3 players the Cubs can't trade under any circumstances

The Chicago Cubs are no stranger to trades. Whether it be at the deadline or in the offseason, the Cubs have been willing to deal almost any player for the right price. The 2021 deadline saw the Cubs dismantle the core of the 2016 World Series champion club, with trades sending Anthony Rizzo to the Bronx, Javier Baez to Queens and Kris Bryant to San Francisco.

Those three trades brought in some serious talent. The Giants sent Alexander Canario and Caleb Killian, The Yankees sent Kevin Alcantara and the Mets let go of their best prospect in Pete Crow-Armstrong. All of these individuals are now featured in the Cubs' top prospects, with Crow-Armstrong leading the way at number one. 2022 was no different, with Chicago aquiring Hayden Wesneski in the Scott Effross trade and Ben Brown in the David Robertson deal.

However, there are players in every organization who've been hit with the 'untouchable' label. For some, it's primetime superstar talent, while for others it's 'can't-miss' prospects. The question for us is 'who are the untouchables' when it comes to the Cubs? Let's take a look at 3 players the Cubs can't move in a trade this year (who aren't named Dansby Swanson).

3 players the Cubs can't trade under any circumstances: #3 - Pete Crow-Armstrong

The first player the Cubs should not trade is Crow-Armstrong (PCA). As mentioned earlier, Crow-Armstrong came to Chicago in the deal centered around Báez. In his first year of professional baseball, he was only able to play six games. While playing for the New York Mets Low-A team. the 2020 first round pick tore his labrum in the non-throwing shoulder. This did not deter the Cubs at all from trading for him, and Crow-Armstrong tore it up in his first full season.

In the 2022 minor league season, the 20-year-old saw time at two different levels. In 423 at-bats, the former first-rounder slashed .312/.376/.520 while adding 16 home runs and 61 RBI. He has power at the plate, but what is just as impressive is his speed. To add to his 2022 stat line, Crow-Armstrong stole 32 bases and hit 10 triples.

Crow-Armstrong is going to be feared at the plate for a long time, but his baseball abilities do not stop there. The speedy outfielder won the Minor League Gold Glove award to finish off his season. With this combination of power, speed and defense, PCA is someone the Cubs need to keep for a long time. The farm system does have a plethora of outfield talent, but a lot of it is beat up, and the healthy players just do not have the upside and potential that Crow-Armstrong brings to the table.

The Cubs added Cody Bellinger to play center field for the upcoming season, and the only thing this ensures is that fans will likely have to wait until 2024 to see their top prospect play in the Friendly Confines. Now, if the Cubs do happen to contend in 2023 and become buyers at the deadline, it does not change the fact that PCA needs to remain in the organization. There are other prospects, such as Owen Caissie, that can be traded instead if teams are looking for young outfield talent in a deal. If the Cubs want to be good for many years to come, Pete Crow-Armstrong has to be a part of the team.