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

On paper, at least, the Chicago Cubs feel quite a ways away from being a contender, even in their own division. Just about everything would have to go right for David Ross’ club – from Patrick Wisdom and Frank Schwindel showing what they did last summer wasn’t a fluke to young arms showing more consistency, both in the rotation and the bullpen.

In other words, despite the additions of Yan Gomes, Marcus Stroman, Clint Frazier and Wade Miley, Chicago could be a very middle-of-the-pack club in 2022, which means we could be looking at a team destined to be sellers at the trade deadline (whenever that may be in what could very well end up being a shortened season).

The team can struggle and underperform while certain guys carry their own – and in the right circumstances, it can be the right move to trade those guys and sell high. Here are three guys Jed Hoyer could unload if the team struggles, but these individuals are playing well.

Cubs: 3 players who could get traded if team struggles: #3 – Willson Contreras

I still think Gomes is the Opening Day catcher for the Cubs. I think once the MLB lockout ends, Hoyer will re-visit early offseason trade talks involving the two-time All-Star and looks to capitalize on a full year of control over him rather than a couple months.

But, suppose I’m wrong and Hoyer can’t find a deal to his liking this spring. Contreras will still be an oft-discussed trade chip as the season progresses and, barring an unexpected extension, will end up dealt at the deadline. There’s just no chance the front office runs out the clock on his final season of control without getting anything concrete in return.

Last season, Contreras turned in a 4.1 bWAR campaign, posting a .778 OPS and hitting the ball hard very regularly. He also ranked in the top third of the league in framing – something that is worth noting given his previous struggles with the mitt. He’s got tremendous value on both sides of the ball and if the Cubs are nowhere near the postseason picture (and, perhaps, even if they are), there’s a good chance his days on the North Side are numbered.

Cubs: 3 players who could get traded if team struggles: #1 – David Bote

Hindsight is 20/20 – and that certainly applies when looking back at the David Bote contract extension Theo Epstein doled out to the utility man back in 2019. Bote got five years at a total value of $15 million, with a pair of club options tacked on to the back end that could keep him in Chicago through 2026.

Since the start of 2019, Bote has racked up a total of 1.5 bWAR – and has really failed to get consistent results at the plate. But there’s a silver lining here. His contract was heavily backloaded and Epstein’s successor might just be able to wiggle his way out of it if Bote has a strong first half this year.

Bote earned just $1 million last year – but that climbs annually, with him making $2.5 million in 2022, $4 million in 2023 and $5.5 million in 2024. The club option for 2025 is worth $7 million and the 2026 option comes with a $7.6 million price tag. Let’s take the club options out of this for a second – and you’re looking at a little over $10 million by the time the trade deadline hits for a guy who plays multiple positions and has shown decent pop.

It’s not an untradable asset by any stretch. Coming off a shoulder injury that will delay his start in 2022, Bote will need to prove he’s A) healthy and B) ready to get back to what made him so popular back in 2018 and 2019, when, despite being just a league average bat, he showed a proclivity for coming up with knocks in big spots.

Unloading the rest of Bote’s deal certainly doesn’t create the same type of flexibility you’d get in dumping Jason Heyward’s contract, but it wouldn’t hurt matters – especially if some of the younger guys show they’re ready and Bote becomes the odd man out in the mix.