What would be a valid offer for Eric Sogard?

I’m not specifically an Eric Sogard fan. My most recent memories of him are of him being a non-contributor for the 2018 Milwaukee Brewers. However, he’s done well in 2019, and his name has been tossed about as a Cubs target this week. My concerns regarding Sogard are two. I don’t really consider him especially reliable over the next two months. I’m also concerned what he would cost. This is as basic of a look as I can give at what a reasonable return would be for two months of Sogard’s service.

I decided the best way to find opinions that are plausible would be to seek them out on Twitter. That way, Cubs fans and Jays alike could toss in their best opinions. After all, regardless how “minimal” the return is, any team trading a rental wants some sort of perceived upside, or the trade isn’t worth considering. Someone has to go the other way, or forget it.

Here’s one using a prospect list that kind of seems tolerable. Tom Hatch was one of the pitching prospects that jumped over the Midwest League. He’s a third-round pick (2016) that has advanced to Double-A in two years, and has seemingly stagnated a bit. The Smokies have starting pitchers more deserving of a promotion to Triple-A Iowa.

Hatch to Toronto (or anyone) for MLB talent in a playoff hunt seems reasonable. If another team gets him to advance better than the Cubs, it may be a bit of a Jake Arrieta/Orioles thing. Since I was looking, I checked on third-round choices from 2012, the first year that draft classes had spending pools. Just under half of the choices from that round have MLB time.

Realistically, this is where I started my article project. I didn’t stray too far from this, but 2019 numbers should be considered more relevant than 2018 numbers, at some point.

A few years ago, this would have been inconceivable. Jose Albertos was a wunderkind. Now, he’s struggling in South Bend, again, and will cost a 40-man roster spot this November on the minor league side. Do I love this potential trade? Not at all. If I’d give it a five-minute analysis, I could see giving it a thumbs up. Things change.

While I was writing this, the Astros made this announcement:

Tony Kemp seems to check enough of the boxes that Sogard does. I’d prefer the Vanderbilt product, who the Cubs could keep awhile longer. I expect Kemp to be traded for something, and it might be for more than Sogard draws in return.

If you’re of a mind to declare, which prospect would you be willing to surrender for two-plus months of Sogard? Maybe you want nothing to do with him. Perhaps you’re on the “Anything to get Daniel Descalso DFA’d” bus. Perhaps you think any prospect has (effectively served his purpose/been maximized) if dealt for MLB talent. What would you be willing to surrender? I expect the pieces many fans are willing to trade are different that the (zero years, zero days of MLB experience) types likely to be included in any executed exchange.