MLB Trade Rumors: Top Trade Partners for Starlin Castro and Other Cubs

When August 1 rolls around, there's a good chance the Chicago Cubs are going to look significantly different from the way they look today.

As many expected they would, the Cubbies are having a brutal season. They're 18-32 and fresh off a month of May in which they went 10-17. There are only so many teams around the league right now that have incentive to go into fire sale mode ahead of the July 31 trade deadline, and the Cubs are one of them.

The word around the campfire is that the Cubs are indeed planning on going into fire sale mode. According to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, the only player who's untouchable is 27-year-old starting pitcher Jeff Samardzija. Matt Garza, Ryan Dempster, Alfonso Soriano, Bryan LaHair and even Starlin Castro could find themselves on the move.

Well, maybe not Castro. Soon after Nightengale's report hit the web, Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein told ESPNChicago.com that his 22-year-old shortstop isn't going anywhere.

Maybe so, but nobody should rule out the possibility of a club making the Cubs an offer for Castro that they simply can't refuse. Every player has a price, and Castro is one of several Cubs players who could be had for the right price.

Here's a rundown of teams that could be interested in the Cubs' top trade candidates.

Starlin Castro, SS

Why He's a Candidate to Be Traded

Cubs fans really don't want to hear anything about Castro possibly being traded, and that's totally understandable. And honestly, I think the odds of him actually being dealt are very slim.

Still, I wouldn't be surprised if he was traded.

A couple weeks ago, ESPN's Buster Olney (Insider access required) broke down the notion of the Cubs trading Castro in a fairly convincing way. He may be a star, but he's not without his flaws. His fielding can be spotty, and his impatient approach at the plate doesn't gel with Epstein's baseball philosophy. The Cubs can either trust that he'll get better as he gets older or deal him now while his value is extremely high. 

Epstein wants to build the Cubs farm system into a powerhouse, and dealing Castro would definitely speed up the process.

Perfect Fit: Arizona Diamondbacks

I included the Diamondbacks in a list of potential trade partners for the Cubs a couple weeks ago, and I still think they'd be a great fit for Castro.

Arizona is getting by with Willie Bloomquist and John McDonald at shortstop, while Stephen Drew tries to return from a serious ankle injury he suffered last year. In other words, the team's short-term situation at shortstop is not ideal, and they don't have any long-term answers either.

They're in play for Castro because they have a ton of high-ceiling arms in their farm system. If they decide to make a move for Castro, they'll be able to make an outstanding offer for him.

For their part, Epstein and GM Jed Hoyer are looking to boost the organization's pitching depth. Doing business with the D-Backs would be a great way for them to accomplish that task.

David DeJesus, OF

Why He's a Candidate to Be Traded

David DeJesus has never been a fancy player, but he's a versatile outfielder who can hit and run the bases well. The Cubs could deal him to a team looking for a fourth outfielder, and they could probably get a decent prospect or a couple low-level prospects in return for him.

Perfect Fit: Miami Marlins

There are actually several perfect fits for DeJesus out there. Teams like the St. Louis Cardinals (fat chance), the Philadelphia Phillies and Baltimore Orioles come to mind, for example.

Of all the contenders that could use DeJesus' talents, such as they are, the Marlins strike me as the most desperate suitor. Their outfield is banged up at the moment, and they simply don't have a lot of outfield depth. They could very much use DeJesus' outfield defense, which is typically better than average.

The Marlins don't have a lot of pieces to deal, but that shouldn't be a problem as long as DeJesus is their target. If they decide they want him, they'll be able to go get him.

For what it's worth, Marlins boss Larry Beinfest indicated recently that he's open to making changes going forward.

“There are always things that can be done," he said, via the South Florida Sun Sentinel.

Ryan Dempster, SP

Why He's a Candidate to Be Traded

The Cubs are trying to build towards the future, and Ryan Dempster is not a guy who fits into that future. They're saying otherwise (see the Chicago Sun-Times), of course, but the simple fact of the matter is that Dempster is 35 years old and he's only signed through the end of this season.

Dempster's $14 million salary will make him difficult to deal, but teams will be attracted to him due to his experience and his sub-3.00 ERA.

Perfect Fit: Atlanta Braves

The best fit for Dempster is a tough call. He's a good pitcher, but he's the kind of pitcher who needs to stay in the National League. His stuff wouldn't play as well in the AL as it does in the Senior Circuit.

AL teams will kick the tires on Dempster, but my gut tells me he'll end up being traded within the NL. Of the teams in the NL who need starting pitching, the Braves are a good fit for several reasons.

First and foremost, it's very much in their interest to go out and find a veteran starter to stabilize their rotation, which hasn't been strong outside of Brandon Beachy this season. And make no mistake about it, they're going to need a stronger pitching staff if they want to contend with the Washington Nationals and Miami Marlins in the NL East.

The Braves have the assets to do business with the Cubs. They have some solid young arms, and they could also arrange a swap in which the Cubs get troubled 26-year-old hurler Jair Jurrjens, who fell out of favor in Atlanta earlier this season.

Matt Garza, SP

Why He's a Candidate to Be Traded

Matt Garza's trade candidacy is tricky. He's still only 28 years old and has tons of talent, so the Cubs should be interested in holding on to him. Ken Rosenthal of FoxSports.com recently said that extension talks between Garza and the Cubs are going "very well," so the team apparently is interested in holding on to him.

Nonetheless, Garza is a trade candidate because of his tremendous value, and it helps that he isn't due to hit free agency until after the 2013 season. Because of that, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com thinks Garza could fetch more in a trade than former Cy Young winner Zack Greinke.

