The Chicago Cubs, losers of five of their last seven, have quickly fallen behind in the standings and will be facing some extremely difficult decisions at the trade deadline.
Now sitting 4.5 games back of the San Diego Padres for the third and final National League Wild Card spot and 10.5 games back of the Milwaukee Brewers in the NL Central, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports that “rivals see the Cubs as a possible seller.”
However, Heyman also noted that even if the Cubs want to sell, they don't have a lot of veterans that would sense for them to unload to a contender.
Could the Cubs trade Cody Bellinger?
Heyman listed outfielder/first baseman Cody Bellinger as someone who “would be interesting” at the deadline. However, Bellinger would be difficult to get a significant return on because of the way his contract is structured. Bellinger signed a three-year contract this offseason with opt-outs in 2025 and 2026, meaning that if he is unhappy with where he gets traded to he can easily re-enter free agency in offseason.
However, if the Cubs believe that Bellinger will opt out after this season and re-enter free agency and do not intend to re-sign him, they should do everything they can to trade him at the deadline to try and get some assets back. Bellinger's combination of power and speed and ability to play elite defense in center field and at first base would make him an ideal target for a contender.
The New York Yankees, Seattle Mariners, and Houston Astros need help at first base, and the Cleveland Guardians, Atlanta Braves, and Philadelphia Phillies need help in the outfield. Bellinger's defensive versatility would fit in perfectly almost anywhere if the Cubs make him available.
Outside of Bellinger, potential pieces that could be unloaded include 33-year-old outfielder Michael Tauchman, 35-year-old closer Héctor Neris, and 35-year-old reliever Drew Smyly.
Neris would be the most likely player of the ones mentioned to get moved. However, he has a 4.55 ERA and has already blown four saves. He probably wouldn't close many games for a contender, instead slotting into more of a middle-relief role, and would maybe get back a mid-to-low-level prospect or two in return.
The Cubs have a lot of potential going forward and don't need to tear anything down. They have one of the best starting pitching cores in baseball headlined by Shōta Imanaga, Jameson Taillon, Javier Assad, and Justin Steele. Elite young talents like 26-year-old Michael Busch, 25-year-old Christopher Morel, and 22-year-old Pete Crow-Armstrong are only going to improve. They also have established stars like Bellinger (if he opts in), Dansby Swanson, and Seiya Suzuki.
Yes, Chicago could decide to rebuild and try and set themselves up more for the future. But they also have enough young talent and are still close enough in the Wild Card race where they can stand pat and work with what they have and try and keep this core together as long as possible.
