Chicago Cubs: Why They Will Be Sellers at MLB Trade Deadline

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, the Chicago Cubs aren't going anywhere this year.

As we speak, the Cubbies are in fifth place in the National League Central with a record of 34-48, which also happens to be the third-worst record in all of baseball. If you're looking for a good indication of just how bad they've been, their -73 run differential is, once again, the third-worst figure in the league.

Hey, at least they won today, beating the San Francisco Giants 5-2 in extras on a walk-off blast by Geovany Soto.

This is true. But the Cubs' season is not about today. Ultimately, it will be about July 31, the date of Major League Baseball's almighty trade deadline.

Make no mistake, the Cubs are going to be making some moves. And when they do, they will be selling, not buying. Yes, even despite the fact Cubs general manager Jim Hendry said loud and clear after he released Doug Davis on Wednesday that a fire sale is not going to happen.

ESPN's Buster Olney, on the other hand, says he's heard otherwise. In a Thursday column on ESPN Insider, Olney wrote that rival evaluators are telling him that the Cubs are a "team open for business."

According to Olney, the two most attractive players on the Cubs are first baseman Jeff Baker and veteran reliever Kerry Wood. Another name you hear around the water cooler is outfielder Kosuke Fukodome.

The interest in Baker and Wood makes sense. Baker is solid bat, but more important than that is the fact that he is a cheap bat. Likewise, Wood is viewed as a cheap arm, and his situation is kind of ironic given the fact that he took less money to return to the Cubs. He would, however, have to waive his no-trade clause.

But what about the big names? Are Alfonso Soriano, Carlos Pena, and Carlos Zambrano on the block?

Yes and no. The Cubs would no doubt love to entertain an offer for one or all three of them, but each of them are high-cost, low-value guys. If one or all of that trio is traded, it would have to be to a team that can afford them.

If I were forced to speculate, I would wonder if a team like the Yankees might be interested in a guy like Pena as a designated hitter. Pena may be streaky, but he has hit six home runs in just 14 career games at the new Yankee Stadium. Clearly, he can summon a pop fly to right field on a whim.

As for Soriano, I suspect we've all heard the idea of him being traded straight up for Barry Zito. That would be just great for the Giants, as they would get a much-needed bat while finally ridding themselves of Zito. The only problem with the idea is that Zito wouldn't do the Cubs much good, and they wouldn't be losing any payroll by taking him on.

And then there's Zambrano. Any takers for a streaky right-hander with a history of injuries and anger issues? He's only making $18 million this year!

Um, no. The Cubs are probably stuck with him.

Still, you can see why there are going to be plenty of teams putting the Cubs on speed dial in the next couple of weeks. They have plenty of players that can be moved, and they have every excuse to move them.

Meanwhile, the counter is going to flip to 103 when the season ends. But come on, we knew that was going to be the case even before the season started.