(670 The Score) After a six-year run that marked the golden era of Cubs baseball, it's time for the organization to reboot.
Several of the Cubs' core players are in the final season of their contracts, and the team has fallen out of contention, entering the All-Star break at 44-46 and eight games behind the NL Central-leading Brewers. While president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer has made it clear that he doesn't want to embark on be a full-blown rebuilding process, trading veteran players offers the opportunity to remodel the team.
"I want to make sure that we can build that next great Cubs team," Hoyer said on the Laurence Holmes Show on 670 The Score last Friday.
With the trade deadline looming July 30, the Cubs head into a sellers' market with plenty of enticing trade chips at their disposal. Hoyer must soon decide whether the organization is best-suited by trading some of its most important players or keeping them.
Let's break down the outlook for the Cubs' main trade chip.
Craig Kimbrel, closer
The future Hall of Fame closer Kimbrel is back to form, having earned All-Star honors for the eighth time in his career. He boasts an 0.57 ERA and 20 saves in 33 appearances.
Hold or deal? The Cubs would be foolish not to trade Kimbrel, who's considered by many to be the top trade chip available on the market.
Every contending team could use Kimbrel, who brings security for the ninth inning and offers depth in any bullpen. He should bring the Cubs their largest return haul of any of their trade candidates, Audacy Sports MLB insider Jon Heyman told the Mully & Haugh Show last week. Part of the appeal for the 33-year-old Kimbrel is that his contract includes an option for 2022.
Hoyer can be greedy in shopping Kimbrel by holding out for the right price in return. The AL East-leading Red Sox would be a natural fit for Kimbrel, who was the closer on Boston's championship team in 2018. If that's the case, the Cubs should ask for prized middle infield prospect Jeter Downs in return. The Giants could use Kimbrel as well, in which case the Cubs should ask for touted catching prospect Joey Bart.
The Braves' bullpen has struggled with closer Will Smith posting a 3.68 ERA. Kimbrel earned All-Star honors four times in his five seasons in Atlanta, which which has quality pitching in its farm system that would be attractive to Chicago.
Kris Bryant, third baseman/outfielder
An All-Star once again, Bryant has been the Cubs' most valuable player in 2021. He enters the break with a slash line of .271/.353/.502, 16 home runs and 46 RBIs. Bryant has also proved his versatility this season, playing all three outfield positions and first base in addition to his natural position of third base. He's in the final season of his contract.
Hold or deal? If a long-term extension for Bryant with the Cubs was feasible, it would've been signed and sealed by now. But powerful agent Scott Boras often prefers for his clients like Bryant to explore their value on the open market. That and other factors have hindered the Cubs from signing Bryant to an extension since he broke into the big leagues in 2015.
Bryant's name has landed in trade rumors on multiple occasions in recent years. It seems a deal will finally come to fruition in late July.
If Kimbrel is the Cubs' top trade chip, Bryant isn't far behind him. His positional versatility means Bryant is an option for more teams, which means Hoyer can create a significant market for a trade. The NL East features four teams separated by six games. The NL West race includes three strong clubs separated by six games. The AL wild-card race still has seven teams in the mix for two spots.
Hoyer can pit rival contenders against each other in a bidding war and deal Bryant for the best return. If the Cubs play their cards right in trading Kimbrel and Bryant, they could net a return that lifts their farm system into the top 10 in baseball.
Javier Baez, shortstop
Baez is on pace to hit 37 home runs but has a strikeout rate of nearly 37%. Like Bryant, he's in the final season of his contract.
Hold or deal? It's a bit complicated with Baez and the Cubs. At 28, he's the youngest of the three main core players and has expressed a desire to remain with the organization. He's an electrifying but often frustrating player.
There's a case to offer Baez a long-term contract extension that retains him as a star for "that next great Cubs team," as Hoyer phrased it. His prime fits within that next window of contention. But it's certainly worth shopping Baez before the deadline. He can also play second base and third base, which expands his trade market.
It could go either way with Baez.
Anthony Rizzo, first baseman
The unofficial team captain for the Cubs, Rizzo is now 31 and has seen a decline in numbers. He's hitting .247 with 10 home runs and 33 RBIs at the All-Star break.
Hold or deal? It would be hard to imagine the Cubs without Rizzo, the team's beating heart since he joined the organization in 2012 at the outset of the rebuild.
But Hoyer has indicated he'll approach these key decisions without sentimentality, and that objectivity is needed with Rizzo, who has dealt with lingering lower back issues over the last several seasons. Rizzo struggled like many players during the 60-game 2020 season, but he hasn't rebounded back to form in 2021.
Rizzo is likely seeking a deal close to what the Cardinals offered in 2019 to fellow first baseman Paul Goldschmidt, who at the age of 31 -- the same age as Rizzo is now -- signed a five-year, $130-million contract extension. But with uncertainty regarding Rizzo's long-term durability and performance, he likely won't garner that offer from the Cubs or any team on the open market. It's worth wondering whether Hoyer would even offer Rizzo more than two or three years in a new contract.
Rizzo and the Cubs were far apart on a contract extension before this season, and he prefers to conduct negotiations only in the offseason. Without assurances between the Cubs and Rizzo beyond 2021, it naturally means he becomes a potential trade chip.
Rizzo could fit well in a deal to the AL East, with the Red Sox, Rays and Yankees each able to fit him into their respective lineups.
Zach Davies, starter
Acquired by the Cubs in their trade of ace Yu Darvish to the Padres last December, Davies is 5-6 with a 4.37 ERA this season. Davies is set to become a free agent at season's end.
Hold or deal? With Davies, it should simply be a matter of whether there's a worthy trade offer for him. He's 28 and because of his pitching style, and there aren't concerns over arm durability or decline due to a lack of sticky substances.
The Cubs have little certainty in their rotation, and Davies owns a career 3.86 ERA. Unless a team is willing to offer the Cubs a good return for Davies, the organization should look to sign him on a multi-year extension.
Andrew Chafin, reliever
Chafin has proved to be a valuable piece of the Cubs' bullpen, with a 1.42 ERA over 38 innings this season. His contract includes a $5.25-million mutual option for 2022.
Hold or deal? Though the 31-year-old Chafin has a mutual option for 2022, the Cubs would be wise to deal him. He has been a strong performer, and nearly every contender would covet a left-handed specialist for a playoff push.
Joc Pederson, outfielder
It has been an up-and-down season for Pederson, who enters the All-Star break hitting .230 with 11 home runs and 39 RBIs. His contract includes a $10-million mutual option for 2022.
Hold or deal?
Pederson likely isn't in the Cubs' future plans, so he makes sense as a trade chip. A left-handed slugger, he sets up as a platoon option in a contender's outfield mix, boasting a career slash line of .236/.343/.495 against right-handed pitching.
Jake Marisnick, outfielder
When healthy, Marisnick has been a solid part of the Cubs' outfield. He has a .778 OPS this season and is a strong defensive player. His contract includes a $4-million mutual option for 2022.
Hold or deal?
Marisnick's situation is similar to Pederson's, except he's a right-handed hitter who excels against left-handed pitching. He also could be a platoon player for a contending team. Marisnick could also return to Chicago next season, but the Cubs would be wise to shop him.
Chris Emma covers the Bears, Chicago’s sports scene and more for 670TheScore.com. Follow him on Twitter @CEmma670.