Who will be the first Chicago Cubs player traded ahead of the deadline?

Look, we all know what’s coming: multiple Chicago Cubs will no longer be Chicago Cubs by the end of the month. The only question at this point is who is going to be dealt and then, of course, when will they be shipped out?

Will it be before the Cubs resume play after the All-Star Break, or will we have to wait another couple weeks to see the market start heating up? Will contending teams who incur injuries early in the second half look to fortify their positions and look to fill or patch holes while they can?

The crazy answer is that there are a couple ways this could play out. Not that the Cubs are going to sit back and do nothing at this point, but the market is volatile and the team’s recent skid has completely remade the landscape of this year’s trade deadline. Heck, the Cubs could hold the four or five best trade pieces at the deadline.

With a lineup’s worth of guys who could be dealt because of money, expiring contracts, or a quick rebuild, Jed Hoyer better get his bat phone in tip-top shape for all of the calls he’s going to be fielding in the next several weeks. He also better make sure he gets more in return than he did for an ace and his battery mate over the winter.