4 Chicago Cubs players who could be traded before Opening Day
The Chicago Cubs are a team that entered the offseason with big moves to make, following a disappointing September that ended with them on the outside looking in when it came to the playoff picture.
Their offseason began with a bang as Chicago stole one of the best managers in baseball, Craig Counsell, away from their division rivals, the Brewers. The Counsell addition is a huge one that should help immensely, but the Cubs did very little in free agency while a couple of their key players, Marcus Stroman and Cody Bellinger, remained available for any team to sign.
The Cubs could bring Bellinger back, but Stroman is now a Yankee. Chicago finally has made some moves in the last week, signing Shota Imanaga to fortify the rotation a bit and trading for Michael Busch who is incredibly talented. Those were two strong additions, but the Cubs, at least on paper, appear to have a weaker roster than they one they had last season.
The Cubs do have some free agents they can sign to change that, but also have several trade options that can improve the roster immensely. If Jed Hoyer does attempt to pursue the trade route, these four players could be on the move before Opening Day.
4) Christopher Morel can net the Cubs a huge return if traded
Christopher Morel is one of the more polarizing players on this Cubs roster. On one hand, he's supremely talented with unlimited power. This past season he hit 26 home runs in just 107 games played. On the other hand, he's an extremely flawed player with poor plate discipline and no established position.
Morel could DH everyday for the Cubs, but that's not super ideal for a 24-year-old. Finding Morel a position would be ideal for the Cubs, but the question is where would that be? Adding Michael Busch to the equation only makes things that much more challenging for Chicago.
The Cubs could keep Morel around and see what kind of improvements he makes in 2024, or they can look to trade him and maximize on his high value. He's a player with a ton of potential and if he can headline a trade for, say, Dylan Cease, that's something the Cubs would have to think long and hard about. He comes with five years of team control and has already proven he's capable of hitting 30+ home runs in a season right now. Who knows where his limit is offensively.
The Cubs shouldn't be rushing to trade Morel because of how talented he is, but if they get an offer that they can't refuse, don't be surprised if he's wearing another uniform on Opening Day.