The White Sox lost AJ Pollock to injury. Could this provide a trade chance for the Cubs?

This article is a proposal to take advantage of an opportunity. If things happen across the league? If they can be exploited? Exploit them. However, before you can exploit reality, planning is important. This article is about making what would seem to be a logical trade.

Before we discuss the trade possibility, I’ll ask a question. Once May 2 arrives, MLB active rosters drop from 28 to 26 players. Whether you want it to happen or not, the Cubs will have to take a hitter off the roster. Realistically, who do you think it will be?

If it's Michael Hermosillo or Rafael Ortega, they would need to be run through waivers to be retained. Neither would clear waivers, and so the Cubs would get surrender value (translation: cash) for either one. If your planning has either Hermosillo or Ortega going away, a trade might be preferable to a DFA.

On Friday, AJ Pollock left the White Sox game against the Tigers with hamstring tightness. He will miss time soon, as will Lucas Giolito. The Sox have six players on their 40-man roster who aren't on the 28-man roster, which is full (however, Garrett Crochet soon figures to get transferred to the 60 Day Injured List). Infielder Romy Gonzalez and outfielder Adam Haseley could be called up. I'm not very well-versed in the Sox pipeline, but I'd guess the player you selected above might be better than Haseley or Gonzalez.

If the Cubs are likely to lose Ortega and/or Hermosillo, regardless, getting some level of quality for them would seem better than getting a minor cash fee. (Remember that Andrelton Simmons will return, soon, as well.)

With Pollock out, the Sox outfielders are a bit extended. I would imagine that, whichever person you're planning to run through waivers might upgrade the White Sox until Pollock returns. I'm not trading Willson Contreras; I'm trading a player who's probably going to have to leave anyway.

What would be a realistic return for whoever would be dealt? Ignore the Sox Top 30 list. While the player might be on one list or another, that isn't the plan. The goal is to brew up a cup of tea or cocoa, and look at the Sox’ most recent draft class.

Remember that this trade proposal is for a player slightly better than the waiver wire. It's not about extracting a major return, but something better than a waiver wire fee. Picks 11-19 all went for a signing bonus of $125,000 or $150,000. I'd be good with one of those players who has had a degree of success.

Normally, I'd break things down aggressively. However, today, I'm good with whichever of those players both teams could agree on, with a mild preference to the pitchers. The Sox get an outfielder upgrade for three or four weeks or more. The Cubs get a player to develop for the next three years. Again, someone going away is almost a given. Is it better to send the budget $50,000? Or have a player to use to upgrade the pipeline?

I'd take the player.