3 Chicago Cubs players who are absolutely untouchable at the trade deadline

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The Chicago Cubs have all but fallen out of contention this year. After massively underperforming in the first half, President of Baseball Operations Jed Hoyer indicated that his team is unlikely to add any players at this year's trade deadline, barring a dramatic turnaround.

Although rumors have been flying about players like Jameson Taillon and Cody Bellinger potentially moving at the deadline, there are a few players who should remain on the team to help them compete in 2025 and beyond.

Here are three players that the Cubs need to hold onto at this year's trade deadline.

1. Nico Hoerner

A guy who has gotten a lot of traction in trade rumors is second baseman Nico Hoerner. With his ability to play shortstop and second base at a Gold Glove-caliber level, it's not surprising some teams would be interested. But it would take a very enticing deal to move Hoerner and the Cubs would be better off sticking with their fan-favorite infielder.

In addition to his elite glove skills, the former first-round pick has been a consistent contributor to the Cubs' lineup for three straight years now. Hoerner is not a power threat, but he is a great contact hitter who provides excellent speed, with 77 stolen bases since the beginning of 2022. Perhaps most important is the fact that Hoerner solved the Cubs' nagging leadoff hitter problem, which essentially plagued them since Dexter Fowler departed in free agency after the 2016 season.

Hoerner is under contract for two more seasons and the team would be wise to let him play out the rest of that contract. The main option at second base in Triple-A is Luis Vazquez, who is not ready to face big-league pitching. Top prospects Matt Shaw and James Triantos could be options down the road, but they have both yet to crack the Iowa Cubs roster. Hoerner is the best option and he provides virtually everything except power-hitting to the team.

2. Justin Steele

I'm just gonna say it. Trading Justin Steele would be a stupid move, no matter what the offer is. In the modern game of baseball, there are so many teams who wish they had an ace-level pitcher like Steele in their rotation, not to mention one they drafted and developed. The Cubs not only have this with Steele, but they have him under team control for the next three seasons and are in a good position to lock him into a longer contract extension in the near future.

This is a guy who is in his third consecutive year of pitching at a very high level, one of which he competed for a Cy Young award. Fans love watching him pitch, he has a bulldog personality that translates to his work on the mound and he deserves to be on this team for their next playoff run.

Given his team control and high-caliber performance on the mound, it would take a king's ransom for a team to acquire Steele. Even if a pitching-needy team with prospects to deal like the Orioles or Red Sox came calling, the Cubs should reject those offers and keep Steele at the top of their rotation.

3. Christopher Morel

There have admittedly been legitimate frustrations with Christopher Morel this year. His bat has fallen short of expectations, as he is only slashing .201/.303/.379 on the year with an OPS of .682. Those are not healthy numbers for a guy who figures to have the best raw power on the team. Unfortunately, Morel hasn't been able to put it all together yet, because his defense at third base has also been fairly suspect and has been a significant factor in the team's overall defensive decline.

Reports from last month suggested the team was looking at alternatives at third base, which included Matt Shaw and now new first-round draft pick Cam Smith. Shaw could be a big-league contributor next season but Smith has not even played a professional baseball game yet so he is years away. The Cubs' best play would be to let Morel continue to work on his mechanics at third for the remainder of the season since they aren't worried about competing anymore. If things don't improve enough, signing a stopgap player like Gio Urshela or J.D. Davis in the offseason may be warranted while Morel becomes the full-time designated hitter.

In any case, a team that is starved for power-hitting like the Cubs should not be trading a 25-year-old guy with 30-home run potential. There's still time for Morel to develop and trading him now would be handing another team a potential star. On the glove side, Morel has yet to log a full season of work at third base so again, there is still time for him to improve.

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