CHICAGO _ In a perfect world, the Cubs would be on a streak of postseason appearances to rival the Dodgers' current run of seven in a row while producing waves of homegrown impact players to help balance the payroll.
But even before the Cubs failed to reach the playoffs this fall for the first time since 2014, cracks began to surface.
Several of the young players who helped lead the franchise to the 2016 World Series title failed to make projected improvements. A lack of homegrown pitchers forced them to sign free agents Yu Darvish and Tyler Chatwood before the 2018 season, only to see each struggle and result in last year's pricey midseason acquisition of Cole Hamels.
And even with at least $60 million coming off the books, almost half of that savings could go toward retaining arbitration-eligible mainstays Kris Bryant and Javier Baez, who have two more seasons before they're eligible for free agency.
That's why _ despite their success and popularity _ Cubs President Theo Epstein must consider the possibility of trading either All-Star to maximize their value and address areas of need.
"They're both hugely important, and it would be hard to see them out of a Cubs uniform," Epstein said Monday at his season-ending news conference. "But we're at a transition point. We have to see what's best for the Cubs. I hope it includes both those guys."
The Cubs have glaring needs to address, such as a leadoff batter, a major-league-ready starting pitcher and more contact hitters.
Here are the pros and cons of trading Bryant or Baez and the outlook if they decide to keep both players.
