5 colossal trade chips in the impending Chicago Cubs fire sale

Chicago Cubs: The end of the Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo bromance?

They’ve been inextricably linked in Cubs lore and fandom as “Bryzzo” for the last six years and they’ve been putting the ding in dinger both on and off the field for most of those years. Unfortunately, even though they are both multiple time All-Stars, they’re also both free agents after the 2021 season. Which means, in simple terms, they’re highly likely to be flipped for some prospects in the next three weeks.

Bryant had been enjoying a renaissance year at the plate, proving all the haters and pessimists wrong, but that kind of came to a screeching halt on the last day of May. Through May 31, Bryant was sporting a .324/.406/.611 slash line. Things haven’t gone all that well since, as he put up a .114/.205/.241 in the month of June. So why would anyone take the seemingly broken slugger? Well, it seems it was just a prolonged slump (or serious dislike for the June page of the calendar) for the All-Star, as he’s already 6-for-12 in July and looking much more like one of best all-around players in baseball.

Rizzo, on the other hand, hasn’t exactly had a wonderful season, but it has been good enough to garner interest for someone who needs another bat in the lineup, especially if they also need a really good first baseman. Rizzo isn’t on his normal 30 home run/100 RBI pace, but with a .344 OBP and his glove, someone will bank on him having a big second half.

So, could these two faces of the franchise really be shipped out in a sell-off? Bryant would seem to be the more likely what with his value, versatility, production, and the fact that the Cubs haven’t been able to secure an extension with him yet, but Rizzo could be in the same boat despite his deep connections to the city, charitable operations, and longstanding de facto captainship. If either are traded, you can be sure the Cubs will be looking for young prospects in return, perhaps even teenagers in the same vein as the players received in the Darvish/Caratini deal last offseason.

How can the Chicago Cubs possibly be fun at all without these guys?

Perhaps the most exciting and fun members of the team through their window of contention have been Baez and Contreras. They’re both high energy guys who have cannons attached to their right shoulders and love being showmen as much as they do hitting bombs. They also may both find themselves wearing a different uniform in a couple weeks.

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Contreras has always been in a bit of a different class than the other guys because he still has a year and a half of team control left. With a contract that doesn’t expire until the end of 2022, he’s certainly a wildcard seeing as the looming end of the CBA contract after this year makes next year’s contracts a bit murky and unpredictable at best.

The Venezuelan native has been one of the best all-around catchers for several years, has become a proficient pitch framer, and catches as much as anyone in baseball. It’s not unreasonable to think a contending team would want him for not just the stretch run for this year, but next as well.

Baez, while still one of the most enigmatic superstars in baseball because of his high rate of swing and miss as well as chasing, is a Gold-Glove defender above anything else, a guy who brings defense, base-running, and intangibles to the ballpark every day. Granted, you can’t always count on him to cut down his swing and go the other way for a single, but a contending club in need of a shortstop (who could play third or second incredibly if coupled with another established shortstop) who can pop homers in the clutch is definitely going to come calling for El Mago.

Chicago Cubs: Craig Kimbrel is an unbelievably valuable trade chip

It sounds strange, but the guy who is the newest Cub and the same guy who was the least valuable of the bunch about 10 months ago might just be the most valuable now should the team decide to start unloading players in the next couple weeks.

Given his production so far this season and value in late-game situations, Craig Kimbrel may just land the Cubs a high-value prospect from a contending team that wants to lock things down at the end of games on a consistent basis. The way Kimbrel has thrown the ball this year, he has to be one of the most attractive trade options for nearly every contending team who needs end of game help.

Kimbrel hasn’t just been good this year, he’s been the most valuable reliever in all of baseball at 1.7 fWAR and it’s not like no one has noticed. With Kimbrel dangling like his right arm in the set as an asset, the Cubs might be able to ask for a young top-of-rotation arm or top prospect bat if a team feels the flame-throwing righthander might put them over the top in the same way Aroldis Chapman did with the Cubs five years ago.

Whatever ends up happening and whoever ends up getting traded here in the next couple weeks, it’s going to be an emotional and franchise-altering time; let’s just hope this “window” closes only to open another… or something like that.