Cubs: 3 players who get traded if they succeed, but the team struggles

Cubs: 3 players who could get traded if team struggles: #2 – Wade Miley

Thanks to a crafty slight-of-hand from Hoyer, the Cubs were able to snag Wade Miley from the Reds last fall – immediately adding a reliable, albeit often overlooked, veteran presence to a rotation that finished 2021 at the bottom of the barrel in most regards.

Paired with Stroman and Kyle Hendricks, this has the makings of a solid group of arms atop the rotation. But, again, there are a lot of ways things can go wrong in this game – and you can bet your bottom dollar if Chicago is struggling and Miley is doing what he’s being paid to do, he’s as good as gone come July.

On a one-year pact at 35 years old, Miley possesses little to no long-term value to this organization. By the time the Cubs turn the corner, he may very well be done pitching. Knowing this – and knowing that teams will be stockpiling arms for the stretch run, especially with what looks likely to be a very abbreviated spring training – he could bring back a decent prospect in a midseason trade.

After a clunker of a 2020 in the shortened, fan-less season, Miley got right back on track last year, taking the ball 28 times for Cincinnati, working to a 3.97 FIP and 1.325 WHIP in 160+ innings of work. Don’t forget about his career 2.08 postseason ERA, either. You think there won’t be a contender ready to inject that into its rotation?