Cubs News

The Chicago Cubs are currently 14-20 and are dead last in the NL Central. No one expected them to compete this year but i'm surprised they have a record that is worse than the Astros. New Cubs GM Theo Epstein will have a lot of decisions to make at this years trade deadline and those decisions will impact the future of this club. Many people believe he will trade some of the veterans on the team. In this article I'l be explaining who I think will be traded on the Cubs at the deadline and why. The players that I believe will be traded at the deadline are Ryan Dempster, Paul Maholm, Kerry Wood, Geovany Soto, Brian LaHair, David DeJesus and Alfonso Soriano. Next I will explain why I believe these players will be traded.

Ryan Dempster: As I mentioned in an article earlier, Dempster is playing extremely well now and his value is very high. Many teams are looking for starting pitching as usual and Dempster could be a perfect fit for teams like the Yankees and Red Sox. The Cubs could include some money to help pay for his hefty $14 million salary in the trade and get a nice prospect in return. I believe this is what Epstein is planning on doing with Dempster. % chance he gets traded: 87%

Paul Maholm: Maholm signed a one year deal with Chicago this off-season to rebuild his market value and get a nice contract in the 2013 off-season. So far he has pitched to a respectable 4.05 ERA with a 4-2 win-loss record. Chicago has probably been planning on trading Maholm at the deadline from the day they signed him. The team could get a nice prospect in return if he continues to pitch the way hes currently playing. % chance he gets traded: 75%

Kerry Wood: Kerry Wood has turned into an effective relief pitcher during his career. He has spent the majority of his career with the Cubs and bounced around with a few other teams. He had a nice season last year but this season he is really struggling. He currently has a 8.59 ERA in eight games this season. I do believe Wood will have better numbers by the trade deadline, and I also believe that the Cubs front office will say goodbye to him (again) and ship him to a contender. % chance he gets traded: 65%


Geovany Soto: I believe this could be the year that the Cubs say goodbye to their franchise catcher that won the rookie of the year in 2008. Soto has struggled to stay on the field and has played badly when he is actually healthy. It doesn't make much sense to trade him now because his value is low but I believe the Cubs will try to get a nice catching prospect for one of their veterans. (see my Ryan Dempster article for more info.) Its time to move on from Soto and it appears that Cubs fans are losing patience with the catcher. % chance he gets traded: 55%


Bryan LaHair: Bryan LaHair has been playing excellent this season and he has become a fan favorite in Chicago. He is hitting .340 with eight home runs and a .437 OBP. I believe the Cubs will trade LaHair because they acquired young first-baseman Anthony Rizzo from the Padres for hard throwing right hander Andrew Cashner. GM Theo Epstein is in a nice situation here because he can get a nice return for LaHair who can serve as an excellent DH for an American League club.   % chance he gets traded: 75%


David DeJesus: DeJesus signed a one year deal with the Cubs this off-season with the same mindset as Paul Maholm; building up his trade value and getting a modest contract offer from a team desperate for an outfielder in the 2013 off-season. The Cubs signed DeJesus as a stop-gap centerfielder for one year until top prospect Brett Jackson is ready for the show. DeJesus is currently hitting .271 which is below his career batting average. There is a realistic possibility of DeJesus being shipped off at the deadline to a team in need for outfield depth. % chance he gets traded: 60%

The next few months will be busy for GM Theo Epstein

Alfonso Soriano: Soriano has been a problem for the Cubs ever since he signed a mega deal with the club in 2007. Soriano had a monster year with the Nationals but unfortunately for the Cubs, he hasn't been able to have the same success. He's hit at least 20 home runs in each year hes been with the Cubs but his batting average is rapidly declining. He is currently hitting .250 with no home runs and also has a terrible .283 OBP.% chance he gets traded: 75%