One Cubs player almost certain to get traded during the Winter Meetings

The Winter Meetings are next week, and there will inevitably be a Chicago Cubs trade rumor that pops up that catches fans off guard. After all, no one would have expected the Cubs to trade Isaac Paredes last offseason, let alone in a deal for Kyle Tucker. Yet, the framework of that trade was established at the Winter Meetings last offseason.

The Cubs are in a curious spot ahead of next week. The Cubs have a need for a top-of-the-rotation starting pitcher, and the bullpen, while needing a right-handed hitting corner outfielder to balance out their bench, and likely keeping an eye on the market for Alex Bregman, just in case his free agency stalls like it did last year.

Considering the Cubs are coming off a playoff run and were one game away from reaching the NLCS, the general belief would be that they have a sense of urgency this offseason to address the holes in their roster. While the Phil Maton deal was a sign of that, there have been other signs to suggest that money could be keeping Chicago from accomplishing their goals this winter.

Potential targets Dylan Cease, Ryan Helsley, and Devin Williams all signed deals over the last week that, once the terms were revealed, made no secret why the Cubs weren't involved. Add in the looming financial crisis Marquee Sports Network might be facing, and it paints a picture that the Cubs might not be willing to spend heavily anytime soon.

Cubs could be forced to talk trades at the Winter Meetings, but might struggle to come up with an enticing package.

Trades will likely be the primary topic of conversation for the Cubs at the Winter Meetings next week, but it's fair to question who they might be willing to deal. Assuming Owen Caissie, Matt Shaw, and Cade Horton are all off limits, as they were at the MLB trade deadline, the Cubs may need to piece together chips from their Major League roster in addition to lower-level top prospects to try and push a trade across the finish line.

Even then, the Cubs don't have many options. With Kyle Tucker no longer with the team, moving Ian Happ or Seiya Suzuki doesn't make much sense, and they both have no-trade clauses. If there is a player from the Cubs' roster who could be a surprise trade candidate at the Winter Meetings, it might be Ben Brown.

Brown's two-pitch mix has made him an ineffective starting pitcher at the Major League level, and while his swing-and-miss stuff remains among the best on the Cubs' staff, he is entering 2026 without a defined role.

In a world where the Cubs are landing a cost-controlled starting pitcher by the end of next week, Brown being included in that trade would make sense. Especially since the team the Cubs are trading with would likely seek a Major League-ready pitcher.