5 Chicago Cubs Most Likely to Be Traded

The Cubs are obviously going nowhere this season, and are in the midst of a rebuilding effort, so it makes sense that anyone is available for the right price. But some are more available than others.

While some may argue that a good player is better to keep around in order to build around him, I am of the opinion that if you can turn one piece into two or three prospects, you are better off.

For one, it would expedite the rebuild process. And second, you usually have to give something good up to get something good in return. Not every trade is Ivan DeJesus for Larry Bowa and a certain middle infielder who you may have heard of, nor is every Cubs player moved going to be Lou Brock (ouch!).

So it makes sense to look at every player and assess his value to the team on the field vs. his value to the team if traded. For these five guys, it may make more sense to move them.

Ryan Dempster

This one is fairly obvious, though you can read some reports suggesting that the Cubs are interested in re-signing Dempster. Well, I don't believe that—he's going to be moved to the highest bidder.

Whether or not he pitches well for the Cubs, he won't help the team, since this is a team that stinks right now. But Dempster can really help the team if Jed Hoyer can get a decent prospect in return.

Dempster is likely to leave as a free agent, which makes him more likely to be traded but also lessens the value expected in return. Since he will only be a half season rental for another team, they aren't going to mortgage the farm for him.

But the bidding could get fierce, as there are 10 teams that make the playoffs each year now, so there will be more buyers than sellers.

As with all Cubs players to be moved, expect the Cubs to ask for prospects or nearly major-league ready players in return.

Matt Garza

This one could go either way, but I'm guessing that the Cubs will try to move Garza but will ask a lot. The way he's pitching right now is not helping, though teams know how good this guy is.

While Garza is not a No.1 starter, he's a solid two, and the Cubs should only trade him if they can get a prospect that is either one or two on a team's list. He is under team control beyond this season, too, which makes him even more valuable.

Don't get me wrong—just because I have him listed here as the second-most likely Cubs player to be moved doesn't mean that it's a certainty. It takes two to tango, and some team would have to be willing to part with a pretty big haul if they want Garza.

But I'm betting someone will take the bait.

Alfonso Soriano

I would never have placed Soriano this high before, but if he keeps producing the way he has been lately, some team will take a chance on a guy who they can get on the cheap.

Yes, despite how well he's playing so far this season, the Cubs want to move Soriano bad enough that they are willing to eat the majority of his contract. And the way Soriano's playing, I believe there will be a team willing to give the Cubs a young player in return for the Cubs eating most of Soriano's remaining money owed.

Alternatively, if a team has deeper pockets and is willing to pay, say, half of the money owed to Soriano, then the Cubs likely won't receive much in return.

The player(s) the Cubs get back depend on two things: how well Soriano is playing, and how much money they expect the Cubs to pay.

Bryan LaHair

LaHair is not a young prospect—he is a 29 year old rookie. And while some believe that he's part of the Cubs rebuilding effort, I think they should sell high.

Of course, he's been slumping, so the time to sell truly high may have passed, but I hope the Cubs move him while they can get something before other teams discover he's not a starter.

Yes, LaHair has power, but he has holes in his swing. And anyway, he is a first baseman and we all know that Anthony Rizzo is the first sacker of the future.

Ian Stewart or Geo Soto

I would rather have Carlos Marmol on this list, but no team is going to pay him his remaining salary when the guy can't throw strikes. However, trading Stewart won't be easy, either, as he has now had more than a full season of not hitting at all.

Stewart was a decent, relatively cheap gamble by Hoyer, and maybe he will still start hitting. But if the Cubs had a good alternative at third base, I believe Stewart would already be on the bench.

Meanwhile, Soto is another player the Cubs will likely try to move once he gets healthy again. If he can rebuild his value, the Cubs will move him because they do not like his catching or throwing from behind the plate, and the new regime appreciates defense above all else at key positions like catcher.

But like Stewart, the problem with trading Soto is that the Cubs have no one to take his place. Wellington Castillo and Steve Clevinger would not be a starting catcher on a good team. Heck, the Cubs were so desperate for catching they brought back Koyie Hill.

Since the Cubs won't be good for awhile, they don't want to pay a poor defensive catcher like Soto more than $5 million.