Unfortunately, it looks like the Chicago Cubs will be sellers. For a team that has been sellers now, the past 3 deadlines, the front office approach has been severely lacking in creating a competitive team in a weak division. The only way the Cubs don’t sell is if they go on an absolute tear for the next few games against the Washington Nationals, St. Louis Cardinals, and the Chicago White Sox. But the Cubs have not been able to win these series in the past when it matters most and the way the team has been playing, incredibly subpar, that is an unlikely tract. The main pieces that the Cubs have been looking to sell at this deadline are Cody Bellinger and Marcus Stroman, which they absolutely should not do. 

Cody Bellinger has been raking following the All-Star break, with 3 homeruns, and 7 RBIs. He has a .460 batting average in the month of July and on the season has a .305 batting average, .360 on base percentage, and a .524 slugging percentage with 12 home runs and 35 RBIs. 

Marcus Stroman has been one of the league’s best pitchers. He has a 2.88 ERA, 2nd most wins in baseball at 10, and is tied for the most quality starts at 15. 

Both Stroman and Bellinger are premier trade pieces that any contender would love to have to improve their lineup, but this is in no way the best option for the Cubs if they want to consider the future of their team. This year they were not able to contend, even in a weak division, but next year, they could. The Cubs have the pieces to succeed, with Dansby Swanson and Nico Hoerner up the middle, Christopher Morel, catcher Miguel Amaya, Justin Steele, along with corner outfielders Ian Happ and Seiya Suzuki. Many of these players have been underperforming, but if they even are average production wise, they could be a force to be reckoned with. The Cubs also have a strong farm system, with #9 prospect Pete Crow-Armstrong, Ben Brown, amongst many others. These pieces need to be bolstered by Cody Bellinger’s power bat and Marcus Stroman’s consistent, quality pitching. 

The way the Cubs prove they want to actually be competitive in 2024 they can’t trade Bellinger or Stroman, and hopefully try to secure these players in free agency. Stroman has vocally acknowledged that he and Bellinger like being Cubs and don’t want to leave. These are players to build the lineup around. If the Cubs decide to bring up rookies, they are not a guaranteed success and possibly could be farther out than fans may like, so keeping both Bellinger and Stroman could offer security and change the lineup for the better. 

There is a chance that the Cubs trade Bellinger and Stroman, but they come back, which Stroman at least said he would be open to. This could offer the chance to get prospects and keep their best players, but it is too risky to seriously consider. Last deadline, the Cubs didn’t sell their major players, Willson Contreras or Ian Happ, so hopefully this would be the case once again because keeping both Stroman and Bellinger is essential to prove that the Cubs are serious and want to contend in 2024.