The Chicago Cubs were one of the more disappointing organizations in the entire league last year. They brought in NL Central rival manager, Craig Counsell from the Milwaukee Brewers to come to the Windy City and bring their team back to the postseason. But Chicago came up short of the postseason as Counsell's former team won the division, again.
Now, heading into the 2025 season, Counsell is going to need an improved team in order to really push for a World Series. The first order of business will be deciding which players won't be back in 2025. There are players that could be traded or cut in the next few months.
Which members of the Cubs' organization will be traded or worse this winter?
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Out of the three players that will find their way on this list, this one is the most obvious. The Chicago Cubs gave 24 starts and over 130 innings to the veteran right hander, Kyle Hendricks, in 2024 and it was one of the worst decisions they could have made. Chicago continued to roster him and pitch him because he's a leader and he was signed under contract for $16.5 million last season.
But he isn't under contract anymore, as the 11 year Cubs veteran is set to enter unrestricted free agency. Both parties understand that it would be best for the Cubs to let Hendricks go this offseason.
During the 2024 season, Hendricks made 29 appearances while holding a 5.92 ERA and a WAR well into the negatives. He was walking more batters than he's ever walked while giving up more hits than he's ever allowed, by the per nine numbers. It's clear his time in the big leagues is coming to an end.
He had a good career with the Cubs, but all good things must come to an end. Hendricks will be let go this winter. He knows it, the front office knows it and all the fans should know it as well.
This offseason, the Cubs are going to need to be aggressive in finding talent however they can. Obviously, they will be aggressive in free agency while also looking to develop the players they currently have in their farm system. But, Chicago could and likely will look to make one or two trades to bring cheaper talent to the Windy City.
But when they do this, they're going to need to trade away from their top prospects. One of the names that sticks out that could be moved is outfielder Kevin Alcantara.
Alcantara, 22, holds a ton of value as a prospect. He has all the tools to be a potential five tool prospect while also showcasing these tools with in game talent. Last season, he slashed .278/.353/.428 with 14 home runs and 14 stolen bases in two levels of the minor leagues. He played so well that the Cubs brought him up late in the year, though he didn't get enough playing time to showcase his talent.
Alcantara is a top talent and the Cubs vlaue him as such. But if they're going to be looking to make a splash in the trade market this winter, a prospect like Alcantara is going to have to be included in the prospect package.
For the length of his Cubs career, Drew Smyly has been about as average as a pitcher can be. He's made 45 starts and 113 appearances as a member of the Cubs where he holds an ERA of 4.25, FIP of 4.70 and a WHIP of 1.34. His ERA+ is 99, good for just below the league average of 100.
When Smyly enters the offseason, Chicago is going to have the option to accept his $10 million mutual option that's attached to his contract. But the Cubs would be foolish to accept him at this number.
Last year, the lefty wasn't great out of the bullpen for Chicago, though his ERA was under 4.00. His FIP was near 5.00 while his WHIP was near 1.50. Smyly had very average per nine numbers as well. It's really hard to make an argument that he deserves a salary north of $10 million.
Either way, Chicago could find a better use for money like this. They have a lot of holes to fill and they could find production like this for much cheaper than what Smyly would be due in 2025. Chicago would be better off using this $10 million to bring in a slugger like Pete Alonso, if at all possible.
