If the Cubs aren't going to pay they're going to have to deal
The problem is they don't have much to work with



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The Cubs need to either get out their checkbook or make some trades (a mix of both would be ideal) to fix their gloriously mediocre team. One of their most desirable players to trade sabotaged them by having what apparently was just cosmetic surgery on the flexor tendon in his right arm. I say it must have been cosmetic because surely the Cubs weren’t just rolling him out there every day, injured at the end of another doomed season, right?
No team is going to trade for an injured player until he proves he’s healthy, right? Well, one team traded for Nick Madrigal in 2021 when he was on the 60 day injured list, but as much as Jed Hoyer would like to trade with himself, I don’t think it would do that much good.
So what else is there to trade without Nico?
The Cubs are woefully light on players without no-trade clauses that other teams would actually want to give anything of quality up for. Michael Busch might get you something, but it sure seems like teams looking for 27 year olds who hit 21 homers and drove in 65 runs aren’t in the mood to part with something big. So he’s probably worth more to the Cubs than anybody else.
And then, what? Petecrow? That seems counterproductive. Miguel Amaya? Surely he’s in the buy very low category.
The Cubs could trade Justin Steele, but his multiple injuries last year would limit his return, and then there’s the whole thing about them not having anyone as good as he is to replace him with.
The list dries up pretty quickly.
So what about the guy most rumored to be traded at the deadline this past year?