5 Chicago Cubs MLB trade deadline chips whose value is plummeting

The ever-widening gap between the Milwaukee Brewers and Chicago Cubs in the National League Central has grown to chasmic proportions, with David Ross’ club falling 9 1/2 games out following Monday’s disheartening loss to St. Louis.

We’re now just 10 days from the July 30 deadline – a date Cubs fans have had circled on their calendar in pencil for months and red Sharpie for the last few weeks, following the team’s 11-game losing streak that took them from buyers to sellers. There’s just one problem. In the Cubs’ struggles, we’ve seen several potential trade chips lose value with poor play.

Chicago Cubs trade chips whose trade value is plummeting: #1 – Kris Bryant

Don’t get me wrong. Kris Bryant is still going to net a solid return when Chicago trades him in the next week-plus. A four-time All-Star, former Rookie of the Year and MVP and a plus bat capable of playing five positions? That’s valuable no matter how you slice it. But when you break down Bryant’s performance this season, it’s been a real Jekyll and Hyde-type showing thus far.

He still boasts a 127 OPS+ but that number is largely buoyed by his early-season performance. In April, he put up an MVP-caliber 1.078 OPS and followed it up in May with an almost-as-impressive .961 mark. Then, the bottom fell out for Bryant, who hit .114 with a .205 OBP in the month of June. It’s no coincidence the Cubs’ free-fall aligned almost perfectly with his struggles.

The former first-rounder has bounced back in July, but only to a degree. Through the first three weeks of the month, he’s batted .286/.333/.429 – hardly a poor showing, but definitely not what he did early on. After smacking 12 home runs through the end of May, Bryant has just four since.

Like I said, he’s still valuable for a lot of reasons. But he’s definitely not nearly as valuable as he would have been had the Cubs shopped him at the end of May, when he was a legitimate threat to bring home the second MVP honors of his career.

Chicago Cubs trade chips whose trade value is plummeting: #2 – Ryan Tepera

For the first couple months of the season, it was the Ryan Tepera show on the North Side. The 33-year-old reliever was a go-to arm in the bullpen of David Ross and he answered the call no matter the situation.

Really, it was the month of May that put Tepera on the map as a potential trade chip for Chicago. He won NL Reliever of the Month honors, thanks to a sterling 0.61 ERA in 14 appearances – during which he put up an unbelievable 0.205 WHIP. Everyone was talking about the resurgence of Craig Kimbrel, but watching Tepera in May, it actually made me think he could be a short-term successor should Kimbrel be traded.

But since the calendar turned to June, Tepera hasn’t been the same guy and Ross has gone to him sparingly – to disastrous results. Last month, he was a disaster before the Cubs put him on the injured list. If for nothing else, that move got the guy some much-needed rest.

We can hope that what we’ve seen in very limited July action (two appearances, three Ks, 1 2/3 innings of work) is a sign of resurgence from the righty because, whether or not Chicago winds up moving him, he’s got a chance to bring value to this team down the stretch this season.

I’d say it’s far likelier Chicago holds onto Tepera right now given the IL stint and lack of work lately, instead trading guys like Kimbrel and left-hander Andrew Chafin. 

Chicago Cubs trade chips whose trade value is plummeting: #4 – Rex Brothers

If there’s one area the Cubs could have called a position of strength for much of the year, it’s left-handed relievers. Chafin obviously leads that group, putting up some eye-popping numbers out of the Chicago bullpen, but guys like Brad Wieck and Rex Brothers have had a good amount of success, as well.

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Well, Brothers was on that list, but his struggles lately likely wiped away any trade value he had. Over the last month, he carries a 5.40 ERA in 10 outings – although he’s maintained a 1.03 WHIP and .146 opponent batting average during that stretch, as well.

The big issue for the southpaw is when he does get hit, he gets hit hard. Brothers ranks in the bottom seven percent of the league in average exit velocity, the bottom 10 in max exit velocity and bottom 14 in hard-hit rate. Compounded with a poor walk rate, it’s easy to see how this guy plays with fire more than you’d like to see.

Throw in the fact he’s a straight two-pitch guy and even more teams might be detracted from going after him. It’s not that Rex Brothers was ever going to be a difference-maker for Chicago at the deadline, but you like to get value where you can and, right now, you’re not going to get much in a trade involving the veteran.

Chicago Cubs trade chips whose trade value is plummeting: #5 – Jake Marisnick

Once the Cubs traded Joc Pederson, I can’t tell you how many people I heard criticizing Jed Hoyer for ‘folding’ on his one substantive move of last winter. Meanwhile, I’m sitting over here thinking that getting value for a guy on a one-year deal when you know you probably aren’t going to the postseason makes an awful lot of sense.

Literally every single player I’ve mentioned on this list is in their final year of team control. This final guy is no exception in Jake Marisnick, a veteran outfielder who has always been known more for his speed and base running abilities than anything else.

During the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, though, it looked like something finally clicked for Marisnick at the dish, as he batted .333/.353/.606 in a small sample size before going down for the year with an injury. Chicago swooped in this offseason looking to capitalize on it and add to its outfield depth and, early on, it worked out well.

He put up an OPS north of .800 in April and was hot in May, too, before hitting the shelf with another injury. Since June 7, his first game back, Marisnick has been brutal at the plate, slashing .183/.227/.283 in 66 plate appearances. At that point, it doesn’t matter what you can do on the bases – you’re not bringing much to the table on a legitimate contender, outside of maybe being a Terrence Gore-style runner late in games.

I expect the Cubs to be busy ahead of July 30 no matter what; but if these guys can turn things around in the next week, the front office might be able to get just a little bit more as the next era of Chicago Cubs baseball begins to take shape.