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Regardless of what happens with the Chicago Cubs between now and the Major League Baseball Trade Deadline on July 30, the team will not be firmly in the lane of being a seller or a buyer.
While the Cubs should not have a sell-off like the one they had during the 2021 season, expecting them to give up a Top-20 organizational prospect as they did last season for a two-month rental is likely not in the cards either.
The Cubs' 2024 season is proving to be the rare occurrence that calls for a team to thread needle between selling on the season but keeping the core intact for post-season contention the following season.
That means the Cubs are unlikely to move any player from their core group of Justin Steele, Nico Hoerner, Ian Happ, and Dansby Swanson. However, the same can not be said for veteran starting pitcher Jameson Taillon.
Taillon's name has already surfaced in trade rumors this season, but Bruce Levine of 670 The Score added to the speculation on Saturday morning.
Earlier today on Inside the Clubhouse, our @MLBBruceLevine reported that the #Cubs are opening to moving Jameson Taillon before July 30th Trade Deadline.
— 670 The Score (@670TheScore) July 20, 2024
Listen here: https://t.co/ziuLre8xap pic.twitter.com/eeT8uKtkbt
Moving Jameson Taillon should be a priority for the Chicago Cubs.
Taillon has two more years remaining on the four-year deal he signed with the Cubs prior to the 2023 season. After struggling during most of his first season with the Cubs, Taillon has returned to form in 2024, posting an ERA of 3.10 through 16 starts on the season.
There's a scenario where the Cubs' front office can sell the idea of moving Taillon without making it seem that they are giving up on the 2024 season. Given his resurgence and cost certainty for the next two seasons, Taillon would likely fetch the Cubs a return that could be deployed at the Major League level immediately. The Baltimore Orioles, for example, have an abundance of position player prospects that are blocked at the Major League level.
The Cubs' rotation would not be depleted in the event that Taillon is moved. Hayden Wesneski, his recent IL trip notwithstanding, would likely be the immediate replacement before giving way to Jordan Wicks when he returns sometime in August.