A less experienced Chris Martin would have been pondering his fate as the calendar hurtled toward the trade deadline.
“I’ve been in this situation before,” the Cubs reliever told the Sun-Times. “I’ve been in clubhouses before when guys have been traded. I’ve been around it a bunch, so no, at this point I’m not thinking about it.”
So has the organization as a whole, just last year, in fact. And last year the dramatic trade deadline sell-off began coming out of the All-Star break. Outfielder Joc Pederson was the first to go, as the Cubs traded away one-third of their Opening Day roster.
This time will be different, in that there aren’t as many players from the 2016 Championship team to trade away. Cubs fans may have to part with beloved homegrown catcher Willson Contreras.
The team also has more pieces for the future in place. They signed outfielder Seiya Suzuki to a five-year, $85 million contract to be a centerpiece of their championship window. They gave pitcher Marcus Stroman a 2024 player option, a contract structure not built for a future trade. And young players like Christopher Morel have emerged this season as potential core members to build around.
The trade deadline is still poised to deliver a blow to the 35-57 Cubs, who entered the All-Star break with just one more win than the Reds, who sit in last place in the NL Central.
The Cubs bullpen is fixed for a shakeup. The team has leaned heavily on its relievers, as the rotation has gone through bouts of inconsistency and injury. The Cubs bullpen led the National League in innings (395 ⅔) before the All-Star break.
Now, think of the value veteran relievers David Robertson (1.93 ERA, 13 saves), Mychal Givens (2.92 ERA) and Martin (4.34 ERA, 8.75 strikeout-to-walk ratio) could add to a team vying for a playoff spot.
The offense is expected to undergo change as well. In addition to Contreras, a player like Rafael Ortega — who has hit .262 since late May in a crowded outfield — could be a trade candidate.
If the Cubs trade Ian Happ, who joined Contreras as an All-Star this year, along with Contreras, the homegrown outfielder has already taken lessons from last trade deadline.
“As tough as it was to lose friends, those guys are all playing baseball and doing really well,” Happ said during the All-Star festivities. “Joc is an All-Star, [Anthony] Rizzo has [22] homers before the break, Kris [Bryant] is happy where he is, Javy [Báez] is happy where he is. Guys end up being OK and playing baseball and still having a great time.”
Looking for a silver lining for the Cubs’ second half? The rotation, at least, is in position to improve.
Injuries plummeted the trade value of veterans Wade Miley (left shoulder strain) and Kyle Hendricks (right shoulder strain), who aren’t expected to return from the injured list before the deadline. And lefty Drew Smyly (right oblique strain), who the Cubs reinstated in time for one start leading into the All-Star break, also missed significant time.
In the meantime, young starters Keegan Thompson and Justin Steele made strides in their development. So, when the rotation returns to health, it’ll have depth and the potential to carry the team.
The next week and a half will determine what that team will look like.
Martin said he’s “not too worried about it.”
When the Rangers traded him to the Braves in the middle of the 2019 season, he’d fretted about his future leading up to the deadline. As he put it, he “tried to do too much.”
Now, he says experience is “the biggest thing.”
Heading into the deadline as sellers? The Cubs have recent experience.
