2 players the Chicago Cubs should keep and 2 they should trade

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With rumors persisting that the Chicago Cubs will be sellers at the MLB Trade Deadline this season, we need to take some time and identify what exactly that means. This season has been disappointing, but the Cubs aren't as far away from contention as it appears. Although the team will sell at the deadline, completely tearing it down and entering a complete rebuild again will not happen. Therefore, here are two players the Cubs should move on from and two they need to keep moving forward.

2 to keep, 2 to trade - 4. Nico Hoerner (Keep)

Personally, I believe that trading Nico Hoerner at the deadline will be a catastrophic mistake by the Cubs' front office. For a team already ripe with top 100 prospects, the idea of adding more isn't detrimental by any means; it's just not necessary at this juncture. The Cubs are closer to competing than having to restart, and therefore, keeping quality baseball players such as Hoerner in place can only benefit you if your true goal is to compete as soon as possible.

With the Cubs having middle infielders James Triantos and Matt Shaw among their top-prospect mix, there could be some sense in moving Hoerner. There's no reason the Cubs can't send a struggling Christopher Morel down and bring up Shaw to play third if they want to call him up to the show. Moving on from Hoerner because you have Shaw playing well in Double-A is not the type of mindset that will lead to success.

2 to keep, 2 to trade - 3. Tyson Miller (Keep)

This argument can go either way; Tyson Miller has been solid since being picked up off waivers by the Cubs in May. Given that he is still in his pre-arbitration phase, he is one player who can fetch a decent prospect at the deadline. However, since he has that team control for the next few years and the Cubs need for bullpen efficiency that the Cubs already display night in and night out, the team must keep its productive, controllable arms in the pen intact as much as possible.

The team will have to add bullpen arms in free agency this winter. This cannot go on where the Cubs have a gaping hole in an area of their roster, so moving the arms that actually can put up solid numbers out of the pen for cheap is extremely counter-productive as, again, the team isn't looking to enter a full-scale rebuild. Keeping the cost-effective pieces that can produce is a must for the Cubs at this juncture.

2 to keep, 2 to trade - 2. Drew Smyly (trade)

Drew Smyly is in a walk season and has had a good enough year to help a competing team. That alone is enough to warrant the Cubs moving him and at least getting something so he doesn't walk for free. Most teams could use a southpaw out of the bullpen who can fill in as a spot starter, so the Cubs certainly have a decent enough trade chip. Moving him also frees up his roster spot for a prospect to move in, as it seems we will have youth development in the second half.

You also need that roster spot to be filled by players with minor league options so you can rotate as necessary, and therefore, keeping Smyly on this roster does nothing to help the Cubs if they are throwing in the towel. Expect him to be moved at the deadline.

2 to keep, 2 to trade - 1. Jameson Taillon (Trade)

If the Cubs sell off one of their more valuable assets, Jameson Taillon will be an attractive candidate to watch. He is currently in the midst of a superb season but also has a history of being shaky. His value is at its highest right now, and given that teams covet starting pitching, his 2.5 years of control at only 17.0M AAV is not overpriced by any means. With an ever-inflating market, getting a pitcher like Taillon can help teams prevent overspending in free agency this winter and get a jump on next year.

Given the troubles we've seen from him in the past, particularly the first half of last season, getting a team to take the bait and offer up a top-100 type prospect will be a challenge. However, as bidding wars commence, Jed Hoyer should be able to work his magic here and acquire someone with high potential. We've seen Hoyer fleece teams before, such as the Mets with Pete Crow-Armstrong or the Philadelphia Philly's with Ben Brown, so moving Taillon when the team has up-and-comers that can fill his spot may be the most logical move at the trade deadline.

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