At first, the idea seemed comical to Cubs right-hander Trey McNutt. Minor leaguers learn to live with the reality that they might be traded. But few can brace themselves for the notion that they might be sent to another franchise as part of a compensation package for a general manager.

But that is precisely the rumor mill in which the 22-year-old prospect found himself, something of which he became aware thanks to his Arizona Fall League teammates. Members of the Mesa Solar Sox informed McNutt that he was being mentioned as a focal point for the Red Sox in talks with the Cubs about GM Theo Epstein.

"I just thought it was a joke and then they showed me and I was like, ‘It’s for real,’" McNutt said after a start on Wednesday in which he allowed four runs (two earned) on five hits in 1 2/3 innings. "I just didn’t think they would trade me because we need the starting pitching. But anything can happen. That’s just how the world works. ...

"[The rumor] just caught me by shock," he added. "I just didn’t think my name would be brought up, so I’m just going to sit and wait and see. Nothing’s probably going to happen until after the World Series, so that’ll probably be this time next week. You just kind of sit around and wait. Either way, they’re both good organizations. If they do trade me, sometimes organizations have to do things they don’t want to do and that’s just the nature of the game."

Though he has reflected on the potential oddity of a player-for-GM trade, McNutt is also aware of the profile of the person for whom he might be dealt.

"I know he did a hell of a job with the Red Sox over there. Brought them two World Series. He’s a good GM, one of the better ones out there," said McNutt. "I think if we get him, he’ll do a good job in the Cubs organization for sure."

While the idea of a trade or a new head of the Cubs organization is intriguing enough, however, both represent secondary concerns for the hard-throwing right-hander who features a fastball, knee-buckling curve and changeup. At a time when his name is being mentioned regularly in Chicago and Boston, McNutt is focused on the work at hand in Arizona as he looks to end a challenging 2011 campaign on a positive note.

In 2010, McNutt emerged as a top prospect (ranked No. 48 overall in the majors by Baseball America entering 2011) after dominating at three levels, moving from the Single-A Midwest League to the High-A Florida State League before finishing the year in the Double-A Southern League. In 25 starts, McNutt was 10-1 with a 2.48 ERA, 132 strikeouts and 37 walks in 116 innings. 

But in a year that was marred by blisters, McNutt -- whom the Cubs took in the 32nd round of the 2009 draft and signed for a $115,000 bonus -- could not build upon that dominance while spending the entire 2011 campaign in Double-A. He was 5-6 with a 4.55 ERA, and his strikout rate tumbled from 10.2 per nine innings in 2010 to 6.2 in 2011, while his walk rate bumped up from 2.9 to 3.7 per nine innings.

"It’s been a rough year all around, struggling to throw strikes," said McNutt. "It hasn’t been there. I’m just trying to find myself again."

Like many young pitchers, McNutt suggested that his results shifted dramatically not only because of a loss of control, but also because he left his pitches up. He believes that the ability to use his sturdy 6-foot-4 frame to leverage pitches down in the strike zone is a key to reclaiming his success. 

"I’m not [working down in the zone] right now. That’s what I’m trying to do. I’ve just got to keep working and someday it’ll come back to you," said McNutt. "My stuff is fine. My stuff is there. I’ve just got to execute it and throw it for a strike. Nothing’s changed, I’ve just got to get the mentality of getting ahead of the hitters and letting my defense work behind me."

In addition to issues with his fastball command in 2011, McNutt also struggled to command his swing-and-miss curveball. That challenge did come with the proverbial silver lining, however, as it forced him to emphasize a changeup that has always been his third-best pitch.

"My changeup has developed a lot this year," said McNutt. "It’s a real good pitch for me. I had a spell where my curveball wasn’t real [good] so that forced me to throw more changeups. It developed into a better third pitch for me."

The development of the changeup could be a determining factor in McNutt's future role. The development of the pitch could point him in the direction of a big league starter. If he cannot add that offering as a regular offering of his repertoire, then his fastball/curveball combination would suggest a potential late-innings bullpen contributor.

Yet while his future role remains up in the air, the organization for whom he will be pitching remains a more immediate question. And so, along with the rest of the baseball world, McNutt will monitor the Cubs-Red Sox rumors, wait, wonder and, in the meantime, work.

"I don’t know what’s going to happen. It’s out of my hands. I’m just trying to focus on pitching out here and trying to get better," he added. "You learn to take everything in stride, really. You don’t take the game for granted. You go out there and work hard every day and that’s all you can ask for."

Nick Piecoro contributed to this report.