Cubs: 3 players on the trading block this offseason
By Mark Powell
The Chicago Cubs have a decision to make this offseason: Do they trade off remaining assets or hold on to their potential building blocks?
The Cubs traded away pretty much all assets on expiring contracts at the trade deadline, leaving themselves with a rotten carcass of a roster for the remainder of the season. The response has not been fun for fans to watch, as Chicago has gone on multiple 10-plus game losing streaks.
The product on the field is awful, and it will be awful next season barring any monumental changes. The Cubs are a big-market team, meaning they have the money to invest in the on-field product and turn things around immediately.
Odds are, the Ricketts’ will not choose that option.
Chicago Cubs could trade Willson Contreras
Perhaps the most obvious option is also the most valuable player on the roster. Contreras plays a premium position and would fetch a solid return despite entering the final year of his contract.
As one of the best catchers in the National League, the Cubs could demand multiple top-5 prospects in return for Contreras and not be laughed off the phone. Whether Jed Hoyer has the cache to make that deal remains to be seen, but the 29-year-old hit 17 home runs and drove in 40 runs so far this season. At his best, he’s an above .250 hitter as well.
If the Cubs wanted to sell high, they’d have every right to do so.
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