Chicago Cubs: Sellers
Why: At 30-50, the Cubs are last in the NL Central. The team has some valuable trade assets and needs to focus on rebuilding.
Who can they deal: Ryan Dempster is slated to return from the disabled list on Sunday. The 35-year-old pitcher has a 3.25 FIP in 81 innings this season. He’s in the last year of his contract and owed about $7 million the rest of the season.
Matt Garza is probably the most attractive player the Cubs will move. Garza has another year of team control, which could make him more attractive than Zack Greinke or Cole Hamels to some teams. He’s not as good as those guys, but that extra year of control is significant. Garza has struggled giving up homers throughout his career, and a move to a larger ballpark could boost his value.
It’s no secret the Cubs would also love to move Alfonso Soriano and Carlos Marmol, but both are owed a fair amount of money in the future. Soriano is owed $38 million over the next two years, making him unlikely to be dealt. If GM Jed Hoyer can find a taker for Soriano, it would rival the Blue Jays trading away Vernon Wells and his contract.
Marmol is owed $9.8 million next year, and has really struggled this season. He’s always been a high-strikeout guy, but his walks have really haunted him this season.
Who they should keep: Starlin Castro and Anthony Rizzo make up the core of the next winning team on the North Side. Jeff Samardzija has had a nice breakout season -- and is under team control until 2015 -- so he’s probably safe, too.
Verdict: The Cubs are in the middle of rebuilding. And while the new regime has done a good job, the team could use more young talent. Fortunately, they have some valuable pieces to trade. It wouldn’t be a surprise if the Cubs were one of the most active teams at the deadline.
