4 Cubs that weren't traded at the deadline but will be gone this offseason

It was an interesting trade deadline for the Chicago Cubs. Jed Hoyer essentially waved the white flag on their season by saying they were going to focus on 2025, but the way they made trades at the deadline wasn't what anyone expected.

The Cubs acquired players like Isaac Paredes who are under contract past the 2024 season, giving up prospects in the process. That gave the vision that the Cubs were buyers, but they were really just improving their chances of competing in 2025 and beyond with those moves. The Cubs did also make more of a traditional selling move, dealing Mark Leiter Jr. away in exchange for prospects.

While the Cubs made surprising moves, they weren't necessarily as active as teams like the Rays, Miami Marlins, or Toronto Blue Jays. There are several players on their current roster who were not traded at the deadline but also won't be back next season.

4) Kyle Hendricks' legendary run in Chicago is coming to an end

Kyle Hendricks has been a stalwart in Chicago ever since he helped them win the World Series in 2016, but it feels very clear that his time as a Cub is coming to an end. Hendricks, the last remaining member from that 2016 team, was not traded but is a free agent at the end of the year.

The 34-year-old has had a season to forget, posting a 6.86 ERA in 20 appearances (15 starts) and 85.1 innings of work. He's allowed home runs and walks at rates higher than he ever has, and he has had several starts in which he has simply looked overmatched.

He'll always be a Cubs legend, but if Chicago really plans on competing in 2025, it's really hard to justify bringing Hendricks back, even as a fifth starter. He'll finish out the year in Chicago, but that should be his last hurrah as a Cub.

3) Drew Smyly's mutual option won't be picked up by the Cubs

The Cubs bullpen has not been great for much of the year, but Drew Smyly, when healthy, has been a rare exception. He missed a month due to injury but the southpaw has a 2.61 ERA in 29 appearances and 41.1 innings of work this season. In fact, with how well he has pitched, it's a bit surprising that he wasn't traded.

The contract is not good with the 35-year-old making $10.5 million this season, but you'd think if the Cubs were willing to eat a portion or all of of the remaining money they'd find a suitor. Not only can Smyly go multiple innings in relief if need be, but he has been effective against both righties and lefties.

Smyly has been really solid for the Cubs out of the 'pen this season, but his mutual option for 2025 is worth $10 million. The only relievers worth eight figures are the elite ones, and Smyly is nowhere near that, unfortunately. Perhaps the Cubs bring him back on a smaller deal, but he's likely going to be gone.

2) The Hector Neris signing hasn't panned out as well as the Cubs had hoped

The Cubs signed Hector Neris to be a valuable late-game arm for them and while it looked like a pretty good deal at the time, he's had his ups and downs to say the least.

The right-hander's 3.58 ERA isn't too bad, but his 1.487 WHIP is way too high, and stats such as his 4.35 xERA and 4.46 FIP suggest he is lucky to have his ERA under 4.00. Neris' 14.6 percent walk rate is far higher than he has had in any other year, and his 23.6 percent strikeout rate is a career-low. These numbers don't exactly bode well towards success in the future.

Neris is probably an adequate middle reliever, but his $9 million club option almost certainly won't get picked up. Yes, it converts to a player option if he makes 20 more appearances or finishes 12 more games, but barring a shocking second-half surge by Chicago, it's hard to envision them letting him hit those numbers.

1) Mike Tauchman will be traded to clear room for younger players

Of the four players on this list, Mike Tauchman is the only one who cannot be a free agent at the end of the 2024 campaign. In fact, he's under club control through the 2026 campaign.

It might be weird to see him on a list like this because he has actually played pretty well for the Cubs in each of the last two seasons. He's cooled down since his hot start in 2024 and missed substantial time due to injury, but he's slashing .246/.344/.357 with five home runs and 20 RBI in 78 games this season. He doesn't do much damage offensively, but he draws a ton of walks, gets on base a good amount, and can play all three outfield positions.

While he can have some value as a starter or a fourth outfielder, the Cubs have a ton of outfield depth. Not only do they have Cody Bellinger, Ian Happ, Seiya Suzuki, and Pete Crow-Armstrong at the MLB level, but some of their best prospects like Owen Caissie and Alexander Canario are in AAA. Even Kevin Alcantara, another one of their top prospects, is an outfielder in AA and on the 40-man roster.

If the Cubs don't want to trade these prospects away, they're going to have to open room for them somehow. Getting rid of Tauchman would be the easiest way for them to accomplish that goal.