3 Cubs players everyone thinks will traded at deadline but won't move

Trade rumors are finally starting to ramp up, but the Chicago Cubs remain in an awkward spot. Their needs are many in the rotation and bullpen, and Jed Hoyer is expected to address them. However, with a first-round bye seeming like a pipe dream thanks to the Brewers once again running away with the division and a lack of pure sellers thanks to a wide-open Wild Card race, just how aggressive they'll be is in question. If prices are ludicrous once again, there's a chance this year's deadline will look more like 2025's than fans would want.

Either way, Hoyer isn't going to sit on his hands. Acquiring David Peterson early from the Mets was already a more aggressive move than the front office usually makes. Controllable arms are likely their clearest path to a big deadline, whether that be Jose Soriano or Reid Detmers from the Angels, or Joe Ryan from the Twins. Making a splash like that will cost a pretty penny, but the Cubs do have a wealth of quality position player prospects to pull from to get aggressive and get whatever they need done.

Cubs have some clear trade chips before the deadline, but not everyone has to be moved

The question Hoyer and Co. will have to answer is which prospects are the right ones to part with to improve now, or potentially for the next few years. Unless they do something crazy and land, say, Logan Webb from the Giants, Josiah Hartshorn should be about the only untouchable in the farm system at the moment if the fit is right. You could make a good case for any of their many other outfielders or middle-infield prospects as particularly expendable, given how hard it will be to find a spot for them all. However, let's look at three players expected to be on the block that may instead stay in the Cubs organization after the deadline.

Matt Shaw

Going back to last trade deadline, there's been no shortage of discussion about Matt Shaw as a trade candidate. The signing of Alex Bregman moved him to a utility role this year, where, so far, he's adjusted well to right field and has provided a lot of value to the bench. His overall numbers aren't stellar, with a slash line of .246/.322/.415 and a 105 wRC+, but his potential as a former top-20 prospect with a strong 18.4% strikeout rate is still sky-high. The issue is that, despite what he's accomplished, his most valuable position is likely still third base.

The Cubs obviously can't give him that opportunity to play the hot corner outside of days when Bregman is resting or playing DH, hence why a trade seems so obvious. With how much value he is and how extraneous he appears to be on the roster, he'd be an obvious fit to be part of a big move to fix a greater need. However, the team obviously likes him long-term, and there's an opportunity to give him more regular playing time as soon as next year. Seiya Suzuki and Ian Happ are both ticketed for free agency this offseason, clearing a path for Shaw to take over right field full time.

Moreover, Shaw has been down with a left wrist sprain since June 28, which could've been valuable time to continue developing at the plate and showing off his value. It especially stings, considering he was enjoying a hot month, slashing .257/.395/.457 with a 141 wRC+ in June. Right now, there's just too much of a chance the Cubs are going to value him more than another organization in a trade. With him not expected to come off the IL until some time in August, it would make the sell all the more difficult.

Jefferson Rojas

If Hartshorn is emerging as the Cubs' obvious top prospect, Jefferson Rojas is the clear No. 2 amid an offensive breakthrough year at Double-A. At just 21 years old, he's improved dramatically in his second go-around in Knoxville, slashing .274/.341/.462 with a 116 wRC+, all while playing solid defense at shortstop and mashing a career-high 14 home runs. As a middle infielder, though the chances of him finding an opportunity in Chicago when the time comes are slim, with both Dansby Swanson and Nico Hoerner locked up through 2030 at least. He's not nearly as versatile as Shaw, either.

The lack of a position waiting for him in the majors had ESPN's David Schoenfield pegging him as the Cubs' top trade chip as far back as April. He's likely to be at the front of the line for a potential blockbuster if they land that controllable starter. However, if that doesn't line up, the chances he moves are slim. There's a world where Hoyer may be able to pry away one of the two Angels starters, in particular, without having to deal Rojas. A young catcher is a top priority in Anaheim, which could make the fast-rising Owen Ayers the centerpiece if that happens.

Moises Ballesteros

At the beginning of the season, trading Moises Ballesteros would've been almost unthinkable. The young catcher's remarkably strong bat in the minors had fans dreaming of him as the DH of the future, and Craig Counsell was particularly impressed by his swing. His hot start to 2026 in the majors only made that seem less likely. From May 1 until he was sent down to Triple-A Iowa on June 19, however, he only hit 141/.229/.188 with a 22 wRC+, showing he still has some development left as a hitter. Given the work that needs to be done and the fact that he lacks an obvious defensive home in Chicago, it makes more sense than ever to consider him as a piece to move.

Ballesteros still has a ton of offensive upside that a team with the time to develop him as a big-league threat could bet on. After all, he was hitting .316/.385/.473 in Triple-A just last year and tore apart pitching in his rise through the Cubs' minor league system. The recent breakout of Ayers as a more obvious catching prospect has also arguably made him more expendable. A conspicuously timed Instagram post around the same time as one from much-speculated trade chip Kevin Alcantara recently has only further raised alarm bells about his chances of being dealt.

That's all compelling reasoning to wonder about his future in the Cubs organization, but he still seems poised to stay put. For starters, Ballesteros hasn't fully bounced back in Iowa yet, with just a 96 wRC+. It's easy to imagine Hoyer's front office preferring not to use him as a trade chip while his value is depressed, given that the team has seen what he's capable of at his best. Moreover, at still just 22 years old, there's so much time for him to straighten things out and still have a long and fruitful big -league career. Even with Ayers, the Cubs could justifiably move to a three-catcher unit after Carson Kelly leaves in free agency, letting the pair and Miguel Amaya split duties.

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