Chicago Cubs Rumors: Front offices expecting an insane trade deadline

It’s been relatively quiet to this point and we’re just over a week from the July 30 MLB trade deadline. But according to the latest report from Mark Feinsand at MLB.com – things could get wild as we get closer to deadline day – for not just the Chicago Cubs but everyone swimming in the trade deadline pool.

Cubs fans have been anxiously refreshing Twitter, waiting for that expected Kris Bryant or Craig Kimbrel trade, for more than a week now – really since the team went into sell mode following an 11-game losing streak that torpedoed their postseason hopes.

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But with Bryant sidelined with a reported lingering hamstring issue, time might wind up being an ally of the Cubs. Letting him get to 100 percent before a trade is finalized could be a key for Jed Hoyer.

Feinsand’s piece also has a key touch point for Cubs fans. He mentions the return the Yankees got from Chicago in the Aroldis Chapman trade back in 2016 and how it set the bar for what fans and owners expect in big-time trades. Unfortunately, times have changed and large market teams are less likely than ever to part with their top prospects.

"“If you have an impact player, your owner says, ‘Where is the Gleyber Torres return?’” one GM told Feinsand. “I’m not sure there’s another deal like that that’s going to happen in the near term. It distorts expectations; owners may not be aware of every deal, but they seem to be aware of the ones that worked out for the sellers.”"

Chicago Cubs: Packaging trade chips might be the way to land impact talent

We’ve heard a ton on the Kris Bryant rumors front. From the Mets and Braves to the Phillies, Nationals and others – it seems like a third of the league has been connected to the former MVP at one point or another.

But it’s been relatively quiet on the Kimbrel, Javier Baez and Anthony Rizzo front – not to mention the next-tier guys like Andrew Chafin and Ryan Tepera. Last we heard, Rizzo and Baez were extension targets – but no news since that initial report.

Whether or not the Cubs manage to lock one of these guys up remains to be seen. The possibility of packaging some of them together in a trade though is something that’s hardly been suggested to this point.

"“It’s one-stop shopping,” an NL exec said. “It makes sense.”"

Imagine the haul on a Bryant-Kimbrel package or even a Rizzo-Kimbrel. This could be the way teams like the Cubs actually manage to exceed expectations and land a marquee young talent in a trade next week which seems to be what fans anticipate – a Top 100 prospect.

Buckle up, Cubs fans. The next week is going to be wild.