MLB Rumors: Braves surprise trade, where Cubs stand, Ohtani in the cards?

MLB Rumors: Cubs trade deadline plans for Stroman, Morel and more

There is perhaps no more difficult team to figure out leading up to the trade deadline than the Chicago Cubs. The remaining weeks until the Aug. 1 deadline will tell us a ton about what’s going to happen but they are a mystery right now, sitting two games under .500 but only 3.5 games out of first place in the flailing NL Central. Moreover, the Cubbies have been surging as of late.

So as things currently stand, what does the plan look like in Chicago for the trade deadline?

Jim Bowden of The Athletic (subscription required) ran down the possible candidates to be traded before Aug. 1 and the Cubs had several entrants on the list, but with varying levels of commitment to the possibility of them being moved.

Marcus Stroman is a fascinating case in that he’s the most valuable trade asset for the Cubs but has also expressed interest in working out an extension as he’ll likely opt out of the final year of his contract this coming offseason. Bowden noted that, if there is no progress on an extension, he’s a candidate to headline a blockbuster deadline trade.

As for candidates to be moved, perhaps whether the Cubs stay in the playoff hunt or not, Bowden listed starting pitcher Drew Smyly, third baseman Patrick Wisdom (if he’s healthy), and catcher Yan Gomes as possibilities to be dealt. Meanwhile, if the club does fall out of contention, the MLB insider surmised that moving Cody Bellinger could be in the team’s best interest to continue building for the future.

Christopher Morel, who has been enjoying a breakout start to the summer, was also mentioned on the Top 100 list but Bowden seems convinced that the Cubs, even if they could get a big return for him, won’t deal a player who has many years of club control and could just be scratching his potential.