Time to panic: 3 Cubs trades Jed Hoyer has to make, even if he doesn’t want to
By Mark Powell
In an ideal world, the Chicago Cubs would’ve made a significant step forward in 2023. Selling at the deadline is the right decision moving forward.
Give Jed Hoyer, David Ross and Co. some credit, they have said all the right things leading up to the MLB trade deadline. In fact, the Cubs are still not guaranteed to sell. Series against the Washington Nationals and St. Louis Cardinals are bound to play a role in that choice. Hoyer has stated he wants to do what’s best for the organization.
With an eye towards 2024, the Cubs would be wise to sell off expiring assets like Marcus Stroman and Cody Bellinger. Both are expected to be two of the more valuable players available at their respective positions. They could also leave this winter for nothing should Chicago not extend them.
For what it’s worth, it seems both Stroman and Bellinger have come to terms with that fact. Contract negotiations fell short of expectations for both players. The business side of the game can be cruel at times, but Stroman would welcome a Chicago reunion should they trade him elsewhere for half a season. He loves being a Cub.
Cubs trade to make: Send Marcus Stroman away
It’s painful, yes, but Marcus Stroman is Chicago’s most valuable asset, and they should trade him while they have the opportunity to recoup something for his value. If anything, trading Stroman comes with a nice caveat — he’d be open to re-signing with the Cubs this offseason.
“I know I would love to stay here, but a lot of that’s out of our control. At the end of the day, it’s a business, so we have to treat it as such, even though we have this love for this fan base and this organization,” Stroman said. “I love everything about the city of Chicago and this organization. No matter what happens, I would hope that they’d be in the mix in the offseason when it comes to my free agency.”
That alone leaves the door wide open for the Cubs, a team that isn’t far away from competing for an NL Central crown (or so they hope), but could still use a few more pieces. Stroman has a player opt-out after the year and he’s likely to use it to enter free agency.