Chicago Cubs: Five players to keep, trade or dangle

Chicago Cubs: Could Caratini or Maldonado be on the move?

The first group of players up for your bidding- guys we won’t really miss and who can be replaced internally. Not that these guys couldn’t hold value for the Cubs this season or in the future, but they’re expendable. Mike Montgomery would have been on this list, as he holds a ton of value for possible potential, but he’s already been traded to the Royals for Martin Maldonado.

Speaking of Maldonado, it’s possible the Cubs could use the redundancy they currently have at the catching position to make a move in the next couple days. Maldonado has been rumored to be a possible flip, and Victor Caratini could also be valuable to teams who might want to see the 25-year-old switch-hitting catcher in a starting role. Maldonado could be flipped to a contending team in need of a back-up backstop as he’s a superb receiver and veteran presence

Derek Holland, recently acquired from the Giants as a “loogy” out of the bullpen, could also be flipped to a team who still sees him as a starter. He also could become expendable should the Cubs acquire a true left-handed reliever at the deadline.

Tyler Chatwood, another pitcher who isn’t being used in the same fashion he’s used to, could be on the move to a team who needs another starter. He has been better this year on the mound, although the money he’s still owed may make a trade prohibitive… unless the Cubs ate some of that money.

Brad Brach, while not overly valuable to the Cubs or anyone else for that matter, could be the last man in the bullpen pecking order at the moment. This means he could be DFA’d if the Cubs pick up any other relievers at the deadline. That fact alone makes it plausible the Cubs might try to get rid of him before getting nothing of value for him at all.