Cubs Rumors: Bellinger and Stroman make great trade assets

The Chicago Cubs are a team that is hard to identify. They feel like a good (fun) team but they aren’t a winning team.

They show flashes here and there but they are well below the playoff line no matter how you look at it.

With a couple of weeks to go before the trade deadline, they are looking like sellers. It should be interesting to see what moves Jed Hoyer decides to make.

He has made some good under-the-radar trades over the last two seasons and now it is time to see what he can do again.

It does make you wonder if winning is ever going to be on their mind with this group but this just isn’t the year.

The Chicago Cubs have two very good trade assets to think about this week.

The two biggest trade assets that the Cubs have are Marcus Stroman and Cody Bellinger. Each of them offers something different to a contender trying to add.

Stroman is a top-line starter that could be a rental or he could opt into 2024 depending on his situation. With the way he has pitched this year, it is hard to see him opting into any contract.

For all of those reasons, the Cubs should be looking to trade him as soon as possible unless they get an extension done in the coming days.

If Stroman went to a contender, there is a good chance that he isn’t their game one starter but he could be perfect for a game two or game three.

We see every year how important pitching is in the playoffs and teams are going to remember that when evaluating their trade deadline plan.

As for Bellinger, he is a very good hitter with Gold Glove-caliber defense in the outfield. He struggled in his final few seasons with the Los Angeles Dodgers but he has repaired his reputation with the Cubs so far this year.

Bellinger is healthy and playing very well. He is actually closer to his MVP-winning self than he is to the horrific version of himself that he was over the last handful of years. A World Series favorite looking for one more bat would be wise to consider Cody Bellinger.

Obviously, having one really good pitcher and one really good everyday player is great for a team selling off. We just have to wait and see if the Cubs actually go through with it. If they do, they might find themselves very happy with the return.