The Chicago Cubs have made no secret of the fact that they are going to be looking for pitching this offseason. There has been talk that Jake Arrieta could be coming back, but that seems to be a wish more than reality. The club has also looked at going out and getting Shohei Ohtani but that also appears to be wishful thinking. If the Cubs do pick a new pitcher, there has been an awful lot of talk about the fact that they might do it by working out a trade.

If a trade is in the works, it seems more likely than not that the club is willing to part with one of their middle infielders.

That means either Javier Baez, Ian Happ, or Ben Zobrist will likely not be on the club come 2018.

Looking for suitors for Ben Zobrist

When it comes to the player the team would most like to trade, Zobrist is right at the top of the list. The reasoning behind this is rather obvious. Zobrist is in the declining years of his career and the team would love to find a way to move his contract, which still has two years left in it.

Zobrist’s value to the team shown through during their World Series run, but he took a rather steep step back in 2017. It’s shocking to think about all the young players that are still on the roster and the team would be trending even younger if they could find a landing spot for Zobrist.

Reviewing the Brew recently wrote about the chances of a Cubs trade with the Milwaukee Brewers, which could see some decent talent coming to the North Side in exchange. A trade between the two division rivals seems a bit farfetched but the website believes the Brewers could be looking to send back someone like their 16th ranked prospect, Trey Supak.

Supak has turned into a solid starter in the minors and could be bullpen help in 2017 for the Cubs.

Javier Baez on the move?

While Zobrist’s return would be relatively light, Javier Baez could net a bit more. The problem with Baez has always been you just never know what you are going to get from one plate appearance to the next.

It’s possible Chicago has decided they are done trying to crack that code.

Halo Hangout has said the Anaheim Angels could be a fit for a club that is actively looking for a second baseman. The real question here is just what the return would be and whether that would be enough for the Chicago Cubs to send out a still young infielder with a ton of pop. The team isn't likely to dump either Zobrist, Happ, or Baez just to make room on the roster. The Chicago Cubs are going to want some value in return.
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