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.

Chicago Cubs: Sluggers or pitchers on the move?

Who is going to go first? I’ll be honest; without any inside knowledge of his recent conversations with rival GMs, I’d venture a guess and say that offers have already been made and a deal for someone could be imminent. Scary thing is, it might not even be for one of the big names – it could be for a guy like Andrew Chafin to bolster someone’s bullpen and jump the market a bit.

Left-handed relievers are tough to come by and Chafin has had an outstanding season. He also would only be owed a little over a million dollars for the rest of the year, so that could be more palatable than some other big name who might be out there and allow contenders to go get him early.

Or maybe first to go could be a guy like Joc Pederson, who could certainly fill a gap caused by say, an injury (Atlanta, I’m looking at you right now). Pederson has pop, a good eye, and can play a competent outfield. Plus, let’s not forget the fact that Pederson had an otherworldly postseason in 2020 (after having a pretty bad regular season), so teams might be willing to overlook mediocre stats so far this season with the hope that he could be a savior come October.

While those two names wouldn’t bring back gigantic hauls for the Cubs, they could be smaller and easier trades for some clubs not willing to give up top tier prospects for rental players or those not willing to take on lots of extra salary.

Chicago Cubs: Could Atlanta be a possible destination now?

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As noted, Atlanta might be looking for an outfielder after the injury to Ronald Acuna, so Kris Bryant could be a possible option there as well. Heck, Atlanta could be looking for a package deal with Bryant and Kimbrel if they can swing it at this point.

The Cubs also have Javier Baez and Anthony Rizzo who are in the last year of contracts, and who knows how much market interest there will be for those two. Baez can play pretty much anywhere and certainly has a flair for the dramatic – if a club loses a shortstop, second baseman, or even third baseman in the next week or two, that could be a quick deal. Rizzo plays Gold-Glove-caliber first base and gives you a professional at bat with pop- as we’ve (unfortunately) seen recently, teams are one injury away from making him all the more coveted.

As for the guys who don’t have an expiring contract this year, don’t expect a quick sale there. Willson Contreras and Kyle Hendricks, two guys who should be held out of this fire sale, could also command huge returns, though the Cubs might want to let those returns pile up all the way to the deadline given the fact they don’t have to be moved this year if the plan is to be competitive next season.

Regardless who is traded first and last, you can expect this to be the busiest sell-off and trade deadline since before the window of contention opened, and while it may be tough to see some of these guys dealt, the hope is that they bring back a return that puts the Cubs back in contention sooner rather than later.