly looks rather reasonable," Nightengale said after listing Tatis Jr. as a player who could be on the trade block this winter.

If the Padres did try to deal Tatis Jr., the Cubs would make a lot of sense as a potential trade partner. This is because he would be the perfect replacement for Kyle Tucker, given that both play right field. Not to mention that the Cubs trading for Tucker last offseason shows their willingness to acquire an elite hitter via a blockbuster trade.

And since Chicago's brass is notoriously hesitant to give players a lot of money on free agency, if they could get San Diego to eat a chunk of Tatis Jr.'s contract, a trade like this could be their perfect offseason splash that would arguably make Chicago's outfield the best in baseball history.

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Grant Young
GRANT YOUNG

Grant Young is a Staff Writer for On SI’s Chicago Cubs, New York Mets, Boxing, Indiana Fever, and Women’s Fastbreak sites. Before joining SI in 2024, he wrote for various boxing and sports verticals such as FanBuzz and NY Fights. Young has a bachelor’s degree in marketing and a master’s degree in creative writing with an emphasis on sports nonfiction from the University of San Francisco, where he played five seasons of Division 1 baseball. He fought Muay Thai professionally in Thailand in 2023, loves a good essay, and is driven crazy trying to handle a pitpull puppy named Aura. Young lives in San Diego and was raised in the San Francisco Bay Area.

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