0 Chicago Cubs listed on MLB Trade Rumors’ Top 40 trade candidates

Winners of nine of 10 heading into this weekend’s series in San Francisco, the Chicago Cubs are officially the hottest team in baseball. The competition the team faced in May pales in comparison to what’s in store in the month of June – but after sweeping the San Diego Padres, things are starting off on the right foot.

Just a month ago, the Cubs faced dismal odds of making the postseason, let alone winning the division. They pretty clearly looked like sellers – especially given the major talent set to walk at year’s end, ranging from a former MVP in Kris Bryant to All-Stars like Anthony Rizzo, Javier Baez and Craig Kimbrel.

But after a 19-8 month, things have dramatically changed. The team might be buyers, now – and even MLB Trade Rumors isn’t thinking Chicago will sell at this point. In the ‘early June edition’ of their top 40 trade candidates, not a single Cubs player was included. That’s pretty astonishing to me personally, but I’m very much here for it.

Chicago Cubs should have their eye on the top name, Rockies pitcher Jon Gray

Topping the MLBTR rankings is Colorado Rockies ace Jon Gray. After all, the Rockies are trash and what use do they really have for a top-tier arm after literally paying the Cardinals to take Nolan Arenado, one of the best all-around third basemen in the game, off their hands this past winter?

For his part, Gray wants to stay in the Mile High City – but it might not matter what he wants. Chicago, and countless other teams, need starting pitching. The Rox could flip the right-hander for a decent price this summer and (maybe) expedite the rebuild that’s psudeo-underway already.

Oh, and the number two name on the list? It’s Gray’s teammate, All-Star shortstop Trevor Story, who will join Baez in this winter’s loaded free agent class at year’s end.

Chicago Cubs own a juggernaut bullpen; does it make Craig Kimbrel expendable?

Look, trading Baez, Rizzo or Bryant while the team has a real shot at the postseason is political suicide for Tom Ricketts and Jed Hoyer. They’re fan favorites, helped bring a World Series to the North Side and, given the Cubs are a big-market team (whether they act like it or not), it would be a move fans would never forget.

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That doesn’t mean Chicago can’t re-tool on the fly while improving for the long-haul. The most obvious way that happens is trading Craig Kimbrel, who very much looks like the potential future Hall of Famer we all thought we were getting two years ago. It might sound ludicrous to trade the anchor at the back end of the bullpen, but the emergence of several relievers could make it at least a little easier to trade the veteran.

On the year, Kimbrel boasts a 0.78 ERA, 15.3 K/9 and 0.783 WHIP across 23 innings of work – elite numbers, to be sure. But, as a whole, the Cubs have guys they could look to use in the ninth inning, even going with a closer-by-committee setup might be an option.

If you don’t trade Kimbrel, you’re all-in. At least to me personally, you can’t hold onto this guy and not buy at the deadline. Keeping him sends a message that you expect to need him come the postseason and you have every intention of making it there. All this to say a trade of Kimbrel isn’t waving the white flag and such a move might be the likeliest when it comes to the team’s pool of free agents-to-be.