Perfect Fit: New York Yankees

The Yankees know they can trust CC Sabathia, and veteran lefty Andy Pettitte has been surprisingly good since his return in early May. 

Beyond those two, the team's rotation fails to inspire confidence. And with the AL East as tough as it is, it's going to be in the team's interest to find a rotation upgrade at the trade deadline.

According to Heyman, the Yankees like Garza more than Greinke, in large part because he's had success in the AL East before with the Tampa Bay Rays. 

The Yankees farm system is middle-of-the-road, but they do have some top-level players they can part with, and they could further sweeten the deal by offering the Cubs a starter who's already in their rotation, most likely Phil Hughes or Ivan Nova.

Bryan LaHair, 1B

Why He's a Candidate to Be Traded

Bryan LaHair was the hottest hitter in baseball for a while there, but he's cooled off recently. He hit just .253 in May with a .448 slugging percentage after hitting .390 with a .780 slugging percentage in April.

Dealing LaHair would allow the Cubs to call up Anthony Rizzo without any issues, and dealing LaHair now is in their interest because his value will probably never be higher. They'd no doubt prefer to keep LaHair and move him to the outfield, but that's easier said than done while Alfonso Soriano is still in town. It will be a lot easier for the Cubs to deal LaHair than it will be for them to deal Soriano.

Perfect Fit: Cleveland Indians

According to Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com, the Indians are interested in Boston Red Sox 3B/1B Kevin Youkilis. This comes as no surprise, as they could use a guy like Youk at first base, where Casey Kotchman has struggled this season.

Youkilis has been hitting well since the Red Sox activated him from the DL, but there's no telling how long that will last given Youk's track record since the start of the 2011 season. To boot, he's become awfully-injury prone.

LaHair is younger, and he's more of an offensive threat than Youk is at this stage of his career. The Indians could play him at first over Kotchman, and they could also play him in left field instead of Johnny Damon, who the Tribe can apparently cut loose very easily (see MLB.com).

The Cubs would likely ask for a small package of intriguing prospects in return for LaHair, and the Indians have a ton of those. Their system lacks blue-chippers (except for Francisco Lindor), but it's loaded with high-ceiling youngsters that they can deal.

Paul Maholm, SP

Why He's a Candidate to Be Traded

Paul Maholm has never been anything special as a pitcher, but he's a guy who can log innings and post a quality start every now and again. His 4.62 ERA doesn't look all that great, but Maholm has at least managed to pitch six innings in six of his last seven starts.

Jon Heyman summed it up best: "The third veteran Cubs starter gets overlooked. He could be a back-end rotation option for someone."

Perfect Fit: New York Mets

Maholm is not unlike Dempster in that he's a pitcher who really needs to stay in the National League to be successful.

There aren't many potential suitors for Maholm's services in the NL, but the New York Mets appear to be a legit suitor. For the most part, their starting pitching has been an adventure this season, and their rotation suffered a significant blow when Mike Pelfrey was lost for the season.

The Mets are still in the thick of things in a crowded NL East. If they want to stay in the thick of things, they should go out and find a rotation upgrade at the deadline. Maholm is a guy they could afford.

Carlos Marmol, RP

Why He's a Candidate to Be Traded

Carlos Marmol is a textbook example of a guy who needs a change of scenery. He's one of baseball's best strikeout artists, but his tendency to walk the ballpark and throw the ball to the backstop has gotten a little old, to say the least.

To make matters worse, Marmol isn't exactly cheap. The Cubs will take what they can get for him, and they'll be very thankful if somebody agrees to pick up a chunk of Marmol's $7.33 million contract ($9.8 million in 2013).

Perfect Fit: Detroit Tigers

I wouldn't wish Carlos Marmol on anyone. Watching him pitch is painful.

So if you're a Tigers fan, I totally understand if you're looking at your screen and going, "Oh no—please God no!" right now. That's the appropriate response in this situation.

But hear me out on this one. The Tigers bullpen is a major area of weakness on a team that has a few too many weaknesses. Marmol is a guy they could get relatively cheaply, and the bright side is that he'd be a high-reward acquisition.

If Marmol settles down, he'd be a guy Jim Leyland could bring in to get key strikeouts in the late innings. If not, Leyland could banish him to the depths of the pen, kind of like what the Red Sox did with Eric Gagne in 2007.

I'd say he's worth the risk, and the Tigers could stand to take a risk or two.

Alfonso Soriano, LF

Why He's a Candidate to Be Traded

Alfonso Soriano has been a massive bust for the Cubs, and there are still two full years left on his contract after this season. He doesn't fit into the organization's plans for the future, so they'll gladly get rid of him if they can.

It won't be easy to find a buyer for Soriano, but Nightengale wrote in his report that the Cubs will "gladly" chip in some cash to help make things easier.

Perfect Fit: Philadelphia Phillies

Just like Marmol, Soriano is a guy I wouldn't want to wish on anyone.

Sorry for wishing him on you, Phillies fans.

Seriously, though, we can all agree that the Phillies are in desperate need of offense, and it also just so happens that they need some power coming from left field. Soriano is a hitter who could take advantage of the short left field porch at Citizens Bank Park.

The Phillies don't have prospects to deal, but the Cubs can't be choosers in a Soriano deal. They'd be happy if the Phillies agreed to pick up a good chunk of Soriano's contract, and the Phillies have the cash to do that.

It just depends if they're in selling or buying mode at the deadline. Things aren't looking good now, but I just have a hard time imagining the Phillies ever going into selling mode.

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