Cubs: 5 players who won’t be on the roster by August 1

If the Cubs won’t extend Marcus Stroman, they’re better off trading him

Marcus Stroman is by far the biggest trade chip the Cubs have in their arsenal in 2023. There’s good reason behind that too, as Stroman has plenty of qualities for a potential suitor to drool over. The Cubs ace is only 32 years old and still looks like he’s in his prime. He’s in the midst of a Cy Young caliber season, showing incredible consistency and reliability. Starting pitchers are typically the most sought-after pieces at the trade deadline, especially those on expiring deals like Stroman. The interest level is going to be there for any team above .500 looking to make a playoff push.

But for the Cubs, the trade could make sense, or it couldn’t. It really depends on if they’re willing to extend Stroman after the season. As of now, the Cubs aren’t interested in this extension, against Stroman’s wishes. If they don’t extend him, they run the risk of losing a Cy Young-caliber ace for nothing. A trade would net them a decent return of projectable prospects instead of just letting him walk in free agency.

Let’s preface this by saying the Cubs’ best choice is to extend him. It isn’t often that an ace-caliber player comes to town and is so willing to discuss an extension without testing the market. But, if the Cubs don’t want to do this, their best bet remaining is to trade him before the deadline.