3 biggest trade chips for the Chicago Cubs entering Spring Training

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St. Louis Cardinals v Chicago Cubs / Michael Reaves/GettyImages

3 biggest trade chips for the Chicago Cubs entering Spring Training - 1. Rowan Wick

Rowan Wick is an option out of the bullpen that is interesting to think about via trade. The Cubs could flip him for another reliever, particularly a lefty. Just yesterday, Bleacher Nation was entertaining the idea as well on Twitter:

I think this is a very good and fair question; the necessary follow-up question is whether there is another team out there that values Wick more than the Cubs do. https://t.co/vJHrEl3yfa
— Bleacher Nation (@BleacherNation) February 14, 2023

The answer to whether another team values him more than the Cubs is likely a "not at this juncture." Wick, in 2019 and 2020, recorded a combined 2.66 ERA. Since then, however, he has had a combined 4.24 ERA between '21 and '22. His current deal with the Cubs is for one year, just north of $1.5MM. For other teams to value Wick more than the Cubs, the Cubs must have success in the bullpen elsewhere from guys that step up, in addition to Wick playing well himself. In that scenario, someone needs Wicks's services, and the Cubs don't miss him because they are getting production elsewhere. It will be interesting to see how his season unfolds and if he can get back to those numbers we saw from him a few years ago.